Chapter 353: Leaving, However...

Having understood the Fertio Marquis family’s predicament and the fact that My Daddy was pulling various strings and doing his best despite the situation, I decided to do my best as well and finished the preparations for departure.

“Is the luggage all set?”

“Yes, sir!”

This time, Esparda was staying behind, while Dee, Arb, and Law were participating, leading fifty cavalrymen and a mechanical bow unit. Dee’s excitement levels were as high as they were during training. And the same went for Ortho and his group, who had accepted the escort request.

“Let’s go, you bastards!”

“Okaaaay.”

“I am not a bastard, you know.”

In contrast to Ortho, who was full of spirit—or rather, whose meter was off the charts—Kusala and the others looked sleepy, while Pluriel pouted with half-open eyes. Since they had been cooped up in the dungeon lately, they seemed to be in a state close to having their day and night reversed. I wonder if the escort will be alright.

“Esparda, I’m counting on you while I’m away!”

“Understood. Please do not be reckless and take care of yourself, Lord Van. Please do not forget that you are already in an important position protecting a part of this Kingdom of Scuderia……”

“Y-Yees! I’m off!”

Since the conversation looked like it would drag on, I hurriedly cut it short. Considering that the trip might take a while this time, and just in case something happened, we decided to travel in armored carriages. There were three armored carriages. Two regular carriages. Furthermore, knights on horseback were lined up in droves around us. At the front was the veteran adventurer team acting as guides and escorts, Mr. Ortho’s party. It was the strongest lineup.

Furthermore, an unprecedented situation was occurring this time. I quietly peeked out of the armored carriage window and looked toward the river flowing near the highway.

“Mm. Son-in-law, do you need something?”

Ladavista, the apkallu, sensitively felt my gaze and turned his face toward me.

“N-No, it’s nothing.”

I replied with a wry smile and pulled back into the carriage. Then, Till and Khamsin, who were sitting opposite me, cast sidelong glances out the window.

“……I never thought we would be traveling with the apkallus.”

“Priora wanted to come too, though.”

“That would be too dangerous, obviously.”

I lightly retorted to Khamsin’s mutter. When I mentioned that we were going downstream to the sea this time, Ladavista showed motivation for some reason. He said, “Since it is the sea, I have comrades there, so I shall ask them to cooperate.”

Are there apkallus in the sea too? The sea seems dangerous with large magic beasts, though.

While feeling such surprise, I decided to adopt Ladavista’s suggestion, thinking that since we are building ships, it would be helpful if they could assist us.

“Lord Van, it is about time for a break.”

“Roooger.”

As I watched Ladavista swimming smoothly down the river, Dee came up close and proposed a break. Since we had been moving for exactly half a day, it was an efficient break that doubled as lunch. I’m surprised Ortho and the others aren’t complaining.

Thinking that as I got off the carriage with Arte, I looked ahead and saw Ortho and the others sitting on the ground at the edge of the highway. They looked like they had just finished running a marathon. Maybe I should carry their luggage for them later.

“Ah, Lord Van……”

“Hm?”

As I was watching Ortho’s group, Arte, standing next to me, tugged at my sleeve and called my name. When I turned around, she was pointing behind us, trying to say something.

“In the back, um…… the people who are lagging behind……”

Arte murmured only that, looking as if it were difficult to say. She had a troubled expression.

I vaguely guessed what she meant just by that, but I reluctantly looked back. On our end, the knights were already briskly preparing for the break, but far behind, Sesto and his group were approaching at a slow marching pace. I observed closely to see what the cause was, and it appeared their carriages had poor performance. There were only two carriages, but perhaps the wheels or the shafts were bad. It didn’t look like they could pick up much speed.

As I groaned with my hand on my chin, a man with the stature of a child emerged from the rearmost armored carriage and snorted.

“Shall I modify it for you?”

Havel, the dwarf, asked while roughly stroking his prized beard with one hand. Honestly, no matter how many weapons and armor they make in Seatoh Village and the adventurer town, they sell out, so the dwarves are super busy. However, since there is a ship mechanism they can’t imagine involved this time, I forcibly had only Havel, the most skilled among them, tag along.

Well, he happily accompanied us upon hearing about the unknown shipbuilding technology, though.

“Hmm…… It can’t be helped, maybe I’ll just make the wheels and shafts for them.”

“Ooh, wheels and axles? Just so you know, if you don’t increase the strength of the chassis too, it might break, you know?”

“I see, that’s true…… Wait, if I do that, I have to modify the suspension too, so wouldn’t it be better to just build a new one from scratch at that point?”

“Suspension is…… ah, leaf springs? Those shouldn’t be much different. Thicker is better, but at certain speeds, thin and flexible is better. If you start modifying it poorly, it will just take up time.”

“No, not leaf springs, I mean ‘springs,’ like coiled vines. If it has enough strength, that kind of spring will definitely absorb the shock.”

“Vines? Ooh, the ones used in this carriage! That is good! It was an interesting mechanism!”

Before I knew it, I was absorbed in a lively discussion about carriage structure with Havel. Arte giggled softly at that and listened happily.