Page 162

(Derisha Teigitan)

There are a lot of people that are involved in this accident, to the point where it had even surpassed my wildest imagination.

Within the military camp itself, two commanders have lost their lives in this incident.

And now, the people in Zone 1 are enveloped in sorrow and mist. The condolence funds have already been applied to the Royal family and should be distributed to the victims' families in a few days.

Even with just this, the situation is already dire, but the situation in the capital is even more unbearable to witness.

Walson used some kind of wood spirit to investigate the bodies and obtained a lot of information. One of them is that all the merchants within the headquarters of the [Mart Chamber of Commerce], along with their families, were assassinated overnight, all for the sake of obtaining information about the [Miracle Water].

Unexpectedly, the Vantinom-Grella branch church... no, rather, the deacon named Orlan went to such extremes to obtain Walson's potion.

I don't understand, Isn't religion supposed to encourage the people to do good? Why would they do something so... ugly?

This point is beyond my comprehension, and I don't want to understand those scoundrels' thinking.

Given the current situation, my presence should be able to play a certain restraining role.

Earlier, I had the military camp send a letter back to the capital on my behalf, explaining the current situation and addressing the issues with the church. It should reach the old man's hands in some time... Oh, right, Grace also asked me to have those people send a black pearl back as well. She specifically instructed it to be sent to the guild of the [$Eyes of the Night Cat$], for some reason.

Well, in short, even though it hasn't been publicly announced, in the capital, the fact that Walson is my fiancé is now known, at least among those of the highest ranking. I also had that bald-headed steward... What's his name... well, I had him get involved in handling this matter.

... I wonder what the old man will think when he sees my letter... Knowing his temperament, he might create some trouble, but at the same time, this can also make the [Sacrament Wardens] wary of making a move against Walson, as it would be equivalent to snatching people from the capital.

If there's a conflict between the capital and the church, although the capital probably wouldn't win against the power of the church that covers the entire eastern nations, to win, the church would also have to bear a certain cost.

Considering all this, as long as I stay by Walson's side, I should be safe for the time being.

Crash!!! Accompanied by a strong gust of wind, splashes of water burst out to the sides as the wheels raced forward!

"Oooooh... be more careful! Quickly step on the brake pedal!!!" In the passenger seat, Walson shouted with a tone full of panic toward me.

"This, this one?" I stepped on the most prominent pedal.

"That's the accelerator, you idiotic princess!"

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!"

"Wow! We're going to fly!"

"Ah—!!!" Echoes of Alice, Tanaya, and our screams filled the air.

"So, you're a friend who uses the scream brake system– No, quickly step on the brake, you fool!!!"

"Yes!!!" It finally dawned on me, and I forcefully pressed the pedal with my left foot.

Then, because the driver's seat was open, the result of slamming on the brakes like that was that both me and Walson both flew out of the driver's seat and tumbled into a muddy pit ahead.

...

...

...

Three hours after leaving the city, two distinctive-looking "carriages," "Dog House No. 3" and "Dog House No. 1," moved slowly along the lush grassy road, one after the other.

The reason it turned into the situation just now is because Walson is teaching me how to drive "Dog House No. 3."

"Dog House No. 3" is slightly smaller in size compared to "Dog House No. 1," and it only has one compartment... Number Two should be the second compartment of Number One, right?

Looking at little Black leisurely grazing by the side, I touched my nose.

This is a type of transportation I have never seen before... it can move forward even without horses pulling it. If it weren't for seeing it today, I would definitely treat it as a joke... although, with me driving, it has indeed become a joke.

"I definitely need to install seat belts and airbags for 'Dog House No. 3' in the future." Walson, covered in mud, drove while complaining.

"Seatbelt?".

"Things that protect the drivers from getting killed in case of accidents... Oh right, and making the driver's seat enclosed is also necessary."

"...I'm sorry." Seeing Walson looking so gloomy, I couldn't help but feel frustrated.

Still, I'm finally able to have a journey together with Walson.

Yet, I'm still sorry for the damage that I have caused.

After all, this engagement has been my unilateral decision up to this point, and it has caused quite a bit of trouble for Walson... Therefore, even though I met up with Walson a few days ago, I still haven't mustered the courage to bring up the topic of my journey...

... According to Alice's advice, I should be trying to show my charming side, but the commotion just now ruined everything...

I'm very scared, scared that Walson would hate me because of that.

Thinking this, I hugged my legs and sat in the passenger seat, feeling my eyes getting a bit moist.

"... Well, you don't have to be so disheartened. Anyone could have experienced something like that the first time they drove," seemingly sensing my emotions, Walson suddenly smiled.

"Really?"

"When I was getting my driver's license, my situation was even more pitiful."

"license?"

"No worries, no worries." Walson patted my head with a helpless expression, changing the subject, "You said you want to go to Josephton. What do you want to do there?"

"That's where I was born." I replied.

Speaking of the next destination, Walson's original goal was Chesaatla, the location of the so-called Flame Labyrinth. He explained to me the reason for going there, which is to investigate matters related to the Taint of Death.

The Taint of Death, or "Wither," appeared in the Water Labyrinth and with that idiot from the Rex family. According to Walson, it has occurred a few times in his hometown, and each time it was directly related to incidents of monsters going berserk... With the frequent incidents of monster rampages on the continent now, could it be related to this "Wither"?

If that's the case, I really should return to Josephton and take a look. The information from the Adventurer's Guild shows that there have been incidents of monster rampages in Josephton as well. If it's truly related to the "Wither," it needs to be dealt with immediately.

"Oh, you were born in such a small village?"

"Yes, I'm the old man's illegitimate daughter."

"...Is that so." Walson's expression was a bit surprised hearing my word, but he didn't comment further.

...Afterward, we fell into a brief silence.

The vehicle swayed like a baby's cradle. Now that I was more relaxed, I yawned. It's been a month of constant traveling, and these past few days have been filled with all sorts of tasks, leaving no room for proper rest.

"You should rest for a bit first. I'll wake you up for dinner." Noticing my fatigue, after a while, Walson spoke to me.

He took out a blanket from somewhere and placed it over my legs.

The vehicle continued its journey, and the afternoon sunlight gently bathed me. The warmth of drowsiness quickly enveloped my body, and in a fuzzy state, I adjusted myself into a more comfortable position and drifted into dreams.