Greatest Alchemist? Chapter 156

 Mission to Samandour Kingdom

After I made the barley field that Doganbo-san, the Dwarves, and Gnome had asked me to, I left the seed sowing to them.

Garagaragara…………….

If I had to say where I am right now, I’m sitting on the coachman’s seat of the carriage that Tsubaki is pulling.
The carriage is roaring noisily through a trackless path at abnormal speeds. If it weren’t for Tsubaki and the repeatedly magically remodeled carriage, it wouldn’t be rideable at all.

This happened when I went to the Sanctuary three days ago. While I was doing farmwork and storehouse and house construction at the Spirits’ behest as always, an urgent request came from Undine.

「Could you save those with a connection to my retainers?」
「Umm, this is a bit too sudden, I don’t understand what you mean.」
「Here in Mildgard, in addition to the Elves, Dwarves, Cat Siths, there are races also known as Fairykin that have a deep connection with us Spirits. The little ones asking for Takumi’s help are also Fairykin, but as you know from seeing the Cat Siths, the Fairykin races apart the ones who that have their own countries, like the Elven country Yggurle Kingdom and the Dwarven country Gnomstoll Kingdom, are often given unfair treatment.」

In my talk with Undine, she wants me to go to the sea close to Samandour Kingdom to meet some people to protect them. And those Fairykin protectees were fish people, the Mermaids.

「If they are fish people, can’t they travel by swimming to the sea west of the Sanctuary?」
「Impossible. The waters encompassed by this Sanctuary’s barrier are safe because monsters don’t approach, but there are plenty of strong sea monsters outside the barrier.」

Recently, the barrier on the seaward side has expanded, covering a 500m range from the coast. She said that’s where the mermaids will be sheltered.
Still, I had to ask Undine if the lower halves of the mermaids would be an issue. Rather than the lower halves of men and women, theirs were of fish, so wouldn’t land travel be difficult?

「But wouldn’t a land route be challenging?」
「If the mermaids’ lower halves are always that of a fish, then I would have thought of a different method. The Mermaid race are able to humanify their lower halves. The gills on their necks can be changed to that of a human’s, so they will be fine even in a human town.」

When I thought about it more after that, I realized that the only route we could choose is through savage lands dotted with monster nests.

「………… That it isn’t a road, now is it?」
「The trackless path can be traversed by Tsubaki and the Takumi-made carriage she pulls, couldn’t it?」

The area between Valkyra Kingdom and Samandour Kingdom was Triaria Kingdom. There’s no way we could cut across an enemy nation so boldly. Inevitably, the only route we could take is by going southeast through the savage lands from the Sanctuary.

「Around how many Mermaids will board my carriage?」
「We will only shelter the little ones in an emergency, so that ridiculous carriage will suffice.」

Actually, if I establish a base in Samandour Kingdom and install a gate there, I wouldn’t need to think about the number of people, but it doesn’t feel right to suddenly set up a base in a country I’ve never been to before.
According to Undine, the Mermaids we need to shelter this time have been living in a cove which was deteriorating. Monsters were increasing, to the point that there were some strong monsters appearing too. Hearing this through her Water Spirit retainers, Undine proposed to migrate them in the Sanctuary seas.
She said that there were 10 people to be sheltered, all female.

「Or rather, the Mermaid race is entirely female.」
「Eh?」
「Mermaids propagate by receiving the seed of other races.」

The humanoid monster known as Sahagin exists, but that one is completely a monster, and they were apparently completely different from the Mermaid, which are Fairykin.
Mermaids apparently give birth to girls 100% of the time.

「I’ll set aside why I have to go, but it seems it can’t be done in 3-4 days so I’ll make preparations.」
「If it’s Tsubaki then wouldn’t you arrive in 5 days? If it’s a 10 day round trip, then I don’t think your work at the Sanctuary would pile up that much either.」
「……………………」

Work will pile up once I come back. Isn’t there an option for someone to do it in my place?

That having happened, we prepared provisions and silently departed the Sanctuary. The stationing troops didn’t notice us. As expected of the magic of the Great Spirits. I also installed magic devices with a concealing effect on the carriage, but the effect from only that is weak, after all.
This time, Laeva is staying at home. I entrusted the wholesale production of potions to the Papeck Company, and the alcohol brewing equipment like the Dwarves’ distillers and pressing machines in the Sanctuary to her.

Also, the members this time are usual members ………… although it’s not just us.

「Nya~! So fast nya~, Takumi-oniichan!」
「Rock Paper Scissors! You’ll face that way nya! [1] 」
「Ah! You lost! Sara-chan’s win!」

The frolicking little girls and uneasy older brother and sister.

The Cat Sith sisters Miri and Lala.
The Catkin siblings, Wappa and Sara.
The Human sisters, Colette and Shirona. The three sets of older siblings and younger sisters had come along.
In this harsh world, travelling is impossible for commoners. That’s why I understand the the delight and the bewilderment of these kids.
When they heard from Lala that we were going to Samandour Kingdom, they demanded to come. I ended up saying OK as a reward for the kids doing their best at their usual work.
When stared at by moist, round, cute eyes, one just can’t say no, right?

Tsubaki advanced through the undeveloped, trackless path, but maybe because her level increased, her speed and stamina have improved considerably, so it seems we’d arrive earlier than planned.

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Footnotes
1. Jankenpon! Achimuite hoi! – it’s just like rock paper scissors, but with a twist to win. Example here. [↩]