Chapter 4: The Way Back Home
As the equipment of a well-maintained imperial soldier became available, I advanced alone on the road back to my country, carrying the equipment on my back without returning to the town.
To avoid being noticed for carrying imperial equipment, I camouflaged myself using cloth and firewood.
If I used the sacred technique to conceal my presence further, people passing by on the road would not pay attention to me.
There was actually a problem with this technique of concealing my presence, which I discovered while walking along the road.
The "power" of the sacred technique is something like vitality or qi-gong from a previous life.
Increasing that power also means increasing the burden on my physical strength.
Despite discovering such a problem, I walked along the road happily, feeling that I had found a good technique.
Since I had been training in swordsmanship and survival in the mountains of the Nonette Kingdom since I was ten years old, even if my strength weakened, walking alone along a well-maintained road was easy.
After walking leisurely for half a day, I sensed a familiar presence behind me.
When I turned around, I saw Alektem running towards me with sweat on his forehead.
I released the sacred technique and waved my hand to let him know of my presence.
Alektem seemed to have found me and approached me with a relieved expression, adjusting his walking speed.
"Hey, Mimo. Sorry to keep you waiting."
"No, I enjoyed my solo trip. So, how much did we earn?"
"I collected a lot of equipment, and even after buying travel supplies, I still had money left over."
"We also have money from the leather bag given to us by the soldiers, knights, and princess of the Mudou Kingdom, so we made a big profit."
Alektem whispered in response.
"Milimos-sama, where have you kept the short sword that was given to you by Princess Parubera?"
"If that's what you're looking for, it's right here."
When I tapped my waist to indicate its location, Alektem made a frown.
"Was it really that shabby-looking?"
"It used to look quite splendid. But I wrapped it in rags to avoid drawing the attention of strange people during our travels."
I proudly defended my idea, but Alektem made a gesture to hold his head in pain.
"Milimos-sama, you are a prince after all. You should know that the items worn by members of the royal family bear the emblem of the kingdom."
"I know that, but what's wrong with that?"
Confused by his statement, I asked him to clarify, and Alektem started to hold his head in distress.
"The emblem of the royal family is the symbol of the country's prestige. Covering it up with rags is like slapping the face of the king."
"Oh, I see. I didn't know that. Well, it's not like anyone from the knightly kingdom will see the state of this short sword since we're in the empire's territory. When the journey is over, I'll remove the rags."
As I laughed and told him that there was no need to worry, Alektem's gaze inexplicably turned to the sky.
"...Milimos-sama's thoughts are difficult for an ordinary person like me to understand."
I heard Alektem muttering to himself, but it didn't seem like anything to worry about.
After all, it's impossible for anyone to truly understand someone else's thoughts.
"Let's forget about the short sword and hurry back home. If the Marshal and his retainer remain absent for too long, it will reflect poorly on the country's image."
"That's right. Since we have to take a detour, we should make haste."
Although Alektem's voice sounded resigned, I decided to ignore it and move forward on the road.
Now, the journey to return to our country has begun.
Me and Alektem continued our journey through the imperial territory.
To return from the imperial territory to my country, there are two routes.
One is the road that passes through the small country of Mendashium, which borders the empire - it is a shorter route as it is adjacent to Nonette, my home country.
In fact, this is the route we used when we went to the empire.
However, there is one problem.
Mendashium considers Nonette to be an enemy country and although they do not engage in wars as frequently as the Empire and the Knight's country, they are a troublesome presence that often launches attacks.
Apparently, they want the mines that Nonette possesses and have even invaded once during my lifetime.
Also, it seems that Mendashium has a good relationship with the empire - or rather, all countries adjacent to the empire are like its colonies.
Therefore, if we, as citizens of Nonette, an enemy country of the empire, were to be caught walking around with imperial equipment, we would be quickly beaten up and stripped naked.
The reason we were able to pass safely on our way was that we didn't have anything valuable. If we did, we would have been attacked and robbed.
Therefore, this route cannot be used for important trips.
The other route is the one that follows the border between the empire and the neighboring countries.
Unlike in my past life, the border lines between countries in this world are quite vague.
The reason for this vague border is that buffer zones are established between countries.
If we pass through these vague areas, we can return to Nonette without being caught.
However, there are problems with this route too.
Because the areas where the country's control is vague, there is no personnel to maintain security, making it a very dangerous place.
In some of the villages scattered in this area, all residents are said to be thieves, making it an infamous lawless zone.
Since the path is not maintained, it is common to encounter wild animals and monsters during the journey.
From the above, it is clear that this route is also very dangerous.
However, unlike the route through Mendashium, there is an advantage.
No matter how much we cause chaos in this area, the empire will not receive any information about it.
The Empire would never believe what lawless individuals say, and if unnecessary reports were made, there was a risk that Imperial soldiers would invade under the guise of verifying information. If someone mistook the invading soldiers for prey and attacked them, it would result in the destruction of all criminal organizations in the buffer zone as retaliation.
Because such a worst-case scenario is conceivable, it seems that the lawless individuals maintain their independence and do not get involved with not only the Empire but also other countries, sticking to their own villages and organizations.
Anyway, the point is that it is worth taking some risks if the information that we are carrying equipment for the Empire does not leak out.
Leaving the Imperial territory, we entered the buffer zone between small countries.
Me and Alektem walked on unpaved roads, advanced along animal trails, and pushed through thickets.
If we lost our way, we stopped and confirmed the unmoving terrain as a landmark before continuing on.
If we met wild animals along the way, I would fight them with sacred magic and a sword and make them our dinner for the day.
"Milimos-sama, your sword skills are as sharp as ever. However, wouldn't it be better to use the swords and armor of the Imperial soldiers we brought with us?"
Alektem grumbled while cooking, but that was not a problem.
"I secured this sword and armor for my personal use and intend to continue using them in the future. There are other items to investigate in the country, so don't worry about it."
I picked up a perfectly cooked meat skewer and chewed on it with a satisfied smile.
It was only seasoned with salt, but it was far more delicious than the bean dishes we ate back home.
As I smiled and ate, Alektem continued to grumble.
"You are already carrying all the equipment, so isn't it a burden to have extra equipment as well?"
"Sacred magic not only strengthens the body but also helps with muscle and stamina recovery. Just taking a short rest can fully recover me."
When I lifted the baggage I had been carrying with one hand, Alektem growled.
"Hmm. I suppose the reason for the strength of the Holy Knight Kingdom lies in the training that uses sacred magic."
"I thought so too and tried to teach soldiers how to use sacred magic, but they didn't understand it at all."
"Originally, the source of divine magic was said to be the warmth generated by one's muscles. The more one amplifies that warmth, the more powerful the magic becomes. But such a vague explanation won't help anyone understand," I said.
"But in reality, there isn't any better way to describe it. Just like how one uses magic by harnessing their mana, it's all based on instinct," Alektem replied.
I activated the divine magic that strengthened my right hand and tried to understand it more fully. But I couldn't think of a good way to describe it. Alektem looked perplexed as I frowned in thought.
"If even Milimos-sama struggles to describe it, then how do they teach divine magic in the Holy Knight country?"
"Surprisingly, it may not be taught through language at all, but through rigorous experiential learning. It's more like, 'If you don't want to die, then you have to use divine magic' type of training."
I thought it was like Sparta's education, but Alektem had a different opinion.
"In the Holy Knight country, they protect and pass down the teachings of the gods. Divine magic may be related to those teachings."
"I see. So, it's a technique that is learned by upholding the teachings of the gods. That's why it's called divine magic. It makes sense," I nodded.
"But if that's true, then it would be a problem if I, who do not uphold those teachings, could use it," I said.
"....It would be best not to use it too much," Alektem replied.
"But if I don't use divine magic, then I won't be able to win in training," I protested.
"Milimos-sama is already a Marshal of the army. You don't have to train alongside the soldiers or worry about winning or losing. Your job is to maintain your rank and follow orders without complaint," Alektem reminded me.
"Soldiers are still human beings. If they don't have a good reason to follow orders, then they won't. Even if they are in the military," I said.
As we continued eating, we discussed such topics.