I Wanted a Cute Girl to Cast Healing Magic on Me, So I Kept Protecting My Allies—and Ended Up with an Overprotective Party - 33

Chapter 32: I Think I’d Like to Make Traveling My Hobby

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There was a chance that Emil really was a Saintess. To confirm that, we decided to head for the royal capital. From here, the town of Galiano, to the royal capital, we had to transfer between several carriages, and the trip would take two full days. That meant we would inevitably have to leave home for a while.

The day before our departure, we went to the guild and confirmed with Kasumi-san that I had officially been promoted to D-Rank. While it varied from person to person, it seemed that reaching D-Rank was something many people could achieve.

Apparently, we’d done it quite early, and that was thanks to Karinka-san. Then came the morning of our departure.

“All right, is everyone ready?”

“I’m good to go.”

“I’m ready too!”

“I’m all set.”

Each of us carried a bag, but I was the only one with a large backpack on my back. Inside it were supplies for the whole party—like food—and when the question of who would carry it came up, I volunteered. Moments like these really made it clear just how much of a cheat an item box would be.

First, we had to get to a town about the same size as this one, and even that meant transferring between several carriages. When we arrived at the carriage station for scheduled rides, there was already a large crowd lined up—even though it was still early in the morning.

“There sure are a lot of people.”

“Yeah. The first town we’re headed to is a major transportation hub, and carriages depart from there to all sorts of places.”

Oh right, this world’s supposed to be one of the most powerful nations. After waiting for a while, a carriage finally arrived. But it quickly filled up to capacity, and we weren’t able to board.

“So this kind of thing happens, huh.”

“Rikuto, you haven’t ridden carriages much, have you? The ones going to major cities get a lot of traffic, so this is pretty common.”

I see. I was thinking of it like a train. I never lived in a big city, so I’d never even experienced a packed train before. Carriages weren’t nearly as spacious as trains, anyway. Fortunately, we didn’t have to wait long for the next one, and we were able to board.

What surprised me was the interior—it was far more luxurious than I had expected. The seats were plush, like the ones you’d find on a train, and the floor was carpeted. I guess that’s normal for commercial use. Aside from us, there were about a dozen other passengers. Staff members were also on board, seeming to monitor capacity.

That meant we didn’t have to worry about being crammed in like sardines; everyone had plenty of space to sit comfortably. Or at least, that was how it should have been. I placed my backpack and bag on either side of me. Normally, on a train, that would be considered bad manners, but since everyone else was already seated and no more people were getting on, I figured it would be fine.

However, I suddenly felt my backpack, which I’d placed on my right, pressing against me. It was being pushed in with surprising force, almost as if someone were shoving it into me. According to what I knew, backpacks couldn’t move on their own. I turned to my right, half-expecting a ghost, and found Emil sitting there.

“Um, Emil? Isn’t there plenty of space on your side?”

“Is there?”

The pressure from the backpack only increased.

“It’s going to get crushed! The food’s going to be crushed!”

“Traveling is just so exciting!”

My words weren’t reaching her at all. I gave up and tried to move the backpack onto my lap, but found that my bag—which I’d definitely placed on the left—was already there.

According to what I knew, bags also couldn’t climb onto your lap by themselves. Thinking this time for sure this must be the work of a ghost, I turned to my left and found Miya sitting there, right where I’d placed my bag.

“What are you doing?”

“We’re in the same party, so sitting close together is natural, right?”

“But I had my bag there.”

“Oh, I just put it on your lap for you.”

“I didn’t ask you to.”

Maybe I should be grateful the conversation still made sense. In the end, I had both the backpack and bag piled on my lap, and with Emil and Miya squished up against me on either side, I was stuck feeling cramped on what should have been a spacious seat.

I don’t hate it, but I do hate it. Karinka-san, please help me.

Karinka-san simply gave me a warm, gentle smile. We stayed in that position for about two hours as the carriage rocked us along, eventually arriving at the first town. From there, we passed through two more towns before reaching our first major stop, where we checked into an inn for the night.

The next day, we rode carriages again, and by the time we finally arrived in the royal capital, it was already evening. As expected of the royal capital, the buildings and crowds were on a whole different level. I really felt like I could get lost here.

“It’s already late, so let’s head to the inn.” 

Karinka-san said, and everyone obediently followed. Apparently, even in this world, you could make lodging reservations, and in cases like ours, where the destination was clear from the start, it was common to book in advance. 

But for adventurers, that wasn’t always possible—so sleeping bags were considered a necessity. The inn was just as fancy as you’d expect in the capital, with a large bath and delicious food.

Traveling is fun!

I felt like I finally understood why some people made a hobby out of traveling. Each of us had our own room, and each room had double locks. For safety, it was important to lock up properly! The next day, we all gathered in the inn’s dining hall and sat around a table for breakfast.

“What’s the plan for today?”

“Today, I’m thinking we’ll go to the castle to seek an audience with the Saintess.”

“Will I be able to talk with her?”

“If we get permission, yes.”

“Emil is definitely going to be allowed! I’m sure of it!”

And so, our activities in the royal capital began.

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