< 77. Moving Strategy (1) >
#77
I wanted to ignore it but it wasn’t a topic I could do. It was the car that Ronan was about to turn to. He pulled himself away from the wall and Adeshan grabbed him by the sleeve.
“wait for a sec.”
“ok? “What’s wrong?”
“Take this.”
Adeshan held out the coat he was holding. The neatly folded clothes looked as if they had never been worn. Ronan’s eyes widened as he took the coat.
“Aha this is mine.”
“thank you. “Thanks to you I survived back then.”
“What? “I’m glad you wore it well.”
It was lent to Adeshan during the mid-term evaluation. Ronan immediately put on his coat. He felt good as if he were wearing brand new clothes. Adeshan said.
“how is it?”
“How do you feel?”
“Don’t you think things have changed a little?”
Ronan shrugged his eyebrows. After listening to it it seemed like the fit had changed slightly. He soon noticed that his lining had become a little thicker.
“Did you put something inside?”
“huh. I had some leftover material so I added strong leather to the blade. “It will be able to prevent minor cuts and wounds.”
“Wow do you know how to do this?”
“My name is a tailor’s daughter so of course. “Take a look at her inner pockets too.”
Ronan lifted his head. His name was embroidered in elegant cursive on the front of the inside pocket. Adeshan smiled warmly.
“I engraved it once. “I think you lose your clothes often.”
“thank you. “There’s no need to go this far.”
Ronan grinned. I really liked the modified school uniform. I don’t know what treatment it went through but there was almost no change in weight.
“I’m glad you like it.”
Adeshan looked at Ronan with proud eyes. It was nice to see him so purely happy. After a brief pause she opened her mouth.
“Well…can I ask you something?”
“of course. “Right now I can even tell you the number of moles on my butt.”
“There’s no need for things like that…why were you there yesterday? “A very pretty magic teacher.”
“Ophelia? “Why him?”
“…I understand right away when you say it’s pretty. “You even left the horse…?”
“yes?”
“Oh no… this isn’t that important. Just yes. “I was wondering what it was.”
Adeshan’s tone became strangely urgent and his usual firearms were not felt. Ronan tilted his head.
“What’s going on? Uh…you’re a friend right?”
“That’s right friend. So um. “Are you talking about a relationship like that between you and me?”
For a moment Ronan was speechless. Since she was speaking gibberish earlier she couldn’t understand the intent of the question. She asked back in an anxious voice.
“Why aren’t you saying anything…?”
“Oh I was just thinking about it for a moment. “Ophelia…well if I really have to ask she’s different from my senior.”
“uh?”
At that moment Ade Shan froze as if she had encountered Medusa. Her eyelashes dark as a forest were fluttering. Ronan who was smoothing her chin continued her words.
“Because seniors are much more special.”
“Special… special?”
“Of course. “We will go together until the end.”
Ade Shan’s eyes widened. It seemed like she had her own sense of entitlement. She must be feeling anxious because Ophelia who looks strong at first glance appears as her companion.
There is a long way to go to Daejanggun so it would be difficult if you are already shaken. In times like these it was best to boost her confidence.
“Don’t worry. I told you I would be there to help you. Keep going until you get it done.”
“So…are you saying I’m more important than Ophelia?”
“At least for me.”
Ronan said staring into Ade Shan’s eyes. Creaking like a broken doll she lowered her head. Her little ears were red as if they had been heated by her fire. A voice that seemed to crawl from inside her flowing hair came out.
“…thank god.”
“huh? “What did you say?”
“It’s nothing. I guess I’ll just have to go for today. huh. “There are also things the instructor ordered me to do.”
“Today is Sunday.”
“I have a special request for you. Then I’ll just go…!”
Suddenly Ade Shan turned his back and started walking away. Perhaps because her legs were long she walked incredibly fast. Ronan shook his head as he watched her retreating back.
“The instructor is really nice too.”
It would be okay to give me some rest on the weekend. Ronan muttered and walked towards her club. The sky where the clouds had cleared overnight was shining a brilliant blue.
****
“I’m here.”
The door to the club building opened. An unusual combination caught my eye.
Schlieffen was circling her room like a condor suffering from anxiety disorder muttering her incomprehensible sounds. At the table in the far corner Asher was curled up and trembling.
“Hee hee Iik….”
Asher who had covered her face with her large book was observing the movements of her Schlieffen with only her eyes peeked out. Ronan frowned at her as he saw her idiotic sight.
“What are you doing there?”
“Ro Ronan…!”
Asher who met Ronan’s eyes rushed over. It seems that Schlieffen barged in while I was studying here. He said in a whisper.
“Why is that person here…?”
“Oh he’s also a member of our team now. “I didn’t tell you.”
“what…?”
Asher’s eyes grew so big that they almost seemed like they would pop out. At that moment she was stopped in her tracks by a wandering Schlieffen. He opened his mouth without turning his head.
“Ronan. “What have you been doing to come here now?”
“You came on an adventure that people like you can’t even imagine. “Why are you making such a fuss?”
“Time is urgent so just tell me the business. I think we need to expedite Miss Iril’s move. “As of today.”
“…If you don’t want to be left behind you have to have a valid reason.”
I was shocked. It was only yesterday that after a lengthy agreement the moving date was set for the end of the month. Ronan felt the accumulated fatigue slowly giving way to anger. Schlieffen continued.
“Intelligence came in early in the morning. They also said that another village was destroyed. Kakapura is a mountain village located to the west of Lomira.”
“What do you mean? “The village is destroyed?”
“okay. Frantic monsters attacked. “The guards were not entities that could be dealt with so the situation could be put to rest only when the imperial army was dispatched.”
“…Tell me in detail.”
Ronan’s face hardened. Nimberton where my sister lived was also located on the western side of the Lomira Mountains. It is said that the incident began yesterday evening while he was away.
Monsters that would normally be gentle or live elsewhere began to run rampant. He said that the response is being delayed because it is happening on a wide scale.
“We sent a mercenary group to Nimburton last night. “They were dispatched but it’s still better than nothing.”
“What’s wrong with you? “I’m so proud of you.”
“Of course there is no change in the need to hurry. “I heard that a wyvern was observed above Marvas this morning.”
“Flame wyvern?”
Ronan twisted his lips. Wyverns were among the most dangerous monsters. Although he couldn’t breathe or use magic he had deadly poison sharp teeth and best of all he could fly in the sky.
Schlieffen walked up to the map hanging on the cork board. With the tip of his knife he began pointing to villages near the Lomira Mountains one by one.
“Currently except for the large city of Marvas there is no proper defense system in place to respond to monster attacks. The places where the incident occurred are all quite far away from Nimburton but I can’t relax. Therefore it is the right decision to quickly send escort troops to bring Miss Iril to the islands.”
The map had detailed directions for moving and sections to be careful of. Ronan’s head rolled quickly. Although he was reasonable he was not particularly flawed. Ronan thinking there was no need to hesitate any longer placed his hand on Asher’s shoulder.
“Asher. “Pack your bags.”
“Huh?”
“It’s an emergency club activity.”
It seemed like there wouldn’t be any time to rest. Ronan quickly took out paper and a pen and wrote two notes. And he put one into the mouth of Sita who was dozing by the window.
“…Bwait?!”
“Tell Varen. “Do you know where it is?”
It was a temporary club activity plan. Sita shaking off her sleep with her sleep nodded her head. The other sheet was placed on the table right in front of the door.
There was no time to gather other members. The three people who immediately finished preparing left Phileon. About thirty minutes later two ghost horses were launched beyond the island’s western gate.
****
The three crossed the Lomaira Mountains before the sun set. I couldn’t believe that this was the road I had passed over four days with Asher. The speed of the ghost horse on the paved road was definitely beyond imagination.
Of course the rental price was beyond imagination but since Phileon Academy would pay for it there was no need to worry too much. It was not until they reached Marvas that they stopped for the first time. Schlieffen spoke in a calm voice.
“That was a good idea Ronan. “You’re thinking of renting a ghost horse.”
“I rode it before and it was fucking fast.”
“Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu…”
Asher was holding onto Ronan’s waist and barely holding back the vomiting that was rising. Ronan said taking off his sweaty goggles.
“Anyway you go to Nimborton first and lead the escort. “We will switch to regular horses.”
“Wouldn’t it be better if we go together?”
“It’s because there’s something that bothers me. “I know that if you try to manipulate my sister I will kill you.”
“What does it mean to be an adaptation? Do you really think that I am doing this because I have a selfish interest in Iril? That’s funny. Listen carefully Ronan. “I will continue to rely on the noble spirit of Grancia…”
“Okay so go quickly man. “I don’t have time.”
Ronan cut off the waist of the horse. Normally they would have made a fuss for a while longer and then disappeared but as the situation was such Schlieffen also obediently returned the reins.
It was just deplorable that something like that was a minor duke from the great family of Grancia. Ronan said in a pitiful tone.
“Does that idiot really think he won’t get caught?”
“Well….”
“That is already a modification. I’m intentionally making it obvious so my sister will notice. “Because there is no one in the world who doesn’t notice that you like them.”
Asher looked at Ronan with a bewildered expression. He moved his lips as if he desperately wanted to say something but then stopped. The two men borrowed a nimble courser from the marketplace in Marvas. Ronan looked around and muttered.
“It looks like a wyvern really showed up.”
I felt that the atmosphere of the city had become ugly. The number of people walking on the streets has decreased significantly. The remaining passers-by were looking up at the sky from time to time.
Imperial troops dispatched from the archipelago were forming columns and patrolling various places. They all had crossbows strapped to their backs. Ronan sighed as he thought about dealing with the wyvern.
‘Damn I’m not a very good opponent.’
Memories of running around trying to catch a wyvern in my past life came back to me. Ronan desperately hoped that there would be no wyverns among the berserk monsters.
“Then let’s leave.”
Ronan and Asher who changed into coursers immediately left Marvas. Ronan rode his horse at a speed that was neither slow nor fast stopping frequently. Also that wasn’t the end. Ronan who stopped for the eighth time looked back at Asher and said.
“Asher. “Let it fly.”
“Uh yeah. “Invisible Hand.”
Asher chanted a spell. Ronan’s body quickly and smoothly rose into the air. A village located here and there along the river and forest came into view. Ronan who confirmed that there was no problem asked us to get off. He landed in the saddle in a sitting position. Asher carefully opened his mouth.
“By the way Ronan. What’s bothering you? “It happened so suddenly that I had a hard time understanding the situation…”
“I think Nebula Clazier is involved.”
“what…?”
Ronan answered calmly. It bothered me that monsters suddenly started running rampant. The cave giants and ogres of the Vaidian Mountains that I met earlier were all the work of Nebula Clage. Asher asked back with a pale face.
“If it’s Nebula Clazie… she destroyed the temple and made Sarante like that…”
“ok. “They are the bastards of the world.”
The reason Ronan frequently asked them to levitate themselves in the air was to extract their characteristic sparkling mana. It was around this time that we were slowly approaching Nimburton.
I noticed a crowd of people gathered at the front of the road. A group of imperial troops were blocking the road armed with spears and shields. A man who appeared to be a captain shouted blocking Ronan’s path.
“stop! Stop!”
“What’s going on?”
The expression on his face wasn’t very good. It seemed like something had happened. The man said pointing with her finger beyond the blocked road.
“Sword Saint Zaipa and his direct troops are conducting operations nearby. “Wait until it’s over or take another route.”
