episode_0068

Fortunately, I didn’t get carsick. My heart was a little pounding, and the road was incredibly bumpy compared to the asphalt roads I’ve experienced on Earth, but Jennifer told me in the car that since it was also a supply road, the road wasn’t that rough.

Well, come to think of it, I’ve ridden carriages that were much more shaky than this one. Unlike cars, many carriages didn’t have suspension. I don’t remember wearing a seat belt in them.

However, unlike carriages where most of the time only the side windows are open, there was absolutely nothing to obstruct the view in front of the passenger seat. The speed was around 80 km/h, but it was the first time in a long time that I was sitting in a car without a seatbelt and with a clear view ahead, so I felt a chill.

Moreover, since it was a rural area with very little traffic and not many cars in the world, the car ran very smoothly.

I felt refreshed but also a little scared as I drove for about 40 minutes.

The place we arrived was a base in the forest.

“This is not a place where soldiers stay. It is a place where hunters guard the wide forests of Winterfield.”

Jennifer said as she parked the car in a suitable spot.

“Well, if you only look at the level of armament, they are no different from our private soldiers.”

Jennifer glanced at me and said,

“Would the princess find this a little annoying?”

“No.”

I answered immediately.

In the first place, this is something that the Emperor should be concerned about, not me. Even if the scope is expanded a bit, it is something that Alice, who will become the next Emperor, should be concerned about.

Winterfield was a loyalist even during the campaign. The private group was there to protect the forests of the territory when the northern warlords invaded, not to target the Emperor’s head.

“Your Highness!”

As Jennifer opened the car door and stepped outside, a bearded hunter came running up to her.

He wore a thick fur hat on his head. Was it called an ushanka? It was a thick fur hat with earflaps, like something Soviet soldiers would have worn in World War II.

Of course, the hunter’s clothes were not military uniforms. Looking at the red checkered shirt and sturdy jeans that can be seen from inside the fur coat, the image of a lumberjack comes to mind rather than a hunter. Perhaps the difference between the two is not that great. In order not to freeze to death in these mountains, he would have had to cut down trees 365 days a year to use as firewood.

“Hey guys, the princess is here!”

As the hunter shouted, other men wearing similar clothes came pouring out from here and there. The faces of the people coming out of the log cabins that were set up here and there, or should I say bases, were all covered in thick hair.

“How have you been?”

“Yes, of course!”

When the old man politely took off his hat, the matted hair inside was revealed. It looked like he hadn’t had his hair cut in a long time, and it was growing out in a tangled manner.

The hunter’s face, which had been slightly flushed, either because of the cold or because he had a drink during the day, brightened.

“It’s been a long time, Your Majesty. But… … .”

The gaze of the man who had been talking turned to me as I got out of the car late.

Naturally, the gazes of the other men coming out were also directed at me. Their eyes were filled with curiosity. It would be understandable for a teenage girl to come to a place like this. There didn’t seem to be any other women here.

“She is the princess from the system.”

“Oh.”

The old man’s face hardened slightly at Jennifer’s words. Maybe it was because he was nervous, or maybe it was because he didn’t have a very good image in the royal family. Judging from the way he looked out of the base, it seemed like he suspected that the troops escorting me had come with him.

“Well, there’s no need to be so nervous. Right now, my status as a student is more important than my status as a princess. Since I’m here as your disciple, I don’t think you’ll treat me special. ”

Even if I came as a princess, I don’t intend to be treated like that.

“I’m going to climb a mountain. Can I borrow some hiking gear? Will the place I stayed when I was young still be there? ”

… … Have you ever stayed here?

Actually, if you want to meet the Black Knight who lives on top of that mountain, it might be better to stay here rather than in the center of Winterfield.

“Yes, the clothes you were wearing will probably still be there.”

“Thank you.”

……clothes?

“Come this way. Maybe the hiking clothes I wore when I was young will fit. It might be a little tight around the chest though.”

I followed Jennifer, who was joking, with a little bit of doubt.

*

……surely.

It’s crazy to climb a mountain wearing a school uniform skirt that shows off your legs. Even if it’s a path that’s been paved by people, the mountain path is incredibly bumpy. Plus, the cold unique to the mountain is so intense that it digs into the empty space between your legs without any hesitation.

Even though I was wearing thick pants, I shuddered just imagining how cold it would have been if I had just followed along in my thick stockings.

In the game, unless something special happens, the costume doesn’t change, so it’s easy to overlook it.

… … What would have happened if Jennifer had never spent time here as a child?

“… … Phew.”

I let out a small breath. Jennifer could hear it, but I couldn’t help it. Climbing the mountain was that hard.

In fact, I feel like I’m going crazy and sprawling on the floor, but I’m holding back.

Thanks to the minimal amount of exercise I usually do, I didn’t get carried away. Surprisingly, Jennifer seemed to be considerate of my situation and slowly climbed the mountain, and the mountain path was much better than I expected. It wasn’t flat like a village or a road, but it was bumpy and had rocks sticking out here and there, but I guess it was a path that hunters used.

Every time I stumbled or walked too inefficiently and took too much effort, I would turn back time little by little and try again, so I was able to minimize the loss of stamina as much as I could.

“Well, even people living in the mountains can’t be self-sufficient in all their food.”

When I saw Jennifer say that, I thought to myself, if there is a path in the game, at least there is a path that people can take.

It took four hours to get here, though.

The sun was already setting. Maybe my friends were looking for me.

… … It doesn’t really matter since I’ll be back soon after I finish training.

Of course, the time is before I go meet Jennifer.

*

“Master—”

Jennifer, who had been opening the door to the black castle house built on a cliff without permission and entering, quickly dodged to the side.

A small jar flew at incredible speed and fell down the cliff.

“Oh my.”

Jennifer made that sound, but didn’t look particularly surprised.

“You ugly bastard!”

And I wasn’t surprised either.

“With what face did you come back here!?”

“Your face is still fine, so you came back with this face, Master.”

“Huh… … .”

As Jennifer answered openly and shamelessly, a sound of disbelief was heard from inside the cabin.

“Still, I can digest about half of the master’s swordsmanship. So, wouldn’t I be able to become a half-disciple?”

“… … .”

And Jennifer’s words seemed to have completely forgotten what to say.

“I came here because I have someone I want to introduce to you, Master. Can I come in?”

“… … That’s right. Even if I told you not to do that in the first place, wouldn’t you have thought of doing that? ”

“You guessed it right.”

“Ugly guy.”

Hearing the sound coming back as if it were a habit, Jennifer nodded her head in my direction and went into the cabin first.

The cabin we entered after following Jennifer was warmer than we expected.

It looked shabby on the outside, but looking inside, I could tell it was a well-built log cabin. It was made of well-dried wood, stacked properly, so not a single gust of wind could get in, and the inside was decorated with the skins of all kinds of animals.

It was a landscape that seemed more like a forest hunter’s house rather than a swordsman’s house.

But above the fireplace hung not stuffed animal heads, but three swords that could be openly called ‘katanas’. They were all different lengths.

“Hmm.”

It was only after I saw the figure of Geomseong looking at me, who was following behind, as if he was more interested than his disciple who had entered first that I realized, ‘Ah, this person is Geomseong.’

Long white beard. White hair tied back so it looks like a Japanese topknot.

However, his race was not Asian, but rather a typical Westerner. To be honest, even if you just look at his eyes, they were blue.

In the settings, it says that he went to the East when he was young and returned with the name of Kensei.

“Is this kid?”

“Yes.”

“You little shit.”

At Jennifer’s words, Geomseong became angry.

“What are you talking about, bringing this untalented guy here!”

“… … .”

uh.

I saw through it the moment I saw it.

Well, it makes sense since he’s a blacksmith. In fact, Lucas and the Emperor would probably see me as an incredibly strange being.

“If you’re curious, just swing your sword once.”

“What?”

yes?

Imina showed too much to people for me to react like that.

… … Did I get the character wrong?