CH 2

Away From Home

“Young Master, lunch is ready~.”

Miss Lucian, one of the Adventurers who were hired as escorts, came to tell us since we were in the carriage.

At first, it seemed like the meals had been previously arranged or prepared somewhere else because of the fancy menu, but I was told that it wasn’t a hassle to prepare individual menus for everyone to eat meals separately. I responded politely to her, because I’m the son of the Count after all. I headed over while saying how this method was extremely inefficient but nice at the same time.

As for them, they didn’t expect a noble to say that.

If anything, there seems to be a lot of guys who are similar to my idiotic brothers in this group, so I’d prefer to eat meals separately. For various reasons.

“Lucian-san. If possible, can you please stop calling me ‘Young Master’?”

“But, you’re the son of the Count.”

“I’m not that extravagant.”

In fact, I’m a reject of that House.

I certainly am wearing a Cravat on my waistcoat right now, which could be seen as a noble’s clothing, but…it is merely livery and is too different from what an actual noble would wear.

Still, I was trying to behave, in my own way, because the escorts for this trip were requested by the Count. I should quickly change into a Magician’s outfit when I arrive at the Boundary City. As for a Magician’s Staff, I’ll just have to compromise by purchasing a cheap one.

Well, besides that, it’s now time for lunch. The beautiful scenery visible from the gradually sloping hills made one think that this was how one should truly eat a meal.

It was a meal under the blue sky with the escorting Adventurers, led by Lucian.

The weather was nice and quiet.

Today’s meal was comprised of Vegetable Soup seasoned with salt, Black Bread, and Dried Meat.

It was wonderful that there wasn’t any need for well-mannered dining etiquette.

The air and food was delicious, and I had a great feeling of liberation.

The escort Adventurers called themselves the Forest Birds. Everyone who lived in the vicinity of the Gartner House knew them to be likeable. Their vanguard was made up of their two warriors, Robin and Fitz. Miss Monica was skilled in handling a Knife and a Bow. Finally, there was Lucian, who could use both Healing Magic and Attack Magic. Their composition was well balanced. The ratio of men and women was also even. Lucian was rather slow but somewhat gentle. The other guys also seemed like nice people. Although these Adventurers didn’t give off the impression of being prideful ruffians, they were certainly skilled.

“Now that I think about it, Young Master, why are you heading towards Termuilles?”

Is what the freckled, brown-haired Robin asked. You too, huh?

“That’s why I said to please stop calling me ‘Young Master’. I can’t handle it.”

“I’m very sorry.”

“Fufufu.”

Everyone seemed amused as they watched me trying to get them to stop.

A person’s emotional problems aren’t something you should laugh at.

“…Just ‘Theodore’ is fine.”

Though, there are also people who call me ‘Theo’ for short.

“I will be living over there.”

“As I thought, you’re aiming to make a fortune in a single stroke?”

It seems Monica and Fitz had heard as such.

“No, it’s because Termuilles seems rather interesting. Besides, I hate my home.”

“I see…”

“Ah.”

After answering, they nodded in agreement and I went into a deep thought.

These guys are Adventurers, afterall. They might be constrained on various things but they do have their own thoughts about it. For now, it’s likely that they don’t think that this job is part of a noble’s hobby to make fun of Adventurers.

As for the travelers who were with the Forest Birds, I had chosen them. They had been chosen from members of an Adventurer Group that came to me, saying that they would accept any request. I liked their replies to my question about their motives behind accepting my request.

According to them, it was better to receive money after they reached Termuilles.

Apparently, that was the reason for these Adventurers to accompany us.

It seems that they have plans to dive into the labyrinth after escorting us there.

As for the guy who was breathing down my neck, he was an escort hired by Catherine. He was an assassin, which is what I had roughly assumed him to be. The primary motive of the Forest Birds seemed to be to fool around, so I thought that it was safe to be with them. I can empathize with them too.

The feelings I carry for Termuilles might be close to those of the Adventurers who are heading towards the Boundary City. They had a type of devotion to that city, kind of similar to that of people who carry their own hopes and dreams.

In my case, I hadn’t really enjoyed my life in Japan.

Maybe it was because society had matured? It was difficult to live and difficult to die…I think that feeling of being locked up was suffocating.

I was fed up with living there. I shrugged my shoulders. It was unreasonable, but I couldn’t abide being suddenly deprived of my life like the past me. I will live on my own, without being afraid of anyone.

The journey was relatively smooth. There were escorts present, so weak Demons didn’t approach us.

I left watching the surroundings to the Forest Birds and decided to experiment and practice my magic to my heart’s content.

Well, it would still be good to work on improving the skills of a Battle Mage by practicing circulating the magic within me, even if it is more effective to train it later.

I don’t know how other Magi in this world do it, but, at the very least, I could handle and circulate magic by remembering how it felt in BFO.

“Theodore-sama.”

As I was playing around with the small, expanding magic formations on my fingertips, Grace inclined her head and spoke.

“Nn? What?”

“I’m not that familiar with Magic.”

“Yup.”

“That Magic Formation, I’ve heard that it’s a very advanced skill.”

Aah…is that so? Although it’s a normal chant, it’s disadvantageous to use it in battle. The biggest problem is–it ends up being a rolling fumble.

Having said that, chantless magic is fundamentally weaker. The practicality of chantless magic was limited to Class 3 Magic at best.

I do think that there is chantless magic, to an extent, in the intermediate level Class 4 to Class 6 Magic, but it’s casting time becomes much slower.

In order to overcome those problems, a Magic Skill that draws Magic Formations via magic power was created. Magic Formations allow the reliable completion of magic casting.

There is a big disadvantage in terms of the high mana consumption for magic activation, but there are also plenty of advantages. Although this was usually acquired as a skill for mages in BFO…it was also pretty convenient to those whose class didn’t primarily use magic.

The exceptions were probably the players who either didn’t use magic at all or enjoyed the act of casting magic.

“…I wonder if it’s not that the people who can use it, don’t? It’s not really that difficult.”

“Is that so? I’m sure that Theodore-sama’s magic talent is that of a genius.”

Grace was pleased, just like me, and answered me with a smile.

Well, if I was called a genius, I could only respond by being pleased.

I was making a vague smile when the carriage suddenly stopped moving.

“T-Theodore-san, trouble!”

The coachman, who was seated in the front, called out to me with a panicked voice. I suspiciously looked out of the carriage’s window.

Even without explanation, the situation was clear at a glance. Many animals were coming from the highway ahead…deer, monkeys, and wolves, all fleeing.

Goblins, Kobolds, and the like were mixed in as well and also desperately running. It was fairly turbulent and troubling. The horses were swallowed by the flock of animals and were neighing from fear, so the coachmen couldn’t do anything.

After confirming the situation, I began to cast Life Detection, an intermediate Class 4 light spell. A shining circle of light was constructed at my feet and expanded.

The spell allowed one to see the light of a living being’s aura with the naked eye. Plants, mammals, insects, reptiles, fish, and so on each had their own color, which could be used to classify them.

Fundamentally, more powerful individuals would shine brighter, while it would not work on the undead. Well then, let’s have a look.

…Violet Light. A Demon insect. A red radiance vanished as the silhouette of an animal, bathed in violet light, sprang forward. It was difficult to see the individual Auras because there were many of them overlapping each other–A large number of them seemed to be big ants.

A swarm of Killer Ants, huh? Their nature caused great destruction every now and then, and they were, without a doubt, heading this way. I want to forgive the act of training wild animals.

“…There is a swarm of Killer Ants.”

“A-Ants!? And a swarm!?”

“L-Let’s run away too!”

Seeing Lucian and the others being restless gave me a tempered feeling. It was inevitable that, having been caught in this situation, they would want to flee.

For now, I want to try and protect Grace, no matter what.

“Grace. The ring.”

“Yes, Theodore-sama.”

Grace bit her lips to draw blood before kissing the ring that was held in her hand.

“–Release Bind.”