Chapter 379: Outrider?
I was trying to leave as soon as I could so it wouldn’t be too troublesome, but I was stopped. Of course that would happen. And we were going to accompany the daughter of Margrave Arenberg and her escorting knights to the closest town. Since that town would be in the territory of the Arenberg Margravery, I couldn’t say that I didn’t want to go with them to explain the situation. Honestly, it was annoying that we had to match their carriage speed, but I have to endure.
「Sorry about that, everyone.」
「We couldn’t just turn a blind eye.」
「In the end, Kaede and Tsubaki settled things.」
「We did a good thing.」
「Well, wouldn’t we earn a bit of pocket money?」
Even when I apologized to my companions, Sophia, Maria, and Marnie said to not worry about it, and even Akane said that if we hand over the 50+ bandits and the horses they rode, it would be a decent payout.
The horses that the bandits rode were running behind the carriage Tsubaki pulled, and even further behind them was the Arenberg carriage.
So Rosary-sama wasn’t turning back either, huh.
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「Milady, please tell me why you would purposely follow them instead of turning back?」
Inside the carriage, the attendant who had been attending to Rosary since she was a child questioned Rosary. The young attendants nodded as they were also of the same opinion.
「The bandits today were likely to be the deed of those hostile towards the Arenberg Margravery. Naturally, without evidence, protesting or even identifying them would prove difficult. Well, there are limited families that I don’t think are of interest to us.」
「Milady, do you think we would be attacked again?」
「……I don’t know. However, with the after effects of the collapse of the former Divine Empire of Sydnia as it is, there are bandits that our current escorting knights would be unable to deal with, like today. Fortunately, they are going to the same destination. Even if we turn back, it would not do anything to keep us safe.」
Until now, if they had 20 escorting knights, bandits and such did not approach. However, with the current situation with the Templar Knights and soldiers of the former Sydnia, even 20 knights weren’t reassuring. On the other hand, the knights of the Arenberg Margravery were finite. Especially with the territory of the Arenberg Margravery being adjacent to Triaria Kingdom and the former Divine Empire of Sydnia, it would be difficult to increase Rosary’s guards when they had to focus on defending the national border.
「Moreover, if the Arenberg’s carriage runs in line with Iruma-dono’s carriage, wouldn’t it be good bait?」
「…… umm… Milady, if they were to see the Dragon Horse pulling Iruma-dono’s carriage, I believe the bandits and the like wouldn’t dare approach.」
「Though it’s a Dragon Horse, Iruma-dono’s carriage doesn’t have any escorts. There may be bandits foolish enough to mistake it for delicious prey. Well, it would be in good fortune if the thieves in this area decrease.」
In reality, the reason why Tsubaki wasn’t attacked was because her speed was too fast for the bandits to catch up to. If she had been running at normal speeds, attacks would be more frequent.
Actually, there was a time when bandits who couldn’t measure the power of Takumi’s group tried to do an ambush by blocking the road with fallen trees. As to be expected, Tsubaki and Kaede trampled them to the ground.
「Iruma-dono and his companions are adventurers of Valkyra Kingdom, but I head that the Adventurers’ Guild was an organization that transcends countries. Let’s use this chance to make them assist in restoring our nation’s public order.」
「Oh my, Milady had considered that far, I see. Master would always grumble about how it would have been if Milady was a man.」
「Mel, such things should not reach my brother’s ears. Haa, Father is being careless in front of even an attendant……」
Rosary’s sigh held two meanings.
Elvis, the current Margrave Arenberg, the father of Rosary, is a talented authority in Lomaria Kingdom who is capable of handling diplomatic and domestic affairs and excels in valor. The reason such a man would unintentionally complain in front of a vassal was because of Rosary’s two brothers.
The first born son Ende was an impulsive, hot blooded man who only has thoughts for the sword. He was fit to be a commanding officer of a portion of the Knight Order, but he was simply lacking too much from the current head of the family who was called the Shield of Lomaria.
The second born son Joshua, in contrast with his brother, was unskilled with the sword, but excelled in the internal affairs. Although he was suited for internal affairs, he did not have the capacity to govern the Arenberg Margravery, but rather, he was like a bureaucratic type that would sit quietly at his desk.
Rosary, on the other hand, was praised highly by their father for her talent with the military arts, and it was not a rare sight for her to join the knights’ training in Arenberg. She was born with the highest aptitude for domestic and diplomatic affairs among the siblings. But her only negative was that she was a woman. Their father unintentionally laments over the fact that she wasn’t born a man.
Rosary did not think herself to be exceedingly special. She was definitely skilled with the sword and liked them. As for domestic and internal affairs, she simply thought that it was because she was able to use the strength of capable people in the right place at the right time.
Elvis considers being able to use the skills of people was a necessary trait for the feudal lord of a large territory, and lamented for Rosary’s talent.
Rosary and Takumi’s groups, who arrived in town later that day, finished turning over the bandits and horse, then stopped for one night at that village.
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