“Elise-sama, and Hal-sama, please take care! Please stop by again on your way back.”
“Clarina, you work hard too.”
Baroness Clarina tearfully embraced Elise, reluctant to part with her.
“Thank you for the feast yesterday. We will now take our leave.”
I expressed my gratitude to Baron Hartia and his family, who had hosted us.
The five women behind me, Mai, Kirika, Swan Hilda, Freya, and Liliana, bowed in unison, following my lead.
Elise, releasing her embrace with Baroness Clarina, moved behind me, indicating our departure preparations were complete.
“Indeed, Hal-dono, do travel safely.”
Lastly, Baron Hartia saw us off in high spirits.
And so, after a dinner hosted by Baron Hartia and an unexpected night spent with Baroness Clarina, we departed Baron Hartia’s residence.
Throughout our stay, I was constantly worried that the true identities of the “Princess Harem” members might be revealed. However, they were all discreet and maintained their roles as mere adventurers gracefully.
Currently, we are in the city of Hykalia, replenishing consumables and provisions and gathering information.
It is two days’ journey from here to the Old Kingdom of Portland, but since we must cross a steep mountain pass, preparations were necessary.
For now, we left the carriage in the parking lot and were strolling through Hykalia on foot when Elise seemed to have spotted something.
“Hal-sama, shall we visit that shop? The aroma drifting from it is quite delicious.”
It appeared Elise had been looking for a place to have tea for some time, and she was surveying her surroundings like a tourist.
“Elise-sama, haven’t you been getting a little plump lately?”
Freya, acting as the sharp accountant, immediately tried to curb any unnecessary spending.
“Th-that’s not true. Freya, you must be mistaken. Besides, it’s wonderful to try delicious food from various regions while traveling. R-right, Hal-sama?”
“Well, indeed. Elise.”
Listening to Elise and Freya’s exchange, I almost burst out laughing.
“You’re right, I am feeling a bit peckish. Shall we take a short break?”
“Then Freya can just watch.”
Elise said teasingly, a smirk playing on her lips as she jabbed at Freya.
“I-I will do as Hal-sama decides.”
Freya retracted her earlier statement with a slightly flustered expression.
Mai, Kirika, and Swan Hilda, who had been listening to their banter, were delighted that a break was decided.
“Sweets… smells good…”
“I am also looking forward to it.”
“We are also grateful to Elise.”
“Indeed… this isn’t the treatment one would expect for a slave.”
Meanwhile, Liliana, new to the group and unfamiliar with the inner workings of “Princess Harem,” tilted her head and muttered to herself. However, she seemed to reconsider, thinking her current treatment wasn’t as bad as she had initially feared.
While Liliana, like a sheltered princess, was taking her time, Elise and the others had already rushed ahead to a confectionery shop and were browsing the items on display.
This shop offered both dine-in and takeout services.
As soon as they entered, they each ordered their preferred cake and drink, claimed a large table, and were waiting with smiles.
Liliana, entering later, also quickly placed her order. After a short while, a waitress brought their cakes and drinks.
Meanwhile, I, too, was observing my surroundings while poking at my cake, generously topped with tropical fruits, with a fork.
The cafe was quite lively, with patrons at other tables engaged in conversation.
“The public order has deteriorated since the Espana Imperial Army invaded.”
“It truly has… I also heard rumors that the Old Kingdom of Vandis army was annihilated and the Demon Lord Army is gaining momentum!”
“From what I’ve overheard, several cities have already been captured by the demonkin army.”
“I heard the Hero is having a difficult time.”
“I’ve also heard rumors of bandits appearing here and there.”
“I’ve heard that too.”
“The mountain pass on the road to the Old Kingdom of Portland is said to be particularly dangerous.”
Most of the chatter was about the current state of affairs.
The most frequent topic was the deteriorating public order due to the invasion by the Espana army. It seemed their forceful invasion was causing significant repercussions in the battles against the demonkin army and within the Human Race’s allied forces.
And indeed, several cities had already fallen to the Demon Lord Army.
Come to think of it, the Demon Lord Army had been quite formidable lately. The Hero Party had been attempting to invade the northern kingdoms ruled by Demon King Gandaro, but had found no openings.
At the time, I was only focused on winning battles against the opposing demonkin. I hadn’t realized the political backdrop…
I thought I had done my best back then… it seems I had tunnel vision.
For now, the Old Kingdom of Portland and the Old Kingdom of Vandis, where we are headed, are distant from the front lines of the demonkin army, but it is still necessary to exercise caution.
There have been instances of demonkin who were responsible for rear-guard disruption in the Great Forest Zone, so it would be dangerous to assume all demonkin are mindless brutes.
Furthermore, with the deterioration of public order, bandits and other highwaymen have been appearing.
The mountain pass on the road leading to the Old Kingdom of Portland, where we are heading, is said to be particularly dangerous.
We replenished our necessary supplies and decided to depart from the city of Hykalia. Currently, Freya is holding the reins of the carriage, with Mai riding alongside her to watch for any threats.
Meanwhile, I, Elise, Kirika, Swan Hilda, and Liliana, are inside the passenger carriage, discussing our future plans.
“It’s two days from Hykalia to the Old Kingdom of Portland, but there’s a steep mountain pass on the way, isn’t there, Elise?”
“It’s certainly a steep mountain pass, but it is a major road, so it should be well maintained, shouldn’t it?”
Elise replied with a puzzled expression.
“Actually, I heard a rumor at that shop earlier. They say there are bandits.”
“Bandits? If you wish, I can drive them away for you.”
“We’ll help too!”
“Let’s show those bandits what we’re made of!”
Elise, Swan Hilda, and Kirika, the frontline combat members of “Princess Harem,” likely considered bandits to be insignificant threats.
“Hal-sama, I’m scared… We can still turn back, can’t we?”
On the other hand, Liliana, who lacked combat skills, looked uneasy.
“I’d rather avoid fighting bandits if possible, but… if we don’t take this route, it’s a considerable detour to the Old Kingdom of Portland. I want to push through. What do you think, Elise?”
“Let’s see… While there are other, narrower paths besides the main road, they wouldn’t be suitable for a carriage, so we would have to travel on foot. Perhaps traveling by carriage on the main road is the safest option?”
“Elise-sama, perhaps we should turn back for now?”
When I asked Elise for her opinion on our future course of action, she stated that continuing on the main road was the correct choice, but Liliana once again advocated for retreat.
Our two-horse carriage was making its way towards the mountain pass at a walk.
The surrounding scenery transitioned from the town of Hykalia to a tranquil countryside, with the mountain pass visible in the distant horizon.
As it was a main road, multiple travelers and cargo carriages were always within our line of sight.
Opinions were divided regarding our future plans.
As I was pondering what to do, Mai tapped on the small window connecting the passenger carriage and the driver’s seat—*thump, thump*.
“What is it? Mai?”
“Hal-sama, look! We’re being followed.”
Mai, sensitive to her surroundings, seemed to have noticed something.
“Freya, stop at an appropriate place.”
“Hal-sama, understood.”
The two-horse carriage proceeded a short distance and stopped at a makeshift campsite on the shoulder of the main road, where Mai and Freya joined the meeting.
According to Mai’s explanation, a horse ridden by what appeared to be a Fox Beastkin man had been following our carriage since we left the city of Hykalia.
“So, according to Mai’s explanation, we are being followed by suspicious men who appear to be a group of bandits.”
“Hal-sama, I believe it would be better to confront them rather than attempt a clumsy escape.”
“I agree. It’s annoying to be followed like this indefinitely.”
“I’m scared of fighting…”
“I don’t want to turn tail and run from the enemy.”
“Everyone’s opinions are still divided, but I intend to proceed as planned. I will be the driver from here. Mai, please sit next to me. And Elise and the others, prepare for combat.”
” ” ” ” “Yes! Hal-sama!!” ” ” ” ”
“I-I will steel myself too. But why has it come to this…”
When I decided to confront the bandits, the four main combat members of “Princess Harem”—Elise, Mai, Kirika, and Swan Hilda—as well as Freya, who had only ever worked behind the scenes, immediately expressed their agreement.
Meanwhile, the newcomer Liliana seemed to be lagging behind.
I had initially thought Liliana’s epithet, “The Melancholic Azure Moon Princess,” was named after her appearance. However, it seemed to encompass her gentle demeanor as well.
“Elise-sama, this is one favor you owe me.”
Freya adjusted the arm of her spectacles—*flick*.
Our two-horse carriage, with me now as the driver instead of Freya, resumed its journey along the main road leading to the Old Kingdom of Portland.
According to Mai, who was sitting beside me, the suspicious men, who appeared to be bandits, were maintaining a certain distance from us.
And then, our carriage reached the mountain pass.
The gradient of the mountain pass was steep, so the carriage’s speed noticeably decreased, and the two horses strained.
While the mountain pass offered good visibility in most places, there were some spots where the view was obstructed by rock formations or dense foliage.
Eventually, our carriage was the only vehicle on the road, with no one in sight ahead or behind us.
The stage was set for the bandits’ appearance.
When we reached one of the sections with poor visibility, a fallen tree blocked the main road.
And then, from the shade of the trees, eight men of suspicious appearance emerged and surrounded the carriage.
It seemed the bandits had arrived. They were clad in rags, and a strong body odor seemed to emanate from them.
“Hey, boyyys. Leave your gold and your women, and we might spare your lives.”
“Guaa~h, feee~feee~fe… it smells like goooood women~”
Thank you for reading.
Episode 17-5, “Bandits Shall Be Disinfected, Your Highness” is scheduled for release at 00:00 on June 22nd.
