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Chapter 8
“Pera. Drive the carriage slowly and carefully, alright? Keep your eyes on the road. No speeding like usual. Or… why don’t you wait for Harun and go together?”
“Go with Harun? Oh, come on. He’s busy harvesting carrots. I’ll be fine going alone!”
The village chief pressed his lips together, uneasy. It’s not you I’m worried about, it’s the poor souls who’ll be riding with you… But he couldn’t bring himself to say it out loud.
Pera, on the other hand, was practically glowing with excitement at the chance to take the reins again. Running her small clinic kept her tied to the village most of the time, so she rarely had reasons to leave. But today was different: she was going out to gather food for their important guests. Everyone in the village would understand.
With the keys the chief had given her, Pera unlocked the carriage and beckoned her two passengers over.
It was nothing compared to the elegant, gilded coach they had arrived in. But this was the only carriage the village had.
“Please, you can sit back here!”
She pointed to the rear compartment—meant for cargo, not people. Ray’s eyebrows crumpled instantly.
“Are you treating us like baggage?”
His voice was edged with lethal cold. A man accustomed only to the finest carriages of the imperial palace had every reason to be offended. But this was all the village could offer.
Then walk, if you hate it so much! Pera bit back the words, forcing a smile instead.
“Of course not! It’s just… this is the only carriage we have. Unless you’d prefer walking to the next town?”
“…Ha?”
The sneer twisting Ray’s face made her shut her mouth fast. One more word and she could almost feel her bad ending coming.
While they glared at each other over the carriage, Theo was busy scrambling up into the back. To the young cub, it wasn’t a cargo bed at all—it was an exciting new jungle gym.
He managed it on his own without help, puffing out his chest as he waved proudly.
“Ray! Hurry up, it’s huge in here!”
“See? It’s not so bad. Quite spacious, isn’t it?” Pera chimed in, shoving at Ray’s back.
Ray gave a long, suffering sigh, then vaulted into the compartment in one smooth motion. His tall frame and perfect balance made the act look like a painting.
God must have given him perfect proportions and muscle tone… and not an ounce of kindness.
Once both guests were aboard, Pera climbed eagerly into the driver’s seat. Her hands curled around the reins, and her lips stretched into an irrepressible grin.
The carriages of the Amur Empire ran on magic stones. Unlike other nations still dependent on beasts of burden, this advancement had made the Empire strong.
Social class itself was measured by the number and mastery of magic stones a person possessed—even driving a carriage fell under that hierarchy.
Ray, of course, could handle them easily. That was why Theo had been permitted to travel with just a single knight at his side.
But Pera’s driving… was another story.
The wheels slammed into a protruding rock with a deafening bang! and the whole carriage lurched. Pera yanked the reins hard, swerving the other way.
And her eyes lit up.
The thrill of the wheel fighting back in her hands—it was delicious.
She began to hum cheerfully, steering the carriage along the cliff edge with frightening speed.
Meanwhile, in the back, her passengers were living through very different experiences.
Ray turned a shade of white, as though his breakfast wanted to claw its way back up.
Theo, however, bounced gleefully on his seat, laughing.
“Wow! Ray, Ray! This is amazing!”
“Theo, hold on tight.”
“Mhm! I’m holding!”
The next swerve threw them again, and the boy squealed with delight. Ray finally gave up and pulled him onto his lap, holding him steady with iron arms.
“That woman…”
He had ridden every kind of military coach across the Empire, but never—never—had he experienced a ride this violent. He began to wonder if Pera was deliberately trying to throw them out into the ravine.
At last, the carriage screeched to a halt.
“We’re here!”
Her chirpy announcement was like salt in Ray’s wound. His forehead vein throbbed as he staggered out, clutching his head and stomach. Theo hopped down beside him, still giggling.
Then Ray marched over to Pera, hand outstretched.
She blinked up at him, puzzled.
“Hand it over.”
“…Hand what over?”
“The carriage key.”
Pera froze, then quickly hid the key behind her back. If he took it, she might have to walk all the way home.
But Ray’s lips curved upward into a predator’s smile, his eyes flashing.
“I said. Hand it over.”
“B-but! This carriage is the only one our village has, we can’t—”
“I won’t let you endanger His Highness again. Keys. Now.”
His tone brooked no refusal. With a reluctant whimper, Pera surrendered the key.
Everyone in the village called her driving dangerous. The chief had worried aloud this very morning. And now, with a prince as passenger, her license was revoked on the spot.
“Still… I’ve never had an accident…”
“Tch.”
“You’re not going to leave me behind, are you?”
“…We’ll see.”
Her muttered grumbling made Theo snicker. He leaned close and whispered in her ear.
“Pera, I loved it! Next time, let’s ride just the two of us.”
The boy’s innocent cheer brought a smile back to her lips, even as Ray pinched the bridge of his nose at their not-so-secret conversation.
Unlike Timi, the neighboring town of Nuping was a lively market hub where beastmen of many kinds mingled with humans. Here, the variety of food was unmatched—including the mountain of meat Ray and Theo intended to buy.
Pera watched in growing horror as their basket filled higher and higher.
Just the two of them are going to eat all that? How long do they plan on staying…?
Oblivious to her dismay, Ray set the staggering pile on the counter.
“Ring it up.”
“Y-yes, sir! Altogether that comes to twenty thousand Perings!”
“Cheap.”
Pera nearly dropped her jaw. That amount could feed Timi for two whole months. But Ray handed it over without hesitation.
“Pera, what kind of meat do you like?” Theo asked brightly.
“Uh… bacon?”
“Hmm. Bacon doesn’t chew right. Then how about we share a hind leg today?”
The child licked his lips and grinned.
Pera, who had dissected hind legs before but never once eaten one, could only give a weak laugh and shake her head.
