Episode 10

The trip from the Lagias manor to the Nordan Plains took several days by carriage. They aimed for their destination while camping and resting in villages along the way.

Hiroto had no experience with long-distance carriage travel or camping, so part of him was excited. The soldiers ordered on the expedition, however, were in despair.

As if the expedition weren’t troublesome enough already, Zeke—the Lagias heir—would accompany them. Like his parents, he held a strong elitist mindset and was harsh with those around him.

Rumor had it he had fired the former-knight instructor hired a few months back—forcing him to fight a dragon but getting no results, or so the story went.

The soldiers felt sorry for the man, but it wasn’t somebody else’s problem. They trembled, thinking they were next.

The carriage rolled slowly down a tranquil highway. Because he rarely traveled far, the novelty had lifted Hiroto’s spirits at first, but once he got used to it, it wasn’t particularly fun.

If the place had appeared in the game, he might have enjoyed a “pilgrimage to sacred sites,” but this area had nothing to do with the story. Hiroto hadn’t even heard of the Nordan Plains.

(I’m bored. Next time I should bring a magic book and study.)

He had no complaints about the peace, but he felt at loose ends. He normally devoted himself to training, so he seldom had idle time—but he couldn’t swing a sword inside a carriage.

—Naturally, he sank into the sea of thoughts.

To survive.

To clear the scenario.

The goals were vague, but he couldn’t dismiss them. Having possessed a villain with a guaranteed-death flag, he needed as many playable cards prepared as possible.

Grow stronger and don’t antagonize the original cast. If possible, avoid them altogether—but if Zeke didn’t appear in the scenario, who knew how the story would change? He needed to mind the distance.

If he maneuvered well and “cleared the game,” there was a faint hope he might return to his old world. He loved the world of Wish Soul, but only as a game—it wasn’t real life.

He didn’t want a reality where death was close at hand. If, worst case, he couldn’t go back, then after the “clear,” he would abandon everything and run.

He pictured a retired life—some distant land, tilling a field—and thought it didn’t sound so bad.

“Zeke-sama. We’ve arrived at the village in question.”

Four days had passed since they started traveling by carriage. They reached their destination without particular trouble.

Because Zeke had been quieter than expected, the soldiers felt wrong-footed. They had braced for unreasonable demands, but the tension had proved pointless—for now, they were relieved.

The detachment arrived at the village where the domain’s people had suffered monster attacks. Here they would gather information and seek leads on the monsters. The Nordan Plains were vast; they couldn’t move blindly.

They had to secure even a little useful intel and complete the mission. If they returned with nothing, their tomorrows would be gone.

Zeke might even have them punished on the spot.

“What a remote little village.”

It was his honest impression. There were a fair number of houses, but overall the scale was small and the building materials showed heavy wear. The villagers’ clothing was mostly simple; their low standard of living was plain to see.

The village likely lived by farming, but given its closeness to the Nordan Plains, the land didn’t seem suited to agriculture.

What little profit they eked out under poor conditions was mostly squeezed away by heavy taxes. It was a vicious cycle.

“…Given the land, making a living must be difficult. Let’s hear from the village head first.”

On orders from the detachment leader, Simon, the other soldiers went to make arrangements. Some villagers wore looks of relief; others aimed fear or suspicion at the newcomers.

(Yeah, no one’s rolling out a welcome.)

The village was poor because of heavy taxation, and the monster problem owed much to neglect of the plains’ management. Within the domain, the Lagias family’s bad reputation was common knowledge; their reaction was only natural.

“Zeke-sama, preparations are complete. We’ll guide you now.”

Led by villagers and soldiers, the group moved out. It seemed the discussion would be held at a sort of assembly hall. Hiroto—and the soldiers—hoped it would wrap up smoothly.

—But a suspicious figure stood behind them, staring fixedly at their backs.