The Male S*ave of the Count Sianella Family

Chapter 17




Finally, the day has come for me to leave the estate and meet Shione’s fiancé.

I was worried about having to carry a lot of luggage, but I could simply store the preserved food and daily necessities in a magically enchanted bag.

As for the armor, bow, and other items, the servants had already moved them to the carriage at the mansion’s entrance…

With the bag strapped on, all I needed to do was to fasten the sword I chose yesterday to my waist and board the carriage.

Normally, I would have left the sword with the bow in the carriage, but…

The reason I insisted on carrying the sword myself was all because of Shione.

“Hmmm.”

She was intently gazing at the blade I half-drew from its sheath.

Though she had wielded a sword before as a sword user, the only experience she had with a long sword as a primary weapon was rather limited.

She seemed to want some help until she could get the hang of it or something like that.

While quietly observing the blade, Shione suddenly twisted her body and swung the sword secretly.

It looked like she was trying to get a feel for the length of the blade.

Swish. Swish. Swish. Yes, yes, what are you doing…!

I couldn’t help but wonder why she was muttering those incomprehensible words.

She probably thought I wouldn’t notice her trying to keep it quiet, but unfortunately, I was watching the whole time.

Shione, having swung the sword, giggled as if she found it amusing.

‘She’s really capable of entertaining herself.’

After completely sheathing her sword, Shione finally shifted her gaze away from her blade and looked around.

Thanks to that, I unexpectedly made eye contact with her while she was playing alone, making swishing sounds with her mouth.

“Oh…”

“I think it’s time for us to head to the carriage.”

“Y-Yeah. Let’s hurry.”

She suddenly got up from her seat and walked with quick steps.

Shione moved as nimbly as a small animal, and I tried my best to match her pace.

As a result, we arrived at the entrance of the mansion at a decent speed and saw the two carriages waiting for departure.

The carriage in front looked ordinary, but the one parked at the back had a relatively vintage design.

In front of the carriage stood Diolia and a male priest in a priestly robe.

“You’ve arrived.”

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Lady Diolia. But who is this man?”

“This is a priest of the church. It’s better to have at least one priest with us, as we never know what might happen during our travels.”

“Hmm.”

Shione regarded the priest with an emotionless gaze.

Unlike when she was with Diolia and me, I could slowly sense her growing wariness.

Forget about Shione’s prickly demeanor; I found myself quite intrigued by that priest.

Surely, while he couldn’t wield mana, he could handle divine power, right?

I had seen a female priest who had come to heal the sick slaves before, but this male priest was a first for me.

I couldn’t help but wonder why men could handle divine power yet not mana, but of course, the locals would probably just attribute it to the grace of the gods without a proper explanation.

I decided to just go along with it as it was.

While I was lost in thought, the male priest bowed his head to Shione in greeting.

“I am Ian, a priest of the church accompanying you to the Feiosha Marquis Family. I look forward to working with you, Princess Shione.”

“…I also look forward to working with you.”

Ian’s warm smile responded awkwardly to Shione’s greeting.

Once the simple exchange finished, Diolia intervened as if she had been waiting for this moment.

“Princess Shione dislikes being with strangers, so please travel in the rear carriage with your attendant. Ian and I will take the front carriage.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

“It’s nothing at all. Princess Shione, all your luggage is set aside in the carriage, so please check once you get in.”

Nodding at Diolia’s words, Shione boarded her carriage.

I followed her and climbed into the carriage as well.

The carriage I boarded after her was beyond my imagination.

The size inside was impressive, and everything was covered in leather.

It was worlds apart from the creaky carriage I had traveled in before while exploring the dungeon.

Even though there was luggage piled in the far corner of the spacious carriage, it felt no less cramped with two people inside.

“All the luggage is over here. You should set your bag down as well.”

“Understood.”

Following her instructions, I carefully placed my bag next to the assortment of organized weapons, arrows, and clothing.

After lightly unpacking, I heard…

“We’re ready to depart, Young Lady.”

With the driver’s announcement, the carriage began to move forward.

I took out a small packaged snack from my bag and sat down opposite Shione.

“I brought some snacks. Would you like some?”

“Sure. Just a little, please.”

I handed her the snack, still wrapped in packaging.

Shione quickly took it and started munching while gazing out at the scenery.

The busy landscape of the estate flowed by outside, eventually revealing the massive castle wall.

As I admired the long, thick walls that encircled the estate, Shione suddenly boasted with a hint of pride.

“What do you think of the castle wall?”

“It’s impressive. Even if countless enemies were to invade, it wouldn’t fall easily.”

“It was built during the war against demons centuries ago. Countless demons were stopped then, and now it safely guards the residents.”

“…That’s remarkable.”

“It’s one of the prides of our Shianella Count’s House.”

Seeing her boast about her family brought a smile to her face, and she started humming as she looked outside.

While Shione was immersed in her cheerful mood, I couldn’t help but delve into deep thought.

‘Demons…’

The future of this doomed world I was trying to conquer.

Surely, it was a hell filled with demons.

I wondered when the demons would infest and consume this world, and if I would be able to return to Earth in time.

As I became lost in contemplation, I eventually snapped back to reality.

I noticed that the carriage had left the estate and was entering a forest path.

The roads within the estate were well-maintained enough for smooth travel, but outside, there were only the roads frequented by merchants.

There was no road maintained by the estate, so the road conditions would undoubtedly be rough.

From now on, the jolting carriage would make it hard for me to sit comfortably.

But contrary to my expectations, the carriage hardly trembled at all.

“…I expected the carriage to sway, but it doesn’t seem to be doing so.”

“Most carriages used by nobles are magically treated to provide the utmost comfort. So there shouldn’t be much discomfort during the ride.”

“I see.”

That was reassuring to hear.

Finally, I felt a sense of relief.

Now that I was sitting across from her, I had nothing particular to say.

Silently gazing out the window, I soon turned to face Shione.

She was also looking out the window.

The only difference was that she already seemed half-asleep.

Noticing my gaze, she shook her head as if to chase away her drowsiness.

“Why are you staring so intently? Do I have crumbs on my face or something?”

Shione quickly wiped her mouth.

While there were no crumbs to speak of, whatever.

I continued to stare at her.

“Now that I think about it, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you talk comfortably with me.”

“You’ve never seen me speak comfortably? I do talk comfortably normally.”

“I mean, you can lower your tone with me if you like.”

“Lower my tone? What do you mean?”

Shione tilted her head, clearly curious.

While she appeared all cold and formal around strangers, seeing her act so bland in front of me was both amusing and oddly satisfying, which allowed me to loosen my expression as well.

“May I have a moment of your time?”

“Sure, feel free to speak.”

“In that case, I’m glad to.”

Taking a deep breath, I prepared to speak in a friendly tone.

“Okay, Shione. Just so you know, you can talk to me casually.”

“Oh, I see. That etiquette thing, huh?”

“As long as talking casually makes you more comfortable, I don’t mind at all.”

“Oh, got it.”

Shione looked flustered, as if she hadn’t expected me to speak so casually.

Although she did permit it first, it didn’t exactly look good for a slave to be talking casually to a noble.

I quickly composed myself and returned to my usual loyal demeanor.

“What will you do then?”

“Well, starting now, I’ll gradually switch to speaking casually whenever I feel like it… Ah…”

Realizing something mid-sentence, Shione shook her head.

“I’ll do it…?”

“Understood.”

Shione struggled to adjust her speech pattern, as she appeared to be uncomfortable with such a shift.

Honestly, I thought it would be better for her if she switched back to her usual manner of speech if it was too difficult.

But seeing her fumble just made me feel like it was a mistake to bring it up.

Ah well, if it’s truly a struggle, she’ll surely revert back to her original speech on her own.

“…Ray, by the way, could you explain how to use this sword a bit?”

“Of course.”

I lifted the sword that was secured to my waist.

“Naturally, a bow is suitable for taking out enemies from afar, but it becomes difficult to respond quickly when enemies are up close. So when the enemy gets close enough…”

I immediately gripped the hilt with my right hand.

Then, simultaneously with my footwork, I slowly drew a line upward with my blade, and Shione watched my movements silently.

“The best approach is to quickly cut the enemy, stab them, and then retreat to regain safety.”

Quickly slashing and stabbing had been my primary method of combat.

With the Spirit’s power, I would evaded attacks and followed up with a thrusty offensive right after.

Regaining distance to shoot arrows as I continued combat had become second nature to me.

I’ve tried different combat methods depending on the situation, but this was the most commonly used one.

“Also, because this sword is a single-edged sword designed to be drawn immediately for close combat, you should always carry it like this.”

I sheathed the sword.

When the blade was drawn quickly, it should be directed upward as I secured it back to my waist.

“It’s important for the blade to face upwards when you carry it.”

“…I think I kind of get it. I could adapt after trying it a few times.”

It may sound easy when explained, but it could be fairly tough in reality.

At that moment—

Clunk.

The previously smooth-moving carriage suddenly came to a halt.

Not long after, someone knocked on the carriage door, and Shione opened it.

The one who knocked was the driver, leading the horses.

“What is it?”

“It seems a group of goblins has been spotted ahead. The knights said they would handle it quickly, so it shouldn’t take long before we can depart again.”

A goblin group, huh—

How long has it been since we left the estate for monsters to appear already?

I could only think this was an ominous sign.

But still, timing could be such a nuisance.

Well, if it’s goblins, they’re just pathetic monsters I can easily deal with even now, so if it’s come to this…

“Princess Shione, you’ve probably never closely observed the archers in battle, right?”

I strapped my back with the quiver filled with arrows tightly and firmly gripped my bow.

“As the saying goes, seeing is believing, so let me show you how it’s done.”

At my words, Shione’s eyes began to sparkle.


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