Chapter 71: –Preparation for Departure
A guest room as wide as two tennis courts.
Flowers were arranged in expensive looking vases, paintings and sets of armor decorate the wall. Rugs that are fluffy to the point of burying your ankle covered all over the floor and the sofa too looked so soft that it could swallow half of your body once you sit on it.
We changed our location from the barrier stone to a guest room inside the High elves’ castle, Woodcastle.
I once again bowed my head to everyone.
“I’m sorry for one-sidedly deciding to go defeat the Giant scorpion.”
“U~un, if Lute-kun didn’t say anything I was going to raise my hand.”
[I’m the same as Snow-oneechan.]
“That’s right! With Lute-sama’s power, the likes of a Giant scorpion will get easily massacred some way or the other!”
For some reason Meiya made an unfounded statement.
Well, I agreed because we had a chance to win, like she said.
“Then please allow me to come with you.”
Lyss who’s been listening to the discussion suggested that she participate in this subjugation.
I stopped her hurriedly.
“I’m happy you feel that way, but it’s too dangerous for the princess of a country to go subjugating monsters.”
“T… that’s right hime-sama. Please don’t be rash.”
Shia who serves her also backed me up hurriedly.
“I have of course taken the danger into account. However, it was I who had found the record book, followed what is written inside and took you heroes here as the ones who will save my motherland. I have a duty to see things through to the end. No matter what happens…”
But Lyss’ determination was firm.
Then again I could also understand her feelings.
“……. I understand. But please inform the king and properly get permission to come with us. We’ll be troubled if anything happens later.”
“Thank you very much!”
Lyss said her thanks with a smile.
“In that case, as hime-sama’s guard maid I’ll protect you with all of my body and soul!”
“Thank you too, Shia.”
“Here here here! If Oneechan goes then Luna will go too!”
The younger sister Luna who’d been listening silently up until now raised her hand cheerfully.
The elder sister Lyss raised her beautiful eyebrows in anger.
“This is not a trip we’re going on. We can’t take you along!”
“Oneechan is not the one who gets to decide! Hey Lute, take Luna with you too. O・ne・ga・i☆”
“I can’t.”
Luna pleaded with upturned eyes and a forced voice but was concisely rejected.
She took offense at my refusal.
“Why is it that oneechan can go but Luna can’t? Luna wants to go on a journey! Luna wants to go on an adventure like in the picture books!”
Just like the little girl she looks to be, she screamed selfishly.
Of course, Lyss roared at her.
“How many times do I have to tell you! We are not going on a trip!”
“Pweeeh! Oneechan is mean! Fine! Then Luna will think of something herself!”
She left the room leaving an ominous remark behind.
Lyss once again turned around to face us and bowed ashamedly.
“I’m truly sorry. Luna is the youngest of us sisters and she had been pampered a little too much while growing up.”
“No, we don’t mind so Lyss-sama shouldn’t either. Well then, we’ll depart depending on when Lyss-sama receives the permission.”
“Very well. I will go see father right away. I shall also prepare the wagons and secure the road permits as well.”
We then prepared the miscellaneous things we needed for the departure — information on the Giant scorpion, the geography of the terrain, distance of the round trip / one way and the necessary food and goods — and crammed them all in one place.
▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼
It took Lyss 3 days to get permission from the king.
Because Shia is a guard, in dangerous situation she must save Lyss even if she has to throw us away — that was the condition according to the king.
At first Lyss protested vehemently at the condition, but we coaxed her into reluctantly agreeing somehow. I also think the conditional was a bit harsh, but before being the king, he was just another parent. In fact, that was the natural reaction.
We weren’t just lazing around during those three days either.
I began work on the PKM — general purpose machine gun in the lakeside residence Lyss gave us.
I asked Lyss to introduce me to people that sell magic liquid metal and magic stones, and bought up all they had.
The amount of money involved was of course so astronomical I can’t let a single person, even though she’s the princess of a country, bear it all.
Luckily we had the money from the Twin Magicians, Twin Dragon exterminations and Meiya so we weren’t short on funds. After we defeated the enemy we can just bill the king, and if the enemy doesn’t appear we can use them for other things.
The main body was made by Meiya as she received my instructions, while at the same time I started on the cartridges.
I planned on entrusting Meiya with the gun body and ammunition while we fight the Giant scorpion.
The day after the king gave his permission.
Before the sun had risen, Lyss came along to the lakeside residence.
She joined us for the departure to the Giant scorpion.
The reason she came so early in the morning was to prevent the citizens causing an uproar.
If they knew that a real High elf was here, they’d form a huge crowd instantly.
Shia and I met Lyss at the front entrance.
Snow and Chrisse were in the kitchen, making today’s breakfast and lunch.
Meiya was at the back, preparing the covered wagon and hooking up the horned horses and the like.
When the coachman went down from his seat and opened the coach door, Lyss came out.
“Good morning, hero-sama, Shia.”
“Good morning Lyss-sama. We’ve been expecting … you?”
Right hand to my chest, left hand behind my back, and bow — this is the normal etiquette. I then raised my head and finally noticed her outfit.
Lyss was for some reason wearing a female full-body armor.
It was basically full silver, covering the body, hips, shoulders, arms, and legs. It had a mini-skirt in order to give the legs freedom of movement, and there was no helmet on the head, but instead an expensive-looking tiara shaped magic tool. Furthermore there was on her waist a finely crafted rapier in its scabbard.
In other words, even though we weren’t going to fight the Giant scorpion right away, she was wearing a uselessly conspicuous set of armor, which was giving me a headache.
Next to me, Shia reacted the same way, frowning as she endured the pain.
These few days Shia had the task of buying the necessary goods. If she had come here with Lyss on this day, Lyss surely wouldn’t have come in this getup.
Actually, why didn’t anyone in the castle point it out to her?
Noticing our questioning gazes Lyss tilted her head in doubt.
“Is anything the matter?”
“No, um, I was wondering why you came wearing armor …”
“I came here in full equipment so that I wouldn’t be a burden to you, is there something strange?”
I’m glad you feel that way, but we’re not fighting right away.
Was she planning to wear that for the whole 7 days we’re going to be on the move …?
“First let’s get you changed into normal clothes… which you didn’t bring any, of course. Your body is bigger than Chrisse’s so let’s get you in one of Snow’s extra field clothes. I’ll go get permission from Snow. Shia, you go on ahead to the room.”
“I’m sorry for the trouble.”
“Um, Shia, what is going on?”
Lyss wasn’t able to understand and was taken by Shia to Snow’s room.
I went to the kitchen to borrow Snow’s field clothes and to ask her for some extras for Lyss’ use.
I left the armor she was wearing in one of the rooms in the house.
Once Lyss changed into field clothes, I went with her to the backyard.
A covered wagon had already been prepared there, and next to it there was a huge pile of things we will be needing for the trip.
Large barrels, armor sets × number of people, cartridges. Food, change of clothes, blankets, utensils, saddles, reins, a tall rectangular box, and so on — the amount clearly went over what the wagon can carry.
I once again asked Lyss.
“Are you sure you can really store all these?”
“Yes, please leave it to me. This much will not be a problem, I will store them in my [Infinite Storage]”
[Infinite Storage] — That is the spirit’s blessing granted to Lyss.
I recalled the detailed planning we did back at Woodcastle.
Lyss’ spirit’s blessing is one that can transport objects to a different dimension by the power of the spirits.
She can take out the stored objects anytime she wants, and no matter what is stored she won’t feel any weight. However, she seems to be unable to store living things.
Just like her sister’s, this ability of hers is an absurdly rare one.
Her sister’s blessing is a ‘lottery win’ kind of rare ability.
However, Lyss’ blessing is rare in a completely different sense.
It seems that there was only one High elf that was blessed with it in the past and was made fun of by their kind for their entire life for only being able to put objects in and bring them out.
The person herself was conscious of that, too, to the point of blurting out ‘It’s okay, I’m different from my big sister. Compared to my big sister who has the qualities to be king, I only have a divine blessing that can only put luggage in and out. And my little sister Luna, a genius who can do anything flawlessly. I’m just an average person stuck between two excellent sisters. I even got called disaster princess for my poor quality’ in the middle of the meeting.
TL note: the right term here should be “woman so glamorous as to bring ruin to a country (castle) as its king (lord) is captivated by her beauty”, like Diao Chan, but I’m guessing she doesn’t destroy her country with beauty, but with her clumsiness, her boobs is also kill, I guess, lol – yuushing
By the way I thought that the teary eyed sulking Lyss was somewhat cute, but obviously I couldn’t tell anyone that.
She immediately touched her hand on the barrel with magic liquid metal and focused her consciousness.
The barrel disappeared like a magic trick.
The person herself wasn’t happy with the blessing, but since she’s travelling alongside with us, it’s an appreciated power.
Lyss just kept storing the luggage away, but she stopped her hands at the box of food.
“What’s wrong ?”
“No, it’s just, I can’t quite store this away. I think there are mouse or some small animals inside”
Her blessing doesn’t work with living things.
I opened the wooden box’s lid to remove whatever inside.
Inside the box there indeed was a mice―the third princess Luna Enol Meméa hiding inside.
“Lu… Luna!? What are you doing here!?”
“Tsk, I failed. I forgot to take big sister’s blessing into account.”
“Forgot… my foot! How did you sneak out of that room ? So as to not let you follow us, I locked the room and windows, told everyone to keep watch, and yet!”
“Lyss-oneechan is naive as usual. You seriously think only that much can stop Luna-chan ? That was even easier than opening a safe without a lock. If you really wanted to stop Luna you need to put magic prevention collar on Luna, bind her arms and legs with chains, after that put her in an iron box and have at least 10 soldiers monitoring”
What is she ?
Hikita ◯kou or something ?
“Anyway, hey, oneechan, what’s with that get up ? Luna also wants to try on!”
“Geez Luna! Whether we can save our country or not depends on this monster extermination you know ? If you don’t quit it oneechan will seriously get angry.”
Lyss who is also a B rank magician, used body enhancing technique to assist her physical ability and catch Luna by the neck like a kitty.
Seeing her angry sister with a serious expression, she behaved.
“But but, Luna also wanted to go on a journey together.”
“…Haaa, if we settle the incident this time safely, I will ask father and let us travel somewhere far away. That’s why this time please wait at the castle obediently, okay ?”
“Haaa~i”
Luna looked a little unsatisfied, but she knew further resistance would be useless so she gave up.
She left Luna to Shia and had her went to the wagon at the front and instructed them to return to the castle.
By the way, we moved in the box Luna was hiding inside another box.
Lyss then apologized many times.
“I really am sorry! My sister had caused trouble!”
“No it’s okay. There wasn’t any harm done anyway.”
I calmed the apologizing Lyss down.
Shia returned just in time when Snow, Chrisse, Meiya showed up.
“Well then Meiya, after this I’ll leave it to you.”
“Leave it to me! Please leave it to Lute-sama’s first disciple, right hand, and trusted confidant, Meiya Dragoon!”
Her titles increased again.
Like this, while it was still dark out, we boarded the wagons and set off toward the forest where the giant scorpion lives.