Chapter 14: Lua (1)

The carriage came to an abrupt halt. The violent jolt woke Simon from sleep.

“Ah, this damned ride...... What is it now? Are we there already?”

“It seems some sort of problem has arisen.”

Ranieri stuck his head out the window to look ahead and frowned.

“It seems we have run into a band of brigands.”

“There are lunatics who would block our path even after seeing the Arcturus Family crest?”

“It appears so.”

“This is maddening. Did they get drunk in broad daylight or something?”

Simon stepped down from the carriage.

By then, dusk had already begun to fall. And since they were passing through a forest road, it almost felt as though it would have been stranger if brigands had not appeared.

Hans, who was in charge of the escort, attempted to negotiate with the brigands’ leader in a stern voice.

“Do you know whose path you have blocked?”

“Hehehe. Of course I do. Is it not the whelp of Arcturus?”

“You cur!”

Even after that furious shout, the brigands merely cackled and ignored him.

“So what if he carries Arcturus blood? Does that make his hide iron? One taste of this blade and he will come to his senses soon enough.”

“We can no longer endure the nobles’ extortion! There is nothing left to give!”

“If we are going to starve to death anyway, then we may as well kill every last one of them!”

“Waaaaah!”

Their complaints about Arcturus’s rule came pouring out. Simon shook his head, unable to understand.

‘There was never any riot like this in my previous life. If anything, was it not Father’s side that opened the granaries during the drought?’

Did he miss something?

He happened to see Ranieri climbing down from the carriage, so he asked him,“Is our territory really that cruel? Cruel enough to suck the blood out of the common folk?”

“Not at all. The tax rates in nearby Aldebaran and Alphonse are far higher. Our benevolent lord is also deeply concerned with relief for the poor.”

“Then why are those bastards acting like that?”

“As you said, Young Master, perhaps they drank in broad daylight. What is certain is that they are not in their right minds.”

“I see.”

Simon’s expression turned cold. Then he stepped forward.

“Hans, move.”

“Young Master, it is dangerous! Please step back!”

The words “Young Master” ended up revealing Simon’s identity. Only then did Hans realize that he had misspoken.

“Oh, so you are that famous Simon Arcturus?”

“I am.”

“You look awfully fine, do you not? Your skin is pale as paper. We could fetch a splendid price if we sold you as a slave. Hahaha!”

The bearded man who appeared to be their leader sneered as he laughed.

The brigands knew that Simon was reputed to be highly skilled. They also knew that he had recently been so ill he had nearly died.

That knowledge had created a dangerous possibility in their minds.

Since Simon’s body must not have fully recovered, they thought they could take him alive.

“I heard you were sick. Is this not the perfect chance? Catch just one of you, and our fortunes will be made! Hahaha!”

“You there, Beard.”

“Hmm?”

“Does it not strike you as odd that the Heir of Arcturus would set out on a long journey with only a single escort knight?”

“Hmm...... Not really?”

“That is why you are not going to live long. I do not know where you picked up your information, but if you were willing to stake your life on it, you should have been more careful.”

Simon took off his outer coat and tossed it toward the carriage. Then he rolled up his sleeves. Lean muscle stood out as he put strength into his arms.

He did not even feel the need to draw his sword.

Hummmm!

Aura began to gather around Simon’s clenched fists.

Only then did the bearded man realize that something had gone terribly wrong.

“B-but I heard that even the Imperial Princess left early and the banquet was canceled......!”

“Ah, so you assumed that meant my life had become even more precarious. But what shall you do? I am perfectly fine. In fact, I am stronger than I was before.”

“Y-you are bluffing! Capture him before reinforcements arrive! What are you doing, you fools? Draw your weapons and......!”

CRACK!

Something broke.

And then silence fell over the forest.

“W-what?”

The bearded man stared in horror.

Before anyone realized it, Simon had already closed the distance and smashed one of his men’s jawbones apart.

“Ghk?”

The man collapsed, convulsed for a moment, and then lost consciousness. It was impossible to tell whether he was alive or dead.

One thing, however, was perfectly clear.

Simon had used Aura.

Otherwise, there was no way a single blow could have reduced a man’s jaw to that state.

The bearded man and his brigands felt as though they had run headlong into a wall.

“S-spare us!”

“And why should I?”

“I beg you! Please spare us! Just this once!”

The brigands surrounding the carriage, the bearded leader included, all threw themselves flat on the ground and begged for mercy. Simon pulled his sleeves back down, fastened the buttons, and asked,

“Have you got anything on you?”

“W-what do you mean, sir?”

“Money. Travel expenses are running a little short.”

“Ah!”

The bearded man hastily emptied out all the money he had. The other brigands also pulled out everything of value and loaded it onto the carriage.

Thanks to that, there was no need to search bodies to gather their wealth into one place.

Wearing a humiliating smile, the bearded man cautiously looked up at Simon.

“T-then we shall take our leave now.”

“Where do you think you are going?”

“Eek!”

Simon had not the slightest intention of letting them go peacefully.

They were the ones who had interrupted his sweet nap.

“Ranieri.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

“I am a little weak on the law. Recite the Empire’s law for me. What punishment is given to those who attempt to harm a noble?”

“Their heads are cut off and hung in the marketplace. Their corpses are then chopped into pieces and used as feed for animals.”

“There you have it.”

“Y-Young Master! Please!”

Simon heightened his senses.

He swept the area around them. The forest had been growing denser and denser, so he judged there would likely be more obstacles ahead.

“I shall give you a chance to live.”

“Whatever you command! We will do anything!”

“Go ahead of us and clear away every monster blocking the road. Then wait quietly at the end of the forest on the Aldebaran side. If you so much as try to run, I will raise troops and chase you to the very ends of hell.”

“Yes, yes, sir! Move, you lot!”

The brigands fled as though running for their lives.

“Sir Hans.”

“Yes!”

Hans was looking at Simon with reverence once more. The hand-to-hand combat Simon had just displayed was not something one saw every day.

“From now on, cut down anyone who blocks the road ahead. Do not even waste words on them. I cannot bear this carriage rattling any longer.”

“Understood!”

The moment they climbed back into the carriage, Ranieri asked,“Why did you send those brigands into the forest on the Aldebaran side? We are heading in the opposite direction.”

“One platoon stationed at the borderlands is on its way back. They are bound to run into one another.”

“Shall I send a Carrier Pigeon?”

“Leave it. Let them test their luck and see whether they die by monsters or by knights. Our travel funds were running a little thin, but now that problem is solved.”

Simon leaned back in his seat and tried to sleep again. But the forest road was so uneven that the carriage would not stop shaking.

“Damn it. I miss my bed.”

“Is this not all the consequence of your own choices, Young Master?”

“Instead of doing nothing but sneer, why not think of a way to put a bed inside the carriage? What else is that fine brain of yours for?”

“Yes.”

“Could you not answer with a little sincerity now and then?”

“Yes indeed.”

With a sigh, Simon forced his eyes shut and tried to sleep.

***

A few days later, Simon’s party approached Minor Village. Simon opened the window, called for Sir Hans, and had the carriage stopped.

“What is the matter?”

“You take the carriage back to Alpina Village and wait there. Ranieri and I will look around Minor Village and join you afterward.”

“O-oh, that will not do! Young Master, I am duty-bound to protect you.”

“You are weaker than I am. Who exactly are you supposed to protect?”

At times like this, it was necessary to be firm.

Of course, Simon was not the sort of foolish master who only lashed with the whip.

“And you need some rest as well. You have worked hard these past few days.”

“What a painful thing to say. This journey has been a great pleasure to me!”

“That is enough. Take this.”

Rustle.

A leather pouch was held out. Hans accepted it, though he tilted his head in puzzlement.

“What is this?”

“A bribe.”

“Pardon?”

“Go buy all the things you want to eat. You like to drink, do you not? I hear the liquor in Alpina is quite famous.”

“Ohhh......”

“I know well how lonely and difficult the position of Knight Commander can be. Sometimes, a man needs rest.”

There was far too much money inside for Hans to refuse. And together with Simon’s consoling words, it moved him deeply.

“I shall obey your command, Young Master.”

“I will not remain here long. I will see you again soon.”

“Yes, sir!”

After unloading only the things they needed from the carriage and changing into plain clothes, Simon and Ranieri entered Minor Village together.

“This is excellent. Peaceful, and beautiful as well.”

“It is not an especially backward place. Quite a few monsters appear in the mountain range stretching southward, so the village also serves as an outpost for adventurers.”

“Do monsters never invade the village?”

“I am told they are all hunted down before they can enter. There is also a Militia, so there is no great problem.”

“A fine balance.”

Before even checking into an inn, Simon headed straight for the bakery. He tried to hide his excitement as much as possible, but his steps were so quick that Ranieri found it difficult to keep up.

“Young Master, please slow down a little. Are you not moving too quickly?”

“Has it never occurred to you that I am not fast, but that you are slow?”

“Not at all.”

“That is why I keep telling you to exercise more.”

“When one hurries, one is apt to ruin things.”

A short while later, Simon arrived at the bakery. A hazy memory rose to the surface—of that exact moment when he had first met Lua as though by fate.

And yet, no matter how much he looked around, Lua was nowhere to be seen.

‘Where did she go?’

All he saw was a middle-aged man hard at work kneading flour dough, and a woman who appeared to be his wife arranging freshly baked bread beside him.

Simon walked up to them.

“Excuse me.”

“Welcome! I do not believe I have seen you before, sir. What kind of bread would you like? Everything is delicious!”

“Ah......”

Simon hesitated for a moment. He almost said, as he had before, to give him everything they had, but he barely stopped himself.

“I will have just two of these.”

“Yes, sir. Please wait just a moment!”

With practiced hands, the middle-aged woman placed two palm-sized loaves into a paper bag.

“That will be two thousand shillings, sir.”

“Keep the change.”

Simon handed over ten thousand shillings and took the bread. The woman looked startled, but soon smiled warmly.

“I cannot possibly just accept that, so I will pack a little more bread for you, sir.”

“That is not necessary.”

“If you do not accept it, then I will have to give you your change back.”

Left with no choice, Simon accepted the bread she offered him. Even at a glance, it looked worth far more than the change.

“If you would not mind, I have something I would like to ask.”

“Yes? Go ahead.”

“The young lady who worked here—where has she gone?”

“Lua?”

The middle-aged woman smiled brightly as she explained.

“She has gone to Alpina Village for a little while. We are planning to open another bakery there, so she went ahead to help prepare things. But what business do you have with my daughter?”

“Nothing at all. Mm, I once received bread from her before, so I thought I ought to offer my thanks before leaving.”

“Ah, if that is all, then it is perfectly fine, sir! It is thanks to travelers like you that we can make a living like this. Offering a little hospitality is only natural.”

In short, their paths had merely missed one another.

Even so, Simon offered his thanks with the best expression he could manage and stepped back outside.

“How did it go?”

“She is in Alpina Village.”

“So your paths crossed.”

Simon turned around at once and headed back toward the village entrance. Startled, Ranieri hurried after him.

“Young Master, would it not be better to rest here for a day?”

“I do not have that kind of leisure.”

“I do not either.”

Ranieri answered firmly, but Simon only laughed.

“With stamina that poor, how do you expect to support me? Pathetic fool. Hurry up and send a Carrier Pigeon. Tell them to turn the carriage around.”

“Sir Hans will feel slighted.”

“This is all twisted because of your curse!”

“My curse?”

“Was it not you who said that when one hurries, one is apt to ruin things?”

“......”

Ranieri took a small whistle from his pocket.

A moment later, a pigeon appeared in the distance, flying in from the sky.