The carriage set off, gradually leaving the capital and heading toward the border of the territory.
Passing beyond the walls of Kaine, the capital, the road stretched into vast plains and farmlands that filled the entire field of vision.
Unlike the densely packed buildings of the capital, the open landscape was refreshing.
In the pastures, livestock that resembled cows from a previous life roamed, while farmers busily tended to their fields.
“Wow… This is nice.”
Sienna admired the scenery through the carriage window.
It made sense—having spent so much time in the confined capital, the sight of an open plain stretching beyond the horizon must have been a welcome change.
Even Whitey, who was resting on Sienna’s lap, was staring blankly outside.
It was his first time leaving the capital, which was a bit concerning.
Though the carriage was driven by a coachman, that old man hadn’t even assigned a single attendant.
Still, lodging could be arranged in villages or towns along the way, and meals could be managed with simple rations or cooked during camps.
“Rain, you should take a look too.”
“I’m already looking.”
Leaning back against the plush carriage seat, I gazed at the scenery outside as well.
Back at the mansion, I mostly just stared at the sky.
There was no way I wouldn’t be captivated by a sight like this.
After riding in the carriage and taking in the scenery for quite some time, the landscape gradually changed.
Farmlands grew sparse, giving way to wild grasslands.
“The roads are well-maintained.”
“Yes! They say they’ve been here since the ancient empire.”
“Aha.”
No wonder the road was in such good condition.
I expected that near the capital, but even beyond, the roads remained wide and well-paved.
It seemed they had all been laid out during the ancient empire.
“Are roads like this spread throughout the continent?”
“Well, I don’t know the details… but they were there when I traveled down from the north.”
“That’s good to hear.”
If the roads extended from the north, they might also connect all the way to the Boyd Marquisate in the east.
It would be much easier to travel if we could follow well-maintained paths.
Anyway—
After departing in the morning, taking breaks along the way, and continuing for hours, the sky eventually began to turn crimson.
As the surrounding scenery gradually showed signs of farmland again, a city wall came into view in the distance.
It was much lower than the walls of Kaine, but still a respectable fortification.
—We’ve arrived in Causriver, the largest city in the Reichen County. That was fast.
So this was Reichen County.
I remembered hearing about this city from Eric during our lessons.
It was a wealthy trade city where commerce flourished within the territory.
That claim wasn’t unfounded.
Not only did we see more carriages loaded with goods on our road, but similar traffic could be seen on other roads leading into the territory.
“There are a lot of people in front of the city walls…”
“They’re probably conducting inspections.”
Just as Sienna pointed out, there was a long queue of carriages waiting at the entrance of the city.
However, we bypassed the line entirely and proceeded straight ahead.
Only merchants undergoing thorough inspections or commoners wary of them had to wait in line.
Our carriage, traveling under the orders of the Boyd Marquis, had no reason to do the same.
I could feel the gazes of merchants and their hired mercenaries on us, but the moment they noticed the Boyd family crest on our carriage, their eyes quickly averted.
Thus, we arrived directly at the city gate.
—Sir Rain, knight of the Boyd family, is aboard.
—Ah, understood.
Without even needing to reveal our faces, Sienna and I passed through the city walls without issue.
—We’ll head straight to the inn.
“Yes, please do.”
Shortly after, the coachman’s voice guided us to a rather luxurious inn.
“I… I didn’t expect traveling to be this comfortable.”
“This is my first time, but I can tell it’s convenient.”
The journey was long, but compared to my past life, it was incredibly comfortable.
Aside from meals, the coachman took care of everything.
Even our lunch had been simple provisions, and for dinner, we could eat at the tavern on the inn’s first floor.
“What will you have?”
“I’ll order meat.”
“You really love meat, don’t you?”
Sienna and I sat at a table and looked at the menu.
The coachman had left to tend to the horses, so it was just the two of us.
“There’s nothing wrong with eating a lot of meat. I’ll have the lamb.”
“You should have a balanced meal. I’ll order two sandwiches and share with Whitey.”
“Got it.”
Whitey was still curled up on Sienna’s lap.
I wasn’t sure if the inn allowed animals inside, but no one seemed to be stopping us.
Well, considering I was wearing an official uniform, people were likely avoiding unnecessary trouble.
“Alright then, I’ll place the order…”
“I-I’ll take your order right away!”
As soon as Sienna spoke and looked around, a server who had been waiting nearby quickly rushed over.
“Four lamb dishes and two sandwiches.”
I handed the silver coin to the waiter as I placed the order.
“Keep the change.”
“Th-Thank you!”
The waiter seemed quite young but was quick and polite.
Since carrying around small change was bothersome, I didn’t bother taking the remaining coins.
“Heh… You’re quite generous.”
“It’s just money I was given.”
This was the travel allowance Lowell had given me, so I intended to use it freely.
Nobles as wealthy as the Boyd family needed to spend extravagantly for the market economy to thrive.
Anyway.
After placing the order, we waited for a short while before the food arrived.
“Wow, that was fast.”
While Sienna marveled at the freshly made sandwiches and grilled lamb, I quietly observed my surroundings.
…This probably wasn’t the usual serving speed.
Even though this was a high-end inn, the owner seemed to be paying quite a bit of attention to us.
“Well, let’s eat.”
“Yes, enjoy your meal.”
Not that I minded.
I stabbed a piece of lamb with my fork and took a big bite.
“This is good.”
Since lunch had been nothing but jerky and dried fruit, the warmth of freshly cooked meat made it even more enjoyable.
As I chewed through my meal—
“Whitey, say ‘ahh.’”
Sienna tore off a piece of sandwich filling and fed it to Whitey.
“He eats well.”
“Yeah, Whitey really likes bacon and eggs.”
“Even vegetables?”
It looked like he was eating everything from the sandwich.
A wolf eating vegetables?
“He eats anything.”
“That’s surprising. Is it because he’s a spirit beast?”
“Mhm! Actually, I think he doesn’t even need to eat at all.”
“…What?”
“Spirit beasts can absorb natural energy to sustain themselves.”
Wait, seriously?
I had been worried about how much it would cost to feed him once he grew bigger,
but if that was the case, I could save on food expenses.
Anyway, just as we were about to finish our meal, the coachman, who had stepped out to tend to the horses, returned to the tavern.
“Did you enjoy your meal?”
“Yes, how about you?”
“I had a quick bite. More importantly…”
“What is it?”
The coachman’s face was tense as he entered the tavern.
Wasn’t he just out tending to the horses?
It seemed like something had happened.
“I overheard some news earlier—apparently, a major territorial war has broken out in the east, where we’re headed.”
“A territorial war? In the east?”
“Yes, the situation is apparently quite tense.”
Another territorial war?
Just as Jevan had mentioned before.
It seemed like the nobles in other regions were constantly at each other’s throats.
“We should try to move quickly through that area.”
“I see.”
Though there was a war happening, I wasn’t too concerned.
Bandits might be reckless enough to attack a random carriage.
but no noble in their right mind would dare lay a hand on one marked with the Boyd family crest.
Even if they did, my status as an official knight of the Boyd family would ensure we passed without issue.
Just like how we had entered this city without trouble.
Anyway.
That night, we stayed at the inn, and the next morning, we set out again at dawn.
—We’ll pick up the pace to avoid getting caught in any commotion.
“Yes, please do.”
The coachman, seemingly worried about potential trouble, hastened our pace.
But for us inside the carriage, the only difference was that the scenery outside passed by a little faster.
It was clear that the coachman wasn’t working for the Boyd family for nothing—he was highly skilled.
As we approached the eastern territories where the war was supposedly raging, the carriage, which had been moving swiftly, gradually slowed down until it came to a complete stop.
“…Huh? What’s going on?”
Sienna, who had been watching the scenery with Whitey, let out a confused voice when the carriage halted.
“I’ll check.”
Just as I was about to ask the coachman what was happening—
—Hey! Do you even know whose carriage this is?
I heard the coachman’s angry voice from outside.
“I’m going out.”
Something was wrong.
I reached for my sword, just in case.
—This carriage belongs to the Boyd—ugh!
Thud!
With a sharp noise, the coachman let out a pained groan, and something struck the carriage.
Immediately, I kicked the door open and jumped out.
