This time, the story is from Caro’s perspective.
This is a branch from episode 399, so the time will slightly go back.
Marie’s Bakery had finished its last business day of the year.
“Well then, I have plans after this, so I regret that I can’t help with the cleanup, but I’ll be taking my leave now. Please send my regards to Marie.”
“Understood. I’ll tell her. Thank you for helping me out at the shop until the very last minute, Caro.”
“Oh, no, no. Well then, Happy New Year~”
Caro left the shop in her uniform after greeting Kent.
“Thank you for waiting. Please take me to the mansion.”
“Certainly.”
Caro got into the carriage she had arranged in front of the shop. She then hurried back to her own home.
(This is a race against time from here.)
Caro thought as she checked the clock on her smartphone. Today, four employees of Marie’s Bakery were on holiday, and she had decided to work until the last possible moment she could help to avoid overwhelming the shop. However, considering her plans afterward, her help was limited to closing time. If she stayed to help with tasks like tidying up the shop after closing, it would affect her subsequent schedule. While she felt sorry for not being able to help until the end, Caro had no choice but to accept the situation due to her own circumstances.
“I have returned.”
“Welcome home, Young Lady.”
As the carriage carrying Caro stopped in front of the mansion, she quickly alighted. She handed her luggage to the servant who greeted her and hurried to her private room.
“I have to change quickly. I’m going to be late.”
Caro quickly changed her clothes while keeping the carriage waiting, then left the room with the luggage she had prepared in advance.
“Well then, please.”
“Certainly.”
Caro got into the waiting carriage and immediately departed, heading towards a certain place.
(The time… seems to be alright. I should make it in time.)
Caro checked the current time on her smartphone. She felt relieved, confirming that things were proceeding according to her planned schedule.
“Thank you for your service. Thank you very much.”
“No, we look forward to serving you again.”
When Caro arrived at her destination, she thanked the coachman. This carriage was like a taxi; by arranging it in advance, it would take them to their destination. Although Caro usually traveled on foot, this time, due to time constraints, she chose this method, even though it cost a little money, driven by her desire not to trouble the shop.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been here.”
The place Caro had arrived at was the stagecoach station. Stagecoaches departed from here in various directions. It had been since her summer holiday trip to Sumput city with Kent that she had last visited this place. Caro murmured, recalling that time.
“Excuse me. I have a reservation.”
Caro showed her reservation ticket to the attendant.
“Let me see… I’ve confirmed it. You will be in carriage number 7.”
“There are quite many carriages lined up.”
“Well, thanks to you, the number of customers on this route has suddenly increased since around autumn. It’s now one of the popular stagecoach routes.”
“Is that so? Well then, thank you.”
Caro heard from the attendant that this route was doing well.
“Ten carriages in total. Before, even one was empty.”
Caro muttered, recalling events from a little while ago. The stagecoaches lined up in a row were quite a sight. Each carriage had a number, and Caro arrived in front of the carriage marked with [7], as directed.
“Excuse me. Please.”
“Yes. Confirmed. We’re departing soon, so please board and wait.”
Caro placed her bag in the designated spot and entered the passenger compartment.
(Uwah. It’s full.)
This stagecoach had a capacity of 10 people, and there was only one empty space in the middle.
“Excuse me. Is this seat free?”
The number of passengers was counted, so Caro was sure she could sit there, but just in case, she confirmed with the merchant-like auntie and uncle sitting on either side of her.
“Ah, it’s free.”
“My, is such a young lady traveling alone?”
The uncle answered concisely, perhaps not wanting to engage further, while the auntie seemed intrigued by the young woman who had boarded alone.
“Yes, I’ll be spending the New Year holidays over there.”
“So, are you from there, young lady?”
“Hmm. Not exactly, but my home is there.”
Caro answered the auntie’s question in an indirect way.
“Still, 10 carriages lined up is amazing.”
“Well, yes. It’s great that the number of services has increased and become more convenient, but it also means more people are traveling. As you can see, every trip is full of people. Night coaches, in particular, take longer than day coaches, but they are popular with people who don’t want to waste time, as they can travel overnight.”
The auntie replied to Caro’s statement. For this overnight journey, 10 carriages with 10 seats each were lined up. Assuming they were all full, that would be a calculation of 100 people traveling simultaneously. Regarding travel time, daytime coaches are faster because they can see further, resulting in a shorter travel time. Conversely, night coaches are slower because they cannot see their surroundings, leading to a longer travel time.
“Stagecoach to Sumput, departing soon! All passengers please hurry!”
Outside the carriage, an announcer was shouting loudly. Caro was heading to Sumput, her father’s territory, this time.
“Thank you for waiting. We’re departing for Sumput!”
As the announcer shouted, the carriages began to move forward in order.
*Clatter clatter clatter*
The carriage left Tiol, Caro’s town, and the castle could be seen on the side.
“The castle must be busy during the New Year holidays too.”
The sound of the carriage wheels and the horses’ hooves echoed pleasantly. Caro looked at the castle visible from the window and murmured, thinking about the aristocratic party that was about to take place.
“We will take a break here. We are currently preparing the lighting, so please wait a moment.”
After several hours of swaying in the carriage, a long break was taken. Up until then, there had been occasional short breaks, but this was the first extended rest.
“Ugh. My hips hurt.”
“Indeed. It’s hard to sit still like a good girl on a carriage. I need to walk around a bit and loosen up my stiff muscles.”
Caro said, rubbing her hips, and the auntie next to her seemed to agree.
“Thank you for waiting. Preparations are complete. For safety reasons, please do not go outside the area where the lamps are placed.”
After being informed that preparations were complete, Caro and her companions alighted from the carriage.
“Nngh~”
Caro stretched as she stepped outside the carriage. Having sat in the same posture for a long time, even such a casual movement sent a pleasant sensation through her stretched muscles. Looking around, lamps were placed at equal intervals, surrounding the carriages.
“Those are the lamps marking the boundaries.”
It seemed that if she went beyond the placed lamps, she would no longer be under guard. Guards stood between the lamps, watching over the safety of the passengers.
“It’s cold outside, but the night sky is beautiful.”
Caro looked up at the sky, and a starry sky spread out before her. Despite the cold wind blowing, in the complete darkness, far from any city lights, the stars’ brilliance could be clearly seen.
“We will be departing soon, so please return to your carriages.”
The attendant went around calling out to the passengers.
“Well then, let’s get back.”
Caro murmured and returned to the carriage.
“It must be soon. The surroundings seem to be getting brighter.”
The sky gradually brightened, signaling that dawn was approaching. If things were proceeding as planned, it should be time to arrive at their destination soon. While sitting in the moving carriage, Caro couldn’t sleep properly and was a bit sleep-deprived. She found the experience of seeing the sunrise novel, as she rarely had the opportunity, and didn’t mind the lack of sleep too much. After a little more time passed, and the sun rose, making everything fully visible, the town of Sumput, her destination, came into view. Caro had a reason for visiting this place.
“Well, my leisurely solo journey is almost over. It will get busy once I arrive.”
Caro murmured as she gazed at the approaching town of Sumput.
Caro had a lot of monologues this time.
