Hi everyone, it’s Shuri here. I’m currently doing final checks on the carriage that’s been prepared for my business trip. It’s early morning. Very early, in fact. The sun is just starting to rise. After receiving this assignment from Gungrave, I handed over my remaining work to Garn and Adra and got everything ready. Both Garn and Adra have become reliable enough to work as cooks on their own now. Actually, they have better leadership skills than me, so they’re perfect for the job. sigh After three days of preparations, handovers, and getting the carriage ready, today is the fourth day. I’m about to depart after doing these final checks.
I feel relieved as I compare everything against the checklist I prepared. I’ll be heading out with one carriage. I heard a few others will be accompanying me, but I haven’t been told who. When I asked Gungrave about it, he casually said, “They have their own preparations to make. Well, we’ve set a departure time, so you can meet them then.” Super casual as always. I wonder what he’s thinking… The people traveling together should at least talk beforehand…
“Well, it’s about time to depart…”
As I look around, I don’t see anyone who might be coming along. Hmm, what are they doing? Just as I’m wondering this, two people emerge from the castle with their luggage, heading towards me…
When I nervously ask, they both laugh. That’s strange. Shouldn’t these two be busy with work?
“Why, you ask? I’m your guard, that’s why!” “And Lill is here for carriage maintenance and driving. Since Shuri is bad with horses.” “W-well, that’s true…”
Indeed, I still haven’t gotten the horses to warm up to me. If anything, they seem to dislike me more, getting wary whenever I approach. So I figured someone who could handle horses would come along, but…
“Is this really okay? Don’t you both have work to do?” “Like I said, this IS my work!”
Kuuga approaches me and puts his fist against my chest.
“To protect you.”
Those words make my chest feel warm. Even though he now has many subordinates, Kuuga is still Kuuga. Lill nods in agreement too.
“…Then, I’m counting on you both!”
I put my fist against Kuuga’s chest in response.
“You bet! Leave it to me!” “And Lill too.” “Yes, Lill too!”
When I say this, they both toss their luggage into the carriage.
“But you know what?” “What?” “Looking at us now, we’re like a smaller version of the mercenary group.” “You think so?” “Don’t you?”
Kuuga claps his hands as he speaks.
“We’ll be traveling around as a group of three, taking care of lordly duties. We might hunt bandits, listen to villagers’ requests… It’s no different from mercenary work. That’s why I was honestly happy when I got this job. It’ll be like those slightly more carefree journeys from our mercenary days.”
Is that how it is?
“Lill agrees. Honestly, while the castle research lab was a dream, she can’t have breakthroughs just by staying cooped up. Maybe going out and working will help inspire something new.”
Lill nods in agreement. But a mercenary group, huh? Back to mercenary-like work… In the end, I guess I’m still just a mercenary group’s cook. That makes me a bit happy somehow.
“Alright then, shall we depart?” “Let’s go!” “Sure thing~”
And just like that, our journey as a trio begins. Once again, we’re like a much smaller mercenary group. It feels like I’m being reminded not to forget my roots.
With Lill driving the carriage, we set out and travel for about half a day. We leave the city, take the main road, and head towards the next village. The weather is nice. We’re surrounded by grasslands, the sky is beautiful, and the breeze feels good. Perfect weather for traveling.
“So? Shuri, what’s the deal with where we’re headed?” “Well, about that…”
The three of us are in the carriage – Lill and I are sitting in the driver’s seat while Kuuga is lying down in the back. I take some documents from a box in the cargo area.
“According to Gungrave’s investigation, there are apparently four villages that truly harbor ill feelings.” “Four? That’s surprisingly few.” “…Kuuga. In this Sounité territory, or rather…”
I correct myself.
“In the Apurada territory, there are several villages, but four of them act as central hubs that manage the surrounding settlements.”
When Gungrave took over the territory, he renamed it. There were many people in the castle who opposed this, but Gyngus and Aeclys managed to convince them and somehow settle the commotion. After all, with a change in lord and political system, renaming was a natural progression. And so Gungrave named it Apurada. Though he never told us the origin of that name.
“So basically almost all the villages are rebelling?”
Kuuga says this with an exasperated tone.
“Even if the smaller settlements aren’t involved, if the hub villages are like this, there must be many who support their stance.” “Probably.” “Lill thinks so too.”
Lill speaks while holding the reins.
“Old values represent stability. Following them means survival is guaranteed. That’s why it’s hard to accept a new system, a new lord. Especially when they’re outsiders.” “What a pain…”
Lill nods in agreement. So we’re going around trying to convince these people… I wonder if we can manage it.
“Oh, is that it?”
Kuuga sits up and points to what appears to be a fairly large wheat field stretching out before us. It seems to be harvest season, with lots of ripe ears of wheat.
“I think so. That should be… Eere Village.” “Got any info about it?” “Well, according to Gungrave, it’s primarily a farming village.” “…I see.”
Kuuga looks ahead with a serious expression. Right, our first job. We’ll definitely succeed!
…Or so I was thinking. As we pass through the wheat fields and enter the settlement, the villagers look at us with startled expressions. Then the adult men grab weapons like spears and point them at us.
“What are you invaders doing here?! Get out!” “After ousting Lady Aeclys!”
We find ourselves surrounded by the carriage with intense hostility. I instinctively raise my hands to show we mean no harm, but the people around us aren’t convinced. Or rather, they don’t seem to understand what I’m trying to convey. However, Lill calmly gets down from the carriage and starts stroking the horse’s coat. So composed. As for Kuuga…
“That’s interesting. Come on then, don’t just surround us, try attacking!”
He draws his sword from his waist and is already in a combat stance!?
“Kuuga! You can’t kill them!” “How about half-killing?” “Stop!” “Then just subduing them?” “No, that too- wait, hold on!”
But before I can stop him, Kuuga charges at the men, ignoring my protests. The men seem caught off guard, not expecting him to actually attack, and hesitate for a moment.
“Can’t kill or hurt them, what a pain…”
Kuuga raises his sword and strikes at a spear. He cleanly splits it vertically in two, then slightly shifts his angle to separate the pieces. The man left holding just the handle screams in terror.
“Hieeeee!” “What’s the big deal? I just broke your weapon.” “You!”
Another person thrusts their spear at Kuuga.
“Such a hassle…”
But Kuuga twists his body to dodge without even looking, grabs the spear’s shaft, and twists it. As the man’s stance crumbles, Kuuga pulls harder and completely takes the spear away.
“See? It’s pointless to attack. Just settle down.” “Uwaaaa!”
The men back away several steps while crying out in fear. Well, that’s understandable. Anyone would want to run when faced with someone they absolutely can’t win against. But this is the worst possible situation… They’re completely terrified. How are we supposed to have a discussion now?
“Wait!”
Just then, a familiar voice comes from the carriage’s cargo area.
“I wasn’t ousted! Don’t be fooled by pointless rumors!”
Incredibly, Aeclys emerges from one of the boxes! Huh? When did she…? But this proves incredibly effective.
“L-Lady Aeclys!?” “It’s Lady Aeclys!” “Everyone, Lady Aeclys is here!”
The villagers immediately change their attitude, dropping to their knees and bowing their heads. Amazing, I’ve only seen this kind of thing in modern Japanese period dramas.
“Is the village chief here? I’d like to talk.” “I-I am here, my lady.”
An elderly man steps forward from among the villagers and bows his head. Aeclys gets down from the cargo area, sits in front of the elderly man, and places a hand on his shoulder.
“It’s been a while. Have you been well?” “Yes. We are most relieved to see you safe and sound, Lady Aeclys.”
While Aeclys and the elderly man chat, the rest of us can’t move. Or rather, I’m the only one who can’t move – Lill is still tending to the horse, and Kuuga has tossed aside the spear he took and is leaning against the cargo area.
“So… Lady Aeclys, why are you here?” “I came to convince all of you. Gyngus and I weren’t usurped. We formally handed over the position of lord. You may be angry, but I want you to accept this.” “But… Thanks to Lady Aeclys, these villages have prospered this much. How can you ask us to throw away that debt of gratitude and pledge loyalty to invaders?” “If you feel indebted, then all the more reason to support them. I will support them too. They can do things that Gyngus and I couldn’t.”
Whether convinced by Aeclys’s persuasion or something else, the village chief nods with tears in his eyes.
“Lady Aeclys. Please answer one last question.” “What is it?” “Are you happy now?” “Of course!”
Aeclys answers the village chief’s question without hesitation. Hearing this, the village chief stands up and approaches us. While Lill and Kuuga remain alert, the village chief stops in front of me and bows his head.
“This village of Eere has received countless blessings from Lady Aeclys throughout the years. Irrigation, development, aid… the list is endless.” “Village chief…” “That’s why we hated you all. We thought you had taken Lady Aeclys’s place from her. But if that’s not the case, this village will cease its hostility.”
Then, with a tearful voice, the village chief says
“Please take good care of Lady Aeclys.” “…Yes.”
Afterward, the village chief takes some people with him, saying they need to discuss matters in the village. Meanwhile, I take ingredients from the carriage and start preparing a meal.
“So? I was helpful, wasn’t I?”
Aeclys approaches and asks me this as I work.
“Yes. I never expected we could convince them so easily. But wait, when did you sneak into the cargo area?”
While Aeclys certainly helped avoid unnecessary conflict… why is she even here? When I ask this, Aeclys proudly declares
“I snuck into the box the day before! I heard you were going on a business trip!” “Where does that energy come from…”
It’s certainly impressive, but all the more frightening. What’s with sneaking into the luggage to come along…
“So? Is Shuri going to make food now?” “Yes. I was thinking of making some chijimi.” “What’s that?” “Well, just watch.”
I decide to start cooking right away since I’m hungry. The ingredients are flour, eggs, carrots, chives, pork, onions, soy sauce, and water. We finally started making soy sauce too… I asked Lill to help get equipment for making various seasonings. Soy sauce was one of them. The cargo area is full of seasonings and ingredients that we made with Lill’s help. For the cooking method, first season the pork with salt and pepper, then cut the chives and onions. Then put all the batter ingredients in a bowl and mix them. Once that’s done, heat oil in a pan, arrange the pork, pour in the batter, and spread it evenly. Cover it with a lid for a bit, then flip it once it’s nicely browned and cook the other side. When it’s done, plate it and it’s complete!
“Here you go, Aeclys. Have a taste.” “Is that okay?” “This is cooking for everyone, so of course you’re included, Aeclys.” “Really? Then I’ll try some.” “Ah, before that…”
I take out some bottled seasonings and ingredients from the cargo area, mix them in a dish, and sprinkle them on the chijimi.
“What’s this liquid?” “It’s called ponzu sauce and chili oil. I also added some ginger and honey.”
These are also seasonings I prepared in advance. Now that we have a base, I can take my time making things like this. Aeclys uses the fork I gave her to take a bite of the chijimi.
“Mm, it’s delicious.”
Aeclys seems pleased and continues eating the chijimi.
“The overall texture is chewy, but the chive aroma adds a nice accent. The onions and carrots reinforce the texture, and the pork’s flavor seeps into the batter, raising the overall taste level. Plus, this sauce is great too. It’s refreshing overall, and the ginger’s aroma doesn’t clash with the chives in the chijimi. It’s really delicious!” “Thank you… Hm?”
Looking around, I notice several children watching us. They’re looking this way enviously… I wonder if they want some?
“Ah, that’s right.”
Aeclys suddenly seems to remember something.
“Eere Village should be holding their Harvest Festival soon.” “Harvest Festival?” “It’s basically a feast to celebrate this year’s harvest and pray for next year’s bounty. So, Shuri…”
Aeclys makes a cheerful face and says
“Let’s use this chijimi to make friends with everyone!”
…Huh?
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Chapter 59
Hi everyone, it’s Shuri here.
I’m currently doing final checks on the carriage that’s been prepared for my business trip.
It’s early morning. Very early, in fact. The sun is just starting to rise.
After receiving this assignment from Gungrave, I handed over my remaining work to Garn and Adra and got everything ready.
Both Garn and Adra have become reliable enough to work as cooks on their own now. Actually, they have better leadership skills than me, so they’re perfect for the job. sigh
After three days of preparations, handovers, and getting the carriage ready, today is the fourth day. I’m about to depart after doing these final checks.
“Alright, cooking utensils, money, ingredients, camping gear, horse grooming supplies… all good.”
I feel relieved as I compare everything against the checklist I prepared.
I’ll be heading out with one carriage. I heard a few others will be accompanying me, but I haven’t been told who.
When I asked Gungrave about it, he casually said, “They have their own preparations to make. Well, we’ve set a departure time, so you can meet them then.” Super casual as always.
I wonder what he’s thinking… The people traveling together should at least talk beforehand…
“Well, it’s about time to depart…”
As I look around, I don’t see anyone who might be coming along. Hmm, what are they doing?
Just as I’m wondering this, two people emerge from the castle with their luggage, heading towards me…
“Huh? Lill and Kuuga?”
“That’s right! It’s me!”
“It’s Lill.”
“W-why?”
When I nervously ask, they both laugh. That’s strange. Shouldn’t these two be busy with work?
“Why, you ask? I’m your guard, that’s why!”
“And Lill is here for carriage maintenance and driving. Since Shuri is bad with horses.”
“W-well, that’s true…”
Indeed, I still haven’t gotten the horses to warm up to me. If anything, they seem to dislike me more, getting wary whenever I approach.
So I figured someone who could handle horses would come along, but…
“Is this really okay? Don’t you both have work to do?”
“Like I said, this IS my work!”
Kuuga approaches me and puts his fist against my chest.
“To protect you.”
Those words make my chest feel warm.
Even though he now has many subordinates, Kuuga is still Kuuga.
Lill nods in agreement too.
“…Then, I’m counting on you both!”
I put my fist against Kuuga’s chest in response.
“You bet! Leave it to me!”
“And Lill too.”
“Yes, Lill too!”
When I say this, they both toss their luggage into the carriage.
“But you know what?”
“What?”
“Looking at us now, we’re like a smaller version of the mercenary group.”
“You think so?”
“Don’t you?”
Kuuga claps his hands as he speaks.
“We’ll be traveling around as a group of three, taking care of lordly duties.
We might hunt bandits, listen to villagers’ requests… It’s no different from mercenary work. That’s why I was honestly happy when I got this job. It’ll be like those slightly more carefree journeys from our mercenary days.”
Is that how it is?
“Lill agrees. Honestly, while the castle research lab was a dream, she can’t have breakthroughs just by staying cooped up. Maybe going out and working will help inspire something new.”
Lill nods in agreement.
But a mercenary group, huh? Back to mercenary-like work…
In the end, I guess I’m still just a mercenary group’s cook.
That makes me a bit happy somehow.
“Alright then, shall we depart?”
“Let’s go!”
“Sure thing~”
And just like that, our journey as a trio begins.
Once again, we’re like a much smaller mercenary group.
It feels like I’m being reminded not to forget my roots.
With Lill driving the carriage, we set out and travel for about half a day.
We leave the city, take the main road, and head towards the next village.
The weather is nice. We’re surrounded by grasslands, the sky is beautiful, and the breeze feels good. Perfect weather for traveling.
“So? Shuri, what’s the deal with where we’re headed?”
“Well, about that…”
The three of us are in the carriage – Lill and I are sitting in the driver’s seat while Kuuga is lying down in the back.
I take some documents from a box in the cargo area.
“According to Gungrave’s investigation, there are apparently four villages that truly harbor ill feelings.”
“Four? That’s surprisingly few.”
“…Kuuga. In this Sounité territory, or rather…”
I correct myself.
“In the Apurada territory, there are several villages, but four of them act as central hubs that manage the surrounding settlements.”
When Gungrave took over the territory, he renamed it.
There were many people in the castle who opposed this, but Gyngus and Aeclys managed to convince them and somehow settle the commotion.
After all, with a change in lord and political system, renaming was a natural progression.
And so Gungrave named it Apurada.
Though he never told us the origin of that name.
“So basically almost all the villages are rebelling?”
Kuuga says this with an exasperated tone.
“Even if the smaller settlements aren’t involved, if the hub villages are like this, there must be many who support their stance.”
“Probably.”
“Lill thinks so too.”
Lill speaks while holding the reins.
“Old values represent stability. Following them means survival is guaranteed. That’s why it’s hard to accept a new system, a new lord. Especially when they’re outsiders.”
“What a pain…”
Lill nods in agreement.
So we’re going around trying to convince these people… I wonder if we can manage it.
“Oh, is that it?”
Kuuga sits up and points to what appears to be a fairly large wheat field stretching out before us.
It seems to be harvest season, with lots of ripe ears of wheat.
“I think so. That should be… Eere Village.”
“Got any info about it?”
“Well, according to Gungrave, it’s primarily a farming village.”
“…I see.”
Kuuga looks ahead with a serious expression.
Right, our first job. We’ll definitely succeed!
…Or so I was thinking.
As we pass through the wheat fields and enter the settlement, the villagers look at us with startled expressions.
Then the adult men grab weapons like spears and point them at us.
“What are you invaders doing here?! Get out!”
“After ousting Lady Aeclys!”
We find ourselves surrounded by the carriage with intense hostility.
I instinctively raise my hands to show we mean no harm, but the people around us aren’t convinced. Or rather, they don’t seem to understand what I’m trying to convey.
However, Lill calmly gets down from the carriage and starts stroking the horse’s coat. So composed.
As for Kuuga…
“That’s interesting. Come on then, don’t just surround us, try attacking!”
He draws his sword from his waist and is already in a combat stance!?
“Kuuga! You can’t kill them!”
“How about half-killing?”
“Stop!”
“Then just subduing them?”
“No, that too- wait, hold on!”
But before I can stop him, Kuuga charges at the men, ignoring my protests.
The men seem caught off guard, not expecting him to actually attack, and hesitate for a moment.
“Can’t kill or hurt them, what a pain…”
Kuuga raises his sword and strikes at a spear.
He cleanly splits it vertically in two, then slightly shifts his angle to separate the pieces.
The man left holding just the handle screams in terror.
“Hieeeee!”
“What’s the big deal? I just broke your weapon.”
“You!”
Another person thrusts their spear at Kuuga.
“Such a hassle…”
But Kuuga twists his body to dodge without even looking, grabs the spear’s shaft, and twists it.
As the man’s stance crumbles, Kuuga pulls harder and completely takes the spear away.
“See? It’s pointless to attack. Just settle down.”
“Uwaaaa!”
The men back away several steps while crying out in fear. Well, that’s understandable. Anyone would want to run when faced with someone they absolutely can’t win against.
But this is the worst possible situation… They’re completely terrified. How are we supposed to have a discussion now?
“Wait!”
Just then, a familiar voice comes from the carriage’s cargo area.
“I wasn’t ousted! Don’t be fooled by pointless rumors!”
Incredibly, Aeclys emerges from one of the boxes! Huh? When did she…?
But this proves incredibly effective.
“L-Lady Aeclys!?”
“It’s Lady Aeclys!”
“Everyone, Lady Aeclys is here!”
The villagers immediately change their attitude, dropping to their knees and bowing their heads.
Amazing, I’ve only seen this kind of thing in modern Japanese period dramas.
“Is the village chief here? I’d like to talk.”
“I-I am here, my lady.”
An elderly man steps forward from among the villagers and bows his head.
Aeclys gets down from the cargo area, sits in front of the elderly man, and places a hand on his shoulder.
“It’s been a while. Have you been well?”
“Yes. We are most relieved to see you safe and sound, Lady Aeclys.”
While Aeclys and the elderly man chat, the rest of us can’t move.
Or rather, I’m the only one who can’t move – Lill is still tending to the horse, and Kuuga has tossed aside the spear he took and is leaning against the cargo area.
“So… Lady Aeclys, why are you here?”
“I came to convince all of you. Gyngus and I weren’t usurped. We formally handed over the position of lord. You may be angry, but I want you to accept this.”
“But… Thanks to Lady Aeclys, these villages have prospered this much. How can you ask us to throw away that debt of gratitude and pledge loyalty to invaders?”
“If you feel indebted, then all the more reason to support them. I will support them too. They can do things that Gyngus and I couldn’t.”
Whether convinced by Aeclys’s persuasion or something else, the village chief nods with tears in his eyes.
“Lady Aeclys. Please answer one last question.”
“What is it?”
“Are you happy now?”
“Of course!”
Aeclys answers the village chief’s question without hesitation.
Hearing this, the village chief stands up and approaches us.
While Lill and Kuuga remain alert, the village chief stops in front of me and bows his head.
“This village of Eere has received countless blessings from Lady Aeclys throughout the years. Irrigation, development, aid… the list is endless.”
“Village chief…”
“That’s why we hated you all. We thought you had taken Lady Aeclys’s place from her. But if that’s not the case, this village will cease its hostility.”
Then, with a tearful voice, the village chief says
“Please take good care of Lady Aeclys.”
“…Yes.”
Afterward, the village chief takes some people with him, saying they need to discuss matters in the village.
Meanwhile, I take ingredients from the carriage and start preparing a meal.
“So? I was helpful, wasn’t I?”
Aeclys approaches and asks me this as I work.
“Yes. I never expected we could convince them so easily. But wait, when did you sneak into the cargo area?”
While Aeclys certainly helped avoid unnecessary conflict… why is she even here?
When I ask this, Aeclys proudly declares
“I snuck into the box the day before! I heard you were going on a business trip!”
“Where does that energy come from…”
It’s certainly impressive, but all the more frightening. What’s with sneaking into the luggage to come along…
“So? Is Shuri going to make food now?”
“Yes. I was thinking of making some chijimi.”
“What’s that?”
“Well, just watch.”
I decide to start cooking right away since I’m hungry.
The ingredients are flour, eggs, carrots, chives, pork, onions, soy sauce, and water.
We finally started making soy sauce too… I asked Lill to help get equipment for making various seasonings. Soy sauce was one of them.
The cargo area is full of seasonings and ingredients that we made with Lill’s help.
For the cooking method, first season the pork with salt and pepper, then cut the chives and onions.
Then put all the batter ingredients in a bowl and mix them.
Once that’s done, heat oil in a pan, arrange the pork, pour in the batter, and spread it evenly.
Cover it with a lid for a bit, then flip it once it’s nicely browned and cook the other side.
When it’s done, plate it and it’s complete!
“Here you go, Aeclys. Have a taste.”
“Is that okay?”
“This is cooking for everyone, so of course you’re included, Aeclys.”
“Really? Then I’ll try some.”
“Ah, before that…”
I take out some bottled seasonings and ingredients from the cargo area, mix them in a dish, and sprinkle them on the chijimi.
“What’s this liquid?”
“It’s called ponzu sauce and chili oil. I also added some ginger and honey.”
These are also seasonings I prepared in advance. Now that we have a base, I can take my time making things like this.
Aeclys uses the fork I gave her to take a bite of the chijimi.
“Mm, it’s delicious.”
Aeclys seems pleased and continues eating the chijimi.
“The overall texture is chewy, but the chive aroma adds a nice accent.
The onions and carrots reinforce the texture, and the pork’s flavor seeps into the batter, raising the overall taste level.
Plus, this sauce is great too. It’s refreshing overall, and the ginger’s aroma doesn’t clash with the chives in the chijimi.
It’s really delicious!”
“Thank you… Hm?”
Looking around, I notice several children watching us.
They’re looking this way enviously… I wonder if they want some?
“Ah, that’s right.”
Aeclys suddenly seems to remember something.
“Eere Village should be holding their Harvest Festival soon.”
“Harvest Festival?”
“It’s basically a feast to celebrate this year’s harvest and pray for next year’s bounty. So, Shuri…”
Aeclys makes a cheerful face and says
“Let’s use this chijimi to make friends with everyone!”
…Huh?
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