Reincarnated Into A Dead Woman's Body In Another World-Chapter 241: Arc 4, Act II, - 86: Departure

’October 9th, year nine seven nine. The time had come-’

"Boom!" The swirling grey clouds above roared, the dawn light nowhere in sight. Light luggage and belongings were hauled onto the carriage backs.

"What dreadful weather for a farewell," Countess Keya had a hand above her eyes.

"A farewell nonetheless," Archduke Guuraj chuckled. Figures stood around the fountain outside, spewing liquid in hues of gold. "Do not worry princess, I will make sure everything runs smoothly in your stead."

The horses reared up, the carriages ready to depart. "Archduchess Abioye will visit you at Division Six’s encampment before the combat begins," Count Khalim relayed.

"We wish all of you the very best and that you return victorious," Count Keya pressed his staff forward onto the ground, giving a nod with a bow.

Niah stood a couple of steps away from the rest. In the presence of everyone, having the lowest station had her tail in a nervous sway. "Remember your magics. I’ve loaned a few books to you all, keep studying. Good luck," she gave no smile.

Daiyu took a deep breath, hair in a side tail and a tiara atop her head; the rest was the adventuring gear she had worn before, her greatsword strapped to the carriage.

Her lips wondered for the words to reply with. "This ain’t the end. I’ll be back and Trailon’ll be history, literally. And, thank you. It’s been a very confusing set of months," she grinned.

The woman in pearls walked up and held Daiyu by the shoulders. "What’s the big idea!?" Daiyu tried to back away and Feyan furrowed his brows. "This isn’t the time for an assassination!"

"No time for this nonsense, would you simply listen?" the countess sighed. Daiyu groaned and folded her arms; she still glared to the noblewoman of same height.

The countess kept staring, the purple strands ending in black with bits of green atop her head. "Look at how much you’ve grown," she smiled. Daiyu’s eyes glazed over, her nose going into a wrinkle.

"Resent me all you want," the countess leaned forward and pressed a kiss onto her forehead. "Return home safely my goddaughter," she let Daiyu go.

Bits of scarlet brushed across her majesty’s cheeks, leading to a childish pout and a crease of her brows. "Ew! Your mom kisses you before going to school?" Jotou cooed with a hand to the side of her smirk.

"SHUT IT!"

"Some nerve," the countess scoffed and turned.

"He has too much of it..." she half-closed her right eye.

Jotou giggled, her adventuring attire all ready, her hair in a ponytail and under a yellow headband. A shadow blinked forth ahead, "Are we going already?"

Fumeko’s attire consisting of her purple pinafore and white shirt with poofy shoulders were no different except for the light glimmer of enchantments across.

Most notably however, was the dark purple scarf that was tucked under her collar that extended into long thin kite-shaped strips behind her, extending all the way down to her ankles.

To the left side of her pinafore was a pocket-like casing that had buckles fashionably placed to keep her dagger. "Yes," Hotaru shook her head to the impatient brunette.

For once, she did not have to spiral her sleeves around her arms,; it instead now spiralled down and connected to the knuckle of her middle finger.

Her azure-hued top was now one piece; the fabric extended from her corset till around her neck and went down to her shoulders where it connected to her ribbon-like sleeves of a near-translucent sparkling blue.

The darker blue skirt went now till her ankles, made instead with a hide crafted from silcelots. Black boots were laced up till her shins.

"Fare-thee-well!" an Asobi popped up atop the carriage, the words she said displaying in letters of bright light. Her sleek black blazer had a few speckles of white.

The symbol of the Maleficos Ordinate was made of black thread on her black bowtie. Underneath the blazer was a four-button vest in black over a silky white shirt.

Her short black skirt had butterflies of white on either side of her thighs—white stockings the rest of the way down had butterfly patterns, barely noticeable. Her entire outfit was made of flexible material.

Feyan checked their luggage, "We are ready to depart." Arabella sat in one of the carriages, awaiting the others.

"Well then," Jotou looked back. "We’ll see you all again." ’-for us to leave for war.’

_

’We were taken to the train station, one ticket straight back to Galuvit Town. As if I needed the heat again. You know what? I’m allowed to complain. I barely got more than a month to spend time with a friend I thought was dead.

Never mind the entire complicated situation, but now we’re stepping into another... Once we reached the station in Cravolta City, we had a plan.

It’s not like the princess’s carriage leaving the palace would go unnoticed. In fact, there were crowds gathering to cheer. Who the hell knows how much info’s been leaked to our enemy? So, I came up with a paranoid plan.’

Daiyu smiled wide and waved aggressively to all her subjects, boarding the train before the remainder of the army boarded in behind her. Jotou entered with eyes glazed over and a pout.

Hotaru moved swiftly in, whilst Feyan had a polite smile careful to avoid anything to hit against his back. Asobi tilted her head to the crowd, a sincere smile before she entered the train and sighed.

Fumeko followed behind Asobi, keeping a close eye on her, whilst Arabella looked around nervously before following behind and the train set off.

The fateful four saw the same sights they did—the rainforests diminishing in trees and the greens losing its brilliance. The savannahs continued, loose towns in the distance while the machine rhythmically chugged.

Back in Galuvit Town, they all got off and took in the afternoon Sun beaming down. Hotaru winced and scowled to the sight, her tail and ears barely moving. At least it was a bit colder during this time a year; a bit...

"Your majesty," a soldier bowed deeply to her. "The carriages are ready to take you and your companions to the Ufaedari Plateaus."

"Yes, yes, let us depart, there isn’t a moment to waste," the princess’s voice composed and elegant.

Asobi’s fist clenched and she half-closed her right eye, "Oh come on, I wouldn’t say that nowadays, I’d just talk normal," Daiyu’s voice whispered to Hotaru.

Hotaru faced her with glazed over eyes, "I don’t know, she’s definitely got your voice down," Jotou’s voice snarked. Asobi groaned before they followed the rest of the soldiers to the rows of carriages.

Crowds had gathered around the station, the news of her majesty’s arrival spreading like wildfire. Before anyone could take a peek, back into vehicles they were.

With a whip of the reins, each carriage pulled by a pair of horsaroaches left in the direction of the falling Sun. Soon, the roads were coming to an incline.

A glimpse out the windows would show the vast and steep formation of earth made of reds, browns, oranges and yellows all leading to a flatland atop, stretching as far as the eye could see.

’Daiyu would look like Asobi and the rest of us would look like another one of us. Asobi was the best choice to be Daiyu. We discussed it amongst ourselves, so no one could possibly know.

Asobi’s the only one who knows which carriage Daiyu is in; or rather ’Asobi’ is in. In case there is some sort of dirty ambush, we can catch any of them by surprise.

I gotta say, it’s both weird and somewhat interesting that I look like Hotaru. And it’s only off-putting to see myself, but it’s actually Fumeko. Let’s hope that this is just something I can be paranoid and wrong about.’

The dusk had set and no ambush had arrived down the cleared pathways and roads that the army had rush-jobbed over the course of weeks.

Each hour ticked till- "Tock-tock, tock-tock, tock-tock..." The horses were beginning to slow down. ’We reached our destination.’

_

The moonlight was brief in between the passing clouds, a wind drifted the tumbleweeds across the orange-ish brown earth beneath them.

What they stood in could hardly be called an ’encampment’, but a proper base of operations. Division Six had taken lodging in an abandoned village made of sandstone buildings.

From the small settlement they had expanded and made it larger, desert camo making up tents for a good distance across. The sandstone buildings of light oranges were not high, but were barely cracked.

"This was a historical sight, but given the circumstances, it is also a strategic position," the archduchess of Galuvit emerged from one of the abodes that had been fitted with equipment.

Their illusions dissipated, their belongings were with them in portable packs and the rest of the soldiers went to their commanding officers to receive orders.

"That’s why we picked it," Hotaru replied with a beam.

"And thanks for allowing it, again," Daiyu tipped her head.

"I am still under your service your majesty, I would only object if it was not rational. Seeing that this is closest to the invasion border it only made sense," in more regal attire she was.

"Don’t tell me you suddenly want to fight too," Fumeko glanced up.

The archduchess glowered to her, "Watch your tongue young lady." She shook her head back to the rest, "No, I will not be here in a few hours. If I recall, it shall begin at O five hundred hours."

Whilst they spoke, soldiers went about their business around them, preparing dinner and setting up last minute preparations. Under a significantly larger tent, the barrel of a tank stuck out; several of these were in various spots.

The archduchess eventually bade good luck and farewell, leaving before the night had gotten too late. The winds danced in between the chasms, sending across the entire night, hollow whistles and the shaking of grass and shrubs.

Lights of magical nature had been set up, crickets chirped through the brown and dark green vegetation. The silence of night, the chatter of soldiers, all leading into the hours they would face...

Tired from the day’s travel, the seven had enough time to stretch their legs and give out their yawns after dinner. As per orders, the soldiers did not pester any of them, treating them as equal comrades.

Fumeko parted the tent fold, "Wait, we’re all sleeping here?" she glanced to the six flat beds propped up on metal and some basic supplies such as water next to each.

"Not Feyan, it’d be taboo for him to sleep in here. But then again," Daiyu grinned to Jotou. Jotou picked a pillow from the closest bed and flung it across. Daiyu caught it with an arm out.

"This isn’t girl’s night psychopath, we’re going to war tomorrow," Jotou walked to the next bed with a pillow and probed the blanket with a pout. "I’m so gonna get a back ache..."

"Don’t get pouty, I’ll just heal it in the morning," Hotaru took a bed. Asobi took off her shoes and stood on one—her top hat nearly hitting the top of the tent.

"Hm... Not bouncy," the metal netting below creaked.

Arabella rolled her eyes, placing her backpack next to a bed before signalling. "Everyone get some sleep, now’s not the time to be complaining," Daiyu could roughly translate.

"Oh, I haven’t begun complaining. I mean, this night’s filled with crickets all over the place. For all I know I could wake up to a snake somewhere, the morning heat’s gonna make us feel sunburn through the tent, we barely have privacy, I know for a fact Daiyu snores-"

With the list of ongoing complaints from the Thundering Blade, they all gradually fell asleep.