Dream Life

Tria Calendar September 8, 2017.

Long aged liquor - worldly passed in the name of the "Zach Collection" - was to be sent to Ars, king's capital of the Kaum kingdom.

A specialist called "Distilled Liquor Recurring Flight (Scotch Liner)" undertakes transportation, and they carry the Zack Collection to Ars as well.

This “scotch liner," but the person responsible is an Ars merchant, about forty years old, named Nathan Barlow, who has been handling the transportation of distilled liquor for about five years now, as a Dwarf servant, a distilled liquor transporter dedicated to the Blacksmith Guild.

Originally, they said several chambers of commerce undertook to transport distilled liquor, but other than the Barlow Chamber of Commerce, it transported it in the same way as any other supplies. Transport in this world rarely went as planned, and for this reason the delivery time was incorrect, and I was disapproved of the Dwarves waiting for Scotch.

But only Barlow understood exactly what the Dwarves (customers) wanted.

He decided to carry only distilled liquor to ensure that it was delivered in the shortest possible time. And in order to lower the risk of raids from bandits and demons, he hired good mercenaries on his own stomach and was corrupt so that he would not be deprived of alcohol or abandoned during transport.

Of course, I was confident that the blacksmith guild would acknowledge the costs related to security (security), but that cost out of common sense - I don't know exactly, but probably a few times the price of the product - was enough to make me laugh at it from other vendors.

But the result was one Barlow win.

The Dwarves acknowledge their insight and good courage in understanding their demands, nominate them as exclusive transporters to the Alliance, and fully acknowledge the costs involved in escorting them.

Nowadays he is given a carriage dedicated to distilled liquor bearing the crest of the guild, which goes back and forth between the village of Rasmore and Ars.

The distance between the village of Rasmore and Ars is about 300 km. In Als Street, where there are plenty of woods and trees, it takes more than twenty days for a regular merchant squad.

But Barlow's scotch liner moves in fifteen days.

Although it is a major street, unpaved roads become rough as soon as it rains. It carries a fragile heavy object called a liquor barrel along a path that is in poor condition, yet at considerable speeds considering the stalling caused by inclement weather. Still, Barlow's arm says he's barely ever lagged behind.

By the way, when heading from Ars to Rasmore Village, they will be several times as heavy as Scotch to travel while buying large quantities of raw materials for Rasmore Village - barley, wine, apple liquor, etc. - and take about twenty days to reach the village.

It's called the Scotch Liner, but it's a name named after the residents along the streets because it “draws a line" through a set route every time at a set time.

Normal merchants don't like to go by at a set time. Because this is to make it easier for the bandits to target us, but Scotchliners hire good mercenaries to escort them, so it can be done.

This advantage, however, makes it easier to secure the accommodation on the return route if you communicate your plans on the outbound route.

Scotch liners travel on fairly harsher itineraries than the rest of the merchant corps, so the time to reach the lodging town is relatively slow. One or two people from the escort are allowed ahead to secure the accommodation, but it is medium to difficult to find about fifty empty rooms, including the escort, and it is even more difficult to find a place where it is easier to secure the load.

I can't even leave a room open for a merchant squad that doesn't know what to plan for the inn side. However, the well-paid Barlow Chamber of Commerce was a superior customer and there was a desire to keep it as a regular.

So Barlow decided to keep the inn and the night safe by daring to act on schedule. The Inn side, which was half-hearted in the beginning, also found that the Scotch liner would arrive on schedule unless it was hit even by considerable bad weather, and said it had started to leave a room open for them.

Besides this, it is also conducive to the purchase of raw materials for the village of Rasmore. Because the plans are known, it is easy for the merchants in the town who stop by to prepare the merchandise and secure a sufficient amount of raw materials.

Usually the five carriages of the Barlow Chamber of Commerce are loaded with a total of twenty-five barrels of quarter barrels - just over a hundred litres of small barrels - but this time two carriages of the Lockhart family accompany them.

Thirty 20-litre stainless steel barrels and ten for ten litres, plus a decade-long “brandy” barrel - about two hundred and thirty litres of Hogshead barrel - are loaded in that carriage.

As for the escort, we'll win the Holt Mercenary Regiment dedicated to Scotchliners and us Zack Sextet.

The Holt Mercenary Corps is an outstanding mercenary corps led by third-degree mercenary, Russell Holt. Originally based in Fortis, the mercenary country, he undertook escorts for the merchants and large-scale monster hunting. However, having signed a long-term contract with Nathan Barlow and became the exclusive Scotchliner, he has now moved his base to Ars.

Russell Holt, who leads those marines, but he is a forty-five year old human man, a disappointingly physical swordsman about a hundred and eighty cm tall. There was an impression of a large scratch on the cheek on the short black hair with cross gray hair, and it had the style of an old strong man. In fact, he is an excellent one-handed swordsman at level 68, and the swordsman beyond him only knows his grandfather and an amazing mercenary who has only seen him once.

But he seemed to be a fairly cheerful figure than he looked, and I saw him laughing out loud in the tavern.

His mercenary regiment consists of about forty magicians, including over level forty. Three healers also have a very balanced impression.

Its Holt mercenary regiment, but it has been called the Scotch Guardians, a distilled liquor escort since it signed with the Barlow Chamber of Commerce.

It's called "Sayings," but Russell thought about the design (design) crest of “Barrel and Jock” because he was told to "act like a guardian of“ Scotch ”at an inn town liquor store," and let them create an armband with that design on it for everyone in the group. Then, they spread the name all at once.

When I first saw that design, it wasn't mercenary-like design that I stuck to “Which Tavern Sign Is It," but I guess such playfulness is also his confident business.

Such a cheerful Russell, but only this time, he hardly smiles.

Mercenaries of great skill and though no, carrying the “Zack Collection” that the Dwarves of Ars are eager for, and protecting Scott, the leading distiller, seem to merit tension.

Ars has over a hundred blacksmiths and nearly a thousand Dwarf blacksmiths alone live there. It is further said that the Kingdom of Kaum, a mountainous nation, is home to Dwarves who work as mining engineers, some two thousand around the king's capital Ars alone, and tens of thousands of Dwarves throughout the kingdom. Only Kaum lives in so many Dwarves who don't have their own country.

Carry the Zach collection that the Dwarves are waiting for. How audacious and capable mercenaries and "no" know, no, because they are competent, that there are things that should not be made enemies.

That Russell and I were face-to-face two days ago, and they also have the archery attached.

He has a long sword, a round shield, and a boneless black iron chest (breast plate) equipped with partial armor such as (sparder), which makes him appear to be a mercenary with an emphasis on action.

The style of sword was also well balanced in offense, with no gaps at all. I was, of course, armed enough to attack even when Beatrice had a mock fight.

10: 00 a.m.

It was time to leave.

A carriage of wagons loaded with liquor barrels lined the hall in front of the hill reservoir.

Normally, neither my father nor my grandfather would drop me off, but this time it meant that Scott or we would accompany him, so he spoke to Nathan Barlow, president of the Barlow Chamber of Commerce and head of the Distilled Liquor Regular Flight (Scotch Liner).

"I'm sorry to add more extra baggage, thank you"

Barlow has a slightly nervous face, but in a firm tone, he bows his head, saying, "I'll take care of your son and Lord Scott,"

"Of course, the“ Zack Collection ”will definitely be delivered to the Blacksmith Guild (...). Rest assured."

That's what I added.

My father laughs when he says, "I still have booze, don't feel too bad," but he started Barlow and Russell the escort never smiled either.

And I'm ready to leave.

The “Scotch Guardians”, guardians of liquor proud of their "Barrel and Jock” armbands, are scattered throughout the stadium. There is absolutely no waste in that move, and even then it can be seen that they are excellent escorts.

The Lockhart family carriage enters the third and fourth, with your servant Will Keegan and Jonathan Water, a blacksmith guild official who somehow came from Welburn.

Initially, I tried to leave it to the Barlow Chamber of Commerce, but they all stepped on two legs just because the luggage was luggage and turned down your man. For that reason, I was told that Will, my squire, and Scott, who will accompany me this time, will do the honors, but Scott, who wasn't sure to maneuver the carriage for a long time, asked Johnny to do it.

"Something is going to happen when I go... I only have a bad feeling about it..." Johnny said once, saying no, but he agreed to do the honor of having to go to Alliance headquarters once and Scott's request to teach. Johnny handles carriages as a merchant before becoming an Alliance employee and has ample experience running the streets.

We were supposed to protect the Lockhart family carriage, and we headed near the center of the merchant squad, which is our holding area.

Russell's "Departure!" Distilled liquor (Scotch) "Luxury" scheduled flights (liners) departed for Ars.

This itinerary leaves today, September 8th, and is scheduled to arrive in Ars on September 22nd.

The town of Bogwood, fifteen kilometers away, is the destination today. Because it is near secure Lockhart territory, it is scheduled to arrive at about 3pm.

As we go through the hills, the villagers wave at us and drop us off, as usual. As soon as you leave the village, you enter the forest, but it is still a difficult time for the remaining heat, and the wind coming through the shade is pleasant.

Nothing happened, and in about four hours we arrived in Bogwood, the border town of the Kingdom of Kaum.

Bogwood is an accomodation town of about a thousand inhabitants, not covered by heavy walls like the castle fortified city of the Caerm Empire, only a wooden fence about two metres high is strewn around the town.

This geographically hits the border between the Kingdom of Kaum and the Caerm Empire. But Bogwood's defenses are very poor compared to the city of Kilnarek in the north.

This is because by the time the Empire built the fortified city in Kilnarek, there were no towns around Bogwood and it was a free border zone. It also has to do with the fact that by the time the commercial guild built the city in Periclitle and the Kingdom of Kaum built the Ars streets, the policy of inflation of the empire had also come to an end and there was no need to create a full-fledged fortified city.

I feel careless about the big demons and bandits, but at the time the town was formed, they couldn't get that far and were outnumbered by the vigilante. Most nowadays this neighborhood has also become a sufficiently secure area due to the regular crusades carried out by the Lockhart family.

Accommodation town on Ars Street, the main street, means that many lodging houses, shops, etc. are used for small population. There are also branches of Adventurer Guild, Mercenary Guild, and Commercial Guild which feel more vibrant than the size of the town.

Going southeast here from Bogwood, there is a city called Barbezie.

Approximately one hundred and twenty-five km in the meantime, this is traveled in six days, but since there are many of them and they often go further into the woods, between Bogwood-Barbezy is the most dangerous place after Karsh in the north. Conversely, security improves as we approach the king's capital, Ars, as we pass through the barbecue.

This is because between Bogwood and Barbezy there are only accomodation towns of a size of several hundred to many, but south of Barbezy there are cities with a population of more than two thousand, and those cities have lords, and with that there are defense teams.

Small towns like Bogwood have officials like deputies to carry out taxes, but the defense is not permanently present. The vigilante is policing to fill that hole, but it really gets all over the town.

The Knights of the Kingdom of Kaum patrol regularly instead of without a defensive force, but their most alarming is the incursion of demons from Kwaedam Tenebre in the east, and naturally the patrolling destinations will also be dominated from Barbezy to the east, along the street known as Toa Street. Especially since the Great Invasion of the Demons a decade ago, he said, the security on Toa Street has been strengthened and fewer Knights have been dispatched north of Barbezy.

“Scotch liners” are not often damaged by raids even on such dangerous streets, he said.

Sometimes good escorts handle demonic raids accurately against demons, but the presence of a blacksmith guild is greater than that against bandits.

Even if the bandits attacked the Scotch liner and took the distilled liquor, they have no use but to consume it. Of course, I have cash when I go to the village of Rasmore to buy it, but it's about 50,000 C (krona) high = 50 million yen. For that amount of cash, it's not right to cross with forty escorts led by third-degree mercenaries.

It is easy to imagine that the Dwarves, who have been deprived of more booze, will put a lot of prizes on the bandits, and it would be enough to assume that the Kingdom of Kaum, which does not want to undermine the mood of the Dwarves, will embark on a full-scale crusade.

The stories of the Dwarves expelling Luke's Light Divinity and the replacement of the archbishop general, the supreme power, are famous. If the blacksmith's guild, which buries the supreme power of one country, can be watched, it could even be pursued to the end of the world. Regardless if you're a Dwarf-like liquor lover, few bandits risk being chased around more than they need to be.

Because it does not make a difference that it is a dangerous street, the journey from the next day went south down the street as strict vigilance was laid.

On the evening of September 14th, the city of Barbezy was seen as the gentle hills passed through a series of hilly areas.

The city of Barbezi is a fortified city near the centre of a large basin surrounded by the Aquila Mountains to the east, the Kelsas Mountains to the south and the Porta Mountains to the west. In addition, this is not only the cornerstone of Toa Avenue towards the eastern Fort Major Toa, but it is also an important barn zone in the Kaum Kingdom with many mountainous areas.

Even the barn zone is not a vast plain like the northern part of the Caerm Empire, but because of its many low mountains and hills, it feels that the countryside is dotted with land oriented towards agricultural land.

It should be noted that the hills will continue from Barbezy to Ars for about 100 km and the last 50 km or so will go into the mountainous areas.

Though several small demonic raids took place or were hit by rough weather, we arrived safely in the city of Barbezy.

Upon entering the castle gate, it was sometimes one of the leading trading cities in Kaum, with many carriages coming and going down the road. Unlike the fortified cities of the Caerm Empire, which were designed for military use, we cannot proceed inside because of unplanned neighborhood development and the disorderly opening of openings. Fortunately, the Scotchliner has a boarding house, and the Holt Mercenary Corps orders have already held the inn down, so much so that I don't have to rub my mind, but I'm so worried for each person that this many merchants and escorts can stay in the inn.

After 5pm, I entered the Barbezie Inn, but the merchants, who are guests, are looking a little strange. I don't feel pressed, but I feel busy exchanging information.

Nathan Barlow and Russell Holt have both noticed that, and are on their way to gathering information immediately. We still have a little time before dinner, so we headed to the Adventurers Guild to gather information.

There were many adventurers in the middle of the evening requisition completion process within the guild.

It's quicker for a veteran Beatrice to move than a young man like me to move in a place like this. She understood that, too, and was beginning to gather information quickly.

To sum up what I've heard from several adventurers, they say the number of demons around Fort Toa is decreasing and, conversely, the more demons they go west. However, the number of large objects has not changed so much, and the number of demons below the eighth equivalent, such as horned rabbits and goblins, has only increased and no significant damage has been done.

I asked for Beatrice and Liddy's opinion.

Firstly, Beatrice, who purchased the information directly, but so far doesn't seem so critical.

"Right. I don't suppose this is the time of year, so I don't suppose we've lost enough food... so the line is best thought that we've either temporarily increased too much or fled frightened of something"

Liddy agrees with Beatrice that "I agree," but he added with a slightly anxious face, "I hope nothing is happening in Aquila Mountain..."

I was thinking about the end of the year eleven years ago, listening to the two of you.

(That was 11 years ago in the winter. Goblin came near the village... it felt like an oak and an orga chased him then... but it felt like a pretty big guy was being chased then too, but this time it seems a little different...)

Between the end of the year eleven years ago and around March of the beginning of the year, the village of Rasmore was in a state of strictness. Not only goblins and wolves, but also snow leopards - unlike Earth's snow leopards, fifth grade equivalent demons with more than three metres in length and sharp claws - appeared near the village to demons that were supposed to be in the back of the mountain, because after conducting their investigation, they discovered the footprints of oak and orga. Fortunately, the village was never attacked, but a massive crusade was taking place around the adventurer city of Periclitle.

(I hope it just got too much, but I don't have a bad feeling about it...)

We went back to the inn and tried to match it with information collected by Barlow and Russell, but we didn't know what caused it.

However, as of now, there are more demons, ranging from an ancient battlefield called Acree Cheyne, about 20 km to the east, with no effect here from Barbezy to the west. For this reason, there seemed to be no sense of urgency in the merchants.

In the end, only the policy of going without alarm from here was decided.

Slow uphill continues from the barbecue, with few places known as difficulties. The lodging place was also just a safe city guarded by the defense team, and we arrived in the king's capital, Ars, without anything.