Chapter 49. Please Close Your Eyes for a Moment
Before we knew it, dawn had broken.
The warm glow of the campfire had faded.
“Yaaawn.”
I stretched with a long yawn.
Ah, that was a good sleep.
Wait. I slept well?
I gasped belatedly in shock.
When did I fall asleep?
I’m sure we all promised to stay up all night.
Yes, I clearly remember saying that the first one to fall asleep would lose.
But by the time I came to, I was lying down comfortably.
With a blanket over me, fast asleep.
“Did you sleep well?”
A pleasant low voice reached me.
Cedric, who had been watching from just outside the cave, smiled at me.
How long had he been watching?
Did he even see me stretching?
Suddenly, I felt embarrassed.
Ahem. I cleared my throat and asked,
“What about the rain?”
“It stopped just a little while ago.”
I looked around the cave.
One person was missing.
“Sir Leonard isn’t here?”
“Sir Leonard said he went to check the road conditions.”
If it rained a lot, there was always a risk that landslides could block the paths.
Leonard must have gone to inspect the road’s safety.
“Your Majesty the Empress, you’re awake.”
Speak of the devil.
Right then, Leonard returned to the cave.
“You went to check the road? It must have rained a lot during the night.”
“Quite a bit. But it stopped before dawn, so I don’t think it’ll be a problem.”
“That’s a relief. Still, I feel bad that I was the only one who slept so comfortably after insisting we stay up all night.”
I gave them an awkward smile.
Judging by the fact that they knew when the rain stopped, it seemed they hadn’t gotten much sleep.
I suddenly felt sorry for them.
“Not at all. This is probably Your Majesty’s first long journey. It’s better to rest properly than overdo it.”
“Aren’t you two tired?”
To my question, both Leonard and Cedric answered at the same time.
“Not at all.”
“Not even a bit.”
And then the two of them looked at each other.
That exchange didn’t feel very friendly.
“…?”
The mood was strange.
“I’m really not tired.”
“Indeed. So please, Your Majesty, don’t overexert yourself in the future.”
They both emphasized it with bloodshot eyes.
***
We resumed our journey on horseback.
The weather was incredibly clear.
It was hard to believe it had rained so much just yesterday.
“How far is it to the Kingdom of Kalus?”
“If you depart from the Imperial Capital at a steady pace, it takes about a week. But if the weather turns like yesterday, it may take a few more days.”
Cedric responded to my question.
In short, we had only just begun.
After all the chaos from yesterday’s rainstorm, my shoulders slumped.
“I checked the weather early this morning. Fortunately, it looks like we won’t encounter any more showers like yesterday.”
His assurance lifted my drooping shoulders.
Leonard added,
“There’s a well-known inn below the mountain that’s popular among travelers. We should arrive before evening.”
Hearing the word ‘inn’ brought my shoulders right back up.
Just imagining a warm bed filled me with energy.
“Let’s hurry, then.”
I was about to spur my horse forward when Cedric, who was scanning the area, waved his hand.
“Wait a moment.”
Cedric quickly stopped the carriage and ran toward a patch of thick underbrush.
A moment later, he returned.
In his hand was a single delicate flower.
A beautiful flower with small, bell-shaped blossoms hanging gently like snow.
“That’s a really pretty flower.”
“It’s called a bellflower, native to this region. The locals even call it the ‘Bell of Hope.’”
The Bell of Hope.
The name fit the gentle beauty of the flower perfectly. I liked it instantly.
“Cedric, you really do know a lot about flowers.”
Cedric shook his head.
“There are still many flowers I don’t know. For example, there’s a rare one found only in the Dobel region of the Kingdom of Kalus. I’ve never seen it.”
“A flower even you don’t know? Now I’m intrigued. I hope we get a chance to see it.”
“I hope so too, very much.”
Cedric nodded with a bright smile.
***
“If we cross that valley and those mountains, we’ll be in the Kingdom of Kalus.”
By the fourth day since leaving the Imperial Palace, we finally neared the border.
Thanks to the favorable weather after the first day’s downpour, the journey had gone smoothly.
It had been a long trip, but it wasn’t as difficult as I expected.
That was because of how carefully Leonard and Cedric looked after me.
Without their help, the journey would have been far more exhausting.
“So this is finally the Kingdom of Kalus.”
We were finally leaving the Empire behind.
My heart thumped with excitement at the thought that the long journey was nearly over.
“Let’s move quickly.”
Just as I was about to move my horse forward, Leonard suddenly pulled my reins.
“Please wait a moment.”
“What’s wrong?”
Leonard’s expression looked unusually tense.
“Is something the matter?”
Instead of answering, he silently brought a finger to his lips.
Then he motioned toward the thicket ahead.
Moments later—
From the direction he gestured toward, about a dozen people appeared.
‘Could it be… bandits?’
Because of past experiences, I wasn’t fond of running into strangers deep in the mountains.
Thankfully, they weren’t bandits.
They were travelers on horses and wagons.
Their carts were piled high with goods.
Surrounding the wagons were heavily armed men, seemingly guards protecting the convoy.
“It looks like a merchant caravan.”
I’d read about them in books.
The Empire actively trades with neighboring nations.
But there was one exception.
The Kingdom of Kalus in the north.
Because the trade routes were harsh and dangerous, and the northern people were known for being fierce and wild.
That didn’t mean trade was completely severed. Some merchants still traveled between the two countries.
These people were likely one of those rare caravans.
Having completed their trade in the Kingdom of Kalus, they were likely returning after purchasing local specialties.
“Are you travelers from the Empire?”
A middle-aged man, seemingly the caravan leader, approached and spoke.
Leonard stepped forward and replied.
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“To meet fellow countrymen in a place like this—what a pleasure.”
“You’re returning from the Kingdom of Kalus, I assume.”
“We’re heading back after purchasing wool.”
“It’s still far from winter. You’re quite diligent.”
“Haha, trading off-season is how you get goods at a cheaper price.”
“You work hard.”
“There was rain a few days ago, wasn’t there? Did it rain much on your side of the border?”
“It was just a passing shower. Likely not enough to help the drought.”
“I see… There was quite a downpour on the Kalus side. The water levels near the border have risen a lot, so you should be careful.”
“Thank you for the warning.”
“Not at all.”
The middle-aged man chuckled and led his wagon away.
The rest of his party followed him.
To even guide us along the road—what a kind person.
The kindness of an unknown caravan leader we met during our journey lifted my spirits.
But apparently, I was the only one who felt at ease.
“Something feels off.”
Leonard, having waited for the caravan to pass, stroked his chin and murmured.
“What seems off?”
“As you experienced on the way here, there are no proper roads leading to the Kingdom of Kalus. The paths that do exist are narrow and steep.”
Leonard explained.
“That’s why people usually travel by horse or mule rather than wagon. It’s far easier.”
“That’s true. But didn’t we also bring a carriage?”
“That’s only possible because Sir Cedric is an exceptional Royal Magician.”
At his words, I nodded.
During our journey here, Cedric’s carriage had run into trouble multiple times.
There were narrow paths it could barely squeeze through and uneven terrain where the wheels nearly got stuck.
Each time, Cedric had used magic to get us through.
“Sir Cedric’s carriage is specially reinforced, so it just barely managed the rough paths. But…”
Leonard pointed his chin toward the caravan’s wagons.
“Wagons with wheels like those wouldn’t survive even a couple of hills, let alone mountains.”
Cedric added,
“Moreover, this isn’t even the right time to be buying wool.”
“But didn’t the caravan leader say it’s cheaper to buy it before winter?”
I recalled what the man had said moments ago.
Cedric smiled.
“Do you know when wool is the cheapest?”
“Hmm, maybe when there’s no demand?”
Cedric shook his head.
“The cheapest time to buy wool is during shearing season.”
Apparently, sheep are only sheared once a year.
And that time is right before winter, in late autumn.
That’s when the wool is at its thickest and highest quality.
“So buying wool now would actually be quite expensive.”
“Then that caravan…”
“Was either a novice group that got scammed badly…”
Leonard picked up where Cedric left off.
“…or impostors poorly disguising themselves as a trade caravan.”
“…!”
They were impersonating merchants?
Why would they do that?
“…Now that you mention it, I no longer hear the sound of wagon wheels.”
Just as Leonard said, the clatter from the caravan had vanished beyond the slope.
That meant the wagons had stopped.
“I have a bad feeling about this. We should leave this place quickly.”
Just as we were about to spur our horses forward—
Leonard’s instincts were not wrong.
Armed men suddenly sprang out from the bushes on both sides of the road.
Men wearing hoods and thick leather gear.
They were the same people who passed by us as a caravan just moments ago.
Gone were the friendly smiles they showed us earlier.
Their faces now were filled with menace, just like the weapons in their hands.
‘They were right.’
They weren’t a real caravan.
If Leonard and Cedric hadn’t realized the truth, we would’ve been completely caught off guard.
“Ride quickly!”
At Leonard’s shout, I instinctively kicked my horse into motion.
Fwoooosh!
The wind howled past my ears with terrifying force.
I’d never ridden this fast in my life.
From behind me came the harsh clangs of steel.
Clang! Kaang!
The sharp clash of blades echoed through the forest.
Leonard was locked in a fierce battle to protect me.
I managed to turn my head just slightly.
There he was, wielding his longsword without hesitation, cutting down enemies.
The last time we encountered bandits, I had only seen his broad back.
But this was the first time I witnessed his true combat skills.
Leonard’s movements with his sword were not just strong—they were valiant.
Every motion was precise and elegant, almost graceful.
Each time his blade cut through the air, a mist of blood sprayed into the sky.
“To not even scream while dying… It seems they’ve trained in professional assassination techniques.”
Cedric, now riding beside me, said grimly.
“Assassins?”
Killers who specialize in taking lives.
Why would assassins…
Just as I was pondering the question—
“Your Majesty the Empress, be careful!”
Cedric’s alarmed voice rang out.
I looked forward in surprise—and two assassins were charging directly at me.
“You bastards!”
Cedric swung his wand.
A fierce gust of wind swept one of the assassins away.
But the other leapt onto my horse in an instant, aiming a dagger at my chest.
“…!”
His murderous eyes froze me in place. I couldn’t even breathe.
Then, at that very moment—
“What a rude man.”
A low voice echoed, and something blocked my sight.
A warm hand.
I instinctively knew.
‘Sir Leonard.’
It was him.
“I’m sorry, but please close your eyes for a moment, Your Majesty.”
With his kind voice—
Shrrkk!
A sickening sound rang out.
“This isn’t something pleasant to watch, after all.”
—
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