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Volume 4 Chapter 1-2: Carriage

 

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First of all we had the women riding in the carriage. Roleau and I as men would be the coachmen driving it.

「Chief, isn’t this carriage too crazy good? It’s weirdly fast and it’s too comfortable.」

「Well I did my best making it after all.」

This carriage was specially made. First I had made it a 2 horse carriage, it was made with rust-proof lightweight metal, and highly precise parts. The weight was reduced to half and the friction of the parts was reduced as much as possible.

I was very particular about the wheels as well. I made it as close to a perfect circle as possible while maintaining its lightness and rigidity. I couldn’t get rubber so I refined oil from animal carcasses and worked on it until I could make a sort of plastic tire.

By using these tires I could absorb the shocks from the road, improve the comfort of the ride, increase our speed, and allow the carriage to grip the road more firmly.

「Not just the carriage, those horses are crazy…are they even horses? They’ve been running like crazy but they aren’t tired…actually just looking at the muscles or the way their legs look…aren’t they different creatures?」

「It’s thanks to careful care, delicious food, and plentiful exercise.」

By using some of Arch Mage Suzina’s homunculus research I had modified the horses. I was able to implant them with imitation magic stones and modify their bodies.

More accurately, what were now pulling our carriage were technically not horses, but something ‘horse-like’. Their endurance and horsepower were more than double that of regular horses, and their ability to transform food into nutrition was much higher so they only needed to eat half as much.

This carriage and these horses would allow us to reach somewhere within two days if it normally took five.

This speed was important. I didn’t want to have to spend more than a week away from Erucy.

In the future there will be more chances to get in contact with fast horses. It was a necessity for us to obtain high quality horses.

「Amazing, you can even do this Chief?」

「Well I only learned how to do it recently.」

The knowledge to modify horses or the knowledge to create oil/petroleum did not exist in my mind until recently. It was only after the battle that these thoughts and ideas floated into my mind.

………most likely 『I』 had sealed them off until then. I can imagine why it was sealed. For petroleum…it was a dangerous existence, if I used it properly I would be able to massacre huge swathes of people.

The reason why 『I』 had released that knowledge must be because the situation changed in some way. What’s more it must be in a ‘bad’ direction.

Even if I tried to ask 『me』 about his intentions I wasn’t answered. This was the first time I had not even received a reply.

「I don’t get it.」

「Don’t worry about it. It’s enough that we can get there quickly.」

「Well, yeah I guess. Talking to Chief sometime makes me feel like I’m going crazy.」

Hey that’s mean…

Well. Whatever.

「Roleau, you…how old are you now?」

「That’s random…I’m 26 this year.」

「I see…don’t you think it’s about time you make a family?」

「Even you’re saying that Chief?」

Roleau looked moody.

「Could it be about Kuu?」

「…….Chief…you realized that I liked Kuu-chan?」

「Well, somewhat.」

Roleau sought Kuu. He was getting merry with her at the first party, chasing after her during training, and sometimes he looked at her with dirty eyes that made me want to dig them out.

「Are you angry Roleau?」

「I’m frustrated…but I’m not angry. Kuu-chan chose you Chief. That’s all there is to it. Even if it’s a mistake and you were flirting with a beauty like Lucy all the time you reached out your hands to Kuu-chan…and even then you’re still popular with other women…and having young girls call you Onii-sama and getting carried away…wanting even a tenth of that popularity…nope I haven’t thought of that.」

「O….ohhhh」

I pulled back a little after hearing the outpouring from Roleau.

「Let’s leave that for next time. Right now I’m being serious. As one of the leaders of Nettle it’s a bit troublesome for you to be all alone, I think it’s best if you get married. You’re at a good age and you should consider having some kids.」

Then you can love your bride, have a small child, and stop looking at young girls with that wicked gaze.

「Well in that case Chief…I have a girl I’ve been thinking of. I’d like it if you could introduce me?」

「Un, if I can, then I will.」

Thank goodness. At least he has someone proper in mind, I wonder who?

I was thinking of Rera or someone like her. Of course I had gotten permission from both Kuu and Rera. Rera is beautiful and erotic, any man would feel dizzy from her attentions and she was someone even Kuu respected.

Roleau is also a good guy with a bright future.

Roleau and Rera were a good match and having the boss of Nettle be tied with the Fire Foxes would further the friendship between our people.

「Chief…I…was on the brink of my heart being broken. Once I saw your announcement of marriage I could see that Kuu-chan was completely in love with you. Every day I could only stare after her unable to confess.」

Suddenly Roleau started telling me his story.

「Once, I even thought of forcefully taking Kuu-chan and running away with her.」

I’m glad you didn’t try it. If you did that then there would be no forgiveness. I would hate to lose you like that…

「But…I didn’t want to steal away Kuu-chan’s smile. I tried to give up, but Kuu-chan’s tail haunted my every day and even my dreams. At that time I met a fairy…」

Roleau had such a dreamy smile on his face that it made me want to look away.

「It was when I entered the mountains by myself. I heard the sound of water and headed to the river and saw some innocent young girls bathing. The sunlight washed over their pure skin, their sparkling smiles, and their beautiful tails.」

Roleau closed his eyes happily. I’m sure he was remembering the sight.

「Among them a beautiful girl with a silver tail that wouldn’t lose to Kuu-chan stole my heart in a moment. Then after that, each night I remember that scene and….ah what am I saying. I’m embarrassing myself.」

「I’m revolted to the depths of my being…are you serious?」

I had to tell the three of them to refrain from bathing in the river.

「I’m serious. Even during training my eyes chase Yukino-chan, my silver fairy. I fell deeper and deeper. She was a hard worker who cared more than anything about her friends. She’s also grown up for her age. Plus that tail is amazing. I want to fluff it. Sometimes I think when it’s waving in front of me that it’s inviting me to grab it? Wouldn’t it be rude if I didn’t!?」

「THERE’S NO WAY! Only parents and spouses can grab each other’s tail, you cannot do it without permission. It’d be the same as rape, and you’d be cast out of Erucy.」

「If I marry then I can fluff it all I want….that tail….*gulp*…Yukino-chan treats Chief like an older brother right? If you introduce me to her then I’m sure she’ll say okay!」

I was now grateful from the bottom of my heart that I had not brought Yukino with us on this trip. If he was with her in such a close space like the carriage I had no idea what he’d do.

「So please Onii-san…allow me to have your little sister. I’ll definitely make her happy.」

He gazed straight into my eyes. They were very handsome looking.

So I said…….

「Absolutely not. Think about the age. She’s still too young.」

I rejected. I couldn’t hand over my cute little sister to a beast like this.

「Then what if I wait for two more years?」

「If she accepts when she comes of age then maybe.」

「Ehehe, I can’t wait for these years to pass.」

「……let me tell you something, don’t forget that Yukino has to accept. Plus if you touch her even once in before these next two years are up I will never forgive you.」

「Ou, I’m a gentleman. I’d never do something so barbaric.」

「Also make sure that you properly talk to an adult woman properly. Match with a beautiful woman. I’m sure you will change your mind.」

「Ahh, even if I do that my feeling for my fairy won’t change.」

Well even if he says that, Roleau was a guy who barely talked to women and then instantly fell in love with Kuu. Kuu’s master would easily take him down.

As long as Roleau had someone to keep an eye on him I’m sure he’d change.

Roleau’s a pretty good guy, but also very disappointing. That belief was even stronger than ever.

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Then two days passed as we arrived in Erin. I left the line and baggage check to Lucy and the rest, headed to the inn first, and started preparations for opening our business.

I had to get permission to open a store first, if we didn’t get it, then all our cargo would be confiscated and we would be fined.

We have to sell this cargo. I started moving with enthusiasm.

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