Chapter 113

“――As expected, the air outside feels refreshing.”

“Takumi, don’t go too far, okay?”

“Yeah, I got it, Gazelle.”

After getting off the carriage, I took a deep breath of the fresh air, and Gazelle called out to me. Felix approached me as well.

“Takumi, sitting for so long must have tired you out, right?”

“I’m fine. If anything, I feel more energetic than usual, maybe because I’ve become younger. I guess becoming this body might be a good thing.”

“You really… honestly, saying such things.”

Felix let out a small chuckle. I responded by shrugging my shoulders playfully.

Now then, we are heading towards a port town called Goruera. It’s about a five-hour carriage ride from Ritzheim City. Currently, the carriage is parked by the side of the road for humans and horses to take a break.

We’ve been taking short breaks every hour, and this is the fourth one. So, we have approximately one more hour to our destination. Glancing around, the coachman was feeding and watering the horses while chatting with Gazelle. Felix and I were stretching right by the carriage, loosening up our stiff muscles.

Gazelle and Felix arranged for a carriage called ‘High-grade Magic Carriage,’ and indeed, the cushions were very soft. We hardly felt any vibrations even on rough roads. However, sitting for four hours still made our bodies stiff.

“Sigh…”

Taking a deep breath, exhaling, and inhaling again. The surroundings were covered with cedar trees, limiting the visibility, so the destination, Goruera City, and the nearby sea, were still out of sight. However, the dappled sunlight filtering through the trees was beautiful, and the fresh air filled with the scent of wood was delightful.

A port town, huh? Feels kinda nostalgic. When I first arrived in this world, I woke up on a pirate ship. I stumbled out of a room on the pirate ship, only to find the Black Wing Knights fighting against the pirates outside. I remember thinking it was some kind of movie shoot or something and played along. Looking back now, how the hell did I survive!? I mean, getting involved in a pirate and Black Wing Knights battle on the first day in another world? What the hell!?

Well, thanks to that, I met Gazelle, Felix, and everyone from the Black Wing Knights, and was welcomed as their comrade… But thinking back, the first day in another world was seriously hardcore. I’m really glad I made it through alive.

It’s been more than a year since then. Wow, it’s been over a year already. So, it’s been over a year since I last went to the sea. No, in my original world, I haven’t been to the sea for years. Considering that, going towards the sea for a trip might be like a decade after. Oh, it’s getting me so excited! The first time was a chaotic battle with pirates, so I didn’t have time to enjoy the scenery.

The next morning, we left the port town with the Black-Winged Knights. Port town… if that’s the case, the fish there must be delicious! I really want to have sashimi after so long… unfortunately, in this world, there’s no habit of eating raw fish. If I look hard enough, maybe I can find something like carpaccio?

Ah, I’m really looking forward to it. Lately, I’ve been spending most of my holidays indoors, but occasionally going out to play is really nice!

Come to think of it, living with Gazelle and Felix, I was surprised to find out that both of them are quite indoor types. On their days off, when I’m at home thinking, “What should I do today?” Gazelle and Felix would say, “Let’s spend the day together at home, you must be tired,” or “Would you like to read together? I’ve got some excellent tea.” They invite me like that.

I had a somewhat outdoorsy image of them, so it was unexpected. Well, I’m really grateful, though! Given that the missions and training with the Black Wing Knights are mainly physical work… well, it’s unavoidable when your job involves frontline battles with monsters.

But then, it makes me want to take it easy at home on my days off. But looking back now, maybe Gazelle and Felix sensed my inner thoughts and invited me like that. If that’s the case, I feel bad for them. Maybe deep down, I wanted to go outside.

After this trip, I should invite them to some other place. As a return for this time, I might be the one to plan the trip next time. This time was accidental, and my body ended up in this size, so I want to try traveling in my original body!

Thinking about these things while enjoying the forest bath, something green caught my eye at the edge of my vision. I tilted my head, squinting my eyes. Then, a little face popped out from the bushes not far from the carriage.

“Kikii…”

The monster I saw from the carriage window earlier is now in front of me. It’s about the size of a Japanese macaque, but its eyes are round and very large, and it has a long tail. Its fur has a patchy pattern of green and brown, making it blend quite well into the forest. I remember Gazelle mentioning it as a ‘Green Monkey’ and saying it’s a harmless monster.

“Is something the matter? Are you hungry, perhaps?”

I took out a cookie wrapped in paper from my pants pocket. It was given to me by Felix on the way. Taking the cookie from the wrapping, I placed it on my palm and offered it to the Green Monkey. The Green Monkey timidly picked up the cookie with its fingertips and took a bite.

“Kiki!”

“Is it delicious? That’s good.”

Oh, it’s a monster, but it’s quite cute. I didn’t know there were such friendly monsters. I took out all the cookies from the wrapping and offered them in the same way to the Green Monkey. The Green Monkey happily wagged its tail and munched on the cookies.

“Kiki, Kiki!”

“Hmm? Is something wrong?”

After finishing all the cookies, the Green Monkey grabbed the hem of my clothes and pulled it. It seems to be earnestly trying to convey something, but I have no idea what it’s saying…

“Shit… Felix… Wait, where is he?”

I looked around, but Felix, who was just nearby, was nowhere to be seen. Did he go back into the carriage? Hmm… What should I do? I promised Felix and Gazelle that I wouldn’t wander off alone, but this Green Monkey is desperately pulling at the hem of my clothes.

“…Sorry, but I can’t go too far. I can’t go beyond the distance where I can see the carriage. Is that okay?”

The Green Monkey responded with energetic jumps. It seems fine with that arrangement. So, with the Green Monkey still pulling at my clothes, I started walking.

After walking for about ten minutes, the Green Monkey indeed didn’t go as far as the distance where the carriage is no longer visible. When I turned around, I could still see the carriage, appearing small between the bushes and trees.

“Kiki, Kikk!”

At that point, the Green Monkey released my clothes and ran towards the base of a towering tree. I, on the other hand, couldn’t move as swiftly as the Green Monkey.

The reason being, I was momentarily frozen by the unexpected sight in front of me. Even the urgency to quickly return to the carriage was momentarily forgotten. At the base of the towering tree, a man was seen lying down.

Beside the man’s head, the Green Monkey looked down at him with a worried expression.

“Is, is he okay?”

After a few seconds of being frozen by the unexpected sight, I snapped back to reality and hurriedly rushed towards the man. As I approached him, the Green Monkey let out a satisfied “Kiki!” and swiftly climbed up the tree, disappearing.

Kneeling in the grass, I took out a small potion vial from the pouch hanging at my waist. It was given to me by Gazelle before we left.

The man seems severely weakened, and one of his legs, noticeable even through his pants, is swollen. Did he sprain it, or is it broken?

Gently placing my hand on the back of his head, I applied the potion to his lips, tilting it.

The man’s lips tightened, and then droplets slowly dripped down.

After administering the potion and allowing some time to pass, the color in the man’s face visibly improved. The redness returned to his cheeks and lips, the sweat on his forehead subsided. Additionally, the injured leg emitted a faint glow, and the swelling gradually subsided.

“Ugh…”

The man’s eyelids quivered, and his eyes opened. Bright light brown eyes, matching the color of his hair. Probably in his late twenties?

He blinked his eyes rapidly, then looked at me with a bewildered expression.

“Who are you?”

Instinctively, I was about to identify myself as a member of the Black Wing Knights, but I abruptly shut my lips. In this rejuvenated appearance due to the magic potion, claiming to be a member of the Black Wing Knights wouldn’t be believed. At best, they’d think it’s some kind of role-playing.

Hmm, what should I say?

“You’re so delicate…”

“Huh? A calendar?”

As I hesitated on what to call myself, the man muttered something with a somewhat absent-minded expression. What does he mean by a calendar?

“I don’t really know, but I’m just a passerby. How are you feeling? Can you stand?”

“Oh, uh… I had severe pain in my leg a while ago, but now I’m feeling much better.”

Choosing safe words, but somehow, it feels like my introduction became suspicious. For now, I supported the man as he tried to sit up, placing a hand on his upper body. He thanked me and slowly got up, but his leg was still unsteady.

“What exactly happened? Were you attacked by monsters?”

“No… it was earlier. I was attacked by bandits. At that time, I threw some gold to distract them and managed to escape while they were focused on that… But when I fled, I lost my horse. Fortunately, I could still walk the distance to Gorera City, our destination, and had enough provisions. But then, the pain in my leg became unbearable. I took a rest, but before I knew it, I must have lost consciousness due to the pain.”

Well, that’s just a series of misfortunes…

Wait, though. Gorera City is where we’re heading, right? Then, why not bring this guy along!

“I understand the situation. If you’re willing, you can join me and—”

However, I never got to finish my sentence. The rustling from a distant thicket caught my attention, and there was a sense of someone approaching from the shadows of the woods.

Could it be Gazelle and Felix? No, the direction seems wrong for them…?

“Finally found ya! Never thought you’d be hiding in a place like this.”

“Heard voices talking, so we came to check, and it turns out it was a hit!”

The man next to me paled at the incoming voices. Wait, did he know them?

“Acquaintances?”

“The bandits I was talking about earlier! Could it be… they followed me!?”

What the hell!?

The newcomers were a trio of men. I initially thought they might be acquaintances of the injured man, but no, they’re apparently the bandits who attacked him. No wonder they all wear light leather armor and carry swords. Moreover, they were giving us an assessing, lewd grin. Yellowed teeth peeked through their smirks.

“Well, well, ain’t it nice that you remembered our faces.”

“Earlier, you acted like you were above us—oh? Aren’t you alone now?”

“And you’re dragging a cute little kid with you. Wait… hold on. That little one over there… isn’t the hair and eye color black?”

The bandits suddenly became animated, their eyes glinting with interest. Wait, could it be that they’re not focused on the injured man but rather on me?

“Hey, seriously! Black hair and black eyes, that’s a first!”

“This is surprising. I heard about a guy with black hair and eyes joining the Black Wing Knights in the royal capital…”

“Could he be that guy’s brother? In any case, he’s an extraordinary catch.”

“…Hey, you guys get it, right? This little one is our priority over any job. If we sell him to slave traders, we’ll make enough money to live a life of luxury!”

What the hell!?

Could it be that the bandits’ target has shifted to me!?

…But wait, is that actually a good thing?

The injured man is still weakened, even if I gave him a potion. If the bandits attack him, it’s three against one, and I might not be able to protect him.

However, if I can draw the attention of the bandits towards me, the injured man might have a chance to escape. Thanks to the dense foliage, the bandits seem oblivious to the carriage I rode in and the presence of Gazelle and Felix.

While I distract the bandits, the injured man can make a run for it. He just needs to head east through the woods, and there’s a road where the carriage is parked. He can call for help there.

Honestly, facing off against bandits is terrifying, but I’m a member of the Black Wing Knights! Gazelle and Felix always said that our job is to protect those without swords. It’s the pride of a knight.

If I don’t at least hold their attention, the injured man won’t have a chance to escape!

“…Brother, they seem to have business with me. I’ll draw their attention. While I do that, run towards the east. Once you clear the woods, there’s a road where our carriage is parked. Call for help there.”

In a hushed voice to make sure the bandits didn’t hear, I whispered to the injured man. However, he looked at me with a shocked expression.

“No way! I can’t leave a kid like you and run away by myself…!”

“It’s okay. I have a weapon to protect myself—”

I reached for my waist, but the man seemed taken aback.

“Wait! You don’t have to do that! I have a plan.”

As I was about to reassure him, my hand, for some reason, found nothing at my waist. Confused, I tilted my head and checked my side.

Huh?

The sword I always carry, my beloved blade, is nowhere to be seen.

Wait a minute…

I remember now. I left my sword in the carriage when I got off.

“Hey! Looks like the little one is stepping up to protect that guy. How cute and brave!”

“Haha, with that adorable face, you’re quite the tough guy, huh?”

“Confidence is more than welcome. That way, we can fetch a higher price!”

Frozen with my hand on my waist, I was greeted by the grinning trio of bandits, closing in on me. Wait, is this it for me!?

Oh no, oh no… What do I do!? How do I escape to the carriage with the injured man!? But in my current state, there’s no way I can outrun three adults…!

If I stay here and distract the bandits, they might let the injured man escape. That seems to be the only option. In the midst of my thoughts, the bandits approached, closing the distance.

Trying to pull away, the size difference made my escape impossible. One of the bandits easily grabbed my arm.

“Ugh…!”