This is Tenkomori Chapter 4.5
Please enjoy it
From the window of the carriage, we could see meadows, forests, and rolling mountains.The road was dark green in every direction, and there was not a soul in sight.
My mother held me in her arms as I watched the scenery.
People that ride in the carriage are my father, Urban, my mother, Henriette, three maids like Meredy, Josh Sforde, the deputy commander of the Reedwald Knights, who was the captain of the guard for the journey, the knight Roland, and more than ten soldiers.
It had been six months since I had woken up, and now it was the height of the lingering summer heat.
I’m growing up nicely, enduring the frequent shame plays.
My parents, brother, and servants are decent people, and I haven’t had any problems.
The only problem I have is with myself.
My baby brain gets tired quickly, and even though I wanted to learn the language, I fell asleep immediately.
I wondered if the memories of my previous life stuck in my brain were a burden.
If so, it would make sense that the little fat god delayed in waking me up.
Immediately after birth, I might have lost most of my memories.
I looked down at the street as the vibrations spread through my body.
But still, it shakes a lot.
The road was made of dirt.
It shook when the carriage stepped on a rut, and it shook again when the carriage stepped on a pebble or a minor unevenness.
The main street in Reedwald was paved with stones, but the branch roads were mostly dirt.
There was no way that the roads outside the city were well maintained.
The ride was so uncomfortable that I got tired on the first day.
My mother sensed this and moved me to the back of the carriage to get some fresh air, but I couldn’t stand it and throw up. It was a blessing in disguise that I didn’t stain my mother’s clothes as I quickly turned around to look outside.
I looked back inside the carriage and saw my parents chatting happily even through the vibration.
Then my mother noticed and picked me up again.
“Are you ready to go outside?”
“Au.”
My mother asked me and then sits me down on her lap.
My father looked at her curiously.
“What’s wrong?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
My father shook his head with a smile and patted my head.
After that, I listened to them chatting in a daze.
After a while, one person came up, and I remembered the purpose of my trip.
I wonder what kind of person is Marquis Blasrad?
Our House Reedwald was located on the southeastern outskirts of the Arsis Empire.
It was the front line to the Kingdom of Balmut, and they had been staring at each other for a long time, using the place called the Leknod Forest as a buffer zone.
When I found out about it, I was convinced that the little fat god had done it again.
There hadn’t been a conflict there in decades, but it was not a safe place by any stretch of the imagination.
After all, skirmishes on the ground must be trivial to the little fat god.
I was curious to know if the forest was well defended against Balmut, and how dangerous it was.
I was so curious that I desperately tried to learn the essential baby skill of crawling.
Then, just as I was about to go on a house tour. My mother kidnapped me and threw me into a carriage.
The next thing I know, I’m far away from Reedwald before I’ve even seen the town.
It seems that she snatches me was the result of a combination of things.
Last year, the Marquess of Blasrad’s grandson, who is more of a grandfather than a parental figure, came of age. And they held a celebration. But monsters outbreak in the Reedwald territory prevented my father from attending.
When we finished dealing with the situation, winter arrived, and after the new year, I was born.
It was only now that I can move.
Of course, I had nothing to do with the celebration of his grandchild.
Even if my mother were to accompany me, it would be safer to leave me in Reedewald.
Even so, I was taken out for the superficial reason of reporting the birth to the Marquis of Blasrad. But the real purpose of the trip was to see my mother’s father, my grandfather, Viscount Todis.
It seems that he thought about reuniting with my father and mother. But if I go to his place too, he can see his grandson’s face.
Incidentally, his other grandson, my brother Lakius, was not at home.
It was a good opportunity for him to give his future heir some experience.
It must be tough for a seven-year-old, but Graham, the family commander, and Conrad, the knight commander, are assisting him. I’m not sure about you, but I wish you the best of luck.
“We will be arriving at Sahat shortly.”
Josh reported from the back of the carriage.
I bowed to my father, who responded, and Josh looked at me.
“Is everything all right, Alter-sama?”
“Au.”
“Well, you’re looking well.”
“Um, you look fine.”
Then Josh swung his horse’s neck to the front row.
It would take a month and a half to two months to get to Blasrad and back.
I’ve never made such a long journey in my previous life, much less in another world.
But, I’m enjoying this trip.
I wonder if any dragons are flying around.
◇◇◇
The town of Sahat is an inn town in the Barony of Birnkut.
It is located on the road connecting Reedwald to Blasrad and is usually a noisy but comfortable town.
Yes, Roland implied that it was because of the shabby group of people gathered outside the town.
At first, he thought they were slums, but then he realized they were refugees with no signs of life.
My father couldn't seem to figure out what they were running away from, so he tilted his head.
The Baron Reedwald's carriage entered the town of Sahat, receiving resentful glances from them.
"What are those people?"
As we took a breath at the inn, my father cut in without telling anyone.
Josh looked at him and asked, and Roland bowed and opened his mouth.
"This land is not in contact with Balmut or Hazel. I think they are from a village that has escaped from monsters."
"Monsters? What is Birnkut?"
"If it's just a few, the adventurers will take care of them. But it's a pack, and from their appearance, it's probably goblins or orcs."
When Roland responded, my father twisted his face in displeasure.
This Roland is not a knight at heart.
He was a former adventurer who retired when he reached middle age and was hired as a knight of the Reedwald.
As a result, he lacks education and civility, but his fighting ability is high, and he is said to be as good as or better than Conrad, the leader of the knights.
Anyway, about goblins and orcs.
It's a fantasy classic, but I can't figure it out.
How can you judge them from the appearance of the refugees?
To be honest, it's easy enough to get an answer if you ask.
With the benefit of my language proficiency, I could have had an everyday conversation long ago.
But that was not allowed.
A few days before my departure, I had talked to Meredy to ask her to get my book.
I think I was fluent enough for my first conversation, but the response was dramatic.
As soon as I spoke to her, Meredy's face becomes pale. She ran out of the room and returned with my mother in tow.
"You have spoken! Call my name too!"
With loud gestures, Meredy rambled on.
My mother looked at the maid and me, who was dumbfounded and laughed at her.
"What are you talking about? He can't talk. He's not even a year old yet."
This was the moment when some order is issued.
After that, the conversation between families was cut short, and I went to sleep.
The next thing I knew, it was morning.
Regardless of whether I had memories of my previous life or whether I was still conscious, I was still a baby after all. The fatigue of the journey seemed to have built up.
The carriage left Sahat city.
The streets were filled with merchants and armed groups of so-called adventurers.
As I watched them, I could hear them talking in fragments.
As I listened carefully for a while, I could vaguely make out the conversation from yesterday.
Orcs and goblins prey on humans.
The goblins in particular are said to be very fertile, and if left unchecked, they can form large groups.
Usually, the lord would send out a subjugation force or ask the adventurer's guild to reduce their numbers before this happens, but Baron Birnkut failed to do either, and some village was attacked.
Then people saw a nobleman, and their anger was directed at my father - that seems to be the general story.
I'm guessing, but I'm pretty sure that the monsters are still wandering around.
Josh and Roland were more cautious than ever, and the speed of the carriage had slowed down.
Well, no matter what kind of monster it is, there's nothing a helpless, adorable baby can do about it.
I decided to change my mind and enjoy the scenery in a carefree manner.
I wondered how much time had passed since we had left.
I fell asleep and woke up on my mother's lap.
My mother noticed me and gently called out to me, hugging me back.
As I briefly responded to her, I looked out the window and saw that the atmosphere around me had somehow changed.
The grasslands across the road were populated with trees, and the air was somewhat cleaner.
The Imperial territory is much colder in the north. We seemed to have traveled farther north.
There were no more people on the streets.
We had seen quite a few when we left Sahat, but we were the only ones around.
We have dozens of foot guards with us. If the monsters are wary of us, we will inevitably slow down.
But somehow, the carriage felt slower than before I fell asleep.
As I stretched my neck to observe people, I saw Roland looking at the trees and the grass from his horse.
There are more places to hide than around Sahat.
He must be on the lookout for a surprise attack.
Not long after, a large rock appeared in front of the carriage.
The road largely bypassed the rock, but just before they reached it, Josh stopped the carriage.
"It looks like we're under attack."
Joss reported while looking at the large rock.
My father immediately sent his soldiers to scout the area.
When the soldier arrived at the rock, he lay low and looked around, then quickly returned.
"The adventurers are engaging the goblins! There are more than fifteen of them!"
"More than fifteen!"
"The same herd. What's the status of the battle?"
"The adventurers are being pushed back!"
My father nodded and turned his gaze to Roland.
"Help them."
"Yes, Sir."
He immediately led several soldiers to attack the large rock.
It seems that the goblins have already attacked the enemy, and we can hear a loud noise.
Are the goblins as small fry as they were in my previous life?
If the adventurers are being pushed around, are they surprisingly strong?
I wanted to watch the fight, but my mother was holding me tightly.
I couldn't even move in this situation.
I jerked around to see if there was any way I could watch, and suddenly I felt my heart beating fast.
My mother - and the maids - were trembling.
My father is unconcerned.
Is my mother afraid because she is a non-combatant, or is she really weak?
There's so much I don't understand. If I could "appraise" a goblin, I'd have a shot.
Feeling sorry for myself, I tugged on my mother's sleeve and pointed to the front of the carriage.
"That way is ...... Did you want to go to the front? No, it's too dangerous."
She refused, but I pulled again.
My mother was confused and looked at my father.
"If you don't get out of the carriage, you'll be safe. I'll watch him."
My father's words frightened my mother, but she agreed.
We moved to the front of the carriage and my father opened the door to the driver's seat.
I put my hand on the window frame and peered out, but unfortunately, I couldn't see anything, as if I was on the other side of a large rock.
As I looked around for something, I saw a shadow move in the corner of my eye in the trees.
I activated my "Appraisal" and took one look at it, which opened without a hitch, and hurriedly pointed to it.
"Au!"
My parents looked at me suspiciously, but only Josh changed his color.
"An Ambush!"
At the same time, Josh shouted, multiple arrows flew through the woods.
A soldier raised his shield to protect the carriage, but - no, not that one.
Josh also noticed and quickly jumped to the wagon horse and swung his spear.
A few of the arrows hit Josh and his horse, and the horse neighed.
He prepared himself for a runaway, but the horse seemed to be well trained and did not go wild even after being hit by the arrows.
I wondered what would have happened if it had been an ordinary carriage.
Would he have aimed for it?
According to the appraisal, the goblin's intelligence was 5.
It was half that of a human, but with a wise commander, it didn't matter.
I looked around the forest and "appraised" the goblins.
I was successful with three of them.
There was no one with high intelligence. But I found one with the skill of "Archery 1" instead.
I wonder if there are individual differences.
Monsters grow just like humans.
Josh knocked down the arrows that flew one after another, and several soldiers also defended their horses with their shields.
At that moment, a summoning voice unexpectedly rang out.
Roland and his men had overpowered the large rock goblins and were about to turn around and charge the ambush team.
The goblin archers were flanked and fled in droves.
My mother, Meredy, and the others were relieved to see this, but I was silent and thoughtful.
The current scene shows the state of this world.
The little fat god described it as a game of raising tropical fish, but that's not accurate.
The goblins realized the disadvantage and ran away.
It's a living thing. They are not symbols or numbers.
Roland and the others didn't pursue them too deeply and came back soon after.
The damage here was an arrow wound to Josh and his horse, and minor wounds to some of the soldiers who had come to rescue us.
Josh painstakingly cleaned the horse's wounds and healed them with healing potions.
Then he tended to his wounds and those of the other soldiers, using only ointment and bandages.
Was it not enough to use potions, or did they refrain from using them because they were expensive?
I didn't have this level of knowledge and couldn't even ask questions.
It was very frustrating.
As I was doing this, several young men appeared from the rocky mountain ahead.
They were probably the adventurers who had been attacked.
"Is there anyone who can use recovery magic? Even healing potions would be fine!"
The young man at the front shouted as we approached.
He's carrying a man around his age.
His bloodied hands hung helplessly. His eyes were fixed on the void.
It was obvious that he was already out of it.
"It's too late. He's already dead."
The young man refused to admit it, even when Roland made it clear.
He bows down to us and appeals desperately.
When he realized that he still couldn't help him, he suddenly collapsed and cried over his friends.
He seemed to be calling the man's name, but it was no longer a word.
"'There's the town of Sahat just ahead. Let him sleep quickly."
Roland snapped back on his heels and the carriage began to drive away with Josh in the lead.
The young men were moving away.
I couldn't look away until they disappeared into the trees in my mother's arms.
◇◇◇◇
When people get together, a group is born.
Most likely, there were many factions in the Arsis Empire.
The three major factions in the Arsis Empire are the Emperor's faction, the Duke of Verlea's faction, and the Marquis Blasrad faction.
As the purpose of our trip indicated, the Reedwald family was of the Marquis faction.
I see an elderly nobleman in front of me. He was the head of the Marquis faction, the Marquis Blasrud.
His hair was almost gray, and his face was covered with countless scars and wrinkles.
Rather than a nobleman, he looked more like a general or a warrior.
Belatedly, my father made a congratulatory speech and introduced me to Marquis Brasrud.
"Au!"
I raised one hand and gave him an overwhelmingly powerful greeting, but it didn't make him wince.
He doesn't like babies.
While I was making notes in my mind, the introductions ended easily, and my father and the Marquis started chatting.
However, most of the conversation was about memories.
It was mostly about his grandfather, Fors, and his great-grandfather, Paul.
Although the Reedwald family was an up-and-coming noble family. It was said to be famous for its military honors, and it was my great-grandfather and grandfather who built it up.
My great-grandfather Paul, a knight of the Empire, played an active role in the seventy-year conflict with the Kingdom of Balmut and was decorated for defending the city of Reedwald many times. He is known as an excellent commander and a great swordsman.
His son, Fors, is also a warrior like his father. When his great-grandfather was a lord, he attacked the Balmut army with a small force and defeated them without letting them enter his territory.
This was not a good thing for an heir to do, but Balmut gave up on the Western Expedition after this.
My father, who was descended from my great-grandfather and grandfather, did not inherit his talent.
His sword skills were not much different from those of those soldiers.
Of course, since he is a lord, it would be enough for him to be good at commanding.
My great-grandfathers were strange.
But the martial artist, Marquis Brasrad, didn't seem to like that.
At the end of our reminiscences, he hinted at me to be more diligent.
The one-sided chat was over, and my father and I left the audience hall.
We waited in our room until the dinner party.
As my father carried me down an unadorned hallway, I heard my mother and a man laughing.
My father quickly checked his appearance and opened the door.
"You're back, Urban."
It was a nobleman in his fifties who was chatting with my mother.
"It's been a while. Viscount Todis."
"Good, good. Don't be so formal with your family. Oh, so that's Alter!"
My father bailed politely, and the viscount looked down at me.
This is my maternal grandfather.
Like Marquis Blasrad, he looks like a warrior.
I raised one hand and said my usual greeting, "Au!".
As soon as I did that, Viscount Todis's face fell.
That was clever. I knew that the Marquis of Blasrad didn't like babies.
When my father handed me over to the Viscount, he froze a little, as if he was not used to it.
I smile like an angel at the Viscount.
Grandfather, I want you to be at ease.
I'm a child who doesn't cry over little things.
As I spoke to the Viscount with "ooh" and "aah," the tension in the Viscount's face dissipated then his face continued to crumble.
Viscount Todis is a lord of a region further north than the city of Blasrud.
If Reedwald is the defense against Balmut in the east, the town of Todis is the bulwark against the United Kingdom of Hazel in the north.
It was so far away that it would take months to get back to my hometown, so I don't think my mother and grandfather would have been able to meet again if it hadn't been for this opportunity.
It's an inconvenient world with magic.
Soon it was time to go. And I was carried by Viscount Todis to the dinner party.
In addition to the Marquis, his eldest son, Lachrus, and his second son, Lesifus, who had come of age last year, was also present at the dinner.
The dinner proceeded in a calm atmosphere, and when the trivial chit-chat turned to the situation of security and monsters in the north, my father brought up the events on the road.
As soon as he heard this, the Marquis revealed his anger.
It was only for a moment that I was impressed because my father was an honorable man who cared for his people.
The Marquis's anger was only due to his fear of repercussions, and it seems that my father intended to tell him so.
I was the only one out of line at this table. Aristocrats are scary.
By the way, Baron Birnkut, who had left the goblins unattended, was a member of the Duke Veer's faction.
They are a large faction along with the Emperor's faction, so it's hard to blame them unless there is actual harm.
Even the lowest-ranking baron is a nobleman. He is the ruler of the land.
After that, there was no major topic of conversation, and the dinner party ended without a hitch.
◇◇◇◇
The next day, we left the city of Blasrud.
It had taken us almost a month to get here, but we were back in just one night.
It was a dreadful thing.
In the carriage, my mother gazed blankly at the distant Blasrad.
I guess she was sad to say goodbye to her father.
Viscount Todis had returned to the northern territories before we did.
He seemed to be sad to be leaving my mother and me, but not only was he wary of Hazel, but the north was often hit by heavy snowfall. Even though it was now the entrance of autumn, it would not be surprising if it snowed unseasonably by the time we reached the territory.
Unless there was magic for instantaneous movement, travel was by carriage, horse, or foot.
The number of foreign enemies was also incomparable to the previous world. Traveling in this world is a life-threatening experience.
I wonder how many years it will be before I see my grandfather again.
I looked to the north with my mother and burned the image of Viscount Todis into my memory.
The rest of the trip went smoothly.
The weather grew cooler day by day, and I could feel that autumn was deepening.
During the journey, the carriage approached the large rock.
Suddenly, the figures of the young adventurers came to mind.
A month has passed since the incident.
Are the rest of them still adventurers? Or have they returned to their hometowns?
I clung to the window frame, looking for traces of battle and blood, but they had long since disappeared.
Six months ago, the little fat god had told me that he had reincarnated me in a safe place.
That's what I thought until I set out on my journey, but I'm not so sure about the reality.
Even with the negligence of the lords, monsters have been appearing on the main roads and taking lives.
Not all of the refugees who had gathered in the town of Birnkut had made it safely.
They must have lost family and friends in the villages and along the way.
My family and I are protected by many people.
We are protected by Conrad, the Knight Commander, Josh, Roland, other knights, and soldiers.
But can we protect them?
The more I learn about the world, the more anxious I become.
Roland is said to be one or two of the strongest in the Reedwald Knights, but his level was about the same as the Elite Guard. Even if he could beat them due to the variety of his skills and equipment, if they were called the Elite Guard, there was no way it was one of them.
If they came in large numbers, the entire town would be destroyed by them.
And the bug men were attacking villages and eating people.
It was certain that their habitat was not too far from the human territory.
"What's wrong? Are you cold?"
Suddenly, my mother pulled me into a hug.
The next thing I knew, I was shivering all over.
The warmth enveloped me and the sweet smell tickled my nostrils.
I felt a deep sense of security, and my trembling slowly subsided.
Inwardly, I chuckle.
Even though I have memories of my previous life, I'm still her child, aren't I?
I looked up at her and called out to her, and she smiled at me.
Yes, this isn't just about me.
Alter Les Reedwald has parents, a brother, and people who take care of me.
Am I going to sit back and watch them get killed and eaten?
Just like I was eaten before?
I shook my head and clenched my hands like they were toys.
No way.
I don't want to be eaten, and I don't want to let them watch me get eaten by the bug man.
I'll be strong.
The little fat god already gives me some cheats.
I can be faster and stronger than anyone else.
Out of the corner of my eye, the big rock moved away.
I wondered if the young man who had been killed back then had given it his all.
Did he lead a satisfying life?
Only he can answer that question.
It all lies within me.
For me to answer this question with my own heart, I must become stronger.
With determination, I stared at the large rock.
That's when it happened.
Roland appeared in my field of vision and raised his voice as soon as he saw me.
"Oh, Master Alter, you look so crisp."
"Oh. Do you have to pee?"
My mother picks me up and shakes my legs.
I look down at her silently and think.
People, please don't slow down my determination.
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