novelzi Chapter 172
Chapter 172
A Smooth Journey
Realizing that we could camp out comfortably thanks to the tent, we started to think, “Maybe we don’t need to stop at villages?” And so, we’ve been traveling, avoiding them as much as possible. As for resupplying... well, we don’t need to! Because the kitchen in the tent is fully equipped, it has a refrigerator, and the pantry is stocked full of food. I was a little speechless.
And the pantry is imbued with a magic that stops the flow of time, so nothing goes bad. It’s perfect! When I’d tried to refuse all these gifts before, saying I couldn’t possibly use them all, Saura-san had said:
『Better to be safe than sorry! It’s not like it’ll go bad, so just think of it as insurance.』@@@@
I’d never imagined those words would come true. So there is such a concept in this world too.
We’ve been avoiding people, but we do still stop at villages and towns. Because we need to gather information! We just pass through, without staying for long. We’d been listening to rumors and continuing on our journey.
The distance I can walk on my own each day has been gradually increasing, I’m learning about self-defense and simple counter-attack techniques, it’s been smooth sailing! I’d love to be able to say that, but...
Yesterday, we’d heard a disturbing rumor.
“I heard soldiers have been dispatched from the Eastern Castle.”
“They’re searching for someone.”
“Hey, hey, it’s not a criminal or anything, is it?”
It’s just a rumor. But we can’t just ignore it. Ravi-san had casually joined the conversation, trying to get details, but... it’s just a rumor, so the villagers didn’t know much about it. They said, “We can’t even be sure if it’s true.” Apparently, there are many rumors like that, that just end up being nothing.
“But I don’t think it’s just a rumor, this time...”
Ravi-san said this as we were eating cream pasta in the tent that night. It’s a peaceful atmosphere, we don’t really feel a sense of danger, but it is a dangerous situation!
“From the Eastern Castle, huh. They’re definitely searching for us...”
“They know... what we look like...”
“That’s right. And you guys... you all have distinct features...”
And Ronny... there’s nothing we can do, so he’ll just wear a hooded cloak. He won’t stand out too much if he’s the only one wearing it. It should be enough!
But we all know that these are just temporary measures. Because in the first place, we’re noticeable just by being a group of travelers, one adult and three children. Licht might blend in because he’s just a bit shorter than Ravi-san, but his Japanese face... basically, his baby face... stands out. And Ronny’s short because of his race. And I’m short to begin with, so we all clearly look like children.
Apparently, it’s rare to see a group of travelers like this, with three children, even on this continent. Because it’s normal for children to stay in the place they were born until they become adults. Unless they have to move because of some special circumstance. So basically, wherever we go, we’re seen as travelers with a reason. Hmm, I’m glad we were able to reduce the number of villages and towns we’re stopping at.
“Alright, tomorrow we’ll enter a large city. One with checkpoints.”
Ravi-san said this in the morning, before we left. Apparently, it’s a city we can’t avoid. There are those kinds of places too, it can’t be helped.
“I know, we’re teleporting, right?”
Licht responded to Ravi-san’s gaze. That’s right, we’re bypassing the checkpoints and teleporting into the city. Ugh, I’m getting nervous...!
“It’s a really big city. Even if we don’t go through the checkpoints, we probably won’t be caught once we’re inside. ...Unless we cause trouble, of course.”
I-I’m getting nervous. We’d been having fun on our journey thanks to my unfair tent, so I’d forgotten... that we’re on the run! ...I might be the only one who lacked a sense of danger!
“And when we teleport, I’ll be using a lot of magic power... So I won’t be able to use concealment.”
“That’s right. It’s a crowded city, so all you can do is blend in. It’s probably best to stay at the inn and wait for Licht’s magic power to recover.”
That’s right. If we don’t wait for his magic power to recover, he won’t be able to teleport us out of the city. We do have magic power recovery medicine, but... having him use magic, then immediately using it again, would put a strain on his body. I can’t let him do that.
So, he’ll drink the medicine after we’ve used teleportation to get out of the city. He said he’d be okay if he just rested for a day... So we just have to be patient until then!
“I’ll behave myself at the inn.”
“I’ll be a good girl too!”
As Ronny and I nodded, Licht and Ravi-san patted our heads. Ehehe.
After confirming our plans, we set out and made good progress, arriving at the large city, Uula. Whoa, such a large gate!