Could this perhaps be the legendary eccentricity of the incredibly powerful?
Clever expressed her complete inability to comprehend the household's dynamics. After everyone had finished their morning meal, the carriage resumed its journey, charting a steady course eastward.
"Speaking of which, the further east we travel, the fewer settlements and villages we seem to encounter," Flandre remarked, peering out of the carriage window into the rolling wilderness with genuine curiosity.
"Though I am loath to admit it, your observation is entirely correct," Clever noted, turning away from the pane to look at the child. "While Victoria's various dukes are comparable in terms of sheer military capacity, when it comes to raw business acumen and economic strategy, Duke Caster and Duke Gododdin are indisputably the most prominent figures in the empire. Since their jurisdictions are situated in the western expanses of Victoria, the commercial atmosphere across that entire region is far more vibrant."
She adjusted her posture against the cushions. "Under those economic conditions, a massive portion of Victoria's population is naturally drawn toward the west. Furthermore, while the western territories see virtually no warfare, the eastern border is constantly plagued by friction and border skirmishes with Leithanien. Even though Duke Windermere, who commands the eastern defenses, possesses extraordinary personal strength, there is very little he can do to alter this structural reality."
Although Clever lacked deep academic schooling in classical history, she knew the current sociopolitical state of Victoria like the back of her hand.
Nothing of note occurred over the next several days. The carriage smoothly crossed the formal Victorian frontier, entering the desolate buffer zone that separated the borders of Victoria and Leithanien. Upon arriving within this neutral territory, Clever immediately reminded the group to remain vigilant against potential threats.
When the others looked her way to ask for a clarification, she explained that the relationship between Victoria and Leithanien had never been characterized by genuine peace. Especially following the historical collapse of Gaul, a bloody, ruthless struggle had erupted between the surviving empires over the partition of Gaul's sovereign territories, displaced populations, and rich natural resources. If it weren't for the massive threat of Ursus looming continuously over their northern flanks, a devastating war might have broken out between the two sides long ago.
Consequently, this shared buffer zone along the frontier had transformed into an exceptionally hazardous territory. Any traveler attempting to pass through without a clear, universally recognized identification was highly susceptible to being ambushed or pillaged by aggressive patrols from either nation. Because of this, Clever urgently suggested they navigate the region as rapidly as possible to secure safe entry into Leithanien.
Just as the final word left her lips, her expression suddenly froze. She turned a sharp gaze toward the front of the vehicle, calling out to Meiling, who was currently managing the reins.
"Um... it appears a group of individuals is heading directly toward our position."
Hearing the warning, Meiling raised a brow in genuine surprise. She was already well aware that a small force was approaching from the brush, and her sharp senses told her they harbored distinct ill intentions. However, the targets were still deep within the density of a nearby forest. From a standard line of sight, it was physically impossible to spot them, let alone from Clever's position inside the enclosed carriage compartment where her vision was strictly restricted. How had the girl managed to detect their presence under such conditions?
Realizing that her sudden outburst might have exposed the specialized nature of her own tracking arts, Clever quickly pulled her head back into the cabin, remaining silent.
At that exact moment, Sakuya stepped fluidly from the moving carriage, dropping lightly onto the dirt path.
"I shall handle the inconvenience. Please continue forward without pause," she instructed softly.
The moment the words were spoken, her form vanished into thin air. In less than a single minute, she materialized back on the step of the vehicle, stepping smoothly into the compartment as if she had never left.
"The matter has been settled."
Watching Sakuya deliver the report with the casual composure of someone discussing what they intended to have for dinner, Clever found it entirely impossible to maintain her calm. Under the sensory grid of her Originium Arts, there had been over twenty active life signs lurking within that tree line just a moment prior. The instant Sakuya vanished, those structural life signs began to blink out of existence with terrifying rapidity, collapsing like a precise row of falling dominoes. By the time the final signature disappeared, Sakuya was already stepping back onto the carriage runner.
This level of swift, unyielding lethal efficiency sent an involuntary shiver straight down Clever's spine.
"Are you feeling frightened?" Flandre asked, leaning in close to whisper directly into her ear.
Clever flinched instantly, her shoulders tensing. "No, no, not at all! I am simply..."
"There is no need to worry. Sakuya is actually an exceptionally kind person," Flandre reassured her gently, patting her arm. "She ensured their end was entirely instantaneous, sparing them any unnecessary suffering, and besides..."
Flandre let the sentence trail off. After all, it was highly unlikely Clever would ever truly understand the maid's dual nature as a flawless domestic servant and a precise instrument of execution.
The neutral buffer zone spanning the two empires extended for over fifty kilometers. Because the mountain paths were exceptionally rugged and unpaved, it required an entire day of slow, bumpy travel for the carriage to finally reach the formal border gates of Leithanien.
As for why the local governments left the roads in such a terrible state of disrepair? Since this territory served as a military cushion, leaving the terrain rugged ensured that any invading force attempting to cross those fifty kilometers of mountain paths would require several hours of grueling labor. Combined with heavy transport vehicles and supply trains, their advance would be slowed to a crawl. If a straight, modern highway were to be proactively paved through the mountains, wouldn't that be tantamount to hand-delivering a smooth invasion route to the adversary? Unless a strategist was entirely foolish, they would never authorize the construction of such a road. Those engaged in international trade simply had to patiently endure the rough transit to clear the frontier.
Once they officially crossed the checkpoint and entered Leithanien territory, a straight, smooth dirt road finally manifested before the travelers. Bumping along the civilized path for a short distance, the vehicle pulled into a recognized roadside campsite, and the group located an empty patch of grass to settle down for the night.
A short distance from their position, another caravan had already established a perimeter. Judging by their heavy crates and guard configurations, they appeared to be a standard merchant collective. The traders watched with a distinct note of wariness as the unfamiliar carriage rolled into the clearing. However, their postures relaxed considerably when they observed a group of unarmed women stepping down from the vehicle.
Under the continuous influence of the Confusion Charm drifting from the carriage, the merchants' senses perceived nothing more than an ordinary, non-threatening group of travelers carrying no visible weapons. Given that these women had successfully negotiated the hazardous buffer zone from Victoria, the traders logically assumed the travelers had simply benefited from a mix of sheer luck and the fact that local bandits felt there was nothing of value to be gained from plundering such a modest carriage. Seeing that the newcomers displayed no immediate desire to socialize, the caravan master simply detailed a single scout to keep an eye on their camp before returning to his own operational duties.
Flandre harbored an immense amount of curiosity regarding the nearby merchant setup, but she was firmly held back by Remilia. In the mistress's explicit terms, the child was strictly forbidden from triggering unnecessary complications while they were traveling abroad.
"I merely wish to take a closer look! I promise I won't cause a single bit of trouble!" Flandre protested, attempting to wiggle free, but she was forcefully suppressed by Remilia's unyielding grip.
Left with no alternative, she pouted crossly, hugging her academic volume tightly as she marched over to begin tormenting Clever with a barrage of relentless structural questions.
Just as the moon ascended past the highest treetops, a sudden, low rustling sound began to ripple through the surrounding foliage.
"Pincerbug! It's a massive Pincerbug swarm! Everyone, secure your positions and draw your steel!"
Before Flandre's circle could even react to the noise, a frantic shout echoed from the neighboring merchant camp.
Pincerbug!
Flandre's eyes lit up in an instant, her previous boredom vanishing as if she had just discovered a spectacular new toy. But just as she prepared to spring to her feet and launch herself into the clearing to go on a rampage, Clever desperately wrapped her arms around the child's waist.
"Wait, please! A Pincerbug swarm is exceptionally dangerous! We must remain clustered by the carriage and establish a proper defensive line!"
"They are merely a collection of minor insects, there is absolutely no reason to succumb to such panic!" a loud voice called out from the merchant caravan at that exact moment. One of their heavily armored guards gestured toward the women's camp. "Ladies over there! A swarm is currently descending upon the clearing. If you are willing to provide a fee of ten gold pieces per person, our vanguard is fully prepared to take your group under our direct protection!"
Hearing the proposition, Remilia's lips curled into a disdainful sneer. "Inform them that we decline their generous offer."
Receiving the cue, Meiling cupped her fists with a grin. "Understood, Mistress!"
She turned toward the merchant guards, projecting her voice clearly across the campsite. "Please do not distress yourselves on our account! We possess our own specialized methods for avoiding the attention of the swarm, so your protection will not be required tonight."
The caravan guards scoffed loudly upon hearing the refusal, muttering bitter curses under their breath regarding the travelers' blatant lack of gratitude. With such a massive concentration of Pincerbugs dropping from the canopy, the merchants were already preparing for a grueling struggle to keep the apex insects at bay. For a group of defenseless women to genuinely believe they could simply stroll away from the predatory focus of the swarm was a delusion they found entirely laughable.