Arriving at the northern gate, I glanced around, hoping to catch sight of Peach, but she was nowhere to be found.
"Still not here, huh? Well, I've got plenty of time to spare, might as well take it easy."
Leaning against the pillar at the gate, I perused the weapons on display at the shop.
"Maybe it's time to get some new weapons. I've been buying aircraft here and there, so I've got a decent selection for aerial combat. But when it comes to ground warfare, I only have one M1A1HC tank and a BTR-90 armored personnel carrier. Depending on the situation, that might not be enough."
"I've always relied on others to drive tanks and APCs. It might be a good idea to purchase a Stryker, a T-90, or a Type 10 tank and make effective use of them. Which one should I get? No, let's just buy them all. But I'll need to think about how to allocate my points. The Stryker is a definite buy, but deciding on the tank is tough. Buying two of them would really strain my budget. Hmm..."
Deciding between the T-90 and the Type 10 tank is a tough choice.
"Miss, hey, miss?"
"Hmm..."
"Hey, can you hear me?"
"Uh?"
I lifted my gaze to see a tall man standing before me, looking down at me.
Who's this guy? He looks like a sleazy type.
"Hey, since you're just standing here, why don't you hang out with me? I'll take you to some fun places!"
I could tell by his speech that he's a total airhead.
"Sorry, but you're mistaken. I'm just waiting for someone, so go bother someone else, please."
He's fidgety and sloppy. If he thinks he can pick up someone with that attitude, he's delusional. Seriously, just go away already!
"Oh, really? Wouldn't it be more fun to hang out with me?"
"Fun has nothing to do with it. I have work to do, so could you go somewhere else?"
I'm starting to get annoyed with this guy's attitude. Is this how women feel when they're persistently hit on?
"Oh, come on, work can wait! Let's have some fun together! I'll even give you some pocket money!"
"Ugh, seriously?"
I straightened up from the pillar and gave the sleazy guy a look.
"This is your last warning. Leave. Otherwise, I'll show you what real trouble looks like and knock some sense into that empty head of yours."
The people around us looked at me, some with shocked expressions, some pale-faced, but the idiot in front of me didn't seem to take me seriously and reached out to touch me.
"You think I'm scared, huh? Oooowwww!!!"
I immediately grabbed his outstretched hand and twisted it forcefully.
"I believe I told you to leave. And if you keep bothering me, you might just lose this joint."
"Ow, ow, ow, ow! Okay, okay! I get it! Please stop!"
"Are you sure? If you're lying, I won't go easy on you."
As I said this, I tightened my grip on his arm, and tears began to stream from the sleazy guy's eyes.
"Yeeeeeek! P-p-please let go! I-I'll leave you alone, so please, let gooo!"
"Are you being honest? If not, I won't hesitate."
With tears and snot streaming down his face, the sleazy guy looked at me and sobbed, "Y-yes, yes, I'll leave you alone, so p-please let gooo!"
"Fine. I'll let go."
As I released him, he ran off, screaming, into the distance.
"Finally, some peace and quiet."
"Oh, Ryner, you're so quick! Did I keep you waiting?"
Oh, it's Peach's voice!
Thinking so, I turned to the left and saw Peach walking towards me.
"Good morning. It's okay to come early to our meeting spot; it's something I'm used to, so don't worry about it."
"And what's with this crowd? Did something happen?"
"Oh, there was a guy who tried to hit on me."
"How exciting! I wish someone would hit on me too!"
Yeah... that's probably not gonna happen.
"The people around us were just watching the situation."
"I see. So, what was the guy like who approached you?"
"Uh, he seemed flashy and not very bright. He tried to touch me, so I twisted his arm, and he started crying."
"Oh, what a pathetic guy. Just hearing about him, I can tell he's not suitable for someone like you, Ryner."
She's probably right. And I don't think I'll be getting involved with him anymore.
"Well then, shall we head to the labyrinth of the demi-humans?"
"Yes, but..."
"What's wrong?"
"Are we going to walk there?"
It doesn't seem like a walkable distance to the labyrinth of the demi-humans. Are we going to rent horses? But the stable is in the opposite direction. Do we have another plan?
"What are you talking about?! We're going to take the stagecoach to the labyrinth of the demi-humans!"
Stagecoach? Do those even exist?
"Look, over there's the carriage stop~"
I turned my face towards the direction she pointed, where about eight people were lined up in front of a sign that read "Sub-human Labyrinth Tour."
It kind of feels like waiting for a bus at a bus stop... well, I guess it's the same as a bus stop.
"Walking there would take too long, and we'd get tired before diving into the dungeon~. Have you ever used a carriage before, darling?"
"No, I haven't."
Honestly, I've never had the need to use one before.
"Oh, really? Then today will be your first time riding a carriage, won't it? Let's line up before it gets crowded, shall we?"
"Yes."
As we queued up at the back of the line, two carriages arrived, stopping in front of the sign and letting passengers off.
"Oh, how lucky~. Normally, you'd wait for about thirty minutes, but depending on the carriage's condition, you might end up waiting for over an hour."
There are times when you have to wait that long! In that case, it might be better to alternate between using carriages and Humvees in the future.
"Is there usually only one carriage?"
"We usually operate with two carriages~. It's safer to have more people when going outside the capital, in case something happens."
"You mean it's dangerous if there are more non-combatants, right?"
"Ah~ I see! Citizens who can't fight never leave the capital~. They might only go out to places like the grasslands for things like visiting their hometowns. Usually, for their safety, they're taken by caravan!"
"I see, is that so?"
While I was pondering, it was my turn to board the carriage.
"Please present your identification."
This coachman, no, in the case of a carriage, it's called a driver, right? They're glaring at me... even though I haven't done anything wrong.
When I showed my comprehensive guild card to the person holding the reins, they smiled.
"That'll be eight copper coins."
"Here you go."
I took out eight copper coins from my item box and handed them to the driver.
"Thank you for the exact change. Please move towards the back since the carriage is small."
"Oh, sure."
After replying, I boarded the carriage, realizing that there were only three people inside.
"Huh? There are only three people. Did the previous five go to the other carriage?"
Why did they get on the other carriage? Well, that's fine, but even though it looks like it can fit about ten people at a glance, why are there only five of us, including us?
"Carriages usually look like this~. We also have to accommodate our luggage, so typically only about 5 to 6 people ride per carriage~. Look, there's luggage in the back, see~?"
Oh, you're right! There's a lot of luggage towards the back. It feels like going camping.
"But more importantly~! If you don't sit down quickly, we can't depart~!!"
"Ah, yes!"
Since Peach told me so, I hurriedly sat down next to a woman I didn't know, and the driver turned towards us.
"Now then, we're departing for the sub-human labyrinth. If everything goes according to plan, we'll arrive in about fifty minutes with a break along the way. The carriage may sway, so please be careful not to bump into each other."
After the driver finished speaking, they turned back and started the horses, accelerating suddenly.
"Wow! Sudden acceleration!? And it's surprisingly shaky. Could it be that carriages don't have suspension?"
"Suspension?"
"Oh, please don't mind that."
"Really now?"
I had meant to be careful, but I ended up saying something thoughtless.
"Anyway! Does the carriage fare vary depending on the destination?"
"Oh yes, darling. It varies depending on the distance and danger level of the route. Yesterday, due to the zombie horde commotion, the fare was about double, but now it's back to normal rates."
"Oh, I see. Wow!"
The carriage suddenly stopped, prompting me to look around inside.
"Huh!? Why did we stop?!"
"It's for inspection, darling. But the driver's quite rough, isn't he?"
"Oh, I see."
I couldn't help feeling unlucky for possibly ending up on a carriage with a bad driver.
"But why did the fare suddenly return to normal?"
"That's because yesterday at three in the afternoon, His Majesty the King, along with the Chairman of the Guild, declared it safe and ordered everything to return to normal fares. My lady."
I turned in the direction of the voice to find the gatekeeper boarding the carriage, standing upright.
"Everyone, I'm sorry, but may I see your identification?"
"Oh, yes!"
Everyone except me presented their IDs without replying, and once the gatekeeper finished checking each one, he looked around at all of us before starting to speak.
"Everyone seems fine. Well then, I'll take my leave. Have a safe journey."
As soon as the gatekeeper bowed and got off, the coachman began to face this way.
"The inspection's done, so we're departing."
"Huh? Wait, hold on!"
Once again, the sudden acceleration caused me to stumble and fall onto the lady next to me.
"I'm sorry!"
"It's fine. Sudden starts and stops are normal for this carriage. So it's best to brace yourself."
Is it normal, though? And isn't this too fast?
"Why is the driving so rough?"
"Well, it's not that his driving is rough, but rather the horses we've got hitched up don't always listen."
"Oh, I see..."
So, we're basically on a runaway horse carriage? Wait!? Could it be that the people in front knew about this and chose to ride in the back carriage?!
"But you know, with this carriage, it'll take fifty minutes. However, with this one, it'll only take thirty. That's why everyone's just riding along without complaining."
"Oh, I see. But if that's true, isn't it dangerous? Is there another carriage following us?"
"It's alright. They're keeping up with this carriage."
"Well, that's a relief."
It would be a mess if they were left behind.
"Oh, by the way, I saw what you did earlier. You handled that flirt quite well!"
"Huh? Oh, him?"
"You chased off that pick-up artist, didn't you?"
That guy from earlier.
"I felt good. When that guy spots a woman he likes, he'll persistently hit on her."
"I guess I wasn't the only one he approached then..."
"No, you weren't. And despite being rejected, he'd still follow and talk at you, so he's not well-liked among us!"
"Ugh..."
He's truly despicable.
"So, if this incident serves as a lesson for him, that'd be great. But he's an idiot, so it might be hopeless."
"That might be true."
"Next time he comes around, feel free to give him a harsher lesson! I'll permit it!"
"Hehehe! Then I'll knock him to the ground if he tries to flirt again!"
"Good! Teach that idiot a lesson! I'm counting on you!"
After that, conversation flowed all the way to the labyrinth of sub-humans, turning the carriage ride into an enjoyable journey.