Being Able to Edit Skills in Another World, I Gained OP Waifus - Chapter 76

Chapter 76: The Slave Girls A ‘Bureikou

We decided to go to “Mishlira,” a recreational town where the Ilgafa Lord’s family has a villa.

This is the reward we received for rescuing the Lord. It also includes a villa and carriage rental.

The purpose of this trip is to give all the slaves a compensation for having them work in their ‘Paid leave’.

And to leave Ilgafa until the “Sea Dragon Festival” has cooled down.

Because of the troubles surrounding the festival, Neuel Hoffimier, the successor to the Lord’s family, has disappeared. This will probably cause some troubles in Ilgafa, and I want to avoid that.

It’s unlikely that it will affect us, but it’s hard to predict what will happen in a Noble’s family feud. Besides, we’ve shown too much power in front of the regular soldiers, so we want to keep our distance.

Another problem is that the Adventurer’s Guild in Ilgafa is not functioning well due to the incident involving the Order of Divine. The Order is gone, but so is the guild’s credibility, and there’s no good work to available at the moment. If that’s the case, it might be better to take to take a vacation.

I’ve already gotten permission from the Lord to take Iris with me.

“You’re adopting a son from a branch family to take over for Young Master Neuel, aren’t you? How are you going to explain the festival? Things will get more complicated if the Shrine Maiden is present. If this turns is a big deal, the authority of the Ilgafa Family will be… compromised.”

I persuaded him through Iris, and he readily agreed.

That’s why this trip is ostensibly a “rest and recuperation trip for a Shrine Maiden who is suffering from the stress of her brother Neuel’s sudden illness (lie) and the Sea Dragon Festival”. We are her escorts.

When I told them about the trip, Cecile, Aine, and Iris were very excited, because all three of them had hardly ever traveled.

And how could Rita not agree when two of her little sister agreed – only Rafilia said, “I can’t believe such a good thing is happening… I’m going to die tomorrow, aren’t I?”

She was shaking with a blue face. Well, I explained it to her, and she agreed.

And so we began to prepare for our journey.

The distance to the town of Mishlira is about two days on foot.

It is warmer and milder than Ilgafa since it is called a “recreational town,” and it even has hot springs. It has been a vacation spot for Royalty, Nobility, and citizens since ancient times, and it is said that “don’t die without seeing Mishlira” and “a day in Mishlira will extend your life by a month”. There are historical ruins and temples around the town, making it famous as a sightseeing spot and an object of worship as well.

I decided to go on the trip partly because I wanted to do a “company trip” instead of a “paid vacation,” but also because I wanted to learn more about this world.

The town of Mishlira, with its ruins, is a good place to learn about the history of this world, and I want to see if it’s an option for us to live in case we have to leave Ilgafa. There is no internet in this world, and information from books has its limitations.

Prepare while there is still time.

Of course, I’m not a cheat character, so I can’t do much.

So, while I was making my itinerary and preparing for my trip…

It quickly became the morning of our departure day.

The Lord lent us a two-horse carriage.

It was a simple, undecorated vehicle, but it had a solid roof. There were cushions on the back so that all six of us could ride. It was only fast enough for a brisk walk, but it was enough. It’s a sightseeing trip, after all. Let’s take it easy.

“Then [Food Negotiation LV1], Activate!”

In front of the harnessed horses, I activated my skill.

[Food Negotiation] (UR)

You can negotiate with someone for food instead of currency.

While the skill is active, you can communicate with animals or monsters as well.

“My name is Souma Nagi. I’m here to ask you guys for a job. I’d like to talk to you before we leave.”

[Food Negotiation] is an interspecies communication skill.

I’ve never driven a carriage before, so I want to talk to the horses about it.

“I’m sorry to bother you, but I need you to accompany me to ‘Recreational Town Mishlira’. There are six of us. Two of them are small, so they would probably only weigh 1 and a half adult. The course will take us through the town of Sharka to Mishlira. The return trip may be by boat if the wind is right. It’s a two-day trip each way. I’m sorry to trouble you, but I’m counting on you.”

I took out the “Nigiurika” that I had prepared.

It is a green carrot. It seems to be the favorite food of horses in this world.

The horses looked at me for a while with pitch black eyes.

And then they started shaking their head and squealing “Burun” and “Burun”.

“Gah, gah, gah, gah!”

“Leave it to me, Master!”

At the same time, a voice echo in my head.

“Thank you for your polite greetings to someone like us.”

“Please use us as you like. We are your carriage’s horse after all”

No, but this carriage isn’t mine and neither are you guys.

“Thank you. She and I will be the coachmen for this trip. She should be able to communicate with you as well.”

I grabbed Cecile by the shoulders and pushed her in front of the horses.

Cecile closed her eyes – probably activating her [Animal Empathy LV3] and talked to the horses.

“Thank you, Mr. Horses!”

“Oh, how cute. I can’t wait to be controlled by such a beautiful and cute girl.”

“Oh, no, not at all… there are many more beautiful girls arounde Master Nagi… But I’m very lucky to have him… bla, bla, bla…”

The horses laughed and laughed and laughed.

… Is it okay to leave them like this?

The horses were rubbing their noses on Cecile’s hand, though, so I’m pretty sure they were getting along.

The only ones among us who can be coachmen are Cecile, who has [Animal Empathy], me who can talk with them through [Food Negotiation] and Aine who seems to have little experience with this.

The coachmen seat can seat two people and has the best view, so we may have to take turns sitting there.

“If you get tired during the trip, let us know. We’re not used to traveling, so we’ll be taking frequent breaks anyway. No need to be shy. Don’t forget that you are part of us as well. That’s all from me.”

“”Yes, Master!””

Crunching, Crunch, Crunch

After I said that, the horses started to eat the “Nigiurika”. Okay, I guess we’re done here.

We loaded up what I will need. The most important things while travelling is food and water, which I checked over and over again. I’ve heard it’s warm out there, but I’ve prepared some warm clothes and weapons just in case. I also stocked up on a few skill crystals, just in case, a few cheap ones. We can rent household goods over there, so no problem there. We don’t have much in the way of personal belongings to begin with. I have already sent the letter to Leticia as well.

I think everything is ready to go. … Oh, by the way.

“There’s something I want to tell you all before we leave.”

I turn to Rita, Aine, Rafilia and Iris, who have finished preparing their bags.

Everyone is gathered behind the carriage. Cecile, who was patting the horse’s back, hurriedly got in line with everyone else.

This trip is compensation for making them work on their holiday but, I think of it as a “company trip”.

I entertained Cecile at the Festival of the White Knot a while ago, just like this.

When it comes to company trips, “visiting tourist spots,” “visiting hot springs,” and “eating local cuisine” are the most common events, but I have another idea. That is…

“During this whole trip, I want you guys to use informal language with me.”

In front of everyone, I declared.

“Bureikou.”

{Note: Often used at company outings, the Japanese word Bureikou (which, coincidentally, sounds like ‘break’ in English) releases people from the confines of social status to just be themselves. It is a way to tell people to take a break from the pressures of the real world to be who you are without consequence.}

In my previous world, parties normally had ‘Bureikou’. It was probably to make parties more enjoyable.

When your boss says, “Let’s have a good time today,” he means, “Let’s have fun without worrying about hierarchy,” but if you take it seriously, you will often get into trouble later.

So when someone says, “I’m going to be in charge today,” you have to respond with a high level of sophistication and be aware of the hierarchical relationship, while at the same time acting as if you are ignoring it.

I learned this from the only person who was kind to me at my old part-time job, an old man who quit due to a bad back.

─ Anyway, I want to follow this format.

I’ve been wanting to try it ever since I heard about it. It sounded interesting.

“Don’t forget that this trip is compensation for your paid leave. Since you’re on vacation, you don’t have to worry so much about your ‘Master’.”

I explained to them.

But they all tilted their heads in confusion.

“… Um, Master, I don’t really understand what you mean.”

Rita murmured, twitching her animal ears.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t explain myself properly.”

Well, there’s no way the people of this world would understand that right away.

Besides, Rita and I are bound by a ‘Contract’.

I wish there was a way to temporarily cancel the Contract, but I haven’t found one yet, and more importantly, the girls don’t want to.

How can I turn this vacation to a good vacation…?

… Oh, by the way, ‘Bureikou’ is done mostly with evening meals and drinks…

If I set a time, not the entire trip, they might be more receptive to the idea.

The only way to explain that in a way that is easy to understand in this world…

“That means you don’t have to hold back at night.”

“““““!!!!!”””””

Everyone’s eyes widened. This time, they probably understand.

A little more detail.

“You don’t have to shy. You can say what you want and act how you want.”

“““““!!!!???? ”””””

“Of course you can’t be violent, break things, or get into big fights. When I say don’t have to be shy, I mean to me.

There are things that you can’t say or do normally, right? If you keep those things bottled up, they will become stress and frustration, so I think it’s a good idea to release them during this trip.”

“““““……”””””

That’s what I’ve always thought vacations and company trips are all about.

In my previous world, companies have detailed schedule and follow it to the letter, and in the end it would be no different from normal work day. So, I don’t want to copy that.

This trip is just a paid vacation for me, and it’s my way to thank everyone for their support. It’s a celebration of all the hard work we’ve done in this Sea Dragon incident, and more importantly, the fact that we’ve been able to make some sort of living.

It’s a precious vacation for me, too.

“Of course, I’m free to have all sorts of fun, so make sure you’re ready for that.”

… Huh?

Why is everyone frozen?

Cecile’s face is bright red, and she’s clenching her fists as if she’s determined to do something.

Rita is looking at me with kind of a blank stare.

Aine is holding her chest and nodding.

Rafilia had crossed her fingers and praying, “That’s my Master.”

Oh, Rafilia understands.

But why is Iris next to me pulling a piece of paper out of her chest and writing something on it? What does she always keep something in that place? Iris?

“Anyway, did you guys understand?”

“Yes! Master, I understand very well,” said Cecile.

“I think I understand what you are thinking…” Rita said.

“Na-kun, don’t confuse your sister…” Aine said.

“Master… I can’t wait to tell you.” Rafilia said.

“That’s my big brother!” And Iris.

Good. I think they understand.

The slave girls raised their hands with different expressions and then climbed into the carriage.

With this, begins our paid vacation or as I like to call it company trip.

I can’t just put a cheat character to work and not let them have a break.

That’s why I got into the driver’s seat of the carriage. Cecile is sitting next to me.

Aine, Rafilia and Iris are in the carriage.

Rita is walking alongside the carriage. She said she didn’t like small places and felt more comfortable outside.

So, off we go.

It is still early in the morning. So there is no send-off. There are a few regular soldiers lined up around the gate of Ilgafa, though. There’s also the captain wearing horned helmet. I guess the Lord is a little concerned, after all.

The horses start walking following my and Cecile order, prioritizing comfort.

We exit through the gate and leave Ilgafa.

We left for a “company trip” in this world.

“How’s the ride, Master?”

“Why don’t you bump into him, little miss? We don’t mind speeding up a bit.”

“I’m fine as is. And please don’t call me little miss…”

Cecile looks embarrassed while holding the horses’ reins.

The two horses have been talking to Cecile throughout the way. They’re taking care of us in many ways. The carriage doesn’t shake too much, and the speed is steady.

These two horses seem to be experienced carriage horses and know the bumps and ruts in the road well. Thanks to that, they pick their own lines that are easy to follow. This is another effect of the [Food Negotiation] cheat skill.

We left Ilgafa few hours ago.

The carriage has been moving at walking speed.

Rita, who had been riding on the roof of the carriage earlier, is now walking next to it. She said, “If I get tired, I’ll just get on the carriage, so don’t worry about it.” She seemed to be okay for now.

“The next town is Relay Point Sharka Town right?”

I check the map.

It’s a two-day trip to the Mishlira, so we’ll have to spend a night on the way. On the way from Ilgafa to Mishlira and vice-versa, there is a town called Sharka. There is an altar there and many people stay there to pray for the safety of their journey.

“The town that received the blood of the great Heavenly Dragon Blansharka, right?”

“I didn’t know there was a Heavenly Dragon just like a Sea Dragon.”

“That’s right. In the present day, the only one whose existence has been confirmed is the Sea Dragon Kerukatoru, but there used to be Heavenly Dragon, Earth Dragon, and Demon Dragon as well in the past.”

“How past are we talking about?”

“I’m sorry, … but I don’t know much about that.”

Cecile closed her eyes as if searching for a memory, then shook her head apologetically.

I wonder how old they are. I wonder if it’s in the records of the Demon race.

“Cecile …, try saying ‘Kerukatoru, the Sea Dragon’ or ‘Blansharka, the Heavenly Dragon’ in the ‘Ancient Language’.”

“Yes. ‘The Heavenly Dragon Blansharka’ and…? There’s no ‘Kerukatoru’ in the Ancient Language!”

The Ancient Language is a magical language used by the Demon race, and it is quite old.

“The fact that ‘Kerukatoru’ doesn’t exist in it means that the Sea Dragon Kerukatoru is a relatively young Dragon, while the Heavenly Dragon Blansharka, is quite old. It’s also possible that the Demons didn’t know that Sea Dragon existed, so we can’t be sure.”

“As expected of Master Nagi, I didn’t notice it at all.”

“But Blansharka is no longer alive, right?”

“Yes. There are some of its body parts left in the next town.”

I checked in advance to see what was left.

We should be able to see it when we get a little further.

And, since I had some time on my hands, I went ahead and did some research on recent history and the Demon Lord.

The Demon Lord is currently battling the Kingdom’s regular army across the sea and beyond the mountains. The latest information on the battle is that it is going back and forth … Of course, there was no information about ‘Heroes’ being summoned from other worlds, and what the Demon Lord was like varied from story to story.

The only thing they have in common is that the Demon Lord is the one who brought together the demons that originally existed in this world. He’s a very bad guy, that’s all.

On the contrary, records show that the Sea Dragon and Heavenly Dragon were basically on the side of humans.

However, it is said that the Heavenly Dragon lived on top of high mountains and were rarely seen on the ground. From the ground, one could only see them flying in the sky.

The reason why there is a record that Heavenly Dragon died a long time ago is because its body fell from the sky at some time.

The body of a Heavenly Dragon fell down and created a crater-like structure where the “Magic Research City” is located. To be precise, the city was built on the site of the crater. Since there are dungeons and underground ruins around it, it is said that the Heavenly Dragon may have been trying to tell humans about the place.

Legend has it that the reason why the resort town of Mishlira is always warm and comfortable is because of the large amount of scales of the Heavenly Dragon that have fallen off. It is said that the broken scales become a mass of high quality mana that melts into the earth and warms the surface.

So, I heard that a piece of the Heavenly Dragon fell in the town where we are staying today, and now it is used as a talisman for travelers.

According to the map, we should be able to see it soon, but…

“Excuse me, Master! Can I sit over there? ”

Suddenly, I heard a voice right beside us.

Rita, who was scuttling along beside us, asked me.

“All right! I’m opening the place now!”

I raise my voice while answering so that she can hear me through the sound of the horseshoes.

“A place…? Where? What?”

I picked up Cecile, whose face was bright red. Cecile, who was wearing the Apprentice Wizard’s robe and a white jacket, looked somewhat ticklish. She’s as light as ever, so it’s not a burden to put her on my lap. She seems to be nervous while holding the reins, though.

“Ha!”

Rita flew into the coachman seat with a swoosh. She moved so lightly that you could not feel her weight.

Not only did the carriage not shake, it didn’t even make a sound when she landed, which attributed her incredible physical ability.

“I can almost see the symbol of the Sharka Town. I can’t wait to show it to you, Cecile.”

“All right. Then I’ll give you Cecile.”

“Huh, Master, Rita, please don’t pass me like an object without asking for my permission!” said Cecile while smiling.

Cecile, you’re smiling, but your anger is leaking through your voice.

I’m glad I decided to have this company trip. In the carriage, Aine, Iris, and Rafilia were glued to the scenery around them. It’s my first time travelling like this since I came to this world.

On the right side of the road is a forest. You can see the sea through the gap and to the left is a deep forest. It seems that this area has not been cultivated yet. After a while, the forest breaks up, and the area becomes a gentle grassland.

Beyond the meadow, I can see a short wall.

That’s the town of Sharka, where we’ll be staying today. It’s small compared to Ilgafa, but it’s surrounded by a wall. On the other side of the wall are reddish brown brick buildings. There is a church and a tower with a bell. But the thing that stands out the most overwhelmingly is…

“You see that, Cecile? That’s the thing that the Dragon dropped.”

Before I knew it, Rita was carrying Cecile on her shoulders. She’s on top of the carriage, and Cecile is on her shoulder, and she’s standing dead center of the carriage without any problems. There’s the beast’s sense of balance, but the horses are being careful and slowing down as well.

“That’s … part of a Heavenly Dragon’s body?”

I heard Cecile mumble in dismay.

We could see every detail clearly as we got closer and closer to the town.

It’s a huge triangular thing sticking out of the top of the city wall.

It is pure white in color and looks like a bat’s wing, but it is much bigger than that.

It’s not a house or a tower or anything like that. It’s as big as a building in my world. Its surface is made of a white coating without a single scratch, and there is a bony bulge at the edge. It was probably used to fly. It’s impossible if you think about aerodynamics, but this is a fantasy world.

I look behind me and see Aine, Rafilia, and Iris sticking their heads out the window, looking at the same thing.

Is this their first time seeing it as well?

What we are looking at are the wings of a Pure White Dragon. However, there is no body of that said Dragon here.

Some part of it is probably deeply buried in the ground, and all we can see is the part that is above ground. Still, it is huge enough.

“That’s the wing of Blansharka, the symbol of the town of Sharka and the deity of the Traveler’s Altar.”

Rita said, and the horses neighed in reply.

That’s where we’ll be staying today, and that’s our first stop.