Noise, noise, noise.
Quack, quack.
We were on our way back to Thousand Leaves, rocking in the carriage.
On either side of me were Irine and Ursuna. We slept in the same bed every night, so it was natural for them to be together. During the day, at Longfield Manor, I participated in training camp activities and helped Janice with the materials, so we only saw each other at bedtime.
Speaking of sleeping, on the first day the bed smelled terrible, but from the second day on, it didn't. The bed was still wet with sweat, but it didn't smell funny. Maybe bathing was a good idea? On the second morning, I felt that Irene and Ursuna were a little afraid of me, but now that they are by my side, I must have imagined it.
Before going to sleep, they both told me that the adventurers had been watching Deabolica during the day. They had no time to relax, as they did not know when the Count's guards might attack.
It's really surprising that they haven't killed him...
If the Count hadn't been so generous, it would have ended fatally. I guess it was also because of all the favors I did for the Longfield family.
But now, Deabolica is sitting in front of me, holding the hot water bottle containing the Spring Water Orb. Every now and then, he glances at the contents and smiles triumphantly, which is really creepy.
"...You seem quite excited."
I couldn't help but make a sarcastic comment, but it didn't seem to reach Deabolica, who was in a state of ecstasy.
Of course! It's the Spring Water Orb, the supposed source of infinite water! In Thousand Leaves, the river water is contaminated with mud, and they don't even have enough resources to maintain proper agriculture. If we had this, the city's food self-sufficiency rate would skyrocket!
Food self-sufficiency rate, huh? Come to think of it, in that village we barely ate rabbit meat and bread. I even worried that such a poor diet would cause my muscles to shrink, but for some reason, my body hasn't changed at all since I was transferred here six months ago.
Now that I remember, the skill I used when I was transferred, called [Inheritance], said, "You will lose nothing of your personality or abilities in this life." Does that mean my physical condition will remain the same as when I arrived? Of course, that doesn't mean I won't age. If I were truly immortal, I would need more coins, and in any case, I would still age.
Considering that I don't get sick no matter what I eat and that my muscles don't shrink, it seems that I could survive even on a fairly poor diet.
Even so, for those of us who come from the modern world, what we want is to live enjoying the most delicious food possible. In that sense, it's not a bad thing that Deabolica cares so much about food.
"Diabolica also had a desire to improve her hometown."
If they are so proud of their hometown that they plan to steal wealth from other cities, I understand. Economics is, after all, a zero-sum game: for someone to win, someone else must lose. However, if what they are looking for is to sell me as a saint in exchange for money or resources, then everyone benefits, as they will also be cured of their illnesses. In that case, I am willing to cooperate.
Improve the environment...? Yes, I suppose that's the natural process.
But I must admit: things are starting to get sinister.
Since you have accompanied me and worked for me behind the scenes during this trip, I will tell you part of my plan. I do not intend to settle in a rural town like this. My real goal is to rise to the Central Council.
"What is a council?"
You're missing the basics. The monarch of this country is the King, but the real power lies with Parliament. Nothing can be done without the approval of the parliamentarians. In other words, they are the ones who really rule this country.
It's a system that, curiously, is reminiscent of Japan's: the Emperor reigns but does not rule; the real authority lies with the Prime Minister and the House of Representatives.
"For a primitive Oriental, it may be difficult to understand the most advanced political system in the world, the pride of the Great Vrishab Empire.
"No, I understand. Continue."
Irene, sitting next to me, yawned indifferently, while Ursuna looked at Deabolica with a gesture of irritation. Why is she in such a bad mood?
My goal is to become a member of the Central Council. To lay the groundwork, I must develop and control Thousand Leaves. I will favor the Longfields, encouraging them to organize events regularly, and I will gather valuable items that will reinforce my prestige. With this, I will consolidate my position as the next successor of Thousand Leaves.
That is the first step on the road. And I want you to work alongside me to make it happen.
Hmm, I see. So that was the cunning plan.
Well, that's fine. I don't care if Deabolica gets a promotion or whatever, as long as they take me on various adventures, that's all I need. In other words, as long as I can join a national tour, I don't care if the travel agency has a shady culture or is embezzling money.
The only thing that bothers me is that they stole the jewel from the Longfield family.
But there's one thing that intrigues me.
"What does Deabolika want to do as a member of parliament?"
•|•|
"What does that mean?"
Deabolica frowned, as if she had heard words that were beyond her comprehension.
"The question is... why are you getting involved in politics? Do you want to reform the system, eradicate corruption, reduce the gap between rich and poor, or help the disadvantaged? Don't you have any policies like that?"
Ha. I was wondering what you would say. Weren't you listening to me earlier? The councilors are the real authority in this country. Not even the King can act without considering their reactions. Is there a greater goal than controlling the absolute power of the country? In the end, politics is nothing more than a tool: a means to consolidate power and gain personal benefits.
"In other words, becoming a member of the council is the goal itself."
"Exactly."
I see. A typical move by a power-hungry politician.
"I think Deabolica should resign; he's not cut out for politics."
How rude! Should I correct you right now?
Well, the truth is that politicians without clear convictions only bring misery to the people.
That said, I suppose everyone who aspires to be a politician is pretty much the same. There aren't many politicians with ideals about the kind of society they want to create. Perhaps modern politicians have simply become too corrupt.
If someone like Janice became a politician and introduced a bill to promote agricultural reform nationwide, I would be happy to support it.
With Deabolica's abilities, it would make the most sense for her to become a bureaucrat and work to enrich Thousand Leaves, benefiting the residents and everyone involved.
Come to think of it, even if it were just to improve the city, I will never again collaborate on such a risky plan as this. No matter how many lives I have, it would never be enough. And I won't wear provocative costumes either.
"You're my subordinate, remember? You don't have the right to veto."
"If that's what you want... why don't we move to Longfield? Janice has asked me to be her right-hand man."
I said it casually, and Deabolica stood there, eyes wide.
"What did you say?!" she exclaimed. Stop joking around. Why would you need to depend on someone like you...? Are you planning to sell the saint everywhere in my place?
"Because I taught her my knowledge of agriculture and cooking recipes... for free."
Of course, it's mostly a personal friendship that binds us together, but I don't think Deabolica would understand if I told her that.
"Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you charge her?! This is the first time I've heard that you have that kind of knowledge!"
"Because I wanted to teach you for free, and you didn't even ask me."
Deabolica looked back toward the rear of the carriage and stomped her feet loudly.
Damn it! If I had known it would be like this, I would have asked for more! Couldn't we go back and start the negotiations again?
"You should stop. It's embarrassing."
You! Don't say that! Or rather, teach me what you know too! Tell me everything you know!
Isn't the technology of the great Vrishab Empire the most advanced in the world? There's no way they would bow down to an uncivilized Eastern civilization, right?
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!!"
When I said something sarcastic, Ursuna couldn't take it anymore and burst out laughing.
He slapped his knees and tears welled up in the corners of his eyes.
"Eugene, you're the best! That's crazy!"
Just as he laughed and put his arm around my shoulder, Irene, who was sitting on the other side, slapped him with a pout.
"Don't touch!"
"That's right, Irene, if you're jealous, why don't you put your arm around my other shoulder?"
"I'm not jealous at all!"
After Ursuna teased her, Irene walked away.
...Have these two become a little closer?
Considering that they fought just a week ago, she seems to have softened a little. However, rather than friendship, this seems like some kind of truce. It's the typical familiarity of kids who do silly things together... Well, I haven't fully regained my empathy either, so I can't fully trust him.
Irene's back seemed to beg for a caress, so I patted her on the head. She protested with a shake of her head, but eventually calmed down and let me do what I wanted. At first I thought her attitude was feline, but she actually behaves more like a dog. She reminds me of Pero in the sky. Pat, pat, pat.
"Ggggggggggg...!"
When Ursuna intervened, Deabolica lost track of where he was moving his fist and began to clench his teeth tightly.
Modern knowledge, huh? Even if they tell me to teach him everything, I don't even know where to start. I feel like I wouldn't get anything good out of passing on knowledge to Deabolica. Once he has free access to saints who can cure diseases, he's completely out of control.
I have to be careful and keep him under control. The reason I decided to stay with Deabolica, even turning down Janice's invitation, is because I want him to take me to places I've never been before. I want him to be my guide on this adventure, so it would be a problem if he went off the rails.
Still, it was nice that the conversation was lively, unlike on the way there.
On the way there, Ursuna and Irene were nervous, and I limited myself to talking to the leader.
The leader is sitting in the upper seat of the wagon, acting as a lookout. This wagon has a seat on the roof, from where he can observe and warn of any danger. If something happens, he is supposed to open the skylight to alert us, although so far there have been no problems.
The road is patrolled by the adventurers' guild and the guards of the nearby city, and the monsters seem to understand that "the area near those cobblestones is human territory; if I get too close, they will attack me." On the other hand, they have the intelligence to understand these rules and the ability to communicate them to their allies, so they are clearly not ordinary animals. That's scary.
For now, humans and monsters can coexist separately, but I wonder what will happen when civilization advances and cities expand, reaching an era where they are filled with buildings like ours. Will a great war over land break out then? I really don't want to imagine it. The good news is that we probably won't see such an era.
For now, the biggest threat when traveling on the road is thieves.
They seem to roam the roads looking for travelers, which makes them even more dangerous than monsters. It seems that Deabolica hired adventurers out of fear of them.
In my image of thieves, I imagine them as weaklings wearing light equipment and wielding daggers, but in reality they are apparently unemployed mercenaries with free time, adventurers who hide in guilds and commit crimes, or criminal organizations called dark guilds.
They use a lot of magic in their attacks and possess fencing skills they learned in war. If I get caught in their magic, I'll be in big trouble.
However, it seems that thieves usually attack caravans and the like, and it's rare to find someone with the guts to attack a carriage with the Adventurers' Guild emblem. As soon as they put a guard on a carriage, they basically indicate that they are prepared to fight back.
Thus, traveling by carriage is safe from monsters and thieves.
The return trip passed without incident, and we arrived safely at Thousand Leaves.
...But it wasn't always that way.
Just as I was getting used to the rocking of the carriage and starting to fall asleep, I suddenly heard the sound of footsteps coming from outside.
At that moment, Ursuna and Irene, who were also leaning on me, raised their heads as if they had been knocked back and grabbed their weapons tightly.
The same goes for the other adventurers, including the guild master, Deabolica, of course.
Disturbed
"Report!"
In response to Deabolica's voice, a guard opens up from the ceiling.
The leader, his face pale, announced the constant threat.
A group of rabbit monsters, including the horned rabbit, is heading towards us with incredible force! There are more than 30 of them! It will be a huge stampede.
I could see the incredulous looks on their faces.
Mm, that's bad.