Chapter 205: Death March
Chapter 205 Death March
――――The 34th day of training.
After a night of a grand welcome, the day to enter Tazarnia has finally arrived.
「This is the map of the whole of Tazarnia. I've marked the route to the heavily invaded west coast for your reference.」
「Thank you....」
Weerel received the map from Commander Rize and confirmed the path they would take. Therese, who knows well about the circumstance of each country, also joined, giving advice such as the place where they should take a break and that they should say hello to the lord there. Haruna and Chinatsu don't know the details, so they decided to wait quietly while feeding Makam and Redon.
「The main food of the earth dragons is fruit, huh.」
「It seems that the ecosystem of a dragon varies greatly depending on the species it evolved to. I heard that water dragons eat only fish, while fire dragons are carnivorous.」
「Gwon!」
When Haruna and Chinatsu were feeding the apples to the earth dragons with their hands, the soldiers who were watching were anxious and worried. The girls put the food on their palms as if they were feeding dogs, but they were dealing with huge dragons. To the soldiers, the earth dragons look like ferocious carnivores, so they were very worried that the dragons might bite off the girls' hands.
「Sorry to keep you waiting.... Let's depart....」
「Ah, you came at the right timing. Makam and Redon just finished their meal.」
「Gurururu....」
「They seem to be in a good mood. I think they can run faster than yesterday.」
Makam and Redon stomped on the ground as if appealing that they are overflowing with energy. However, Commander Janet and Commander Rize stopped them.
「Everyone, I'm sorry, but can you slow down when you are near a village or town? The footsteps are so loud that they might startle the residents.」
In fact, the soldiers who are supposed to be stronger than the ordinary citizens were shaken.
「Right. It's not that loud inside the carriage, so we didn't mind it, but it might surprise them....」
「Also, they might be wary if only Gobuo is outside desuwa. I'll do my best to stand next to him.」
「Thank you for your understanding. Also, this is the entry permit and the letter I wrote. I think the large towns have been informed, but the small villages maybe haven't been informed yet. Please show this if something happens.」
「Thank you....」
After receiving various things, the girls got into the dragon carriage and Gobuo gave the signal of the departure. Beside the carriage, Janet, Rize, and the soldiers blocked both of their ears. Then, the dragon carriage carried by the earth dragons went away in a blink of an eye while making a loud noise.
「I-It sure reverberates to the heart, huh....」
「Yes, if it's them, I'm sure monsters and bandits won't approach thoughtlessly. Still, I was surprised that the hero party are all lovely girls.」
「I was surprised that the hero is the granddaughter of the prime minister. After all, she's not like him.」
「In what meaning, appearance or personality?」
「Both, I guess. Oh, this is not a complaint or anything!」
While they were talking, the dragon carriage disappeared. However, they could tell the location by sound. After all, the footsteps, that were close to the roaring sound, and the loud laughter were reverberating.
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The dragon carriage is rushing forward. Most of the land in Tazarnia is flat and there are few obstacles to driving. So, it just keeps on going. Even during this travel time, the Demon King's army doesn't stop attacking the villages. So, following Haruna's idea that it would be best to move in the shortest and fastest way possible, they go forward as fast as they can as long as there are no civilians in the direction. It's by no means that Haruna tried to shorten her study time. It's because her heart hurts when she thinks about the people of Tazarnia. They also keep their break to a minimum. At this rate, they would be able to arrive in three and a half days instead of five days.
「Chinatsu-chan, it seems that Makam and Redon defeated something again.」
「Then, let's go.」
「Please do....」
「Good luck!」
The earth dragons ran over the unfortunate monster that rarely appeared in the path. Each time, Haruna and Chinatsu jump from the dragon carriage, strip the monster, and collect the materials. When they are done, they run back to the dragon carriage. It's a ridiculously heavy work, but they can get rid of the lack of exercise while traveling without slowing down the traveling speed, so there's no waste at all. It's probably a method that their masters would like. In the sense of "no waste" and "charging".
「Uwaah, they rarely take a break.... No way....」
However, there's someone who complained about it. It's Deris, the master in his thirties who's chasing the girls secretly. If he could relax in the dragon carriage, he would have praised this traveling method. However, he is now secretly doing long-distance running for the first time in a long time. Unlike Nell, his recent lack of exercise is haunting him and there's no trace of the stamina of his heyday. He's chasing the girls while sweating all over the body, and he's complaining many times.
Without knowing his situation, they keep running mercilessly. And since Haruna and Chinatsu sometimes run in the opposite direction to collect the materials, he can't let his guard down. Not falling behind, not being found, and not allowed to rest. This is where Deris has to exert himself.
「We're going at a much better pace than we planned.... Let's skip the next break place and keep going....」
「Okay! There you have it, Gobuo-kun. Keep going!」
「Gobu!」
They raised their speed here, and Deris was astonished. The speed alone is not a problem. However, stamina is different. The only problem is his stamina. When it comes to stamina, this old man is no match for youngsters and animals.
「Nuooohh... I don't want to use a rare item here...!」
He has an amazing item that can completely restore stamina. However, it's more expensive than the one that restores HP. He won't hesitate to spend his money on his hobby, but he tends to be frugal in some delicate aspects. He's probably the type of person who will keep such items until the end of his life. That's why he has to do his best with the word 'willpower' in his heart, which he always hates when he has to do something.
「Damn, just go pick some flowers already...! I'm serious...!」
You can't even see any composure in his words anymore. He also doesn't have the time to mind about his appearance. If Joseph or a certain sixth rank of the Great Eight Demons were to see this appearance of his, it's guaranteed that they will use it as a joke material for the rest of his life.
Setting aside such a master, the girls' journey is going smoothly. The earth dragons, who were raised to specialize in running, show their seemingly inexhaustible stamina and keep running, running, and running. The earth dragons triumphantly keep running to their destination, the battlefield on the west coast.
「Guaa!」
「Gururu!」
「Damn it...!」
「Huh, just now, did you hear something?」
「Isn't that just the voices of Makam and Redon?」
―――― After three days, Haruna and the others arrived at their destination.