Harvest and Escort
The vegetable harvest in Curtis Village was at its peak.
Work continued from early morning until late at night every day, and as expected, everyone was utterly exhausted. Elina and I helped out as well, but adding just the two of us didn’t make a dramatic difference in the workload, so things remained largely the same.
Once all the work was finally completed, a portion of the vegetables was stored in each household as winter provisions, while the rest was sold to a merchant association with whom the village had a contract.
That merchant association was located in the commercial city of Glacera, a few hours away by carriage.
The journey itself was relatively safe, and the villagers had visited the city multiple times without ever experiencing attacks from monsters or bandits.
However, given the recent issue with the demon wolves and the fact that, until recently, there had been no stationed knights in the village—meaning that villagers had traveled alone—I suggested to Chief Ganun that now, with two knights present, we should accompany them for protection.
"That would certainly put our minds at ease."
He readily accepted the proposal, and I was chosen to go as the representative.
I intended to have Elina stay behind to watch over the village—but she seemed dissatisfied with that decision.
"I was hoping this would be the perfect excuse to go to town with you, Senior..."
"We’re not going there for fun."
"I know that, but still..."
...Well, I understood her sincerity since we had worked together in the same unit.
Still, I hadn’t expected her to be this disappointed.
If I left things as they were, it might start affecting her work.
"In that case, let’s take a stroll around the royal capital together sometime."
"Huh!? Really!?"
"I have an obligation to submit regular reports to the capital’s station. Either way, it’s not a trip we can complete in a single day, and in an emergency, I plan to rely on Asletica’s help—though that depends on whether he agrees."
"Yes!"
Her response was incredibly enthusiastic.
Honestly, I wasn’t looking forward to visiting the station… I usually don’t care much about how others perceive me, but given the circumstances, I couldn’t help feeling a little uneasy.
Still, it was my duty, and if I backed down now, all the effort and hardship I had endured up until this point would be for nothing.
I needed to follow Elina’s example and try to be a little more positive.
"Alright, Leon, Bulk! It’s your turn now! Oh, and Lindel, you’re staying here with me to watch over the place!"
"Woof!"
The moment we finished talking, Elina eagerly started preparing.
Having spent so long in the countryside, she was probably excited about the chance to return to the capital.
—That said, I couldn’t leave all the preparations to her.
I needed to get ready for the expedition as well.
What do you think about this chapter?
