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Chapter 10: To the Royal Capital
“Did you manage to send the letter?” Saioji asked.
“Yep. Though, are you sure it's okay that it doesn't have the sender's address on it?”
“As long as it was sent, it'll be fine.”
The day after mailing the letter to Saioji's parents, we departed from Erakton and headed for the royal capital. The formation stretched out in a long column. Around thirty members of the Dawnmoon Brigade marched while surrounding the wagons. I walked near the center of the group, right beside Captain Saioji.
“Are you sure this is okay? I think I should be at the rear of the group.”
En̄_um а́ . і ď
“You don't have any combat experience, right, Masato? Then staying beside me is the correct choice. New recruits are usually protected in the center where the defenses are strongest.”
“I see.”
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
It had been twenty years since I arrived in the fantasy world of Asphial, but this was the first time he had ever undertaken a genuine journey. Ordinarily, unless someone was an adventurer or traveling merchant, they rarely left the village or city where they were born. I myself had only traveled outside once—when I moved from my birthplace to Erakton. Other than that, I had hardly ventured beyond city limits.
Furthermore, the area we were traveling through was classified as dangerous territory where monsters such as goblins and kobolds appeared. Such dangerous regions were typically places filled with atmospheric magical particles known as mana essence. Besides monsters, even ordinary animals exposed to these particles could mutate.
Most villages and cities in this world were built in areas with low concentrations of mana essence and were therefore relatively safe. There were exceptions—locations established in high-magic areas for strategic reasons—but such cases were rare.
“Honestly, I never imagined I'd get to read Yume Koi in this world.”
Еṅum̄ а . і̀d
“Then I guess importing it was worth the effort.”
Travel was done primarily on foot. Injured or sick people could ride in the wagons, but everyone else—including Saioji—walked.
Still, this was a fantasy world. Compared to Earth, the inhabitants possessed far greater stamina and movement speed. With only a single lunch break, they could easily cover dozens of kilometers a day. At that pace, they expected to reach the capital of the Cainliese Kingdom, Leinburg, in roughly one week.
Despite passing through dangerous lands, the journey itself was surprisingly peaceful. As long as they stayed on maintained roads, encounters with monsters occurred only a few times per day. According to Saioji, they rarely needed to fight at all unless they entered nearby forests.
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As a result, much of our time was spent chatting idly to pass the hours.
“Is Yume Koi really that famous?” I asked.
Е́ n̈ ú m̂à
“It started serialization about five years ago. Back then, everyone was reading it. It was extremely popular at my high school too.”
“Your high school was that elite girls' academy, wasn't it? Even students there read manga?”
“What exactly do you think my school was?” Saioji sighed.
The school she attended, Ouka Girls' Academy in Tokyo, had already been a prestigious institution even in my era. It was the kind of integrated middle-and-high school attended by daughters of former nobility and distinguished families.
“You'll understand if you read it. The art style looks like a shoujo manga, but it was popular with men too.”
As she spoke, Saioji handed me Yume Koi Volume 1.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“Alright. I'll read it tonight.”
“But be careful. For some reason, people in this world can read Japanese too. If the others see it, they'll probably take it from you.”
“...I'll be careful.”
One of the world's unresolved mysteries was that all written and spoken languages—Japanese, English, and others—were somehow universally understood. For reincarnates like me and transferred individuals like Saioji, it was incredibly convenient, but nobody knew why it worked.
Because of that, if the bored members of the brigade discovered the manga, it would undoubtedly cause a commotion, so Saioji warned me to keep it hidden.
During the journey from Erakton to the royal capital, we generally did not stop in villages or towns and instead camped outdoors. However, we did not simply set up camp in the middle of nowhere. Along the roads were designated camping sites, similar to service areas or rest stops on Japanese highways, where travelers gathered and spent the night.
Ё ṅ u m а .і d́_
“It's a lot busier than I expected.”
Everyone in the brigade helped with camp preparations. Tasks ranged from lighting fires and pitching tents to hunting wild animals in nearby forests. By sunset, numerous merchant caravans had already gathered there in addition to the Dawnmoon Brigade.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“This campsite is the largest and safest in the area,” Saioji explained. “Some caravans probably pushed themselves to reach it specifically for protection.”
I joined the other members in setting up camp. The tents were assembled much like modern camping equipment in Japan, but the materials were heavy and demanded real physical labor. Even so, the experienced members worked quickly.
While carrying equipment, I was approached by another member of the brigade—a woman with distinctive blonde hair named Nike.
“For protection?” I asked.
Е n u̇m̃а̊ . i d̀
“Yeah. Some traveling merchants and caravans effectively use adventurer groups like ours as escorts.”
“Isn't that kind of unfair?”
“It's a give-and-take relationship. In return, the caravans often sell us food at discounted prices.”
At first, it sounded a bit like freeloading, but according to Nike, both sides benefited.
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For one thing, campsites where adventurers and merchant caravans gathered tended to be located in areas with low concentrations of mana essence and were therefore relatively safe. In most cases, monsters and aggressive beasts would not attack even at night.
On the other hand, if a caravan or adventurer group encountered problems, merchants at the same campsite might sell supplies at reduced prices. Some refused, but most cooperated, helping one another during their travels for mutual benefit.
Ë n̈um̆_а̂_
