v2c1 - 3

Translator's Note : 1. Del Solant - This standard romanization is done in official translation.

2. I used a .docx file where I initially wrote Nii-sama (Replacing texts) instead of Anii-sama, which is actually the more formal term often used in samurai-era speech or among nobility fitting for how Akari addresses Toru, her brother. I only noticed this mistake later when I resumed work on the chapter after a short break. My apologies for the oversight, it was just a minor replacement error thankfully.

3. I'm having a lot of trouble due to my limited knowledge of HTML. I'm using a Blogspot page for this translation since it's better for reading, but I keep running into issues with extra line breaks and paragraph spacing. These formatting problems keep popping up, especially when I copy and paste after working and creating backups directly. Just an announcement that you'll likely see these issues occasionally.

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Post-War Reconstruction Agency—〈Kleemann〉  

To say it is the only super-national organization on the Felbist Continent would hardly be an exaggeration. It is a peculiar entity, formed through personnel dispatched from multiple nations and funded by their joint contributions.  

However, contrary to its grandiose title, the organization’s facilities and personnel scale are by no means large.  

In truth, 〈Kleemann〉 is closer to a remnant of the united front from the Gaz Empire conquest war. In practice, it serves as a place where rulers, overwhelmed by post-war system reorganization, offload cases deemed “too much to handle.” To put it more bluntly, it’s often used as an excuse to show the populace that “something is being done.”  

With no personnel, no budget and no authority〈Kleemann〉 is a feeble organization plagued by this triple affliction.  

Naturally, as for its personnel, it’s filled with individuals who are “highly capable but too eccentric to be managed by ordinary people,” sent from various nations as a form of disposal.  

For instance, the female aide Karen Bombardier was one such person.  

“The report from the Gillette Corps regarding their encounter with that individual has finally arrived,” Karen announced.  

Konrad Steinmetz, the head of the 〈Kleemann〉 Agency, had just returned to the office after finishing a cigarette in the courtyard. The moment he stepped into the room, Karen delivered her report.  

“That individual?”  

“Chaika Gaz,” Karen replied in a matter-of-fact tone, adjusting her glasses, which sat across the center of her nervous-looking face.  

She was a middle-aged woman who, at a glance, gave off an air of inflexibility—and indeed, her personality was the epitome of rigid adherence to rules. Her administrative skills were exceptional, but she approached others with the assumption that what she could do, they should naturally be able to do as well. As a result, she was often shunned by both superiors and subordinates. Strict with herself and strict with others—her principles were sound, but her demeanor was off-putting.  

In her hands were several sheets of paper.  

Likely, they were the reports sent by the Gillette Corps or rather, copies of them.  

“The daughter of the 〈Demon King〉, is it?” Konrad remarked as he passed by Karen and headed toward his desk.  

“…”  

Karen furrowed her brow at the smell of tobacco but refrained from voicing any complaints.  

It had been her suggestion—nay, her demand—that the office be made a no-smoking zone. Her reasoning was that poor air quality reduced work efficiency. Konrad had reluctantly agreed, but Karen likely understood that this was the extent of his concessions. If she forced him to quit smoking entirely, efficiency would be the least of their concerns; the 〈Kleemann〉 Agency itself might cease to function.  

“Faster than I anticipated,” Konrad said, sitting at his desk and opening the bundle of documents. “It would be nice if this one’s the real deal,” he added, his tone tinged with exasperation.  

The daughter of the 〈Taboo Emperor〉, Arthur Gaz—Chaika Gaz.  

In truth, the Gillette Corps wasn’t the only group searching for her. Even within the 〈Kleemann〉 Agency, two other teams were tasked with the same mission and from them, Konrad and his staff had received multiple reports claiming, “We’ve found the daughter of the 〈Demon King〉.”  

However, most of those captured were quickly deemed impostors.  

To begin with, the very notion that Arthur Gaz had a daughter only surfaced after the war.  

During the war, there had been no information whatsoever regarding the kin of the 〈Forbidden Emperor〉.  

Thus, whether Chaika Gaz even truly existed was questionable.  

Yet, and precisely because of this uncertainty in the chaos following the war, ignorant fools claiming to be the princess of the Gaz Empire emerged in steady numbers, no matter how many were apprehended. Since the Gaz Empire itself had been destroyed, there was little means to verify such claims. But of all the names one could assume, why anyone would choose to pose as the kin of the infamous 〈Taboo Emperor〉 was beyond Konrad’s comprehension.  

“It seems someone is lending her a hand,” Karen noted.  

“Planning another scam, are they?” Konrad said in a dumbfounded tone, flipping through the documents.  

There had been reports of swindlers raising the banner of Gaz Empire restoration, promising rewards to merchants or lords in exchange for funds, only to abscond with the money. In fact, most of the so-called “daughters of the 〈Demon King〉” apprehended thus far fell into this category. Of course, there were also dubious tales of gathering funds to unearth Arthur Gaz’s hidden treasures.  

In any case, such scams typically involved organized efforts to lend credibility. A random girl appearing out of nowhere, claiming to be a princess, would have no chance of being believed. To deceive others, a certain level of theatrics was necessary, and that required “supporting actors” beyond the claimant herself.  

“It appears they engaged in combat with the Gillette Corps,” Karen said in a curt tone.  

“…”  

Konrad paused his handling of the documents.  

Frowning, he turned his gaze toward his aide, urging her to continue.  

“And?”  

“It seems Chaika Gaz had hired two individuals in the city of Del solant—a young man and woman. Their identities are unknown, but after a battle involving Chaika Gaz, these two, and the Gillette Corps, the result was that Chaika Gaz and the young pair fled.”  

“From the Gillette Corps?”  

“Yes.”  

“…Hmm?”  

The Gillette Corps, led by the knight Alberic Gillette, was a ragtag group, but each member possessed considerable skill. Their combat abilities, in particular, were of an exceptionally high standard. To engage them in battle—and escape—was no small feat by mere human.  

The young man and woman in question were likely not ordinary humans.  

Mercenaries, perhaps? Or maybe saboteurs? In any case, they were not the sort typically needed for a mere scam. If it were just a fraud, they’d have fled the moment a knight, even an unofficial one, appeared. No swindler in their right mind would willingly pick a fight with an opponent backed by an official organization.  

“Then… could this one be the real deal?”  

“That’s unclear,” Karen replied.

Speculating was one of the things she loathed most.  

“According to the Gillette Corps’ report, they stole a part of Arthur Gaz’s remains, which were in the possession of Marquis Roberto, and then fled.”  

Of course, there was a non-zero chance that among those claiming to be Chaika Gaz, the real one might exist.  

In fact, the Gillette Corps operated under that assumption, preparing for the worst-case scenario.  

“We’ll still need to confirm,” Konrad said.  

“The Gillette Corps is currently pursuing her,” Karen noted, flipping through the documents. “What the next step?”  

Karen’s question implied whether they should issue additional instructions to the Gillette Corps or perhaps merge another team with them.  

But…  

“Nothing to be done,” Konrad said, returning his gaze to the documents. “Whether she’s real or fake, we won’t know until we capture her. But real or not, the ‘daughter of the 〈Demon King〉’ is a destabilizing presence in these times. Our basic policy remains unchanged. Continue the pursuit as is. If they succeed in apprehending her and confirm she’s the real thing, we’ll decide how to proceed then.”  

“Understood,” Karen said with a firm nod.  

It seemed Konrad’s instructions were perfectly satisfactory to her.  

“I’ll arrange for a mage to convey the orders accordingly.”  

With that, the topic of the “daughter of the 〈Demon King〉” pursued by the Gillette Corps was, for the moment, concluded between the two.  

Post-War Reconstruction Agency—〈Kleemann〉

Established as little more than an excuse for the rulers, this organization was perpetually understaffed, yet its workload was mountainous. The pile of documents awaiting approval only grew, never diminished.  

Konrad and Karen silently began reviewing the next case’s paperwork.

Gotogoto—with the sound of the wheels biting into the ground crawled up from below.  

The shared carriage plodded slowly along the afternoon highway.  

It was a large carriage drawn by eight horses… but its speed was only slightly faster than walking.  

Part of the reason was the large, heavy carriage body it towed—but above all, the highway in this area was poorly maintained. Countless small stones littered the road surface, and if the wheels rolled over them at anything above a certain speed, there was a risk of the carriage tipping over.  

In principle, local lords were supposed to maintain such highways… but in the post-war era, some areas were neglected due to lack of resources, while others had lost their lords entirely.  

This area was clearly the latter.  

To the left and right of the highway stretched an endless reddish-brown wasteland.  

There was nothing else. Truly, nothing but sky and ground could be seen all the way to the horizon.  

It could be called a clear view—but when there was this much of nothing, it felt almost unnatural. Not even a single weed grew here. Yet, there were no notable dips or rises in the terrain either. Just a rough, gritty surface.  

This was the site of a former battlefield.  

Due to large-scale magical weapons used in the final days of the Warring States era, this entire area had been razed—literally, not even the roots of trees remained.  

Many would find it hard to believe that a town, and even a lord’s castle, once stood here. A city that had thrived on trade due to its strategic location on the highway… now left only its name as a trace, completely erased from the face of the earth.  

Even five years later, not a single blade of grass grew because the magical weapons’ effects had compacted the earth into something akin to a giant slab of rock. Even if seeds of plants arrived on the wind or in bird droppings, there was no soft soil here for them to take root. Soil improvement or irrigation might restore the land, but no lord in the vicinity had the resources to undertake such a task.  

This was a land abandoned by its rulers.  

A landscape that induced melancholy just by looking at it.  

But—  

“…What’s with that?”  

“That thing… it’s gotta be, right?”  

“Ugh… it’s creepy…”  

The hushed whispers of the passengers reached his ears.  

When the surrounding scenery offered nothing worth looking at, the passengers’ gazes naturally turned inward, toward the carriage’s interior. On a long journey, once conversation topics ran dry, it was only natural that their curiosity would shift to things they’d initially pretended to ignore.  

“…”  

Having good hearing could be a curse in times like these—Tooru thought to himself.  

Unnecessary noise filtered into his ears, making it hard to stay calm. He could adopt a stoic attitude and ignore it, but he couldn’t entirely dismiss the passengers’ wary feelings, so he felt a hit of guilt in him.  

Normally, a large shared carriage like this was a vehicle for commoners.  

Unlike the hired carriages used within cities, these were for traveling relatively long distances—from town to town, village to village. The reason they were mostly used by commoners was that nobles and merchants typically owned their own carriages or mechanized vehicles.  

But for many commoners, there was little need to leave their hometowns.  

Even if not entirely self-sufficient, their daily lives were often contained within their town or village. It wasn’t uncommon for someone to live their entire life without ever stepping foot outside their birthplace.  

Conversely, the passengers on a shared carriage often had some specific reason for traveling. Perhaps they were attending a ceremony like a wedding or funeral, visiting distant relatives or acquaintances, fulfilling a religious pilgrimage, or simply traveling for leisure.  

Even among such people… that passenger stood out glaringly.  

To put it bluntly, their presence was unmistakably “out of place” in the carriage.  

“—Toru.”  

The passenger in question tilted their head curiously and called out to him.  

If only he could pretend to be someone else, but that wasn’t an option.  

“What is it?”  

Tooru responded with a surly tone.  

“Face. Weird.”  

“…”  

Narrowing his eyes, Tooru shifted his gaze from the window to the girl sitting across from him—facing him directly.  

It was Chaika.  

Looking at her again, he couldn’t help but think—she was truly a beautiful girl.  

A delicate beauty, like a piece of fine craftsmanship.  

Her long silver hair was the first thing that caught the eye. Her skin was pale and smooth, making the purple eyes set in the center of her face stand out vividly. Her slightly upturned eyes, reminiscent of a cat’s, somehow didn’t give off a harsh impression. Instead, her overall delicate appearance made her seem so fragile that a careless embrace might shatter her.  

Like a sculpture of ice—or a snow statue.  

Her outfit, a dress in white and black, reinforced that impression. Blue stones adorned the collar and a butterfly-shaped hair accessory, but aside from her eyes, those were the only splashes of color on her.  

In short, she was cute. Incredibly cute.  

Which was why… even sitting in the corner of a shared carriage, she stood out like a sore thumb.  

“Hoh?” Tooru narrowed his eyes further, glaring at Chaika. “Whose face is weird, you say again?”  

He spoke each word deliberately, as if to say there’d be no excuses or evasions allowed.  

But Chaika, utterly unfazed, pointed a slender finger at Toru’s nose with a gesture so sharp it seemed to make a bishi sound.  

“Toru.”  

“…I don’t think I’ve got the kind of odd mug that’d warrant being openly pointed at and called weird before you know?”  

“Scowling. Everyone’s watching.”  

“…”  

Suppressing the sudden urge to scream rising in his throat, Toru spoke in a deliberately restrained tone—standing out any more would cause all sorts of trouble.  

“Chaika. Let’s get one thing straight first.”  

“Mui?”  

“The weird one here is you.”  

“…!?”  

Stunned, Chaika placed both hands on her face. Petapeta—she patted her cheeks and forehead before speaking in a trembling voice.  

“Shocking truth…”  

With a horrified expression, Chaika continued.  

“It’s not your face, idiot!”  

“—Body!?”  

This time, petapeta, Chaika slapped her chest and waist with her palms. Then, with an oddly enlightened expression, she nodded and said...  

“Expectations. For future.”  

“What the hell are you even talking about?”  

“Actually. It’s padded.”  

She pointed at her chest as she spoke.  

“Huh? For real? If that’s padded, then how much is—wait, no!”  Resisting the urge to thrash about on the spot, Toru muttered under his breath. “It’s not about your body either! And don’t go spilling unnecessary details!”  

“Mumu?”  

“Get it already damn it! It’s your luggage! Or rather, put that massive thing on the roof!”  

Toru pointed at Chaika’s luggage as he spoke.  

The interior of the shared carriage had seats lined along both walls. The “seats” were little more than wooden boxes fixed at waist height with metal fittings. Passengers tossed their hand luggage into the box they sat on and perched atop it.  

Tooru was seated at the very back of the passenger compartment, with Chaika sitting directly across from him, close enough that they could reach out and touch each other.  

She was… sitting, for lack of a better term except her backside was floating in midair.  

Instead, it was her luggage perched on the wooden box that served as a seat.  

That luggage—the coffin housing her Gundo.  

Chaika carried it on her back. As a result, the coffin was “sitting” on the seat, while Chaika was dangling from it, or rather, hovering in midair. Tooru couldn’t help but wonder if this wasn’t exhausting, but Chaika herself seemed perfectly fine. Perhaps the balance somehow spared her knees and hips from strain.  

“Important. Critical. Never part with it.”  

“I know that already.”  

Toru was well aware that this coffin was incredibly important to Chaika—equal to her life, or perhaps even more so in some cases. She seemed to grow anxious if it wasn’t within her line of sight, or better yet, within arm’s reach.  

That said, carrying something that screamed “corpse container” into the passenger compartment of a shared carriage was bound to draw attention. Especially when someone with Chaika’s eye-catching appearance was involved.  

Initially, the carriage driver had objected to bringing the coffin onboard—no surprise there—but Chaika’s stubborn refusal had worn him down.  

Naturally… the other passengers cast wary, suspicious glances at her, wondering what or who she was. Some even wore openly displeased expressions. No sane person would be thrilled to share a ride with someone carrying such an ominous object.  

“What a mess…”  

Toru muttered with a groan.  

There was, of course, a reason Tooru and the others had boarded this carriage today.  

Their pursuers—Alberic Gillette and his group.  

Knights like them, likely with access to carriages or mechanized vehicles and backed by organizational resources, would easily overtake Tooru’s group if they traveled on foot. So, they’d resorted to desperate measures like crossing mountains at the risk of getting lost, or hiding in the wilderness for days to throw off their pursuers but… with Chaika, who lacked stamina, in tow, they couldn’t keep that up forever.  

Thus, Tooru and the others had boarded the carriage, fully aware it would make them conspicuous.  

But—  

“A silver-haired girl carrying a coffin.”  

Such an extraordinarily distinctive figure was bound to attract attention. Chaika’s appearance might be disguised to some extent, but the coffin was another matter entirely.  

For fugitives, it was akin to walking around with a flag on their backs proclaiming, “Here we are.” No matter how you looked at it, this was far from a clever approach.  

As Tooru mulled over these thoughts—  

“What’s wrong, Anii-sama?” Akari’s voice interrupted. “If something troubles Anii-sama’s heart, please, confide in me.”  

“No, it’s not about confiding…”  

“Though my humble self may be of little help to Anii-sama’s thoughts, as profound as the sea and as lofty as the sky, even so—”  

“I appreciate the flattery, but I’m sorry to say—” Toru spoke wearily. “My thoughts aren’t that deep to begin with.”  

His decision to join Chaika—or rather, to stand by her side—was largely driven by the heat of the moment.  

“No. I won’t be fooled.”  

Akari looked straight at Tooru and declared.  

“What’s there to gain by fooling you?”  

“Even if you feign ignorance, I know. Anii-sama is deliberately playing the fool.”  

“And why would I go out of my way to do that?”  

“It makes you more approachable, does it not?”  

Akari said this with an unnecessarily solemn tone.  

This girl, who rarely showed much expression, spoke with such consistency that whether she was saying, “I’m going to kill you now” or “I’m off for a walk,” you couldn’t tell the difference without her voice. As a result, even the most trivial nonsense sounded oddly profound, which was thoroughly annoying.  

“What was it? Yes—”  

Frowning, Akari pressed her index finger to her forehead.  

After a moment of silent contemplation, as if in anguish—  

“Yes. It makes you truly—sosoru.”  

“…”  

Tooru stared at his sister with the look one gives to something utterly pointless.  

“…Oh, my apologies, Anii-sama.”  

Raising one hand as if making a vow, Akari continued.  “I misspoke. It wasn’t sosoru.”  

“Is that so?”  

“It was moeru.”  

(TN: The word used here is 萌える read as moeru, an otaku slang term meaning to feel strong affection or attraction toward something cute or “moe.” So basically, Akari is saying that Toru has a kind of moe charm that he’s irresistibly cute or appealing in that way.)

“…I mean, I couldn’t care less, but—”  Groaning, Toru let out a sigh.  “That's aside, we’ve gotta do something about this situation…”  

“Indeed.”  Akari nodded.  “At this rate, every passenger will end up moe for Anii-sama.”  

“Nobody’s moe-ing!”  

“Fool. I’m already in moe-moe.”  

“Just shut up already!”  Growling, Tooru reiterated.  “What I’m saying is we can’t afford to stand out. Get it?”  

“…Of course, I understand. It was simply a joke.”  

“Really?”  

“Probably—maybe.”  

“Why’s that so vague?”  

For a moment, he wondered if she even knew what she was saying, but that aside—  

“If possible, I’d rather not cross paths with those guys again.”  

Alberic Gillette and his subordinates.  

A knight, mercenaries, and an assassin.  

It was surprising enough that such an unlikely group—rarely seen together even on a battlefield—was operating as a unit, but their skills were undeniably top-tier.  

Toru had fought one of them and won… but there was no guarantee he’d win again next time.  

In a fight—especially a real battle, not a game or a match—the outcome could vary greatly depending on circumstances. Luck played a significant role. A truly strong soldier was one who could navigate both good and bad luck to secure victory. Fools who prattled about fighting on equal terms in perfect conditions wouldn’t survive three days on a battlefield.  

That’s why… true warriors aimed to avoid fighting altogether. Fighting only when absolutely necessary was the key to maximizing the chance of victory. At least, that’s what Toru had been taught. 

 “Know that the moment you draw your blade from its sheath, the battle is already over.”  

In any case—  

“Once we reach the next town, we’ll need to think things over.”  

“Umu.” Akari nodded. “Indeed, Chaika should sleep in a separate room. As they say, men and women past seven should not share a bed.”  

“You’ve been sleeping in the same room as me this whole time!”  

“I’m your sister, so it’s fine.”  

“…Is that how it works?”  

“That’s how it works.”  

For some reason, his sister sounded faintly smug. Shifting his gaze from her to the barren wasteland outside, Toru sighed again.  

“We’re gonna need ‘wheels.’”  

Lowering his voice so the other passengers wouldn’t hear, Toru continued.  

“A carriage, a mechanized vehicle, or something else entirely. We can’t always count on finding a convenient carriage—and Chaika.”  

“Mui?”  

Beckoned by Tooru, Chaika leaned forward, blinking curiously.  

“For starters, you’ve got a decent amount of money, right? Funds, I mean.”  

“Decent?”  

“Like, enough to buy a used mechanized vehicle or a small travel carriage.”  

“Ah… affirmative.”  

Chaika nodded.  

In fact, she was quite wealthy as expected of a former imperial princess, she possessed valuable gold coins and jewelry likely taken during the empire’s fall, so there was little worry about travel funds for now.  

That said… no matter how much money one had, it could be squandered quickly with extravagance.  

Especially as fugitives, having more money was always better. When push came to shove, it was usually brute force—or money—that got things done.  

In the long term, securing their own means of transport would undoubtedly save on travel expenses. With no prospects of increasing their funds, they couldn’t afford to spend recklessly.  

“And—”  Glancing at the horses plodding along ahead of the driver’s seat, Tooru continued. “A carriage is one thing, but a mechanized vehicle can only be operated by a mage.”  

A mechanized vehicle could be thought of as a giant Gundo specialized for travel. Naturally, non-mages like Tooru and the others couldn’t operate one.  

“Considering mobility and all, a mechanized vehicle would be ideal. If we can get one, we should prioritize it over a carriage. But in that case, Chaika—you’d have to drive it. Got it?”  

“Understood. Approved.”  

Chaika nodded readily.

Ipsom City was, by the standards of the Felbist Continent, one might say an average fortified city.  

In other words, it wasn’t structurally all that different from Del Solant City, from which Toru and the others had fled. It was slightly smaller in scale than Del Solant, and instead of mountainous terrain, forests spread out in the surrounding area—but the city itself had no particularly distinctive features.  

For the time being, having arrived in Ipsom City via the shared carriage, Toru and his group decided to take lodging here. Camping in the wild was fine, but doing so continuously drained their stamina considerably. Fortunately, there were several inns of varying sizes near the trading post, so they were able to choose a suitable room.  

“Well then—I’ll go scout around.”  

Leaving those words behind, Toru stepped out of the inn.  

He was acting alone. Chaika was far too conspicuous, so he’d judged it best not to let her wander around in crowded places. Akari was tasked with guarding her. Though Chaika was a mage, her close-combat abilities were nearly nonexistent. If they were to encounter Gillette and his group suddenly, even by some miracle, it was doubtful whether they’d have time to escape, let alone a chance to win.  

(Gotta avoid a head-on clash with those guys at all costs.)  

Even in peak condition, their odds of victory were probably slim.  

There was no guarantee that Gillette’s companions were limited to that mercenary and assassin. If they were careless, he might even have a few mages in tow. In such cases, as a general rule, the side with greater forces—pure numbers—tended to win. If Toru’s group had any hope of victory, it would lie in an ambush or failing that, some kind of unconventional strategy or trick.  

“…”  

There was a mountain of things to consider.  

These past few days—since leaving Del Solant City—had been nothing but constant movement, movement, leaving little time to think, let alone have a calm discussion. For Toru and Akari, even during their wilderness camps, they’d cut their usual sleep time to less than half, taking turns standing watch through the night.  

But… if they could secure a mechanized vehicle, they’d have more leeway to strategize.  

Glancing up, he caught sight of a signboard for the “Trading Post.”  

Near trading posts, there were usually parking lots for merchants dealing in carriages or mechanized vehicles.  

Some sold new vehicles, while others handled repairs or sold parts. Mechanized vehicles required a mage to operate, so not all merchants dealt in them—but carriages or oxcarts, with their relatively simple structures, were widely available. With the war over and trade between regions becoming easier, vehicle merchants were busy everywhere, and their stock was often plentiful.  

It seemed the trading post was just around the next corner.  

Toru casually turned the corner—and then.  

“—!”  

With deliberate calm striving for natural movements—he slipped into the shadow of a nearby stable.  

Truth be told, he wanted nothing more than to kick the ground and dive behind cover at full speed… but he managed to restrain himself. In the mundane scenery of a city, movements too swift would only draw attention. If the other party hadn’t noticed him, pretending to pass by nonchalantly was far less likely to get him spotted than panicking and hiding.  

“…Oh, come on.”  

Leaning his back against the stable’s wall, Toru muttered with a groan.  

Taking a deep breath, he slowly suppressed his presence—erasing it too abruptly could draw attention as well—then cautiously circled the stable. The stable’s doors and windows were all open for ventilation, allowing a clear line of sight through to the street on the other side, depending on the angle… but the presence and silhouettes of the dozen or so horses tethered inside should conceal Toru’s existence from the other party.  

“They’ve caught up already…?”  

Through the stable, Toru’s gaze fixed on a point ahead.  

There stood a large warehouse.  

It wasn’t particularly tall, but it was flat and—sprawling. And no wonder peering through the open loading entrance, he could see numerous carriages and mechanized vehicle bodies, both large and small, lined up inside.  

It was likely a vehicle merchant’s warehouse.  

Of course, the stable where he was hiding was also managed by this merchant. The tethered horses were all large, with thick bodies and legs, bred not for riding but for pulling carriages.  

“The other one… not that assassin, then?”  

Just then, two figures emerged from the warehouse.  

One of them was the person walking on the left from Toru’s perspective—was somehow familiar.  

The blond young knight, Alberic Gillette with his handsome, with graceful mannerisms, he gave off the air of a refined, orthodox noble at first glance—but Toru knew his swordsmanship was anything but ordinary. Honestly, Toru wasn’t confident he could win in a fair one-on-one duel.  

Like a selectively bred horse or dog… among nobles, clans renowned for martial prowess were practically a different species from ordinary humans. They were the sort who gripped a sword’s hilt before learning to walk on two legs. Their muscles, bones, and entire daily lives were optimized for martial training.  

A bloodline of warriors forged through long years of conflict.  

There was no doubt that Alberic Gillette was their descendant.  

But—  

“…An amateur?”  

Walking beside Alberic was a petite girl, likely in her teen who had a slightly dreamy air, with large aqua eyes and small glasses perched on her nose as her defining features. She was clearly not the assassin Alberic had been with the other day—Toru recalled him calling her Vivi.  

It wasn’t just her appearance but also her gait was different.  

To put it bluntly, her movements reeked of an amateur. At a glance, it was obvious she had no training in physical techniques, however… her attire wasn’t that of an ordinary citizen.  

Her clothing was overall lacking in ornamentation, with leather belts around her thighs and waist, from which hung several small pouches. Her purely utilitarian appearance gave the impression of a certain type of artisan—someone who made a living crafting some kind of specialty.  

“A mage perhaps…?”  

For a mage, lacking physical training was actually the norm.  

Given how quickly they’d caught up… it was almost certain that Alberic’s group was traveling by mechanized vehicle. And if so, they’d naturally need a mage to operate the vehicle’s magical engine. This girl was likely the driver. Toru had heard of mages who specialized in handling large magical engines like those, rather than Gundos.  

“If that’s the case… this is bad. Really bad.”  

Waiting in the stable’s shadow for Alberic and the girl to pass, Toru let out a sigh.  

He wasn’t optimistic enough to chalk up spotting them here to mere coincidence.  

Most likely, they’d thought along the same lines as him.  

Toru’s group, limited to traveling on foot or by shared carriage, had clear constraints.  

Thus, they’d try to acquire a carriage or mechanized vehicle as soon as possible… and anticipating that, Alberic’s group had come to the vehicle merchant. They might have described Toru and Chaika’s appearances and asked to be notified if they were spotted, or perhaps even ordered the merchant not to sell them a vehicle. If a knight openly declared it was for “official business,” commoners would have no choice but to comply.  

“What a mess.”  

For Toru’s group right now, securing a carriage or mechanized vehicle was practically a necessity.  

As it stood, despite all their efforts over the past week to evade pursuit using foot travel and shared carriages, they’d still been caught up to like this.  

“Steal someone’s vehicle by force…?”  

It wasn’t beyond Toru’s group’s capabilities.  

But that would, naturally, cause a commotion—and leave a trail for Alberic’s group to follow. For now, Alberic’s group likely didn’t know Chaika was in this city. If they could slip away unnoticed, there was a chance the pursuers would head in a different direction.  

“No. The vehicle can wait for now.”  

Confirming the direction Alberic and the girl had gone, Toru took off in the opposite direction. He’d have to take a long detour—but running, he could get back to the inn quickly.  

“We’ve gotta clear out of the inn ASAP…!”  

He didn’t know how many people Alberic’s group had with them.  

From what Toru knew, Alberic had at least two other companions, the hulking mercenary and the assassin girl. They could be operating separately, checking inns. The giant mercenary—Nikolai, was it?—was likely still recovering from wounds sustained in his fight with Toru, but if there were other unknown allies, Akari alone might not be able to protect Chaika.  

“Damn it…!”  

Trying to avoid attention, Toru darted through back alleys.  

He was gripped by urgency.  

And… perhaps because of that.  

He had failed to notice that presence.  

“—Yo.”  

As they passed each other in a narrow back alley—the boy called out casually.  

“No need to rush like that. For now, Chaika Gaz is still safe.”  

“—!?”  

In the next instant, Toru kicked the ground, spinning around—landing while scraping the earth with his soles to kill his sprint’s momentum. His hand rested on the hilt of the short sword slung beneath his cloak, ready to draw and strike, as he assumed a combat stance.  

“…”  

Who was this? No—what was this?  

Just a moment ago, the boy hadn’t been there.  

At the very least, Toru hadn’t registered his presence.  

Those skilled in manipulating their presence could completely erase it, blending into the scenery—so seamlessly that even if someone saw them, their mind wouldn’t process it. In a way, it was similar to how Toru had avoided sudden movements earlier to stay inconspicuous.  

But—  

(This guy…)  

If this guy was a master of such presence manipulation—he was on an entirely different level as no amature could have done that.  

Even standing face-to-face now, his presence was so faint that if Toru didn’t consciously focus on him, he might lose track of where he was.  

His features weren’t… ordinary, exactly.  

In fact, his appearance was striking.  

Likely in his mid-teens—around Chaika’s age, perhaps. His frame still carried the delicate, androgynous quality of someone not yet fully matured into a “man.”  

Flaxen hair, amber eyes, a refined face, but… somehow unnatural. Like a doll—as if something inherently human, something that should be there, was missing. Too pristine, lacking the raw scent of life, one might say.

“Oh?” The guy turned back with a smile at Toru’s reaction, as if he’d been flicked by a sudden jolt. “Sorry about that. I didn’t mean to startle you.”  

“…”  

Toru remained silent.  

He couldn’t gauge who—or what—this boy was. Was he an enemy or an ally?  

At the very least, the boy knew Chaika’s name and her identity. And he knew that Toru was by her side. Otherwise, his earlier words wouldn’t have made sense.  

But how, and from where, had he learned this?  

Was he one of Alberic Gillette’s companions?  

But if that were the case, those words shouldn’t have come up at all. If he were with Gillette, he’d have simply gone to capture Chaika in silence—there’d be no need for such a statement.  

“—Who are you?”  

“That’s a tough question.” The boy said this with a soft smile. “I’m not confident I can provide an answer that would satisfy you.”  

“…What?”  

“That said, it’s inconvenient not to have a name to go by, isn’t it? For now, you can just call me—let’s see. Guy will do.”  

With that, the boy extended a hand, as if offering a handshake.