Volume 3 Chapter 1 The Journey to the Village – Part I
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Summer dawn comes early.
To squeeze out just a little more travel in the day, we decided to leave the capital city as soon as the city gates opened.
Seems like we weren’t the only ones thinking that way──despite the early hour, the gate area was crowded with carts and horses.
We must be the kind of group that stands out in every way.
A beautiful girl centaur with the lower body of a proud white horse, and another centaur beauty with chestnut fur.
Both of them wore their hair done up today──Ms. Joa’s in a fancy bun, Ms. Claire’s in twin tails.
Looks like Ms. Claire did all the hairstyling──she’s the big-sister type who can do everything.
Three people in black armor and full-face helmets with black cloaks.
Two of them were even pulling carts loaded with gear.
Their armor is really just Antfolk shells, but with extra plating and decorative cloth wrapped around, they look like savage warriors from the apocalypse.
Then there’s me, the Hero from another world, and Ms. Nina, the doll princess.
Among this crazy crew, Ms. Nina probably looks the most normal, wearing stylish clothes.
No fools tried to mess with us since we’re armed, but there’s no doubt we’re getting stared at out of curiosity.
The one getting the most glances is Ms. Claire.
The men around can’t help staring at her big chest, and she hates it.
I get the feeling as a guy, but getting stared at like that is no fun.
Some young apprentice-looking merchant caught my eye and quickly looked away, embarrassed.
It’s kinda nice to see this innocent reaction. I’ll let it slide.
The greasy old guys staring openly don’t care if our eyes meet; some even give me nasty, knowing grins.
For some reason, I feel their eyes on my lower half too──maybe they believe that to please a female centaur, a guy has to have a huge dick and endless stamina or something.
In a weird way, maybe it’s respect? These rude jerks might not mean any real harm, so… yeah, I’ll let it slide.
Even I can’t help but look at a girl’s chest sometimes──it’s like there’s some kind of instinctive force at work, like a natural compulsion.
I guess I’m not one to talk about other people.
Ms. Joa and Ms. Nina aren’t exactly small, but they wear loose clothes, so they don’t stand out that much.
Ms. Claire’s outfit, even if it’s second-hand, has a good sense to it, thanks to Ms. Nina’s taste, and it should be pretty loose… but still, Ms. Claire is just too big.
Big, yet perfectly beautiful breasts──a miracle. Instead of hiding them, I want to get her clothes that bring out her charisma in a classy way.
Before she became a slave, she was planning to cut off one breast because it got in the way of drawing her bow.
Thanks to her becoming a slave, we were saved from losing Ms. Claire’s magnificent boobs──life, or luck, it’s all a mystery.
* * *
As the gate opened, the cart horses dashed out, racing to be first.
The checkpoint was mostly a breeze; you only pay taxes for certain goods coming in, but it seems like there’s no charge for taking stuff out.
From what I hear, unless there’s an incident in the capital, they’re pretty lenient with the checks when you leave.
Yet, why was I the only one asked to show my Guild Card?
The guard said it was just procedure, but maybe we looked suspicious.
Once they realized I was a Hero, they let me through right away, though.
Because of that hold-up, I was late, and by the time I crossed the bouncing bridge, all the other carts were far ahead.
The morning sun sparkled on the canal’s surface, looking really pretty.
Too bad it’s such nice weather again today.
There’s a hint of autumn in the air, but this weather will probably make it scorching hot by noon.
For a while, I keep going along the canal road.
Usually, the best way to get to Toyata village is by boat, but for some reason, the canal’s off-limits right now.
It’s about 30 kilometers to Toyata village, which is like a 2-day walk in this world’s units.
”A day’s walk” is a distance unit here. It’s about 12 to 14 kilometers, and inns in towns are spaced out that way. Even kids can walk that far easy, but it seems they measured it by how far a fully armored soldier can move.
”A day’s ride on horseback” is said to be 3 times a day’s walk, so maybe 36 to 42 kilometers? That’s also based on carrying armed knights on horses.
I think a foot-and-hoof race could get to the village in just over 2 hours, but this trip plans on staying overnight halfway.
Since Ms. Ant and Ms. Ann are pulling a heavy cart, we’ll gotta match the pace of the slowest ones, naturally.
I trust Antfolk strength, but if we rush too much, the cart wheels might get messed up.
Rolling wooden wheels with no tires or suspension on unpaved roads?
It’d be weird if they didn’t break.
We did pack repair tools, but going slow and avoiding repairs probably gets us there fastest in the end.
To save our few magic crystals, I shoved Ms. Nina into Ms. Ant’s cart.
Ms. Nina didn’t want to at first, but before I knew it, she was happy watching the scenery flow by.
She acts all bossy like a big sister, but she’s still just a kid.
From now on, I wanna keep Ms. Nina from walking as much as possible.
But carts are never comfy seats.
I’d like tires filled with air to calm the bumps.
But I’ve never seen any rubber products in this world yet.
Even senior heroes probably tried making rubber tires, so there’s gotta be a reason it’s impossible here.
Maybe they don’t have rubber trees?
I kinda feel they’d grow somewhere down south.
I remember the real Para rubber tree I saw in a botanical garden came from South America, so it probably hates wall barley.
You can get latex from the Indian rubber plant too, but I don’t see that around here either.
If I can get latex from rubber trees, I should be able to make condoms too.
Ms. Floria just warned me not to mess with prostitutes because STDs are bad around here.
If it’s a legit brōtḥel under the church’s watch, they manage diseases well, but sometimes weird magic illnesses still spread.
The hero who spreads condoms might just be the true savior of this world… maybe.
Thinking through the details, it might be way over my head.
Even if I find a rubber tree forest, I don’t know how to gather raw rubber, and making tires from it sounds crazy hard.
I just want rubber tires right now.
Still, I keep looking along the canal trees for any sign of rubber trees.
No rubber trees, but there’s a lot of different waterside plants.
Maybe wall barley’s poison doesn’t work in the water.
* * *
While staring at the canal, I spot something.
”Hey, Ms. Aqua. Are Antfolk good at swimming?”
Looks like Antfolk are light but bad at diving, though they don’t drown.
Maybe I can try then.
The pond is covered thick with those diamond-shaped leaves people usually spot.
At my grandma’s place in the countryside, these are a big fall treat──lots of water chestnuts around me now.
It’s a bit early, but young ones taste good too.
I decide to take a break and pick some water chestnuts.
Ms. Aqua takes off her gear and steps into the water.
Ms. Joa and Ms. Claire, the half-horse duo, keep watch nearby.
Ms. Ant and Ms. Ann, pulling the cart, get to rest for now.
I take off my gear and enter the water too, of course staying alert with my searching skill.
When I grab one, it’s definitely a water chestnut──big, full, and looks good enough to eat.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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