I thought we were heading straight to the nearest coast, but Polaris suddenly veered left into the sea.
She was mapping out the kingdom in her head. Based on where we are now, the ocean is to the west. Turning left from there means we’re heading south.
Bern City is slightly southeast from here, so judging by direction, it doesn’t look like we’re headed to Bern City after all.
I was curious why we were going this way, but I decided to follow Polaris without asking. After all, going alone to Bern City wouldn’t mean much anyway.
Thud!
Just a moment ago, there was a beast that looked like a mix of a reptile and a tiger dashing this way, but its head went flying after colliding with a rock.
I only realized a wild beast was charging at us after seeing Polaris suddenly pick up a rock from the ground and throw it like a baseball.
Uh-huh.
Unlike many stories, I knew that beasts don’t usually make noise while hunting, but wow, it’s eerily quiet.
I didn’t even know it was there until Polaris threw that rock.
“Bell.”
What will happen if I keep following Polaris like this? Just as I was thinking that, Polaris hesitated and called my name.
“Yes?”
“Are you not scared, Bell?”
Hmm.
I look at a girl the same height as me. Clearly still a child. No matter how strong she is, she still has a few years left before she becomes an adult.
It’s bizarre to think that such a girl, after witnessing a murder, would realize that a group is moving to kill her.
It’s honestly a situation where it wouldn’t be surprising if she broke down and cried.
It seems Polaris needs someone to empathize and share feelings with in this predicament. But she’s chosen the wrong target.
“Yes. I’m not scared.”
I picked my words carefully, hoping not to provoke a panic until we reach a safe place since I thought someone with a resilient personality like Polaris would swallow her fear.
“Okay. Just keep up.”
Huh?
That’s strange. Why does she have a relieved expression? I look ahead again and can no longer read her expression.
We’re the same height and around the same age, yet she treats me like I’m a little kid. Is she possibly seeing me as a child?
If she wants to believe that, let her believe it.
It’s convenient when someone thinks and acts for me like this.
If I relax like this, it makes it easier for me later on when I need to make different choices.
I followed Polaris as she continued to whack the occasional wild beast. At some point, the trees disappeared, revealing a wide meadow.
We passed through the forest.
And in the distance, beyond the meadow, the dilapidated Bern City came into view.
It seems Polaris is heading that direction. Not long after, a long track appeared crossing the meadow.
It looked like a fresh tire track.
It seems it was made by the vehicle that attacked the airship earlier. From this, it appears that a vehicle passed through here.
Polaris stood in front of the track, glancing back and forth between Bern City and where the vehicles seemed to head.
Then, instead of heading towards Bern City, she started walking along the tire marks.
“Are we not going to Bern City?”
I had to ask. There’s a city right ahead, but we’re going somewhere else.
“No, we can’t. Going there is trouble, whether there are people or not. As far as I know, there’s a small village around here. We’ll head there. If we’re lucky, we can catch a ship back to the capital there.”
Uh-huh. That makes sense.
Finding Victoria is no longer a problem we need to solve. Getting out of this place alive is what’s important now.
When I think about Victoria on the ship, following wherever Polaris goes increases my chances of running into her.
“Let’s go.”
“Okay.”
When I suggested we go, she gave me a peculiar look before starting to walk along the tire marks.
But if we keep following these tracks, won’t we run into those who rode the airship?
Isn’t that more dangerous?
I felt a small doubt arise, but I continued to follow Polaris. There was no point in asking further. After all, if it’s a human threat, I can deal with it.
If we end up fighting and Polaris gets seriously hurt, I can always harvest it later.
Hehe.
With a cheery future in mind, I walked alongside her.
*
After a long walk, we arrived at a spot where a village meets the river and the sea.
The village itself is quite small. This was the port we stopped at last time before heading to Bern City on the ship.
“Hold on a second.”
“What’s wrong?”
Just a bit more and we would arrive at the village, but Polaris stopped me.
Wondering what was going on, I looked at Polaris, who was pointing to one side of the village. There was a massive vehicle with eight wheels, four on each side.
A long barrel shimmered like a mirage on top. We heard the sound of this weapon being used several times before we even saw the village.
It means that this was not a vehicle that was originally here. It’s the one that was used to attack the airship. There are probably people pursuing us riding it.
I asked Polaris.
“They’re enemies. What are we going to do?”
That means there are unknown enemies hidden in that village. Of course, it’s possible that only this vehicle came, but this area might be being used as a forward base.
However, Polaris doesn’t reply. As I got closer, I could see her deep in thought with a serious expression.
“If we go in, no, maybe I could handle it, but what if it puts Bell in danger? Staying here is… no, if someone finds us, then there’s no excuse.”
I stood next to Polaris and could hear her muttering.
Weighing the pros and cons of going inside versus staying outside.
After a lot of deliberation, Polaris finally made her decision.
“Let’s go in. I need to find out who attacked the royal airship.”
A fierce expression flashed and disappeared, which made me think she might be contemplating revenge.
No matter what happens, I’ll find it amusing, so I nodded along to her decision.
And we entered the village.
The air reeked of a harbor city. Surprisingly, there were many people wandering around. More than I expected, not everyone here is from the port city.
Soon, I figured out why.
Most of the people here used to have business in Bern City. There were people protesting, holding signs demanding to be allowed into Bern City.
In front of them were soldiers occupying a space, surrounding a building with barbed-wire, hanging banners that said access would be denied until the riots in Bern City were subdued.
Some people were shouting that they needed to get to Bern City for an important deal, while others cried for family members they needed to bring back.
It was a chaotic scene like a market square.
But with all that going on, it would be hard to recognize us as survivors who escaped from the airship.
If two noble girls who don’t belong here walk into an empty port, they’d stand out, but in this jumbled protest of nobles, wealthy people, and commoners all mixed together, we’d blend in just fine.
Considering this is the last port, everyone heading to Bern City would be coming here.
As I was inspecting my surroundings, Polaris stood behind one of the shouting people with a tense look. She whispered to me quietly.
“We’ll be standing here for a while. We need to give the impression that we came from outside, not from the airship. By the afternoon, some will give up and return home, so let’s blend in with them and head back to the capital.”
Not a bad idea.
Even if we had entered the airship, figuring out who was on it would be difficult. Moreover, contacting the royal family for that kind of information would be necessary since it’s not just a regular airline.
Finding survivors who might have escaped while we’re on our way would be nearly impossible.
And since we heard a sound when they attacked from a distance, it’s plausible that the airship was destroyed.
Nodding, I watched as Polaris slowly relaxed her body.
And at the end of her slackened arm, her fingers slightly trembled.
Yes. It must be scary. She nearly got herself killed out of nowhere. The threat isn’t over, and there’s no one to rely on either.
No matter how capable a girl she is, there wouldn’t be many who could remain composed in this situation.
I can tell that even I understand that Victoria is in a uniquely challenging condition.
For someone like Polaris, who is trying to put on a brave face and continue because she knows I am here, it’s adorable yet really tough.
If someone were considerate, they would have held Polaris’s hand in this moment, but I don’t.
Instead, I waited for time to pass.
The number of protestors increased, and in proportion, more soldiers began to appear at surrounding major checkpoints.
Watching Polaris standing there with fatigue in her expression, I shifted my gaze in another direction.
Victoria is about to arrive.
The village is visible to her from inside the ship.
Beeeeep!
The ship’s horn sounded.
At once, Polaris’s expression blossomed with a smile, brimming with hope that we could now return.
But how long will that last?
Victoria will surely try her best to get into Bern City.
What will happen when the two of them meet?
Victoria, intent on going to Bern City, and Polaris, wanting to return to the capital.
Will one choose to stick with the other, or will they part ways?
We’ll find out when they meet.
Ignoring the uneasy vibes of the protesting scene, I moved closer to Polaris, murmuring that we might finally be able to go back.
