episode_0095

Turn back time a little, about a month ago.

The road back to Alpen from college was smooth.

When I got bored with nothing going on, I sometimes opened the compass and played with the twinkling lights.

In the process, I discovered a new use, and it was great to use as a substitute for candles in a dark inn room at dusk.

And the first person to welcome us at Alpen, which took a little over a week to arrive, was, of course, the manager.

“Did you have a safe journey?”

“Okay. Have you heard how things are going?”

“You mean that His Holiness announced that he would stick to his will?”

“No. It is the master’s intention that is more important than such trivial things.”

“If it’s the Count… Have you finally made a decision?”

“Yes. However, there are a lot of eyes watching right now, so let’s talk about this later, just the two of us. Rather, did anything special happen in Alpen while I was away? Even if it’s not important, it’s okay.”

The seeds of thieves and barbarians had dried up, and the world’s attention was focused on the Pope.

I had just finished taking care of the most urgent matter, so I thought it wouldn’t be there.

However, contrary to expectations, there was one thing that could be considered special.

Sir “’s horse hit the foal.”

“Let’s go and have a look.”

Sports cars of this era have many disadvantages compared to modern ones.

Accelerating quickly, running away, being the target of looting, having to refuel all the time, etc. If you wanted to list it, it would be endless.

However, if you look closely, it had one advantage: when two sports cars were combined, it was possible to multiply.

For nobles, like serfs, wealth in this era tended to increase on its own. It is the so-called mystery of life.

This is a huge advantage considering that when two 21st century sports cars are put together, there is no difference other than repair costs.

“Is it a female colt?”

“As confirmed, it is a male. It’s been less than a week since it came out. If you had arrived a little earlier, you would have been able to see it.”

I had this feeling since last winter, so I left it to rest when I went to the Vatican, but it was only now, about half a year later, that I was able to confirm the results.

It meant that there were more mouths to feed, but given the nature of my job as a knight, it was a good thing that one day it would come in handy.

I roughly unpacked my luggage in the room and headed straight to the stables.

Sure enough, there was a new face there behind Dulcinea, who had shrunk in size a little.

I asked Lisia, who followed me.

“What should I name it?”

“What is the baby’s name?”

“Baby… I won. Yes.”

“I think we need to think about that a little more carefully… … .”

There is no need to be that careful. It’s okay if you don’t attach much significance to it, and isn’t it something that can be changed if necessary?

As for Sancho, there was no need to think about it for a long time because he was using a name created in such a hasty manner out of inertia.

As I stood there, lost in her own world and thinking about something, I secretly named the colt Sancho Junior.

Lisia, who came to her senses late, followed me and leaned against the stable fence with her arms raised.

Then he looked at Sancho Junior, who was walking slightly awkwardly in the stable, for a moment, then turned his head towards me and asked.

“How are babies born?”

“Kellogg.”

A dry cough broke out automatically. Is Lisia already at the age where she would be curious about such things?

Looking back, seeing as they started talking about marriage, I could see that they were slowly becoming interested in such things. In fact, I was at an age where other nobles might have gotten engaged and gotten married a long time ago.

However, it was a bit difficult to say it out loud, so I decided to explain it roughly.

“The stork brings it to you.”

This is a fact proven by modern, advanced scientific analysis.

As the size of the city grows, there is more to pick up and eat, and naturally, storks flock in and the population increases. Since there are as many storks as there are people, how can we say that storks do not bring babies?

Lisia looked like she couldn’t believe it, but didn’t add anything. I also chose to just remain silent.

After looking at the colt for a moment in that short silence, I thought of a way to change the subject.

Since it was an issue that would have to be discussed at some point anyway, I thought it would be a good time to do it now.

“Licia.”

“Yes.”

“Would you like to practice riding a horse while you wait?”

“Uh, why?”

“Because it’s not like I can ride around on a horse forever.”

“That… … .”

“I will help you too, so don’t worry too much. It’s a skill that you have to learn at some point anyway, and you never know when you’ll have as much free time as you do now.”

“Sonna… … .”

Who else did you learn those words from?

Anyway, Sancho is definitely a strong horse. He had been trained by attending many battlefields, and had become accustomed to the weight of the armor that had weighed on his stomach for as long as he had spent that time.

Nevertheless, as long as it is a living thing, there are clearly limits.

If I were the only one to climb on top, it would inevitably be a burden if I had to put on armor and then ride all the way to Lisia.

Plus, I didn’t always ride empty-handed.

When going on a long journey, you always carry valuables with you, and the weight of other small items exceeds what a sturdy horse can handle.

When returning from the Vatican, I had to carry extra armor, so I borrowed an extra horse to ease the burden.

Nevertheless, when I looked closely, I noticed that he seemed tired, and I thought that if I didn’t want to abuse him to the point of being expelled, I should gradually ease the burden.

“Let’s learn slowly starting tomorrow.”

“Yes… … .”

Are you anxious because you don’t know if you can do it well? Lisia answered in a slightly sullen tone.

I won’t be particularly disappointed if I’m not good at horseback riding, so there’s no need to put that much pressure on me.

Although he was not alone, Sancho did not show much resistance to Licia, perhaps because he had ridden her on her back several times.

For the first few days, he seemed to have a bit of trouble concentrating. Still, as the practice continued for three or four days, the girl was able to maintain her balance quite skillfully.

It may still be difficult to get it to run at full speed, but at least it won’t be a problem when moving between cities at a trot.

“How do you feel? I ride pretty well now, right?”

“Yes. I learned it faster than I thought. From now on, I’ll just have to ride Dulcinea.”

I thought I could ride Sancho, who had been remodeled from mind to body for combat, and use Dulcinea next to him as a pack horse and for riding Lysia.

If I had a lot of luggage later, I could just leave some of it to Sancho Junior, who would have grown up by then.

After the daily horseback riding practice was over, the work that I had been unable to do because of other people’s concerns began.

The reason I returned to Alpen was partly to inform the manager directly that my business trip would be long, but more than anything, I needed a secret place to do so.

A place where you can be free from the interference and surveillance of others.

A bright light burst out from the hands of the girl who was praying.

It split into pieces, scattered, and soon spread a faint halo of light and seeped into the armor.

It was a sight that had a somewhat sacred feeling, and even made me reverent, but I was now used to it.

After some trial and error, my new armor began to emit a faint bluish light.

“… Oh, it’s glow-in-the-dark armor.”

“I think it went well.”

I put the armor I was previously using in the deepest storage room in my house.

The manager didn’t say anything as he wanted to use it as a totem to pray for peace and well-being. I just laughed and said, “I guess you have a lot of money.”

And in the case of the lightsaber, I became attached to it, giving it many nicknames.

Above all, it had a meaning to me as it was the first sword I received from my teacher, so I kept it carefully next to my armor.

Even if you have attached yourself to it, nothing lasts forever, so now is the time to let it go.

In its place will be a high-quality sword obtained along with the armor.

“It’s longer than before.”

“I have more strength than when I was a novice knight, so I feel like I can swing something heavier. Then please do me a favor.”

“Yes!”

The tetanus enchantment, which was basically applied to all swords refined in this era, was completely ineffective in the face of healing magic.

Not all regular soldiers can enjoy the benefits, so it is effective against ragtag groups, but a knight’s true opponent is usually the same knight.

If you wanted to deal with those who basically had the wealth and connections to go to a priest and get treatment, an ordinary sword would not be enough.

In a world where dot damage caused by things like tetanus is not tolerated, victory and defeat must be decided solely on the battlefield.

Searching for better relics and greater magic was the mission of the knights struggling to survive.

A new weapon was born through the collaboration of my needs, Licia’s enthusiasm, and the warm papal sword I had just drawn.

-hum hum

“… Is this really okay?”

“Wouldn’t it be okay… I want to.”

I heard that Lisia studied hard in college.

The magic was so effective that a subtle humming sound was heard, as if to prove that the words were not lies.

After checking its superb performance against the tree in front of my house, I turned off the blue light hovering above it and placed it in its sheath.

The name was given as lightsaber mk.2.

If you do this, all the things worth doing in Alpen are done.

All that was left was to wait for the princess to come. I prepared a plentiful meal with the intention of having a hearty meal before leaving, and then sat Lisia down at the table.

Now that I think about it, I think there’s one problem I’m forgetting.

I looked down slightly as a practical problem suddenly occurred to me.

The girl who was chomping on the bread made eye contact with me. She must have been choking after trying to say something, but after mumbling for some more time and swallowing, she tilted her head and asked.

“Gulp… Why are you doing that?”

“Nothing… No, I think we need to get our words in order before we leave.”

It is not that strange for homeless people to wander around with their children.

However, there is also land, but isn’t it a bit strange to see a picture of a person carrying a protected person to the battlefield?

So make an excuse.

Anything was fine, so I had to come up with at least an excuse.

If there was one thing that was better than before, it was that the girl had grown up a lot this time.

As far as I know, children at this age are slowly taking on their parents’ tasks one by one and becoming proficient in technology.

In that context, my first thought was this.

“What if we go together like servants?”

“Other people may not know, but is it possible to deceive His Highness?”

What I do after going to college is an article. Not only did it not suit the girl’s size, but more than anything, it couldn’t keep up with the strength.

Even if he were only made to hold a sword, let alone wear armor, he would fall down after swinging once. Even if he created an alter ego, it didn’t help much because it had the same power as his original body.

Moreover, if she was to play the role of a squire, she would have to stand on the front lines with me, but if Licia wanted to survive in the middle of the battlefield, she would have to use magic openly, so there was a high risk of being caught.

So the decision I made was this.

“Um, are you planning to take Lisia with you?”

“… I tried to stop him once too.”

“Because you won’t be able to go anywhere else unless it’s a time like this. It’s something I used to do a lot when I was younger, so it’s okay!”

Just shamelessly push ahead.

Heine, who came to Alpen not long after that, gave off an expression that he was not at all convinced.