Chapter 20: Spreading the Family Genes...Or Not!

After about an hour of waiting, another group of soldiers appeared from the town. It looked like there was a change of plans after the commander came back to report what had happened, and the soldiers who were gearing up were reassigned to arrive with some important bigwig instead. Now, was it going to be some big shot from the military, or the governor...

We were standing just in front of the town gates, in an entrance meant for wagons. There was a huge crowd of people gathered around us. Rumors were already going around that the Goddess had appeared here, so there wasn’t anyone who would take a chance on leaving now. The rumors had spread all the way to the town, as well, and those who had heard them had come in droves to see for themselves.

While we were waiting, Belle and Emile had gone back to the inn to take care of the bill and grab our luggage. They also brought Ed and the other horses back with them, so we were ready to leave at any time.

“Are you the ones who met with the Goddess Celestine?!” a man in his early fifties shouted as he stepped out of the wagon he arrived in. Judging by what he was wearing, he had to be the governor, the exact person I had expected.

Not only had I practically shouted in front of everyone about how the guards were in cahoots with the kidnappers, but there was also talk of the Goddess having appeared here. It’d be more shocking, honestly, if there was a governor who’d actually let someone else handle this situation. At worst, news of the scandal could end up reaching the royal palace or even other countries. However, if he played his cards right, not only could he play down the incident, Selinas could make a name for itself as a site where the Goddess had descended. He wouldn’t dare leave something that could decide the future of his household to one of his subordinates.

“Yes, that’s right.”

I wasn’t going to get all ultra-formal with him, even if he was the governor. Roland and Francette would get angry with me if I did and probably say something like, “No matter how much you may be pretending, I can’t allow a goddess to debase herself by conforming to human customs!”

...Especially Francette, to be frank.

I mean, I was pretending to be an aristocrat’s daughter right now. There probably wasn’t any need to grovel before another noble in the first place, and he probably thought I was only about twelve or thirteen years old, anyway.

“Then explain to me what’s happened here!”

Seemed that he didn’t care about all the eyes and ears that had gathered around us. Actually, there was probably a better chance that he’d already heard about how the guards were working with the kidnappers, and he was getting ready to cover that up by making sure everyone could hear what he had to say about it. If that was the case, he might actually be one of the more clever governors I’d met.

The reason he might not have already tried hauling us away was probably because he’d heard the talk about the Goddess appearing and believed in it; alternately, he didn’t, and was only taking the appropriate action on the off chance that it might be the truth.

There wasn’t anyone in this world who didn’t believe in the Goddess Celestine. She actually did show up from time to time, and there were plenty of big shots from other countries present when she had appeared just four years prior. It’d come as a bit of a shock if there was anyone who thought she didn’t exist.

Celes was also known for being pretty severe with her divine punishments, even going so far as to get innocent people caught up whenever she dished out her judgment. There were even stories of her blithely ignoring those in need when they were inside the blast radius. There wasn’t anyone in this world who had the guts to tell lies using her name, including criminals.

That was why he’d be an idiot to not believe my story. I was pretty sure he must have heard about the wash pan that fell from the sky, too...

So while he’d probably heard the whole story already, I’d imagine the main reason he’d want to hear what happened directly from me wasn’t just to confirm what had gone down, but also to use it as a way to appeal to the people. The crowd was filled with merchants from his own territories and from other fiefdoms, or even from other countries. And not just merchants, of course, but perhaps even spies, as well...

Even if he did find out what had happened, I doubted the governor would try to summarily strip us of our status or put everyone involved to death, or anything like that. There wasn’t much benefit to doing anything that dangerous, and the governor in charge of an area like this should easily be able to figure out how to handle a cute girl like me.

That was why it was probably a safe bet the governor wasn’t connected to the kidnapping ring. In that case, I’d have no problem settling this peacefully.

...So long as he was ready to remove the corruption at the source, that is.

“We’re all from the household of Earl Adan, in the Kingdom of Balmore. When I was out about town, I was abducted suddenly and forced into a cell in the basement of one of the houses here. This morning, I was being taken away to be sold into slavery... I called for help from the guards by the town gates, but they only smiled and ignored me, all while chatting with the kidnappers...”

“What...did you say...?” the governor breathlessly responded, recoiling in a grand fashion. He had to have heard that much already. This guy really knew how to play it up.

Or wait, maybe he really was freaking out now that he’d realized that one of the victims was from a foreign earl’s household. I mean, yeah, that’d be pretty bad for him.

“Right before I was spirited away forever, the Goddess appeared and shouted, ‘How dare you try to make slaves of such cute girls!’ before delivering divine punishment to the kidnappers.”

“Th-Then, what happened with the Goddess afterward?!”

“After speaking with me a little, she went back up there,” I replied, giving the governor the answer I’d already thought up beforehand.

“Hrm... But are you sure the guards were in league with these criminals? Perhaps they just didn’t notice your cries for help?”

“I broke through the lid of the barrel I was in and yelled for help right in front of them. If they didn’t notice that, then they’d probably also let an entire enemy army march straight through the front gates. Is that the sort of rumor you want spreading about them?”

The governor fell silent. There was no way he could claim the guards weren’t involved in the crime now.

“I’d say that the guards earned the wrath of the Goddess serves as proof more than anything, wouldn’t you?”

The governor could only reluctantly nod, as shouts of agreement came from the crowd around us. I didn’t know if he truly wanted to make it so that the guards were seen to have nothing to do with this, but now he’d completely lost the chance to say the soldiers weren’t at all to blame.

“According to the kidnappers, their buyers were regional governors and middle-class traders. They weren’t dealing with royalty or high-ranking nobles, or even the bigger merchants.”

“...What was that?”

The color began returning to the governor’s face. If those types of people were involved, things would get very complicated, very quickly. It could unravel into a scandal that shook the very foundation of the country. Worst-case scenario, those in power could try to push the blame onto whoever was in charge of the town where this had happened—in other words, the governor.

But if the culprits were lower-class aristocrats or slightly well-off merchants, then it was up to the royal family to decide whether to wipe them out or not. There wasn’t anything the governor could do directly about this, but it could be taken care of, so long as he went the proper channels.

More than anything else, the ones at fault were the aristocrats and merchants trying to buy the little girls. If the governor arrested the guards responsible for facilitating such sales, then instead of this being a black mark for him, he’d be perceived as on the side of justice. If he cooperated in exposing the other corrupt governors, he might even earn the favor of the king himself.

He’s probably seeing the light at the end of the tunnel by now, so I’ll just give him one more push...

“Also, I’m supposed to pass along a message from the Goddess Celestine...”

“Wh-Wh... WHAAATTTTTT?!”

Not just the governor, but everyone within earshot let out a cry of astonishment. Clergymen and even the pope themselves would rarely get a chance to hear the words of the Goddess, so I could see why a simple governor receiving an honor as great as this would come as a shock (even if it was just me giving it to them as a message).

But considering why she came down, there wasn’t anyone here who’d think this was going to be good news. The look on the governor’s face definitely made it seem like he was a little on edge about it.

All right, let’s get to passing on this message then.

“She told me: ‘It is absolutely outrageous that these men kidnapped poor, innocent girls and sold them as slaves. The kidnappers, as well as those who took bribes to turn a blind eye, all bear the same sin. Give them all the harshest of punishments for their crimes. If not, I shall dole out the punishment myself.’ That’s what she said, but...”

“But...?”

I figured I’d take the chance to put the fear of the Goddess into the governor.

“Lady Celestine isn’t a very detailed-oriented goddess, you see. She doesn’t really care about each and every human, unless it’s someone she’s really taken by. When she mentioned ‘punishment,’ she meant that she’d flatten an entire estate if it meant taking out a single, irritating kidnapper hiding there, or maybe engulf all of Selinas in a sea of flames to destroy the kidnapping ring at its roots.”

“Wh-What...?”

All the color drained from the governor’s face. Everyone else who’d gathered around had also turned white as ghosts.

“Wh-Wh-Wh-Wh-Wh...”

It almost sounded like the governor was practicing his beatboxing. He was probably trying to force out either, “What should we do?” or, “Why?”

I think I’ll go ahead and reassure him a little.

“There’s need to worry. All you have to do is make sure to catch every single person involved in that kidnapping ring, from underlings to ringleaders, and that should be the end of it. Just arrest them all and make it so they can’t kidnap or sell anyone into slavery ever again, and you’re done.”

“B-B-B-B... But...”

I’m gonna go out on a limb and guess he’s trying to say, “But what if we can’t?”

“All you have to do is put the pressure on the members of the kidnapping ring you already captured and make them spill the beans on everyone and everything they know: their fellow kidnappers, their bosses, where they were supposed to send all of us, where they’ve sold slaves before...all of it. If you can arrest the ones who bought those slaves and bring those children back to their parents, the Goddess might be willing to forgive you for missing an underling or two. Might be willing...”

This was an order from the Goddess herself, so the royal family should be willing to throw everything they had into helping out, as well. There was no room to question whether it was true or not. There were already so many direct witnesses, and there had to have been plenty more who’d heard the explosions and who’d seen the golden clouds.

Not to mention that they were dealing with a Goddess who was ready to squash not only a territory or two, but an entire country, in order to destroy the kidnapping ring down to the foundations. No connections or bribes could save them now. The only road left for those involved with the kidnappings was the one that led to their downfall.

“A-Arrest them! Arrest every last one of those men on the ground and tie them up! We’re going to make them spill everything they know! Don’t let them escape or try to off themselves! Failure will not be tolerated—it’s not allowed!”

The lives of everyone who lived here were at risk—including the governor’s own—so I could see why he was so desperate.

Oh yeah, I wonder if that little “present” I left behind a while ago is working its magic right about now...

“Mr. Governor, the Goddess said she’d let us know the location of the kidnappers’ hideout by marking it with red smoke. I think she said it was somewhere in the slums...”

I was, of course, referring to the “parting gift” I’d left behind before the kidnappers took us away. I made it so it’d release a sleeping gas that would instantly knock anyone caught in it right out. After it did that job, it was set to incrementally release more and more red smoke. If everything had gone according to plan, the kidnappers there should all be knocked out cold right about now, and red smoke should be rising from the house they’d turned into their hideout.

It wasn’t like it was a billowing pillar of smoke or anything, but it should be easy enough to find if you were looking for it. This was the first town I’d visited in this country, and I’d been shoved down into a barrel when they tried to spirit me away, so I wouldn’t be able to lead anyone back to the house they’d kept me in. The smoke was just my own way of finding it again later. It should all work out in the end, as long as they made the other kidnappers cough up what they knew, but this was all “just in case” on my part.

“...Get going!”

“Right away!”

At the governor’s orders, one of the higher-ranking soldiers formed up about half of the guards gathered here before rushing back into town.

As I watched them go, I saw a different group approaching from the exact opposite direction the soldiers were heading in. They looked to be local people and . were being led by a handful of different soldiers.

Ah... Those must be the families of the children that had gone missing.

Just as I’d predicted, the soldiers that swapped places with the ones who left for the slums had brought the families who were believed to have lost children to the kidnapping ring.

“Litheresa!”

“Sara!”

“Charlise! Where are you, Charlise?!”

“Yusef! Yuseeef!”

“Mommy!”

“Mother!”

Four calls to four different children, yet only two responses. This wasn’t the first kidnapping incident, and there were plenty of other reasons why children might have gone missing, criminal or otherwise. Two of the families embraced their children, while the other two desperately searched to find their own. They clambered onto the back of the wagon, almost half-crazed as they went through the empty barrels. The crowd could only stare at the ground in silence when faced with the cruel difference between the two scenes.

Judging by the name they’d called, it sounded like the fourth family was looking for a boy. The kidnappers had only set their sights on cute little girls this time, but they may have gone after boys in the past. After being sold, they must be alive and well wherever they were now, and when they were finally found, they’d be able to see their families once more. That was what I wanted to believe.

“Governor...”

“I know! I know...” the governor said through gritted teeth as he furrowed his brow, already guessing at what I wanted to say.

I’ll put my faith in the governor here. If anyone can take care of it, he can.

After some time had passed, the four families returned to town; two of them smiling and laughing, the other two silent, eyes cast to the ground.

The only one left here was a five- to six-year-old girl, standing all by herself.

“Huh?”

After some back-and-forth, I learned that Layette was six years old, the youngest child of a family of five out in the countryside, and had been sold by her parents. Apparently, this sort of thing happened all the time. Since human trafficking was a serious crime, it had been done under the guise of “long-term indentured servitude,” and they’d paid her wages up front for a term of eighty years.

She was supposed to at least be treated like a person that way, but, in reality, it was the exact same as being an actual slave. While she was being taken to her buyer, she’d been kidnapped, instead.

“So...what happens in a situation like this?” I asked.

She’d already been sold, so of course there were going to be problems if they tried returning her to her parents. The buyer might be thinking that she’d run away and would come after them, seeking compensation. Most worrying of all, though, was that these were the type of parents who sold their child for a profit. There was a chance they’d just end up selling her to another buyer.

“I wonder?” the governor pondered aloud. When you think about it, he probably wasn’t as well-versed in this sort of thing.

The governor called up one of his subordinates and asked him the same question in my stead.

“Her parents signed a contract and received payment, so they have no right to take her back. If we were to return her to them, with no strings attached, there’s a chance it could lead to strife between the other jealous families who let their children go in the same way. There’s also the possibility that they could end up selling their own child once again...”

“So what you’re saying is that it’s impossible to return her to her parents... No, that it’s not in her best interests to do so.”

“Exactly, sir. Also, there’s the matter of the person who bought—uh, I mean, paid for her services. Not only is this entirely against her wishes, but this is a suspect agreement at best, one that’s extremely similar to outright human trafficking,” the subordinate explained. “That’s why they won’t want anyone to know that they were involved in this. They won’t submit a claim for damages, and will most likely cut their losses after not being able to receive the girl they paid for, rather than risk this blowing up in their face. I would imagine that they have already left town and are heading to their next destination by now. In short, trying to find and deliver her to her contractor would not only be extremely difficult, but not in her best interests whatsoever.”

“Then what’s going to happen to the child?”

“The best option would be to send her to an orphanage,” the subordinate answered. “I’m sure she would be much happier that way, rather dying an early death living in the slums. It’s a very difficult institution to get into, but I would imagine it to not be a problem if you gave the order.”

Layette listened to the discussion between the governor and his subordinate, eyes cast downward. It looked like she knew what that meant. I could see her shaking.

“Very well, then I’ll write to them later. She’s a child saved by the Goddess, so I’m sure they’ll take good care of her there. All that’s left is—”

“Hold on a minute!”

Before I knew it, the words had forced their way out of my mouth.

“I’ll take her myself!”

“What?!”

Everyone was surprised to hear that, but the ones who’d actually vocalized their shock were Roland and the others.

“M-Miss Kaoru, you can’t!” Francette said, balking.

“That may be a bit too much to ask for...” Roland agreed.

Belle and Emile, on the other hand, didn’t comment on my decision. They thought of me as the goddess to whom they’d sworn their eternal loyalty. It felt like that loyalty was weighing a little heavier on me lately... Not to mention, they were orphans themselves. They’d lived their lives scrounging around in the streets, being treated as less than human.

“Is there a problem with that?” I asked, turning to the governor and his subordinate.

There certainly wouldn’t be any problems from my companions. They’d probably give in if I pressed hard enough. And if they didn’t? Then I’d just have to tell them it wasn’t working out and we’d have to go our separate ways. That wasn’t a threat, I’ll have you know, just a clear declaration of my will.

“I don’t see any problem with it,” the subordinate answered. “Not only is she a kidnapping victim, but there is no feasible way to deliver her to her contractor, since they essentially abandoned her. I would say that they also abandoned their right to have her work under them, in the process. They haven’t even fulfilled the bare minimum for their duty to take care of her, after all. Any abusive treatment or negligence regarding those duties makes the contract null and void. I’m sure that the contractor won’t be able to claim anything, now that someone else had to go through the trouble of saving her, even if that was through the powers of the Goddess herself. The only problem left is what the girl wishes to do, now that she is free. She can either return to her parents, go to the orphanage, live in the slums, pick a completely new way to live her life...or choose to go with you. Personally, I wouldn’t recommend the slums or returning to her parents...”

The governor nodded, satisfied after hearing the explanation.

“What do you wanna do?” I asked Layette.

Looking up at me, she smiled from ear-to-ear and clung to my arm. “I’ll come with you!”

All right, got myself a little girl! Now I don’t have to feel all bummed out when hanging around these two couples!

“Then that settles that!”

“This settles nothing!”

I ignored Francette’s remarks. I had picked up the ability to ignore nagging complaints like that from my time working at my company back on Earth, but I never thought it’d come in handy here.

Just in case, I asked the governor to write up a report on what had happened with Layette, mainly as a way to prove her identity, which made her officially free and recognized as a citizen of his territory. I had him sign the papers saying that I’d be her legal guardian, and, well, that really was that. I provided the paper and writing utensils to make it happen, but the subordinate was the one who wrote everything up. All the governor did was offer his signature to make it official.

Normally, the governor would never go out of his way to get these types of documents ready and sign off on them. I didn’t know if he felt sorry for poor Layette, after everything she’d been through, or if it was maybe because he didn’t want to risk being unkind to a girl personally saved by the Goddess, but...okay, I was pretty sure it was the latter. I’d be willing to bet a gold coin on it, in fact.

Pretty sure I wouldn’t find anyone to take me up on that one, either.

This way, Layette wouldn’t have anything to worry about, even if we did run into the person who had bought her contract. If they ever tried coming after her, all we had to do was show them the documents and make a commotion to get the local officials to help her out. If we told them we were going to look into the original contract, to see if it actually constituted human trafficking or not, I was pretty sure they’d back off for good.

On the other hand, if we ever ended up running into Layette’s parents, they wouldn’t be able to take her away if she didn’t want them to. They’d already sold her off to line their own pockets, so they wouldn’t be able to demand that they raise her themselves, or for her to hand over all the money she’d saved up. In fact, she had the right to demand that they give her back the money they’d received in advance for her eighty years of indentured servitude. That money belonged to Layette, not her parents. It should be easy to chase them away if we brought that up and shoved it in their faces. They could end up forced into slavery themselves, if they were convicted of human trafficking, so they’d definitely want to avoid getting any officials involved.

What if Layette wanted to go back to her parents, you ask? She was a free girl, and that was her choice to make. No one should be able to dictate how someone else lived their life.

“I suppose I’ll be on my way, then.”

“W-Wait! Wait, please!”

I was ready to leave after finishing my business here, but the governor stopped me. Well, I really couldn’t say that I hadn’t expected this to happen. Even I’d try to stop me if I was in his position.

It’d be hard to just up and leave after everything that just happened, and I’d feel bad snubbing the governor when I owed him for signing the papers that guaranteed Layette her freedom (even if it was his subordinate who wrote them).

I guess I can humor him a little longer...

“What is it?” I asked.

The governor straightened himself up, face stiff, before turning to Roland. “I would like to invite you to my estate. May I trouble you to come there with me?”

The governor suddenly seemed much more formal, compared to how commanding he’d been up until now. It was true that I’d introduced ourselves as being members of an earl’s family, but the governor’s status meant that he far and away outranked us. Besides, I only looked young enough to be a child. This was his territory, and it wasn’t like we were ambassadors on a courtesy call, so he’d naturally be brusque with someone so much younger than he was. I was sure that the guy had plenty to keep himself occupied at the moment, so I’d say we were pretty lucky to have him take the time to handle Layette’s situation, when this was the first time we’d actually met.

The reason he suddenly became so polite with us was because he needed to be polite. To be specific, it was probably because he needed a favor. It was a delicate situation for him, and he was walking a fine line; either this could end up a horrible disaster, or it could be the chance he didn’t know he’d been waiting for. I was a cute, foreign, aristocratic girl, who’d not only been directly saved by the Goddess, but had spoken with her as well.

Yeah, I said cute girl. That thing with the kidnappers proved it to be the de facto truth. It ain’t like they did it as a joke, that’s for sure! I might be able to pull that out as some kinda trump card later, if anyone tries to argue otherwise...

Roland turned to look at me, uncertain of how to answer, so I went ahead and did it for him. Again.

“No, we actually need to hurry up and get moving. I only met with the Goddess for a few moments, and I’ve already told you everything she had to say, so I believe we’re done here.”

It made sense for me to tell them everything I knew about the kidnappers and the Goddess, since I’d been there when it happened. However, it seemed like the governor thought Roland was the one who decided what we’d do next, so his eyes had flown open wide when I answered instead.

All right, time to make sure he knows that he won’t be getting Roland to convince me otherwise.

“By the way, I’m the one who has the last say in what we do for our little group. Father assigned me as the one to watch over them, after all. My brother’s never been able to go against what I say. Ohoho...”

That was the story we’d all decided on beforehand, but Roland still didn’t look too happy about it.

Though he seemed taken aback by the sudden turn of events, the governor seemed to have caught on to what that meant. I’d heard plenty of stories of aristocratic brothers who couldn’t help but dote on their little sisters, so this shouldn’t be all that strange for him to hear about now.

“Now, now, don’t say that... There’s still so much I want to ask about the kidnappers. I’d also like to confirm what the Goddess told you one more time, at least. You said you’re traveling around our country, did you not? I believe there’s plenty I can teach you about Drisard, as well.”

I thought he might try something like that, so I decided to let him have the finishing blow that I’d prepared beforehand:

“Well, I had so much free time waiting for you to arrive that I went ahead and wrote everything down that the Goddess said regarding the kidnapping ring. Here you are.” I pulled out a few sheets of paper as I said as much. “Learning everything there is to know about this country would take the fun out of the journey itself. I’d rather we took our time to experience it all for ourselves. You wouldn’t be able to call it “studying” otherwise, no?”

I kept plenty of paper and writing utensils in reserve at all times, just for situations like these. I also made sure to write down that the Goddess said to not push things too far trying to catch everyone in the kidnapping syndicate. No torturing people or forcing confessions out of them, no sentencing innocent people; you know, things like that. Things could get real ugly real fast if I didn’t specify that.

“What...?” The governor’s mouth hung open as he stood there in a daze, reflexively taking the papers I pushed onto him.

“We’ll be heading out now! For real this time!”

Before the governor could think up another excuse to keep us here, I’d already taken Layette and headed over to where Ed was waiting. Ed was kind enough to catch on to what was going on, and crouched down so I could get myself and Layette on his back. With that, we’d finally made it through another sticky situation.

“Hi ho, Silver!”

“Them again?! Just who is this “Silver” horse, dang it!”

Ed made his displeasure known, as per usual, when I did this. Guess I couldn’t just tell him to get off his high horse...

Heh. Heheh.

Ed began slowly trotting along, in complete contrast to my spirited shout just now, but I could understand why. Usually, I’d be on the verge of getting bucked off if Ed ran too fast, but Layette didn’t even have the proper riding gear on. In fact, I’d bet that this was her first time even riding a horse.

Since I was already on the move, Francette and the others weren’t going to just hang around here, either. Everyone quickly saddled up and followed after me.

“Ah! W-Wait...”

The governor tried his best to stop us, but it was already too late.

“Good luck trying to catch those kidnappers! Do your best to not make the Goddess angry with you, either!” I turned around and shouted behind me. When I did, I caught a glimpse of the governor shouting orders to his underlings.

They wouldn’t try and force us to do anything now; the risks for doing so would be enormous. We were supposed to be part of a foreign noble’s family, with Roland as the apparent heir to the family name, and me as the daughter who everyone doted on. The Goddess supposedly didn’t care all that much about human lives, but she had gone out of her way to save two of the girls traveling with this group. The consequences if anything happened would be...terrifying, to say the least.

“Why would you do something like that, Kaoru? If you’re going to bring up the Goddess, wouldn’t things go over more smoothly if you just told them you’re her messenger?” Francette asked once we’d put some distance between us and the town gates.

It seemed she’d finally settled on being casual with me again after everything that had happened, though she still couldn’t bring herself to descend to the same level that Emile and the others used with me. I mean, I was supposed to be her “little sister-in-law,” since she was Roland’s fiancée, so she should be at least a little informal with me. As for me, I’d call her “Francette,” or “Fran,” depending on how I was feeling at the time.

I didn’t really mind what she called me. What I did mind was the question that she’d just asked.

“If I said that, they’d just try even harder to stop us! They’d send people to shadow us, and if word spread to other people about it, then things would spiral out of control!”

“Ah...”

It seemed that Francette wanted other people to pay their respects to me, as well, since I was supposed to be a goddess. I couldn’t just come out and tell people that, of course, which was why she was urging me to announce that I was an angel, or a messenger, or whatever. But it looked like she finally realized why that would’ve been a bad thing.

...I wonder if it’s about time to move on and give this a shot?

“Ed, there’s something I wanna ask you...”

“Whatcha being all formal for all of a sudden? I owe you my life, missy, so I’m ready to do whatever you say!”

“Thanks! I knew I could count on you. Actually, I wanted to ask you to pull the wagon...”

“LIKE HELL I WILL!!!” Ed exploded.

That’s not what you were saying just a second ago!

“I-I’m a purebred horse meant for riding! I’m a proud, prestigious, military horse bred for war! And those other horses? They’re the elite of the elite, bred and raised to be used by royalty, and you’re telling us to pull a wagon?! I know it’s you who’s asking, missy, but I’m not going to let that happen!”

He was actually mad... His wife and daughter seemed pretty put off by the whole thing, as well. I never knew this sort of thing was so important to horses... Maybe it was kinda like the difference between a fighter pilot and an airline pilot? I mean, I like to think that they both have pretty important jobs, but...

Oh, but it’s not like Roland or Francette’s horses have anything to do with this, huh.

“Their horses don’t matter, right?”

“Huh?”

“You’re the only one who’d be pulling the wagon.”

“WHAT?!” Ed’s jaw practically hit the floor.

“J-Just me? I’m the only one who’s going to be pulling this whole cart?”

Roland and Francette’s horses watched him with pity in their eyes.

“B-But this isn’t just about me. I was thinking how this is going to be hard on poor Layette if she has to keep going on like this, is all...”

“Mgh...”

Being a six-year-old on horseback for this extended road trip had to be hard on the girl. We didn’t have the luxury of saddles in this world like back on modern-day Earth, so all we’d do was drape a cloth over the horse’s back and throw a cushion on top. Aside from that, we only had a belt and some cords keeping us strapped in, purely so we wouldn’t fall off. I only had a belt and cords for myself, though, and Layette was just hanging on to me. There was a fairly high chance that she could fall off Ed if something shook us hard enough.

Horse riding also gets to you...mostly in the butt, hips, and groin. It really messes with your stomach until you get used to it, too. Even now, after I’d had some time to get used to riding, it was still doing a number on me when I wasn’t potion doping. Ed had already heard how much I complained and cried when I was trying to get used to it without using potions, which was probably why he realized it must be much worse for a little girl like Layette.

“B-But...”

Looks like the only way I’m going to convince him is to bring out the wagon and twist his arm—er, leg—until he agrees...

“Hold up for a second, everyone!”

Now, how should I convince Ed to do this...

“Come forth, war chariot of the Goddess!”

As I chanted the magic words, a small carriage appeared at my command—or, more accurately, a potion container in the shape of a wagon.

There was a small tank filled with a potion inside. It was a four-wheeler, but shrunk down to be more compact. This was no ordinary wagon, but one that was used for battle and in times of war: a chariot. I didn’t make it as small as the ones from that one movie, but a slightly larger type with four wheels. It was way smaller than your average cart and was specially built from a custom mix of titanium and FRP (fiber-reinforced plastic).

FRP was a lightweight material which boasted the greatest strength of all extant kinds of plastic. It was a reliable material, used in everything from ships to airplanes, and even in race cars.

It’d be no easy task trying to fix the chariot in this world if it was ever damaged—if you weren’t me. All I had to do was shove the broken one into my Item Box and make a new one. I could just break the old one down and use it for something else.

“Wh-What in the world...”

Ed and the others had eyes as wide as dinner plates. Everyone here was used to me putting stuff into my Item Box or taking things out of it. They all knew me as a goddess from another world, so it wasn’t anything to be surprised about now. What did surprise them was how incredible the cart I’d conjured from thin air was. Though it was small, it still managed to fit four wheels onto it. Two wheels would make it rough to handle, due to how uneven the front and back would end up being, which was why I went with four instead.

I made it without a roof, having the sides come up to about chest height to keep anyone from falling out. There was a windshield made of acrylic attached to the front, and the wheels were on the bigger side to improve its drivability. The back wheels stuck out toward the sides more, however, which meant the front and back wheels ended up overlapping with each other somewhat, due to how small it was. I also made the seats sit pretty high up, so it’d be easier to talk with anyone who was still on horseback. But, just in case things got dicey, all it took was one pull of a lever to make the seats lower and a titanium shutter pop out from the sides to cover us.

“And that’s not all...”

I gestured for Francette to back away a little before I pulled a lever on the chariot.

KA-THUNK!

Two sets of double-edged blades sprung out from either side.

“Huh?” Everyone and the horses were stunned.

“I said it was a war chariot, didn’t I? Layette and I can’t fight, so it has to have some combat potential of its own. This isn’t a chariot meant for warriors to ride, but something to fight with. That’s why it’s not the people riding it who fight, but the chariot and the horse pulling it, instead.”

I pulled on it to show off how light it was. It sported an open-top design and cut an impressive figure, no matter what angle you looked at it from, and it was compact and lightweight to boot. The horse who pulled it wouldn’t be any normal grunt, but a proud warrior bred and raised for battle.

“The horse who pulls this chariot will be known as a warrior of the Goddess. They shall carry the title of ‘Sacred Horse,’ and their name will be carried on for generations...”

“I will gladly accept that duty!”

“Huh?”

Roland’s horse had cut me off before I could finish my speech.

“If Ed doesn’t wish to do it, then I will gladly take the role. I only ask that he carry my master in my stead.”

“No, allow me to handle it,” Francette’s horse spoke up. “I believe it would be better for Sir Ed to carry Master Francette instead. It should be much easier on him, since she’s so much lighter.”

“Hold on...”

Ed was completely taken aback. While they may have been proud royal horses, they still both paid their due respects to Ed. Not only was he older than them, but he was the horse of a goddess, and they respected him as the head of his family...though they may have just been after Ed’s daughter.

This was their chance to take on the honor of being one of the goddess’s mounts and to earn the title of “Sacred Horse,” the steed who was tasked with pulling her war chariot. They weren’t about to let it pass them by.

“Hmm, what to do, what to do... If Ed doesn’t want to, I guess I might take you up on that. Roland, Francette, are you guys okay with that?”

“All I heard was a bunch of neighing from you and the horses, so I have no idea what in the world you’re asking us for...” came Roland’s weary reply.

He had a point there. I was the only one who could speak horse, after all.

“W-Wait wait wait! Hold on just a second here!”

Ed seemed to be getting desperate now, but I still continued the conversation.

“Then either of you would be fine, really...”

“I said hold your dang horses!!!” Ed shouted as loud as he could.

Yup, that should do it.

I retracted the blades on the war chariot—actually, let’s just call it a wagon when it’s in normal mode. It’d be a pain to explain why it could do all this if anyone found out about it.

Ed was in high spirits as he pulled the wagon along. I’d already told the horses about how I was a goddess (or was pretending to be one, at least). Everyone else already saw me that way, so I wanted to make sure the horses knew, as well. I mean, they are horses, so I shouldn’t have to worry about them leaking information to anyone.

Still, Ed didn’t really see himself as a “Sacred Horse,” or as the “horse of a goddess,” or anything like that. He worked hard, and he was grateful to me for saving his life and for buying him the mare he’d had his eye on. That had been enough for me. It was only in that one moment, when he saw how the other horses were champing at the bit to take the job, that he came to realize the honor of the position. He despaired at the thought that they might take it from him.

“This is so much lighter than I thought it’d be. Is this actually made out of some sturdy stuff, missy? It’s not going to break apart if we suddenly come under attack, and I have to gallop away at full speed, right?”

“Don’t worry, it’s made of something lighter than iron but stronger than wood, so it should be able to take a bit of extra stress without breaking. Just think of it as some sort of divine metal from the gods. That said, it will fall apart if we put too much pressure on it.”

“Understood. I guess I’ll try to keep the galloping to a minimum, then.”

Even if it was light, that was only compared to other lightweight wagons. Who knew how fast this thing could go with only one horse pulling it.

Ah, Layette looked kinda overwhelmed by how much I’d been talking with Ed. I guess I would be, too, if the person who’d just adopted me was whinnying back and forth with their horse this much. No one wanted to leave their future in the hands of someone who seemed like they had a few screws loose...

Wait, is she starting to regret coming with me now? Oh crap, I have to explain this away somehow!

“U-Um, just so you know, this is...uh...”

“Y-You can talk to horses?! That’s so amazing!”

Oh, would you look at that. She wasn’t freaked out, just plain surprised. She was going to find out that I was (pretending to be) a goddess sooner or later, so it might be a good idea to just tell her now and get it over with. I didn’t want her to freak out about it if she found out when there were other people around.

Right, now, how should I explain this...

“Huh?!”

Yup, looks like that came as a shock to her, too.

“Y-Y-You’re a goddess?! I-I mean, you were already a goddess to me when you said you would take me in, b-but I never thought you’d be a real goddess!”

Layette’s eyes were practically shining.

...Uh-oh. I knew what these were. These were the same eyes Emile and Belle had when they looked at me. They were the eyes of a fanatic.

Those two were enough for me as is! I didn’t want another fanatic. I just wanted healing! Yes, that’s right! Healing! In the form of little girls!

“Th-This is a big secret, okay, Layette? I told you because I think you’re a good girl who can keep that secret, so you can’t tell anyone about this. Everyone here already knows, but we don’t know who’s listening, so you can’t talk about it when there’re other people around. I’m just pretending to be Roland’s little sister, so let’s keep it that way, okay?”

“B-But that’s so cool...”

I guess it’s no use trying to convince a little girl to consider the big picture, huh...

That’s when Francette stepped in. “Let’s pretend you were a goddess, Layette. If everyone tried to serve and worship you all the time, and you didn’t have anyone you could talk normally with, do you think you would have any fun?”

“No...”

“Would it be fun to have aristocrats and other rich people coming to you every day, fighting with each other to have you make their wishes come true?”

“...No.”

“Then you know what you have to do, right?”

“Yeah!”

All right, way to go Francette and your sagely wisdom! You aren’t in your thirties for nothing! Even though your body is about twenty years old, thanks to me!

But thinking about it, I should technically be twenty-seven (mentally, at least) while my physical age was around nineteen... Well, it should be that way, but here I was, still stuck in my fifteen-year-old body. You know what, I wasn’t going to think too hard about that anymore.

Anyway, I should be able to talk with Layette normally now. Let’s get started with that healing time I’d been waiting for...

“Please feel free to order me to do anything you want, Lady Kaoru.”

Eh?

“Wh-Why are you talking like that? I thought you weren’t going to treat me like a goddess or anything...”

“I thought this would be the right way to talk with you, since you’re an aristocrat and all.”

Ahhhhhh, that’s right! Crap, I totally forgot about that! Layette’s a commoner and I’m supposed to be the daughter of an aristocrat. There’s no way she would talk normally with me!

Wh-What do I do... My precious healing time is slipping through my fingers...

“All right, then you’re my sister! From now on, you’re my little sister, Layette!”

“Huh?!”

I know she didn’t look like an aristocrat at all, but I was just going to do the same thing I did with Emile and say she was another child our father had with a servant, but we still got along great! It was all I had left!

“That takes care of that!” I shouted to the others gathered around the wagon.

Roland and Francette weren’t surprised in the slightest, as if they’d been expecting it to come to this. Emile and Belle also had nothing to add, since they’d never go against anything I said in the first place.

With that, Layette became my little sister—without her getting a say in the matter at all.

After spending a night in a small village and another night roughing it out in the wild, we finally made it to a decently large town. I hadn’t planned on staying that long in a town so close to the border, but I shouldn’t have to worry about Brancott anymore, now that we were this far away.

Instead of rushing along, I was going to have us stay a bit longer in town so I could work on finding some guys who were suitable marriage material. That was why I was going on this journey in the first place, after all, so I didn’t really have a reason to rush.

“We’ll go ahead and stay here for a while.” I decided to have everyone stop so I could talk with them before we went into town.

“Do we have something to do here, Big Sis?” Layette asked, tilting her head to the side.

Sh-She’s so cute!!!

We’d decided that “Big Sis” was Layette’s official nickname for me, and everyone else could call me by name if they needed to. When we were alone or didn’t have to worry about getting our stories mixed up, she would just call me her “Big Sis,” and she’d call Belle and Francette her sisters as well. I couldn’t help but wonder why I was the only one she called her “big” sister, though...not that it really mattered.

“Well, you see, the whole point of this trip is for me to find someone to marry, and—”

“Huh?”

Layette’s expression of disbelief cut me off before I could finish, probably because it came as a shock that a goddess would be looking for someone to get hitched to.

“You have a bunch of scary big brothers and sisters who seem like they’d chase away any boy who gets close to you... Is there any guy who would try and see an aristocrat’s daughter when she’s staying at an inn? Do you even have a chance to talk with other boys and stuff?”

...

...

...

...

“GAHHH! HOW DID I NOT REALIZE THAAAAAAT?!”

“That’s why it’s time for a change of strategy.” I had to make sure to tell everyone of my new plan.

“I’ve come to realize that there’s a slight problem with me trying to pass myself off as an aristocrat’s daughter. I can’t just go dating any normal boys right off the bat as a noble and, even if I do find another aristocratic boy, there’ll be serious problems once they realize I’m only pretending to be high-class. Even if Earl Adan is letting us say we’re part of his family, I don’t have any proof that I’m a bona fide aristocrat or anything...”

Roland cut in. “Not only I am royalty, but I hold the title of duke, as well. Francette earned the status of viscount due to her efforts from the war, so it’s not a lie to say that we’re nobility, at least. So long as you don’t claim to be part of the aristocracy yourself and I say you’re my little sister, no one should be able to accuse you of lying. If it comes down to it, we can just say we’re siblings-in-law, so it should all work out fine. And like I’ve said before, just say the word and I’ll tell Balmore to give you an official title. How does being an earl—no, a marchioness—sound?”

It was a pretty normal thing for royals to have a bunch of different titles. It came in handy if they ever needed to blend in with the nobility, if they ever needed to travel incognito, or if they wanted to distance themselves from their royal heritage.

Francette had already been given the title of viscount, too. I bet they wanted to make her look better, status-wise, if she was going to marry the brother of the king. But even without doing so, Francette was a hero of the war, who’d received not only a holy blade but the official title of Protector of the Goddess. There wasn’t anyone who could object to her engagement with Roland.

“...I’ll pass, thanks.”

Despite that, I promptly turned down Roland’s proposition. He’d asked me over and over again throughout the years following the war and after Celes had descended, but I refused him every time. Roland was the type of guy who would sulk over every little thing like this, too.

If I became a noble of Balmore, it’d mean the king and his ministers could come to me with their demands and stuff, so I could definitely see why he’d want that to happen. I bet they weren’t actually thinking of doing so, but I’d at least have to show my face before the king. That, and I’d become a pretty powerful asset that they could lord over other countries.

“Grah... Well, if you ever feel like having a title, just let me know. It should only take about three extra minutes to finalize the paperwork, on top of the round trip by horse to get it signed.”

So he’s already prepared for it to happen anytime?! Good lord, man! I don’t wanna be saddled with anything as annoying as being an aristocrat. I ain’t about to get tied down by status and start governing the people who live on my land, or any other junk that might get pushed on me. Actually, I bet that’s why they want me to go through with it. I just want to enjoy living my life, free to do whatever I want, thank you very much!

Putting all that aside, I went ahead and got to the point: “That’s why I want us to split up from here on out.”

“WHAAAAAAT?!”

Yeah, I guess they’d be kinda shocked to hear that all of a sudden.

“But if that happens, I won’t be able to get in the way of you marrying someone from another coun—” Roland let slip before he could catch himself. “N-Nevermind...”

“...What did you... WHAT DID YOU JUST SAAAAAAY?!”

I never thought there’d be a filthy TRAITOR in my party, damn it!!!

My words were met with fierce opposition from the group. But of course they’d be opposed. Layette was even bonking me on the chest with her fists, tears in her eyes.

I don’t have much cushioning there, so that kinda hurts... Argh, shut up, me!

“Don’t worry, you and I are still sticking together, Layette.”

“Okay, then I agree! Let’s all split up!” she beamed, the complete opposite of how she was mere seconds ago.

Frickin’ kids, I tell ya...

“Of course we’re not going to let you do that! You just got yourself kidnapped the other day, remember?! And easily, at that!” Roland fired back.

“I let myself get captured so I could save all those girls and take down the kidnapping ring in one fell swoop! Did you guys even come save me when that happened? Did you do anything for me then? Hmm?”

“Ngh...”

It was a breeze to shoot down his argument. If it came down to it, I could just say I was a goddess, so I’d never really be in danger, and he wouldn’t be able to say anything about it.

Francette, Emile, and Belle, on the other hand, all looked like they didn’t know how to handle this. They probably didn’t know what to say, because they were torn between wanting to stay with me and following my orders because they’d sworn their loyalty to me.

...Sorry about that, guys.

“Wouldn’t it be fine if we all just acted like commoners, then?” Roland suggested.

“There’s no way you’d ever pass as a commoner! All it’d take is, like, two seconds of talking with you and anyone could figure it out. You only know what it’s like to be royalty, after all, so it’s not like you could follow the conversation or anything... And if you were pretending to be a commoner, then you wouldn’t be carrying around a sword unless you were a soldier or a hired guard or something. It’d be weird to have a commoner like me be surrounded by my own entourage of bodyguards. Just having you around is going to mess with my soul searching, Roland. Way more than you know...”

It’s true, Roland was a hunk. That didn’t mean he just had a good face or anything, though. He was someone who gave off an abundant aura of charm and masculine sex appeal. No boy would dare get close to me with him around...

“I’m not telling you to go back home or anything. Though, I wouldn’t really mind if you did...”

“But what are you going to do...?”

“I’m thinking it’s time we drop the sibling act, so I can think up a new background story.”

“Leave it to us!” Emile, Belle, and Fran all responded in unison.

“We’re commoners, so there shouldn’t be any problems with us coming with you,” Emile said, with Belle nodding in agreement.

“Sir Roland would stick out like a sore thumb, but I should be fine, since I was born and raised a commoner as well!”

“Huh...?”

“F-Fran... That’s, uh, you know...” Roland couldn’t hide his shock over Francette’s sudden betrayal.

“I already swore my loyalty to you, Mi— Kaoru! Of course I’d be coming with you!”

Roland fell to his knees in utter disbelief.

Fran, I know you stopped yourself from trying to be extra formal with me there, but that doesn’t matter if you’re just gonna come out and say you swore loyalty to me! That basically gives it away!

With Roland white as ash and at a loss for words, the rest of our group launched into a heated argument over what was going to happen next.

“It’s dangerous for a group of children to be alone together. I absolutely must come along with you, since I’m an adult!”

“You say you’re an adult, but you only look like you’re about fifteen or sixteen at best. I already look older than you, so it shouldn’t really make a difference if you’re there or not. I’m already sixteen, so I’m an adult too. If we need an adult with wisdom, just having Kaoru around is plenty. Oh, and I’m not saying that it’s better to not have you around, Fran. You know, just to make that clear.”

“Mgh...” Fran’s face screwed up in frustration as she found herself unable to refute Emile’s words.

“We’re coming with you, Kaoru. We’ll be there to take care of you, and, if the time calls for it, we’ll even become your shield.”

Oof, laying it on a bit heavy there, Belle...

“Hm... I guess I am a little worried about it being just Layette and me...”

It wouldn’t be a problem if it were just me, but it wasn’t like I could stick around Layette the whole time. I guess I only had one choice here...

“Then leave her to us!” Belle cried out.

“I’ll be counting on you guys, then.”

“Okay!” came three separate replies.

“You’re not coming with us, Fran.”

“What?!” she shouted in disbelief.

“I mean, don’t you feel kinda bad just leaving the poor guy alone?” I said, pointing to Roland, while he just stayed on the ground, slumped over in defeat. Fran sent a withering glance his way, looking annoyed.

Hey, Fran...he’s still the brother of a king, y’know? And you totally looked up to him, remember?! You were acting like a high-school girl who just had some idol propose to her when you came to tell me! This is a pretty big about-face you’re pulling...

“But you can’t do anything by yourself, right, Roland? You always have someone helping you get dressed or tying your shoes...”

“I can do all of that just fine!” Roland howled, cutting me off.

In the end, we settled on Layette, Emile, Belle and I all being siblings, with me being the second oldest daughter. Roland and Francette were an engaged couple, who just happened to be staying at the same inn, and ultimately didn’t have anything to do with us.

“I actually would’ve preferred you guys to stay at a separate inn, since I just feel like you’re going to blow my cover...”

“We already decided this, so don’t start complaining about it now!”

Francette would usually do whatever I said, but she wasn’t going to give up on this one. I could understand why, though.

“Then let’s get going. You two go do your own thing, and make sure you don’t come over to chat with me or say anything that would give me away—especially you, Roland!”

Roland and Francette didn’t look too stoked to hear that, but Layette, Emile, Belle and I headed straight for the town. I made sure to stow my chariot away in my Item Box first, though, with Layette and me both riding on Ed. Things could get messy if we pulled up to the inn with that.

As we trundled along, Emile and Belle matched our pace while keeping slightly behind us. It was the perfect spot to stay aware of their surroundings, while being ready to jump in and protect me at a moment’s notice, should anything go wrong. Ed probably didn’t find it particularly pleasant to be protected by his wife and child, but there wasn’t much he could do about it, since I was the priority here and Ed knew it.

“Sorry about all this.”

“Heh! That’s my job, so don’t mention it,” came Ed’s casual reply.

No, I wasn’t surprised that Ed realized what I was talking about just now.

His job, huh... I wonder if horses expect a salary and stuff for work, too?

Roland and Francette were about fifty meters behind us when they finally entered the town. When my group and I were on the way to the center of town to look for an inn...

“Eek!”

...A wagon suddenly veered off to the side of the road to park by a store, smacking into a little girl. Though it looked like it only bumped her, the wagon was still made of metal and it could definitely hurt someone pretty badly. The girl had collapsed onto the stone pavement, groaning in pain. She still seemed conscious, but she might have fractured something if she’d hit the ground too hard. I didn’t know if it was from the wagon or the stone pavement, but I could see marks and scratches on her cheek from where she had been hit.

“Ed!”

“Yes, ma’am!”

He trotted over to the girl and bent down slightly. I grabbed Layette and got off, setting her on the ground before pulling a potion from my Item Box. It’d be kinda shocking if I just made a potion on the spot out of thin air, after all. That was why, if I took it out of my Item Box, it would look like I was pulling it out of somewhere...that they couldn’t see... Okay, sorry, the fact that it was going to shock people didn’t really change, did it? It made me feel better about it, at least.

“Drink this!”

The girl was still conscious. She was so confused by what was happening that she reflexively took the potion from me and drank it down on the spot. Her pain and her wounds disappeared in an instant.

“Huh...?”

“Are you okay? I’m pretty sure your injuries are all better now, but your clothes are a little...ripped...”

The crowd around us was abuzz with talk, and I could hear the words “goddess” and “miracle” being thrown around.

O-Oh crap! I couldn’t stop myself! It’s pure reflex by now!

I was probably an open secret in Balmore, so they wouldn’t really bat an eye if I did something like this there. That was how I’d lived my life the past four years, so I ended up casually giving out potions to any kids who were hurt without thinking too hard about it. It was pretty much just instinct at this point. But I just did this in a brand new town in a brand new country, which meant...

“G-Girl! Just who are you?!”

Of course a middle-aged aristocrat just stepped out of their carriage!

“Ed!”

“Roger that!”

Ed and I practically knew what the other was thinking after spending so much time together. He lowered himself down, and I clambered onto his back with Layette in tow.

“Let’s get outta here!”

“Aye aye, ma’am!”

Though I still didn’t have any modern-day riding gear on him, such as you’d find on Earth, I at least made sure he had a saddle and stirrups. I held on tight to Layette as we made our escape at full speed, alongside Emile and Belle, of course. Roland and Francette were pretending not to know us, following behind from a good distance away.

Hey, they might actually seem like people sent to chase after us.

The crowd was in an uproar behind me, and I could hear people yelling and stuff—but who cared about that now? All I was thinking about now was getting the hell out of here, and fast! If we didn’t, they most likely were going to send people after us.

I put some distance between the town and myself before finally stopping and taking my chariot out of my Item Box. Pulling it out back there would have just made it too obvious who I really was. I hooked it up to Ed, then lifted Layette up into it, before jumping in myself. This should really let us haul ass to get outta here.

Ed and the others had already had plenty of potions to pump up their stamina and speed, so all it’d take was a little more doping and no horse should be able to catch us. They’d only seen us for a second, after all, and when they did we were riding off on three horses; they definitely wouldn’t be looking for a wagon with four people accompanying it. We should be able to play it off without an issue if anyone tried to find us now.

“All right, let’s get going!”

Roland had caught up to us by this point.

“...It’s the perfect plan. Everyone will think I’m just a commoner.”

Ngh!

“...and make sure you don’t come over to chat with me or say anything that would give me away—especially you, Roland!”

Mngh... Nrrrgh...

“Heheh... Hahaha!”

MMMGGGHHHHHH!!!

“Ahahahaha!”

“Hehe...” Even Francette was getting in on this...

“Ahahahaha!!!”

Emile and Belle, you guys, too?! Gahhh, just kill me already!!!