Chapter 30

The journey continues.

Leaving Bremen behind, we pushed steadily southward along the Reinga Road. Today, unfortunately, it is raining. A winter rain is cold; it feels as though it might freeze your very soul. Yoshioka and I are fine since we’re wearing high-performance waterproof-breathable rain gear, but Fiene has to make do with only her leather cloak and helmet.

However, thanks to my “Weather Prediction” skill, I knew the rain was coming, so our preparations were perfect. Using the trailer’s frame and my mountaineering trekking poles, I had rigged a tarp like a wagon hood. Now, the trailer had a makeshift roof.

Clara-sama, meanwhile, wore a surcoat over her plate armor. It was embroidered with her crest and looked incredibly gallant. Apparently, it keeps the water from seeping into the joints of the armor. Still, a cotton coat can only do so much against a downpour. I’m a bit worried she might catch a cold.

The bike kicked up spray, but I leaned a board against the front of the trailer to shield Fiene as we moved. By nearly 1:00 PM, we still hadn’t spotted a single settlement along the highway.

“Kota, let us break somewhere. We should warm our bodies a little.”

At Clara-sama’s suggestion, I began scouting for a rest spot. I looked for a flat area nestled between trees. Enduring the clinging rain and the biting chill, we finally found a suitable location.

First priority: set up the tarp to escape the rain. Working together, we strung a rope between two trees. Yoshioka has become quite proficient with ropework lately, deftly tying knots. He can now smoothly execute two half-hitches and even a taut-line hitch to adjust the tension of the guy lines. Once the main rope was secure, we draped a large tarp over it and fastened the sides with cord and pegs. Our shelter was complete.

Since the roof was set high, we could even manage a small campfire inside the tarp area with a bit of adjustment.

“Yoshioka, can you do something about a fire?”

“Leave it to me.”

Yoshioka first used Earth Magic to create a small, wind-breaking hearth. Then, he manifested a small “Fire Wall” inside it to dry out the damp earth.

“How’s that look?”

“Great! More than enough.”

I lit the dry firewood we had stocked in the trailer. The crackling of the burning wood seemed to warm even our hearts. We stood there, drinking cafe au lait and eating simple snacks of bread with cheese. If we offered anything too luxurious, Clara-sama would start to feel guilty, so we limited ourselves to coffee.

Looking at the sky, my “Weather Prediction” skill told me the rain would turn to snow by evening.

“It’ll start snowing in about three hours. How far is it to the next settlement?”

“About ten kilometers, I believe. There is a village called Ehrenburg.”

We could make it in two hours. It looked like we’d be staying there tonight.

We arrived at Ehrenburg shortly before dusk and secured lodgings at the village temple. We stripped off our wet clothes to dry them by the fire. Over here, we usually wear clothes purchased in this world, but since we only have one set each, we changed into the casual clothes we’d brought from Japan.

“Those are unusual clothes. Is that what people wear in your world, Kota?”

“Yeah. These are more familiar and comfortable for us.”

The clothes in the Kingdom of Saxens are thick, stiff, and heavy. Wearing them gives me stiff shoulders. Come to think of it, Fiene is dressed quite lightly. No matter how petite she is, she’s eighteen years old. Her modest curves were making their presence known through her thin damp clothing. It was a bit hard to know where to look.

“Aren’t you cold, Fiene?”

“Well, I only have one tunic…”

It seemed the driving rain had soaked through her clothes. She only had one spare shirt and pair of trousers. And in this world, there’s no such thing as underwear…

“Here, I’ll lend you my fleece.”

Yoshioka pulled out a light green fleece. Size-wise, it was closer to Fiene’s build than mine would be.

“Wow, it’s so light! And so warm!”

Fiene was overjoyed, calling it “angel’s raiment.” I don’t recall the angels we met wearing fleece, though. That handsome one was wearing something more like a pure white priestly robe.

“Senpai, do you think Clara-sama is okay?”

“Right, we can’t let her get chilled.”

Since Clara-sama is over 170cm tall, it would be better to lend her my fleece.

I opened the door to find Clara-sama standing by the hearth. The sight made my heart skip a beat. Usually, I only see her in plate armor or the thick gambeson worn beneath it. But today, she was dressed in a simple shirt and leather riding breeches.

“Is something wrong?”

“Ah… are your clothes going to dry o-okay?” I stammered.

“Yes, though it seems a fair amount of rainwater found its way through the gaps.”

Her surcoat and gambeson were already hanging by the fire.

“Let me add some more wood. We can’t have you catching a chill. Also, if you’d like, please wear this.”

I handed the light blue fleece to Clara-sama.

“What is this?”

“It’s a spare of mine. You might not like wearing someone else’s things, but it’s better than catching a cold—”

“I would never dislike it! …That is not the case at all. Please, show me how to put it on.”

I helped Clara-sama pull the fleece on over her shirt.

Since she wasn’t familiar with how it worked, I had to reach in and pull up the zipper for her. I was incredibly nervous—honestly, more nervous than the day I unhooked a girl’s bra for the first time in my life. It’s funny how dressing someone can be more nerve-wracking than the opposite.

“It is light… and so warm,” she murmured.

“Do you like it?”

“Yes. …But it is huge. You are… quite large, Kota.”

She started playfully swinging the overlong sleeves back and forth. It was the first time I’d seen her act so cute; a side of her I never expected.

“It’s snowing outside. Please keep that on when you sleep tonight.”

“I will. Thank you.”

I’m glad she liked it. Next time I’m back in Japan, I should buy dedicated fleeces for her and Fiene. You can get decent ones for a bit over 2,000 yen. Clothing is incredibly expensive in this world—a wool or cotton shirt starts at 3,000 Marques. In some cases, Japan is actually cheaper.

When I stepped outside to feed Blitz, the world had turned into a white landscape. I was worried about the bike. On its own, it might manage, but pulling a trailer was a different story. I checked the depth; 15 centimeters already.

“It’s really coming down. Will the bike be okay?” Yoshioka asked, eyeing the snow anxiously.

“I was just wondering the same thing. I’ll give it a test run; you handle Blitz.”

Leaving the feeding to Yoshioka and Fiene, I kicked the engine to life and eased onto the throttle. It moved, but it was dangerous—less “driving” and more “sliding with style.” We had 38 kilometers to cover today. This was going to be a brutal leg of the journey.

“How is it, Senpai?”

“Might be bad news.”

“I see… Hey, Senpai, is your skill passive?”

“Which one?”

“Water Walking.”

There’s no way it’s passive. If I were constantly “walking on water” automatically, I wouldn’t even be able to take a bath. But wait…! Snow is just crystallized water vapor falling from the sky. At its core, it is water.

“Yoshioka, you’re a genius!”

I immediately activated Water Walking.

Whoa! I could walk right on top of the snow without sinking! No more trudging through drifts! But the real question was: if I sat on the bike, would the vehicle stay afloat too?

…Yes! It worked!

Water Walking is incredible! I’m sorry I ever called you a “niche” skill. You’re the MVP. Come to think of it, every skill I’ve gotten except Sowing has been useful. Though I’m sure Sowing will have its moment when the time comes.

I confirmed that vehicles like the bike and trailer wouldn’t sink as long as I kept the skill active. Next, I had to test living beings. I tried to get on Blitz, but the ungrateful horse refused to let me mount! He’s usually so clingy, but now he’s acting up?

Fine. I had Yoshioka give me a piggyback ride instead.

“Ready?”

“Bring it on!”

I hopped onto Yoshioka’s thin back and triggered the skill.

“Well?”

“Whoa… I’m not sinking!” Yoshioka wobbled, but he was indeed walking on the surface of the snow.

“I want to try too!” Fiene chirped.

I felt a bit guilty about hopping on a petite girl’s back… the sense of impropriety was high.

“You’ll be crushed, Fiene.”

“I used to carry butchered meat through snowy mountains! This is nothing!”

Well, if you say so… Man, I haven’t been carried by a woman since I was a toddler.

“It’s true! I’m not sinking at all!” Fiene’s stride was even steadier than Yoshioka’s.

“Hmm. Let me try as well.”

“Wait, even you, Clara-sama?!”

“I am wearing plate mail. It should be fine…”

I mean, it’s not like our skin is touching, but… Clara-sama has really changed lately. Back in Ebba-berg, she never would have done something like this. It’s proof we’re becoming true comrades. Still, a piggyback from Clara-sama?

“Actually… Clara-sama, could you remove your gauntlet?”

“If you wish. Help me, Kota.”

I helped her remove the armor and held out my hand. “Your hand, please.”

As she slipped off her mitten, her long, beautiful fingers were revealed. I took her hand, letting the power of the skill flow through our connection. Together, we stepped onto the snow.

A sudden whirlwind sent powder dancing around us, creating the illusion that we were gliding across the frozen plain. We both tightened our grip on each other’s fingers.

“I truly am not sinking!”

In moments like this, Clara-sama actually acted her age. I liked her “Knight” persona, but I think I liked the face she made when she let her heart be free even more.

“Kota, next time, I would like to try walking upon the sea.”

“As you wish, Clara-sama.”

I closed my eyes for a moment, imagining the two of us taking a stroll across a moonlit ocean.