511: Waiting at a Bus Stop
I was waiting for someone at a bus stop on the outskirts of Litalside.
Of course, there were no ‘buses’ in this world. It was just that the waiting area, with its roof, its bench, and its sign, looked like a bus stop to me, so I called it that in my head. What came here was a long-distance carriage.
The roads in the country, which had once been deliberately bent to some extent, in consideration of the worst-case scenario—the possibility of the enemy army breaking through Fort Litalside—had been maintained and improved, and the transportation was much better than before the war.
But if you knew the fastest class, like a griffin or a dragon, then a normal carriage felt slow. The horses for the high-speed service were also enhanced, but if you made them too fast, then the ride would become inhuman, as Layla had once collapsed.
After the war, I had taught Rebecca about the transportation of Earth, so someday, there might be something that would be put into practical use, adapted to this world.
In the Listrea Demon Kingdom, a carriage could only run on a designated road. The highways were mostly free, but in the capital, it was only the main streets and the warehouse district. If you were to weigh convenience and safety, and to lean towards safety, then even if a faster vehicle were to be made, it probably wouldn’t be a terrible thing.
And besides, the improvement of the transportation had been progressing, even without me. The skeleton horse carriage was one, and the Liverit sheep transport vehicle used at Lital Hot Springs was also a part of that research. Even a vehicle that drove its wheels with a magical furnace, like a fireplace, the theory had already been completed. It was just that the fuel efficiency was poor, and a carriage was superior in every respect.
I didn’t have any advanced knowledge of vehicles, and it was said that the stories of the expected troubles and their solutions had been more of a reference.
From Lital Hot Springs, I had gone through the capital, and after cleaning the house and meeting with everyone from the former Sixth Army, and preparing for the trip, I had come to Litalside.
“…Bridget is late.”
“Yes, she said it would be in the afternoon, so I think it should be soon…”
We were waiting for Bridget.
The schedule Bridget had given was in the afternoon of today. Since she was a punctual person, I didn’t think she would be late—but…
She was nowhere to be seen. I searched for a dark elf with a silver ponytail, but they were all the wrong person. Since this was Litalside, there were a few dark elves with a ‘commander-style’ ponytail.
Bridget was popular. Her popularity was nationwide, but especially in this Litalside—the home of the commander of the Dark Knights, who was also the supreme commander of the Litalside garrison.
A ponytail was a hairstyle that a soldier would refrain from, at least during a mission.
—A hairstyle that Bridget had chosen to stand out on the battlefield, to inspire her allies, and to draw the enemy. Her red armor was from an anecdote that she had fought, with her black armor stained with blood, but it was also to stand out.
Even with that background, for the ordinary citizens, it was just a hairstyle that was the same as the supreme commander they admired.
In my case, since my real face was not shown in the bromides, there was no standard hairstyle to go with the layered dark green and pale green robes that I was still wearing. Since the theme had originally been an attire that was ‘neither male nor female,’ it was normal to see men, too.
Since it was a day off, Liz, who was in a hunter-style (without a large knife) instead of her maid uniform, suddenly looked behind her. I, too, turned—and a finger poked my cheek.
The one who had held out her index finger, as if to place it in the air, was a figure in a hood, with a cloth wrapped around her mouth. She pulled her finger back and lowered her hood, and a pair of long dark elf ears popped out. Her long silver hair was, for once, tied back at her nape. She also lowered the cloth from her mouth and smiled at us.
“It’s been a while.”
“—It’s been a while, Bridget.”
“Yes, Neesama.”
The one who was there was none other than Bringit Finis.
“I was just looking for a ponytail.”
A trap of preconception.
“Because it stands out here. And today is a private day, and my destination is a secret. …Well, it’s not a big deal if I’m found out.”
There was no longer a need for the commander of the Dark Knights to be constantly on guard. Even if there was a fool who would aim for her absence, the Dark Knights were not so weak an organization as to be shaken by the absence of their leader.
“That’s a lot of luggage.”
Bridget pointed to the large trunk I had placed at my feet.
“It’s a long vacation. But it’s just a change of clothes.”
“I see.”
It was strange, that I had often been almost empty-handed until now. Liz and I, too, when it had been a ‘mission’ and not a ‘trip,’ had relied on our magic-woven clothes and had sometimes only had a change of underwear, so our senses were probably numb. The fact that she had felt a sense of unease was, in fact, correct.
“How have you been?”
“Yes. And you, Bridget? …Are you a little tired?”
“Mmm… I pushed myself a little, to take a long vacation—”
Liz and I narrowed our eyes.
“…Ah, forget I said that.”
Bridget’s face was one of regret. We became serious.
“No, I can’t let that go.”
“That’s right, Neesama.”
“I didn’t push myself.” Bridget repeated.
“You just said you pushed yourself. You did, didn’t you?” Liz’s eyes narrowed. It was a rare expression for her to show to someone other than me.
Bridget smiled and placed her hand on Liz’s head.
“I’ll push myself a little. Because it’s to see my cute little sisters.”
“…Honestly.” Liz’s scarf twitched.
Liz and I looked at each other and chuckled. What a cute big sister.
“—The carriage is ready.”
“I see, I’m sorry.”
“No, don’t worry about it. It’s rare for you to take a long vacation, Bridget.”
“Yes. …The atmosphere has become much more relaxed than before. The burden on the commander’s shoulders has also been greatly lightened.”
She said, but the Second Army was a much larger unit than the former Sixth Army. As the commander, she had to always set an example. Her attitude, her skill, her judgment—all of it.
“You said you pushed yourself.”
“…No, well. I said I pushed myself, but I didn’t push myself that much.” Bridget, who was still insisting.
I wanted her to take it easy, at least on her vacation.
The three of us headed for the carriage.
