The carriage had already been traveling for three days. We would reach the border in roughly one more day. My destination was the Rodel Empire, a nation far larger than the Artemia Kingdom I had left behind.
The two knights traveling with me never so much as looked my way. I was terribly bored. Their occasional whispered conversations also bothered me.
‘Are those two plotting something?’
I jokingly asked Metis.
‘Yes.’
But the answer I received was a depressing one.
Seriously?
‘Are they after my life?’
‘Yes.’
Inside the carriage, I stared at the ceiling and let out a long breath.
Who could be behind it? Not that there were many possibilities.
‘Was it Father’s order?’
‘No.’
So it wasn’t him.
‘Was it Hail’s order?’
‘Yes.’
Once I learned it wasn’t Father, I had partly expected that answer. Still, hearing it stated so clearly hurt. My own younger brother was trying to kill me. Did he want the position of heir that badly? We had never been close brothers, but learning that he hated me this much nearly brought tears to my eyes.
‘Should I run away right now?’
‘No.’
‘Tonight?’
‘Yes.’
I would trust Lady Metis. My escape would take place tonight.
That night, we stopped at an inn along the road. It stood alone, with nothing but grass and trees around it. I had a separate room from my two escorts, who were apparently waiting in the room next door. Ahead lay a forest inhabited by monsters. Once I passed through it, I would be in the Rodel Empire.
‘Should I escape now?’
‘Yes.’
‘Should I head north?’
‘No.’
The forest lay to the north, so I had intended to flee in that direction, but apparently that would be a bad idea.
‘West?’
‘Yes.’
West, then. I didn’t remember there being anything there, but I would obey.
I quietly slipped out of the inn without making a sound. Just as I started running west, the two knights burst from the inn with panicked expressions. I immediately hid among the vegetation, and they didn’t seem to notice me. If they came this way, I was finished.
“Hey, he got away! How did he realize?!”
“How should I know? If we let him escape, Lord Hail will have our heads! He probably ran toward the forest. Get on the horses—we’re going after him!”
The two mounted their horses and rode toward the forest.
“In fact, I was still right beside you. Fancy that.”
I stood, then quietly continued west to avoid meeting them. After walking west for thirty minutes, I wondered whether it might be safe to head toward the forest now. If I entered it away from the road, I shouldn’t run into them.
‘Can I head toward the forest now?’
‘Yes.’
With permission granted, I used the moonlight to guide me toward the forest.
I reached the forest in the middle of the night and continued walking until dawn. I never encountered the two pursuers again.
‘Will a monster appear on this path within thirty minutes?’
‘Yes.’
‘Should I stop for a while?’
‘Yes.’
Following Lady Metis’s instructions, I hid myself. If I encountered a monster, there was a very high chance I would lose. My only option was to proceed as carefully as possible. By now, I had already asked her more than a hundred questions.
Then I heard a carriage approaching from behind.
Were those two still chasing me?!
‘Will I be safe if I remain hidden?’
‘Yes.’
I concealed myself as thoroughly as I could, but the person who appeared from behind was a merchant driving a carriage.
‘Is he dangerous?’
‘No.’
‘Should I make contact with him?’
‘Yes.’
Apparently, he was merely an ordinary merchant. I stood and called out to him.
“Hello.”
“Hello. I never expected to meet anyone in a place like this… A mercenary? No, perhaps a knight?”
The short, plump merchant wore a full mustache and spoke with a smile. He had probably judged me by my clothes.
“Something like that. Are you also headed for the Rodel Empire?”
“Yes, to Delcour in Rodel.”
“Oh? I’m going to Delcour as well. Would you like to travel together? I’m rather confident in my ability to detect danger.”
If I relied on Lady Metis, I should be able to manage…
“What a coincidence. I would be delighted. I can’t pay much in escort fees, though. Is that all right?”
“That’s no problem. A meal or two will be payment enough.”
“That would be a great help.”
And so, I managed to secure transportation and continued toward the Rodel Empire.
By questioning Metis in detail, we reached the border without encountering a single monster.
“My, Sibyl, your ability to detect danger is extraordinary! It’s exceedingly rare to make it this far without a single encounter!” the merchant exclaimed excitedly.
“Not at all.”
I couldn’t fight, after all. Soldiers manning a checkpoint stood near the border.
“Identification?”
“I don’t have any with me at the moment.”
I hadn’t even been allowed to bring identification.
“What…? That’s suspicious.”
The soldier raised an eyebrow. I did look suspicious, to be fair.
“Well, if something happened, we might accidentally let the culprit escape… Still, I don’t think I can allow you through.”
He kept glancing at my leather pouch. I see. I understood.
“My apologies. It seems I did have identification.”
With those words, I slipped a silver coin into his hand. The soldier smiled broadly when he saw it.
“Yes, I’ve confirmed it. You may pass.”
The bribe got me through without the slightest trouble. Was security allowed to be this full of holes?
Still, thanks to that, I crossed the border. We continued by carriage, and several days later, I finally arrived in Delcour.