TAMWSFB 33

Chapter 33 

 My First Long Trip

Clatter, clatter, clatter, clatter…

Rocked inside the carriage, I couldn’t contain my excitement—this was my very first journey.

My mouth was constantly stuffed with licorice candies, to the point where that was the only flavor I could taste.
Eventually, my older brother scolded me for it.

Ehh, but come on—!

Ever since I came to this world, I had practically been shut indoors, a complete recluse inside the mansion. Of course everything I’m seeing and hearing now feels new and fascinating.

Dogs and cats look the same, but judging from the fact there are horses with horns, I guess some creatures in this world are a little different from the ones I knew.

Apparently, the horses pulling our carriage can run all day as long as they take short breaks, so we’re basically riding inside it the entire day.

At first glance the carriage looks ordinary, but it’s actually equipped with some impressive functions.

First, suspension.

It’s a top-class feature that normal carriages don’t have. So yes, it shakes, but not badly enough to be painful. Well, we still need cushions for our butts.

But there’s an even bigger reason this carriage barely shakes—
I attached a “seismic-resistance” protective charm!

We also have amulets for “defense” and “safety.”
The defense one is placed near the window so it can be replaced immediately if needed.

Honestly, making the seismic amulet was so hard.
Kanji like 「耐」(resist) and 「震」(quake) are difficult!

I spent forever trying to recall the characters, and even when I did, I kept messing up the stitching and remaking it over and over.

I think… those were definitely beyond my current abilities.

There’s no level-up system in this world, and stats aren’t visible, so I can’t tell—but I hope someday I’ll be able to make them smoothly.

Still, I worked hard purely because I wanted my older brother to travel comfortably in this carriage.

It was a close call, but I managed to finish everything before departure.
Thank goodness!

But it might be pretty bad that I’m starting to forget some kanji…

A lot of my amulet abilities rely on kanji, so if I forget them, I might not be able to make any more charms.

So recently, I’ve been writing down every kanji that comes to mind and creating my own homemade kanji dictionary.

Elvin got freaked out and asked if it was a cursed grimoire, and yeah… I guess it does look like one, so I must never let anyone from the Church see it.

Especially Cardinal Rembrandt, that inquisitor who once visited our home.

Well, kanji alone doesn’t hold power—without Moko’s fur and the holy sword’s power, nothing activates anyway. But it’s still technically heretical, so there’s no reason to deliberately show it.

“Brother, what is that?”

It takes half a day to leave the mansion, pass through the capital, and reach the next town.
There are a few small villages on the way, and when I looked out the window, I saw a pig flying.

Well, flying only as high as a chicken, probably the same size too.
It had small white wings that fluttered as it flapped through the air.

“That’s a Flying Pig.”

A flying pig—wow, that name couldn’t be more literal.

“It tastes lighter than regular pork and is delicious. We often eat it at home. Usually in a stew.”

“Stew meat!?”

Now that he mentioned it, I remembered: unlike pork, it wasn’t greasy, and unlike chicken, it wasn’t dry. It tasted amazing.

I always assumed it was just high-quality noble cuisine, but turns out it was a different kind of meat.

I had never noticed until now.

“The town we’ll stay in tonight is famous for Flying Pig stew. Let’s make sure it’s served with dinner.”

“Yes! I’m looking forward to it!”

They looked so cute that I felt a pang of guilt…
But I still want delicious food!

“There are also Flying Pigs kept as pets.”

“You eat them but also keep them as pets?”

“In an emergency, they become rations.”

“Ehhh…?”

Elvin chimed in from the side.

Even though Elvin is wearing simple clothes to match our disguise, his glossy hair and flawless skin make him impossible to mistake for a servant.

His attendant, Ian, was described in the novel as a heavily built, muscles-everywhere knight, but since he’s only ten right now, he’s tall but not that muscular yet. He still looks like a child from a respectable family.

Even disguised, they shine like main characters, so pretending we’re just merchant children is… honestly pushing it.

Especially my older brother—just standing still radiates such noble dignity that I feel like kneeling. His aura alone screams aristocrat, so people will immediately assume he’s nobility in disguise.

But as long as no one finds out he’s the crown prince and heir to House Rosenberg, we should be fine.

Thanks to the carriage’s comfort, we don’t need frequent stops, so we won’t attract attention from townsfolk. Somehow, things will work out.

Plus, we’re still near the capital and the area is supposed to be safe…

—Or so I thought.

Suddenly the carriage sped up, and the knight acting as coachman shouted:

“Bandits! Hold on tight, we’re going to outrun them!”

My brother instantly reacted, pulling me tightly into his arms.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ian cover Elvin protectively.

Bandits!?
Right outside the capital!?

This has to be a joke—right!?