* * *
Arkan transformed into a bear, loaded the luggage including the letter onto his back, and ran off first on all fours.
Kaniel and Taeyon also decided to leave the city. Although they’d sent Arkan ahead as dispatch to deliver the letter since he moved faster alone, their destination was also Oblyad.
Given the long distance, they couldn’t afford to stay in the city long.
In fact, they’d already stayed longer than expected just by remaining this much. Originally, they’d planned to simply spend one night, replenish insufficient food supplies, and leave, but encountering the kidnapping incident had led to this.
“The schedule will be delayed.”
“I’m fine. It’s not like I have anything urgent.”
There was no appointment, nor were they handling a time-limited matter. Wasn’t it just going to a place called Oblyad Castle to obtain future employment?
Thinking about investigating and researching by throwing himself into a place where nothing was prepared, it actually seemed better to go a bit slowly.
Kaniel felt his mindset had changed. But it wasn’t strange. It was similar psychology to desperately hoping to get hired anywhere before employment, then once hired and relieved, wanting to delay starting work by even a few days to travel or party.
And he rather liked the journey he was taking with Taeyon now.
“Right. And if something urgent comes up, there’s a way.”
“A way? What way?”
“I can transform into a wolf and run.”
Into a wolf? Thinking of how Arkan had run off earlier, Taeyon as a wolf would probably be fast too.
But then what about me? Kaniel made a displeased expression.
“You’re going to leave me behind?”
“No. I can carry you in my mouth.”
“…Me?”
Kaniel imagined Taeyon transformed into a large wolf and himself being transported with his belly held between the wolf’s teeth. Just imagining it made his belly feel like it hurt from being pierced by teeth.
“Let’s just go slowly….”
“Alright.”
Taeyon chuckled and slung the backpack full of luggage over his shoulder.
“Then shall we go now.”
When the two went down to the first floor of the lord’s manor, Butler Dorbella was waiting there. She turned to look at them with a pale face, then approached and bowed her head.
“I apologize for showing you such an unseemly appearance last time.”
“Not at all.”
“Are you leaving now?”
“Yes. We’ve resolved the problems we could resolve.”
At Taeyon’s answer, Dorbella smiled bitterly. It was no different from asserting that the lord’s disappearance was a problem that couldn’t be resolved.
However, she had now pulled herself together.
“I wanted to thank you for bringing back the young master’s body. Thanks to you, we were able to hold a funeral.”
“I hope you can send him off in peace.”
“Yes. I will certainly do so.”
“Then, we’ll be going.”
Taeyon, who bowed his head lightly, led Kaniel past Dorbella.
Walking toward the door like that, Taeyon suddenly stopped in front of the lord’s portrait. Brown hair and brown eyes. Though the lord was a middle-aged man with an extremely ordinary and gentle appearance, it was a face he was seeing for the first time.
Well, that was natural. He didn’t know the faces of all the lords.
Yet strangely, he felt oddly familiar.
“Taeyon, what’s wrong?”
Kaniel asked toward Taeyon, who had suddenly stopped walking. He continued looking at the portrait saying “Just a moment,” then asked Dorbella.
“What animal was the lord?”
“What? Ah, the lord was an eastern chipmunk.”
An eastern chipmunk would be a palm-sized creature. Though the tail is large and receives praise for being cute, even when animalized, it’s an animal with no particular advantages. If he’d become a knight as such a beastkin, he must have worked really hard.
And if he’d known such an unusual case, there’s no way he wouldn’t remember it.
‘Come to think of it, that demonic beast was also a rodent.’
But they were just both rodents; there was a big difference between chipmunks and mice.
Taeyon shook off the thought that had suddenly occurred and resumed walking while holding Kaniel’s hand.
EP 3. The Slave Trader’s Pursuit
They said the Red Rock Zone wouldn’t end for another three days. He’d heard it stretched much wider to the northwest, but he didn’t particularly want to go there. The Red Rock Zone looking novel and magnificent had only been brief. If the same scenery was going to repeat continuously, the forest was much better than the rock zone. It was because watching only the rock zone all day made his heart feel parched.
Actually, his body was already parched. Sandstorms would blow in the Red Rock Zone, and they’d get into the gaps in his clothes and be bothersome.
“I want to wash….”
It was natural that his voice came out half-pleading. When Kaniel looked up with an imploring expression, Taeyon chuckled.
“Can I bathe when we get to the forest?”
“If we go toward the lake. But we’ll have to take a bit of a detour.”
“How much longer until the next village?”
“About five days.”
“Then let’s go toward the lake even if it’s a detour.”
“Alright.”
The thought of having to continue this sandy life for several more days was gloomy, but there was no helping it. Since he couldn’t teleport, he had no choice but to endure.
Kaniel matched his steps with Taeyon, working harder with the desire to escape the Red Rock Zone even a little faster.
His steps were much faster and firmer than when they’d first set out on the journey. At first, his shoes had been dress shoes, and while only the pants were somewhat comfortable for clothes, the shirt was full of buttons and made of material that didn’t absorb sweat well.
Now he was wearing boots Taeyon bought him, a soft shirt Taeyon bought him, and thick pants Taeyon bought him. Plus the backpack and all the luggage inside were also all bought by Taeyon….
Thinking that far, Kaniel fell into self-loathing, wondering if he was too shameless.
“Taeyon, how much salary can I get when I go to Oblyad Castle?”
“Salary?”
“I’ll be able to repay my debt to Taeyon, right?”
“Your debt to me?”
“Yes. You paid for everything I wear and eat. I’ll have to repay it later.”
After a brief silence, Taeyon said meaningfully.
“Well… I wonder if you can repay it….”
“Is the salary that low? I’m a mage though?”
Kaniel, who looked up in shock, met Taeyon’s face holding a smile.
“The salary won’t be low. But you don’t need to repay me. This is something I’m doing because I want to.”
“B-but still….”
“If you really want to repay me, keep your promise.”
“Promise? What promise?”
What promise had they made? When Kaniel asked back, Taeyon narrowed his eyes. What was it? What was it? Kaniel was flustered and failed to notice the step-like raised part at his feet, and his foot caught.
“Whoa….”
Taeyon, who grabbed Kaniel’s nape to prevent him from falling, lifted him up and set him down on top of the step. Kaniel, who thanked him in a voice that crept in saying “Thank you,” finally recalled the promise.
“Um, that promise, you mean about taking me with you when you go somewhere?”
“Right.”
“Then, if possible, would you hire me as your personal mage?”
“Personal mage?”
“A mage who follows you around personally and uses various magic like a secretary. Shining light when you say it’s dark, taking out water when you say you’re thirsty, calling wind when you say it’s hot….”
“I have no intention of hiring a servant.”
Well, Taeyon didn’t seem like he’d want such a thing.
And if he had to say, of the two right now, the person playing the servant role was Taeyon. Because Kaniel knew nothing about camping or campfires.
Kaniel had pestered him to teach, but Taeyon really hadn’t taught him anything. It had been that way while going from the village they’d left last time to the underground city, and it was still that way now that they’d left the underground city. It would be good to teach him various things now that there was time.
Thanks to that, Kaniel still didn’t know how to pitch a tent, didn’t know how to light a fire without magic, and didn’t know how to cook.
“We should start looking for a place to sleep soon.”
The sun was setting. In places without artificial light, pitch-black darkness would soak in at night, so they had to finish preparing for sleep early.
The two found an indented part between the towering rocks and spread out their tent. Since there were no trees in this area, they couldn’t light a campfire. They had no choice but to fill their bellies with jerky and dry bread without soup and prepare for sleep early.
“What are you doing?”
“Trying to block the wind with the tent.”
“The wind?”
Taeyon didn’t set up the tent in the usual way, but instead spread it out and secured it in the direction not enclosed by the sky and rocks. It seemed to be a way to prepare for the temperature difference characteristic of rock zones.
But then they’d have to sleep on the bare ground hugging only their cloaks. Kaniel rolled his eyes in bewilderment.
Thanks to pitching the tent, the outside and inside were separated, but that was all. The tent interior was completely empty without a single proper piece of furniture.
