Martina and the other two were lifted onto their horses, and soon the horses began to move. The main road leading out of the city was under traffic control by the Department of Administration, so there were no issues, and the procession could easily leave the city.
โFrom here on, the speed will increase. Hold onto the saddle and my body tightly,โ said Lambert.
โUnderstood,โ replied Martina.
โThen, letโs go.โ
The next three days were harsh for Martina, Roland, and Sylvan . Their muscles screamed in pain, their buttocks ached terribly, and their sense of balance became distorted from the constant jarring.
However, despite the discomfort, they had no choice but to keep riding as they couldnโt reach their destination without the horses. The three endured with all their strength.
On the last day, they clung to their horses purely by willpowerโฆ and by the afternoon of the third day after leaving the royal capital, the procession arrived near a rural town in the Cadour Countโs territory.
โUghโฆโ
โThree days of ridingโฆ I never thought it would be this tough.โ
โโฆโฆโ
The three of them got off their horses, not caring about the dirt on their clothes, and collapsed onto the short grass that had grown on the meadow.
โRoland, are you aliveโฆ?โ
โJust barelyโฆโ
โSylvan , are you okay?โ
โโฆThereโs no way Iโm okay.โ
Perhaps due to extreme fatigue, Sylvan spoke without the usual sharpness in his voice, answering Martinaโs question honestly.
โAre you three all right? A few knights are going on a reconnaissance mission in the town, so it would be good for you to rest in the meantime.โ
Lambert, showing almost no signs of fatigue, was concerned about the three of them. Martina, Roland, and Sylvan looked at him with a sense of awe.
โThe knights are like superhumans.โ
โIf they let amateurs like us ride, it must be even harder for them. And yet, they can still move around like itโs nothingโฆโ
โUnbelievable.โ
In response to their gazes and words, Lambert smiled wryly and handed them the water he had prepared.
โWe do this for work. Even several knights and non-light-element mages are all collapsed just like you.โ
โThat makes senseโฆโ
Still sitting on the ground, the three of them managed to sit up enough to take the water and glance around to check their surroundings.
โThe town is still far, isnโt it?โ
โReports have come in saying the town is overrun by monsters, so getting too close would be dangerous. Even here, weโve already encountered many more monsters than usual.โ
โI seeโฆ Are they mostly Ant-type monsters?โ
โYes, thatโs as reported. But so far, the only monsters weโve encountered are Big Ants and Small Ants, which usually inhabit forests.โ
At Lambertโs words, Martina nodded and took another sip of water when suddenly a knight shouted from somewhere.
โMonsters are coming! Theyโre Ant-type, but their color is yellow, and their type is unknown!โ
Hearing that, Martina quickly looked up and jumped to her feet. Lambert, instantly understanding that Martinaโs knowledge was needed, lifted her back onto her horse so she could see the monsters.
โCan you see them?โ
โYes. Those are definitely Acid Ants. Iโve seen them in the Monster Encyclopedia and in a few historical books. Their weapon is a potent acid. It dissolves anything it touches. According to the history books, Acid Ants were used to destroy evidence in places where they live. They have a pouch in their throat where they store acid and spit it out from their mouth, so never stand directly in front of them. Also, donโt damage the pouch. Their only real threat is the acid and their speed. Thereโs nothing else to fear. If we fight carefully, we should be able to take them down quickly.โ
As she spoke rapidly while staring at the distant Acid Ants, Lambert nodded and then dismounted to let Martina ride.
โThanks. Iโll relay that information to the others. You three stay here and donโt move.โ
Once Lambert had left, the first to speak was Sylvan .
โโฆWhy are you so good at remembering things?โ
Martina was surprised by the fact that Sylvan had acknowledged her excellent memory and looked at his face intently.
โโฆWhatโs wrong? Is there something on my face?โ
โNo, Iโฆ Iโm just a bit surprisedโฆ My memory is something I was born with.โ
Martina hurriedly explained, and Sylvan furrowed his brow in response.
โBorn with itโฆ even though youโre a commoner, huh?โ
Sylvan โs murmured words reached both of their ears, and Roland, who had been scratching his head with a deep sigh, stared into Sylvan โs eyes.
โAbilities donโt depend on whether youโre a commoner or a noble, right? It seems like you donโt like it when a commoner steps into noble territory, but think about how things wouldโve gone if Martinaโs abilities had remained hidden?โ
โThatโsโฆโ
โIf Martina hadnโt been here, we might not have even known that the black mist was a noxious cloud. The whole reason this country started moving toward reducing discrimination against commoners was to give talented people among them a chance, right? I donโt get why youโre against it.โ
At Rolandโs words, Sylvan seemed at a loss for an answer and cast his gaze downward. His face showed frustration as he quietly spoke.
โNobles should stand above commoners, and the country works better with clear distinctions of statusโฆโ
โDidnโt the king change his policy because it became clear that system wasnโt working?โ
Raised in a household that upheld noble supremacy, Sylvan was shaken by the possibility that the values he had been taught were wrong. He clenched his fists.
Just as he was about to speak again, Lambert returned riding his horse.