episode_0113

Originally, the easiest way to cross the line border was to find a professional broker for smuggling.

In exchange for giving substantial bribes to the border defense forces, they could freely come and go across the bridge blocking the river without any particular inspection.

If you hand over a bag of silver coins to those brokers and ask for smuggling, you can safely pass through the border by hiding in their cargo hold on the ship.

Of course, this is a story when the client is just an ordinary smuggler, so it was not a choice that I could consider at all.

Why?

Because I am a high-profile criminal who has long surpassed a bounty of ten gold coins.

Selling me to the border defense forces would be dozens of times more profitable than sending me across the border after receiving money, so why would those brokers choose the latter option, crazy as they are.

So, I had no other choice. Except for finding some way with Prede to cross the border somehow.

That’s why the shipwreck disguise plan that I wracked my brain to come up with… at least, until now, has been progressing quite smoothly.

Of course, the core of the plan is this very moment, so if a problem arises here, it wouldn’t matter how smooth it has been until now.

Now, let’s see how it goes…

I quietly looked up from beneath the water, sharpening my senses to the utmost, listening to the voices on the bridge.

◆◆

“Look, there’s only a boat… no sign of people. Did someone die falling into the river while night fishing? How many times has this happened already?”

“They’re dead. Anyway, these guys on the boats know their lives are worth about five or six, so even if we tell them it’s dangerous, they won’t listen.”

The guards on the bridge held torches, shining them on the surface, exchanging complaints mixed with idle chatter.

It seemed that the sight of ownerless boats drifting down like this had happened more than once or twice, and now it was getting really annoying.

Their military posture was very lax.

If they were people who were so tightly disciplined to strictly observe military regulations, the situation would have been much more tiring, but with that kind of lax attitude, we could rest assured in advance.

“What… Well, I should check first. Hey, youngest. Go down and take a look. If there’s no problem, release the chain and let it flow.”

There were three border guards who found our boat.

The two senior soldiers, who had been leaning against the mast with a nonchalant attitude, handed the torch they were holding to the last soldier standing at attention and pointed below his legs.

If the boat had completely sunk or disintegrated into pieces, there might have been a risk of damaging the chain if it remained caught as it was.

So, the instruction was to quickly glance over and, if there seemed to be no problem, to release the chain and let it pass through.

In principle, one should report the full situation to the superior and obtain permission before releasing the chain and letting the boat flow downstream…

“But that would be bothersome. If we report to the higher-ups, they might order a thorough search of the vicinity.”

Going strictly by the rules, this isn’t the military.

Unless it truly seemed like a serious situation, where would you find a soldier who wants to conduct an unplanned nighttime search for such a ‘trivial’ issue?

If it doesn’t seem like a big deal, covering it up and moving on is the venerable tradition and the knack of resourceful soldiers in the military.

As I expected, the soldiers who found our boat, upon seeing the empty boat, were already thinking about roughly letting it flow and forgetting about it without making a fuss.

“Um, am I the only one talking here?”

The youngest soldier, perhaps because he hadn’t fully adapted to military life yet, asked if at least two people should go down even if they just went through the motions.

It’s a valid point… but will that work?

“So, damn it, do I have to go all the way down there at this hour? What a clueless jerk, seriously.”

“You’ve been talking behind my back a lot lately. You know that if you get swept away by the river, it’s considered either suicide or an accident. Take care of yourself. If you don’t want to check the water temperature, that is.”

As expected, infuriated by the reality that the youngest dared to talk back, the two seniors sealed the mouth of the ‘clueless’ youngest with weak curses and threats.

“…Yes, I’m sorry. I’ll correct myself.”

The youngest soldier, who received a threat to be killed for behaving irritably after being spoken to properly, bowed deeply and apologized.

He’s probably cursing the seniors in his mind. “Why should I get cursed at when I spoke properly?” It was obvious even without looking.

◆◆

A little while later.

– Thud, thud.

The frightened youngest soldier descended beneath the bridge using the ladder installed behind his legs.

The other two soldiers, having lost interest below, were chatting among themselves again, smoking their pipes.

…Anyway, whether in the real world or here, soldiers’ actions are pretty much the same. I appreciate it, but still.

Now, the only remaining issue is that young soldier… How will he act?

I hoped he wouldn’t meticulously inspect every inch under the ship like a stickler for rules, but rather move on carelessly like a typical lazy human.

– Thud.

I earnestly hoped for the latter.

If by any chance that young soldier were to meticulously inspect under the ship as per regulations, then unfortunately, we would have to stage an accident and eliminate him.

Drown him in the water, or make it look like he slipped and hit his head on the edge of the bridge and died.

It’s quite unpleasant in many ways. Things could get complicated.

“Sigh… those rascals. Are those kinds of people also considered seniors…?”

Here they come.

I, along with Prévôt, concealed ourselves in the shadow of the boat, holding a torch, and tensed my body to the fullest as I watched the descending soldier.

In case we were discovered, to spring out like lightning and dispose of him.

“Let’s see…”

The torchlight, swaying in the wind, seeped down into the water, faintly shimmering and spreading. I cautiously distanced myself from the light. Prévôt moved to the side and approached behind the soldier.

“Should I just set this on fire and desert…?”

The soldier murmured while holding the torch high and examining inside the boat.

Desert? If you do that, we’ll be in trouble.

We’ll be in real trouble. If you desert so boldly, of course a pursuit party will be sent after you. Then we’ll be exposed too.

“Sigh…”

Fortunately, it seemed that the escape plan was just a matter of lamenting one’s fate. The youngest soldier hung the torch on the beam and walked cautiously toward the chain.

Phew, hope we weren’t heard.

I signaled silently for Fred to come back to my side. Now, all we had to do was quietly slip away as soon as the chain was loosened.

Fred, who had turned his head, swam back towards the raft and pulled me tightly around the waist.

No, why is he holding onto my side… Oh well, let it go. It’s not the time to nitpick such trivial matters. Not now.

A little while later.

– Clank. Clank. Rattle…!

With a heavy metallic sound, one side of the chain blocking the boat came completely loose and stretched out with a swoosh.

The creaking friction sounded as the raft moved slowly forward. Fred and I leaned against the current flowing right beneath it.

Looking at the soldier struggling to reconnect the quite hefty-looking chain, it seemed tough. It looked dangerous too. That’s probably why the seniors didn’t want to come down. His solitary struggle seemed somewhat pitiful.

Well, suffering a bit is definitely better than dying.

Anyway, we managed to sneak into the territory of the Line Kingdom without making any noise.

It was half a gamble, but it worked out so well. Should we at least thank the worn-out soldiers?

“This can’t be happening…? Could Hilde’s plan really work out so well…?”

Even Fred seemed to mutter to himself in disbelief, as if he didn’t really expect it to succeed.

Yeah, it’s surprising. Even I, who made the plan, couldn’t have imagined it would be this easy.

As you know, my luck hasn’t been great lately, has it?

Every time I tried to do something, things always went wrong. So it was really strange that this time everything was going smoothly without any problems.

It felt like I was following some kind of good fortune.

◆◆

Come to think of it, calling it good fortune is a bit funny.

When I chose to become an adventurer in order to avoid imitating the footsteps of Brünnhilde in novels or games, chaos ensued as if I had received a curse for every little thing I did.

Eventually, with nowhere else to run, I resolved to become as strong as the original hero party, and suddenly, it seems like everything I do is successful, as if my luck has turned.

It felt as though everything in the world was coercing me to live as a comrade of the hero, Frider, in a forceful manner.

“…Ah, perhaps it’s just excessive thinking.”

I chuckled lightly and shook my head. It seemed like I was attributing too much meaning to mere coincidence.