Oukoku e Tsuzuku Michi

Chapter 17

I was thankful for the fact that I met Celia .

Because of Celia doing the food and washing water preparations I could fully concentrate on healing my injury .

As a result of that, on the 10th day since I came to this place - the 6th day after I met Celia - my wound was almost completely closed .

"Celia . I can concentrate on healing my wound thanks to you"

"Since I can be useful to Aegir-sama then it's natural . Rather than that, I'm sorry that I don't know enough it's troubling you"

Due to her living in the city she seems to have the knowledge pertaining to that, but because she lived as a slave she's a bit lacking in common sense .

In the first day, since she can't be walking around in bloodied clothes I told her to "buy some new clothes", and gave her my clothes and some money, but since she thought she can't be wearing her master's clothes she went shopping stark naked, causing quite an uproar .

A rumor that I made a little girl my sex slave started drifting about and I was kicked out of the inn .

The next inn was well equipped and had good rooms, so result-wise all went well .

"I thank you anyway . This is the last day we'll be staying in this town, too . Have you got everything ready to depart?"

We're finally departing for the Olga federation tomorrow .

Entering the Olga Federation, which unlike the comparatively stable winter climate of the Central Plains, is intensely cold, requires a bit of preparation .

"I have bought clothes and blankets for Aegir-sama . I'll definitely show you I can carry them all"

She's all fired about it .

"Well now, let's go to the bar to get livened up"

"I'll go with you"

This Hard-Boiled Pavilion consists of an inn in the second floor and a restaurant-cum-bar on the first .

Because of Gordonia being a prosperous city, the variety and flavor of the drinks were good .

I had some hard distilled liquor, while Celia was sipping on some honeyed weak booze .

In contrast to her unchanging expression, she's not good with her drinks .

When she had a taste of the same drink I had, she toppled over sideways and spat out, still with a firm expression .

I looked at the reddish-faced Celia while talking about dumb things with the barmaster .

"You sure got strange tastes, going to the federation this time of the year"

"That's 'cause I want to see Olga Federation in winter"

"If you still wanna go anyway then you should go along the North Teljes . The coldness thereabouts is still tolerable . You can use a ship too, so you can go quickly"

I see, using a ship is one way .

But I wanted to see the Federation's northern parts, too .

"Though I want to see the north too if I can"

The barmaster's face turned serious .

"You gotta be outta your mind, going north in winter . There are large empty spaces between towns and snowstorms happen a lot . Get rolled up in one of those and people or even animals get frozen alive like some ice sculpture"

It's an icy hell out there, he says .

The barmaster seems to be from the north of the Federation, he came to Gordonia when he was younger .

The Federation had a feudal system firmly in place so the peasantry couldn't easily abandon their hometowns and move somewhere else .

So he had no choice but to cross the border and come to the Central Plains, built this inn all on his own and raised a family .

At first I felt respect for him but when I heard his wife was turning 17 this year it turned cold .

By the way, his name is 'Andrei', a moustached dandy giant of a man who's turning 40 this year .

He married 3 years ago with 'Natalie' who came from the Federation like he did, it was love at first sight and he proposed on the spot .

Natalie is definitely a beauty but her height doesn't even reach my chest, and her T&A is like a child .

Even if you put her side by side with the 13 year old Celia they'd be about the same height, and Celia would win in the T&A department .

She's like this now so what was she like 3 years ago I wonder… .

"I'm not badmouthing you . You got little missy here so I'm saying you should go by the river where it's safe . That, and"

Take this, he says while handing me two fluffy fur coats .

At first glance, they're hooded longcoats long enough to reach my feet if I wore them, but they had a twofold structure and the inside was stuffed with feathers .

So obviously, they were heavy . The coats are hard to use in daily life but they're indispensable for going to the Olga Federation in winter, and everyone in the north of the Federation must have one .

"These are the ones I once used . I won't be going north anymore"

The barmaster had a distant look and took a gulp of his own drink .

I didn't miss the fact that there were two coats .

His distant look had a little bit of grief in it .

He was good-looking like that, even for a man like me . One of the waitress women saw and watched red-faced in fascination .

But her feelings won't reach him .

Because she had a captivating set of splendid breasts and plump body .

"If little missy here catches frostbite it'd be sad, you see, and of course I'm going to be charging you"

"Yeah, it looks like it's going to be a hard trip, so thanks"

We drank for a while, and as the night grew late and the other customers left the barmaster said "I'm closing up for tonight . Go back once you're done drinking", and went inside .

Seems like Natalie wants a child sometime soon .

I'm sure the actual spot looked like a scene where a pitiful young girl was being raped by a bandit .

"Aegir-sama . We should go back soon, as well"

"Yeah, you're right", I said as I stood up from my seat . Just then a voice called from my side .

"Sorry for the late hour"

Two men, they were unarmed but they had a good appearance and no gaps in their movements .

Celia put her hand around her waist and gripped her knife .

"We're nobody suspicious"

"We just want to talk to you"

"I do think urgent business at night is quite suspicious, though"

"We apologize on that count, but we thought we couldn't meet with you unless we do so now"

Seems like they knew we will be leaving town tomorrow .

Plus 1 . 5 times suspiciousness .

"Make it quick, please'

But I'll be alright with just listening, I guess .

Just let them talk on their own .

I looked and signaled at Celia to make her stand down .

"We're from the mercenary group [Wings of Daybreak]"

"And we would like to buy your … Aegir-dono's strength at a high price"

Suspiciousness level went over the limit .

I never remembered naming myself to any mercenary groups .

"Right now, mercenary bands are gathering in Gordonia . They're reinforcing themselves for exterminating bandits in the surrounding areas and to strengthen themselves against the Olga Federation"

"Our group is also contracted by the Kingdom and is now augmenting our members"

I see, so they mean to say they caught wind of me from Triea and came to enlist me .

However … . they added .

"The army's enough for bandit subjugation, and relations with the Olga Federation is good"

What's with that? I totally don't get what they mean .

"We can't tell you the name but we sympathize with a certain noble and are moving according to their intentions"

"Using the official stance of gathering personnel, we're preparing for a certain thing"

"Why are you telling me all this?"

"We decided to skip the official stance with highly valued people like you"

"Of course, we can't speak regarding the true reason here . We'll tell you if you decide to come with us"

"You know that we're leaving the country tomorrow, don't you?"

They have a reliable information gathering ability .

Which is why it's even more of a problem .

"Of course we do . It would be best for us if you participated right away, but the Wings of Daybreak is only recently established and we need time to take on a proper form"

"We wanted to tell Aegir-dono how highly we value you"

"So you're saying I can join you whenever I like after my trip is over?"

If they let me in with such selfish talk then they're all the more suspicious .

"If you wait until the time passed then it'll be meaningless . We're setting up in the capital's suburb so we'd like you to come join us as soon as you can"

The men stood up as if to say they had nothing more to say .

I took Celia along and went back towards our room .

Right then one of the men said to me .

"You're an excellent warrior, so this is a good chance for you to rise to higher places!"

My objective is to get hold of my own country and to get Lucy .

Of course I need to gain some political, instead of physical, power somewhere .

Should I take this chance, I wonder .

"Is it still worrying you?"

Celia rolled on the bed and called to me .

We had separate beds but there's little distance between us .

"I will follow you anywhere you want to go"

I pat Celia's head and she bashfully curled herself .

"You want me to service you? I'm still not fully grown up yet but I'm still a woman, rather than nothing…"

She seems to notice that I wanted women .

She tried crawling onto my bed but I flicked her forehead, sending her back to her own .

No matter what I can't get in that mood with Celia .

When I saw her change clothes, her body that only had nipples attached, without any curves, would not have any effect even if I embraced her .

I have to stop thinking about what the suspicious men said, too .

It's not going to be funny if I worried about this and that and ended up as an ice statue in the Federation .

I'll probably find my answer along the way .

I took my hand of Celia who started snoring somewhere along the way and closed my eyes .

The next day, we departed from the Hardboiled Pavilion .

The barmaster saw us off behind us .

"If you return alive and well come here again . Bring the little missy too . You gotta bring her before she's all grown up ya hear!"

I'll tell Celia not to leave my side if we ever come here again .

I put a fur coat on Schwarz who looked like he wants to say "even me?", but happy that he's with a woman again after so long .

Two people and a horse started walking toward north .