kscans

Chapter 61 - Mizuki, Myra, and the Field of Flowers

Our journey to Miglutt continued. A caravan of nomads' wagons followed behind the main merchant train. It was a massive group. The view would have been spectacular if I could see it all, but we were still stuck in the same old forest. We were supposed to arrive at a town called Nieren today. Apparently, it was about the same size as Richel. We'd be staying there for two nights. After that, we would head for a port town called Frucht. Though they called it a port, it wasn't on the sea. It was a town built along a great river, and from there we would travel downstream by boat. I'd heard we'd be boarding a massive galley ship with sails. The highway we were currently on, as well as the river routes, were apparently maintained by order of the Emperor. Inside the wagon were myself, Mizuki, and Myra. Cecily got motion sick in wagons, so she was riding a horse, patrolling the caravan's perimeter as a guard. The person who was originally supposed to be on that duty was now riding in Claire's wagon, not ours. Other than the driver, no one else was in our carriage. It was clear the Mateo Trading Company was treating us well. Come to think of it, the wagon's rocking had lessened. Maybe we were getting close to the town and the road was better maintained. Aira and Famu were on watch at the rear. The nomads were behind us, so their job was purely for show today. Still drowsy from last night's fierce battle, I was starting to doze off when Famu entered the wagon.

"Master, we're out of the forest."

"Really?"

"Yes, I can see a town in the distance."

As I was talking with Famu, the wagon came to a halt. It was about time to rest the horses. I got out of the wagon and gasped at the scenery. Behind us, I could see the dense forest that had been blocking our view. Ahead of the caravan, low hills rolled on for as far as the eye could see, and these hills were completely covered in knee-high flowers of pale purple and white. I could also make out the small silhouette of the town's defensive walls. Far beyond that, a faint mountain range was visible.

"Is that Linaria?"

Mizuki and Myra followed me out of the wagon. I looked back at the flower field. Upon closer inspection, I saw that each stalk had several small flowers blooming on it. They were beautiful, but I didn't know the names of flowers, so I couldn't answer Mizuki's question.

"Did someone plant them?"

"Maybe they just grow wild here?"

I had no idea how this field came to be. It didn't seem like we were at an altitude above the tree line.

"They probably do controlled burns around here,"

Myra explained.

"They burn the fields just for these flowers?"

"No."

Myra pointed. In the distance was a herd of cattle. It wasn't just that one herd, either; there were small groups of them scattered here and there.

"They're raising livestock. The flower field is probably just a coincidence."

"I wonder if monsters attack them?"

Mizuki murmured, gazing at the cattle. She'd been asking a lot of questions. I didn't know either, so I waited silently for Myra's answer.

"They keep watch from over there."

Myra pointed again. On a distant hill stood a watchtower that looked like a lighthouse. There were others built at intervals as well. The lower levels were made of stone, and the upper parts were timber-framed. From this distance, I couldn't tell if there were any lookouts posted.

"What was it? This looks like a scene from a movie. The one where the girl who was confessing in church runs out and sprints through a field of flowers..."

Mizuki mused. I thought I knew the scene she was talking about.

"Wasn't that a field of red flowers?"

My memory was hazy.

"Was it? I can't remember..."

Mizuki tilted her head. In a world without the internet, it couldn't be helped.

"Well, whatever. Mizuki, go run through the flowers for a bit. I want to take a picture."

I pulled my smartphone out of my storage.

"...That's embarrassing."

Despite her words, Mizuki ran through the field for me. I snapped a few photos. Looking back at them, every shot looked perfect, like a scene from a story where she was the heroine. Myra leaned in to look at the images as well.

"Mmmph... isn't it unfair that it's all about Mizuki?"

Myra protested. She was right. Mizuki was being unfair.

"Myra, will you model for me too?"

"Of course! Please take a cute picture that shows everyone I'm Mash's wonderful lover."

She puffed out her chest. It bounced. She had a point calling herself a wonderful lover. This called for a video. I had to capture her vibrant energy in motion.

"Myra, Mash is trying to take pervy pictures!"

Mizuki said. Was my smile that obvious?

"It's fine. No matter how hard I try to get his attention, I'll just be left out anyway,"

Myra replied.

"That's not true. Let's get naked right here and let everyone see us going at it!"

"Don't be an idiot!"

Mizuki shot back, right on cue.

As the three of us were taking videos and pictures, Famu and Aira came over. Cecily came running as well. Her horse was resting, so she was on foot.

"Heeey! Let's all take a picture together!"

"What are you being so carefree about?!"

My courageous attempt at being cheerful was shattered into a million pieces by Cecily.

"Did a monster show up or something?"

"Master, a group of adventurers is headed this way. You should hide your phone."

While we were playing around, they had been on guard duty. I felt a little guilty. The group of adventurers Famu mentioned was weaving through the nomad wagons, heading towards us. There were six of them. It seemed they were headed to the same town.

"This field of flowers is super pretty, ain't it?"

The tiny girl leading the group called out to me. She looked about the same age as Famu. Behind her were a man with two horns on his head and another next to him with a single horn. The massive frames of those two only served to accentuate her short stature. She had her red hair tied up with a large ribbon. A ponytail. And she spoke with a Kansai accent. Was she an otherworlder? Or did the local dialect just sound like that?

"Yeah, it is. Makes me want to lie down and take a nap."

The girl laughed at my response.

"That'd feel great, for sure. This flower field's only gonna last 'til today or tomorrow, though."

"What do you mean? Is a storm coming?"

"You guys haven't heard? A locust monster's comin' to attack."

"The town?"

"Yep. We're on a quest to fight it off. Just finished our recon and we're headin' back."

The girl nodded. I hadn't heard anything like that from the previous post town or from Claire. I looked at Myra. She shook her head too.

"Is that so? We had no idea."

"I thought you guys were here for the quest too."

"Nah, we're guards for this caravan."

"Oh, is that right? Well, we'll be on our way then."

They started to pass us but then stopped.

"Right, we're 'New World'. And my name's Hyakka. Just like this field of flowers, ain't I?"

She spread her arms and spun around once.

"We're Levante. I'm Mash."

I wanted to strike a cool pose too, but nothing came to mind. Instead, my words made the members of 'New World' freeze.

"For real? That's a super hot celebrity name ya got there."

Hyakka's eyes roamed over my entire body.

"I wouldn't know. We probably just have the same name. I'm no celebrity. Just a humble F-rank adventurer."

I showed her my character sheet.

"I see. Well then,"

she looked at Mizuki and Myra, "what about those two?"

Mizuki and Myra. A curious choice.

"My pride and joy, my wife Myra, and my pride and joy, my daughter Mizuki."

""Huh?!""

Myra and Mizuki cried out in surprise. Furthermore, Mizuki's face turned beet red in an instant.

"Mizuki, what are you so nervous about? Say hello."

I gave Mizuki, who had started fidgeting for some reason, a push on her lower back. She spun around and threw her arms around my neck.

"Mizuki?"

Confused, I said her name. She brought her mouth close to my ear.

"I love you, Daddy. Here's a flower for you."

Her breath tickled my ear. She handed me a plucked Linaria flower. Then she ran off into the wagon.

Hyakka's party went on their way.

"Was it really alright to give them our names?"

Myra looked at me worriedly.

"They'd find out eventually, so it can't be helped. I didn't want to make a bad impression. More importantly, did you notice anything strange about her accent, her intonation?"

"I thought she sounded normal?"

Myra answered.

"You too, Famu?"

"Yes."

Famu nodded.

"It was a Kansai accent. She's an otherworlder, right?"

Mizuki had come back at some point. Were she and I the only ones who noticed the difference?

"I think so too."

"And 'New World' is such a straightforward name."

"Well, back in the era when Europeans from our old world discovered the new continent, the settlers called it the New World. She might be a pioneer, you know."

"Stop trying to force some convoluted logic. She's a resident of the world beneath the giant robot crab!"

Mizuki shot back with a joke of her own.

"...Anyway, Mizuki, what was that all about earlier?"

"Huh? W-Well, it's because you introduced us in such a weird way. I just thought I'd mess with you a little."

"Is that so? Well, whatever. I think Hyakka realized we're otherworlders too. Why did she ask for Myra's and Mizuki's names? Is there some difference between otherworlders and the people of this world?"

"I don't think there's any difference. You guys were taking pictures, she must have seen you, right? And you, Mash, were yelling 'Heeey!' and everything. It's your own carelessness,"

Cecily answered. She made a weird face when she said 'Heeey!', probably trying to imitate my expression.

"...So that's it."

Hyakka didn't try to hide the fact that she was an otherworlder either. Was she not hostile towards us? Or was she just confident she couldn't lose?

"There was a boy in her party who looked exactly like Hyakka-san,"

Myra said. There had been an androgynous-looking boy who resembled Hyakka. While we were talking to her, he had his hand on the small sword at his waist, ready to draw it at any moment.

"Wasn't it a girl?"

Mizuki asked.

"It was a boy!"

Myra stated definitively.

"Then maybe they're siblings? Did they get transferred here together?"

"Could be,"

I replied to Mizuki. I couldn't be sure, but it was a likely guess.

"He was kind of cute..."

Myra muttered. I remembered she had confessed to having a thing for that type before. She'd said something ridiculous about Famu being her type if she were a boy.

"Hey, you're my lover, remember?!"

"Hmph! It's your fault, Mash, for always being so vague and leaving me out! I am very, very angry right now! Last night was just too much!"

She puffed out her cheeks and turned her face away. The gesture seemed somewhat playful, not like she was truly angry. But it was always this pattern. I poked her puffed-out cheek.

"Myra, don't forget! The town of Frucht. The boat, the grilled fish skewers, and the ale. It's after that. It's a promise!"

"Eh...? Ah, y...yes. ...I'm looking forward to it."

Myra blushed and nodded. In the meantime, our break was over. We got back in the wagon and started heading towards the town.