428 - Leonardo's Perspective. The Old Man and the Box Loaded onto the Cart
"...Huh?"
When I came to, I was standing on an unfamiliar riverbank. Just a moment ago I should have been in that space illuminated by darkness and moonlight alongside the Divine King, but now I was standing in a place I did not recognize at all. From the position of the sun, it was a little past noon. I adjusted my hold on the blanket wrapped around Tina while looking around to take in as much information as I could about this place I had been suddenly thrown into.
"...!"
In that space with the Divine King, I had not felt any pain, but now my arm that had been struck by lightning throbbed sharply. I reflexively nearly dropped Tina, but somehow managed to hold on. There was no way I would let go of Tina now that I had finally gotten her back.
...Where was this? Or rather, when was this?
I should have been on the middle of the frigid Erath Mountain Range, where snow still remained despite it being summer, but the scenery around me had completely changed. The trees were lush with green leaves, and the wind brushing against my cheeks was warm. In fact, it was almost a little hot. If winter suddenly jumped straight to summer, this might be how it felt. It was like being thrown from the summer of Imperial Capital Tralbach, which was colder than Grenore's deepest winter, into Grenore's summer.
...I should think of it as having been swept down a river and ended up in a different place.
If this warmth was summer temperature, that meant I was in a place far from the Erath Mountain Range. If the river was connected to the one at the bottom of that cliff, I felt like I might be able to narrow down the location somewhat.
...That said, first of all, without knowing where I was, I could not figure out which direction to go either.
If I had a destination, it would be Augun territory ruled by Carlotta, but without knowing my current location, there was nothing I could do. Which meant the first thing to do was confirm my current location, but there was something I needed to do before that.
"...Tina."
Panicking would not help, so I sat down on a convenient rock and called out to Tina inside the blanket. I pulled back the blanket to check on her, but Tina was still sleeping peacefully. Her hair and clothes, which should have been wet, were dry. That might have been the Divine King's consideration. At least this meant her body would not get chilled to the core and she would not die from it. If her body warmed up and her fatigue subsided, she should naturally wake up.
...Something was definitely still in there, but I could not remove it right away.
Whatever had come out of that fire-spouting tube was lodged in my shoulder. When I moved my shoulder, there was a dull grinding pain and an unpleasant sensation. I knew I should take it out quickly, but the location was bad. Since my dominant arm was injured, I would have to use my left hand to treat myself. If it were my arm, I could manage first aid with my left hand, but with my shoulder, treating myself was difficult. To begin with, it was hard just to see the condition of my injured shoulder.
...No help for it. I would apply some blood-clotting medicine and then look for a town and rely on the Sedovara Church.
As retaliation for Tina's kidnapping, the number of pharmacists had been reduced in the Zugall Empire, but I would have to leave that to luck. It was not as if pharmacists had withdrawn from every town and village. In places like Augun territory, depending on the territorial lord's character, the Sedovara Church had made allowances. If my luck was good, I would be able to receive treatment at the Sedovara Church.
...Oh? I had reached the highway.
After stopping the bleeding as best I could, I carried Tina and moved along the river. After walking for a while, I came across a bridge, and from both ends stretched a highway that I could tell was reasonably well-maintained.
...The sound of wheels.
I heard the sound of a carriage approaching and hesitated. Should I stop it and ask for help, or should I let it pass while staying alert for pursuers? If it was a pursuer, I could not let myself be found, but if it was an unrelated person, I wanted a ride to town. Even if that was not possible, I wanted to at least ask where this place was.
...I had better hide Tina for now.
I hid Tina at the foot of the bridge and covered her with the black wolf pelt. That way Tina would not be visible from a carriage traveling on the highway, and from my position it was a spot where I could immediately tell if something happened to her.
...Now, how would this go?
I listened closely as the sound of wheels approached, and straightened my back as a carriage appeared from beyond the highway. The sight of an ominous-looking black carriage made me break out in a cold sweat, wondering if I had misjudged. It did not look like a transport or escort carriage that pursuers would ride in, but it did not look like a noble's or wealthy merchant's carriage either. However, if I ran away the moment the carriage came into view, it would be like telling them I had something to hide. All I could do was pray that they would pass me by like a stone by the roadside. The contents of the carriage seemed to be that kind of person.
"It is a strange day today."
The black carriage passed right in front of me, but then stopped a little ahead for some reason. An old man with white hair got out of the carriage, but there was a sense of incongruity between the carriage and the old man. The carriage was solidly built, so much so that it would not be strange for a noble, let alone a wealthy person, to ride in it, but the old man was just an ordinary old man you might see anywhere. He did not look like a noble, and he did not have the atmosphere of a retired wealthy man either.
"First I wait in vain at a meeting spot, and then I find the corpse of an acquaintance I was supposed to meet, and on the way back I come across bandits..."
When the old man continued with "I wonder if the one hidden back there is a doll stolen from the Imperial Palace," I clenched my fist. If he knew about Tina, the possibility of him being an ally or an unrelated passerby was low. His appearance made him look nothing like a pursuer, but if he was someone who wanted to return Tina to the Imperial Palace, he was my enemy. I would have the old man take a little nap here and borrow his carriage.
While I was thinking such dangerous thoughts, the old man stretched a little and peered at Tina hidden behind me. Whether he realized I was on guard against him or not, the old man did not come any closer.
"For now, put that young lady in the carriage. It would take three days to reach town carrying her with that arm of yours. Borrowing my help would allow the young lady to reach a safe place to hide more quickly."
I was weak to an invitation made for Tina's sake. It was true that riding in the carriage of this old man, who might have knowledge of the area, would allow me to bring Tina to a place where she could rest more quickly. Walking along the river meant I would not lack for water, but I did not have much food on hand. To restore Tina's strength, what I had now was far from sufficient.
...One old man and one driver.
With this number of people, even carrying Tina, I could handle them. Thinking such dangerous thoughts, I decided to accept the old man's invitation.
When I approached the carriage of the old man, who introduced himself as Camille, I noticed a large box loaded onto the cargo area. The box, large enough for a person to fit inside, was wrapped in a faint chill.
...The smell of death?
I could feel a damp cold emanating from the box, but there was a smell that bothered me even more. Mixed with the smell of decay, a faint scent of blood leaked from the box.
"May I ask what is in the box?"
"I told you, did I not? It is an acquaintance I was supposed to meet. I waited for two hours and they still did not show up, so I thought it was strange and went for a walk, and I found them by the riverside."
Camille said he had heard the person had no family, so he would hold a funeral for them himself. I thought it was odd to transport a corpse in summer, but apparently he had packed snow from the Erath Mountain Range into the box. The snow packed into the box seemed to be the source of the cold.
"More importantly, lay the young lady down on the seat quickly. Let me take a look at her."
"...Are you a pharmacist?"
"I am not a pharmacist, but I think I am fairly reliable."
I wondered how reliable he could be, but I let Camille have a look at Tina. There was the saying about the wisdom of age, so I might hear some different opinions than just my own.
"She does not seem to have any injuries. Her body temperature being low is a concern, but... in this warmth. She will warm up soon enough."
Telling me to keep her body warm and make sure she gets nutrition, Camille searched through a small cabinet built into the carriage. When I wondered what would come out, Camille took out a tin filled with candy.
"Be careful not to let her swallow, but have her hold a candy in her mouth. Without energy, her body cannot produce warmth."
"And also," he said, pausing, and then lifted the backrest attached to the seat on the driver's side. Beyond the backrest was a space I had not noticed when looking from the outside.
...I had only recently learned about hiding people in the false bottom and backrest of a modified carriage, and the ceiling too, but I never thought there would be a hidden space even further in, under the driver's seat beyond the backrest.
I truly thought the Zugall Empire was a country that loved preparing hidden spaces in carriages.
"I do not think my carriage will be inspected thoroughly, but there is a checkpoint ahead. It would be better to hide, just in case."
"A checkpoint? That is fast work for Zugall Imperial soldiers."
"I do not think they are particularly fast..."
Camille tilted his head in puzzlement, saying that their initial response was slow as usual, and that the search had only recently extended to the foot of the Erath Mountain Range. The old man named Camille himself had no ill intent, and I felt like I could somehow trust him, but there was something strange about his words.
"...Recently?"
"Recently. First, the Imperial Palace was in an uproar over the doll being snatched, and apparently they argued for three days about who would take responsibility."
After that, they sent soldiers outside the Imperial Palace to search for the taken Tina, and by the time Edgar's body impaled on icicles was discovered, about ten days had apparently passed. Suspicion fell on Edgar's involvement, so soldiers went to his residence, but by that time his mansion had apparently already been ransacked. Whether Jean-Jacques had informed them or not, upon learning of Edgar's death, the servants stole the household goods and fled. Sadly, it was not uncommon in the Zugall Empire for servants who had endured a tyrannical employer to steal household goods and flee upon their master's death. If there had been an heir who could immediately take over and keep the servants under control, this situation could have been prevented, but Edgar had no wife or children. Besides, if the servants had not done it, the soldiers would have stolen the household goods under the name of confiscation anyway. If the servants stole them, Edgar's relatives might give chase, but if the soldiers took them, it would be impossible to get them back. The soldiers would probably skim some off, but the stolen household goods would become the Emperor's property. Once they became the Emperor's personal belongings, Edgar's relatives could not claim ownership.
...What? Something was still off.
For me, getting Tina back was last night. During the night, the suspension bridge collapsed, and we fell down the cliff where the Divine King picked us up. After that, I received various warnings and was carefully instructed about how to deal with spirits, but those three days that supposedly passed before the search soldiers were dispatched from the Imperial Palace could not have passed.
"How many days ago was this disturbance at the Imperial Palace?"
The timing seemed off. If Camille's story was true, that was the only way to think about it. I could not believe that Zugall Imperial soldiers could have set up a checkpoint in a place so far from the Erath Mountain Range just yesterday, and Camille said Edgar's body was found ten days after that. Which meant at least thirteen days had passed.
"The commotion about an intruder in the Imperial Palace was over a month ago, I think. It took two days for the news to reach me, so probably about that long."
Today was apparently the Recollection Festival. The day Tina was always taken by spirits and then returned. Perhaps the Divine King had sent us out to this place to coincide with today.
...The Recollection Festival, more than a month since the start of summer... well, no wonder the temperature was so high.
It was not just that this was not the Erath Mountain Range. It seemed I had been thrown into the middle of summer at its finest. A new worry arose that Tina might fall ill from the sudden temperature change.
"I can tell you the details at my residence. The soldiers cannot easily enter there, so you should be able to hide safely for a while."
Urged to get into the hiding space first, I obediently complied. Normally I would think I needed to be suspicious, but perhaps because Camille's manner was so soft, or perhaps because he was strangely kind, I simply could not feel the need to suspect Camille. Above all, I wanted to let Tina rest quietly in a place where she could feel safe soon. For that, going along with Camille's offer was better. I heard the same voice as that night.
--This carriage...!?
From the voices of men I could hear outside, I realized this seemed to be a checkpoint. For some reason, whether it was my imagination or not, this carriage Camille was riding in seemed to have less vibration. Thanks to that, even though I was crammed into a narrow hiding space, it was not that uncomfortable. I was fine, but I wondered if Tina was okay, and when I looked down, Tina had her ear pressed to my chest, sleeping soundly with soft breaths. She showed no signs of being afraid of the narrow space or feeling cramped, just continuing to sleep.
...I guess I should thank Jasper that at least Tina was not scared.
Tina, who was apparently being kept asleep by medicine, would not wake up from a slight jostle. For moving quietly while hidden in the carriage, this was actually convenient.
--Still have not found that doll princess?
--Well, that is... there is confidentiality, so I cannot say from my mouth... ah, um! What about this large box here?
--It contains the corpse of an acquaintance I picked up from a river along the way.
--Just to be safe, we should check inside to make sure no fugitives are hiding... may I?
--I do not mind. Thank you for your hard work on your duty.
I furrowed my brow slightly at the conversation exchanged inside and outside the carriage. Though I had some doubts, I had decided to trust Camille and accept his help. I had decided that, but what was with this soldier's polite treatment? It felt even more polite than what they would give an ordinary noble.
--This is! The kidnapper Gaspar! Camille-sama, there is a wanted man's corpse inside this box...!
--A kidnapper? Was Gaspar doing such bad things? He was an old acquaintance, so I was bringing him to give him a burial...
If necessary, you can take the head, Camille said in a gentle tone. Transporting the whole body would take time and effort, but if it was just the head, it could probably be carried to the Imperial capital. At being told to take the head, the soldier seemed to hesitate. The sense of him being evasive reached me even here.
--Since he is dead, just reporting that is fine! Just in case, could you tell us where you found the body?
--About the location, I think the driver can explain it in more detail.
It was decided that the driver would handle the details, and the outside conversation became more audible. Gaspar -- if my memory served me right, that was Jasper's alias mentioned in Giselle's letter. It seemed Jasper's corpse was loaded onto this carriage. And it appeared Jasper had been discovered around the same time as us. Regarding Jasper's body being discovered only now, it seemed to be concluded that the body had been washed into the river, frozen in ice, and carried to the discovery site when the snow melted.
As Camille had predicted, the inside of the carriage was not inspected. After the carriage passed through the checkpoint soldiers, it stopped by the roadside a while later. Just when I thought the hiding space door had been opened, I was told there were no more checkpoints ahead, so there was no need to hide anymore. Since the carriage had stopped anyway, I came out holding Tina and peered into the box loaded on the carriage. Inside, packed together with snow, was the corpse of a man whose face I certainly recognized.
"...You said he was an acquaintance, but what was your relationship with Jasper?"
"I took him in a long time ago. Through that connection, I entrusted something to him, and he was an acquaintance who worked well for the safekeeping fee."
As he closed the lid of the box and returned to the carriage, Camille had a distant look in his eyes. Perhaps he was reminiscing about Jasper. If they were old acquaintances, they must have had their share of memories.
"What do you plan to do with Jasper's body?"
"I intend to bury him along with what was entrusted to me. Even I have that much sentiment."
He had sentiment for Jasper, he had heard about the Imperial Palace disturbance in just two days, and the soldiers had treated him with strangely polite respect. I had somehow judged that I could trust him, but the more I learned about Camille, the more I felt I might have misjudged.
...Or rather?
Besides the sense of incongruity I felt about this man named Camille, there was also a vague sense of deja vu. I felt like I had met him somewhere before, but I could not remember when. It was a strange feeling.
"Have we ended up being caught by someone we should not be caught by?"
"...I have not caught you. Even now, I have put you in the carriage without restraining you, and if you said you wanted to get off, I would let you off right away."
"But," he paused, and Camille's gaze dropped to Tina in my arms. He said that since he felt some responsibility for what Jasper had done, he thought he should lend a hand in getting Tina out of the Zugall Empire.
"There is one more thing I want to confirm... have I met you before, a long time ago?"
"How long ago?"
"About twenty years ago, near the border."
"Twenty years ago... you must be mistaken. I am confident in my memory, but I have not been near the border in about twenty years. I basically stay shut up in my residence... hmm?"
Camille's gaze fixed on me again, and his face took on an expression as if searching his memory. Despite saying he was confident in his memory, Camille apparently had no memory of meeting me before. It must be my imagination, I thought, shaking my head slightly. They look very similar, but are probably different people.
The mystery of Camille will probably be resolved next time.
Will fix typos and errors at a later date. It is far too late, but thank you for 3000 bookmarks.