Chapter 107

Despite the rain, our marching speed didn’t slow down much.

The fatigue-relief work Yoshioka and I had done on the horses last night was paying off handsomely.

Another major factor was that the horses who used to drag down the unit were now proactively putting in the effort.

While I was thrilled by their enthusiasm, I had to make sure they didn’t misjudge their pacing.

“I know you guys have incredible power now. So please, keep to a speed that leaves you with plenty of energy to spare.”

“Neighhh! (You got it!)”

As expected, Gary and Yoshioka had become fast friends.

They were having a blast showing each other their smartphones, to the point where I felt a slight twinge of exclusion.

Both of them were probably just ecstatic to have finally found a friend with shared hobbies after all this time.

As for me, Blitz had been in a foul mood, and it took a lot of work to placate him.

He didn’t seem to like the fact that I had heavily modified—or rather, horse-modified—the other animals.

Even when I praised him, saying, “You’re a steed who boasts top-tier specifications to begin with,” his temper wouldn’t clear up at all.

In the end, he forced me to use my God Finger skill to give him a full-body massage and even nail care for his hooves.

I really end up spoiling him.

Since it was still the end of the year back in Japan, I decided that for my next souvenir, I’d buy him some delicious Fuji apples.

The rain made visibility poor, and not much information was coming through my Dog’s Nose skill either.

According to the schedule, we would arrive at the staging ground before 4:00 PM.

If possible, I felt like dropping off the cargo at the staging ground and immediately heading straight back to Dresden.

I hated the idea of staying near the front lines, and we would just have to return with a new load of cargo eventually anyway.

On the return trip, since the carriages would be empty, we were apparently supposed to bring back wounded soldiers.

I could always heal them, but that might actually be unnecessary interference.

It wouldn’t be right to disrupt the soldiers who finally had a chance to return to the rear.

If their wounds were completely healed, they would just be sent right back to the front lines.

Unless it was an absolute emergency, I decided it was best to leave them be.

Before noon, a force of about five hundred cavalrymen overtook us.

Infantry units gathered from various regions seemed to be nearby as well.

They were all part of the Saxens army heading toward the staging ground.

The realization that we had finally arrived at the war zone was truly beginning to sink in.

In the afternoon, the camp priest, Deacon Udo Lammertz, came over to the carriage I was riding.

This camp priest took turns riding in different carriages to listen to the soldiers’ troubles, teach the doctrines of Nordicism, and share interesting stories from the scriptures.

Because the carriage jolted quite a bit, reading the scriptures was impossible, but the deacon would explain the passages he had memorized in an easy-to-understand manner.

Since I had a publishing venture lined up, I had read the scriptures before, but they were incredibly esoteric.

They weren’t written like a novel, so reading the original texts was quite a struggle.

In that regard, the stories told by the deacon were dramatic and fable-like, making them rather entertaining.

The soldiers listening nearby looked pleased as well.

“The scriptures are difficult, but Lord Lammertz’s stories are easy to understand and fun.”

“It’s Lammertz. I am glad to hear you say that. Corporal Hinoharu, can you read script? Moreover, you own a copy of the scriptures?”

“Yes. Lately, I’ve made it a point to read them before going to bed.”

It wasn’t out of faith, but strictly for business, though.

Even so, as I kept reading through them, it actually became quite enjoyable.

“That is wonderful. However, do you not find many points to be rather ambiguous?”

He was exactly right.

Ambiguous expressions popped up with considerable frequency within the scriptures.

Ultimately, it was the differences in interpreting those passages that gave rise to the various sects.

And Lord Seraphim’s request was to publish the scriptures and get as many people involved in a massive theological debate as possible.

I kept the carriage moving while learning about the interpretations of the scriptures from Deacon Lammertz.

“Corporal! What’s the time?!”

While I was stretching my back during a short break, a loud voice called out to me.

Looking over, it was Magda, the woman running the sutler’s shop.

“It’s almost two-thirty.”

Ordinary commoners didn’t own watches.

Instead, they could tell the rough time using a portable sundial, but unluckily, it was raining today.

“Are we falling behind schedule?”

“With this rain, it can’t be helped.”

No matter how energetic the horses had become, they were no match for a muddy road.

Since they were pulling supply carts, it was even harder on them.

“Even so, Corporal, what on earth did you do to our Schnee? He’s incomparably energetic today!”

Schnee was the horse pulling the sutler’s carriage.

He was one of the seven horses I had treated.

“It’s a form of structural alignment. That horse had a bad back. So I fixed it up with a massage.”

In reality, his bad back had caused chronic inflammation in a portion of his muscles.

“My, you talk just like a doctor. Think you could fix my stiff shoulders while you’re at it?”

Magda tapped her thick neck, looking uncomfortable.

With her large build, her chest was like a pair of massive watermelons. It was no wonder her shoulders got stiff.

On top of that, she had a thick layer of solid fat around her waist.

Overall, she was a sturdily built woman.

“I can take a quick look for you.”

When I touched Magda’s shoulders, they were completely stiff with hard muscle.

It was likely from constantly lifting and lowering heavy cargo.

“They’re pretty stiff…”

I began to knead and loosen them using my skill at level one.

“Ahhh… that feels incredibly good. If I were fifteen years younger, I’d want to make you my gigolo.”

“Well, I’m honored by the sentiment.”

Magda was tough and looked like she had a strong ability to make a living, after all.

She could probably easily afford to support a gigolo or two.

Since running a sutler’s shop came with inherent dangers, the earnings were exceptionally good.

Particularly for the soldiers on the front lines, who had few other forms of entertainment, they tended to buy all sorts of things on impulse.

The top seller, naturally, was alcohol.

The military in Saxens wasn’t overly strict about drinking.

This wasn’t unique to Saxens either; apparently, the situation was exactly the same in the enemy Kingdom of Portand.

As long as one didn’t get dead drunk, a bit of alcohol was permitted.

I spent about five minutes thoroughly massaging Magda’s shoulders.

“Thanks to you, they feel a whole lot lighter. I wonder how long it’s been since I felt this refreshed.”

“A minor thing like this is no trouble at all.”

I would be parting ways with Magda soon.

While the supply unit would turn back at the staging ground, Magda and Deacon Lammertz were heading all the way to the absolute front lines in Romanburg.

Both were treated as non-combatants, so they wouldn’t be intentionally harmed even if spotted by enemy soldiers.

However, stray arrows and magitech cannon shells rained down indiscriminately, completely without regard for non-combatant status.

“Would you like some aquavit as a thank-you?” Aquavit was Saxens’s clear spirit.

“I appreciate it, but I’ll pass. If the enemy shows up, I won’t be able to run away properly.”

Magda stared intently at my face. Then, she burst out laughing.

“Look who’s talking. You’re absolutely not the type to run away.”

“That’s not true. I have barely any actual combat experience, you know.”

“No way. There’s no chance you’d abandon that master of yours and run away.”

Magda cast a brief glance toward Lady Clara, who was standing a short distance away.

“Well, I mean…”

“I know all about it. They say your nickname back in the City Guard was Lord Ansbach’s loyal dog, didn’t you?”

I did hear that from time to time, actually.

But hearing it honestly made me a little happy…

“Granted, she really is a woman a man would risk his life for. But come on, you two belong to completely different social classes, don’t you? Wouldn’t it be better to find a woman closer to your own station?”

“Like you, Magda?” I asked jokingly.

After a dumbfounded look, Magda let out a loud laugh.

“Oh stop it, Corporal. I was just thinking of introducing you to my niece. What, would you actually take me instead?”

I could only scratch my head.

“He is my attendant. If you want Kota, I am afraid you will have to clear it through me first.”

Lady Clara, who had walked up behind Magda a few moments ago, was quietly smiling.

Startled by Lady Clara’s voice, Magda looked as though her heart had skipped a beat.

“M-M-M-Mercy, absolutely not! I remain strictly faithful to my deceased husband, you see. At this point in my life, I couldn’t dream of living with another man.”

“Is that so? Kota might just be a man a woman would risk her life for as well. …Though I will not force him upon you if you have no need…”

I don’t want anyone risking their life for me.

I glared at Lady Clara with a distinct “Cut it out!” expression.

Sensing my intention, Lady Clara gave a light shrug of her shoulders.

“It was a mere jest. Do not look so angry.”

“…It is almost time to move out.”

“Umu. Inform the rest of the unit.”

Watching the backs of the two as they walked away, Magda muttered to herself.

“Well, look at that. They are totally head over heels for each other.”