100m before meeting you (1)
That afternoon.
"Brother, can I stay at Lady Claster's mansion for a while?"
"..."
Kjer gave his permission without saying a word, knowing that I hadn't slept well for several days.
"Don't go to strange places together. If you go out, go home on time after the sun sets."
"Am I a child?"
"What did the man say?"
"I told you that's childish."
Kjer stared at me silently. Under the pressure of his gaze, I had no choice but to open my mouth.
"All men except you are wolves, yes?"
"Yes."
So I headed to Ibida's mansion, and I left with Baba before the sun rose the next day.
Actually, I wrote a letter to Ibida explaining the situation in detail. If Kjer comes looking for me, she needs someone to hide me.
But I couldn't tell Nadia the truth.
If she kept shouting 'Absolutely not' and she didn't give in, she would come after me. I didn't have the confidence to shake her off.
Instead, I wrote her a letter and gave it to Ibida.
I really wish Nadia would read that letter and be a little less angry... It would be hard, right?
"Master, aren't you cold?"
Baba turned his head while riding and shouted something.
"Yes?"
"Aren't you cold?"
"Oh, it's okay!"
Even though the cold wind was blowing, I wasn't cold. It was partly because of the fur cloak, but also because my heart was beating like crazy.
As if I were a child who did something bad.
'Oh, that's a bad thing.'
But I wasn't anxious, I didn't feel sorry for the people I had deceived.
Now the only emotion that filled my heart was not guilt, but impatience.
I wanted to get to Whitefield quickly and see Ian.
Thanks to our frantic running, we managed to arrive at a shabby inn on the outskirts of the capital before noon.
"Get ready. I'll bring the horse."
"Do you have the seal I gave you? You need it to speak to them."
"I know."
After Baba left, I washed my hair with the herbs he gave me.
My hair, which was previously black, has turned brown. It's my first time dyeing my hair with herbs, and it turned out pretty well.
I dried my hair thoroughly and changed into a plain dress. It was the one Baba had given me and the size was just right.
I covered myself with a fur cloak and looked at my reflection in the mirror.
"Hmm. Is it weird?"
The cloak was too luxurious compared to the dress.
"Shall I take it off?"
I thought about it for a moment and then decided.
I have to ride that long distance on horseback in the middle of winter, and if I give up my cloak, I'll get sick before I even get there.
While I was packing my bags, Baba, who had been at the outer perimeter guard post of the capital, returned.
"Eat this."
He held out a red berry.
What is it? It doesn't look like a raspberry. As I thought that and put it in my mouth and chewed, Baba burst out laughing.
"Do you know what it is and are you eating it so quickly? What if it's poison?"
"Baba wouldn't give me poison... Huh? My voice..."
The voice changed in real time. It became a little rough and husky.
Like someone with a cold.
"That's poison. It doesn't kill you, but it affects your vocal cords and changes your voice."
"Is there such a poison? I've never heard of it before."
"Assassins carry it around with them all the time. It's pretty useful when disguising yourself."
"Oh..."
Baba sat me down in front of the dressing table, looking surprised.
"Now let's disguise ourselves."
"Please."
The moment I arrived at the rear in this state, it was clear that I would be sent back to the capital.
In the end, disguise was essential to see Ian without anyone interfering. And fortunately, I had a master of disguise by my side.
"What will it look like?"
Contrary to my expectations. Baba simply placed a dot next to my lips and then stepped back.
"...Is it the end?"
"Excessive disguise only attracts attention. Now is the perfect time."
"But I wonder if people will recognize me if I change my hair color and put a dot in it..."
"Very few people know your face. Most of them are nobles. That's why you disguised yourself as a commoner. No noble takes a close look at a commoner."
Baba grabbed my shoulder and looked me in the eye...
"You can see ahead, after all. No one can figure out your identity just by making eye contact, right?"
"Some people know that I got my eyesight back."
"You're just going to watch from afar anyway. You're not going to come near them, so what does it matter?"
"But..."
I was a little uneasy, but I had no choice but to follow. Baba was an expert in this area.
"Let's go out."
"How's the horse? Does it seem like it'll run well?"
"See for yourself."
The horse the Emperor had given was truly enormous. It was a shame to tie it up in the old stable of the inn.
"It looks like it's twice as big as the horse we rode on."
"This is the first time I've heard something like this."
I felt strength from the black body with flowing luster.
The legs were so long that it was difficult to mount the horse by myself. With Baba's help, I was able to mount the black horse.
"Shall we go?"
"Yes, let's go."
"Hey!"
As Baba, riding in front of me, grabbed the reins, the horse lifted its long legs and neighed powerfully.
Heeeek!
***
I heard that it took the Allied forces that set out from the capital more than two weeks to reach Whitefield.
Of course, it's natural that so many people are moving at a slow pace, but even taking that into account, isn't this a bit much?
"It arrived in just a week."
Even if I ran all night, it wasn't a distance I could reach in a week...
It was all thanks to the black horse.
The speed was magically fast and it didn't get tired. Even though it was carrying two people, the speed didn't slow down at all.
Rather, we were so tired that we couldn't keep up, so I said it all...
Is this why people seek out the black horse? I stretched out my arm and stroked the black horse's neck.
"Aren't you going too fast?"
The black horse shook its head. Its black mane fluttered here and there before falling calmly.
As I was quietly watching the scene, the black horse tapped my hand with its nose. It was telling me to keep petting it.
"Yes. I'll touch you. I said I got it."
I smiled, scratched the bridge of its nose, and then turned my head.
This is the inn closest to the rear.
Normally, this is a place where outsiders are rare, but there are more outsiders now.
This is because merchants from all three countries have flocked to this village, which is closest to the rear.
The purpose was mostly to trade goods that had to be procured locally in the rear.
Because of that, it was extremely difficult to find an inn.
If I hadn't offered a huge sum of money to look after the black horse, I'd still be shivering on the street.
"Whew, it's cold."
It was much colder than the capital of the empire as if it were the northernmost place. If you took a deep breath, your lungs would freeze.
"It's brave of me to have come this far without catching a cold."
I muttered, carefully folding up my fur cloak.
"Uh?"
A burning, pungent smell was coming from somewhere. Baba, who had been away for a while to find a way to get to the rear, was returning.
"How is it?"
"It seems that the high-grade fuel has already arrived at the rear. I heard that the second Prince of Romena is remodeling the ship according to the blueprint."
"Did Anton go to war? There was no such thing."
"Because you didn't ask."
Was that so? Looking back, I don't think I was curious about the rear at all.
"Do you know what your expression is like when you talk about the Iittle Duke? It just lights up. It's hard to look away."
"..."
"Even if it's a country, it's noticeable to that extent. That the master wants to see the little Duke."
They say that sneezes and love cannot be hidden. I was so foolish to realize my feelings only after failing to achieve love.
If I had known in advance I would have noticed my feelings a little sooner. I wouldn't have regretted it this much.
"Have you figured out how?"
Baba nodded and took my hand. I quickly patted the black horse's side and followed him.
"I heard there was a carriage carrying supplies heading to the rear, so I decided to catch it later."
"... Is that okay?"
"I guess there are a lot of people going to the rear to look for jobs. I don't suspect anything."
Isn't the security too lax? What if the top monster turns into a human and sneaks in?
Well, what good would it do to go to the rear? All the important people are in the Whitefield.
So the demons must have just cut off the supply line. To pressure Whitefield.
"It was resolved more easily than I thought. That's fortunate."
"Let me check one last time. Who are you?"
"I am Adina from Blackwood, and Baba is my older brother Rodin."
"Don't be nervous. Nobody knows who you are."
"Yes.. I see."
Two hours later, we boarded a wagon heading back.
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