Chapter 336: Thinking I Should Hear Agnes’s Opinion…

"If it is that hard a place, would it not be better to hear Lady Eisleben’s opinion?"

At my proposal the driver also said,

"Please do that. Those people will surely know better than we. We will rest before entering that gorge, so please then."

and agreed.

The party stopped for a rest that was less for picking flowers than almost for that reason. I got down from the carriage and went to the carriage Agnes was in. In front of the carriage the usual two guards stood. Their faces looked quite tired. Last night they had not slept properly, and until now they had been on the same driver’s box as I, so fatigue would have piled up.

"I would like to see Lady Eisleben. Can I meet her?"

If she had not gone to pick flowers I thought I could meet her, but the guards made sour faces.

"We are sorry. Lady Agnes is resting."

Told that I noticed. From inside the carriage, kaaa, kaaa, sleeping breath could be heard.

"She is in a deep sleep?"

"Yes. It seems so."

The two guards made embarrassed faces.

"Like this since we departed?"

"Well. It seems so."

Thoroughly poor in the mouth. A young maiden sleeping while snoring would be something they hesitate to have known outside. But I have business, so I have to ask Agnes.

"May I call to her?"

The two guards made faces that said they were in trouble.

"I must not wake her?"

"That is fine, but in fact, um, Lady Agnes is very bad on waking, and we cannot have her meet Lord Marie at all."

"That much?"

"Yes. Very bad. If we try to wake her by force she takes it out on us, and, um, we get hit and kicked. I do not think she would do such a thing to Lord Marie, but there is also the one-in-a-thousand. Um, Lord Marie, what is the business? If it is something we can finish we will handle it."

I could see how hard being Agnes’s guard is. I sympathize, but I cannot say that now. The guards said tell us the business, and if they too are members of the Eisleben tribe the business would be enough.

"What I wanted to ask Lady Eisleben is what to watch for on the gorge road ahead, and where. At a glance, if they come at us from above we would not last a moment, so I came to ask what to do."

At my question the guards seemed relieved.

"That. If that is it we can answer as well. On top of that cliff a dense forest spreads. Magical beasts run rampant in the forest, so people hiding in the forest is almost impossible. Only, it is not that there is no chance magical beasts will come attacking from that forest, but with this many people gathered I think the magical beasts too will fear and not attack."

they answered. Then I wondered,

"You said magical beasts. What kind of things are there?"

At my question the two guards began to consult. Then,

"Magical beasts do not have names, but they are a size or two larger than ordinary beasts so we call them magical beasts, and there is no distinction such as how they differ from ordinary beasts. No one has looked into it that far."

they answered, so light-novel knowledge burst and I asked,

"Is there a difference such as magical beasts having a magic stone inside, and ordinary beasts not having a magic stone?"

The guards made a hoh! face.

"There are people who say that, but it is not that there is always a magic stone. There are magical beasts that have them, and times there are not. In the first place even if they have a magic stone, where it is is unclear."

"I have heard a magic stone is on the opposite side from the heart. If the heart is in the left chest, would it not be in the corresponding place on the right chest?"

I asked without meaning to. Their brows drew together.

"I have not heard such a talk. We will ask the clan elders. In the first place dropping a magical beast is not easy, and obtaining a magical beast’s corpse itself is rare. And we do not aim to take magic stones, so I do not think anyone’s thought has reached that far. Even so, Lord Marie knows well. I did not think research had gone that far in the Marie Kingdom."

Mm, mm, mm. This may be a slightly bad development. But I have a lot I want to ask about magic stones.

"Then where in the world are magic stones obtained from?"

At my question they consulted again. Then,

"Magic stones are often found in the mountains, or come out when the ground is dug, I hear. After that there are people who search for magic stones as their specialty, and I have heard rumors they find them without anyone knowing."

"What, magic-stone hunters? Adventurers?"

"What did you say?"

"No. Sorry. Talking to myself. Then is it not that magic stones are easy to find inside the magical-beast forest?"

At my question the guards shook their heads.

"No one goes into that forest because they like it. However many magic stones there are, if you trade them for your life you have nothing left."

they answered, but this has gotten interesting.

"Then do such magical beasts never overflow from the forest?"

"What!? You know well! It is rare, but it is passed down that once in several decades such a thing happens."

"A stampede..."

"Hah? What did you say?"

"No, no. Sorry. I broke the talk. Please continue."

"I see. Then when those magical beasts come out it is said to be an omen of a heaven-and-earth calamity. The earth shakes, the sun hides even at midday, heavy rain continues and the land sinks under water. So at such times, after you subjugate the magical beasts you are told to prepare for a heaven-and-earth calamity."

"The earth shaking, do you not call that an earthquake?"

"Well. I do not think we say it that way in particular? Anyway it is rare."

"I see. Understood. Thank you. Then back to the talk. In entering the gorge, how should we prepare?"

"Yes. Magical beasts do not appear all at once, so I think preparing bows and arrows is good. Do you have a strong bow? With the one you showed before I do not think the arrows will fly far."

Told that I took the newly bought bow from the mana bag and showed it.

"In fact I brought this."

A guard put out a hand so I passed it. Then,

"Hoh. This looks good. Let me draw it a little."

He said it and drew the string. A feeling as if it would make a kirikiri sound, he drew it full and returned it slow, then passed the bow to the other guard. That guard drew the bow too, tilted his head a little, and returned the bow to me.

"A very good bow, but the balance of top and bottom seems a little off. I am sorry, criticizing Lord Marie’s bow. As a member of the Eisleben tribe I cannot stay silent about a bow. I am truly sorry."

He bowed his head. Told that I cannot not ask.

"What is wrong with this bow? I thought it a very good bow. Without holding back, can you say what you felt?"

When I asked they consulted yet again.

"Mosley and I are of the same opinion. When we take the bow and draw the string, the strength of the top and bottom of the bow feels slightly different. For ordinary use there is no need to care, but Lord Marie has already entered the domain of an advanced user and still has room to grow. Then if you use a good bow you will improve further. In the Eisleben tribe there is also a person called a master craftsman. If that person reworks this bow I think it will become still better. Please!"

they said. For me it was a talk I could not wish more for, but,

"Is that master craftsman not a difficult person? If he does not like the owner he will not even speak, will not let you in the shop, a stubborn old man, that kind of crank?"

In light novels that setting is general. But the two guards laughed.

"There is no such thing. He is a thoroughly good-natured person. An old man is an old man, but he is not hard up in life, so he only takes work he likes. If Lady Agnes asks I think he will take it. Is the stubborn old man Lord Marie thinking too far?"

They commented, laughing. Then,

"Do you have arrows that match this bow? If you would, could you show them?"

they said, so I took those from the mana bag too and showed them.

The two guards looked hard at the arrows. They held them, swung them, checked the balance.

"These arrows are good. Strong arrows that match this bow, I think. Do you have many of these?"

"In fact I had arrows made after showing the bow, and I bought all they made. More than a hundred. Between two and three hundred, I think. I have not counted properly."

"Hoh. That is heartening. We are counting on you, Lord Marie. Arm, bow, and arrows all first-rate. With this you are more than enough as Lady Agnes’s husband! Meeting the elders has become something to look forward to."

"...Understood. I will do my best!"

I do not know well what I am doing my best at.