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“…Whoa!”

A jolt that felt like it was coming from below sent her body bouncing. That was enough to rouse her from her light slumber.
The road is well-maintained, but it’s mainly compacted using earth magic. As carriages pass over it repeatedly, the surface warps, eventually forming bumps that cause the carriage to jolt.

“Sorry, Felnoute-san. Are you all right?”
“Yes, I’m fine.”

I responded with a wave of my arm to the words from Zeno, who was guiding the horse. My butt was just a little numb and my chest had bounced a bit—nothing serious. I simply adjusted my position slightly to settle my chest, which had become a bit unsettled, and that was all.

Right now, whether he’s speaking or I am, we’re both using the Republican language. Now that I’ve learned enough of the everyday conversation, I’m putting it into practice by using the Republican language in my daily speech.
It’s quite different from the Kingdom’s language, and some of the phrasing is a bit complicated, but it’s basically just a matter of getting used to it. If you keep using it, you’ll pick it up to some extent whether you like it or not.
Once you learn it, you realize those complicated turns of phrase are actually meant to describe something beautiful as even more beautiful—it’s what’s known in Republican as “elegance.”

“Is it still a little ways to Sakuranomiya?”
“Yes, I think so. I expect we’ll arrive before sunset.”

Zeno is a traveling merchant. Since he’d been working in several towns on the way here, it’s actually taken him surprisingly long to get this far.

…Well, I’ll probably get there faster than Arje.

That kid is incredibly laid-back. Even if she’s heading for the capital, she’ll definitely just laze around and sleep the whole way.
Unless someone picks her up and gives her a ride, there’s no way she’ll get there before me. That’s for sure.

“Do you really think Arje-san will go to Sakuranomiya?”
“Probably.”

I can’t say for sure on this one. But Arje will most likely head for the capital.
Her goal is to be taken care of with three meals a day, an afternoon nap, and snacks—it’s an incredibly flippant attitude toward the world. It’s even worse because she’s dead serious about it.
Even though she has such a slightly odd goal, she also has a surprisingly level-headed side.
If she’s going to make a move, it’ll be toward a place where there’s a better chance of finding someone to support her. In other words, to increase her chances, she’ll likely head for the capital, where there are more people.

I haven’t thought about how to look for her yet, but there are plenty of options. Zeno also said he’d ask around among other traveling merchants.
With her silver hair, pointed ears, and beauty that could be called peerless, she has a strikingly distinctive appearance. Once you’ve met her, there’s no way to forget her, and it should be easy to spot her while walking through town.

There’s no point in worrying now about what to do if I can’t find her. I’ve had enough time up to this point to be able to accept that. Yes, I’ll find her.
I’ll definitely track her down and give her a good talking-to. And I’ll make sure she starts living a decent life.

“……Oh.”
“What’s wrong?”
“A sakura petal just fell on me……”
“I see. Sakuranomiya is close by now, and trees have been planted in the villages and towns around here, too. It’s no wonder one drifted all the way out here.”

A tiny petal landed in the palm of my hand.
Just as I was hesitating whether to touch it, the carriage jolted violently again. It seemed we’d hit another bump in the road.

“Ah.”

By the time I let out that gasp, the fragment of the flower had already been swept away into the sky.
The wind scooped up the petal, and the carriage’s movement left it behind. I watched the petal disappear beyond the grasslands.

“The roads are in surprisingly poor condition, aren’t they?”
“There’s so much traffic that even if they’re repaired, they fall apart right away. The merchant guilds do most of the maintenance themselves, though.”

Now that he mentioned it, that was certainly true. Roads near the capital are high priority, so it’s only natural they’re well-maintained.
If that’s the case, then he’s right—the roads do “wear out” quickly even after they’re maintained.

We’ve passed other peddlers and caravans many times already on the way here. With that many wagons passing through, it’s no wonder the roads are in such poor condition.
I guess I jumped to conclusions a bit too quickly. My words ended up sounding like I was belittling his guild.

“I’m sorry, Zeno.”
“No. I’m the one who’s sorry—I’m sorry you haven’t been able to travel on a very comfortable road.”
“That’s not your fault, is it, Zeno?”

He only glances my way when he’s speaking to me. Most of the time, he’s facing forward, guiding his horse.
All I can see is his back. Even from there, I can sense the hint of a wry smile.
We’ve been sharing meals and sleeping together for over ten days now. Unless you have absolutely no interest in the other person, or don’t know how to read others, you’d be able to pick up on subtleties like that.

…Though I suppose I’m making him feel a bit self-conscious.

Even though we’ve been sharing meals and sleeping together, there’s nothing happening between us.
On top of that, we’re a man and a woman. We both try to be considerate, but proportionally speaking, he’s probably the one putting in more effort.
There are times—like when I’m changing clothes—when I catch a glimpse of that, and I often feel bad about it. But if I show my own concern in those moments, it would just complicate things, so I try not to say anything.

Inside the carriage, which sways violently at times, I sit with my hips slightly raised. I don’t sit too deeply to absorb the vibrations—partly to protect my butt, and partly so I can move quickly if anything happens.
Since we’re close to the capital, I don’t expect any attacks from bandits or monsters, but complacency is the enemy. If a misjudgment like the one I just made regarding the road were to occur during combat, it could prove fatal.

Praying that the remaining stretch of the journey would go smoothly, I let myself be rocked by the carriage.
Sakuranomiya is just around the corner.