The Road Home

The return trip from Spartia went far faster than the way there.

That was only natural.

On the way out, the carriage's cargo space had been packed so full that the slaves couldn't even stretch their legs.

The weight slowed the horse and tired it out quickly, so they'd had to stop more often.

Now, with the cargo sold in Spartia and the proceeds converted to gemstones, the carriage carried little more than its own weight and four passengers.

"He looks like he's enjoying himself."

"The load's light."

Azu, who'd come up to offer Master some fruit while he drove, sat down beside him.

Master took the fruit, wiped it with a clean hand towel, and bit into it.

Juice burst from the flesh and ran down his hand, so he licked it off.

It was a fruit cultivated in Spartia, so juicy it could double as a water canteen.

The Kingdom had similar fruit, but this variety had far more juice.

The pleasant tartness and hint of sweetness were refreshing.

"I bet we could sell these if we grew them."

"Where would you grow them? Plant them in the backyard?"

"As if I'd do it myself. I don't have that kind of free time. I'd just pitch it to a farmer."

Azu nodded and bit into her own fruit.

Her mouth was small, so watching her eat reminded Master of a little animal nibbling away.

Noticing his gaze, Azu covered her mouth with her hand mid-chew.

She swallowed what was in her mouth and turned to face him.

"What?"

"Good?"

"Um. Yes, it's good."

If it's a hit with kids too, this could really work, Master murmured.

Azu wasn't quite sure what that was about. She studied his face for a moment, then went back to eating.

Behind them, the other two had gone quiet. The chatter from earlier had stopped.

They were probably asleep.

Both Azu and Master finished their fruit and wiped their hands.

A quiet stretch of time flowed between them.

The only sounds were the horse pulling the carriage and the wind.

A gentle breeze stirred Azu's silver hair.

Azu's hair is getting a bit long, Master thought.

Apparently Elza trimmed the ends for her now and then.

Maybe she'd done the same at the orphanage.

Before long, the soft sound of Azu's breathing told him she'd fallen asleep beside him.

Master draped a thin blanket over her from the waist down.

They made good time, and around noon Alexia, who'd been sleeping, woke up.

Elza had been leaning against her shoulder, so Alexia shoved her aside and pinned her against the opposite wall.

Even that didn't wake Elza. She was murmuring in her sleep, dreaming perhaps.

When Master noticed Alexia was up, he leaned back from the driver's seat to peek inside.

"If you're awake, get lunch ready. There's bread and smoked mutton."

"Got it. Are we stopping?"

"There should be a river ahead. We'll stop there, but only to water the horse."

Alexia replied with a curt "right" and started preparing food for four.

Master thought she was surprisingly cooperative, but Alexia paid him no mind and went about it with practiced ease.

As an impoverished noble who'd gone on expeditions to fight bandits and monsters, this sort of thing was probably second nature.

She looked every bit the nobleman's daughter, but he could just about imagine the hardships she'd been through.

While Master was thinking that, Alexia held out a bread roll stuffed with smoked meat.

"Here… What's that look for?"

"No, nothing."

Master took two rolls, shook Azu awake, and passed one to her.

Behind them, Alexia was struggling to rouse the deeply unconscious Elza.

They ate on the move and soon reached the river.

They gnawed at the bread, still so hard they hadn't finished it, while watering the horse.

They hadn't seen many monsters.

The occasional Horned Rabbit, but none came close.

Perhaps it was because the dominant Etoroki of this area had been killed, Alexia murmured.

They loaded a bit of purified water onto the carriage and set off again.

No monster attacks, and they covered considerable ground in a single day.

They'd reach Empire territory by tomorrow.

The sun gradually slipped from view, and the blue sky began to bleed red.

That was when they spotted several figures.

On horseback, heading their way.

Every one of them wore a gray cloak with the hood pulled up, impossible to identify at a glance.

"Honestly. Not even allowed to enjoy the scenery in peace. How vexing."

At Alexia's signal, Master stopped the carriage.

Alexia already had her battle-axe in hand, and seeing that, Azu placed her hand on her sword's hilt.

Elza was somehow already gripping her mace.

Bandits, most likely.

"Halt! Remove your cloaks and hoods! Come any closer and I'll treat you as bandits!"

Alexia shouted at the approaching figures.

They had to have heard, but they ignored her and drew their swords.

Bandits confirmed.

Azu moved to draw her sword, but before she could, Alexia chanted a spell and launched a pillar of fire from beneath the bandits' feet.

The bandits were hurled into the air and slammed into the ground.

That was the end of it. They were alive, but none looked capable of moving.

Azu stood there somewhat stunned.

Elza was laughing. "That's impressive," she said.

"Hmph. Naturally."

Alexia swept her hair back.

Noticing Master's dumbfounded expression, she snorted.

"What are you so surprised about? Compared to the competitors in that colosseum, these lot are small fry. Absolute small fry."

"Now that you mention it, yeah."

"Shall we finish them off and raid their hideout?"

"No, let's not."

Master made the call.

If they had treasure hoarded away, it'd be worth it, but a wasted trip wouldn't be worth the trouble.

Of course, if this were an actual quest, Master would have had his slaves go without hesitation.

"If they've been causing enough damage, there'll be a quest posted for them. Someone else can handle it."

"Well, fair enough."

Alexia didn't seem particularly interested either way and agreed with Master.

Then she proceeded to finish them off, one by one.

Alexia's expression didn't change in the slightest.

She'd been on battlefields, and she'd hunted bandits who appeared on her family's lands alongside her father and his men.

This was routine for her.

Azu couldn't help turning away from the flowing blood.

She was used to monsters, but human blood was another matter.