Chapter 35 – Flowers of the North Sea (7)

A chariot was a type of public transportation driven by magic stones, similar to a train rather than an ordinary horse-drawn carriage.
Of course, unlike Earth, there were no tracks laid outside the city due to concerns of damage by monsters or bandits.
Instead, it acts as a control tower in the seven magic towers and is responsible for driving the carriage to the set destination.

Surprisingly, it was Terra Ernisten who invented a piece of metal that moves forward at ultra-high speed while magically sweeping away all obstacles in its path.
Although she has not been seen in person since the Great War, her legacy lives on throughout the continent and is still being passed down to contemporary times.
Via a telegraph wire directly from the lighthouse of Horus.

The entire carriage concept and engine design were also provided by her to her horse tower.
In fact, she knew that Terra, who had been with her for a long time and who carried her cannon as a magician, was originally closer to an engineer than a wizard, but it seemed to have been quite a shock to others.
The old people of the Magic Tower were skeptical at first, but it was a product made with such high quality that they pushed for its commercialization and eventually succeeded.

I found Darling at the chariot waiting area on the outskirts of Parencia.
When I entered the translator’s office and gave her name, I was immediately taken to the VIP waiting room.

“Are you here?”

Darling Tokarev. She, the lord of Farenzia and the owner of Ruhilen Upper, greeted me by maintaining her composure even in a fairly critical situation.
White gloves that he always wears and a luxurious red cape draped over his shoulders.
Her short stature, wavy scarlet hair hanging down to her shoulders, looked like a luxurious antique doll.

“They said it’s leaving in ten minutes. “I already bought the ticket.”
“I bought it too.”
“That ticket was canceled a little while ago due to double reservation. By perfect coincidence, a wealthy person had bought all the train tickets and there were no more seats except for these two. “I inevitably ended up sitting next to him.”

Now that I think about it, I think I saw a bunch of nobles outside waiting around the waiting room looking for tickets. It seems like they decided to buy the entire front compartment.
Tsk, I was planning to go separately.

Escorted by the conductor, Darling and I entered the chariot. It was the length of about ten standard carriages joined together, and the width on the left and right was quite wide, so it was quite spacious for two people to sit.

Just then, the compartment next to hers was empty, so she pulled me as I was about to move there.

“Standard owner, your seat is here.”
“Is there an empty seat next to you?”
“Didn’t I tell you? “Someone has already reserved that seat.”

No, it’s leaving in a little while, but doesn’t that mean you won’t get on if you’re not in your seat?

“Store owner, are you a person without common sense who is trying to take away land that has already been legally occupied by someone for a long time just because that person has been away for a while? “It gives me goosebumps that someone like that was around me.”
“It’s a coincidence. “I also get goosebumps.”

In the end, I ended up sitting next to Darling. Late at night, a tram leaving for the Frankish region departed, honking its horn.

***

Various foods were being sold inside the carriage. Since I wasn’t going to get off until I reached my destination anyway, I needed to eat something, but I didn’t have much of an appetite.
Of course, it was because of the final breakup with Adela, but there was a more fundamental cause.

“Guhhh—.”

The noise and vibration of the electric carriage was incomparable to that of trains used on Earth.
This was because, rather than running on a flat rail, it moved forward by destroying obstacles in its path with the help of defensive magic built into the front of the car and the interception of the waiting wizard.
Occasionally blood would be sprayed on the outside window, meaning that the kill score of this carriage had increased by 1. I must have hit an elk.

“Geez—.”

So our Viscount, who suffers from severe motion sickness, was filling a bucket next to the carriage every time the carriage rattled.
Of course, the smell came to me, who was sitting right next to me.
Darling, exhausted after vomiting for a long time, wiped away his tears with his arms.

“Are you crying?”
“No! “Who cries!”
“Can you give me some water?”
“No need… Ouch!”

After drinking water from the canteen I gave her, she closed her eyes and tilted her head back with a more relaxed expression.
I wanted to say something to comfort her, but I felt like I would vomit if I opened her mouth and inhaled the air in this room, so I stayed still.
Darling’s lips pouted as he glanced sideways at me holding my breath.

“It doesn’t smell, so just breathe.”
“…”
“I mean it’s true. “I already erased everything with magic.”

You have to be able to believe that.

Darling only moved her hips and she crept closer to me. She must have really erased it, but before she knew it, her foul smell had disappeared and the smell of luxurious jean fabric emanating from her body irritated her nose.

“Come here. “Why is it so far into the corner in such a wide area?”
“Because it’s comfortable here.”
“Come to the side right now.”
“Why?”
“My head is pounding so I need to lie down. “There’s a pillow that’s just right, so come closer.”

I don’t think that’s a very good idea.
In fact, I was worried that she was going to lie down on my legs, but her cushioned seat plus my thick thighs bent her neck to almost 90 degrees.
Nevertheless, as I laid her down on her side with her neck stiffly erect, I asked her about Adela, who suddenly came to mind.

“Hey, Viscount.”
“Something.”
“Is there any chronic disease in Roshyar? My heart is not feeling well due to the unique magic…”
“You are saying such nonsense. How do you know that? Moreover, the vision of unique magic is a top secret among Roshoir.
“…”
“It seems stupid.”
“Hmm…”
“Gaaaaa! “Don’t shake your head!”

Well, she is neither an intelligence dealer nor a family well versed in magic.
However, perhaps it was my excellent interrogation skills that paid off, or perhaps the gastric juices welling up in my throat that lightly touched my brain and gave me a flash of inspiration, Darling gave a second answer.

“Ugh… “Maybe the chairman knows.”
“Lehel?”
“Well, from what I heard, I’ve lived quite a long time. “You must have known the previous head of the Rochear family before he died, so you probably don’t know him at all.”
“Okay.”

After I get it, I have to ask slowly.
As I closed my eyes again in the rickety carriage, I was lost in thought.

***

We arrived in the Frankish region, changed carriages there again, and headed to Alzar, where the underground auction house is located.
As the weather got colder as I got closer to the north, my mood also became colder.

The feeling of stepping on frost-covered soil always reminded me of the cold past. At that time, the ice that broke when I stepped on it was blood, not as white as it is now.

“Darling Tokarev of Ruhilen and my servant. “I have come to take custody of Lehel Darad, who is being held captive in the upper part of Martinica.”
“Please wait a moment.”

The man guarding the entrance to the gambling house behind the faded wooden building accepted the name card given by Darling and went inside.
And a moment later, the manager, dressed very classily, came out to meet us.

“It is an honor beyond words to be able to meet Ruhilen Sangjangju in person. “My name is Zik, the general manager of the auction house.”

Zeke led us to the slave prison located inside the auction house.
It was a dirty, dark place that smelled like a rotten sewer.

“Let’s see… Lehel, Lehel Darad… Ah, prison number 3. “We owe 85,000 gold at the gambling house, but after auctioning off all of our belongings, the remaining debt is about 70,000 gold.”
“Do I just have to pay the difference?”
“Yes. Would you like to go fill out the paperwork now?”
“I understand.”

Darling nodded and Zeke pointed at me.

“Then I will send it to you through my servant as soon as the transaction is completed.”
“You probably didn’t get hurt, right?”
“What are you saying? This hasn’t happened for a day or two, so how could we possibly touch Yunhoegong’s finger? “Please follow me.”

Darling followed Zeke up, and I, guided by another employee, moved to the place where Lehel was trapped.
I was worried that something might happen, but surprisingly, he was willing to send it to me right away as long as I paid for it. That was the attitude.

It seems that Lehel often lost all her money at gambling and waited for salvation like she is now. Among her debtors in the same situation as her in prison, there was no one who did not know her.

— Oh, this time a pretty good guy came to the rescue.
— Pfft! How many times is this? I saw it in Thessalon last year too.
— Brother, are you Yunhoegong’s lover? If it were me, I would leave his hands and feet here. It’s better if you give it to us.

“Is it always this light? “I don’t understand why the Archduke was imprisoned in this prison.”
“What… Lord Yun Hoe-gong is generous. Surprisingly, I have never overused magic. “He said he was a generous person who followed the rules of the game.”

Rather, I wonder if I am being too lenient with my own actions. I wish he would take a look.

Anyway, I was able to find Lehel quickly. Because the white hair, like a snowy hill, stood out in contrast to this dark prison… It wasn’t just that.
To be precise, a slightly different part caught my eye first.

“Oh, you’re here! Save me! “I waited, boss!!”

How on earth can I express how I feel about seeing her fluttering around with her feet tied upside down to her ceiling, in nothing but her underwear?
If there were at least ten emotions that came to mind right now, patheticness would definitely be at the top of the list.

“I’m saying hello, but I don’t feel like I’m bowing my head! Nice to meet you though!”
“Why are you like that?”
“Because all my belongings were confiscated. Her underwear will soon be auctioned off as well.”
“…”

Even if you lose all your money, you have to save money to go home, so you risked your own underwear? The patheticness has doubled and it doesn’t even look that cute anymore.
I trudged over to her, opened the cage she was locked in, and went inside her. Lehel hanging dangling in only white panties and a bra.
It’s really a pity that what you’re facing is not her face, but the mound reflected in her underwear.

“Hey, boss.”
“Why.”
“Would you mind putting your hand under my armpit and bringing us to eye level? “I think she’s going to die from the blood rushing to her head!”

Why don’t you just die?

“How did it end up like this?”
“Well, you know! Listen! This was all a scam!? “It’s a scam, you’ve been tricked!!”

It was a typical mantra of gamblers losing all their money, so I didn’t think there was a need to know the reason.
Lehel pulled my pants down and kept asking me to lift her upper body.
As I lowered my head, I caught a glimpse of an evil, cat-like smile on my face.

“I have something special to say to the boss.”
“What is it?”
“So, listen…” …”

Was there really some kind of intervention in this situation?
Lehel rested her chin on her shoulder and sighed in relief as I half-heartedly picked her up into her mermaid pose.
She was extremely light, not befitting her weight as an archduke.

“Ha… I will live. “I felt like I was really dying, like a pig caught in a butcher shop and bleeding to death.”
“It stinks because you didn’t wash it, so tell me quickly. “Before I let it go.”
“Heh, I understand. So…”

A thin, playful voice lingering in my ear.

‘Actually, you know. ‘Everything I had was taken away, but I secretly hid the magic because it was so precious.’

A sweet whisper like a fairy.

‘Where did you put it?’

Did I abandon Adella, who was standing there like a puppy in the rain, just because of a bitch like this?

Instead of answering her, I carefully lowered her back down to a position where her head was almost touching the ground. Then she lightly turned her shoulders and relaxed her body.

“President? “Why are you doing this?”

Before her eyes, she sees white legs, thin thighs, and pure white underwear at the intersection of the two.

“Well, can’t you take it out now? Because it’s taken away?”

I held her hand lightly in front of her eyes and raised it slightly upward.

“Uh?”

The place where Lehel is believed to have hidden her magic equipment. She struck it with the blade of her hand. Then the force was applied to the chains tied to her legs and they clanged — !! The sound of metal echoing inside the prison.

“Kkkk!!!!”

At the same time, Lehel’s screams rang out, jumping around like a fish out of water.