We were walking along an unpaved road under the bright sun.
“It’s hot… My feet are hurting…”
Complained the woman dressed in a gown walking beside me.
“I’m hot too… Bear the pain in your feet. I told you we should flee southward.”
To the south, the road is paved and easier to walk on.
“We can’t go south. Pursuers are there.”
To the south of the capital lies a big city. Whereas, towards the east, where we are fleeing, there is just a small town.
“If they are chasing us, they will also come eastward.”
“The number of soldiers who will come eastward will be fewer. That is the real intention. If they are few, we can triumph. We can steal horses and supplies.”
This girl never ceases to amaze me…
We, who set fire to the royal palace, fled from there and left the capital.
As that fire would already be considered an act of treason. Even if everything goes well, we will end up locked away somewhere. At worst, we bid farewell to this world.
“I think we should have stolen horses from the start.”
“We didn’t have that chance. Besides, in that scenario, if we steal horses, the pursuers would arrive immediately.”
By escaping discreetly without stealing horses, it seems that the royal palace is still investigating and searching for the cause…
“Anyway, they should focus more on maintaining the road…”
The road is really bad. We’re not asking for it to be paved with stones, but at least fixing the potholes would be good.
“That’s true. It doesn’t seem like a direct road to the capital. The king has been very negligent in that aspect.”
And the fact that Lisha doesn’t speak like a lady is because this is her true nature. In fact, the other nobles also speak normally in usual circumstances.
“What are we going to do next? After we cross the city of Gerk, only the Miralda mountain range lies ahead.”
To the east of the capital lies a small town named Gerk. And that’s where the road ends. Beyond that is a steep mountain range, undoubtedly not the first place where a prince and a duke’s daughter can escape to.
“I suppose we’ll take an airship in Gerk.”
An airship is a flying ship and indeed can cross the Miralda mountain range.
“Are we going to flee to another country?”
“There’s no other option. There’s no sanctuary in this country. It’s the wisest thing to do until things calm down.”
I wish there were another option, but it’s all I can think of for now.
“Understood. In that case, let’s head to the water country of Walter.”
“Your mother’s homeland?”
Although my mother has passed away, she originally came from the royal family of Walter. I myself know the king, who is my uncle; surely, he will protect me.
“That’s right. The issue is how to board the airship.”
We didn’t have time to escape with provisions or money.
So the only solution is…
“We must steal it!”
“We must steal it!”
She and I have similar ideas…
“That’s the only option.”
“Do you know how to pilot an airship?”
“No problem. It’s not that difficult.”
Airships are powered by magic, but piloting them is easy. However, usually, it requires the skill of several magicians to operate them.
Surely, I will grow weary, but it’s better than dying on the gallows or by the guillotine.
“It’s hard to believe I went from being a future queen to a fugitive.”
“It’s okay, you can return to the capital and blame me if you wish. I won’t hold it against you.”
She still has time to go back and blame me for the fire. She could even pretend she pursued me but I managed to escape from her.
“No, I refuse. No matter what my life becomes, I’ll be with you… Ugh.”
Then don’t sigh!
And don’t make that face as if you’ve made a mistake!
You must regret choosing the wrong person, right?
“If that’s how you feel, then walk in silence and stop complaining.”
“You’re a magician, aren’t you? Can’t you fly? Bring out a flying carpet!”
I don’t have such a thing as a flying carpet.
“It’s not that I can’t fly, but I’m just one person. And you’re heavy.”
“Heavy?! What are you saying to your wife?!”
We’re not yet married. We’re still only engaged.
Anyway, it doesn’t matter…
“I wasn’t referring to that. If it’s just me, I don’t need much magic, but lifting another person requires a tremendous amount of magic.”
If I had a staff or other auxiliary items, it would be possible, but I have nothing at the moment.
“Interesting… So, Your Highness. Despite being a prince with incredible magical abilities, you’re walking without complaint.”
Lisha is now speaking like a lady.
“Basically…”
“You mentioned that you wouldn’t need much magic if it’s just you, but could it be that you’re making your wife, that is, me, walk while you lightly float?”
Lisha takes a glance at my feet.
“Of course, that’s what I’m doing. I’m a prince, after all!”
How do you expect my feet to touch this damn ground?
…
Lisha grabs my shoulder in silence.
Then, she pushes me to the ground.
“What are you doing?!”
Ouch, you idiot!
“We’re a team, you and I! We share our miseries and suffering together! So, crawl yourself too!”
“Stop that! It’s disrespectful!”
“Shut up! Remember, you’re a fugitive now!”
You are one too!
“…Eh?”
When I tried to remove Lisha’s hand, I saw something small and dark in the distance.
“What’s wrong?”
Lisha asks.
“Look there. Something is approaching.”
I pointed towards the dark object at the end of the road.
“Pursuers?”
“Isn’t it too soon for that…? Wait a moment.”
I focused my magic on my eyes and enhanced my vision.
This is a far-sight spell that allows me to see into the distance.
“That is… A carriage.”
I could see the coachman; it’s definitely a carriage.
“A carriage? Then, they are not pursuers, right?”
If they were pursuers, they would come on horseback, not in carriages.
“Probably…”
“Lloyd, lend me your sword.”
Said Lisha as she took the sword from my waist without permission.
When we fled from the capital, she left her sword as it was too conspicuous.
“Don’t kill the coachman.”
“I won’t. Besides, I want to secure our journey to Gerk by stealing some valuable items. Is the carriage from a merchant?”
“Hmm? Wait, hold on..”
“Why?”
Using the far-sight spell to look at the carriage again, I noticed it has a shield with a cross on top.
“That’s a church carriage. We can’t mess with the church.”
If we’re already being pursued, antagonizing the church would mean being hunted by the holy knight orders from around the world.
“The church, huh?… We shouldn’t get in trouble with them, so let’s talk normally.”
“And about the money?”
It doesn’t seem like they have money…
“I don’t have any. I left everything behind when I fled, including my sword. Are you going to ask them for money? Isn’t the church supposed to help the needy?”
I’m sure everything is full of bribes.
“…I think so too.”
“Lisha, return the sword. Let me handle this.”
“Understood.”
Lisha nodded and sheathed the sword she had taken from my belt.
By the way, it’s a bit intimidating when someone sheathes a sword on your behalf.
We step aside to the edge of the road and decide to wait there for the carriage to approach.
After a while of waiting, the carriage comes closer and stops in front of us.
“Judging by your appearance, you seem to be nobles. What brings you to this place?”
The coachman looks down on us as he asks the question.
Although it’s disrespectful towards me, I don’t blame him. As far as he knows, we could be bandits, and rightly so, as just a while ago Lisha was planning to rob them.
“Yes. We are nobles. Sorry for the inconvenience, could you take us to the city of Gerk? My wife injured her foot.”
“I see… Please wait a moment.”
The coachman turns around and opens the small window of the carriage.
“Maria-sama, did you hear?”
Huh? Maria?
“Yes, but to see nobles walking in a place like this…”
Moreover, this voice is…
“Maria? It’s me, it’s me. Lisha-sama Smyr.”
Lisha seems to have recognized that voice and addresses the woman with excitement.
Is it necessary to use the title to refer to herself?
“What?!”
A surprised voice is heard from the carriage, followed by sounds of commotion, and a young woman with black hair, dressed in a habit, steps down from the back of the carriage.
The young woman was of short stature.
She’s approximately about 10 centimeters shorter than Lisha.
“Lisha-sama! Why are you in a place like this…?! Wait, Your Highness too?!”
Maria was surprised to see both of us in this place, and as usual, her reaction was quite intense.
