The Invincible Undefeated Divine Sword Master - Chapter 13
Frozen Tangerines
it’s been an hour into the ride.
The ride was boring – but not too boring.
I was the son of a nobleman, and I was living a good life. So, I’ve never ridden in a carriage like this one before.
My second brother, Marks, despised to ride in a carriage, because he thinks carriages are livestock transportation, but for me, there was nothing wrong with riding in a carriage with some stranger.
The merchant who came from the south told us some unusual stories about where he came from. The merchant said that elf races are really common in the south. The elves that usually compete in the race are called Desert Elves; they have dark skin even though they are elves. They are different from the dark elves, and the desert elves are very beautiful, he said.
The old ladies who were on pilgrimage also shared their tangerines with us.
The tangerines from the East are very sweet and tasty. They can be divided into small portions which is perfect for a travel snack. Moreover, they were apparently frozen, making them the perfect food for the hot and humid carriage.
Apparently, Leah had never eaten them before.
“I’ve never eaten anything as good as this!”
Her eyes lighten up as she puts the tangerines into her mouth.
Marie said,
“My cheeks are about to fall off.”
They were ecstatic.
The old lady asked me a question with a smile on her face.
“What kind of relationship do you two have? I don’t mean to be rude, but you don’t look like the kind of person who would walk around with a maid.”
It is true that I’m a travelling swordsman, it is unusual for a swordsman to have a maid.
On the other hand, Marie’s master, Leah, also wore a hood, which made her look less noble. She didn’t look like a noblewoman or a merchant’s daughter. They only talked to her in this short conversation, so they couldn’t sense her nobility.
“…”
They seem to be troubled to the old lady’s question, so I made up a lie for the old lady.
“I’m going to take them to the North City. There seem to be a lot of jobs in the north.”
“Oh dear, I see. Is this hooded girl going to be a maid too?”
“Yes. I will be a maid for a certain merchant family. Marie used to be a maid in a southern city, but she changed careers. I am her cousin, and since it was a good opportunity, we decided to work together.”
“Well, that’s quite an accomplishment for such a young age.”
The old woman said in her laid-back tone.The old woman was convinced.
“…”
“…”
Leah and Marie looked at each other.
After the conversation with the old lady was over, Leah spoke to me.
“Mr. Licht, that’s amazing. To create such a compelling story in that one moment.”
“I just made it up.”
“It’s wonderful. Mr. Licht has the talent to be a writer, doesn’t he?”
“A writer’s job is to lie and make up stories, you know. Maybe I do have the talent for it.”
I’ve been pretending to be something I’m not since I was a child. I’ve been hiding my talent from the world. Being a writer is a profession of showing off one’s talent, but it’s also a profession of lying. Since I’ve been free from the curse of House Estark, maybe it might be the perfect fit for me.
As I mumbled to myself, “Maybe I’ll buy some manuscript paper when I arrive in the northern city,” I noticed something strange.
There were three of these carriages traveling together, and we are in the back of these carriages. The two carriages in front of our carriage seemed to have stopped. It seemed that the first carriage had come off its wheels.
They needed a man to help lift the carriage so that they can fix the broken wheels.
If they say so, I will go and help them, but I’m Leah’s escort now. I needed her permission.
Leah nodded slightly.
“Please go.”
She said.
If the carriage doesn’t move, we won’t be able to get to the city to the north.
If this happens, we will not be able to achieve our goals.
So, I headed for the broken carriage and saw that there were already some men there.
They were working together to lift the carriage. So, in the meantime, I’m trying to put on the wheel that came off, but it doesn’t quite fit.
I helped them to put the wheels on, but then I see something strange.
There was something wrong with the joint of the wheel.
(…this is)
I may be the son of a nobleman, but I know a little about carriages work, this is due to my status as a bastard, I was forced to do the kind of work that servants do. I actually didn’t mind doing those jobs. I took care of the carriages oftenly. It was then that I learned about the structure of carriages, and I notice that wheels of carriages don’t usually break like this.
(…It was broken as if something was removed on purpose.)
The wheel is not damaged, but it’s joints were simply removed.
That guess is probably correct, but the question is, why did someone do it? The owner of the stables would be the one who is in big trouble if the carriage broke down.
With these thoughts in mind, I fixed the wheel.
There weren’t enough men to lift the carriage, so instead of lifting by myself, I made ice pillars appear from the ground to lift the carriage. The people around me are amazed of my speed and application of magic, but in my opinion, it was only natural for a magician to come up with something like this.
The mercenaries and the people on board said in admiration,
“Wowww…”
The mercenaries and the people on board praised me.
“It’s a method no aristocrat would ever think of.”
They were impressed.
However, the sorcerer that accompanied our journey said, “I could have thought of something like this too!” I’m not going to say anything about it, though. There is no need to hurt the pride of the sorcerer guarding me.
He then tried to repair the carriage using ice jacks, but it would take time to fix the wheels. In the meantime, they agreed to go ahead with the rest of the carriages.
Those who were in a hurry were instructed to board the carriages which weren’t broken, so I looked at Marie and Leah.
They trusted their fate in my hands.
Perhaps this accident was intentional.
Perhaps the purpose of this ‘accident’ was to divide the carriages.
While the men were repairing the carriage, the wagons full of women were being separated.
In the meantime, there were people who are trying to carry out something sketchy.
I have a rough idea of what it is, but the problem is how my employer Leah think of this situation.
If they dared to take advantage of the situation, I would go and follow them to see what are they going to do.
But if Leah can’t sense danger from this series of events, simply act on it is not bad either.
Either way. I had no choice but to follow the girls, and I am confident that I can handle the situation even if I was at some disadvantage.
I looked at Leah with this in mind.
Now, did she sense something strange about the carriage and realize the scheme?
She seems to be a young lady from a safe place and insensitive to danger.
With that thought in mind, Leah nodded her head. Her eyes were serious.
Apparently, she had figured out what was going on, it was not a series of accidents.
She must have read the unusual atmosphere and sensed the danger.
On top of it, the expression of the maid, who could be called Leah’s personal sword, was also cautious.
Maybe they are used to dangerous situations that they can sense danger with their bare skin.
I feel sorry for these ladies, but perhaps I should be grateful that it has kept them alive.
With these thoughts in mind, I boarded the carriage with Leah and Marie.
The carriage driver said,
“I want all male’s hands to be detained.”
“The jack won’t melt for two nights.”
I said with an intimidating tone, but the driver ignored me.
Probably, they think that me getting into the carriage alone would not interfere their ‘operation’.
They were very wrong, but it was more convenient to leave it this way, so I sat down beside Leah in silence.