The Retired [Armed Merchant]’s Laid-back Journey Across the Continent 13

Chapter 13: The Rip-off Artist Stands in the Exploration City.

This train has now arrived at Yaje Station. Passengers disembarking, please be careful not to leave any belongings behind.

At the sound of the announcement, Al shifted in her seat.

It seems I talked a little too much.

I seem to have raised my disciple’s expectations more than I thought.

An announcement for our passengers. The scheduled stop in Yaje was for 12 hours, but due to trouble on the tracks, the stop will be extended to 48 hours. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience to our passengers in a hurry.

Al tilted her head at the announcement.

“I wonder what happened.”

“Seems like it. And for two days… I’ve heard that minor and major delays are common, but this is a bit concerning.”

The Yaje Hills are a place rich in nature.

A monster or something might be sitting on the tracks, or some other problem that could lead to an accident might have occurred.

“Are you worried?”

“Just a little. I’m not worried since it means more time for my date with you, Rody-san.”

“D-Date…?!”

The word, so unfamiliar when directed at me, made me flinch.

It’s a kind of embarrassing feeling that makes my back tingle.

“I wish you’d get used to it already.”

“Easier said than done…”

“What am I to you, Rody-san?”

“M-My… girlfriend.”

Al giggled at my stammering.

Being at the mercy of my disciple—girlfriend, now?—who is a whole decade younger than me, what a pathetic adult I am.

This is strange. I’m supposed to be a cool, skilled armed merchant over thirty, overflowing with dandyism.

“Girlfriends and boyfriends go on dates, you know?”

“True.”

“In other words, this trip is a date trip!”

“True… I guess?”

“By the time this trip is over, it’ll be called a honeymoon!”

“Tr…ue… maybe?”

Al seems to be getting a little carried away, her logic is jumping all over the place.

That said, it’s not a bad feeling to be thought of that way.

No… it’s not just ‘not bad’, I’m genuinely happy.

As this journey continues, I’m sure I’ll change.

My perception of Al as my disciple will surely fade.

In its place, Al as my partner will surely grow.

“You’ve gone quiet.”

“I was just thinking. Well, if we have more time, that’s fine too. Let’s enjoy the Exploration City.”

“Okay! Are there any specialty dishes?”

At Al’s excited words, I searched my memory.

I’m a merchant, after all.

I know about the specialty products of the various regions of the kingdom.

“I remember now. Yaje is famous for its monster gibier.”

“…Monster meat? That’s pretty common in Alanis, isn’t it? I used to buy cockatrice meat all the time.”

“From what I’ve heard, it’s not that simple. They say they even eat poisonous ones after removing the poison.”

“Oh… I’m half excited, half scared.”

For my part, I have a desire to taste authentic monster gibier.

When I was staying in the dungeon as an armed merchant, I often ate the meat of monsters that seemed edible, and I think I’d be surprisingly fine.

That said, they probably wouldn’t serve anything truly dangerous to tourists.

“Alright then, shall we go?”

“Okay!”

I tossed the bare necessities into the magic bag hanging at my waist and got off the Magitek Train.

The moment I did, I could tell that Al, next to me, gasped.

“Wow… amazing.”

Yaje Station was on top of a small hill, built to provide a panoramic view of the surrounding area.

We both stopped for a moment, taking in the lush green scenery.

For Al, who had never been outside the walled Adventurer City of Alanis, this vast expanse of hills was a world she had only ever seen in books.

“Is that the town of Yaje?”

“Looks like it. It’s my first time here too.”

“From here on out, it’s a first time for both of us!”

Al laughed happily and pulled my hand.

As I squeezed it back and looked for the path to Yaje, a golem approached and spoke to us.

It was wearing a hunting cap and looked rather stylish.

“Are you heading to Yaje city?”

“Yeah. Is this the right way?”

The guide golem beeped and gave a small bow at my question.

“If you’re walking, you can just follow this road to get there. You can also take the Magitek Cable Car ‘Wild Ape’ for a safe and comfortable ride to the city.”

“What’s a ‘Wild Ape’?”

“It’s a small ropeway for transportation developed by our company. You can think of it as a direct means of transportation from this station to Yaje city.”

The guide golem pointed to our left rear.

When I looked, there was a simple building like a wooden deck with a roof, and something like a trolley was going back and forth, suspended in the air.

“I’ve never seen anything like that…!”

“Me neither. Hey, can people ride that?”

“Of course. It’s one of Yaje’s tourist attractions, including the view, so please give it a try.”

I felt like the expressionless golem smiled.

I don’t know much about these strange attendants, but I see… perhaps this kind of inorganic and kind service is better for dealing with people from all over the continent.

“Thanks, since we have the chance, we’ll give it a try.”

I watched the guide golem’s back as it bowed and left, then gently pulled Al’s hand.

“Are you okay with heights?”

“Falling Control is one of my specialty spells.”

“You said you practiced it after you slipped and fell trying to get a dish, didn’t you?”

“You don’t need to remember the unnecessary details.”

I headed to the Wild Ape cable car station with a pouting Al.

It seems I hadn’t forgotten my boyish heart as much as I thought… I was getting a little excited.

The feeling of my heart fluttering at seeing something for the first time is somehow refreshing.

“Would you like to ride the Magitek Cable Car ‘Wild Ape’?”

I nodded enthusiastically at the attendant golem’s words.

Seeing me, Al, beside me, giggled and said, “You’re getting too excited.”