episode_0032

A different tent than usual!

Party members stuck together as usual!

“Ugh… it’s an unfamiliar ceiling…”

Inside the tent, where the morning sun gently seeped in.

Within the cozy but heavy sensation felt all over my body, I slowly opened my eyes.

Huh? Does it feel like a lot has been omitted?

Asking what happened yesterday?

Honestly, nothing great happened.

What attacked us was a Poison Wolf,

A wolf-type monster with potent venom dripping from its fangs—

Would mere trash mobs be a match for a munchkin party?

We quickly dealt with them using Lilien’s Projection, Elice’s Lightning, and Arte’s Precision Shot.

After that, I was exhausted from stopping and calming Lilien, who was determined to eat the poisoned meat…

In the end, we all collapsed asleep inside the tent.

And now, we’ve greeted the morning as one lump like this.

“Haa… wake up! Today’s the day we cross the border, you lot!”

I got up, removing the warm arms and legs of the party members one by one.

“Heeng… I wanna sleep more…”

Lilien, burying her face in my waist, hugged me even more deeply.

“Are you the butler? Why are you waking me up so early!”

From the opposite side, Elice complained, flapping her small wings.

Her black tail was gently wrapped around my leg, showing no intention of letting go.

“Arte is already outside, you know. Try to learn from her diligence~”

“Arte’s an automaton anyway, so she doesn’t need to sleep~ It’s unfair~”

Elice was still pouting under the blanket.

Lilien, as if in agreement, burrowed deeper into my embrace.

“Hehe… Indeed, it would have been great if we were rechargeable…”

“Alright, alright, let’s really get up now, Sir Knight. You can be spoiled later.”

Barely escaping their persistent attack from the bed, I flung the tent door wide open.

“Oh, it’s dazzling!”

Sunshine pouring in along with the refreshing morning air.

Right in front, Arte, who was already checking the horses’ saddles, quietly nodded at me.

“Good morning, Yuan. Lilien and Elice are as expected.”

“Yeah. They wanted to sleep a lot longer. And good morning, Arte.”

I rubbed my eyes and stretched.

Still, a morning like this on a trip isn’t bad.

The start of another peaceful, warm day.

Time to drag those two out too.

If they don’t come out this time, there’s no choice but to grab them by the hair and force them out.

We had a simple breakfast of bread with jam.

Of course, it wasn’t just ordinary jam.

Special homemade jam made from cranberries harvested after much hardship in a dungeon.

The story of how I got these cranberries, I’ll tell you later if there’s another chance.

All sorts of things really happened.

For example, cranberries flying through the air and bombing us.

You say I’m lying? It’s true!

It was a fact I didn’t want to know either.

Anyway, after finishing breakfast, us.

We lightly boarded the carriage again.

The weather today is perfectly clear!

It’s a day where the gently blowing wind feels good as it brushes against our cheeks.

Since it’s about 4 hours left until the border, should I say it’s the perfect driving route?

“Hoo-am~ Everyone’s boarded, right?”

Lilien, holding the horse’s reins, stretched and looked back.

Her white hair sparkled and fluttered in the sunlight, and with a refreshing smile added, she was dazzling.

“The horses seem to have rested enough~ Then, let’s depart!”

Shaking the reins lightly instead of a whip, the horses began to powerfully paw the ground.

Next to her, Elice stuck her body slightly out of the carriage and shouted.

“Giddy-up! Run! I wanna eat the muffins sold in the neighboring country quickly~!”

Elice, excited and flapping her black tail and small wings.

Watching the two with satisfaction, I leaned back comfortably in the carriage seat.

“Yuan, please at least loosely wrap this around your neck. As an organic being, you could catch a cold even in such wind.”

Arte gently put a muffler around my neck for me.

She was rummaging around in the armory earlier, so this is what she took out?

“Arte, thanks for putting the muffler around me.”

“Why are you speaking so mournfully, Yuan? Anyone would think you’re saying goodbye.”

“Just~ because it felt like I should say it like this~”

Next to Arte, who expressed curiosity, I looked up at the sky.

A cool breeze.

The winding dirt road.

And a carriage full of laughter.

The final peaceful and exciting journey towards the border began.

“Yeah, it feels like today will be a good day too.”

We arrived at the border.

The magnificent fortress and flags visible from afar.

The sight of the neighboring country’s symbol fluttering was impressive—

In fact, it was an allied country that had maintained peace for a long time, so there was no need to be particularly nervous.

Since the inspection was also just a formality.

But there’s just one, a very minor problem.

I gently shook Elice, who was leaning next to me and dozing off.

“Elice, it’s the border soon.”

“Munya… Finally? Then I’ll get ready.”

Elice stretched out and opened her eyes.

Then she immediately snapped her fingers and chanted a short spell.

“Polymorph.”

Paat—

Instantly, a magic circle unfolded above Elice, and her horns and wings smoothly disappeared.

To the extent that now, just by her appearance, she would look like a naive young lady wandering around the neighborhood.

It was an appearance where the aura of a Demon Lord was nowhere to be found.

“The flow of magic is… Arte, how is it? Can you detect it?”

At Elice’s words, Arte quietly scanned with her core glowing and nodded.

“This is sufficient. It’s a clean disguise, Elice.”

“Hehe~ This much is easy! But do we have to go this far? It’s so troublesome~”

At those words, Lilien, who was holding the reins, smiled broadly and explained.

“The neighboring country has a strong sentiment against demonkin since being invaded by the previous, previous Demon Lord. The country we are staying in is rather lenient towards different races, you know?”

“That’s right~ In which village would there be a general store run by a Valkyrie, a Demon Lord, an Automaton, and even an Alraune?”

“Still, maintaining the disguise is subtly stifling~”

“But you can drop the disguise once we enter the inn or the dungeon. Just bear with it a little longer, Elice.”

Then Elice leaned her body slightly against me and whispered.

“Then… until we pass the border, Yuan will have to pet me~”

“Good grief…”

I chuckled and gently petted her head.

Her golden hair softly wrapped around my fingertips.

Just then, Arte, who was watching the front, calmly spoke.

“The fortress in charge of inspection is visible. There’s no waiting line either. Let’s pass through quickly.”

“Okay~ Then I’ll speed up!”

As Lilien pulled the reins slightly with force, the horses began to run powerfully.

With the cheerful sound of hooves, the carriage smoothly accelerated towards the border.

We passed through the inspection in an instant and finally entered the neighboring country.

The scenery felt completely different as soon as we crossed the border.

Even though it’s the same continent, should I say the smell of the air feels different somewhere?

I asked leisurely while drinking a beverage inside the carriage.

“That was easy~ Is the dungeon near the capital?”

If so, we’d have to travel by carriage for a while longer.

Stopping by a nearby village to restock on food supplies and do some light sightseeing.

At my words, Lilien, who was holding the reins, turned around and said.

“It’s nearby~ We got a stay permit for a week anyway, didn’t we? If we just run for another 3 hours from here, we’ll arrive at the village with the dungeon.”

“Oh~ it’s that close?”

“So about that~”

As Lilien trailed off, Arte, who had been quiet, immediately caught on.

“Are you saying we should just pass through the border city, Lilien?”

Then Lilien playfully snapped her fingers and shouted.

“Exacta! (Correct) I stopped by here once during my knight order days, and the food was truly awful!”

“Huh? Then let’s pass through, pass through! I don’t want to spend even a minute in a place with bad food!”

Elice jumped up and actively agreed.

Her tail flapping, her expression completely serious.

In response, Lilien turned her head towards me this time and playfully winked.

“Alright, Yuan. Only you are left now, aren’t you? Whether to sightsee in the border city, or go straight.”

When you look at me with eyes like that, there’s no reason to refuse, is there?

“What is there to say~ Of course, let’s go straight. The muffins Elice mentioned probably aren’t only sold in the border city.”

“Hehe, just as expected, Yuan~ I believed in you.”

Lilien smiled brightly and gripped the reins tightly.

“Hehe, in return for everyone’s fervent support, I shall drive at full speed! Giddy-up!”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, if you suddenly drive that hard!!”

“Kyaak. Yuan, please hold me.”

“At least say it with some emotion, Arte!”

Regardless, the carriage instantly picked up speed and began to race down the road.

Inside the rattling carriage, we sped across the fields of the neighboring country.

There was only one goal.

A delicious dungeon, and delicious muffins!

[Eye Catch!]

A story about settings that can’t be revealed except now!

What is Lilien’s ‘Projection’ ability?

After leaving the Knights Order, she stumbled upon an ancient ruin while traveling alone.

Through a crystal of light she encountered deep within that place, Lilien gained a special ability.

That is, the power to materialize what she imaginesㅡ

『Projection』

The ability to realize everything she can picture in her imagination in an energy form!

In the story, she is often seen summoning weapons like swords and halberds, but

In fact, it’s said that if only her imagination reaches it, she can even realize frying pans, or even clothes?

However, this ability also has disadvantages.

Because it depends on the user’s mental state, if her mind is shaken or her concentration is disturbed, the projected object instantly scatters like light.

And its fuel efficiency in terms of mana consumption is also very poor.

Of course, it’s a disadvantage that is rarely revealed for the carefree Lilienㅡ

Just once.

There was an incident where she was playing a prank on Yuan, wearing only an apron created with Projection, and a embarrassing situation occurred, causing the clothes to evaporate completely.

Since that happening, Lilien has been refraining from Projection pranks.

For reference, she also tried projecting Arte’s ancient civilization weapons like machine guns or bazookas…

But she cleanly gave up for the reason “Bolt assembly? Pulse regulator? The structure is incomprehensible~”!

Even with just the greatsword, her senior’s relic, she was already the strongest, but having gained the Projection ability, Lilien became even stronger!

Today too, she is taking charge of the reliable front line for the Gourmet Party!

“Alright, imagine it. Your body is made of swords. Something like that~”