"Ah? This? In an army, it'd be something like a retreat trumpet, but for us, this is enough. And today, I did tell them one more thing to do when they hear this flute. Heh heh heh, well then…"
Taking the Rabbit whistle from his lips, Gulick leaped back with a wide stride.
At the sound of Gulick's Rabbit whistle, the surrounding bandits began to flee. True to their nature, their retreat was utterly disorganized. Some bolted toward the nearby forest, others mounted tethered horses and galloped away, and a few even lingered, rifling through the bodies of fallen comrades and soldiers, ignoring the whistle call to grab what loot they could before withdrawing. From the chaotic din of the battlefield, Gulick's voice rang out in the distance.
"For the price of broken swords and torn armor, we're taking Baron Verde with us! Hahaha!"
"Should we pursue, Lord Gravel?"
Iris approached Gravel and asked.
"No, I don't think that's necessary. Let's tend to the wounded first."
Had Gravel tasked Iris with chasing Gulick, she likely would have caught him with ease and dragged him back before long. But if there were loyal bandits protecting Gulick or others standing in Iris's way… it could have spiraled into a near-massacre. That was why Gravel held Iris back—or so he told himself. In truth, his decision was largely an excuse driven by his burning desire to satisfy his curiosity about the magic of this other world, a topic he planned to discuss with Diara as soon as possible.
The magic and mana manipulation he'd witnessed from Diara, along with her combat style—fighting up close with a mana-imbued staff despite being a caster—had sparked countless questions in Gravel's mind. Perhaps it was this flood of curiosity that clouded his judgment…
"Fire! The carriage is on fire!"
"The bandits set it ablaze!"
The fleeing bandits were hurling torches and oil pouches at the carriage. Dozens of torches rained down, engulfing the carriage in flames. Following another of Gulick's orders, the bandits cackled as they vanished one by one into the forest.
"Hand of Yull!"
With Diara's shout, a massive pillar of water erupted from the ground beneath the burning carriage. The water column split into five tendrils, forming a shape akin to a human hand. It enveloped the carriage, smothering the flames before dispersing back into the earth.
The blazing carriage, once wreathed in red and black flames, now steamed with white vapor as the fire was extinguished.
It was clearly a spell meant to deal damage… but she reduced its power to put out the fire. She's incredibly skilled at controlling mana.
Gravel marveled at Diara's spellcasting.
"The… the carriage… it contains something that must be delivered to Grand duke Vanas…"
Perhaps due to overexerting her mana, Diara collapsed to the ground, unconscious, before finishing her sentence.
*****
"Emmm… ugh…"
The sounds of people talking, someone shouting, and the occasional crackle of a burning campfire roused Diara as she opened her eyes.
"You're awake." Iris said, sitting on a chair beside Diara, who was lying down.
Hearing Iris's voice, Diara sat up and looked around. The dim interior of the tent was lit only by a small lantern, making it hard to gauge the time.
"What happened to… the carriage?"
Diara recalled using magic to extinguish the fire but had no memory of what followed. She stood, addressing Iris.
"If you mean the statue inside the carriage, the soldiers moved it safely over there." Iris replied, pointing to a carved statue in the corner of the tent.
The statue, slightly charred with ash from the fire, depicted a beast with large bared teeth. Taller than an average person, it stood like a pillar in the tent's corner.
"Whew… that's a relief. That statue is something we absolutely must deliver to the Grand duke, no matter what." Diara said, exhaling in relief.
But her relief was short-lived. The reasons she couldn't afford to rest flooded her mind, and she moved to leave the tent.
"You can rest more. A soldier named Reave (Reave) and the others have set up a temporary camp," Iris said.
"And… the other soldiers?"
"The wounded have all been healed by Gravel. Those who died in battle were buried in the forest near the camp."
Iris guided Diara to a chair in the tent, explaining what had happened while she was unconscious.
"I'm sorry. My thanks are late, but I'm deeply grateful for your help." Diara said.
"No need for that. I was following my master's orders, and he said you'd provide compensation for our help." Iris replied.
"Oh… I see. Of course. Whatever reward I can offer, I'll gladly give."
Knowing they were adventurers, Diara had no intention of offering mere words of thanks. Without their help, her life, the statue meant for the Grand duke, and the soldiers' lives would have been in grave danger. She was prepared to give anything in return.
"You seem to be awake." Gravel said, entering the tent with a steaming bowl of soup as light spilled through the opened flap.
"The soldiers said the carriage carrying camping gear and supplies wasn't burned, thankfully." Gravel continued, placing the soup on the table.
"But they also said one of the carriages was rendered unusable after it tipped over from the magic you used to put out the fire."
"Oh… such a mistake…"
Diara bowed her head, recalling the moment she cast the spell. She vaguely realized that, in her haste to squeeze out mana before fainting, she hadn't considered the nearby carriage.
"Haha, don't beat yourself up over it. It was impressive water magic." Gravel said, smiling. He knew that, even in such a frantic moment, Diara had delicately controlled her mana to minimize damage to the carriage.
"Some soldiers have headed to Froikton to get help. They're likely seeking a repairman or assistance, since the broken carriage's contents can't all fit in one."
Gravel explained, sliding the soup bowl toward Diara.
"I see. But about the compensation you mentioned…" Diara began, referring to what Iris had told her.
"Ah, you heard from Iris. The reward I want is a conversation with you, Diara. Mostly, it'll be me asking questions." Gravel said, his eyes bright with curiosity and a faint smile on his lips, as if already sorting through the questions in his mind.
"A conversation? Questions?"
Diara, still unsure of his meaning, asked again.
"Yes. Iris and I are travelers from far away, so we lack knowledge about the Esteta Kingdom. I'm particularly interested in the magic practiced in the Esteta Kingdom, and I believe you can answer my questions." Gravel explained.
Diara lowered her gaze to the table, thinking for a moment before looking up at Gravel.
"If it's something I can answer, I'll gladly do so. Sharing knowledge is also the mission of our Knights of the Hidden Moon.
"That's the best answer I could hope for." Gravel said, smiling as he anticipated the conversation ahead. Standing, he stepped toward the tent's exit.
"Rest a bit more. It'll take some time for the soldiers who went to Froikton to return."
"Thank you again, Gravel, Iris." Diara said.
*****
By evening, as the sun set, the soldiers who had gone to Froikton returned to the camp with a wainwright and his two assistants.
The wainwright, with graying whiskers and thick arms, examined two carriages, tapping them with a small wooden hammer. After inspecting them with his assistants, he declared, "One is damaged beyond repair and needs to be rebuilt entirely. The other needs a new wheel crafted and fitted."
Before leaving, he told one of the soldiers that even with quick work, repairs would take two days. He then returned to Froikton.
With two days of camping confirmed, the soldiers relaxed. Some retrieved supply crates for cooking from the damaged carriage, others volunteered to patrol the camp's perimeter, and a few returned to the forest to place more stones on their fallen comrades' graves, honoring the dead. Each spent the time in their own way.
One of the soldiers who had gone to Froikton mentioned meeting a coachman there. There had been a small commotion about a large bandit attack, but upon hearing it was resolved, the coachman asked the soldier to convey his thanks to Gravel and Iris once more.
As night fell and the campfire burned brighter against the darkening sky, Iris and Gravel visited Diara's tent.
Diara and Gravel sat across from each other at a small table, while Iris stepped outside briefly, returning with two cups of tea. The rough wooden cups steamed with a delicate floral aroma that filled the tent.
"Do you like the tea? I first tried it in Froikton and now carry it whenever I travel. It's made from the leaves of a plant called Lacoë." Gravel said, picking up a cup.
"Yes, I enjoy Lacoë tea as well." Diara replied."Diara replied, closing her eyes to savor the fragrance before addressing Gravel.
"Now, as promised, tell me stories in exchange for our help. First, you mentioned the Knights of the Hidden Moon. Are you part of a knightly order?"
Worried the conversation might grow too heavy, Gravel began with a light question he thought would be easy to answer.
"Well… it's called a knightly order, but we're not the armored knights people typically imagine. We're a group of mages, like me, who follow the Way of Mana. We're called a knightly order because our lord, ㅎGrand duke Varnavil Vanas, once said during a campaign beyond the Great Plains, 'Those who lead soldiers and charge at the forefront are worthy of the title of knight.' It's a title we bear like a badge of honor from that campaign."
"I see. I don't know much about the Vanas ducal family. I've heard this is Count Told's territory. Could you tell me about the nearby geography?"
"Yes. Following this road leads to Froikton. From there, heading northeast along the road takes you to Valla-Glas, the largest city in Count Tould's domain. There are smaller towns and baronies as well, but I don't have them all memorized."
"(Since I couldn't find large-scale maps in Froikton, I planned to get one in a bigger city. Should I ask more?) Is Grand duke Vanas's city farther from the count's city you mentioned?" Gravel asked, mentally mapping the terrain and filling in gaps with Diara's information.
"Yes, farther northeast from there is Ves-Dinas. That's where our carriage is headed."
"I've only stayed in Froikton, so I'm unfamiliar with distant lands. This journey was meant to take us to a southern city called Tollu."
"Oh, you were heading to Tollu? Was your destination the labyrinth city of Aquilrne?"
"Yes, and I've heard there are Anthro called Dawi and Muwa, as well as elves."
"Aquilrne is jointly governed by humans, elves, Dawi, and Muwa. It's a hub for adventurers of various races from across the continent who come to explore the labyrinth."
The conversation continued as Gravel asked about the names of mountains and forests he'd seen from Froikton, piecing together the world around him.