Chapter 31 (1/2)

Slave Hunters

Nothing noteworthy happened in the week following their departure from Labyrinth City.

Drawing near a small village on their way, they asked for goods, replenis.h.i.+ng their food stocks.

Though demons attacked a few times, even ignoring Rudolph, Matsukaze turned them into experience points with his hooves.

… Though it was questionable that a real horse could have that much fighting strength, Serge’s Identify confirmed it was a horse.

“I don’t think there are enough events.”

Serge spoke abruptly. It was a bit dangerous for him to stand in the driver’s seat.

“Events?”

Gig asked in response. He was also bored on this journey. The monsters were too weak. Most of them ran from Rudolph’s presence.

As though he were suffering, Serge said in a serious tone.

“Yeah. For instance, a princess and her close friend saving a n.o.ble’s carriage from an attack, that kind of event.”

Aah… Carlos laughed sarcastically. He drew his horse near Serge.

“If only it were like that. If there were any problems, a traveling knight would solve them. Though following that pattern he’d be wed to the princess.”

“See! We’re traveling in especially remote areas, yet nothing like that’s happening.”

“Things like that don’t actually happen. Ignoring that this area is mostly n.o.ble territory, these are just self-supporting villages. Whenever n.o.bles travel in carriages, they’d always have guards.”

Though Carlos said that, Serge gave an example that didn’t refute it.

“Isn’t she a princess with only a single escort? I’m talking about the exceptions!”

There were reckless royalty like Ria, but they were also trouble.

“It’d be good for you to train your magic if you have so much free time. You went to great lengths for you to get that new Skill.”

Ria said while amazed. Though they couldn’t train in the sword while riding, he could probably practice magic inside the wagon.

The new Skill that Serge obtained was something like Magical Power Cost Reduction. He acquired it by practicing to the limit every day. When the Skill’s level increases, supposedly it would make using magic take less magical power. A coveted Skill for magicians. In fact, Lulu was envious.

Magic was definitely interesting. Especially now that he’d obtained the grimoire, Serge’s status as a magician visibly rose every day.

However, training all the time was tedious. At this point, it strained his mind even though the ten-year old also had a previous life.

He may have been childish to begin with, though.

“Magic, huh… Right, I’ve been practicing s.p.a.ce-time magic and magic theory…”

Probably since she struck a chord or something, Serge began to grumble to himself.

“Are you going to quiet down from that? Though we’re going on horses, it’s bright under the sun.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah… alright.”

A pale magical power extended from Serge sitting in the seat next to her on the driver’s seat.

“Ah…”

Maal, who was training her spirit magic, let out a sound. Her concentration was disrupted.

But Serge was also concentrating his mind, trying to confirm the effectiveness of his magic.

Ria somehow understood what the magic was. Making the magical power as thin as possible and spreading it out as far as possible, it was probably to know what happened inside. Combining Magical Power Detection and s.p.a.cial Grasp, it was a pretty advanced magic.

“Huh?”

Serge, who had shut his eyes, suddenly opened them wide.

“Ah~, there’s an army crossing the hills and forest ahead of us.”

(You can see things that far away?)

Though she was impressed, the army was a problem.

“An army? How many people? Do you know their weapons?”

Ria checked. Though the area around there shouldn’t be part of a nation, it might have been a tribe’s troops.

“Twenty cavalry, one hundred infantry… four carriages, prisoners… no, slaves? It’s like a convoy but…”

“Cordova’s slave hunters!”

Maal shouted suddenly. Together with her own unpleasant memories, it corresponded to her current existence.

“Cordova… that place really isn’t a good country.”

Ria groaned while enduring what looked like a headache. As a militaristic nation of humans, Cordova absorbed more and more of its nearby tribes and nations. Though it was a law-abiding country, it wasn’t forbidden for them to enslave people from other countries.

“What should we do?”

Carlos asked with a complicated expression. Originally, it would have been an opponent they shouldn’t come in contact with.

But since Ria knew of them, he believed there wouldn’t be such a simple conclusion.

“Ria-chan…”

Seeing Maal’s cute and round eyes, Ria’s judgement greatly erred towards emotion.

“I’ll scout it out first. I’m going to go a bit ahead.”

With a shout, Ria had Matsukaze gallop.

“Though I think it’s going to turn into a ma.s.sacre, I’m just scouting for now.”

Ria had a dangerous smile when she said that. Her eyes weren’t smiling.

The army was taking a short break at a watering hole, it was definitely a slave hunt. There were around fifty humans and beastkin crammed inside wood-framed cages.

“I’m going to help them, who’s with me?”

Maal quickly raised her hand, followed by Serge and Gig. The two older people were reluctant, but they also raised their hands.

“You’re fine with it?”

Though Ria was surprised, Lulu and Carlos exchanged glances and smiled wryly.