The least unexpected chapter at the even less unexpected timing. Got really busy all of a sudden so only have had time to finish the last few paragraphs on this and start 149. Just figured I'd post this up since the latter half of it should already seem familiar and a moment I totally forgot about. 149, SS27 1-3, 206+ on Saturday.
Year 7444, Month 8, Day 4
Close to half a month has passed since Miduchi departed Erurehei. Yesterday she finally passed through Viscount Mongoto's territory and entered Count Faruergaz's territory. After entering the Count's territory the state of the roads underwent a complete change as they were more maintained and better. The mountain pass she passed through yesterday afternoon should have been the border between territories.
After Miduchi left Erurehei the first place she stopped at Remeru village in Viscount Mongoto's territory she wasn't able to buy a horse. That was fine since she didn't think she'd be able to buy a horse in the small Remeru village. However, while she just intended to take a slight detour on the way to the capital of the Viscount's territory Rigettsu but even there only old pack horses and donkeys were for sale. She had no intention of seeking the luxury of a young and fearless war horse but if possible she wanted a horse that was under 10 years old. Since it couldn't be helped she ended up having to travel to Count Faruergaz's territory on foot.
Different from the poor Viscount Mongoto's territory, Count Faruergaz's territory is a completely normal high ranking noble's territory so Miduchi thought that if she goes to the capital Robamorusu then she should be able to buy any number of young horses.
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Year 7444, Month 8, Day 8
Miduchi arrived at the capital of Count Faruergaz's territory, Robamorusu just past noon on this day. It's just a bit larger in scale than the dungeon town Baldukk that she was staying in until two months prior, it's a large town with a population of 50,000. The town is split into roughly six sections with the river flowing from the East to the West and just the same around 1 Km North parallel from the river is Mina road and then Rapisshu road which runs from the Northwest to the Southwest. Miduchi came walking along the Mina road from the East to the West.
There was a mix of houses and fields between the road and the river and on the other side of the river to the South is almost entirely fields. In the North there's a lot of housing. There's some houses in the fields to the South as well but judging from the construction of the buildings and their location they're problem housing for serfs. With the summer sun blazing down on her, there was a waterfall of sweat between Miduchi's back and her rucksack as she's already soaking. She could see a well a bit head so after drinking some water there and resting for a bit she'll start heading towards the center section of Robamorusu. Ever since she ate breakfast she's only had water to drink so she's considerably hungry. Either way she wanted to have a proper meal in the restaurant of a large town.
After finishing her short break Miduchi started walking towards the center block of Robamorusu. A dark elf carrying a large rucksack with a bow, quiver, and sword doesn't seem like anything other than a peddler. It's unusual for them to be alone but it's not as if there are no peddlers who travel alone not limited to just dark elves. There's always a constant number of poor novice merchants who can't afford to hire adventurers as escorts.
Along the way she ended up encountering what she believed to be knight group members on patrol.
"Excuse me, there's something I'd like to ask but"
Miduchi called out to the knight group member while still wearing her hood for blocking the sun. It seems they noticed.
"I want to buy a horse but could you please refer me to a place somewhere?"
"Oh~ a dark elf huh? What is it, did your business go well and you make a nice profit? Do you not need a carriage?"
It was a group of two male and female knight group members and the male replied.
"Yeah, a carriage is still..Just as you can see a saddle bag is plenty for my luggage.."
"You, if you're peddling then you might already know but the knight group only just returned from a campaign last month. Since there's also replacing horses that were crushed, right now, the price of horses is increasing."
The woman puts her hand at her waist while saying. She already knew that half of the knight group had gone on the campaign. Previously, when she was heading towards Baldukk and returning to Erurehei she heard both times. But, I see.
So they've returned.
"Well it's fine even if it's a bit expensive. As long as it's not outside the realm of common sense."
"Then, there's a place called "Rokeshu Harness Store" up ahead. If you go there they might be selling horses. Just in case it is the primary merchant the knight group uses so you should be able to trust them."
After Miduchi heard the detailed location of "Rokeshu Harness Store" she politely thanked them and split ways. It didn't seem like she could endure her hunger. According to her stomach and she needed food before a horse. She entered a random restaurant and ordered some sobagaki, then immediately got to kneading it in her bowl. Some deep grey soba flour that wasn't very good quality came out with the husks still attached so she started mixing it with the boiling water and in no time at all it's viscosity increases as it reached the point of eating. She added a bit of salt and olive oil and gulped it down. She really wanted some bonito stock for the soba soup but this isn't half bad once you get used to it.
A story from long in the past, when she was still Shiina Junko, when she went to drink at night at a soba shop near the company she remembers the man who would eat some sobagaki as a side to Japanese sake. I wonder if he's still eating sobagaki together with sake now?
After her stomach was full she started towards "Rokeshu Harness Store" without drinking any tea. She tried negotiating with the owner of the Harness shop to sell her a horse but both of the horses they had already had been sold. However two days later they were supposed to get a young four year old horse that could be sold. She handed over 1 gold coin as a deposit and said she would come again two days later before resting in an inn this day.
She carefully wiped her body in an inn that costs 2,000 Z (20 copper coins) per night and since she still had time before dinner she laid down a bit and was easily dragged into the world of sleep. She opened her eyes close to the middle of the night. In terror she checked to make sure there was no abnormalities in her luggage or stomach band. Since she had made sure to just properly close things up the only thing stolen was time.
..................
Year 7444, Month 8, Day 9
Since she hadn't eaten anything since yesterday afternoon she ended up eating a considerable amount of food from the morning. Though she's a woman, she's still trained as a warrior, and Miduchi consumes more calories than the average man. Of course, she can endure a simple diet as well but there's no need to push herself right now. She put vinegar, olive oil, dressing made from pepper, and the truffle powder she had over a bowl of raw vegetables with lettuce as the base before eating it. She also sprinkled the truffle power some rye bread after dipping it in olive oil before eating it deliciously.
(Huh? If I think about it other than the fact that there's no matsutake isn't Lail Kingdom considerably luxurious?)
And she started thinking about it at this point. Adding to that if the perfect method of artificially cultivating shimeji, kurokawatake, or amitake were brought to Japan they'd make a fortune. After all Lail Kingdom's mushroom cultivation techniques have completely surpassed modern day Japan. They're often more delicious than the natural product.
Miduchi(Well since truffle powder is already something I'm used to I'll save it and give it to him I guess) thought and put the cork back on the bottle of powder.
After leaving the restaurant Miduchi went on an after meal walk. It seems the knight group is training at the edge of town. Since she has nothing to do today, she decided to kill some time by checking the abilities of the knights on the surface while wandering around.
She wandered around the town of Robamorusu before arriving in front of the knight group training area before 9 am. The squires who are still young are swinging their wooden swords wholeheartedly after receiving the signal from the knight teaching them. She remembered her own education training process days for becoming a warrior.
(This is some lukewarm training~)
They've properly only just become squires. While observing Miduchi got the impression that the squires were all in their mid teens or just about adults, the same age as herself. Miduchi sat on the embankment while dazing out as she watched the training but in less than 20 minutes she got bored of it and decided (there's nothing to gain), so she stood up and started wandering the town of Robamorusu again.
A galette made almost like a crepe made from soba flour had some vegetables and ham between it as it was being sold so she ate two of them for lunch, then after returning to her inn she started maintenance on her two swords. The short sword she's used for many years is starting to reach it's limit. It's a weapon she chose simply because it was cheaper than a long sword. Since she's comfortable with it she intends to continue using while it can still be used. However, just as expected from one made from cast iron it's endurance is low. She's undergone live combat with it countless times so it wouldn't be strange for there to be some fine cracks that can't be seen in it.
She carefully checks if there's any distortion while touching the edge of the blade. It had a reasonably sharp cutting edge when she first bought it but after being sharpened countless times it's gotten shorter and now that the low quality cast iron that makes up the core has started to show through it's cutting edge is getting dull. It's already at it's limit. It might be best to sell it while it still can be sold.
In comparison, the scimitar granted by her majesty Lilus should have existed since several hundred years ago but the blade still gives of a suspicious light as if it was completely new. The blade is dyed black and just the edge of the blade has the silver metal showing.
【Blade Shadow Scimitar Of: Raidyuroufusutira】
The beautiful scimitar crowned with the name of their race also has a dangerous sounding second name. If she digs through the knowledge of Shiina Junko and it's not something that's suitable for a mere dark elf herself to be using. The grip she holds in her right hand fits so comfortably almost as if it's connected has a length of around 15 cm. From the end of the grip up until around the middle finger there's a knuckle guard growing out with a refined curve to it. The guard isn't very large but it's plenty large enough to endure locking swords and was made durable.
Up until she arrived at Robamorusu she ended up cutting down a {Mountain Wolf} that seemed to have strayed from it's pack with this scimitar but the blade passed through so well she felt almost no resistance at all, in just a single attack she split the spine of the {Mountain Wolf} and was dumbfounded over it's overwhelming cutting edge.
After that, since she split the bone she quickly tried checking the blade but after confirming that there wasn't a single bend or crack in the blade she was dumbfounded once again. However, if it's this then no matter what kind of opponent comes out there's no need to fear. Lightly, just for the sentiment she wiped the blade with a cloth with a bit of oil on it before returning it to the black scabbard without ornaments.
......................
Year 7444, Month 8, Day 10
After finishing breakfast Miduchi started on her way to "Rokeshu Harness Store". There's no way the horse would arrive this early in the morning but she didn't have anything else to do. She decided to wait in the store front looking at harnesses until it arrives. Since she doesn't know what size the horse will be she decided to pick after it comes.
After telling the owner that she would wait they didn't just pleasantly permit her but even offered some tea. Certainly since she's not just buying a horse but a full set of harnesses so she's good customer. You could say this treatment is only obvious.
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