Chapter 87 - A Chaotic Road Trip
The journey to the Royal Capital is actually not as difficult as you might think.
After all, the Royal Capital was the heart of the country, and Exembra was one of the largest cities within its borders. It was only natural that a major road connected these two significant places, a well-maintained stone-paved thoroughfare that made motorcycle travel a breeze.
There's even a fairly large inn town at the midpoint, which has continued to develop since the war. With the destruction of the Royal Capital, many of its former residents had relocated there, providing ample manpower.
A well-paved road with an inn town along the way should pose no problems for ordinary travelers. With our ride, the speed limiter has been removed, so if we really pushed it, we could arrive much faster than usual.
But that wouldn't be any fun, would it? This is a journey, after all.
So, without any objections, we set off at a leisurely pace, a stark contrast to our earlier, more spirited departure. A relaxed trip has its own charm, you know.
"Onee-sama! It feels so good!"
"Really! Perfect weather for a trip, isn't it?"
As the sun climbed higher, the temperature rose, and the refreshing breeze flowing over our bodies felt wonderful. It was the perfect time of year, just before early summer.
"I'm so glad I had a motorcycle made. I never knew it could feel this good."
"Same here. When we were adventurers, we always traveled on foot or by carriage. We should have done this earlier."
I led the way, with Valeria riding alongside me. Ophelia and Albert followed closely behind.
In the middle of our group, the Delta shone brightly, with Gradena naturally at the helm.
The Kikyo Society was making its way down the broad road, and it truly felt wonderful. The sunlight, the wind, and the air were all delightful, and the engine sounds of the Bloomstar Galaxy and our conversations added to the joy.
In this unusually open and carefree mood, we were cruising along when I spotted something.
"Huh!? What's that?"
"Onee-sama?"
My sharp eyes didn't miss the large bird-type monster on a distant hill, far off the road. It was a powerful creature known for walking on land rather than flying, and it was notoriously difficult to defeat. Even seasoned adventurers and knights often struggled against it, and its escape speed was legendary. But what made it even more famous was its delicious taste.
It was incredibly tasty, one of my favorite foods.
Unfortunately, these creatures were rare in this area, and hunting them was challenging. When they did appear, they were incredibly expensive. The price wasn't the issue; it was the rarity that made it hard to enjoy them. I'd love to eat them every day!
So, when I saw one, there was no way I was letting it get away.
I accelerated suddenly, veering off the road.
"Hey, Yukari! What's going on!?"
"Is something wrong!?"
We couldn't waste any time. The monster was fast, and we still had a distance to cover. If we didn't hurry, we might lose it.
"We don't have time! Disable the speed limiter and follow me!"
With that, I sped off at full throttle.
The monster was running, and it was fast. The Bloomstar Galaxy's engine roared, and the bird-type monster, sensing the danger, started sprinting like a mad thing.
It was incredibly quick. Its speed on land was no joke. Even with the speed limiter removed, our bikes were only just keeping up. The terrain was rough, and we couldn't reach our full speed, but we were still moving fast enough to keep the monster in sight. It was frustrating not to be able to catch up.
From the bumpy motorcycle, it was hard to throw anything accurately, and I didn't want to risk spoiling the meat. It seemed the only option was to wait for the monster to tire out.
After a while, the landscape changed to a rocky terrain, and my tongue almost clicked in frustration.
The rough ground was just as much of a challenge for the monster, and its speed started to drop.
As I tried to keep up, I noticed something ahead—a large rock formation jutting out like a tower. The monster, surprisingly agile, started climbing it.
When we reached the base of the rock formation, I could see the monster resting on top, still wary of us.
I dismounted the Bloomstar Galaxy and prepared to throw, but I quickly realized that even if I hit it, retrieving the meat would be a problem. This was a tricky spot.
As I pondered, the others finally caught up.
"What's going on? You looked like you were chasing a monster..."
The Kikyo Society members were clearly exhausted from the long, rough ride.
I feel bad. Even Ophelia, usually full of energy, looked unusually tired.
"That thing up there."
I pointed to the rock formation, and everyone seemed to understand.
"Onee-sama, is it that monster?"
"…President, did you really want it that much?"
"Seriously?"
"I have to catch it! Eating its meat today is a mission given to me by the heavens!"
The others looked at me with mixed expressions, but they seemed to understand that we were committed.
I explained the problem of how to catch and retrieve the monster, and Albert came up with a simple but effective plan.
"Why don't we do this?"
His plan was straightforward: I would throw a large iron ball near the monster to scare it off the rock, and Albert would be ready with his bow to finish it off once it was on the ground.
"I haven't used my bow in a while, so this is perfect."
Albert, a skilled archer who usually favored a hammer, volunteered for the task.
We could execute the plan with just me, but I decided to let Albert take the lead. I was curious to see his skills in action.
With the plan set, I prepared a large iron ball, and Albert equipped his bow from the well-stocked jeep. He gave me a nod, signaling he was ready.
"Here we go. Albert, I'm counting on you."
"Got it!"
The monster had been a tough adversary, so I decided to give it a good scare. I threw the iron ball with an overhand swing, aiming for the rock above the monster. The impact and the shower of broken rock startled the creature, which quickly jumped off the rock and glided through the air.
"Wait, it's flying!?"
The monster, unable to fly on its own, had managed to glide. We were caught off guard.
But only for a moment.
As soon as the monster began to glide, a lightning-fast arrow, glowing like a bolt of lightning, struck it squarely on the head.
The sight of Albert's perfect shot was exhilarating.
Many of the younger members of the Combat Unit were seeing Albert's skills for the first time, and they were thoroughly impressed. Even Vice-Commander Mia seemed reinvigorated, though she had her own specialties to contribute to our journey.
After the excitement, we realized it was already evening, and we decided to camp here. While the young members handled the monster, I went with Albert to scout the area.
Others went out to explore the surroundings as well, just in case there were more monsters. By the time we returned, the preparations for the camp and the monster's processing were complete.
We gathered for dinner, and the atmosphere was lively.
"Yeah, it's delicious!"
I took a bite of the grilled bird meat, savoring the juices. The meat was tender and flavorful, and I was very satisfied.
We had been feeding the nobles and their servants decent meals even when they were in captivity. This was their first time eating such a wild meal, and they seemed pleasantly surprised, devouring the food with enthusiasm. They were tougher than they looked.
We had planned to stay at an inn on the first night, but now we were camping. Despite the unexpected turn of events, the bird meat was worth it.
The next morning, I woke up early, as usual, and felt refreshed. I quickly used a purification spell to freshen up and set off for a light jog up a nearby hill.
I watched the horizon, waiting for the sunrise. When Valeria joined me, we stood together, basking in the early morning light. I instinctively hugged her for warmth, even though it wasn't necessary.
Sometimes, it's nice to have these moments.
After everyone woke up, we had a quick breakfast with leftovers from the previous night. Then, we faced a new challenge.
"I'm… lost."
We were completely lost. Even Mia, a former scout, found it difficult to retrace our path after deviating so far from the road. The terrain had changed significantly.
"Well, that's what happens when you wander so far off course."
"What do we do? We could head north and eventually find a road or a river."
We had no idea how we had ended up here, having chased the monster in a frenzy. The Royal Capital was to the northeast of Exembra, and while the road didn't go straight there, our path had definitely been in that direction. The bird-type monster had been to the west when we first spotted it, so we were likely somewhere to the west of the road.
We could have gone with the wind and our whims, but we needed a plan. We decided to head north.
"Alright. Our course is north. If we see anything, we'll signal."
"Got it. We'll figure it out."
The Kikyo Society members were well-trained, so they weren't overly concerned. The atmosphere was surprisingly relaxed, which was a relief for me.
The nobles and their servants were understandably anxious, but they had no say in the matter. There was nothing to worry about; we'd find our way.
We set off north, slowly navigating the rough terrain. Along the way, we hunted more monsters for food and collected fruit, marveling at the richness of the land. Mia's sharp eyes, honed from her time as a scout, were invaluable in finding these resources. Although her primary skill wasn't foraging, she was still impressive.
The rough ride made our butts sore, so we took frequent breaks, but the journey was more interesting than just following a well-paved road.
As the day wore on, we discovered a faint glow of light in the mist during the night.