Noise, noise, noise.
Eugene, are you hungry? I bought some apples for a snack. Let's eat them together. You're terrible with a knife. Do you want me to peel it for you? Hehe, I'm good at peeling apples. Oh, can you eat it yourself? If you want, I can feed you.
I sat down next to him, on his right, and nodded vigorously while Ursuna chatted nonstop. I nibbled on the apple he offered me. It was a little tart, but fresh and juicy.
Noise, noise, noise.
Irene, sitting diagonally across from me, looked at me with disgust. When I looked up, she looked away as if to avoid eye contact.
"You're an idiot, trying to flatter him in a conceited way."
Oh, really? What? You want to fight? It's fine if we clarify the hierarchy for now.
"Hmph, if you're stupid, you resort to violence immediately. Wouldn't you be better suited to being a thug in the slums rather than an adventurer? I'll even recommend a new job for you if you want."
As the two exchanged glances, Deabolica, who was sitting directly across from me, spoke in a low voice, his eyes still fixed on the book he was reading.
"Enough. I didn't send this request for you to fight. If you cause any trouble, I'll have you removed from the carriage."
Ursuna and Irene moved away from each other with a snort at the guild master's words.
Ursuna and Irene's companions in the same carriage let out deep sighs.
Deabolica tapped her temple with her white-gloved fingertips.
"Hmm... Seriously, if I had known they didn't get along so well, I wouldn't have let you accompany me on this request."
"This doesn't usually happen. It's really strange."
The excuse given by Irene's leader sounded a bit false.
It has been about two weeks since the incident that almost started a coup d'état.
Now we are traveling in a carriage.
It was not an aimless adventure, but rather a request to cure a lord who was suffering from a disease that Deabolika knew about.
Deabolika told me that, for the time being, she would take me everywhere. Traveling to, but she would pay me well. She even offered me three gold coins for each treatment. That's 300 silver coins. Apparently, it's the same amount her family doctor charges per treatment.
I wondered if Deabolica wouldn't benefit from that, but Deabolica responded with a relaxed attitude: "Don't worry, I'll make money from other things. Well, I wouldn't worry about it—I'm grateful for the salary." If the astute Deabolica said so, then I guess there's nothing to worry about.
"Have a good trip. I hope you'll tell me some funny stories about your journey."
After saying goodbye to Wes, who had seen me off to the castle gate, I set out on my first journey since arriving in another world.
It takes a full half-day to reach our destination by carriage. Horse-drawn carriages are not as fast as I had imagined. Apparently, the speed at which a human would run is the limit so as not to overwork the pack horses.
It feels like about one-fifth the speed of a light vehicle traveling at a good pace. And if you leave at dawn and arrive at dusk, it takes about ten hours. In other words, about 12 kilometers per hour for ten hours, which adds up to a total distance of about 120 kilometers. To put it in perspective, it would be like going from the capital of the kingdom to a famous tourist town on the border of another province.
When she said it was a city where she had acquaintances, I assumed it would be relatively close, within the same region. After all, Deabolica is the third daughter of a feudal lord of a provincial city. Even if she runs the Adventurers' Guild, is it really possible for someone other than the main heir to have personal contact with an aristocrat from such a distant city?
In terms of this world, it would be as strange as if a vassal of a small noble house were a close friend of a general of a great dynasty at war. How did they meet? Well, anyway, I'm not particularly interested in her social circle.
As they were traveling far, they decided to hire two groups from the adventurers' guild as escorts. The two groups that volunteered were Irene's and Ursuna's.
This was a little surprising. Even if you do jobs other than exterminating monsters, you get paid, but it doesn't count as a major achievement. I always thought Irene and Ursuna were the type who aspired to great things and advancement, so maybe it's just a change of pace.
And they're always by my side. Ursuna was in such a good mood that I found it hard to believe she had been depressed the other day, and she always finds topics of conversation.
To be honest, I'm quite introverted, so I feel a little overwhelmed by the energy these die-hard extroverts give off, but it's nice and easy for them to strike up a conversation. It's the perfect way to kill time.
Irene was in a very bad mood. Well, she had always been the type to make nasty comments whenever she saw me, but she was especially aggressive towards Ursuna. She doesn't talk to me much, so it seems that Ursuna is focused on all her goals. Ursuna dodges Irene's verbal attacks with a smile or counterattacks by teasing her, but it seems that she doesn't like her very much either.
I wonder what it is, maybe we just don't get along.
Apart from Irene and Ursuna, the other adventurers seem to openly keep their distance from me and try not to be too friendly.
I'm a teleporter, but the atmosphere inside the carriage is horrible... I have
[Mental Resistance], so I don't get stressed even in a tense atmosphere, but I wonder if they could make the atmosphere a little more harmonious. Of course, this is just work, so if I got so caught up in pleasant conversation that I didn't notice the enemy's surprise attack, I'd be disqualified as an idiot.
I spoke quietly to Irene's group leader, who was sitting next to me.
"...Are these two rivals or something?"
"Hmm. Well, they're pretty tough rivals."
"I see. So they're competing to see who can defeat a great dragon first?"
"No, it's a matter of love."
"Love?"
Is it a rivalry over a man...?
"Leader!"
"Yes, yes."
Irene shouted with a sullen look on her face, and Leader-san shrugged.
...Just kidding. I'm insensitive too, but I don't suffer from sudden hearing loss.
Well, I can guess a lot of things.
After all, Ursuna has been getting close to me for a while now, so I guess I'm a love rival.
Irene!!
Do you like me, Irene?
"!?"
Irene blushed bright red after I pointed it out so directly.
"Who the hell cares about you?"
"Ah, I see. Ah, the carriage is shaking."
When I said this innocently and touched Ursuna's stomach, she trembled and said, "Ah...," her cheeks flushed. Huh? I thought she was used to playing around, but her reaction was surprisingly innocent.
"Ah!"
Irene kicked her seat hard and stood up, but quickly regained her composure and sat back down with a sullen look on her face.
I see, now,
...The truth is, when she teased me every time she saw the results of my hunt, I thought she was a really hateful woman.
"She's cute."
When I spoke to Leader-san while pointing at Irene, she nodded in approval.
"I guess so. Irene is cute."
"So, so cute...?"
"Ouch!"
The person on my right squeezed my shoulder hard, and I couldn't help but cry out.
Ursuna puffed out her cheeks slightly and looked at me with a stern look in her eyes.
I have a high pain tolerance, so I can endure it, but it's unbearable to have pain signals sent to my brain all the time, so I grab her hand to make her stop.
Huh? Does Ursuna get jealous like that?
You're a selfish character who's used to having fun, so I thought it would be okay to tease you like a bad friend, but you're not exactly like that image, are you?
Suddenly, I felt like I was becoming popular, and secretly, I felt elated, but to be honest, I'm confused because they're reacting differently than I expected. Irene is a small animal, and Ursuna seems a little sensitive. Especially Irene, even her tone of voice has changed.
Look. There she is, a cunning creature who acted tough in front of the man she was interested in, but with the naive, tomboyish Ursuna around, she thought she couldn't win by acting the same way, so she went back to her usual way of speaking. How... strange.
"Shut up!?"
Ah, the Leader's hobby is picking on Irene...
Look, Deabolica is impulsive at times, but most of the time he's calm, like the smart kid in your class.
Well, speaking of similar ways of speaking, Leader and Deabolica also have similar ways of speaking, but Deabolica's true personality is probably what you see when he pounces on you with the sound of a mysterious hawk.
"...Is there something you want to say?"
"No, nothing."
I looked away from the aristocrat who pretended to be an intellectual.
Ever since he showed me his true character once, he seems to have no qualms about directing his murderous intentions toward me...
This is uncomfortable, so let's change the subject a little.
Even so, this carriage doesn't shake much. I've heard that the floor vibrates so much that it's hard to sit down.
It's a common theme in reincarnations from other worlds: the carriage vibrates so much that it's hard to sit down, and the protagonist uses his knowledge of tricks to develop a suspension. I wanted to try it once, just out of curiosity, to see what it would be like to ride in such a bad carriage.
Yes, this carriage has seats suspended like a gondola with leather straps. The vibrations from the wheels are not transmitted directly to the seat, so it's soft on the buttocks. It belongs to the Adventurers' Guild and is a pretty good item. Although it was quite expensive.
"Wow."
So it was an improved horse-drawn carriage. I'm sure the improvements in suspension led to the invention of the automobile and the railroad.
Does that mean the level of civilization in this world is around the end of the Middle Ages? Well, it's unlikely that the history of this world is the same as ours.
Also, horses have thicker and sturdier legs than I thought. I thought they would be thinner and more slender.
Then Deabolica chuckled, as if she found something funny.
Do you mean horses with thin, agile legs? Those are racehorses and riding horses. If you ask such delicate horses to pull heavy loads like carriages, they will quickly injure their legs. Carriage horses must be sturdy and powerful like these. Really, you must come from a place where there aren't even carriages, you know, a very backward civilization, Ami seems to think.
Eh? Aren't horse-drawn carriages an outdated means of transportation? After all, we are in a terrible era.
Damn it, I want to show them trains and airplanes to see their reaction and leave them speechless.
"The nobles of the Great Vrishab are quick to look down on other countries."
I don't think that's good. Well, I don't know any nobles other than Deabolica and Wes.
Hearing my words, Deabolica puffed out his chest proudly.
Of course, the Great Vrishab Empire is the world's greatest power. From Indispice in the east to Trece in the west, we rule the seas; we are the empire where the sun never sets! We are the greatest civilization that has ever existed in human history.
One day we will conquer the vastest territory ever seen, surpassing even the legendary Roman Empire, and we will lead the world forever. Not a single colony will remain outside our dominion, and our cities will shine like jewels illuminating the entire continent! Sisters
---
"The Empire is great, but you are nothing but a boor."
"I'll kill you!"
"Long live the Empire!"
I raised my hands in surrender and praised the Empire.
And most importantly... Deabolica's breasts, which look slimmer than I expected, rise up from her lace blouse. She may have a terrible personality, but she has beautiful breasts. I was staring at them...
"...Ouch."
I grimaced in pain when Ursuna pinched my side and Irene stepped on my toes. It's not that I don't feel pain, so I wish they would stop.
"Pervert...!"
"Yes, yes, I'm a pervert."
I nod at Irene's words.
Ahhh. Irene's disdainful attitude reminds me of my world and fills me with nostalgia. In a world where the world itself is a transsexual world, with reverse chastity, her presence is very refreshing. My affection for Irene has increased again. I want you to stay as you are.
Even so, I remember that looking at a girl's breasts would be met with much disgust, but that doesn't seem to be the case here. In fact, even Diabolica seems to be somewhat proud of it.
Although I openly declare that I am a pervert, no one except Irene seems to look down on me, which is quite strange.
====
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Let me explain!
It's like when you play an otome game surrounded by a group of incredibly handsome guys: the serious prince, the childhood friend with a sweet smile, the mysterious swordsman, and the rogue with a mischievous look... and suddenly, among them all, there is a single girl. She approaches you with a flirtatious expression, looks you up and down, and, in a soft but meaningful voice, compliments you on how firm and muscular your chest is.
No man would mind receiving such a compliment, even in the middle of a scene where everyone seems to be competing for your attention! And just when you think it was all an innocent joke, she leans in a little closer and whispers with a smile, "The truth is, I'm quite mischievous..." At that moment, the atmosphere is tinged with an uncomfortable and exciting blush, as if you had unlocked a secret route that wasn't even in the game guide.
By the way, the reason Irene seems so nervous is because she has that mixture of shyness and pride typical of a young boy who wants to appear flawless. He's restless because his crush is acting so close to another guy, as if they were old friends, and that makes him feel a twinge of jealousy. However, deep down, he can't help but feel a strange excitement.
So we continue our journey with a somewhat uneasy feeling for half a day.
We arrive at our destination without any problems.
"...Huh? What about monster attacks? Isn't it inevitable that you'll be surprised in the middle of a trip like this?"
It's obvious that all the monsters on the road have been exterminated. There are four people on guard in the upper seats, so a surprise attack is out of the question. What are you talking about?
Why not try to make it a little more exciting?
Well, I have no fighting skills, so I can only tremble in the carriage. It wouldn't be a good image if a man just cheered on strong girls fighting, so maybe it was for the best...