The next day, upon waking up, I changed the room assignments for Nishina and the others at the reception and paid for an additional night.
I then headed straight to the South Gate where we were scheduled to meet. Nishina and the others, who also planned to enjoy the city today, came along.
Upon reflection, we had traveled this far in a single beast carriage.
I wondered how the travel arrangements would be for us heading to the Federation from here and for Nishina and the others returning to Dudur Valley.
The area around the South Gate featured a spacious plaza just outside the gate, with slightly lower castle walls surrounding it.
Various beast carriages were parked in the plaza, and the atmosphere was bustling with energy.
“I had been wondering about that too. Are you interested in shared rides?”
“A shared ride, you say?”
“Well, you could also hire a beast carriage if you prefer.”
“I see. Would it be better to hire a carriage exclusively for four people rather than sharing?”
“It would be more expensive, though. Alternatively, if you want to go cheaply, you could consider traveling with merchants who need escorts.”
“Wait, is it alright to do something like that while being part of the Federation Army?”
“It’s not ideal, but no one will say anything. For now, if you can find a good exclusive carriage, that would be best.”
Hmm. I was interested in experiencing a shared ride, but I wondered if the magical carriages that Nishina and Sakuragi had ridden in would be available.
In any case, the beast carriage we had ridden would remain here for Nishina and the others to use on their return. It seemed that Spellsess preferred not to use too many means of transportation since they were dispatching trouble from Spelt and wanted to minimize travel.
The crowd at the South Gate seemed to consist of various vendors and travelers who followed behind merchant caravans with escorts. It appeared that the crowd size varied by day, but this scene was typical every morning at this time.
Even on days without escorts, it seemed that if people gathered in sufficient numbers, they could manage to fend off monsters. The departure would likely resemble a small caravan.
Such customs attracted those looking to make money, and several food stalls selling breakfast were setting up.
“Wow, Sensei! I’m going to check out the stalls!”
“Don’t get lost.”
“Okay!”
Sakuragi, with Vito in tow, went off to browse the food.
Meanwhile, Spellsess and I headed towards a corner where people were holding placards.
“Cheap beast carriage to Secta Village.”
“No escort. Self-defense required.”
“Latest beast carriage. Smooth ride. No bumps. Fast.”
“Luggage allowed. Within the province only.”
I see. These were beast carriages operated by individuals. A few people around were consulting while looking at the cards. Spellsess approached a man who seemed to be confident about his product. The man was a Liken like Stroman, sporting a beret and a mustache. He looked us over with a scrutinizing gaze as we approached.
“I want to go to Manitoba.”
“Manitoba? That’s quite far… It’s not cheap.”
“The price is acceptable. But is this latest beast carriage really as good as you claim?”
“Yeah, you can trust that. It uses the latest suspension developed by the Nazal Institute of the Dynasty. It’s the best ride among local beast carriages.”
“From the Dynasty?”
“Yeah, supposedly it was invented by one of the Dynasty’s sages. That said, it’s not cheap. I guarantee first-class comfort.”
“A sage, you say…”
Spellsess stepped back to ask me for my decision. It would take about two weeks to reach Manitoba. Indeed, if the ride was truly smooth, that would be ideal…
“I’m not very knowledgeable about beast carriages… Is this kind of technology really available?”
“Indeed, the Dynasty is actively recruiting engineers. However, whether this is genuine or not is uncertain.”
We decided to have a look at the beast carriage. Without seeing it, I couldn’t judge its credibility. Following the confident man, we came upon a carriage that indeed looked luxurious. It was my first time seeing it, but the beast attached to it resembled a Sebek, albeit with a different color—a deep black with multiple strands resembling a mane.
“That’s Kelbeck… It’s been a while since I’ve seen it used in public.”
“I see. As expected of someone who has lived long enough to know. Yes, this is definitely a Kelbeck. He’s a different pair from Sebec.”
“Looks fast.”
“Yeah, I once completed the Kessel Walk in 12 hours.”
“Hmm…”
Spellsess then squatted down and peered underneath the carriage. After a while, he stood up, seemingly satisfied.
“Alright. We’ll go with this one.”
“To Manitoba? How about 100?”
“That’s too high. How about 50?”
“Come on, don’t joke around. It takes two weeks to get there, and the return trip will also take two weeks. For a month’s worth, that’s not feasible. How about 90?”
“Did you say the Kessel Walk took 12 hours? Then, after dropping us off, it should return in less than two weeks. 60 is the most reasonable.”
“I can also fight monsters, you know? Escort costs will add up.”
“That’s fine. We’re part of the Federation Army.”
“Ugh. Military, huh… 80. That’s the lowest I can go.”
“Hmm… alright.”
The negotiations were finally settled. We would depart with other caravans and gradually decrease in number as we went through towns and villages. A small, youthful man who had been preparing the carriage emerged and spoke to us.
“Hello, looks like we’ve got a long journey ahead. Nice to meet you.”
“Yes, please take care of us.”
“Well, Gus might be a bit rough, but I’ll ensure the work is done properly. You can count on that.”
“Will it be just you two?”
“Yes. Handling the carriage alone is quite challenging, so I’ll be alternating with him.”
With some time left before departure, I spoke with Nishina and the others again while eating something like kebab from a stall in the plaza. I reminded them to be careful on their way back to Dudur Valley. Although it would be over a month before we would meet again, we both accepted this due to the lack of developed transportation infrastructure in this world. Still, it felt a bit lonely.
“Well, make sure to get back safely.”
“Sensei, how many times do you need to say that? We’ll be fine.”
“Yes, yes. But… enjoy yourselves thoroughly with the three of you today.”
“Take care as well, Sensei. I believe it will be alright with Kimishima-senpai around.”
“Hahaha. Well then, we’ll be off.”
“Yes.”
Eventually, the command was given, and a large group, resembling a major trading company, set off with their security team. Following them were smaller trading companies and merchants who couldn’t afford their own escorts, as well as larger shared beast carriages and our individual beast carriage. We blended into the group and set out towards Manitoba.
