Chapter 10
Along the way of scenic landscapes, I have traded my nausea for enjoyment. Today, Kawazu-san stopped the horse-drawn carriage.
I lifted my face to see what’s happening. Kawazu-san told me to ‘be quiet and follow me’, then we hid the carriage.
I followed without knowing anything.
He led me to hide in a thicket, and we watched some people move about.
It was the first time I was able to observe other people in this world.
But they seem to be nervous about something.
Even away from them, I could feel as strange sort of impression.
“What’re they?”
I asked while pointing my finger and Kawazu-san had an annoyed look on his face.
“They’re soldiers……..this is the border after all”
“Oh border patrol guys. First time I’m seeing it…..”
There are a lot of guards around what is certainly a checkpoint.
No wonder everyone’s dressed as if they’re armed to the teeth.
I wish we could be easy-going for a little longer, but it seems that can’t be so.
And it feels like the number of people increased by a little bit, how worrisome.
“Hey? Could they possibly be looking for us?”
I worriedly asked but Kawazu-san shook his head ‘no’.
“No, not necessarily. Afterall, this place could have thieves or demons loitering around. It could just be a subjugation party. Anyway the thing is too big to determine the exact cause.”
The ‘thing’ could be about that the incident with that mountain!
The mountain is missing. What should we do?
When interrogated…….what am I supposed to say?
I can’t come up with anything while the investigation for the cause is ongoing.
“……in any case, we can’t go to our destination if we can’t pa.s.s through this place”
“That’s right”
I had a bad feeling as I looked at the soldiers after hearing Kawazu-san’s ready reply.
If we have some disturbance that they weren’t trained for, it might be easy to slip away.
I see, it looks troublesome.
“Now then….. what should we do?”
Normally, climbing over would be easy with each others help, but we have a carriage with us.
We’ll have to discard our clothes and the place we sleep, which we need for three more days, and we’ll be in trouble without them.
“It would be nice if something could distract them”
“…..then, let’s do it with magic”
“What, you plan to blow up the border?”
“…..Kawazu-san, what do you take me for?”
Saying something that ruins a guy’s reputation.
Habitually saying bad things about me, are you taking me for someone else? This d.a.m.n Frog.
If that’s the case then I really oppose. This Kawazu.
Before I could say anything, he beat me to it.
“Whatever you say won’t be effective, seeing as it’s coming from the guy who blew up a mountain”
Whatever I thought I was gonna say, they’ll just be opinion.
I can’t make a compelling reb.u.t.tal.
I admit deffeat.
“……what do we do~u”
“Even if we have some decoy, we can only take the road through the forest”
“Well of course”
What is it, maybe I could do something if I have some skills in the military, but I don’t have those.
Best I could do is throw a stone, but we’d definitely get discovered that way.
If it’s come to this, there’s only one thing to rely on: the thing called magic.
“Should we just fly over? Just like that”
“How stupid. Being in the sky is just like asking them to find you”
My idea was immediately rejected.
Other than that there are wild creatures, there are bandits, if a well-timed commontion could only happen, if a convenient occurence….
“Then how about this? I magick a large amount of earhworms to crawl out of the ground….”
“Veto! It’s distasteful!”
“A-. Then swarms of snakes coming wave after wave?
“…..why are you only thinking about swarming animals?
“No well, the forest seems full of them. Then….. what if the forest itself suddenly starts moving?
The earlier suggestions were disgusting and quite dangerous, I admit.
The last one had an admirable magical appeal to it, but Kawazu-san still has that unwilling look.
“Uwah…… why is it only ominous-looking scenarios? Do you have a grudge against soldiers?”
“Oh I can explain. I just want it to be absolutely effective. Do you think it will cause a panic?”
“…..it will cause hysteria. The last one sounds relatively more efficient, don’t you think?”
“Eh, but I personally prefer the earthworms”
“Just no.”
My ambitions were ruthlessly ended. Too bad.
Anyway we’re facing a great obstacle and I shall majestically avoid it.
I should first download a magic to control plants.
It seems like a useful power.
In any case, from today onwards, I will no longer need to worry about vegetables.
“Then shall we give it a try?”
“I feel uneasy, but go on”
But we~ll, even while quarelling, we were undoubtedly a two people trying hard not to giggle.
If they find us right now, we’d undoubtedly be labelled as suspicious people.
Somehow, I feel like an accomplice in some high-risk plan.
“Then let’s start”…….O’Plants! Flamboyantly scare the soldiers!”
As I said that, brilliant lights appeared, carrying my magic.
The magic was absorbed by the forest, and following the plan, bushes appeared.
If this continues, they will follow my command and the forest will move…..supposedly.
It’s just that something went wrong and the plan went to a completely different direction.
We suddenly felt an earthquake.
“……..hm?”
I heard Kawazu-san cry out, and I felt something bad.
But it was too late.
Shorts!!
Around us, there were roaring sounds and the ground was shaking.
The shaking was unbearable, to the point where we were literally pushed upwards.
“Gyaaaaaaaaa!!!”
“Nooooo! What have you done?!”
We flew up with an impressive momentum, and before we knew it, both Kawazu-san and I were suspended in the air.
Our cloaks were caught somewhere, hanging us like laundry.
“……..what exactly happened?”
I verified our location with my dizzy head. The forest that we’re supposed to be hiding in was gone, and the sky was in it’s place.
It would be better to say that there was nothing but the sky.
Of course.
We were hanging in the middle of the tree which was so tall, it looked like it reached the heavens.
“……..you, what magic did you use?”
“What kind, just the magic that controls plants”
“And what were your orders?”
“…….flamboyantly scare the soldiers”
“…..well it would certainly surprise them”
“…………..I know right”
It seems like I did it again.
Kawazu-san silently looked at the heaven-reaching plant, then made sure that I heard his loud sigh.
“Apparently, you probably didn’t learn how to add or subtract”
“………I have no words to defend”
The checkpoint below looks like a pea.
The small figures there seem to be to running around in haste.
Probably in hysterics.
Hm, well we seem to have accomplished our initial goal.
“What now…….?”
“What else but go down? How to go down would be the problem….”
“……. hmmmmmmmmm. Then how about this? Teleport!”
“Teleport?”
“Yes! We can’t even see where we’ll land! We have to live for the moment! Back to the carriage!”
“……..”
“What’s wrong, why are you silent?”
“If you had such a convenient magic in the first place, you could’ve used this ‘Teleport’ thing to get us over the border, don’t you think!?”
“……point taken”
We thought of it too late.
Additionally, the teleport succeeded in the first try, I wanted to cry.
By the way, this gargantuan tree, it resembles the one that Jack overcame, the one that grew from beans. I wonder if they’re called the same.
Should we try something for a bit?