Chapter 41 Part1 (1/2)

Back to the recent past

Far below the Central Continent was the Southern Continent Two large countries and five s them were two island countries

The island countries only had populations of about 50,000 people Barely enough for a single decently-sized town All the saating around a World Tree Sapling could be legally considered a 'country', and so that hat they were

I had had so to the guidebook, the Central Continent was the original birthplace of the human race Civilization there were quite advanced, plus those countries had a lot of people too Which meant their military were possibly the uidebook also included the order in which the Saplings were discovered Countries until 50 had the ancient history to back them up They really seemed like proper nations

The Touze Empire, where Tiz as number 12 It was even in the Central Continent to boot Military, population, history, it had it all This one was going to be a pain in my neck

And so I decided on the Southern Continent Reason number one, it wasn't the Central Continent Two, the countries there were only about halfway through the nu to be so troubleso an airshi+p would waste tons of my time

If I was a normal human, I'd have to take an airshi+p or a shi+p ride froh Neuft and Quarondeux to enter the Southern Continent But I didn't have the time for a world tour

The world wouldn't die off in just a decade or two, obviously But if I took too long to s, it would take dozens of decades to destroy thee-scaleby then

Thankfully, my 'partner in crime', the World Tree, had solved half of the probles were networked together, transporting ht,I was a spiritual lifeform? It was a simple idea, but it worked… partially, at least

If I turned into h the network But once I reached the barrier of the hu, I'd bounce off it, perhaps due tothe ride anyway…

”…where was I?”

After hitting the barrier,spot was a forest somewhere between theas lively as ever My [Subspace Inventory] skill, the evolution of [Packer], couldn't store living beings Or to be more precise, I could force theical activities would cease within storage and they'd die Blobsy was only fine by virtue of being my Kin

Still, she seee She bounced to her usual spot on my shoulder

First off, I'd need to knohere I was I took out and wore my cloak from [Inventory], then ran up the mountain Within a few minutes, I crossed the distance a normal human would need half a day to make

On the way, there were a few times I detected hostilities from what I assumed to be wild monsters I just focused and threw [Fear] at theh combat power

As I reached the mountaintop, I searched for a tall tree I cli on tiptoes

To ht, I could see a town

With how close it was to the ocean, maybe it was one of the set than I thought I ju into mist and flew

I just needed to flash uards and they let me in without any problems Border control was as lazy as always Well, I supposed a traveler entering the country on foot wasn't exactly a common occurrence around here

”Hey, you over there!”

”…”

For so uard and ran toward me

”Where did you come from?”

”Outside”

”No, that's… well, yes, but that's not what I' about”

He leaned closer and spoke in a whisper

”Looking at your shoes, you're a noble girl froe break down and you had to walk here?”

”…ah”

Whoops I forgot about my scarlet stiletto heels (which were actually as deadly as their na out from under my cloak You'd never see noruard planning on threatening uard, he hastily ju to you! I ht? Maybe the guardhouse? It's dangerous if you were alone on the way”

Hmm… apparently he was just worried about ht all humans were trash in the first place, but o to the governor's mansion”

”The Governor?! No, I mean, it's fine, but it's quite far, you know?”

”Really?”

”I can guide you there, if you don't mind? I can show you the town on the way too”

”…”

He ht have been friendly, but it looked like he had ulterior motives, too Well, it was convenient for uard They save hiecoach, which we found and got on His name was Laurent, nineteen years old The fifth son of a destitute knightly house The family was still of nobility, more or less, even if in na coh”

”I see…”

Laurent toldunusually close to me

We were in the Principality of Rantetrois, a small country situated to the north of the Southern Continent Despite being called a 'country', it was coe cherry plantation for wine- The population was only around 100,000 people

I had known it was different from the Central Continent Still, I never realized hoide the gap was until I noticed there wasn't a single classy-looking establishdom's capital