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Kaoru Chapter 34: Journey to the West

 

ED/PF SHINYAPPLE: ALRIGHT GUYS IM BACK, turns out I had cholera and had to be in bed for this whole time. Seriously though…. Cholera ain’t a joke… I felt like dying.

I’ll probably start editing the chapters I missed out tomorrow. So please do re-read them again! AND SORRRYYY

Btw I have not edited this chap yet. I’ll work on it after I finish up the ones I missed

 

After deciding on a horse, I left to the west immediately.

I have the item box for such a thing. In preparation for a sudden escape, I have stored food, water, blanket, tent, weapon, armor, cooking utensil, a water tank on a manger, … beforehand.

Roland, Francette and 4 Royal guards were desperately following after Kaoru. What about food and other things … what about the other 4 Royal Guards left behind? they don’t have time to prepare for all that.

As a result of the horse fight, the horse that Kaoru chose is a 6 years old white hair horse with black eyes. Converting to human’s age, he must be about 22-29 years old?

There are various opinions on human age conversion to a horse age, but I do not know it well.

I avoided choosing too young one that didn’t have any experience and too old that in regression. Also, with a healthy and bright personality.

He was also seemed to be loyal because this horse that had been seriously injured by sword in the 4^th village and was saved by Kaoru.

Although white horse has its drawback of being conspicuous, but this time it was convenient as I need to 「stand out」

Because there were 18 of horse, I changed the part 「A nice female horse」to 「your favorite horse」

And the most suitable horse in selection criteria by chance was this one.

And Francette adjusted the reins and other needed things.

It’s said to be tough to ride a race horse. But, as Kaoru don’t need to control the horse using the harness. the horse will move as Kaoru’s instruction by the conversation, so the harness is only「a thing that help Kaoru doesn’t fall」

Without children, Kaoru don’t need to pay attention to Roland who are following after her. She also doesn’t need to worry about luggage. That’s why Kaoru can run fast with the War horse that carry her alone.

For that, Kaoru’s most important task is to make sure she doesn’t fall. As she thinks she don’t have to control the horse, so she plan to tie herself to saddle firmly.

However, it seems quite a bit difficult to do so, that thought is dismissed. In the end, it was a normal riding attitude.

From the Nicosia city, Kaoru was going to west using highway.

And Roland’s party following after her to escort.

Roland’s party are struggling to match, because Kaoru is riding a War horse that is carrying only Kaoru.The horse named Ed is running way too fast. (T.N: yes, the horse really name Ed)

For that reason, Roland has really appreciated that there were a lot of breaks due Kaoru’s fatigue and ache in buttocks and hips.

But what can Roland’s party do about daily necessaries, such as food and water, camping equipment, manger?

They can’t catch up with Kaoru on a horse-drawn carriage.

Also, even if Kaoru is an amateur, she has perfect communication with the horse, and the horse only needs to carry Kaoru.

There won’t be any problem if Kaoru stays in town or village, but if Kaoru intend to camp outside, Roland’s party will certainly is in a big trouble. Can they even get supplementary from where Kaoru camp?

Kaoru was worried about those things, but unlike last time, they decided to accompany Kaoru from the beginning.

This time Kaoru’s action was opposed, and all cooperation was refused, and it was Kaoru’s independent action.

There is no obligation to divide supplies.

Kaoru shows sincerity to those who are friendly and help them the best she can, but she was cold to adversaries and those who harass her.

To tell the truth, Roland’s party don’t know about Kaoru’s item box and don’t think that Kaoru is going to camp outside.

Roland and Francette believed Kaoru was a goddess but lived in human body without any special power beside the blessing power.

Right now Kaoru doesn’t have any luggage. Even, at the previous operation, Kaoru slept on the carriage, ate meals are cooked by the Royal Guards and Francette.

It was only a few hours until they had taste of despair.

「Roland-sama, Kaoru-dono isn’t stopping in this town, although there aren’t any other towns or villages near this place…」(Royal Guard)

One of the Royal Guards reported to Roland.

「Well … Maybe Kaoru doesn’t know that?」(Roland)

「No, Kaoru-dono has a map and she knew how to read the map properly …」(Francette)

Francette denied Roland’s words.

It will start to get darker in an hour.

Puzzle spreads for everyone. However, they had no choice but to follow.

「Ed, want to have a good rest for today?」(Kaoru)

「Okay, young miss」(Ed)

Ed slow down the speed as Kaoru talks to him.

「Here, let’s go into the forest a little from here and make a sleeping place invisible from the highway」(Kaoru)

Then Ed and Kaoru leaving the highway and went into the forest.

「Roland-sama …」(Royal Guard)

「Oh, it looks like she camp there tonight」(Roland)

「Well, what shall we do?」(Royal Guard)

「Even if you ask me what to do …」(Roland)

 

After a while, 4 Royal guards returned to the town where they passed before and prepared water and food, manger and blankets etc.

Especially for horses, a large amount of water is needed, and although four horses were made enough to drink in town, it was hard to carry supplies to the camp.

Fortunately this time there was a town near, but if Kaoru camps at a place without a town or a village …

No, how can Kaoru camp without carrying anything?

Roland was thinking about what to do and can’t sleep.

At that time, Kaoru enjoyed dinner with Ed.
Kaoru pulled out a warm meal that was stored from the kitchen of the workshop before.

And Kaoru gave Ed corn, carrots, apples, cube sugar from the item box to eat in the manger.

Cube sugar was created with the ability to make any kind of potion. 「It is a medicine to replenish sugar, with the same taste, appearance, ingredients as cubic sugar」(T.N: wait, Horse need 角砂糖 cube sugar?)

「Thank you so much! Young Miss! As promised! I will work hard tomorrow as well!」(Ed)

「Please take care of me then. Oh that’s right, drink this. It can cure your tiredness」(Kaoru)

「Oh, thank you」(Ed)

After scattering monster, beasts, insect repelling medicines around, Kaoru slept soundly in bed.

Yes, the baron’s bed that she stored a long time ago.

 

*** next morning ***

 

Kaoru and Ed exhilarating wake up.

Enjoy breakfast, finish flower picking, and start off well.

Meanwhile, Roland’s party have sleepy awakening.

In preparation for monsters and wild beasts, they are sleeping in turn, bitten by mosquitoes, sleeping with one piece of blanket and stiffen their body.

Yesterday’s supper was a cold skewer and have hard bread for this morning breakfast.
Since blankets become luggage, one sheet is the limit unless they throw away every time and buy a new thing in a nearby town.

Watching the departure of Kaoru, they chase in hurry.

「Roland-sama, have Kaoru gotten faster?」(Francette)

Roland noticed after being told by Francette, Kaoru certainly is moving faster than yesterday.

「Have she improved …?」(Roland)

Yes, Kaoru was improving.

The ache in buttocks and hip joints were healed with potions and further strengthened just in case.

And now she was guided by the horse about the right pose.

「…still slightly hurting.

Yes, just like that.

Take the rhythm according to the fluctuation of my body, good…

Oh, a little more tightening the knees …

yeah, just like that」(Ed)

With advice from both sides, Kaoru riding ability is easy to improve.

Also, Ed was originally an elite war horse, he’s only slow when suffering from a shortage of water. Now that he was cured, drink a lot of water, have a lot of favorite food and even drink potion to cure tiredness and improved stamina, no horse can compare with him right now.

Besides, Kaoru is really light.

Compare with Roland’s party,adult men wearing armor and carrying swords, Kaoru was as good as empty load.

And each break, Kaoru also let Ed drink a recovery potion.

Roland’s party can also give their horse some water. But it became more and more difficult to keep up with Ed.

「Roland-sama, this is bad! If we keep this up, Kaoru-dono will gradually go ahead of us!」(Royal Guard)

「Even if it’s impossible for Kaoru to raise speed, but our horses will exhaust themself quickly! And we haven’t even given them enough water!」(Roland)

「Even so, we can’t let Kaoru separate from us now!」(Francette)

Despite they can keep up with Kaoru somehow that day, but her pace was obviously rising from the morning to the evening.

As this rate, it will be even harder to keep up tomorrow. And when Roland was in trouble, Francette suggested.

「Roland-sama, let’s divide the escort team in two.

First team camping near Kaoru during the night, they will follow Kaoru from the morning till noon.

The second team went ahead of half a day and rest during the day until the first team catch up and let the first team rest.

The second team will keep following Kaoru from noon until evening.

The first team after get enough rest will catch up and replace the second team to escort Kaoru.

The second team will decide how to rest and travel ahead from the evening until the noon of the next day.

While the first team camp near Kaoru at night to keep guard and will follow her from morning to noon of the next day.

With this, the second team can freely decide how to rest and travel, as long as that team gain enough distance from Kaoru in waiting for first team」(Francette)

「It is a good idea! So how do you divide the team?」(Roland)

「Yes, it will be good for Roland-sama and me to camp at night, when something happens, it’s most likely to happen at night time. Roland-sama is a sword master and I’m a girl, has same gender as Kaoru that convenient to help her for various sensitive condition.

In addition, as a war potential balance, Roland-sama and I will be as strong as 4 royal guards」(Francette)

As Fracette told Roland so, she wondered in her mind.

Whether it was an angel or a goddess who brought this wonderful proposal to her.

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