The Young Lady With the Most Powerful Specs Was Just Too Cute, so I Started Teasing Her—But Then She Tried to Trap Me With a Chain, so I Kept Running Away With All My Might - Chapter 15

The Flow of the Inspection

The Duchy is huge.

I thought that when I saw it on the map back at the mansion, but actually riding a horse across it makes me realize it even more.

The moment I saw the mansion, I thought, “Whoa, this place is massive!” But the territory? It’s on a whole different level!

One-third of the kingdom belongs to the Duke. There are five major cities, each managed by Barons or Viscounts.

It’s not just cities, either. There are villages protected by knight families, like the one my parents come from.

Then there are the roads connecting everything, and beyond those, endless meadows, forests, and mountains.

No matter where I look, it’s all land ruled by the Ducal house.

“I guess that’s why an inspection takes so many days,” I muttered, letting out a small sigh from atop my horse.

We aren’t visiting everything this time; the plan is to make a circuit over about five days.

The escorts aren’t just knights. We’ve got adventurers and even mercenaries coming along.

It might seem like overkill, but I guess it’s only natural when you’re in charge of a vast territory like this.

As I rode alongside the carriage, I glanced at the window.

Inside were Oldie and Horn.

During the trip, Oldie would occasionally crack the window open to look outside.

Every time the wind caught her black hair, I thought to myself, “Yeah, I really did manage to get her out of that room.”

***

The first day was mostly about greetings with the local lords.

We entered a large city near the lands directly controlled by the Ducal house. There, the Barons and heads of knight families were lined up to welcome the Duke.

Townspeople had gathered along the main road, too.

“It’s the Duke.”

“The young lady is here, too.”

“Lady Oldie is… Did she get better?”

I could hear whispers like that coming from all over.

Well, of course they were surprised.

Thinking back to when I first saw her, I couldn’t have imagined her coming outside and showing her face from a carriage like this just a short while ago.

Before we headed to the inn, the Duke was receiving one greeting after another.

He looked so dignified, responding with a clear, powerful voice. I thought, “Wow, he really is a lord.”

But in between all that, I could see him glancing over to check on his daughter. He really is a doting father.

Oldie stayed quiet.

However, she wasn’t just staring at the floor the whole time.

She looked out the window. She looked at the gathered people. Every now and then, she looked at the Duke’s profile.

Just the way her eyes moved was completely different from before.

She wasn’t an expressionless, emotionless lady who showed no interest in anything.

She was properly moving her eyes and taking in her surroundings.

After we got into the inn, I spoke to her in the hallway.

“Are you tired?”

“A little.”

“Then please take it easy for the rest of the day.”

“…What about you?”

“I’m on watch and escort duty. Also, I have a feeling the seniors are going to make me do their chores.”

“I see.”

Her reply was short. But her eyes were looking straight at me.

“What about tag?”

“If we did that today, Horn would get mad at me.”

“…You’re right.”

For a split second, she sounded almost disappointed.

I’ll keep it a secret that her reaction made me strangely happy.

***

On the second day, we toured the villages.

Unlike the city, the roads were narrow, and the smell of earth was much stronger.

Tiny houses lined the paths, fields stretched out wide, and children watched the carriage from a distance.

The Duke stopped at every single village, listened to what the village chiefs had to say, and checked on everything from crop yields to water supplies.

He was much more thorough than I expected.

I thought he’d just walk around looking important, but I had to respect him a bit more after seeing how he actually looks into everything.

Then, just after noon, monsters appeared in a meadow.

Three wolf-types, with two more following a little later.

The knights stepped forward immediately.

I jumped off my horse too. But by the time I did, it was already over.

Black chains had sliced through the grass.

She took the head of the first one.
She slammed the second one into the ground.
She tangled the third one’s legs and tore them right off.

The two latecomers were skewered just as they were trying to turn around.

It happened in the blink of an eye.

And Oldie herself just stood by the carriage without changing her expression once.

The knights, the adventurers, and the mercenaries were all speechless for a moment.

I mean, yeah.

I’m starting to get used to it, but it’s brutal no matter how many times I see it.

“Oldie…”

I spoke without thinking.

“That was an instant kill.”

“The monsters were simply weak.”

“No, no, I don’t think that’s the point here.”

Oldie quietly made the chains disappear.

Her black hair swayed in the wind blowing across the meadow.

Watching that, the Duke gave a small nod.

“Ludie is wonderful!”

He looked happy.

However, I felt like I could see both things in his face: the pride of having a strong daughter, and the worry of a father who knows how dangerous that power is.

In the end, we didn’t have any time for tag that day.

Between visiting villages and slaying monsters, we headed straight onto the next road.

But that night, after we reached the inn, Oldie muttered something.

“You didn’t run away today.”

“Well, I didn’t have anyone to run away from.”

“You did.”

“Eh?”

“Me.”

“What are you talking about in the middle of an inspection?”

“Nothing.”

I didn’t think it was “nothing,” but Oldie didn’t say anything else after that.

***

The third day.

We were scheduled to enter a mid-sized city.

The road got wider, and we passed several merchant wagons.

But halfway through, the atmosphere turned strange.

There were fewer people. Well, it’s not like there were none, but everyone we saw looked pale.

The things loaded on the wagons weren’t products; they looked more like broken household items.

Tension began to spread among the knights on horseback.

As I rode next to the carriage, I looked ahead.

And the moment the city came into view, I lost my words.

“…What is this?”

Part of the wall was crumbling.

There were scorch marks near the gate.

Roofs were missing from buildings, and broken wagons sat by the side of the road. There were several things lined up under cloth covers.

The soldiers at the city entrance looked exhausted, and as soon as they saw the Duke’s group, they dropped to their knees.

“Your Excellency…!”

“What happened?”

The Duke’s voice rang out, low and heavy.

The soldier’s lips trembled as he answered.

“Last night, a swarm of monsters…! They broke in from the north side of the city and caused massive damage…!”

In that instant, the air changed completely.

The softness the Duke had when facing his daughter vanished from his face.

“Captain.”

“Sir.”

“Prioritize protecting the injured and supporting the recovery. Coordinate with the city guards.”

“Sir!”

“Send the adventurers out on scout duty. There might be stragglers from the swarm nearby.”

“Understood!”

The adventurers moved out immediately.

The mercenaries gripped their weapons and began scanning the surroundings.

The Duke hopped off his horse and started barking out orders in rapid succession.

“Get people out of the collapsed sectors! Use the buildings that are still standing as temporary shelters! Use our supplies for food and water!”

No one hesitated.

Every time the Duke’s voice rang out, the city’s atmosphere started to shift little by little.

This man really is incredible.

I led my horse over to the carriage.

Horn stepped out, followed by Oldie.

The moment she saw the devastation of the city, Oldie’s eyes wavered slightly.

“Oldie.”

I spoke in a low voice.

“Please don’t leave my side.”

“…Okay.”

“If anything happens, step back immediately.”

“Okay.”

Horn moved to stand right next to Oldie as well.

It was then that I heard heavy footsteps approaching.

I turned around and saw a woman.

She was tall with a muscular build. Her red hair was tied back, and an old scar ran over one of her eyes.

Even through her armor, I could tell. She was strong.

A longsword was at her waist, and a spear was on her back. Her gaze was sharp, yet she had a strange sense of calm in her posture.

I could tell at a glance that she was no ordinary person.

She gave me a quick look and then knelt on one knee in front of Oldie.

“Mercenary Captain, Platinum.”

Her voice was clear and carried well.

“Allow me to introduce myself. Lady Oldie, during this inspection, my mercenaries have been ordered to act as your guard.”

“…I see.”

Platinum, the woman warrior, looked up at Oldie.

Her eyes narrowed for just a second, as if she were measuring the thing lurking behind Oldie.

But she didn’t say anything.

“Given the situation in the city, I would like you to stay in a safe place today, my lady.”

“Is that my father’s order?”

“Half of it is the Duke’s decision, and half of it is my own judgment.”

Her words had power. It was the voice of someone who had survived enough battles to be allowed to speak that way.

“Nil.”

Oldie looked at me.

“Yes.”

“What do you think?”

“Me?”

“Yes.”

She put me on the spot. I looked at the state of the city.

The collapsed buildings.
The injured being carried away.
The smell of blood.

Then, I looked at Platinum.

This person is really capable.

At the very least, she’s way more experienced than your average knight.

“…I think it’s better to stay somewhere safe. However, I don’t think it’s a good idea to be too far from the Duke if possible.”

Katary’s letter was sounding an alarm inside my head.

A monster attack. A city already in ruins.

If that’s the case, wouldn’t the events in the letter happen in this city? Or maybe nearby?

“I understand. We will wait here. However, keep a close eye on my father’s movements, Platinum. I want you to report his actions to me.”

“Understood!”

Oldie accepted my opinion just like that.

It was a little surprising, but Platinum followed Oldie’s order too.