Magic Cart ~Nishina, Sakuragi~

General Degry, despite his imposing appearance, patiently explained everything to us. However, every time I listened to his explanations, I couldn't help but feel the difficulty of rescuing our teacher and senpai.

"Sakuragi... Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah..."

It seemed that Sakuragi was also in shock, but her determination to rescue our senpai was unwavering.

"Even if no one else helps us... we'll do our best. Let's climb the Ladder for now."

"That's right, let's go at least to Dudur Valley."

Neither the military nor the adventurers could help us, so we had no choice but to go on our own. We headed to the point where we could rise on the Ladder even a little. There might be cases where it's better to have a smaller group than a large army.

Upon hearing our conversation, General Degry, who had been listening, sighed as if he were troubled.

"Alright, I won't say it's a bad idea. But stop thinking about climbing the Ladder together, like you two. People who have received the protection of powerful spirits like you experience a significant increase in their abilities when climbing the Dadder. It could even lead to losing consciousness for almost half a day."

"Losing consciousness..."

"That's right, neither of you has climbed up the Ladder yet, right? I assume you're listening, but the first one or two steps are relatively easy. Try raising them simultaneously, and you'll both end up losing consciousness and becoming prey."

"What... that's..."

Seeing our shocked reactions, General Degry scratched his head and frowned.

"Phew... was that really your intention?"

"…Yes."

"Well... I didn't really want to recommend it, but..."

With that, General Degry asked a priest to bring paper and a pen, saying that he wanted to write a letter.

"Let me introduce you to the Durham State Army."

"The state army...?"

"Yeah... but the Durham state itself is almost defunct, so it's not in a state where the military is officially established."

"But there's still an army?"

"You could call it an army... They're more like a group of people who enter the forest every day to thin out the monsters. They're more like partisans than a regular army. They don't receive formal training like a military. Think of them as closer to adventurers in a frontier town."

"What about the Durham State Army?"

"I don't know. But if you want to get stronger locally, they might lend a hand. They're familiar with the terrain of Durham State, so they might even have a route to get closer."

Degry spoke dismissively, but it did seem more practical to have locals introduce us to people.

"Sakuragi... What do you think?"

"I think it's a good idea. If Takato thinks it's a good idea..."

"For now, it's the most realistic option, isn't it?"

"Yeah."

After listening to our discussion, General Degry wrote something on the paper brought by the priest and sealed it in an envelope.

"But... we can't guarantee that things will go as you wish."

"Yes."

"They are more like the orphaned children of a Monster Parade, gathered for revenge, rather than regular soldiers."

"We understand."

"Yeah... We'll send a federal army magic cart to the city."

"Huh?"

"You must be in a hurry, right? Shared carriages aren't always available when you need them."

"Thank you!"

Once the decision was made, General Degry quickly stood up and left the room, telling us to wait here for our pick-up. We waited in the reception room for a while, and the same priest who had spoken to us earlier brought us each a pack of portable food. When we asked why, he explained that we didn't have any portable food because we had given it to our teacher back at the Sky Temple. He was instructed to provide us with the temple's stock.

"Thank you for everything."

"No, may everything go well. We'll pray to God for your safety. Please stay safe."

"Yes."

Sakuragi was also grateful for the attention we were receiving and kept expressing her thanks. Eventually, the magic cart arrived, and the priests saw us off at the entrance. They even gave us boxed lunches. We boarded the magic cart.

The magic cart appeared to function based on a circular motion generated by magical tools, transmitted to the wheels through gears and shafts. Despite its somewhat classical appearance resembling old steam cars, it wasn't a commonly available mode of transportation in this area.

In the magic cart, there was a military driver. General Degry, being a general, would have the rest be taken care of by his subordinates. For us, who had just left the temple, this was our first time witnessing the city in this world.

I had previously imagined a medieval world like those described in isekai novels I had read a few times before, but the reality was somewhat different.

The roads were paved with asphalt, and the building walls seemed to be made of a concrete-like material rather than bricks. Despite that, the architectural design had a certain medieval feel, creating a somewhat mismatched atmosphere. I wasn't very familiar with Western history, but it seemed to be close to an era like the Industrial Revolution in terms of historical period.

Both Sakuragi and I were fascinated by the peculiar scenery outside the magic cart's window.

"Misses, we're about to depart. Make sure to hold onto that bar there."

"Yes."

The driver's voice was curt as he turned to speak to us. The seating inside the magic cart allowed four people to sit facing each other, much like a carriage. Sakuragi and I sat side by side, facing forward.

Rattle, rattle...

Despite the road being asphalt-paved, it wasn't as smooth as the roads in Japan. It seemed like the suspension system wasn't as efficient at absorbing shocks as Japanese cars. As we started moving, the rough ride left us quite uncomfortable. The driver had placed cushions on our seats, and we now understood why.

"This is... quite rough."

"Yeah... but I guess it can't be helped."

"Haha. Are you prone to motion sickness? I've never experienced it, so I thought it would be fine."

"I'm fine too. But, oh... sorry, I bumped into you."

"Don't worry. I did wonder why this bar was so securely attached, but if we don't hold on tightly like this, it would be tough."

"Yeah."

The speed seemed decent, which probably contributed to the intense shaking. The driver, seemingly unaffected by the bumps, continued to drive while humming.

The situation wasn't ideal, but it felt like everything was falling into place nicely, thanks to the help from the people around us. With a slightly positive feeling, we departed from the city.

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