The Guild Master Whose Hobby Was Helping People Found Himself Surrounded by the Strongest, Overly Attached Members - 45

Chapter 45: The Journey Is Just Too Hard

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A few days later, in the morning. Before the highway leading to Vestia, we stood in front of the carriage, making our preparations.

“Leader! Today I will be the coachman!”

Ragnar puffed out his chest and held up the reins. He already looked more dependable than the horses themselves. No, honestly, he might actually be faster than the horses.

“My! This carriage does have a certain charm to it, doesn’t it~!”

Ceres snapped open her fan and gave her judgment with just a single glance. I had gone out of my way to rent a fairly good carriage, but…

Does it not please you, Lady Ceres? And gramps, don’t just spoil her by nodding silently like that. At least say something like, “This is his utmost effort…”

“When we arrive at the venue of the Lantern Festival, it will serve as my debut into society together with Shin-sama!”

She was already in full “main character of the festival” mode.

Please don’t grab my shoulder with sparkling eyes like that.

“Shin-san! Look, I made a lunch box!”

Iris held out a wrapped cloth bundle with both hands. Inside the small basket were colorful sandwiches and fruit. To be honest, this was what I looked forward to the most. This was the kind of event I never got to experience in my previous life.

“I helped too!”

Leon puffed out his chest, only for Iris to immediately retort.

“You were just the taste-tester.”

Beside them, Rovan-san sat silently, lightly tapping the scabbard of his sword while gazing out at the highway.

“…The journey will be training as well.”

That short remark sent a chill down my spine.

What kind of training is waiting for me here?

“Well then—let’s depart!”

With Ragnar’s shout, the carriage creaked and began to roll down the road. At first, it was peaceful grasslands. In the distance, the roofs of a small village could be seen, and flocks of birds circled in the sky.

But that peaceful scenery didn’t last for long.

“Fnnnuuugh!!”

On the coachman’s seat, reins in one hand, Ragnar began lifting a massive weight like an iron ball with the other. Where the hell did he even pull that out from?

“Leader! Training on horseback is the perfect opportunity to master full-body coordination!”

His voice was so loud I could see the horses flinching. My own heart was flinching right along with them.

“Shin-sama, please look to your right. Along this highway stand the stone monuments of ancient ruins!”

The young lady began acting like a carriage tour guide.

“There are still many sights ahead! For example, up ahead lies a grand stone structure known as the Twin Wing Gate—”

“How does that not just look like two rocks stuck in the ground…?”

“…It’s about time.”

Ignoring my quip, Rovan-san muttered under his breath. A bead of cold sweat ran down my back.

“Boy, run.”

“H-huh? Why!?”

“Beside the carriage. Train your core. Keep pace alongside us.”

Bringing Rovan-san along was a mistake. My body was about to learn that the hard way.

“…Shin-san, don’t push yourself too hard, okay?”

Iris clutched the lunch box with worry in her voice. Meanwhile Leon, ever cheerful, clenched his fist jovially.

“We siblings are cheering for you!”

That’s not cheering, that’s abandoning me.

In the end, under Rovan-san’s glare, I resigned myself. I leapt down from the wagon, and started running beside the carriage. The wheels clattered, Ragnar’s booming shouts echoed, and Ceres’s delighted “My, how splendid!” rang out.

We hadn’t even been on the road for an hour, and my body was already reaching its limit.

“…So… Tired…”

Two hours later. Somehow, I had managed to keep running, but my legs felt like logs. The carriage showed no signs of stopping, but I forced it to halt. At this rate, I’d die before we even reached Vestia.

“—Let’s stop here for lunch.”

As I croaked the words out, the sound of a nearby stream reached my ears. There was plenty of shade from the trees, making it the perfect spot to rest. Everyone climbed down from the carriage and sat down.

“Wow, this feels so nice!”

Iris’s face lit up as she brought out the lunch box.

“Let’s eat!”

Colorful sandwiches, rolled omelets with vegetables, even sweet simmered fruit. Just looking at it was enough to make the fatigue of travel melt away.

“Whoa, that’s amazing…”

The words slipped out honestly, and Iris’s cheeks instantly turned red.

“I-I’m so glad…! I practiced so much to make sure Shin-san would enjoy it.”

Iris… Bringing her along was the right choice. Otherwise, surrounded by all these muscleheads, I’d probably have returned to town ripped out of my mind.

“Then—Shin-san, say ahh.”

She held out a sandwich, and my heart skipped a beat.

“T-that’s a bit too much…”

The sheer youthful sweetness of it all made me feel dizzy. While I hesitated, Iris’s expression clouded with worry.

“…Did you not like it…?”

“No, no, no, it’s not that at all!”

It was impossible to refuse when she looked up at me with teary eyes like that. But my embarrassment was overwhelming, and being fed was almost too much to handle for me.

“—Young miss, mind if I have one?”

Rovan-san, sitting beside us, gestured at the lunch box with his chin.

“Of course!”

“Much obliged. Just realized I only brought liquor with me.”

He grabbed one of the sandwiches in his fist and tossed it straight into his mouth. Chewing away, he washed it down with liquor instead of water and let out a satisfied sigh.

“…Young girl, do you have a cooking skill? Back when I was young, that woman used to pack me lunches all the time. This reminds me of those days. The best one was—”

To shut off the incoming flashback, I immediately turned back to Iris.

“…Iris, feed me.”

She happily held out the sandwich, and I took a bite. Yeah, delicious. Absolutely delicious.

“…Seeing Shin-san’s face like that is the greatest compliment I could ever receive!”

I covered my fluster with a cough, but—

“Leader! Let me have one too—”

“Shin-san, allow me to feed—”

Ragnar and Leon both leaned forward at once. But in that moment, Iris smiled sweetly and raised a hand to stop them.

“—The only one I’ll feed is Shin-san.”

Her tone was icy despite the smile. In an instant, the air froze, and the two of them went rigid… Terrifying.

“Fufu, then allow me to offer this…”

Ceres swayed her drills and pulled out a tea set from her cloak. How the hell had she smuggled that into the carriage?

“It is the art of being a lady. If it is for the sake of giving Shin-sama the supreme moment of bliss, then a little luggage is nothing to bear.”

The tea poured into the cup sparkled with a light amber hue. Ceres leaned close to my ear and whispered like a secret temptation.

“Now, Shin-sama… Won’t you have a sip?”

Her voice was laced with hot breath. From the cup wafted a faintly sweet aroma. Every time her slender fingers shifted, the sheen of her polished nails caught the light, keeping my gaze locked. And before I knew it, I had obeyed her words.

One sip. The fragrance of tea caressed my tongue, a faint bitterness and sweetness sliding down my throat. My fatigue eased just a little.

“…It’s good.”

“Why of course.”

In stark contrast to this moment of calm, when I glanced sideways, Iris was still glaring down at Leon and Ragnar.

“Waiting for the right moment is also part of strategy. Love and war are no different, after all.”

Her crimson-painted lips curved in a small smile as she fanned her cheek, and gramps gave a quiet nod.

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