Risou no Himo Seikatsu - Volume 13 - Chapter 2

Chapter 2 — The Rite of Age

Several days later, the day had come to send Eric to Capua. Zenjirou had sent a maid home with a letter to give them warning, so while he had no way of checking, the Capuan palace—and Aura specifically—should be aware of the foreign prince’s arrival.

Eric would head to Capua this afternoon. Tomorrow, Zenjirou would set out into the mountains to take the Rite of Age.

The rite meant going out to sea or into the mountains and bringing back prey suitable to prove one’s adulthood. Originally. only the minors taking the rite would go, but nowadays, companions were allowed. However, while they could offer advice, they could not offer assistance. If he relied on their aid, it would be seen as a failure. The biggest “prey” Zenjirou had managed so far would be the beetles or frogs he had caught as a child, so it weighed rather heavily on him.

“Your Majesty,” Freya asked him with concern as they walked to the room where Eric was awaiting them. “Are you sure you do not wish to take Skaji?”

She had offered the warrior she trusted most—both in terms of personality and ability—to accompany him, but Zenjirou had turned her down, saying he would allow Eric to make the choice. Naturally, Natalio had intended to accompany him as well and was considerably against his decision, but Zenjirou’s course had not yet faltered.

Skaji aside, not taking Natalio was an unavoidable decision. The season was still spring, and the mountains Zenjirou were heading into were still completely covered with snow. The temperature dropped considerably during the night as well. While Natalio was overwhelmingly stronger than Zenjirou in terms of fighting ability and stamina, he would quite possibly be nothing more than a burden under those conditions.

Zenjirou had spent his childhood in a place that saw at least decent amounts of snow. He was also a relatively competent skier. At least, in terms of modern high-efficiency skis. He didn’t have the courage to try and ski through the mountains with the narrow strips of wood lathered in the wax that this world used. Skaji, an accomplished skier as well, had offered to teach him, and he might even get a taste for this world’s skis someday, but that would not happen now.

“I will be fine. While it might be shallow thinking, I have an idea, at least. It would be better in that respect if I had no absolute allies with me.”

“Did your discussion with my father influence that?” she asked.

The discussion had taken place the day after the decisions about Eric’s trip to Capua and Zenjirou’s Rite of Age had been made. It was a conversation without any outsiders, just the two of them, so he had been away from even his guards and maids. It had mostly concerned a minor request from Gustav and an agreement that when that request was fulfilled, he would accept the concubine proposal.

Zenjirou had been unable to hide his shock at the unexpected acceleration of events, but it was more than he could ask for. The problem was that the request was not precisely easy to accomplish. After considering it for an evening, he had come up with a reasonable strategy.

The conversation had been with a king, without any attendants, so it went without saying that secrecy was the name of the game here, which meant he couldn’t answer her question with either agreement or disagreement. She seemed to have expected the lack of an answer and didn’t prompt him for a real response. Instead, he felt her examining his expression in detail.

Then, Skaji spoke from behind them. “Are you certain that is all you wish to take?”

Zenjirou would be leaving tomorrow, so his gear was already prepared. He had no sense for the kind of tools that would be needed to hunt in the snowy mountains, so Skaji—who had prodigious skill in hunting as well—had prepared everything for him. However, Zenjirou had pared down what he was taking even from what she called the absolute minimum. It was therefore hardly a surprise she would be worried. Unfortunately, however, Zenjirou didn’t have the stamina to take everything she deemed bare essentials.

“I am. I am sure that if you see it as essential, it is, but I lack the skill to use much of it. I lack the strength to carry it all as well.”

“Will you not take at least a bow or spear? Using one that your companions are carrying will be considered a failure.”

Those were the first two things Zenjirou had decided against, and for a simple reason. He didn’t have the ability to use either of them. It could take months of training just to shoot an arrow in a straight line, and learning spearwork was out of the question. He didn’t have the courage to face even a deer with a spear, let alone a bear or boar. Instead, he was taking multiple types of traps.

“They say trapping takes even longer to learn than using a bow or spear,” Skaji said with a sour look. If you couldn’t find an animal’s tracks, deceive its senses, and outwit it, you wouldn’t catch anything. However, there was the advantage that even if you failed to catch anything, you wouldn’t be hurt.

“Right. It is worth the attempt, though. I’ll simply do what I can,” he replied lightly.

“I see.”

If he couldn’t bring down any prey, he wouldn’t pass the rite. With no bow or spear, and seeing traps as “worth the attempt,” it seemed highly unlikely he would manage.

Skaji glanced towards her liege, but Freya simply smiled back. If he didn’t manage to pass, her desires of becoming his concubine would not come to be. She should find how lightly he was treating it to be an issue too, but she was not going to place any further burdens upon him.

Both Capua and Uppasala wanted intercontinental trade. As Gustav had said, some other noble girl would allow things to go much more smoothly, and it could even be possible to reach an agreement without a marriage. Freya was the one who had made things more complicated by adding in her own wants. That was the reason she wouldn’t place any further burden on him. Still, she was not surrendering her dream.

“Skaji, I’d like to get in touch with Yngvi. Arrange it as soon as possible,” she told her companion quietly, so that the warrior was the only one who could hear.

Eric was already waiting when Zenjirou and the others arrived.

“Apologies for the delay,” Zenjirou stated, since Eric had been waiting on them, even if there was plenty of time before the agreed-upon hour.

“It is hardly worth mention, Your Majesty,” he replied, raising a hand and letting it pass. These conversations were the same, whichever continent you were from.

With the greetings finished, Zenjirou inspected the prince’s outfit. If he had to sum it up in a single phrase, it would be “embellished combat gear.” While it was attractive, the armor and sword hanging from Eric’s waist were both clearly made with the assumption they would be used. The armor was colorful and polished to a sheen with a two-part structure of thick steel and lighter leather. The sheath and pommel of the sword were decorated with gems, but the handle itself was wrapped in plain, rough leather to make sure it wouldn’t slip.

While it was a somewhat disquieting sight, it was a fact that a male royal in Uppasala would be ready for combat even if they were in formal wear. Skaji had worn a uniform of some type to the banquets in Capua, but that was a more informal version, much like Zenjirou’s third outfit. Even if that wasn’t the case, telling someone to go into a completely unknown land unarmed would be rather difficult.

The prince was also carrying a cylindrical item wrapped in a gorgeous blue cloth, but nothing else. It looked like a sword to offer as a gift. It was probably just as usable—if not more so—than the sword hanging from his waist. Uppasala’s blacksmithing was unmistakably better than Capua’s, so it was a worthwhile gift.

“I have already sent word, so you will be treated as a guest of honor. You will not find yourself overly inconvenienced,” Zenjirou told him.

He had been about to say that the prince should not find himself overly inconvenienced, but stated it more firmly instead. While he was wary of making such a firm statement without any information, he was the one responsible for the situation, so he could not afford to be vague.

“I am sure.” Eric nodded. He seemed to have completely readied himself over the past few days and didn’t appear to be at all perturbed about heading alone to an unknown country.

“I am ready to send you at any point, so would you like to go immediately?” Zenjirou asked.

“No, wait a moment. I would like to finish things before I leave. These people will be accompanying you on your rite.”

The five men standing behind him stepped forward at his introduction. Their ages varied. One was over forty, one was younger than twenty, and the other three were in their mid-thirties. The commonality between them was their build. Each of them was easily over 180 centimeters and had muscles that were even and well trained.

“They are all trusted retainers. All of them are skilled warriors, but even more skilled hunters. With the five of them with you, I can guarantee you will be at no risk of losing life or limb.”

“I am Victor,” the eldest said, putting a fist to his chest as he spoke on their behalf. “While we are limited in what we can do for your rite, we will help you as much as possible within those restrictions.” The greeting he gave wasn’t refined noble etiquette, but a warrior or hunter’s greeting.

“I am Zenjirou. I look forward to it,” Zenjirou replied, remembering his private discussion with the king.

While this Victor was one of Eric’s confidants, he was also Gustav’s and worked to further his goals.

The rest of the men had—at a closer look—expressions of anger or disdain towards him. The youngest in particular was outright glaring. It was hardly a surprise for Eric’s confidants. A few days ago, the verbal argument between Zenjirou and Eric had nearly ended with Eric drawing his sword in earnest. It would be more of an issue if they didn’t find themselves ill-disposed to him with their liege in that situation.

Still, even with that bias against him, the warriors of Uppasala would follow their leader’s orders. Eric had ordered them to do their utmost to protect Zenjirou, so they would obey. If they did not and Zenjirou was hurt, then the faith in both the soldiers and their lord would suffer with the latter having guaranteed his safety.

That said, Zenjirou was rather hesitant to entrust his life to those who disliked him, especially considering his normal caution—particularly when one considered that fulfilling his agreement with the king would require further irritating them.

It made sense that he was being asked to do something so extreme, considering he was asking for their first princess’s hand in marriage while only being a prince consort himself, but that didn’t lessen the pressure any. With his stomach feeling like it was on fire, Zenjirou recited the statement he had already prepared.

“Incidentally, I want to confirm something. In order to pass the Rite of Age, I cannot accept any help but advice from you. To do so would result in failure, correct?”

“Precisely,” Victor agreed.

Zenjirou continued, “As far as I have heard, there is no limit on the number of attempts one can make. Even after repeated failures, a single success is enough to pass. Can I assume the same holds true for me? If that is the case then I will likely be relying on you multiple times.”

With actual hunters by his side, they could hunt until the sunset, then assuming he caught nothing, he could call it a day, return to their camp—with the hunters taking watch, of course—and come back from the mountains with their aid the next morning. Then, once he had recovered, he could try again several days later, repeating the whole process until he succeeded. At the very least, that was not forbidden by the modern rules of the rite.

There were people from wealthier families who were removed from fighting, hunting, and fishing who did precisely that to succeed. The group’s faces turned sour at his question, though. He had already predicted that would happen, as slipping through loopholes in the rules wasn’t something they were happy with.

After a few moments of thought, the prince spoke up. “Frankly, that is not something we would prefer. At the very least, you should be prepared for negotiations to be much harder compared to completing the rite in a single trip. Additionally, should that happen, I would like to arrange my return after that first attempt. As I have said, I am not possessed of much free time.”

Fortunately, the conditions Eric proposed were all what Zenjirou had expected. Of course, simply accepting them as is would be dangerous. Part of Zenjirou’s guarantee against the displeasure of his companions was that he was the only one who could bring Eric back from the Southern Continent. Put bluntly, he could consider it taking Eric hostage to guarantee his own safety. With his cowardly disposition, there was no way he would have the courage to have Eric’s most trusted as his only guarantee of safety as he headed into the mountains.

He forced a smile as he added his own conditions. “Very well. Assuming I fail, I shall bring you back to Uppasala. I will simply do my utmost to ensure my marriage to Princess Freya is accepted. However, I must admit to some concern in regard to that.”

His expression was tight, not hiding his nerves or fear. Honestly, it was a rather pathetic look he had. However, Eric’s memories of being taken in by that expression a few days prior meant that he was, if anything, more vigilant rather than letting his guard down.

“And that is?”

Zenjirou responded to the harsh question. “If it will improve my chances even a little, then I would prefer to accomplish the rite with only one attempt. Simply hunting during the day and returning from the mountains each time will take too long. That would be against your wishes as well.”

“It would indeed,” the prince responded warily. While he didn’t know where the conversation was going, he wouldn’t take back his statement of only a few moments ago.

“That leads to some unavoidable concerns. If I have to withdraw due to my companions’ circumstances rather than my own, would that count as a failure?”

There was a pause. “Hm? What do you mean?”

Even though Eric was listening carefully, he couldn’t understand what Zenjirou was trying to imply. That wasn’t just the case for him—Victor and the others couldn’t understand where the conversation was going either.

“Do you mean if they advise you to return considering your state? In that case, the final decision will still be yours, so you cannot call it ‘their’ circumstances.”

Zenjirou could hear his heart racing as he shook his head. “No, it is simpler than that. I mean, if someone other than me says that they cannot take anymore and want to return. Or, more bluntly, if they could not keep up and left me behind.”

Dead silence filled the room. Eric had gone past anger to simply being aghast. Even without his own admission, it was visible just by looking. Zenjirou was an amateur. As a warrior and a hunter alike. Even as a simple hiker. Eric considered it unlikely that he would manage to succeed in the rite, even if he was blessed with luck.

And yet, Zenjirou was concerned that handpicked warriors and hunters would not be able to keep up with him. Eric didn’t even get angry, he just sighed and gave a huff of dark amusement as he chided Zenjirou.

“Your Majesty, that is not something you need to worry about. However likely the converse is, it is absolutely impossible they will be unable to keep up with you.”

Zenjirou quite wanted to firmly agree, but doing so wouldn’t help things here. He kept his strained smile on his face as he said something even he thought was ridiculous.

“Still, even the most skilled can slip. Used to the mountains they may be, but they could come down with a fever during the trip. Even the most surefooted can misstep, and I want to know how that would be taken.”

Anyone could tell it was essentially pointless posturing. While it was possible, there was no end to such possibilities.

There was obvious displeasure on Eric’s face. The fact that he still remained wary was proof of how vividly he remembered being caught out several days ago. Still, he had to show utmost faith in his men, and it was indeed how he felt.

“Impossible.”

His swift dismissal was exactly what Zenjirou was hoping for.

“I see, then I can assume that there is absolutely no possibility whatsoever that I will be delayed by their circumstances?”

“You can.”

“And if that should still happen, it will completely overturn everything agreed upon thus far. Are you prepared for that?”

“I am. I trust these people.”

Even as Zenjirou felt awkward about repeatedly making the point, Eric’s affirmations didn’t change.

“Very well. That is all I have to ask.”

“Then our business is finished. I am ready when you are, Your Majesty,” the prince said, facing him again.

“Very well. I shall cast the spell. It can feel akin to seasickness if you are unused to it, but it is not dangerous.”

“Understood. Do it. Victor, I leave the rest to you.”

“Yes, sir,” the warrior replied.

“Let us begin, then. Send all things in the space that I envision to the place that I desire. As compensation, I offer...”

With the spell cast, Eric vanished to Capua.

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

The next day, with all of his preparations made, Zenjirou traveled by carriage for about an hour and arrived at the foot of the mountains.

They were not particularly high, and the foot of the range was wide and rolling. It was not what someone from Japan would expect from a mountain. They would probably call it a hill at best. It was covered in thick trees, though. It was also still covered in snow—perhaps since those trees shielded it from the sun—making it obvious that despite its height, it was not something that amateurs would climb.

The lower-than-expected hill coupled with the more-treacherous-than-expected path were practically the worst conditions for Zenjirou.

“Victor, are there any steep slopes, or preferably cliffs, within the hunting grounds?” he asked.

If there weren’t, then his plan was flawed from the start. Still, he kept his worries concealed behind a poker face. His guard and guide looked puzzled at the question, but he answered, “There are several places that fall under those conditions, but with our guidance, I assure you that you will not run afoul of any of them.”

Zenjirou breathed a sigh of relief at the middle-aged man’s response before shaking his head. “Quite the opposite. I’d like you to guide me to one. Even a wild animal can die from a fall, so chasing something off the cliffs could work.”

“Ah, I see,” Victor responded, somewhat impressed. “Then I shall do so.”

It was indeed a valid method, it seemed. With the rules of the Rite of Age, Zenjirou could not accept anything other than words of advice from the five men. However, they would also not leave his side, to ensure they could protect him if the need arose.

The mountains were commonly used as hunting grounds for the Rite of Age. Therefore, the animals within them were well aware of the threat that humans posed. Because of that, even wolves and bears would flee at the first sight of humans, let alone deer and reindeer.

Everyone other than Zenjirou would be no threat to the animals, but wild animals would have no concept of their circumstances. Whether they tried to or not, the five of them would aid in driving the animals away. It certainly seemed like a viable method. At the very least, it sounded more likely to be successful than Zenjirou racing after them.

While Victor had indicated some approval, the other four were less than enthused. They saw using the mountains without actually breaking the rules as petty and weak. From the perspective of an Uppasalan warrior, it was an entirely correct viewpoint.

“Still, Your Majesty, are you sure you have enough?” Victor asked, concerned about how lightly Zenjirou was equipped for a trip that could last for days.

He was currently dressed in clothing that was not his third uniform or any of the things he had brought from Japan. Instead, he was wearing leather pants that Skaji had chosen along with a thick shirt. He had a short leather coat atop it, and his feet were covered by solid leather boots that came midway up his calf. All of his clothes were fairly resistant to water and snow, and good enough to keep any sticks and stones from actually jabbing his skin.

Since Skaji had picked them all out, his outfit was much the same as what Victor and the others were wearing. In other words, they were acceptable clothes for heading into the mountains to hunt during this season.

The problem was the equipment he had on his back. Frankly, there wasn’t much of it. His pack wasn’t even half the size of the others’. They all had waterskins that would hold a liter, while Zenjirou’s would hold a quarter of that.

“Yes, this is enough,” he replied.

“Your Majesty, the closest cliff that I know of is at least six days’ hike at a hunter’s pace. Pardon my rudeness, but attempting a round trip with your provisions is reckless.”

While this was the first time the distance to the cliff had been brought up, he had been warned several times about the amount of provisions he was bringing. Therefore, his answer remained the same as ever.

“I thank you for your advice, but it is unnecessary.”

“If your life is in danger, then we will offer our own provisions, but please be aware that will constitute a failure.”

“I know. You should all take care as well; if the converse happens, then Prince Eric’s words will be much lighter.”

“The converse?” Victor asked in confusion.

Zenjirou kept his voice level. “If I have to offer you provisions, then his introduction of you as ‘skilled hunters’ would become a falsehood.”

The other four men glared viciously at him. You could practically hear the youngest of them gritting his teeth.

“Very well. We will do our utmost to ensure that does not happen.” Victor waved his hand to calm the others.

Four hours later, their anger had vanished like mist.

“Are you okay, Your Majesty? Can I offer you a hand? Ah, that would be a failure, though,” the youngest asked, amusement clear in his voice as he mocked Zenjirou.

“No need,” Zenjirou said, with even that much taking a huge amount of effort.

The snow-covered forest was more dangerous than he had expected. Victor wasn’t mocking him, simply choosing the easiest route to take, but it was still extremely difficult.

The terrain was uneven and there was no place he could put his feet down flat. The fallen leaves that were covered with snow—and the mossy roots—were treacherous. Simply keeping himself upright and walking was an extreme task for him. Every step could lead to a fall, and the uneven terrain meant that a fall would hurt. Once he was hurt, it would make further progress even harder. A stubbed toe could wear away at your concentration, and a twisted ankle would slow him down immensely. Hence the careful progress to avoid any such injuries.

It meant they were practically crawling, and the constant tension was wearing on him both physically and mentally. The temperature was in the single digits, and they were progressing through the shade, but Zenjirou was still dripping with sweat and gasping for breath. He had grown up in the countryside, so he used to go bug-hunting, fishing, and generally playing out in nature. However, the hunting grounds were entirely different from the woods he had been allowed to play in alone.

To be blunt, he was moving about as fast as a woman or child would from Uppasala’s perspective. The journey so far had let Victor get a handle on Zenjirou’s stamina, and he called out quietly from behind.

“Your Majesty, there is a clearing just up ahead. Perhaps we could take a break there?”

“Very well.”

It was obviously an unplanned break out of consideration for Zenjirou. Despite being all too aware of that, he didn’t have the energy to be stubborn here.

Although the clearing was “just up ahead” according to Victor, it still took Zenjirou an hour to reach it. He was the only one who was blatantly exhausted, but the others still took the chance to rest.

Of course, Zenjirou was undergoing the rite, so he had no assistance from them as he took his break. Meanwhile, the others had no such restriction and split the work between them, ready in moments. Two gathered firewood while another cleared the ground. Another gathered large logs and vines to make a simple three-legged structure, and the final person did nothing but keep an eye on their surroundings, maintaining Zenjirou’s protection.

With their preparations quickly finished, the guards poured their water into a big metal pot, then threw dried meat and vegetables into it, making something akin to an instant soup on the open fire. The salted meat began to smell fragrant as it regained water and tickled his nose.

While the warriors took their warm soup, Zenjirou ate his own meal. He spread out the sea drake skin he had gotten from Skaji on a relatively flat and dry piece of land before dropping his pack and water skin on it. He took some white bread and sausage from his bag, along with some pickled cabbage, and ate them as they were, washing them down with the cold water from the leather-smelling skin. It was a pitiful meal in comparison to his escorts’, but there was no choice. He didn’t have a pot to cook with, and even gathering the firewood would take up the rest of their break.

He regretted not bringing the static flame he had used on the ship. Still, it was fairly heavy so that it could be fixed in place, so he would probably have regretted bringing it even more.

Either way, letting himself rest after eating and drinking allowed him to recover his mental and physical stamina.

“Victor, how long will it take to reach the cliff at our current pace?”

The man scowled somewhat after finishing his own simple meal, but answered regardless. “At our current pace, it should be about ten days. However, camping will lead to a build-up of exhaustion, so doing so will be impossible. Regardless, you do not have the provisions for a twenty-day round trip, do you?” he asked calmly, looking at Zenjirou’s small pack.

He was entirely right, but Zenjirou ignored that and asked the same question. “Is that not the case for you? I doubt you have the food and water for twenty days with you. If we return because of your circumstances, that would be falsifying Prince Eric’s claims.”

While his words were provocative, their current situation made them seem like nothing more than empty bluster. Victor sighed and shook his head.

“No, this is merely advice. You may be misunderstanding, but we alone will manage. As you say, we do not have the food and water for a full twenty days. However, as you can see, there is snow if you merely look. We can find firewood and melt it to secure drinking water. While there is little prey during spring, it is still there, and there are edible plants. If it comes to it, we can eat insects. Alone, we could last for however long we need to.”

Zenjirou forgot his act for a moment and let out an impressed noise at their survival skills surpassing his expectations. Still, he soon schooled his expression and continued. “Just to be certain, do the rest of you agree?” he asked the others. “Do you all agree that I need pay no mind to your circumstances?”

The four immediately nodded in agreement.

“Indeed. The only concern we might have is that moving so slowly is tiring,” the youngest said mockingly. Despite the inherent scorn in his voice, the malicious rage was absent now, with the man having entirely discounted Zenjirou as inferior.

It was perfect for Zenjirou. He would sooner take contempt than active hostility. Either way, he had gotten what he wanted from the five. Once they were done, and he had recovered, he stood up.

“Then let us depart once we are packed up. Victor, I appreciate your direction.”

“Of course,” Victor responded.

The group was soon ready, waiting for him to say as much. They continued for about three hours after their lunch, and the sun was starting to take on a reddish tinge as it dipped westwards.

“I-I’ll leave it here for today,” Zenjirou wheezed, calling an end to the trip.

As Victor had worried, the afternoon had seen them covering less ground than the morning. As far as sunlight was concerned, they could keep going for another hour or so, but Zenjirou’s stamina was a problem.

“If you have no objections, after breakfast tomorrow, we will start from here,” Zenjirou said, looking around as he managed to catch his breath.

“I do not mind, but are you well, Your Majesty?”

Even Victor had a somewhat exasperated look on his face. “If you have no objections” sounded like empty posturing at this point.

The men behind him were all looking at Zenjirou like he was simply an extra burden that talked a good game.

“It is a rather early end to the day. Still, it is a wise decision. It takes amateurs a significant amount of time to make camp. You won’t be able to do anything once it gets dark either,” the youngest said mockingly.

“I thank you for your concern. However, you should worry about yourself more than me,” Zenjirou responded, looking around again.

Keeping the sullen hunter in the corner of his eye, he found something which would work as a landmark before dropping his pack and beginning his preparations.

“Your Majesty?” Victor asked in puzzlement.

Zenjirou wasn’t getting ready to make camp, but doing something far stranger. He didn’t respond, just pulled out a camera from his pack and started taking a photo of the characteristic features. There was an oddly warped tree along with a largish rock. There was also the mountain vista just visible through the trees.

Once he had finished taking the photos, he manipulated the camera to show another one. It was an image of a room in the palace—the guest room he had been assigned.

He shouldered his pack again and then took some deep breaths to get his breathing entirely in order. Finally, he was breathing evenly again.

“I shall set out from here in the morning once I have eaten. You are free to do as you wish until then, but ensure you are gathered here before I leave. Until then.”

With assistance from the camera, Zenjirou chanted the incantation for teleportation.

“Send all things in the space that I envision to the place that I desire. As compensation, I offer...”

A moment later, Zenjirou vanished from in front of the warriors.

“Huh?”

“What the?!”

“Uh?”

“What happened?”

“He...vanished?”

Uppasala had advanced technology but lagged behind with magic—with their rulers not even having lineal magic—so their warriors couldn’t truly understand what they had just seen. More accurately, they could not understand what it would mean for them going forward.

The young hunter’s response was a given, but not even Gustav’s warning had let Victor understand the difficulty they were in for.

Meanwhile, having succeeded at the spell, Zenjirou was now inside his guest room.

“Welcome back, Sir Zenjirou,” Ines greeted him.

The incomparably warmer air and familiar voice from Ines let Zenjirou truly feel like he was safe again.

“It’s good to be back. Sorry to ask so soon, but I’d like to use the sauna if you can arrange it.”

While walking through the forest had made him feel flushed with heat, he was now chilled to the bone. He was simultaneously aware of the heat on his skin and the cold permeating his bones.

“Of course. I have already made the arrangements, so you can use it right away. Will you head straight there?”

“Yeah, please.”

He couldn’t hide a strained smile at how well she had anticipated his needs. The original plan had been for him to be out until around four in the afternoon, but it was only around half past three now. The fact that she had made sure the sauna would be ready significantly earlier than planned meant she had foreseen the possibility that he would be returning early.

While she was guiding him there, he spoke to keep the conversation going. “Did anything happen while I was away?”

“Nothing in particular. However, King Gustav, Prince Yngvi, Princess Freya, and Sir Völundr have asked to meet.”

“Völundr?” Zenjirou asked, not knowing the name.

Still, it was rather obvious that all of them would want to meet him as he took a break. Zenjirou wasn’t going to waste that much time, though.

“Got it. I’d like to meet Princess Freya first and ask about the others. I have heard a bit about the king and prince, but I don’t know this Völundr. I’d like to ask about the other two as well, just to be sure. I’m tired tonight, since it was the first day, and I’d rather avoid it for the next two days just in case, but I should be able to meet with one of them each night afterwards.”

“Very well. I shall make the preparations.”

Zenjirou proceeded just as he had planned, using the sauna and eating before going to sleep early in his soft, warm bed.

The next morning, after eating the breakfast Ines brought him, he got ready in the same way as yesterday, using the images from the camera to aid his visualization before casting his spell.

In an instant, Zenjirou went from the guest room to standing among the still snow-covered trees. It seemed that the warriors had followed his instructions. When he appeared, all five of them were in front of him.

“So, you’re all here. Let us head off, then. Victor, if you would.”

None of them seemed to fully understand the situation after just one night. They couldn’t hide their confusion even though Zenjirou made things as plain as possible for them.

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Three days later, the hunters—particularly Victor—finally understood the situation they’d been placed in. Zenjirou had done the same each night—in other words, relaxed and eaten in the palace before coming back to the meeting place they had agreed on the day before, to head back out. Then, they would break for lunch before getting started again. Once the sun started to set, he would leave them behind and head back to the palace alone, where he used the sauna and had a warm meal, then slept like a log in his heavenly bed. The next morning he would teleport back.

The warriors couldn’t stand it. Zenjirou could just mosey back to the palace, while they were stuck camping. Additionally, he had followed Victor’s warning from the first day that they wouldn’t keep up the same pace, and his speed had dropped considerably from the second day. At their current pace, it seemed like it would be even longer than ten days to make the first leg of the trip.

There were no issues yet. There was more than enough food and water, and three days were not enough to sap their stamina. With this situation continuing for at least a dozen or so more days, their experience made it clear what kind of future they were in for.

It was also at least another dozen or so days. Zenjirou managing the hike that quickly would itself have been rather good fortune. After three days, though, his footing was surer, and as Zenjirou was walking over open ground, Victor hesitantly questioned him.

“Your Majesty, if you will pardon a question? What are your plans if you cannot find any prey when we arrive?”

“To keep trying until I do. I can keep trying for a hundred—or even two hundred—days until I manage it.”

As Victor had expected, it was the worst answer he could receive.

“A...hundred?!” the youngest hunter yelped from behind them.

It was neither a joke nor a threat, though, simply the truth. With teleportation making daily trips possible, a hundred or two hundred days would be no issue for him. Especially once they reached their objective, he wouldn’t have to keep traveling as he had so far. It was not a real concern for him. As soon as he felt a little tired, he could head back and return to continue the next day. And it could well take up to a hundred days for an amateur like Zenjirou to bring down some worthy prey.

It would be the other hunters, who had to keep camping, who would feel the burden. They hadn’t been lying when they had claimed they could live off the land even when their provisions ran out, but they had not envisioned doing that for a hundred or more days. If they had, they would have brought more gear, or possibly even the equipment to make a temporary lodge out of logs to be in for the long haul.

The current equipment they had made such a long period in the mountains fairly dangerous even for accomplished hunters.

“Your Majesty, perhaps we should all head back and resupply first?” the young hunter suggested.

Zenjirou gave an exaggerated look of surprise.

“I have no issues. I will not see this cut short due to your circumstances. I checked with both you as a group and Prince Eric several times. Perhaps you are losing your nerve? Does that mean I can just assume that all of Prince Eric’s claims were false?”

There was a brief silence.

“It does not.”

The man was gritting his teeth so firmly that someone standing next to him would have heard them grinding against each other, but he still managed to offer a denial. Seeing the danger, Victor cut in as the one in charge.

“Your Majesty, with the Rite of Age, we can only offer advice, but we will do the most that we can within those confines.”

The other men showed their agreement. This wasn’t a polite fiction, but an honest declaration. After all, until Zenjirou succeeded, they would be stuck in the forest and their liege would be stranded on the Southern Continent.

“I look forward to it,” Zenjirou replied.

Likability aside, their goals were now completely aligned.