I see, I don’t get it.
After finishing our last class of the week, we boarded the carriage I had arranged beforehand and left the academy.
Sei, on the other hand, said he’d teleport to an inconspicuous location with Byakko-sama and head to the Bastea Company.
Though teleportation would have been the fastest option for me as well, using it casually would deprive the servants of their work, and Otousama would probably nag me to come home more often—or worse, suggest that I teleport to school every day. So no, I won’t do it. Absolutely not.
I also enjoy spending my days in the special dormitory with everyone, and this time at the academy is the only chance I’ll have to do so.
Besides, I’m bringing Miria home with me. Otousama mentioned that teleporting without a magic circle is dangerous because you don’t know where you might end up, so I can’t put Miriathrough that. No way.
Since today’s classes only lasted until the morning, there weren’t many students heading home like us.
The line at the public carriage stop outside the academy was short as well, but when my family’s carriage passed by, we drew the curious eyes of several students.
Among them, a group of male students started pointing at us excitedly.
The students they were talking to seemed to panic and tried to hush them, so they were probably commoners.
Judging from their gestures, they were talking about the carriage.
“So, they weren’t staring just because we didn’t use a public carriage.”
I had asked Otousama to use an unadorned, as-plain-as-possible carriage for pickups, so that it wouldn’t be obvious it was from the Ellisfeed family.
Who knew it was the latest model?
When I muttered this to myself, Mariel-chan gave me an exasperated shrug.
“Of course not. For noble sons and daughters, having a carriage pick them up is normal. Even children of successful merchants often have servants come to pick them up to prevent kidnapping. It’s not that uncommon a sight.”
Now that she mentioned it, whenever the area was crowded, there was usually a line of carriages waiting to pick up students. It’s not like it was particularly rare.
“Well, it probably also has something to do with the fact that you and the two Sacred Beasts are riding in it. Normally, even a child’s pickup carriage would be flashy with decorations to maintain appearances. But this one, despite being the latest model, has been intentionally made to look plain, which ironically makes it stand out even more.”
“I-I see…?”
In my previous life, I didn’t have a driver’s license and had zero interest in cars, so I didn’t really get it, but apparently, it’s like trying to pass off a top-of-the-line luxury car as a regular sedan by removing all its logos. Who knew?
“It’s like taking the latest model of a bulletproof, black Mercedes and trying to disguise it as a regular sedan by removing the emblem.”
“I-I see…?”
I didn’t quite get it, and from the confused look Miria gave Mariel-chan, I could tell she didn’t either.
Miria, we’re on the same page here.
I have no idea what Mariel-chan is talking about either…
“Well... not that it really matters, considering the group inside is more than enough of an overpowered force on its own…”
Mariel-chan chuckled dryly, her gaze turning distant.
That I understood.
With Kurogane and Mashiro around, no enemy would stand a chance.
Even Ruby, sitting contentedly on Mariel-chan’s lap and holding his little wand, could probably wipe them out on his own.
“Hmm, maybe I should ask for an older model carriage instead? … No, that won’t work. The old carriage had terrible ride quality. I never want to go back to that...”
“Yeah, I bet. The latest models have significantly improved suspension, so the ride and performance are way better. And this one even has an anti-magic barrier option, right?”
“Wait, what? I didn’t hear about that…”
“It was in the latest box carriage catalog that arrived at my house. My Father ordered one because he said it would be rude to visit the Ellisfeed estate in a shabby carriage. There were a bunch of other options, too, so I wouldn’t be surprised if this one’s loaded with features.”
“What...?”
Otousama, what are you doing…? This was supposed to be low-key, but now it’s backfiring.
Still, once you’ve experienced something nice, it’s hard to go back to lower quality.
Ugh, I want to say something to him about this, but complaining would be rude.
I’ll just have to thank him when I get home...
As we entered the merchant district, the streets became more crowded with people and carriages, and the speed of our carriage slowed.
As we leisurely made our way through the bustling streets, I caught the scent of food from the nearby stalls, drifting in through the slightly open window.
I looked outside and saw a man dressed like an adventurer biting into a skewer of grilled meat.
“Whoa… what a nice smell of grilled meat. Now that I think about it, I haven’t had any street food since coming to the Capital.”
It looks so good. Noble cuisine is often over-the-top, but commoner food tends to be simple, with just a bit of spice to bring out the flavor.
When I first arrived in the Capital, Leon-sama bought me a skewer from a food stall.
As I reminisced about the taste of that grilled meat, my stomach rumbled.
And in response, Mariel-chan’s stomach let out a similar growl.
We hadn’t eaten lunch before leaving, since the carriage arrived early…
“Mariel-san, how about a little detour on the way home?”
“Huh?”
“Cristea-sama, you can’t mean…?”
“Oh, I mean exactly that.”
I grinned and told the coachman to change course.
What do you think about this chapter?
