‘It’s finally time to depart, isn’t it! I wonder what kind of place the royal capital is!”
In front of the entrance to Yuuji’s house.
There were three people, each carrying a backpack.
Yuuji wore clothes created in this world and leather armor. It seems he was holding the short spear and large shield that he obtained in the city of Premie.
On his backpack, which he had Kevin made on request, a place was attached where he could put a skin pouch to put water next to it and a place at the back to put his shield.
Put inside his backpack were a change of clothes, preserved food, a blanket, a spare battery and a memory card for the camera.
Of course Yuuji had the camera in his hands. Moreover the selfie stick created by woodworker Thomas had evolved. A part was installed that would put weight on Yuuji’s right shoulder, increasing stability by using not just his hands but also his shoulder. It was a secret weapon for the purpose of shooting movies.
Incidentally for his underwear, Yuuji put on cloth that was created in this world as a loincloth. It had already been the fifth year since Yuuji had come to this world. The Uni*lo boxer briefs seemed to have already reached its lifespan.
Alice was wearing a work that Yurshelle created with this world’s materials with great pride.
She was wearing a knee-length dress and, since she will be moving around, trousers. It was simple. But, it was created using technology that Yuuji had followed via the internet. The draping showed a beautiful silhouette. Well, since she was wearing a hooded robe on top of it, it had hardly any meaning however.
On Alice’s back was a small backpack and a leather bag, and in her hand she was holding a wooden staff. Alice was also in a complete travel outfit.
Similar to Alice, the elven girl Riese too was dressed in clothes created by Yurshelle.
A shirt with coat and trousers. These too were simple clothing, but as expected it displayed Riese’s slim and elegant figure more beautifully than ever. She too was wearing a hooded robe and a knit cap on top of it however.
And Riese was also carrying a backpack and a leather bag, and she was holding a wooden staff in her hand.
Their hair and eye color were different, but the appearances of Riese and Alice standing next to each other were like sisters.
Guiding the three, Kotarou had no luggage. She was striding in nude. Since she was a dog.
“Thanks for waiting, Mr Kevin!”
Yuuji called out to the five people waiting at the simple plaza outside the plot, in front of the gates.
There were Kevin, Kevin’s two exclusive escorts, former adventurers party scout Enzo and seamster Yurshelle.
It was everyone who were heading to the royal capital with Yuuji and Riese.
Each were in a travelling outfit and armed in their own way. Well, it seems the seamster Yurshelle was not holding any weapons however.
First, from the settlement Houjou village to Premie city.
There they would join with the adventurers guild master and Riese’s escort Salomon.
They would stop at Premie city for one night, then they would head to the royal capital using the horse carriage prepared by Kevin.
Three days from the pioneer land to the city. Around a week from Premie city to the royal capital.
It was the start of a roughly month long round trip.
“Mr Yuuji, is there anything you have forgotten? Well, first we will be going to Premie city first so we could gather them there though”
“Nope Mr Kevin, it’s all fine!”
So Kevin and Yuuji exchanged a conversation before departure.
Everyone who were remaining in the pioneer land were at the simple plaza.
“Now then, shall we go, Mr Yuuji?”
Kevin called out to Yuuji with a smiling face.
When Yuuji looked around, everyone travelling together like Alice and Riese and the everyone remaining in the pioneer land showed a similar smile.
It was a journey in a dangerous world, but could their reasons for not worrying be their trust towards Kevin or that they were relieved after hearing the members who would be departing?
In any case, after looking out over the over thirty people including the those on a business trip, Yuuji spoke.
“So everyone, please take care of the settlement. We’re going!”
“We’re o~ff!”
“We’re going!”
Following Yuuji, Alice and Riese raised their hands and spoke.
At the feet of the two, Kotarou barked once. We’re going, we’re leaving the rest to you, is what she seemed to be saying.
Fifth spring since Yuuji had come to the other world.
“Mr Kevin, looks like we’ll be arriving at the city tomorrow as planned!”
“Yes, we do, Mr Yuuji”
“But still… it’s gotten quite easy to walk to compared to the first time, isn’t it.”
“That’s right, those two and the five criminal slaves have been working hard after all. But Mr Yuuji, I’m sure you will be surprised tomorrow.”
“Eh?”
Yuuji and Kevin walked behind Kotarou and Enzo, whose role was to search for enemies.
The party had two girls, but they were advancing through the forest at a pace where they would arrive at the city tomorrow as Yuuji stated. The animal trail, in which the undergrowth and thickets had been cleared away, became easy to walk through and they had not encountered any monsters either, as if the journey was like a picnic.
It was peaceful enough that behind Yuuji and Kevin, the hand holding Alice and Riese were walking while singing together. They were songs from Japan that Yuuji had taught them. The two girls sang full of spirit while repeating “let’s walk.”
Surely these trifling hours would become a treasure for Riese.
□ □ ■ ■ □ ■ ■ □ □
The third day since Yuuji and company left the pioneer land.
Their plan was to arrive at Premie city today.
Before they came to see the tip of the forest, the voices of some men reached Yuuji’s ears.
“Okay! Next would be from here to there!”
“A~lrighty, let’s do this you guys!”
Coming in view were the figures of men being zealous in road construction.
The woodcutter and monkey instructed an adventurer-looking group the extent to where they would chop down trees and dispose roots of.
He saw the two instructing the next area with rope in hand without joining in the felling of trees.
The five criminal slaves who were doing road construction labor with the two were silently piling up all the felled trees in the cart. The trees were heavy and there were dangers if they were to collapse. As expected, the criminal slaves took on the risky work.
But their eyes as they were engaging in dangerous work, dressed in shabby clothes, did not look dead. The two who had spent the tough winter inside the forest and were supervising them had saved their lives with their own body. They may have had a change of heart.
And then, one man raised his voice as if leading the adventurers and slashed at the tree.
A tree, whose trunk one could hardly put their arms around, was cut off in a single stroke.
It was Salomon.
“Wha- what are you doing Mr Salomon…”
“Oh? Ooh, Lord Yuuji and Lord Kevin! Well, doing office work in the guild until departure is kinda, you know. I’ve been waiting while doing road construction here!”
Premie city adventurers guild master Salomon grandly declared that he skipped out on work.
The guild personnel’s curse did not seem to have reached the middle aged man.
“Woof woof” Kotarou cried. The old man was fed up with it, isn’t it. Poor subordinates. It seems she was pitying them with those words.
“Oh I see. Mr Kevin, is the surprising thing you talked about yesterday about this?”
“No… Uhm, Mr Yuuji, look, please look over there. They have made it so that the cart could pass up to this point”
Surprised by Salomon’s appearance, Yuuji called out to Kevin as if he understood it. However, Salomon was unexpected even for Kevin it seems.
The “surprising thing” Kevin talked about seemed to be that the cart had been able to go from Premie city to some half day, around one fourth of the entire distance.
This was their progress in the midst of spring. The road connecting the city and the settlement would seem to open quicker than the end of summer which Kevin and the feudal lord had put as their target.
“That the two of you have come means it’s time to depart then! Alright you guys! I’m leaving the rest to you!”
Salomon left those words with them, collected his luggage and walked along with Yuuji and company at once.
What a free man.
In any case.
Thus, the last person heading to the royal capital was present.
After this would be to go to Premie city once and to stop for one night in order to prepare the luggage and the carriage that Kevin had prepared.
Thereafter, they would finally depart for the royal capital, along with Riese.
Yuuji, the elven escort leader.
It was the beginning of his first trip in his fifth year of living in another world.