In the village of Esleben, we were scheduled to dock with the ship borrowed from Keibeck. We hurriedly set off from Klinshberbach.
“How long until we reach the village?”
“It’s supposed to take two and a half days. If it were just horses, it wouldn’t even take two days!”
Traveling by horse alone is faster. Somehow though, with the carriage being pulled, we were still taking our time despite our haste. If we discarded the heavy barrels of alcohol, we might arrive a bit quicker.
“There’s no need to rush. Ashtal is a laid-back place.”
It’s unwise to take a drunkard’s words at face value, but as Priscilla said, we did have a little time to spare.
The Ashtal Imperial Expedition Force would arrive in about ten days. It wouldn’t be easy to mobilize the army, so adding five more days, it would be roughly fifteen. It would take us about seven days to head from here to the village, get on the ship, and arrive in Lauenstein.
We had ample time to meet our deadline. The only worry I had was that the ultimate weapon I had asked Orietta to create was still unfinished, but she had assured me it would be completed by the time we reached Lauenstein.
This was something I intended to keep secret until we boarded the ship. You never know who might be listening, and I couldn’t predict when the demon girl Alma might betray us. If the enemy found out our information and escaped, the Allied Forces could collapse.
“Mikael, since we’re together now, let’s continue our little game of torture,” said Alma, who was hugging me from behind while I steered the carriage. I couldn’t help but question why she wasn’t tied up. Why is she wandering free? Is everyone advocating for free love or something?
“Be careful, sit down.”
One warning after another, and my body took damage from the laser that pierced through Alma, disappearing into the sky… Goodbye, my life.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
Alma was in high spirits. It was best not to oppose her. If you say “I’m sorry,” she’ll forgive you; she has a big heart, after all, Sophia does.
“Mikael and I are… married…”
Poor Alma… She died from a laser burning her throat—just like that, it’s the end.
“…………She did say something at the end.”
Sophia, perhaps curious or not having heard the last word, cast a healing spell. I honestly wanted her to depart peacefully to either heaven or hell, but as I stood to stop Sophia’s treatment and moved to the cargo area, a piece of paper fell.
The paper, stained with my blood, fluttered down and landed on Sophia’s soft thigh…
Godspeed, Mode Six!
My divine speed seemed to lag behind Sophia’s, as she picked it up first. I escaped with Godspeed.
I fled before finishing it, but halfway through, I sensed the pressure on my back and saw the Platinum Laser swirling in chaos.
“What does it say?”
“Look at this…”
The paper I dropped was something I had written as a note while planning to kidnap Alma. The content was filled with fantastical nonsense about “having a wedding.”
If she saw something like that, I could easily brush it off as “Oh, it was just a prank from a friend.” I could make excuses too, but that would only happen after they were satisfied.
“Chase them!”
Sophia grasped the reins. Standing tall in the cargo area was Priscilla. The rest of the members were passing the letter around. With my expanded Mind’s Eye, I could see at least that much.
Even though I had sped away just shy of the limit of my Mind’s Eye, the six-horse-drawn carriage was closing in, along with my beloved horse, ridden by Alana.
This time, we had switched to a carriage. Normally, I would use a one-horse carriage pulled by my beloved horse, but everyone agreed it would be better to travel by carriage to the village of Esleben.
Since we needed enough horses for everyone, Alana rode my horse while the carriage was pulled by six horses. The force and power of it were entirely different from the single-horse version.
The rumbling of the six-horse carriage echoed, and Sophia’s Eight Lightning Ball illuminated the scene, while shouts of “Run them over! Kill them!” filled the air.
We covered two and a half days’ journey in just one day and reached Esleben.
“Everyone, I have a present for you!”
I was able to say this on the morning of the second day after entering the village of Esleben. No, maybe it was the third day? My sense of time had faded amid these intense days, increasing my white hair.
“What are you giving us?”
Don’t start drinking before noon; you’ll get seasick. A fun sea journey starts today! Let’s establish a dress code and make this a delightful cruise.
“I had some time in Klinshberbach, so I bought this earlier. I wish I could have handed it over sooner…”
I was so busy escaping that I couldn’t give it to them. I could have arrived ahead of them at Esleben, but whenever I advanced too far ahead, they would just try to go home on their own.
So, I made sure not to go too far ahead and kept our distance, arriving at Esleben without any trouble.
Just as I was convinced of victory, having endured an onslaught of lasers right before the finish line, I lost my left foot.
And after two days, I spent intense moments with the White Lily Corps… Today is the third morning! Even the rich white liquid eventually diluted.
I took out one item at a time from the magic pouch and things stored on the carriage, carefully pulled them from my pocket.
“This is for Sophia; it’s a hand mirror. You had it, but it was broken, right?”
“Oh, you knew about that? Thank you!”
Great! That’s a good start. Next, I gave Alana a “comb,” Rufina a “glass vial,” and Orietta a “guillotine collar.”
I thought for sure the “guillotine collar” would be met with resistance, yet she quickly put it on herself, so it seemed fine. Alana was also grooming her hair with the “comb,” making it safe to say these gifts captured their hearts.
“Is it empty?”
“I broke it the other day, so please keep it as a spare.”
“The contents are more important than the vial.”
The contents refer to my blood. I saw her biting down on my severed left foot. Let me tell you, having your own foot bitten into is quite a terrifying experience.
Up to this point… I could slide in a few jokes, but from here on, things will get serious. Christine would receive the necklace. Girls want accessories, after all.
“For, for Christine…”
I brought out a rectangular box in front of Christine. The other members leaned forward, wondering what it could be. With the box’s size and shape, Christine could probably guess what it is. Their anticipation transmitted through my heart.
Alana was the first to react with a “Wow!” upon opening the box and seeing its content, which was quite pricey. I was thrilled with the response, but Christine remained stoic, not even smiling.
“…Please wear it.”
Her hair swayed with an alluring scent, and I was captivated by the beauty of her neck as I tremblingly placed the necklace around Christine’s neck.
“…Does it suit me?”
No gemstone could compare to Christine’s beauty. Seeing her smile just a little was enough for me to genuinely believe it was worth the purchase.
“It looks very good on you.”
A faint smile, joy to the point where my heart almost stopped, and paradoxically, Christine’s beauty made everything forgivable.
“Now, it’s my turn!?”
It’s you! I give nothing to caught fish. But if I don’t say it now, when will I? If possible, I want to do it in front of everyone. I want us to overcome the ensuing tragedy together.
I shoved my hand into my pocket and pulled something out immediately. I downed the wooden cup filled with ale in front of me, producing a knife to quickly carve “I love you” into it before handing it over.
The cup was tossed to Priscilla and shattered through the glass window, disappearing outside. It surely flew all the way to the sea.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?!”
What do you mean by that? I had a hole in my pocket. I never expected to lose something so carefully stored because it fell through.
“Well, um… I thought it would be perfect for you, Priscilla, since you like alcohol…”
“…I see, I see… I see!!”
Each person’s cup lined up on the table was swiftly grasped, and the table that had no items left was bisected by Priscilla’s Halberd.
“Pr-Priscilla…”
A sparkling explosion extinguished the morning light, and the golden Lycanthrope descended. Her beauty and ferocity rendered her the world’s strongest. Even I felt a chill.
“Wh-What…”
Cock-a-doodle-doo. It seemed like she wanted to imitate a chicken’s crow. It appears she was angry. I had carved “I love you” into the wooden cup, yet it didn’t get through to her. Expressing feelings is tough.
“…Silence.”
Today’s the day. Christine didn’t spare us a glance; she focused on the necklace sparkling on her chest, issuing commands in a voice that resonated deep, as though her heart was echoing. Priscilla fell, and I almost did too… No, I won’t fall!
Despite the pain, I refused to collapse. Surely, it was just Priscilla letting up on me. Thank goodness I gave her that necklace; bribes work.
“What shall we do about this~?”
You shouldn’t point at fallen people as if they are merely objects. But what to do? She isn’t dead, only unconscious, and now might be the time for some silly doodles on her face.
“For now, Sophia and Christine should head to the port. It’s a small port, and if a big ship is waiting, they should notice it quickly. Alana and Rufina will escort Alma, tying her up in the ship’s cabin. Orietta, please help with the transportation.”
Even if they say I can touch them as much as I want, I didn’t want to carry heavy Priscilla alone. The horses had already been unharnessed from the carriage, and putting them back would be a hassle.
My instructions had the members moving sluggishly. In contrast, Orietta was energetic. What happened!? What’s with that enthusiasm!?
“I’m going to use it right away~!”
Orietta expertly fitted the “guillotine collar” on Priscilla, who was in cardiac arrest. I couldn’t help but admire her reckless challenge. What’s with that spirit!?
“Orietta, isn’t that dangerous? She’ll undoubtedly be mad when she wakes up.”
If she’s laid face down with the guillotine collar on, it will press against her throat and make breathing difficult. Trust me; I know from experience. By the way, if she’s face up, it still hurts in the back of the neck.
“When she wakes, she’ll go wild~. I need to restrain her now.”
That could easily have meant just tying her hands; she probably wanted to try out the guillotine collar. Wouldn’t it be better to sneakily carry her?
Orietta’s proficiency was certainly from being an Alchemist. She applied the guillotine collar without waking her and carefully had her bend her knees, just like she was inviting someone in from behind with her behind protruding.
Of course, I’m not that kind of man. Even if a woman’s knocked out and helpless with a guillotine collar on, looking enticing with her behind sticking out, I wouldn’t do those kinds of things…
“Nnnn…”
Looks like she’s regaining consciousness. I’m glad she woke up before things got out of hand. If it had continued like this, I wouldn’t have lasted five minutes. Besides, Orietta’s here.
If I were to do anything, Orietta would likely stop me. Once Sophia confirmed Priscilla’s consciousness was returning, she slipped out of the room. With Priscilla in this state, being alone with her is quite troublesome. Very troublesome…
“What the hell is this?!”
“Good morning, Priscilla.”
It’s a guillotine collar. Is it your first time? I’m already experienced, but you can surprisingly move around in it. Your neck and wrists will hurt, though.
“Did you do this?!”
Not me. Orietta did this voluntarily, and I have nothing to do with it. If I had any part in it, it would only be giving her the guillotine collar as a gift. It would be unthinkable for me to say “wear it.”
“What in the world are you doing?!”
What could I do? By the time she noticed, she was already in this state with the collar on… Ah!? Are you talking about me? Well, I’m just caressing Priscilla’s behind.
“Such a lovely behind…”
“You want to die, huh…?”
No one would want to die in front of such a lovely behind. In fact, I’d like to keep caressing it. But I don’t want to die.
“No way! But what should we do now?”
My desires were completely apart from reality; I was already excessively aroused, insisting “please” with my belt loosening from the pressure.
Priscilla’s partner thrummed against her pants, ready to go. Of course, I’m making sure I’m keeping my body in a position where her legs can’t close.
“Damn you…”
We delayed the ship’s departure by about half a day, and we boarded. I got half-killed, but since it was a voyage, I had no regrets. As of now, I’m wearing a guillotine collar…
