Chapter 3 : You should train your body

On the next morning, I was waken up because of the loud sound before the sunrise.

Looks like they have finished searching enemy soldier body for their belonging, they put all the soldier belonging that seems to be useable in one bag. most of them isn’t their private belonging. I also receive water canteen made from brass. while walking around I was being called.

“Banta, take this!”

Zairasu-san throw a sheathed short sword to me.

“Is it fine for me to have it?”

“It is much better than let it rust and be buried. Other guys prefer a long sword, this one hand sword isn’t a sword a knight should use.

Because it is nuisance when I hang it on my waist. I attach string on the sheath and carry it on my back. It somehow feel much better than a dagger.

I also receive a dagger but it is quite blunt but still useable to some degree.

After I wash my face, I return to last night camp-fire spot. they already start the fire and roast a ham.

When I sit near the camping-fire, they give me a ham that was grilled in thin bread like a small pizza.

“We will march today, because we can’t make a camp-fire on the way, here is the breakfast. we will wrap another one on the cloth and put it on the bag.”

“Is the place that far?”

“Yes I think…. it will take two day and one night. when we arrive I think we will arrive tomorrow afternoon. We might expect an enemy along the way.”

I will be walking for 2 days, I whether my stamina could last that long.

When I finish eating my meal and having my tea, Zairas-san call me from the entrance of the hut. it seems to confirm today trips.

When I enter the hut, the aunty was putting on a cotton mantle that covered from top to bottom just like the ones those female knights had.

they disguise themselves like a villager and seems to escape from the pursuer. Because the cloth this time is long sleeve dress and a thin jeans, they seems to put serious consideration for today trips.

Most of the onee-san here seems to be a little bit over 20 years old. With exception of nurse Marian that seems to be over 40, and princess Sadine that seems to be around 15 years old.

“You have finally come. Now, Let’s talk about today plan. I will be troubled if we delay our departure time for too long. so I will make it brief.”

“First, Starting from me….”

Zairasu-san opened the map from yesterday in front of the princess and his finger slide on the top of map from our current location to our destination.

I don’t know what’s the scale, but “walking for day and a half” would mean about fifteen hours, I guess? That would make something like 50km of distance.

“Because we can’t travel on the highway, I have decided to travel to Watchtower using a secret path. Today, I would like to reach the abandoned town somehow.”

“Is there any pursuer waiting for us there?”

“Because it is abandoned town, there shouldn’t be any danger…., But just incase, I will sent a team of scout ahead.”

“As for me, I think the possibility to have pursuer is low. even if they sent people to chase us, I don’t think it will be more than 10 people.”

“huh? on what basis did you say that?”

I trace my finger on the map and stop on the branch of the highway and abandon town.

“To reach the abandoned village there is the highway and the forked roads. But the course to get there is written down on this map.”

“Because this map is this kingdom map. How many map the kingdom have that record this secret passage?”

To my word, Zairasu-san and the princess exchange look.

The princess saw Zairasu-san give a small nods, and this time turn to face me.

“….That certainly is so. This divergent road might be possibly suspicious. Just for sake of it, we’ll send a squad to gather information by going to the forest nearby investigating the abandoned village. Without making any traces of footprints in the divergent road, they’ll return.”

“Specially, they will not thinking us fleeing to enemy kingdom as well. especially when they have a net on the other side incase we escape.”

[TL: Net as the spy networking net that watch over a border perhaps.”

The road heading to west is split into two. This time the road will be full of escaping people.

“Enough. Zairasu, I ask you to take the command.”

“Understood. Carrion, you will lead advance team! also put out all the campfire!”

It is finally time to leave. When I want to exit there is axe on the wall near the entrance, I decided to take it.

When we go outside, Zairasu-san left 2 silver coin on the table. I wonder if that is accommodation fee.

I take the stick near the hut and cut it with the axe about 2 m and made a cane.

The woman also have a cane about 1.2 m length. when several people go behind the hut, they brought 3 mule back with them. There is big load on it back…. I wonder if it is a food?

We make a long line while walking on the mountain. The knight has been positioned on the front and the back, and the mule and woman was in the middle.

Since about half of the knight was carrying a baggage, when combined with their chain mail the weight should be considerable.

Thinking that is someone else problem, we have walk around 2 hours. how is it they still fine. Because I am not someone who has physical strength, I  tired out much earlier than the knights.

When I looked back, the woman seems to admiring the surrounding landscape and chattering happily in low voice.

Apparently, I even lost from the woman in term of stamina department. when thinking about being left behind in such place, I exert all my willpower and walk to the front.

[TL: Poor boy having such low stamina…. I wonder if he gonna be alright in bed department]

Our marching has stopped.

It seems like we are taking a break. I immediately collapse on the spot and message both my legs that seems to become tightened.

Everyone was astounded when they see my action, I can’t help it you know because I was grow up in the modern era. Sometime I also go hiking but it only on the pathed road.

The place where we walked right doesn’t even have clear path, it was a place that was hard to walk to.

“That student. I don’t think he is such a wimpy.”

“So far we’ve walked half-way,so we’ll manage somehow….”

“When we walk around 3 time more the distance from what we walk, by night we will arrive on the camping ground for us. Until now it seems like you only studied in the inner part of the school so it might be harsh for you, but no one will help you. Just walk!”

Zairasu-san encourage me with smile on his face. Even the princess is smiling. It looks like I have to exercise more.

After 10 minute of short rest, we begin to walk again. I didn’t even know the direction we are heading to, I notice sometime Zairasu-san glance on the treetop on the forest. There one mountain peak on the large mountain range stretching on the north. it seems he use that to measure our rough position and the direction.

If only there is a magnet, we will not have a hard time. an experience people can determined the position from approximately 30 km ahead from the peak.

At the beginning of the journey I was on the head of the group,but for lunch time I was walking behind everyone else.

I was so tired that I didn’t have any appetite for the meal, it seems like I will choke if I eat.

because it was impossible to eat, I just drink from water canteen.

My foot is painful from all that blister that has been pooped. I take off the the boots and start to tighten the loosen cloth that I use as a substitute of sock.

After finish binding my aching foot, when I was going to put on the boots.

“Wait a minute….”

When an onee-san that seems to be slightly older than myself sit near my foot, she murmur about something and place both of her hand on my foot. Both of her hand seems to shine a little bit.

Then, the pain seems to disappear from my foot. I look on the onee-san with surprise, and she return with smile and walk back to princess side.

It totally like a magic. But,the pain has practically vanished. I untie the cloth carefully, so I can confirm the blister area…. there is no even a wound left.

That reminds me, it is similar with the wounded knight yesterday.

Is it what they call a magician? Is this what they call magic as expected? In any case, looks like I have been saved.

Is it my imagination? I don’t seems to feel the fatigue on my foot anymore. If it is like this, I seems to be able to arrive on the camping-place tonight.

We reach a low valley before the dusk. We arrange a lookout on west and east ridge and put the princess in the middle of valley and we are circling around it.

A small campfire was being prepared, but we didn’t ignite it yet. We will be waiting till the sun has came down.

After the supper being served, the surrounding area become dark.

Because the cooking was done in small campfire that was surrounding by people with mantel, the dinner only a tea and a bread that was wrapped on thin cloth. It resemble a sandwich without a vegetable. Although the ham is thin, it has been cooked properly.

“Take a good rest today. we will reach the watchtower by tomorrow daytime at the earliest.”

“So it is like that, we will be able to arrive there in half a day time.”

I replied back to the one who called me, next was me greeting the knight who clapped my shoulder.

When I clap his shoulder in the same way it faded into the darkness.

Am I going to greet all the knights? People that stand above really have it tough. Don’t they get tired of it?

[TL: my god… is that a ghost? that is really what the raw said I swear to god!]

After finished the meal, I wrap myself with mantle and lie down. Because there is no fire, it is a little bit cold tonight, still my consciousness slip away immediately.

I awoke from the clattering sound.

It seems to be the sound of knights equipment. They’ve already started to dress up.

“You finally got up. go and wash yourself on the swamp. after that please help distributing the meal on the base under the tree. When you wash your face you should fill your water canteen as well.”

One of the knight inform me when seeing me walking unsteadily.

Rather than swamp, isn’t it a spring? the water that has spring out seep back to underground by several meter.

I wash my face with cold water, and fill my water canteen. It seems like the volume is about the same with 500CC pet bottle but so much for just one today it feels like a bit disheartening.

when I finish eating the sandwich like thing like yesterday dinner for breakfast, we begin our journey immediately.

After walking for 1 hour, the march stop.

One of the knight come to call me whose has been mixed with the knight on the rear.

“Please come with me, Zairasu-dono is calling for you”

Zairasu-san calling me? when I follow the knight while tilting my head to one side, Zairasu-san since to be discussing something with the princess.

“Oh you came. There seems to be 5 people. What do you think?”

“They seems to be in abandoned village. I have sent 5 people to scout first. 2 people will inform us about the state of the abandon village, and 3 people is heading to the watch tower. “

I sit down next to Zairasu-san, Zairasu-san open the map like the one from the hut before.

Looking on it, I don’t think the person heading toward the abandon village will appears. We can just wait at the entrance of the nearby village while we block the highway.

“Also, I hear the story about the nearby village. I think there is some distance from here to the nearest village. Is that not the place where you went there and spend one night over?

We have been standing since early morning, though the sun still hasn’t risen yet.”

“So you also think like that as well…. Princess, let’s wait a little bit longer. We will watch over the situation for a bit longer.”

They seems to want to hear my opinion.

When we wait on our current position for awhile, we receive a news from the lookout that enemy has left the the village.

Finally, we can continue marching into abandon village.