Three days had passed since Kousuke entered the Seuri Forest.
Although there were several small villages within the Seuri Forest, the paths connecting them were mostly one-way paths, so getting lost was highly unlikely.
With about half a day remaining until they reached the first village, it was decided they would camp for the night. However, someone was already there at their chosen campsite.
The prior occupants were soldiers guarding the road.
Kousuke had anticipated that he might encounter others, as suitable camping spots in the middle of the forest were limited.
Given the circumstances, Kousuke and his companions were initially viewed with suspicion by the soldiers, but that wariness was soon lifted.
Now, the soldiers’ attention was focused on Kousuke’s wagon.
To be blunt, everyone was intensely curious about a wagon that looked so out of place for this area.
While Kousuke had no intention of hiding his magic tools, he also had no intention of concealing the contents of his wagon, so he allowed them to inspect it freely.
The captain of the unit, with an expression that was half admiration and half bewilderment, spoke to Kousuke. “Even if it’s for comfortable travel, do you really need to go this far? It must have cost a fortune?”
It was evident at a glance that a considerable amount of money had been invested in it.
The current wagon had undergone even more modifications since they departed from the royal capital of the Thausen Kingdom.
Putting aside its exterior, the interior had been completely transformed into a mobile hotel.
Such extensive modifications were only possible because it was pulled by Wild Horses, which could handle the increased weight without issue.
In response to the captain’s words, Kousuke shrugged his shoulders.
He had been asked similar questions many times during his travels. “It’s also a hobby of mine. Thanks to it, I can travel comfortably even on long journeys.”
“Well, at this rate, it might even rival a top-class hotel,” the captain said, looking enviously at the bed installed in the wagon.
While the captain’s words were slightly exaggerated, the soldiers around them who overheard the conversation nodded, likely because they knew firsthand the hardships of camping.
“Setting that aside, you should rest well today.”
“Are you sure it’s alright?”
Kousuke tilted his head at the captain’s words.
He had been told by the captain that they would only be camping with their own soldiers. While it was a generous offer, he couldn’t help but wonder if it was truly okay.
“Ah. This is part of our training, after all. Though, it might be unnecessary concern for someone as capable as you, who can break through this road with a solo party.”
From the captain’s perspective, the training was intended to simulate situations where he had escorts to protect. The fact that the person to be protected was an adventurer capable of breaking through the Seuri Forest solo was also ideal for training.
“If that’s the case, I’ll gratefully accept your hospitality. Please let me know if anything happens.”
“Ah, I’m counting on it.” The captain grinned at Kousuke’s words, exuding the aura of a reliable soldier.
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That night passed without any incidents, such as an event where the soldiers turned out to be a group of kidnappers in disguise.
It wasn’t that they slept without waking up even once for some specific reason, but it was generally a peaceful night.
As Kousuke boarded the wagon, which had already been prepared for departure, the captain approached him. The unit, consisting of about twenty people, naturally took considerable time for preparations.
“Your preparations are swift as expected. Travel safely. Even though we’ve passed through, there’s no telling what might be out there.”
“Yes. You too, please be careful.” Kousuke, peeking his head out from the cargo area, replied to the captain.
Perhaps they were busy with departure, but the morning conversation ended quickly, and they prepared to leave. Watched by the captain and several soldiers, Kousuke’s wagon slowly began to move.
Once they were sufficiently far from the campsite, Kouhi, who was also in the cargo area, spoke to him. “So, what will you do now? Will you proceed further?”
“Ah. First, we’ll head for the village,” Kousuke replied, nodding.
The reason the two of them were discussing this was a minor incident that had occurred the previous night. While they were sleeping in the middle of the night, Esena had suddenly appeared and insisted they take a detour. Considering that her demeanor suggested something was amiss, Kousuke had postponed making a decision. From what Esena had said, it didn’t seem like an urgent matter, so he wasn’t overly flustered. However, Esena rarely acted like this, so he assumed there must be something to it. Therefore, they decided to enter a nearby village first, leave the wagon there, and then proceed into the forest on foot.
Hearing Kousuke’s plan, Kouhi nodded in agreement. “Understood… I hope there’s a place where we can leave them.” Kouhi said, her gaze sweeping towards the two Wild Horses. Since they were originally monsters, being refused care was not uncommon.
“In that case, we’ll just leave the wagon,” Kousuke said without hesitation. “After all, if they’re unmounted,” he continued, “the Wild Horses should have no problem traveling through the forest. That’s truly their nature as monsters.”
“That’s true. Still, I wonder what Esena wants us to do?” Kouhi tilted her head, and Kousuke did the same. They hadn’t gotten many details last night. From Esena’s expression, it seemed less like she didn’t want to explain and more like she found it difficult to explain. This was also a reason why they didn’t press for more details.
“Who knows. I don’t really understand, but it’s rare to see Esena act like that, so I’ll just do as she said.”
“Understood.” Kouhi had no intention of opposing Kousuke’s decision.
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By noon that day, they had reached their first village. The journey to the village was smooth, without any interference from monsters. Although it was a small village, there were a fair number of merchants and adventurers using the road, so there was at least an inn. More importantly, they found a facility where they could leave the Wild Horses, which had been a concern. Apparently, since many people arrived by wagon, such facilities were reasonably well-equipped. The owner of the facility informed them that the scattered villages in the forest were all similar in having such amenities. It was likely that they wouldn’t miss out on an opportunity to profit if they offered such services. Thanks to this, Kousuke was able to benefit from it as well. He gratefully accepted the facility’s services and paid them accordingly. By the way, the wagon would also be left there, and it was equipped with anti-theft magic tools, given its nature. Kousuke’s wagon was so valuable that it could fetch a fortune if sold, making these precautions essential.
After completing various preparations in the village, they proceeded into the forest. They would be traveling on foot from the village. While the Wild Horses could probably carry Kousuke alone, he wasn’t accustomed to riding horses, so that option was rejected. There were two Wild Horses, which meant one person would be left without a mount. Initially, Kousuke struggled with the unfamiliar forest path, but before he knew it, he could walk at a considerable speed. Whether this was due to his abilities as an Avatar or his inherent physical capabilities was something even he didn’t know.
Then, the day after Kousuke and his companions entered the forest from the village. Kousuke and his companions would have another significant encounter.
The reason the army was intentionally included in the first half was not just to make Kousuke’s magically modified wagon seem enviable.
