Chapter 224:Preparations and Farewells

Well, I have to make various preparations to ensure a comfortable journey. Traveling with a large group to the county seat of the Fertio County will take about three weeks. Furthermore, moving from there to the border with the Shelvia Confederation will add another three weeks. A one-way trip lasting one to one and a half months is quite challenging.

And so, I decided to create a lavish carriage, a “Van-special.” The model I used was the ultra-luxury sightseeing train, the Nanatsuboshi (Seven Stars), which was popular on Earth in my previous life. I’ve never ridden it, by the way. I only looked at pictures online while wishing I could.

Based on that vague image, I started the production of the ultra-luxury carriage, the Cullinan. The wooden block framework is the same as previous carriages, but the interior features unified dark brown wood for the ceiling, walls, and floor, accented by gold decorations on the doors and window frames. The deep seats, which can be converted into beds, are padded with black magical beast leather, giving them a distinctively high-end look. Wooden blinds were installed on the windows, and I also added beautifully decorative lamps.

At a glance, the interior is so luxurious and ornate it looks fit for royalty. Furthermore, I paid careful attention to the exterior decorations. The black-lacquered base, adorned with gold filigree, should offer a subtle yet undeniable sense of luxury.

As proof, Apollo gasped in admiration upon seeing the newly completed carriage.

“Oh! I was secretly worried when I heard you were building a carriage now, but to think you could create one of this caliber in a single day!”

Apollo walked around the carriage, almost dancing as he voiced his amazement.

If Apollo, who is a member of the largest guild in the world—the Merchant Guild—and has likely traveled to many countries, is surprised, then the carriage must be exceptionally well-made. I personally think I did a great job, so I replied cheerfully.

“I spent a lot of time on the details. But I think the ride quality will be excellent too.”

“No, I meant the speed of completion was astounding…”

Apollo said, sounding slightly exasperated, as he inspected the carriage’s wheels and chassis construction. He meticulously examined the sturdy frame, the shock-absorbing springs, and the interior. Being a true merchant, he might have been calculating how much this could be sold for.

As I was thinking that, Law, who had been busy with various preparations, returned.

“Lord Van! Your change of clothes, preserved food, and various seasonings are all prepared!”

“Great, thank you!”

It seemed the most crucial elements for a long journey were now ready. I thanked Law, who was leading several packhorses loaded with supplies. Khamsin and Till quickly went to confirm the vast amount of luggage piled onto the packhorses and were surprised by the sheer volume.

“That’s an amazing amount,” Khamsin murmured.

“Oh, and so many seasonings! This means we can cook as usual!” Till exclaimed.

Khamsin and Till leaned their upper bodies over the packhorse’s cargo bed, standing on their toes, and calling out. Behind them, Arte chuckled softly, covering her mouth with one hand, before speaking.

“It should have been a very difficult journey, but thanks to Lord Van, it seems we’ll travel in comfort.”

“That’s right. Although we’ll be near the border, we’ll be moving along the main roads within the Kingdom of Scuderia, so there should be little danger,” I replied to Arte.

In truth, I felt a slight unease internally. After all, this time we were moving with a small number of people. For one, Dee and Arb would not be nearby for an extended period, and Esparda also had to remain in Seatoh Village. The majority of the Seatoh Knights were also staying behind to defend the village.

In short, we would be traveling lightly, accompanied only by Law, Arte, Khamsin, Till, and the elite of the Mechanical Bow Unit. I couldn’t completely dismiss the possibility of an invasion from another location, just as Ferdinatto County had been attacked.

No, if I think about it calmly, with a fortress city built right under their noses, and the possibility of an advance on the capital at any moment, I doubt Yelenetta would risk attacking from an inconvenient location. Still, traveling with such a small group made me uneasy.

Well, compared to when I first arrived at Seatoh Village, my circumstances were vastly better, but perhaps I had become too accustomed to our regular, comfortable life.

“…Alright, since we should be ready by the end of today, let’s depart tomorrow morning. Does everyone have everything they need?”

When I asked Arte, Khamsin, and Till, Till suddenly turned to me with a start.

“Ah! That reminds me, the Apkallu and the Dwarves requested an audience when they heard Lord Van would be away for a while!”

“Huh? They’ve been saying that for three days, haven’t they?”

“…I think I might have overheard something about that the day before yesterday…”

“You only overheard it, did you?”

I offered a wry smile to Till, who seemed to have forgotten the report. She replied with a little “ehehe,” trying to cover up her mistake.

In the evening, after Till’s report, I immediately headed to the Apkallu’s residence.

“Van. We hear you go to war,” said Ladavesta, the Patriarch of the Apkallu.

“We pray for your military fortune and grant you this stone,” added Avtovaz, the Patriarch of the Aft tribe. Both spoke with stern expressions, holding out a piece of mineral. It was larger and darker in color than the others they had given me before.

“Oh? This is…”

I had received similar minerals twice before, but judging by the color and texture, could this be that rare metal, hailed even in legends? I looked at the two of them, and they offered a solemn nod.

“This is a stone that even we rarely see.”

“Lately, we have adopted the human custom and call it Orichalcum.”

When they told me that, I performed a little jig in my mind while accepting the stone with reverence.

“Thank you. I will use it carefully.”

I replied, accepting the lump of raw Orichalcum. It was a heavy, substantial piece.

With this, that plan could advance one step further.

That’s right: the creation of a complete set of gear for a hero. Just recently, Ortho and his party had finally completed their full set of Mythril equipment, and thanks to its unified appearance, it looked every bit as impressive as the Royal Guard’s gear.

If I could equip Dee and Khamsin with a full set of Orichalcum gear, wouldn’t that be incredible?

Based on that simple idea, I had been devising a way to acquire Orichalcum.

Happily, I began moving to store the Orichalcum in the Lord’s manor, only to accidentally run into the Dwarves, whom I had been planning to visit next.

Havel, who was leading the group, noticed me, raised one hand cheerfully to speak, and then froze.

“Wha—what’s this, what’s this?!”

“Havel! Why have you stopped?!” the other Dwarves lined up behind him shouted loudly. Then, they noticed me, smiled, raised one hand to speak, and also froze solid.

Seeing them all freeze in similar poses, Till burst out laughing.

“Mr. Havel and your friends look like statues!”

Perhaps reacting to her voice, Havel and the others seemed to reboot. They then stared at the Orichalcum mineral held by Khamsin with the expressions of demons.

“O-o-o-oi!?”

“T-that’s Orichalcum ore, isn’t it!?”

“And it’s a size I’ve never seen before…!”

Havel and the Dwarves instantly became boisterous. This was bad.

“Khamsin, hide it!”

“Y-yes, sir!”

“No, it’s far too late for that!”