Chapter 40: A Small Horse Pulling a Large Cart (4)

Chapter 40: Square 33 & 34: Break Through Once More!

I remembered Elizabeth would show up around five past 11:00. Not wanting to waste time standing around waiting, I’d spent it browsing more general stores. Since it was all magic items, I hit up shop after shop hoping to find something that might actually work in my favor. Current time, 11:04. Drenched in sweat, I was in the middle of a full sprint.

"Haah, haah, I had plenty of time to spare, and I blew it! You idiot!!!!"

If I missed her and Elizabeth wandered off somewhere, that would be game over right there. Just as my panic hit its peak, I spotted a large cluster of carriages parked along the main street.

"M-made it!"

Elizabeth’s loud laugh carried from up ahead. She didn’t remember me anymore. But there wasn’t time to feel sad about that either.

"You should be proud that your eye earned my approv—"

"Elizabeth!"

I clamped my hand over my own mouth, startled by my own shout. Calling her by name alone like that was a bad first impression to make. Stumbling right out of the gate, Elizabeth glared at me sharply.

"Excuse me? I happen to be speaking with this gentleman right now."

Elizabeth gestured toward the shoe shop owner. Speaking up so suddenly, I’d interrupted their conversation. Already suspicious of me because of this suit, I needed to turn things around fast.

"Please... look at this."

Catching my breath, I showed Elizabeth the tablet screen.

"What is this? Playing some kind of movie?"

Mistake. I’d forgotten to tap the play button. I fumbled with the screen quickly.

"Sorry, here!"

The screen displayed the shopping district street.

"This is... the shopping district."

"Just a little more, and they’ll appear."

Right after that, the collision scene played out. Nest’s face came through clearly, and Elizabeth couldn’t hide her shock.

"What in the world is this!?"

I remembered this question, and how I’d answered it before. Changing the future now would only complicate things. Best to keep saying roughly the same thing as last time.

"This mirror reflects the past. This footage shows a small altercation that happened in the shopping district about ten minutes ago. But I wanted you to understand just how serious an emergency this really is."

Managed to say roughly the same thing. If Elizabeth’s reaction matched, this should go smoothly.

"...Do you know where they are now?"

Same flow of conversation as before, this should be fine.

"If you lend me your help, I will tell you."

Elizabeth furrowed her brow, sinking into deep thought. But I already knew she’d agree.

"...Very well. I will believe that story."

"Thank you. Could I borrow a carriage?"

"Of course. Tender!"

"Yes! Lady Elizabeth!"

Tender brought the carriage over, smiling. The instant I saw that smile, the image of him screaming in madness in that burning city flashed right back into my mind. Pain, fear, despair, all of it hit me at once. A different kind of sweat than the running had produced ran down my forehead, and my body froze up.

"What are you doing!? Hurry up and get in!"

"Ah... right, ...ow!!"

A sharp pain shot through my backside. Elizabeth kicked me straight into the carriage.

"Now then, there’s plenty I intend to ask you. Once this is over, will you have the time?"

"Sure, information as payment, deal."

"Ohhohohoho! Good eyes you’ve got there! Tender! Full speed! Go!!"

"Understood!!!!"

Feeling the carriage lurch forward at full acceleration, I asked Elizabeth something I already knew the answer to.

"Hey, Elizabeth. ...Don’t you have any private guards?"

"No need for anything like that, I am more than enough on my own! Ohhohohoho!"

Feeling an overwhelming sense of relief at those words, I steeled myself. Thinking about the life or death fight about to begin all over again.

—-

The inside of the carriage jolted violently. Weaving skillfully around other carriages on the road without ever slowing down. Far from safe, but there was no time to worry about that.

"Why did you give me this information?"

Elizabeth spoke up, unbothered by the carriage’s shaking. Honestly, I didn’t want to talk, afraid I’d bite my tongue. But because of that, last time I’d cut the conversation short, telling her it could wait. Talking here might change something about what happens next. I tucked my phone away and, careful not to bite my tongue, opened my mouth.

"...People are going to die if this keeps going."

"Yes, that’s true."

"And a child is one of them."

"That’s fairly common, around here."

Fair enough, probably true in a city like this. But at least the deaths that could be prevented, I wanted to do something about those.

"I know it’s hypocritical. Saving what’s in front of me while ignoring what I can’t see. Irresponsible. Maybe it’s the wrong call."

...Even so.

"I don’t want to live with regret. Even if it kills me."

Bracing myself to be laughed at, I looked at Elizabeth’s face. But her eyes were shining brighter than I’d ever seen.

"Wonderful, ...yes, a truly admirable knightly spirit! That resolve, well done!"

Not exactly what I’d call knightly, but sure... With Elizabeth’s approval of me mysteriously rising, our carriage raced at full speed toward Yu’s house.

A single carriage tore down the main street at full speed. Overtaking one carriage after another. Far from safe driving, extremely rough handling. But there was no time to worry about that.

"11:15, huh, ...oh! Right, isn’t there a carrot rigged up on a stick in this carriage?"

"Oh, how did you know that? I was just about to use it."

I pulled the carrot rigged stick out from the wooden box in the back.

"Use this!"

"Leave it to me!"

Tender grabbed the carrot stick and rigged it up right away. Thanks to that, the carriage picked up even more speed. Currently 11:16. The girl’s house was just up ahead.

"Turn right up there!!"

"Understood!"

The two horses carved a clean turn. Tender’s handling of the horses really was something else. Occasionally his hand glowed faintly white, maybe he was showing the horses some kind of illusion.

"That house with the red roof, correct!?"

"Yeah, that’s it!"

Saying that, I noticed something. Right in front of the house we were heading straight toward, a familiar silhouette stood.

"That’s the Fulm brothers’ eldest!"

The slim man. At this speed, impressive she could even make him out.

"Tender!!! Aim to run him straight over, full speed ahead, carriage and all!!!"

"Whaat!? U-understood!!!!"

The slim man dodged nimbly to the side. In that moment, I caught a glimpse through the window glass of what was happening inside. The house was in an absolute life or death situation. I shouted with everything I had, from inside the carriage!

"GOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!"

CRAAAAAAAAAAAAAASH!!!!!!!!!!

The sound of shattering glass. The sound of a wall breaking apart. The clash of metal. A horse’s cry. All of it mixed into one deafening roar. The carriage smashed straight through the wall in a spectacular breach, tearing through the opposite wall before finally coming to a stop.

We made it! Barely, but we made it!! The sight of Nest’s face as we crashed in stirred up my anger all over again. The resentment of having been killed, over and over, wasn’t something that just faded easily.

"...Ufufu, how flashy. I do like flashy things, but I hate being interrupted."

"Ow ow ow. Lady Elizabeth! Are you satisfied now!?"

"Perfectly. We couldn’t have made a bigger entrance!!"

"Heeey, sis. What do we do about this old guy?"

"Leave him be. This is starting to look like more trouble than it’s worth."

I looked at the carriage door, but it was too warped to open. Venting my anger at Nest onto it instead, I kicked it open with everything I had. Stepping out of the wrecked carriage, my eyes met Nest’s, standing right in front of me.

"This time... I’m ending this, Nest!!!"

"Aren’t you full of energy. I might just end up killing you."

Here we go again. No matter how many times it takes. I couldn’t afford to give up now. Once again, I stood to face the nightmare.