Chapter 31

When Mika was about to open the door to the changing room, Ninetiana suddenly grabbed her shoulder.

"…Hey, Mika. What's going on?"

Mika turned around, and Ninetiana leaned in close.

Ninetiana's eyes were intense.

The sheer force of her presence made Mika catch her breath.

(Eh, what? She looks so angry!?)

Mika was flustered by Ninetiana's sudden change in attitude.

Had she done something wrong?

But Mika couldn't think of anything.

"Just a moment ago, your butt was so red and cute! What happened to the monkey?"

Hey...

Mika slapped away Ninetiana's hand and went into the changing room.

"Hey, explain yourself properly!"

Ninetiana came into the changing room with a basket.

Inside the basket was a dry, ragged towel.

Mika took the towel and dried her head.

"I fixed it. That's all."

"Fixed...?"

Ninetiana froze in the act of drying her head.

(Come on, cover up! Don't just stand there in that state!)

Mika sighed while drying her body.

"If you have any questions, ask them later. Let's change first, okay?"

You'll catch a cold.

Ninetiana seemed to remember what she was doing and quickly dried and changed her wet body.

Mika changed her underwear but put on the same top and pants she had worn that day.

This was at Ninetiana's instruction.

Considering the need to carry things around, adventurers rarely carry extra clothes.

Mika didn't want to increase the laundry, but wearing dirty clothes for a long time was stressful.

Thus, adventurers adopted a method of changing only their underwear during travel and accumulating laundry.

They would do a big wash when they could and change their tops only then.

There was a magic bag that could hold much more than it looked, which would almost eliminate the need for extra clothes.

But it was incredibly expensive.

Even C-rank adventurers had them, but they were usually shared among the party.

Ninetiana and Diego had also shared one, which they left behind when they quit adventuring.

After changing, they left the changing room and called out to the grumpy old man at the counter.

The grumpy old man, as usual, didn't even look up and only replied, "Ah."

Leaving the inn, they returned to the shared carriage stop.

The dilapidated hut at the stop wasn't completely dark, as some moonlight filtered in, but it was quite dim.

The interior, more than twice as large as the hut in Coton Tesse, had a few people inside.

Two middle-aged men were in the corner on the left.

A young woman was in the corner on the right.

A few others were scattered along the walls.

Everyone was sitting on the floor, leaning against the walls, and quietly waiting.

Ninetiana led Mika to an empty space along the wall.

"We'll spend the night here until morning."

Ninetiana whispered.

(Huh?)

Mika looked around.

There were other people in the dimly lit room.

The temperature had dropped as the sun set, and it would get even colder.

Mika was already chilled from the bath.

Would they really spend the night here?

"…Aren't we going to an inn or something?"

Mika asked Ninetiana in a low voice, mindful of the quiet room.

Her tone was slightly reproachful.

Ninetiana put her arm around Mika's shoulder and pulled her close.

"Don't you want to be more like an adventurer? Look, there are so many companions here."

Mika looked around again.

There were men and women, but the common factor was that they all looked lifeless.

"…Are all these people adventurers?"

"Not all of them, but most are. Why do you think they're here?"

"Why...?"

They would spend the night here. It was easy to imagine they didn't have money.

But was that all?

"I understand they don't have money, but..."

"Yes, they don't have money. Well, some are trying to save, but it's hard to earn enough for an inn when you're not a full-fledged adventurer. So, they spend the night here."

This was the reality of being an adventurer.

Mika had dreamed of casting magic and performing heroic deeds, but she had never imagined this.

In reality, they ate mixed daily specials, washed off the sweat in the bath, and rested their tired bodies in the dilapidated hut at the stop.

"Using a shared carriage for travel is rare. Out of the people here, how many will use one tomorrow? In that sense, the half-fledged adventurers we met earlier got a good job. ...If you use a shared carriage, you'll be broke in no time."

Even if they had some money, it would quickly run out if they spent it.

This kind of financial sense meant they would never have an easy life.

Mika sensed a hint of mockery in Ninetiana's words about the adventurers they had met earlier.

Hadn't Ninetiana herself said she was prone to wasteful spending?

Was this about the wasteful spending of the half-fledged adventurers?

"You can rent a room as a base and use inns during expeditions only after becoming a full-fledged adventurer. Even then, traveling on foot and camping are the norm. Compared to camping in the forest, this place is heaven. You don't have to fear beasts or monsters."

Previously, Ninetiana had said that dealing with Dyl's night crying was easier than a night raid.

Living like that, night crying would be nothing.

Mika felt she understood a little of the true meaning behind Ninetiana's words.

"When you spend the night here, don't be noisy and don't lie down. That's all you need to be careful about."

"Can't we lie down?"

This was tough for Mika.

If she could lie down, she could sleep anywhere.

But lying down was against the rules and could cause trouble.

"If you want to lie down, go to an inn. This is a place to rest, not to sleep. ...If you fall asleep here, your luggage will be stolen in no time."

"..."

The security was terrible.

Not only the shared carriage and the bath, but even the stop required vigilance against theft.

"Yanunsun has relatively good security? It's a trade route, after all. But with more people, it's inevitable that such types will come and go."

Ninetiana explained about Yanunsun and the region.

"Yanunsun transports goods to the capital via Savenjil through the trade route. The goods come from the 'Am Tast Trade Union' in the south. The Trade Union is a commercial nation in the southern part of the continent. It's like a single country now, formed by a coalition of small states. Actually, you can get there by crossing the mountains south of Rich Village. Did you know that?"

Mika's eyes widened in surprise, and Ninetiana chuckled.

"Well, there are monsters in the forest and the mountains are treacherous, so you can't walk there."

Geographically, they were adjacent, but it wasn't a place you could easily travel to.

Mika had thought that if there were other options besides Coton Tesse for trading, Rich Village might become more prosperous, but it seemed that wouldn't happen.

"The textiles from Rich Village are traded in Yanunsun and then transported to either the north to Savenjil or the south to the Trade Union. Savenjil is the third-largest city in the country. The Trade Union is a commercial nation. No matter which way you take them, they will sell as much as you have."

"Really...?"

Mika felt a sense of pride.

The textiles made by Amaria and Loreta were traded here.

Mika felt a little happy, even though he wasn't the one making them.

"Well, let's get some rest. Even if you can't lie down, closing your eyes and staying still will help a bit."

Ninetiana patted Mika's head.

Mika decided to try to sleep, leaning against the wall as instructed.

His body was tired, but the unfamiliar posture made it hard to fall asleep.

"...Why don't you ask anything?"

Mika muttered.

He was talking about Mika's magic.

When Mika mentioned the healing magic in the bath, Ninetiana was very surprised.

Surprised enough to freeze.

Mika thought she must have had some questions.

But Ninetiana didn't ask anything.

"I don't really have anything to ask. I was just a bit surprised to see Mika's [Miracle of God] for the first time."

Ninetiana smiled.

(First time? Didn't she see it during the factory fire?)

Ninetiana hadn't seen it when Mika helped with the logging either.

It was surprising that Mika hadn't shown it to Ninetiana, who was his closest friend outside his family.

"I can do this too. 'Limit Release,' 'Gust.'"

Mika directed his hand at Ninetiana and cast a weak wind.

It was a warm wind, heated by manipulating thermal energy.

Ninetiana was completely stunned.

"...I heard Mika's [Miracle of God] was amazing, but can you really do this?"

Mika had been told by Kifurodo during church that [Miracle of God] wasn't something you could freely manipulate.

Kifurodo, who wasn't a user of [Miracle of God], didn't know why, but that was the case.

Mika was also told to study the correct [Miracle of God] properly.

Ninetiana stared at Mika's hand and then grabbed it.

She then pushed Mika's hand into her clothes.

"Hey!? What are you doing...!"

"Ah~... So warm~..."

Mika suppressed a loud cry and tried desperately to pull his hand away.

Ninetiana, with a dazed expression, held Mika's hand firmly and didn't let go.

(You...!)

Mika used thermal energy manipulation to lower the temperature of the "Gust."

Not to freezing, but to around 10 degrees Celsius.

The sudden cold wind made Ninetiana shiver and quickly pull Mika's hand out.

She looked at Mika with a resentful expression.

"...Mika, what are you doing? It's cold."

"It's completely your fault, Ninetiana."

They argued in low voices for a while, but someone in the room coughed lightly.

Hearing this, Mika and Ninetiana fell silent.

Then, they giggled quietly to avoid making any noise.

"...If I could form a party with Mika, it would be so convenient."

"I can only see myself being overworked."

Being used as a heater was a given.

But even for such a reason, it was nice to hear Ninetiana say she wanted to form a party with Mika.

"Well, you should really get some rest now. If you can sleep, go ahead. I'll keep watch."

"Thank you."

Mika wasn't sure if he could sleep, but he was very sleepy.

He relaxed his body and tried to sleep.

The journey had only just begun its first day.

But so much had happened.

Mika fell asleep while recalling the various events of the day.

...Clank...

A faint noise gradually brought Mika back to consciousness.

(...Ah... Sleepy... So tired...)

Despite having slept, Mika felt abnormally sleepy.

His body was stiff, and he ached all over.

(...Why is it so... painful? Sleepy...)

Had he woken up in the middle of a deep sleep?

His body was still exhausted.

Clonk... Clonk...

He heard a noise.

Was it Amaria getting up?

The hardworking Amaria always woke up early.

She not only prepared breakfast for Mika and the others but also took care of other household chores in the morning.

(...Thank you, always. I'll try to be more responsible...)

...More responsible...?

What was he supposed to do?

(!!?)

Mika's eyes snapped open.

The old, dirty wooden floor, the unfamiliar ceiling and walls, the spacious room.

It was the dilapidated hut at the shared carriage stop.

(...Right, this isn't home anymore.)

It was still before sunrise, and the view through the window was dim.

"...You're awake already? You can rest a bit more if you want."

Ninetiana noticed Mika was awake and spoke.

She was still as sensitive to her surroundings as ever.

Mika straightened his posture, which had been leaning on Ninetiana.

"Good morning, Ninetiana. Thank you."

"Good morning. It's still early to get up."

"My body hurts a bit."

Mika moved his body slightly.

His joints creaked, and his arms felt slightly numb.

As he stretched, he noticed that some of the people who had been there last night were gone.

"...Some people have already left?"

"Yes. But they just left a little while ago. Did the noise wake you up?"

It might have.

Mika vaguely remembered hearing a noise.

"We'll rest a bit more here, then go for breakfast."

Ninetiana closed her eyes.

Mika had fallen asleep, but Ninetiana had been keeping watch while resting.

Mika decided to wait quietly until Ninetiana moved.

When the sun came up, Ninetiana started to move.

Outside the dilapidated hut, people were already moving about.

At the restaurant where they had eaten dinner, about 70% of the seats were already taken.

Ninetiana told the server, "Two," indicating the number.

Apparently, the menu was fixed in the morning.

The food arrived quickly.

Two pieces of bread, a hearty soup with lots of ingredients, and something that looked like pickled yellow vegetables.

Mika had braced himself for the mixed soup from the previous day, but it didn't come.

Taking a sip of the soup, the warm liquid seeped into his cold body, and he sighed in relief.

(Delicious...)

The soup was filled with vegetables Mika didn't recognize, colorful and beautifully presented, but the taste was excellent.

It also contained large chunks of smoked meat, and the flavors of the vegetables and meat were well balanced.

The seasoning with salt and pepper was perfect, and this was probably the restaurant's signature dish.

(I wanted this soup yesterday, Ninetiana...)

Mika silently cried inside.

The soup was served in a regular-sized bowl, unlike the large bowl from the previous day.

Mika wanted to complain about why they didn't use the large bowl.

Eating one piece of bread, the soup, and the pickled yellow vegetables, Mika felt full.

He gave the remaining bread to Ninetiana, and after finishing their meal, they left the restaurant.

Outside, Ninetiana bought two rations and gave one to Mika.

They hadn't brought any when they arrived, so she must have prepared them while they were eating.

Apparently, some restaurants sold rations in the morning.

The morning rations were intended to be eaten for lunch that day.

There were also rations designed to last for several days to a week, but the restaurant didn't sell those.

The prices were:

- Morning set meal: 500 lauts.

- Rations: 500 lauts.

Both were twice the price of the daily specials.

In fact, they were half the price.

Did the restaurant have a reason to offer daily specials?

After breakfast, they went to a communal well.

There were always a few wells in the town, and they were used to refill water bags.

Mika had a "Water Ball," so it might not have been necessary, but he didn't want to use magic in front of people, so he followed the instructions.

Then they returned to the shared carriage stop.

More people had gathered in the dilapidated hut than when they left in the morning.

There was only one route from Coton Tesse to Yanunsun, but from Yanunsun, there were routes to Coton Tesse, Savenjil, and the Trade Union.

According to Ninetiana, there were other routes as well, and the number of people gathering at the stop was much greater than in Coton Tesse.

When the shared carriage arrived, they sat in the front as they had the previous day, and the hellish day began.

Although Mika could heal with magic, he wasn't yet comfortable using it casually.

He decided to endure the day and follow the same pattern as the previous day, getting treatment at the bath.

After several breaks, they arrived at a post town after a day's journey.

The post town was a crowded place, with various shops crammed into a small area.

However, many buildings were made of concrete, with wooden structures being slightly more common.

This post town was apparently halfway between Yanunsun and Savenjil.

They would stay here for the night and arrive in Savenjil the next evening.

For dinner, they ate a daily special at a restaurant recommended by a passing adventurer.

At the inn, Ninetiana declared, "Two for the bath, together," and Mika's protest was quickly silenced by her quick actions.

The innkeeper, looking puzzled, still gave them a discount.

Despite being groped by Ninetiana, Mika managed to wash off the sweat and finally had time for healing magic.

"Stay like that. You're so cute."

"No way."

"Ugh... Monkey..."

Despite the banter, the treatment was completed successfully.

They spent another night in the dilapidated hut at the stop.

The next day—

They had been traveling from the post town for more than 8 hours.

The last break was over, and the pain in Mika's buttocks had reached its peak.

By the third day, he was somewhat used to it, but the damage didn't disappear.

Ninetiana, who seemed completely unaffected, was the one who was strange.

"I can see it."

Ninetiana pointed ahead and whispered to Mika.

The sky and the land were beginning to turn orange with the sunset.

In the slightly reddish distance, something was visible.

"...I don't see anything."

The scenery was still monotonous.

No matter how hard Mika squinted, he couldn't see anything.

As the carriage continued, something faintly came into view in the distance.

The "it" was still too far away to make out clearly.

"That's Savenjil. The city where you'll spend the next two years."

"That's...?"

The hazy "it" appeared to be a city wall.

As they got closer, the carriage became more lively.

Perhaps everyone was excited to finally reach their destination.

The carriage continued, but the city wall was much larger up close.

It was over 10 meters high, made of solid stone, and just looking up at it was intimidating.

The shared carriage stopped outside the city wall, and passengers began to disembark.

Apparently, unlike other cities, the stop in Savenjil was outside the city wall.

"Only those with special permission can enter the city with their carriages."

Ninetiana pointed to several carriages lined up.

Soldiers in leather armor were checking inside the carriages and verifying travel permits.

Some carriages passed through almost without stopping, suggesting there were different types of travel permits.

Mika followed Ninetiana to the gate.

On the left side of the large gate, people and carriages entered the city, and on the right side, they exited.

Following the flow of people, they reached the checkpoint.

More than ten soldiers were busy checking people and carriages.

"Hey, the one with the child. Come over here."

As Mika looked around, one of the soldiers called out to Ninetiana.

Ninetiana nodded.

"Do you have anything to declare?"

"Declare...?"

The soldier asked Ninetiana in a businesslike manner.

Not sure what he meant, Mika looked at Ninetiana, who said, "Show