■ The Road to the Capital □
After somehow gathering our personnel, we began our journey toward the capital.
Previously, it took about a year to travel from the capital to the Demon King’s Castle.
Of course, part of this was due to battles with the Demon King’s Army and the adventurers’ tendency to wander off unnecessarily, but fundamentally, since we traveled on foot, it inevitably took twice as long compared to normal travel times.
On the other hand, we flew from the Demon King’s Castle to the border on wyverns and then continued by horseback, significantly reducing the time required.
Moreover, unlike before when the Demon King’s Army constantly interfered, we are now infiltrating while disguised as humans.
Though it’s ironic for me, who was originally human, to say this, as long as we don’t openly declare ourselves as part of the Demon King’s Army, there’s no reason for us to be chased around. Therefore, it seems like we’ll have a rather leisurely journey.
Our group consists of two Mage-level mages and one Sword Expert.
Ordinarily, high-level individuals like these wouldn’t participate in mundane tasks such as guarding caravans where each person is paid only 20 silver coins. Because of this, we were treated specially compared to other adventurer parties.
What’s more, since we brought our own horses, we barely had any need to interact with other adventurers.
Clippity-clop, clippity-clop.
While listening to the rhythmic sound of hooves, I looked toward the horizon.
Hamburg is located in the western part of the kingdom’s territory, but if you consider the entire continent, it falls within the northern region, maintaining cold weather all year round.
Most of the land, excluding the massive Vulcan Mountain range, consists of snow-covered plains, so staring at it for too long could harm your eyesight.
To address this, we prepared sunglasses.
Snap!
The sunglasses we made during the explosion at Vulcan Mountain are still being used effectively.
Dorothea, who had already been wearing sunglasses for quite some time, gave a subtle snort of satisfaction when she saw me put mine on.
Seeing both of us wearing sunglasses, Barnett nearby spoke up loudly.
“Do I not get a pair?”
“I can make you one if you provide the materials.”
As I said this, I extended my empty hands toward her.
Barnett, clearly unimpressed, swatted away my palm and tersely replied,
“Never mind.”
“I figured you’d say that.”
As I confidently pushed up my sunglasses, Barnett closed her mouth, deciding not to argue further.
About four hours after setting out along the caravan route, we stopped near a large river flowing through the fields to eat.
Securing drinking water during travel is crucial.
Especially when traveling with dozens of people, water becomes an even more precious resource.
While refilling my half-empty waterskin and looking around, I noticed everyone else was similarly occupied with drinking.
It seems drinking water after a long march is universally delightful.
After refilling my waterskin, I returned to where the horses were tied. Dorothea greeted me with her arms wide open, resembling a baby bird begging for food.
“Water.”
“Here you go.”
I tossed her the full waterskin and leaned against a nearby tree.
Barnett, who was sharpening her sword during the downtime, asked,
“What’s for lunch today?”
“While passing by, I noticed there’s only turnip soup and a few pieces of bread.”
“Geez—might as well skip it.”
“It’s free food; we don’t have much choice.”
In small-scale caravans like this, the meals provided are usually tasteless.
Since they try to save every penny, cheap ingredients are used, which makes the food bland. Additionally, it doesn’t help that non-professionals prepare the meals.
If we wanted better food, we’d have to pay the caravan separately for provisions, but doing so might end up costing more than the savings.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
Just then, the sound of pots being hit signaled the start of meal distribution.
“Dorothea, let’s go.”
“Eww, it’s such a hassle.”
“This is rationed distribution—if you don’t go yourself, you won’t get any.”
“Hmph, guess I have no choice.”
Unlike Barnett, who doesn’t need to eat as an Undead, Dorothea and I need sustenance to keep moving. Dragging the reluctant Dorothea along, we headed toward the distribution area, where many people had already lined up.
Standing at the back of the long line, a man who appeared to be an adventurer approached us.
“I haven’t seen your faces around here—are you newbies?”
“No, we’re not exactly adventurers. We’re just heading to the capital and decided to join the caravan along the way.”
“What brings you to the capital?”
Although it felt awkward to be addressed so casually upon first meeting, he looked older than us, so I smiled and responded,
“I have business at the Emerald Tower. I’m a mage affiliated with them.”
As I showed him the medal I pulled from my coat, his eyes widened in surprise as he alternated his gaze between the medal and me.
“Ah, forgive me for not recognizing someone of great importance. Please continue with your duties.”
With that, he quickly moved away.
“Tch, so bothersome.”
Mages are generally rare.
Moreover, simply studying for years doesn’t guarantee advancement, so countless individuals spend their entire lives failing to break through the barriers of becoming a true Mage.
So, seeing a young man in his twenties carrying a gold medal, something only Mages of the Fourth Tier (Mage level) or higher can possess, naturally led to the assumption that I was someone important.
In reality, my original position was the heir to the Emerald Tower.
Even if they hadn’t overheard my conversation with the man, the people around us seemed to become noticeably uneasy.
This would likely reduce the number of unnecessary disturbances on our way to the capital, which was precisely the effect I intended by revealing my identity.
“Enjoy your meal.”
“Thank you.”
After receiving our rations with Dorothea, we returned to our original spot.
Barnett was still polishing her sword, so the three of us ended up eating together.
“Hmm… Hmm…”
The first thing we ate was bright red turnip soup.
It wasn’t red because of chili powder; instead, tomato paste was used to enhance the flavor, giving the broth its reddish hue.
All the ingredients were vegetables, so there wasn’t much solid food to chew on.
Still, I ladled a spoonful of the broth and took a sip.
‘Hmm.’
The refreshing taste of vegetable stock spread instantly in my mouth.
Despite the simplicity, the plain turnip soup was surprisingly satisfying.
It reminded me of eating hot tofu stew on a cold day—a comforting feeling that warmed the chest.
Dorothea, sitting beside me and eating the same soup, also didn’t seem to mind it too much.
We split the rye bread that came with the soup into halves.
Due to the cold weather, the already hard rye bread had turned rock-solid.
Eating it as-is would be impossible, so I cut it into bite-sized pieces and soaked them in the warm broth.
After waiting a moment, the hardened bread softened slightly.
Using my spoon, I scooped up a piece of bread soaked in the broth and took a bite.
The gritty texture of the rye bread was distinct.
Perhaps because I’ve only eaten white flour bread at the Demon King’s Castle recently, this texture felt unfamiliar.
Indeed, it seems that nostalgia hits hardest when least expected.
Previously, eating rye bread didn’t bother me at all.
Somehow, I managed to finish an entire bowl of turnip soup without complaint.
Surprisingly, Dorothea also finished hers entirely.
Cleaning up was simple—just scoop some snow from nearby and shake it inside the bowl. Since we hadn’t eaten anything oily, there was no need for hot water.
After finishing the cleanup, we decided to snack on some dried meat and snacks we had packed just in case.
Crunch! Crunch!
The high-quality jerky made from properly butchered lamb by professionals was actually quite delicious, unlike cheaper alternatives.
‘Thinking about it, I’ll have to endure this kind of meal for another week.’
Already, Camilla’s absence is greatly felt.
Regardless of anything else, her culinary skills as a perfect maid were truly remarkable.
Her ability to serve delicious meals three times a day, even under harsh conditions, reminded me of my mother’s cooking from long ago.
‘Now that I think about it, it’s been an awfully long time since I visited my hometown.’
I’ve decided.
Once I’m done with my errands in the capital, I’ll visit my hometown.
No matter how much of a fire-element prodigy I am, I haven’t shown my face at home for far too long.
I need to confirm if my father is still alive and well.
Thinking about this, I sat side by side with Dorothea, absently chewing on the jerky.
My jaw is starting to hurt.
Looks like I’ll have to find another way to consume the remaining jerky in my pocket.
