The medicine bought from the pharmacist was remarkably effective. After drinking it for a few days straight, Raphtalia's coughing completely stopped, and because she was eating properly, her complexion improved considerably, making her appear much healthier.
Perhaps thanks to Kiriko's attentive care over these days, Raphtalia no longer wet the bed or woke up crying, and slept soundly until morning.
As for the newly purchased Dogkin, Lute—unexpectedly, he turned out to be a shield warrior who skillfully wielded two tower shields. The guy was shockingly good at using them.
The egg Kiriko had bought also hatched.
Yet, just as expected from her E-tier luck, it was exactly the lowest-tier Filolial.
Nonstop bad luck—my ancestry never lies.
Kiriko gave this Filolial a name.
A name was something that would accompany a person…or a bird…for a lifetime. In certain fantasy stories, names held special significance, so they couldn't be chosen carelessly.
After careful consideration…
She decided to name this Filolial "Gabriel."
Gabriel seemed to really like her new name.
However, for some reason, the bird grew astonishingly fast.
In just two short days, she transformed from a little chick that would curl up like a kitten in Kiriko's lap into a giant, fluffy bird large enough for Kiriko to ride.
And after growing into a large, fat Chocobo-like creature, Gabriel couldn't sit still indoors any longer.
Kiriko had heard earlier that the reason Filolials were widely used for transportation was that if they weren't pulling a cart, they became restless and noisy.
Kiriko promptly bought two carts. She, Raphtalia, and Lute sat in one pulled by Gabriel, while the other cart, loaded with everyone's food and supplies, was tied behind it.
...
Across a grassy plain greener than the greenest cuckold's hat, the two carts pulled by Gabriel sped onward like drifting race cars.
"Uuuuurrrghhh—bleeeeeegh—!"
Raphtalia leaned miserably over the side of the cart, pale as a ghost, vomiting nonstop.
"Gabriel! Stop, stop right now!"
Only then did Gabriel reluctantly slow down.
"I-I'm sorry, Master… uuuurrrgghhhh—"
"It's alright, just motion sickness. I used to get scared of injections as a kid, but once you overcome it, it's nothing."
"Bleeeeeegh—!"
Kiriko was an idiot—truly an idiot.
She'd known Filolials became restless if they didn't pull carts, but she hadn't known they turned into street racers the second they did.
Safety first above all else. Reckless driving leaves loved ones in tears.
See, Raphtalia's already crying…
At this moment, monsters appeared nearby.
"Lute, I'll leave it to you."
Without a word, the Dogkin jumped off the cart, shields in hand.
For these past few days, Kiriko had left all monster encounters to Lute.
These were just low-level monsters, easily handled by him alone.
Once he defeated them, everyone in the party shared the experience points.
This was the daily routine: traveling during the day, letting Lute handle monsters, with Kiriko stepping in only if the enemy numbers were too high or levels too tough. At night, they'd set up camp, with Kiriko and Lute taking turns on watch.
Logically speaking, as someone summoned with expectations to "save the world," Kiriko should have been diligently leveling up right now.
But Kiriko neither needed to level seriously nor felt any sense of mission to save the world.
To her, people from this world weren't just strangers—they were basically aliens.
If this country's people had treated her kindly enough that she accidentally felt happy, she might've been willing to help out a bit.
But with that Trash King's rotten behavior, why should she risk her life defending his lands and people?
Considering how the king had treated Naofumi Iwatani—and herself—previously…
Frankly, the fact she hadn't already reenacted the plots of Fuukan no Grasesta or Demonion: Maou no Chika Yousai here was already extremely generous, given her status as a hero.
But even though she didn't intend to save the world, she could still help Raphtalia level up.
Everyone in this world could increase their level by fighting monsters. Anyone who'd ever played an RPG understood exactly what levels meant.
Even if only for self-defense, or just to avoid being bullied, increasing one's level was absolutely necessary.
Naturally, leveling wasn't her only goal.
Aside from that, she had another important reason.
...
What exactly was a noble?
A person with cultured upbringing, resistant to material temptations, whose purpose in life wasn't mere pleasure.
Someone who bore responsibility for society, maintained strict self-discipline, treasured honor, and fulfilled duties to country and society.
Moreover, possessing a free spirit, independent will, and daring to refuse power and wealth. Someone whose intellect and morality allowed them to transcend fads, trends, political pressures, and majority opinion.
Was that truly what a noble was?
Ha!
Anyone who knew anything about medieval history understood exactly what medieval nobles were really like.
When Kiriko and the others arrived at a town in the southern part of the country, this point became vividly clear.
After paying an entry toll, they found themselves passing rows of filthy, run-down straw huts. Unlike the neatly planned capital, this place seemed directly copied from a genuine medieval village.
The villagers they passed were skeletal. What they wore could hardly be called clothing—it was more like dirty blankets draped over them.
Whether men or women, none had the slightest glimmer of hope in their eyes.
Some might ask why these people didn't simply leave?
But from the moment they were born, their entire lives were tied to this land. Even going to the next town to buy a chicken risked execution by hanging.
Of course, this wasn't to say the king managed his direct territories any better than local nobles.
But since the royal capital was far more prosperous, its people at least could live decently despite heavy taxation.
Kiriko's arrival stirred minor commotion, as a lavish carriage like hers was something only local lords possessed in such a countryside town.
Uneducated commoners had no clue how to differentiate noble houses through heraldic banners.
They didn't even know only nobles had family crests, and a carriage without a crest certainly didn't belong to nobility.
After entering town, Kiriko had Raphtalia and Lute wear hats she'd prepared beforehand.
The main difference between humans and demi-humans was that demi-humans had beast-like features, but as long as those were covered, there shouldn't be issues.
Raphtalia was easy enough to hide, but Lute was trickier. He was closer to a full beastman than a demi-human, his head literally being that of a dog.
A mere hat was nowhere near sufficient, but Kiriko had already planned for that and prepared a plague-doctor's crow mask.
With that mask on, forget looking like a Dogkin—he could have come from ancient Qin, and no one would know.
---
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