The carriage raced through the darkness.
Miyako was the one gripping the reins tightly.
Next to her in the driver’s seat was Fuuka.
“A-Are you sure about this!? Miyako!!”
“Wh-wh-wh-what do you mean!?”
“Have you ever driven a carriage before!?”
“No!”
“Eek!?”
“But we can’t let Shanly drive…!”
When Shanly tried to board the carriage himself while his daughter was suffering, Miyako had volunteered to be the driver.
She had some experience with horseback riding, but a carriage was another matter—well, she’d manage somehow.
Miyako, who had come to this different world from her corporate slave life, had made a decision.
To be thoroughly positive.
Regretting what you did was better than regretting what you didn’t do!
That’s why she was determined to absolutely save to make happy. Fuuka, the villainous young lady who had endured unreasonable treatment from her father and sisters while making reckless efforts for her family, honor, and marriage.
“Fuuka-chan, we should be there soon!”
She urged the carriage to go even faster.
In the empty carriage, Umi let out a big yawn. “Really, my master has some peculiar tastes, meow~”
“It seems we’ll have to walk from here.”
When they reached the mountain path entrance, Fuuka stepped down from the carriage onto the ground, holding a lantern in one hand.
The path ahead was too narrow for the carriage to proceed.
This was completely different from walking toward the hidden hot spring during the day.
The chilly night air.
For some reason, the ground felt hard and cold too.
The lantern light illuminated only a small part of the night.
Miyako stayed close to Fuuka.
“It’s okay! The moonlight grass was growing by the stream. It’s not that far…!”
“Yes, yes! We came here several days, and the path is straightforward. There shouldn’t be any problems!”
She squeezed Fuuka’s hand.
The slightly damp hand was ice cold.
She was scared.
Despite that, Fuuka was bravely facing forward, trying to save Shanly’s daughter.
How kind she was.
“…? Miyako, what is it?”
Miyako had unintentionally been captivated by her profile.
Her personality of prioritizing others over herself.
How she had no hesitation about it.
How she was much more shy than Miyako had thought.
And how she was very, very kind.
“No, let’s go. Fuuka-chan. Umi too!”
And so, Fuuka held the lantern in one hand.
Miyako carried the cat-shaped water spirit Undine Umi in one arm.
Their other hands were firmly clasped together and they ran off into the dark night.
Silence.
Their footsteps echoed.
The distant cry of a mountain bird.
The howl of a mountain wolf.
“…Was it this far?”
“Yeah… When we went to the open-air bath, we were chatting and having fun, so it felt like no time at all.”
The two spoke almost in whispers.
They walked pressed close together.
Occasionally, nearby bushes would rustle loudly.
Each time, Fuuka would let out a small scream and stiffen.
“I-It’s okay! If it comes to it, I’ll take care of anything!”
“Do you know any magic? Or swordsmanship?”
“Uh, that’s… but it’ll be fine!”
“Meow. Can’t my master even beat a night thief??”
“I don’t think many girls could win against one, Umi.”
“How boring, meow~ I wish you’d show me some street fighting skills, meow.”
“Fufu.”
Fuuka couldn’t help but laugh at Umi’s inappropriately carefree tone as she wagged her tail in dissatisfaction.
Combined with Miyako’s forced cheerfulness, her mood lightened just a little.
That’s when it happened.
Ahead, they could see the ground glowing faintly.
“Th-that light! There’s no mistake, it looks just like the moonlight grass from the illustrations!”
“We did it!”
By the stream, off the maintained path.
There, moonlight grass grew in clusters.
“I’m sure I saw other medicinal herbs growing here too!”
“Ah, Fuuka-chan. That’s dangerous!”
Miyako hurriedly chased after Fuuka, who was descending the steep slope without looking around.
Even though the elevation difference wasn’t large, if she fell, she could get hurt.
“It’s fine. Please keep watch there to see if there’s anything dangerous around, Miyako!”
“O-okay.”
Fuuka nimbly scrambled down the slope and gently plucked the moonlight grass.
It was a delicate medicinal herb.
A versatile spiritual herb said to increase its medicinal efficacy most under the moonlight.
Fuuka looked up at the sky. Through a gap in the dense branches, she could see the full moon.
Surely on this night, the moonlight grass would lend its power to Fuuka and the others. It should help save Shanly’s daughter.
After placing the moonlight grass in her pouch, she also gathered some usable herbs from those growing around.
For those using roots, she took them root and all. For those using leaves, she cut the leaves with small scissors.
It was as if that riverside was a natural medicine chest that had gone undiscovered precisely because few people passed through.
With practiced ease, Fuuka continued stuffing herbs into her pouch one after another.
For Fuuka, her family home had been a place of relentless training, but the small balcony where she gathered herbs she grew herself was different.
Her experience growing simple herbs there while practicing white magic was proving useful.
“With this much…!”
Picking up the lantern she’d placed on the ground, Fuuka scrambled back up the slope she’d come from.
Above, Miyako was watching with concern.
“F-Fuuka-chan. Are you okay?”
“No problems, let’s hurry back and prepare the mixture. Ahhh, kyaaahhh!?”
“Fuuka-chan!!?”
Suddenly, Fuuka disappeared from view, and Miyako screamed.
No way, are you seriously okay, my beloved Fuuka-chan!!
“I-I’m fine.”
Fuuka had slipped in the muddy slope and fallen, but she managed to get up.
The magic tool lantern was fortunately unharmed, its internal magic keeping the flame lit. Fuuka didn’t seem seriously injured either.
“Come, Miyako. Let’s hurry back!”
“Okay! Shanly’s daughter… she’ll be alright, right?”
“Of course! Who do you think I am? I’ll definitely, absolutely solve this.”
Fuuka grinned, lifting the corner of her mouth.
“After all, I’m the daughter of the proud Hamilton Count family!”
Miyako impulsively hugged Fuuka!
“Fuuka-chan!”
“Eek, wh-what, Miyako!? At a time like this…”
“Yeah, yeah! But, you know, listen to this.”
“…?”
Miyako whispered softly into Fuuka’s well-shaped ear.
As if handing over a precious treasure, she whispered carefully.
“Even if you weren’t from the Hamilton Count family, no matter where you’re from, no matter who you are… I think I would have definitely come to love you, Fuuka-chan.”
“~~!! Wh-wha!!”
Because it was dark, Miyako couldn’t see well, but…
“L-let’s hurry back, Miyako!!”
“Okay!”
The ear that had received the treasure was burning bright red.
The one watching this was the fluffy water spirit.
“Nyafu~, that’s hot, meow.”
“Eek, stop it, Umi!!”
“Ah, I forgot about Umi~!”
With matching high-pitched screams, the two turned back the way they came.
—Hand in hand, they ran back along the mountain path.