kscans

Chapter 6 - The Gods' Oracle ~Getting Started, Part Three~

"What is this?"

Chihiro held the shortbow she had been given above her head. Chihaya, too, was curiously drawing the string of an identical shortbow.

"You have both finished the basics of the sword. Until your bodies are more developed, it will be repetitive practice of what you've already learned. I imagine that alone will become boring. So, why not try your hand at martial arts and the shortbow?"

Six months had passed since the twins started coming to the Knight Order. Seeing the remarkable progress the two had made, Harold recommended archery and martial arts.

Yes, it's better to have more options. It's not like I'll always have a weapon at hand. It's definitely better to be able to do anything.

Seeing the Little One nod deeply, Chihaya nodded as well.

Narrowing his eyes at that, Harold assigned one of the best young archers from the archery corps to instruct them. The Knight Commander beamed with a smile so wide a tune almost escaped his lips. Dorfen glanced at him suspiciously.

"Isn't that the apprentice's curriculum?"

"Whatever are you talking about? They've finished the forms and can do the follow-through strikes. So, until they can begin swordsmanship in earnest, there's no harm in them dabbling in other things, is there?"

Harold said, feigning ignorance.

Starting with swordsmanship forms, then martial arts, then archery. After this would probably come polearm techniques and spearmanship. A two-year rotation to choose a specialty. It was the training curriculum for knight apprentices.

This old badger.

He's surely planning to put the twins through the knight apprentice rotation, cloaked in the excuse of ‘dabbling.’ Once the foundation is solid, application is easy. And the two of them do not shy away from effort. They would master it in no time.

While chewing on a bitter pill, Dorfen silently observed.

Whatever the Knight Commander's intentions, gaining strength was a good thing. After all, considering what lay ahead for Chihiro-sama, there was no such thing as having too many ways to protect herself.

He narrowed his eyes and watched the twins drawing their bows.

A few months ago, Dorfen and the usual group had questioned the Little One about becoming an adventurer and had learned the reason.

An oracle from the gods. The news had come out of the blue.

"Why now of all times… Can't someone else take your place?"

"It has to be me. I'm the gods' proxy."

The Little One stroked the half-crying bear-man's beard as if to comfort him.

"If you are to create the Golden Ring, Chihiro will have to go in person. You should confess to my elder brother and have him assign a knight escort."

"No, please don't. If it's just me and my companions, we can fly, but if others come along, our actions will be restricted. More than anything, I don't want to get involved with the palace anymore. I hope the King and Fatima will live happily ever after."

The little girl declared, her eyes fixed and moist. Even Romel was at a loss for words at her bluntness.

"But I'm coming with you. Be sure to give my regards to the bees, alright?"

"Me as well. I swore on my sword to be with you for life."

Adonis and Dorfen exchanged glances and grinned. Perhaps she had anticipated this, as the Little One did not seem particularly flustered.

"Well, I suppose two of you will be fine. That's why I have a favor to ask of you, Dad and Romel."

"A favor?"

Nodding slightly, Chihiro looked up at Drago.

"It will cost money, but I want a carriage for the pilgrimage. Monsters will be pulling it, so it's okay if it's heavier than usual. The shape is important, so I'd like to have it custom-made, is that alright?"

Drago nodded without a second thought to his beloved daughter, who was timidly asking for a favor.

"Of course! We'll build a sturdy carriage that can withstand any attack!"

Smiling wryly at Drago, who was explaining with gleaming eyes, Chihiro also made a request of Romel.

"Romel, I'd like to ask you to handle the magic tools to be installed in the carriage."

"Magic tools?"

In Frontier, where magical power had not been lost, magic tools were still being produced. They were tools with a large jewel at their core, which could be used repeatedly by refilling them with magical power.

For now, it was a benefit exclusive to Frontier, but it was a technology that would eventually spread throughout Arcadia.

"That's right. I'm counting on you."

The little girl grinned, nishishi.

Seeing that mischievous, nostalgic smile, the adults let out a sigh of relief.

"It's done!"

The carriage that arrived was a carriage, yet not a carriage.

To be blunt, if you imagined a box placed on a large cart, you wouldn't be far off. It employed spring suspension between the box and the cart, and the forward-leaning body had a frame made mostly of steel. The shape was that of a proper carriage, but on its roof was a ladder-like object welded to the steel frame of the body, creating a space between the carriage ceiling and the ladder to store luggage.

Faced with this utterly bizarre carriage, the adults were speechless.

"The horses… where do they go? It doesn't seem to have any equipment for them."

Dorfen stroked the forward-leaning handrail.

There was only a single horizontal bar, as if a person were meant to pull it directly. Above this strange handrail was another horizontal steel bar that looked like a ladder.

Then, the Little One waved her arms wide.

"Pochiko-san and friends, come on!"

The bees that arrived upon being called listened to the Little One's explanation, and several of them lined up and lifted the carriage's horizontal bar. They grabbed the attached steel bar and, with a heave, brought the carriage body level. Then, just as instructed, they pulled the carriage.

Before the astonished eyes of the adults, who watched the bees effortlessly maneuver the carriage, the Little One gave another instruction.

"Pochiko-san, ascend!"

Following the Little One's command, the bees left two in the front, while the remaining six grabbed the ladder-like steel bars on the roof of the carriage.

Just as they thought, "No way," the large carriage was lifted into the sky right before Drago and the others.

"Is it heavy? Think you can handle it?"

Looking up at the carriage dancing in the sky, the Little One shouted to the bees. In response, the bees effortlessly circled with the carriage in their grasp.

"Yep, looks like it's okay."

Drago and the others stared with frozen expressions at the little girl beaming with satisfaction and shouted in unison.

""""Explain yourself!""""

Held in Drago's arms, the Little One couldn't help but flinch, oou.

"What are you going to do if it falls!!"

"It's fine, I'm bringing Mugi-ta and the other frogs."

Mugi-ta-kun and his friends had a reputation for their impenetrable defense.

Drago was at a loss for words.

"No, no, even so… We're riding in that too, right? What? We're going to fly??"

"If you don't want to, you don't have to come."

Her nonchalant declaration was so frustrating.

Adonis fell silent, gritting his teeth.

"Well, it doesn't look like it will be comfortable, but I will accompany you."

Dorfen agreed readily.

Then, as if she'd just remembered, Chihiro turned her gaze to Romel.

"Oh, right, that's it. For a comfortable journey, I want you to make a space-expanding magic tool. You know, like the tent we used on the last pilgrimage."

Ah, Romel's eyes widened in understanding.

If they used the tent's magic tool on the carriage's box, they could probably create a reasonably comfortable space. He wasn't sure if it would work on a moving carriage, but it would be interesting to research it while making improvements.

…Interesting?

Suddenly, Romel recalled a thought that had crossed his mind before.

《I was born in an interesting era.》

The amusing words that had come to mind while he was running around dealing with the Little One's numerous escapades. This was probably another one of them.

Letting out a long, thin sigh, Romel's eyes sparkled with challenge.

"If we're going to do this, we're going all the way, right, Chihiro?"

Returning his gaze with a bold smile, the Little One hopped down from Drago's arms.

"That's right! If you're going to dance, you have to dance with all your might or it's a waste!!"

She laughed cheerfully and began to dance with her short limbs, pyoko pyoko. It was a mysterious dance that the people here did not understand.

If Katsumi were here, he would recognize it in an instant as a Bon Odori. The adults were disarmed by the little girl dancing the Kawachi Otokobushi, and they exchanged resigned glances.

Perhaps getting into the swing of things, the Little One even started singing.

Where is Kawachi?

While thinking such useless things, the adults felt their tension drain away, watching the little girl dance happily.

The adults, who had been deceived by her frivolous dance, started lecturing the Little One again on a later day. Although they knew full well that the Little One could not be stopped, there were still some points they wanted to drive home.

The Little One, after receiving long lectures from each of them, clicked her tongue and looked away.

Despite the daily commotion, the Little One is as energetic as ever today♪