Welcome to Hell! - Chapter 245: Those Heading to the Kingdom

We reached a high vantage point from where the capital of the Harlasia Kingdom was visible in the distance. My first impression when I looked down at the place was of a city brimming with energy. Despite being on the brink of the war’s end, the conflict was still ongoing, and a large number of soldiers were expected to be deployed. Yet, this bustling activity… Only went to prove the young king’s exceptional leadership skills.

“King Carl is a very capable person. I’m on good terms with his fiancée, Lady Adelheid.”

“Lady Adelheid is also my benefactor. She nursed me back to health when I was just a dying filthy slave without any hint of disgust.”

I remembered what Liselotte and Chris were talking about as we drew closer to the capital. I had heard much about Prince Carl’s excellence during our journey with Lieselotte. In particular, his feat known as “Carl’s Lightning Speed Return” seemed to still be a popular tale among the people.

Back then when he was still a prince, he had been leading the front lines in the war against the Republic. However, upon hearing of a political upheaval in the royal capital, he reportedly returned with unbelievable speed to encircle it. After liberating the capital, he then headed back to the front lines to achieve significant victories.

It seemed that the condition for him temporarily leaving the front was that, after suppressing the turmoil, the forces primarily from the Harlasia Kingdom would advance to the front lines and capture the Republic’s fortresses. He managed this major task with minimal damage and, upon its completion, entrusted the command to his capable brother-in-law and returned home in triumph.

Since then, despite the struggles with war expenses, he has skillfully governed the country and maintained its energy even during wartime. This was completely different from the Galar Kingdom, which was plagued by refugees and had been the site of that terrible incident.

Magnus and Chirik were likely the ones who felt this difference most profoundly. Even Chirik, with his poor eyesight, could sense the distinct atmosphere from the lively voices of the residents. His expression was indescribable, conveying a mix of surprise and realization.

“Antares, don’t take everything the young lady says at face value. That mischievous prince, or should I say king now? Anyway, King Carl’s political and military skills are indeed remarkable; I won’t deny that. But you know, the king is a born prankster. If he sets his eyes on you, you never know what he might make you do. Make sure to keep a low profile and avoid drawing attention.”

As I saw Chirik’s unusually stern face, which seemed too mature for his age, I remembered Hilda’s assessment of King Carl. While acknowledging his talents in politics and military that rivaled or even surpassed those of the legendary first king, she had reservations about his character.

Hilda had mentioned that the king had always been famous for his love of pranks, a trait that had not changed even after ascending to the throne. Hilda herself had been a victim of his mischief, and apparently, so had Liselotte and Chris.

When I was about to question the truth of this, both of them averted their eyes with a bitter expression, which only confirmed my suspicions. However, it seemed that his pranks were always just for a shock and he never intended to hurt or put anyone in harm’s way.

However, we knew we would be in a difficult situation if we drew too much attention. There were countless reasons why being investigated would be problematic. For this reason, we set up our camp in a location far from the royal capital and planned to leave immediately after resupplying there.

“Then we’ll split up from here. I’m counting on you, Tigar.”

“Yeah, sure. I’ll manage to get through this safely.”

We moved from a high place to a forest with no visibility and decided to divide into two groups: one to escort Liselotte and the other to wait. The escort group included Liselotte, me, Lappy, Leo, Zald, Mika, Rinne, and Linardo—six of us in total. Except for Lappy and Leo, everyone was to handle a carriage each, with the aim of keeping our numbers as small as possible.

Lappy and Leo were accompanying us at Liselotte’s request and also to give the impression that we were a harmless group traveling with children. Additionally, it was for Liselotte’s protection.

We had learned at the evening party incident that the appearance of Lappy and Leo could lead the enemy to underestimate us. Protecting Liselotte until the contract expired was our responsibility. To reduce the burden on Chris and Hilda, we made sure to keep Lappy close by.

We intentionally kept our numbers to a minimum in case of an emergency. With fewer people, it would be easier to scatter and escape if necessary… It’s unpleasant to say, but if we were captured, only we would suffer the consequences. Naturally, limiting our numbers was the logical decision.

By the way, I heard that cattle are known to be strong on hilly terrain for pulling carts; but this time we decided to use horses for all our carriages. According to Liselotte, most stables that could accommodate horses did not have enough space for cattle.

“Teacher, I have a request.”

“What is it, being so formal?”

As we were about to depart, Chirik, who was standing on the footboard of the carriage, approached me. I asked him what he wanted, though I had an idea of what he might say. And sure enough, he gave the response I had anticipated.

“Please take me with you!”

“No.”

Chirik’s request was to accompany us. I sensed there was more to his request than mere curiosity; he seemed to have a compelling reason to want to join us.

It’s unlikely his request was born from a desire for constant training in spiritual arts. In the immediate aftermath of losing his companions, he had thrown himself into training in spiritual arts as an escape from his grief. However, he no longer exhibited the intense, almost feverish dedication he had shown back then. Slowly but surely, he was healing from his emotional wounds.

He still devoted himself to training, purely because he found joy in using and improving his spiritual arts. Possessing high talent and finding pleasure in honing it, he was undoubtedly on his way to becoming an exceptional spiritualist.

As to whether Chirik saw me as a father figure like Lapi and didn’t want to be separated, the answer is definitely no. This is because it seems Chirik harbors dislike for his own father.

Regardless of the circumstances and regardless of whether he truly loved his mother, Yaro was unable to be there for the mother and child when they were most in need. Chirik has never met his father, Yaro, who was synthesized with me, so he not only has little affection for his father but actually harbors hatred for him. Chirik likes me because I am his master.

Hmm, it’s puzzling to figure out. Then, the best course of action is to ask him directly.

“Why do you want to go?”

“I’m sure you’ll encounter trouble, Teacher. I want to observe the spiritual arts you use in those situations and learn from them.”

The reason Chirik blurted out left me, beneath my iron mask, literally with my mouth agape. It almost sounded as if me getting into trouble was a foregone conclusion!

While I was rendered speechless, a telepathic message from Mika arrived. Its content was enough to snap me back to reality.

[Sorry about this. I once narrated the adventures since Tigar and the others met Master Antares and amusingly mentioned that being with master means there’s never a dull moment…]

[So, he interpreted that as me being constantly in the midst of trouble?]

[I think it’s exactly as you guessed.]

I silently looked up at the sky and thought about what I should do. I think it would be okay even if there were one more person, but at the same time, if I were forced to flee, Chirik who was still inexperienced as a spiritualist, could become a hindrance.

The advantages of allowing Chirik to accompany us were few, and the disadvantages were a lot. Despite understanding this rationally, I couldn’t help but feel reluctant to refuse Chirik’s request.

“Boss, if you’re taking Chirik, please take me along too.”

“…Bolts?”

“Weren’t my skills in selecting supplies proven to be reliable?”

While I was pondering over Chirik’s situation, Bolts who usually didn’t assert himself much, unusually insisted on being brought along. Indeed, Bolts’s eye for selecting supplies was trustworthy. It seemed like there would be no problem in taking him with us.

However, what troubled me was the timing of his interjection as he rarely voiced his own opinions. Could it be that he had some other motive? I couldn’t help but think so.

“What are we going to do, boss? It’s almost time to depart.”

“…Alright. Let’s take them along. But Chirik, you must never stray from us.”

“Yes, teacher!”

Chirik eagerly climbed into the carriage I was to ride, while Bolts, without a word or a reply, chose the carriage Mika was to drive and jumped onto its loading platform. What a brazen guy.

It took a while, but we were finally able to set off. Once we delivered Liselotte and received our reward, our escort mission would be officially complete. Liselotte and Hilda had been people who did not shun us, and reuniting with Chris was something that brought me great joy. To be honest, it would be a shame to part ways.

Nevertheless, at least I had to travel beyond the Shumie Mountain Range to the south. This might be my last farewell to her in this lifetime. As Hilda had suggested, I really should have a proper conversation with Chris. With these thoughts in mind, I took hold of the reins of the carriage drawn by Apao.