Chapter 137: This Works

I crossed the border from the Canel Kingdom into the Danas Federation without much difficulty.

After that, the four of us rode on horseback and managed to reach the border leading into the Dior Empire.

But that was where the problem began.

“Too blatantly posted…….”

From a distance, I looked through a makeshift telescope I had crafted in the forest.

It was the wanted posters on the wall of the border gate guarded by the border troops.

They were portraits of every person involved in the assassination of Regina Foster, including Turklan.

“It seems the Black Crescent Moon isn’t planning to let this pass so easily.”

Patrick also nodded.

Beside us, Turklan and Deborah’s expressions grew darker.

It was because Deborah’s portrait was also posted on the wall.

“Accused of poisoning the king……!”

They had framed Deborah as the one who killed her own biological father, former King Charta Mineta.

Deborah couldn’t help but feel furious.

But even if we killed the border guards, that wouldn’t solve her feelings.

“If we go in the wrong way, we might not even get past this border and instead end up caught by imperial soldiers.”

“You have no intention of getting caught, do you.”

At Patrick’s words, I nodded.

For a moment, I had considered simply breaking through. But doing that would make the Empire our enemy politically.

It was too early for that. I needed time myself, so I had to avoid drawing the Empire’s attention for now.

“Hm……. Should we disguise ourselves somehow?”

As we kept thinking in the forest, darkness eventually fell.

We set up a campsite at a distance from the border.

“Should we cross the outer mountain range of the border?”

At my continued murmuring, Patrick answered seriously.

“It’ll delay us quite a lot.”

“How long?”

“Roughly half a month.”

The border passage of the Dior Empire was surrounded by a massive mountain range, similar to Kanas Territory.

Naturally, the number and level of monsters were considerable.

In a situation where even a single day mattered, wasting that much time was dangerous.

“That’s a serious problem. Isn’t there a way to get through safely?”

“Judging by the strict guard and inspection, it seems the Black Crescent Moon anticipated this situation as well.”

They were reacting because they didn’t know for certain whether Turklan was alive or not.

That created a situation unfavorable to us.

“I need to think a bit more. If it comes to it, we may have no choice but to cross the mountains.”

It was the last resort.

We decided to think it over again the next morning.

We spent the night quietly, and morning came.

From the bushes we had hidden in the previous day, we checked the border again.

Even though a day had passed, nothing had changed.

The soldiers of the border guard, usually known for their lax attitude, now had sharp and alert eyes.

“Should we really cross the mountains…….”

“We may have to.”

“At a time like this, it’d be perfect if there were some wagon or merchant group we could disguise ourselves with. Isn’t Fordman about due to be traveling again with his wagon by now?”

At that moment, Patrick’s expression stiffened.

“There’s no need to go that far.”

“But it’d be perfect.”

“There should be another way. And it’ll take Fordman a long time to get all the way here.”

“Still, he might be able to get us safely to the Bachenan Holy Kingdom.”

This whole mess came from the careless assumption that the border would be loose.

It was pointless to regret it now. We had to find a solution somehow.

“What if we lure the border guards away and pass through while they’re gone?”

“Could you draw out all of those troops?”

The Danas Federation and the Dior Empire were sworn enemies. Naturally, the border guards of both nations were sensitive.

On top of that, the guard forces were stationed at division-level strength, making it impossible to slip through quietly in any way.

“Hm…….”

While we were still deep in thought, hoofbeats and the sound of wheels echoed from the hill behind us.

Dagadak, dagadak, dagadak.

It was so quiet in the forest that we couldn’t help looking in that direction.

At the same time, Patrick’s expression stiffened slightly.

In contrast, I shouted joyfully.

“Fordman!”

Startled, Fordman turned his head while driving his wagon.

When he spotted me emerging from the forest, he immediately stopped the wagon.

“Master! How are you here?”

“I’m here for something important, of course. More importantly, are you heading toward the Dior Empire to do business?”

The wagon was pointed directly toward the border gate leading into the Dior Empire.

Fordman nodded and answered.

“That’s right. I had some special goods commissioned by the nobles of the Empire. But to think I’d run into you here……. Oh! Patrick! How long has it been!”

At his endlessly babbling outburst, Patrick’s expression seemed to grow even darker.

Yet Fordman didn’t stop talking.

“Oh? There are others with you? I am the wandering merchant Fordman. If you’re accompanying the Master, then of course you must all be people of importance. May I ask your names? Ah, I happen to have a sword perfect for a strong lady—would you like to take a look?”

Fordman, who instantly grasped Deborah’s tastes and tendencies, brought out a sword from the wagon.

Even in a situation he made chaotic himself, his instinct as a merchant was unwavering.

Deborah and Turklan clicked their tongues at that.

“I’m called Deborah…….”

“Ah! Even your name is beautiful. What do you think of this sword? Ah, the gentleman beside you carries an impressive greatsword. I don’t have anything better than that, but I do have a sharpening stone carved from a rock found only in Moratz—one that will make your greatsword shine!”

Fordman held a sword in his right hand and a sharpening stone in his left.

At his unbreakable merchant spirit—always selling no matter the moment—even I let out a small sound of admiration.

“Hey, hey. That’s enough.”

“Ah! Master. My apologies. It’s just that I happened to have goods that would suit your companions.”

At some point, Turklan and Deborah had already taken the items he held out.

As they examined them, their eyes even seemed to glimmer slightly.

“This is pretty good. Is this a sword forged from black steel found only in the southern Dolkin region?”

“You recognized it at a glance! Its durability surpasses any other sword—and the pitch-black sheen surrounding the blade bewilders even enemies!”

At Deborah’s praise, Fordman began rambling on and on with product boasts.

Meanwhile, Turklan also let out a murmur of admiration.

“The whetstone is quite firm, yet it sharpens the edge well. Still, although I’ve used top-grade Moratz whetstones a few times, none were like this…….”

“Ah! So this is your first time seeing a special-grade one! Special-grade Moratz whetstones are secret items the craftsmen there hide away for their own use. I could only acquire a few myself—they’re truly rare.”

“Oh…….”

Had he also mastered the art of enchanting people with words?

Even though he babbled in a frenzy, Deborah and Turklan grew increasingly interested in the goods.

At the sight, I shook my head.

“You really can’t be helped. If you were born in my world, you’d have become the king of shopping malls.”

For the first time in a while, I thought of 21st-century Republic of Korea.

I could even imagine what Fordman would have been like if he were born there.

“Fordman, for now, I want you to help us a bit.”

“Help? Of course! What do you need?”

“We’re trying to cross the border. But Turklan and Miss Deborah can’t let their faces be seen.”

“Oh∼! So you can’t be discovered. Then I’ll help you hide inside the wagon and get across!”

“Would that really work?”

The Border Guard’s inspections were strict. Every wagon that passed earlier had been checked one by one.

Because of that, even I couldn’t think of an alternative.

“It’s more than enough! Just trust me!”

“Still…… hiding in the wagon alone might not be enough.”

I even thought of hanging beneath the wagon, or splitting a barrel with magic and hiding inside it.

But Fordman answered too easily, which made me suspicious.

“Just trust me!”

“Will it really be fine?”

“Crossing borders is something I’ve always done! Even if the Master is amazing, when it comes to border crossings, you won’t beat me.”

“Patrick, what do you think?”

To that question, Patrick covered his ears for a moment before answering.

“Let’s trust him. No matter how noisy…… no, how scatterbrained Fordman is, he knows this kind of thing better than anyone.”

“Heh……. Fine. Let’s do that.”

Turklan and Deborah, who had been looking at the items, boarded the wagon at Fordman’s guidance.

Fordman immediately set up a makeshift wall inside by hanging a cloth and created a space for them.

“Master, you may sit inside. Patrick, sit with me up at the driver’s seat.”

“No. I can ride a horse.”

“I’ll ride, too.”

I didn’t want to squeeze into the wagon.

Besides, I wanted to properly observe the inside of the Dior Empire’s border area.

“If the Master and Patrick suddenly show up riding horses around me—when I normally travel alone—they might grow suspicious. Please follow my lead. I’ll hitch all the horses to the wagon.”

“Is that so? Then it can’t be helped. Patrick, sit next to Fordman.”

“Ah, understood.”

Fordman attached the four additional horses to the wagon that had originally been pulled by two.

Once the six-horse wagon was ready, everyone boarded, and it began moving toward the border.

When the Border Guard standing at the entrance spotted the wagon, they raised their alert posture.

At the same time, Patrick and I tensed slightly.

The distance grew shorter and shorter. Then Fordman raised his hand and waved.

“Hey∼! Long time no see!”

At a time when even passing quietly would be too risky, he chose the most attention-drawing action.

But the Border Guards raised their hands, too, and waved along with Fordman.

“Long time, Fordman!”

It was a far gentler voice than the stern atmosphere I’d been seeing since yesterday.

“Nothing unusual happening, right? You look even thinner than before!”

“Hahaha! We’re always the same. Though we’re troubled by a wanted notice that suddenly came down not long ago.”

“A wanted notice?”

“A mercenary and a princess who murdered the former king of our Empire’s ally, the Mineta Kingdom. Well…… they supposedly fled south, so they likely won’t come this way.”

The guard’s gaze pointed toward a wanted notice posted on the wall.

Seeing that, Fordman naturally nodded his head.

“You must have had a hard time. Here! So I prepared something! Please step aside for a moment.”

Fordman reached his hand into the cloth behind me and pulled out a box.

He immediately handed it over to the Border Guard soldiers.

“What’s this?”

“Have you heard of it? Estabratz—a liquor made from the drunkard mushrooms that grow only in the “Forest of the Drunken Fairy”!”

“E-Estabratz? The “Forest of the Drunken Fairy”—you mean the one in the southern Kingdom of Laboner? Mushrooms from there? Truly?”

The soldiers widened their eyes as they questioned him again.

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