Departure From The Royal Capital

Stepping outside, I found a carriage already waiting for us.

“Oh, as expected.”

I had to tip my hat to James’s efficiency; the man’s speed was truly impressive.

“I am Rolf. I shall be serving as your coachman for this journey,” said a man dressed in a white shirt and loop tie, layered under a black jacket. He gave a graceful bow.

“I’m Vim. Nice to meet you.”

“And I am Hana.”

It seemed James had gone as far as arranging a professional driver. It wasn’t a cheap service, but considering the reward for this mission, I’d still have plenty left over even with these expenses. Since we were traveling, there was no reason not to make the trip as comfortable as possible.

“His skill as a coachman is beyond doubt, so please rest easy,” James added from behind.

“I simply have many years of experience,” Rolf replied. Judging by the salt-and-pepper hair, he looked to be in his sixties.

“That’s reassuring.”

Vim shook hands with Rolf.

“Well then, please, step inside.”

With that, Vim boarded the carriage. He then reached out and took Hana’s hand to help her up.

“Thank you very much,” Hana said, her cheeks flushing a light pink.

Rolf, meanwhile, made his way to the driver’s seat.

“Well then, have a safe journey.”

“Please take care.”

Seen off by James, Aria, and the rest of the household staff, the carriage began its slow advance. It moved through the noble district and eventually merged onto the Royal Capital’s main thoroughfare. Since the carriage was fairly ornately decorated, it surely drew quite a few looks.

“We are now exiting the capital,” Rolf’s voice called back from the driver’s seat.

The carriage passed through the gate reserved for nobility. Apparently, once you achieve S-rank status, you are granted the same privileges as the aristocracy when it comes to the city gates.

Once outside the capital, the road remained flat and steady for a while. In this vicinity, there was little worry of encountering magical beasts. We would likely reach the town nearest to the Eastern Forest in about half a day.

“You two can relax for now; this area is still a safe zone,” Rolf called out.

“Thank you. We’ll do just that.”

Rolf’s driving was every bit as meticulous as James had promised. Most importantly, the vibration was kept to an absolute minimum. This is a bigger deal than most people think—if an unskilled driver handles a carriage, the shaking becomes constant, which is more than a little stressful.

“Hana, you can take it easy for a bit longer.”

“Understood.”

Vim said that, but as a precaution, he deployed his search magic. It is generally said that a person’s limit for parallel processing magic is two or three spells at a time. However, in Vim’s case, he was capable of maintaining twelve spells simultaneously. Thus, keeping one sensory spell active at all times was trivial. It was a bit of a “cheat” ability, so he often didn’t mention it to others, knowing they might not even believe it.

“For now, everything looks clear around here.”

Vim expanded the effective range of his magic even further. Usually, widening the range causes a drop in detection accuracy, but Vim’s baseline precision was nearly three times that of an ordinary mage. Even with a slight drop, it wouldn’t make much difference.

“Wait… this is…”

Vim’s search magic pinged multiple magical lifeforms and human life signs. Instinctively, he could tell a group of humans was being surrounded by beasts. The human life signs were growing fainter. This required immediate action.

“Mr. Rolf, please hurry! Someone is being attacked further ahead!”

“What?! Understood!”

Rolf snapped the whip. The carriage’s speed increased instantly.

“Hana, there’s a high chance we’re heading into a fight. Get ready.”

“Yes!”

Hana placed her hand on the hilt of the sword at her waist. This would be Hana’s first actual combat mission at Vim’s side. In terms of raw ability, there were no concerns. She was likely one of the few people who could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with a monster like Vim.

“I’m prioritizing speed now. It’s going to get bumpy, so please hold on!”

Rolf said that, but the shaking still wasn’t that bad. Vim realized this was the hallmark of a true professional. The carriage sped toward the point his search magic had identified.

“Mr. Rolf, slow down a bit.”

“Understood.”

At Vim’s command, the carriage decelerated.

“Alright, let’s go.”

“Yes!”

Vim and Hana leapt from the moving carriage. From here, it was faster to go on foot. Besides, he didn’t want to drag Rolf into the middle of a fray. However, if Vim’s eyes were correct, Rolf was actually quite strong himself. Despite his slender build, his body was well-trained and his core was solid. Judging by his muscle tone, he had likely practiced swordsmanship or martial arts in the past. If he used appraisal magic, he could see the man’s official stats, but he felt that would be rude.

“Be careful, you two!” Rolf shouted from the driver’s seat.

“We will! Thank you!”

Leaving Rolf behind, Vim and Hana sprinted toward the life signs. After a few minutes of running, they arrived at the location. What they saw there was beyond anything they had imagined.