At Seongjin’s sudden shout, the coachman, who had been sleeping soundly, was startled as if struck by a bolt from the blue and yanked the reins.
Clatter!
The carriage jolted violently and came to a stop, and Sir Masain, who had been dozing in the corner, groggily opened his eyes.
“Hey, what’s with this sudden ruckus, kid? Just one more day of travel, and we’ll reach Regina!”
Quickly grasping the situation, the coachman turned to Seongjin and berated him harshly. His Imperial language was impeccable, but a thick Ortona accent seeped through his tone.
“We’ve delivered enough by this point. We’re going to grab some food, so just send us to the village already.”
“This kid…!”
Faced with this abrupt tantrum, the coachman wore a troubled expression.
“That’s out of the question. Express delivery has its own set of rules. Once you’ve entrusted yourself to the Free Underground, you’ve got to follow the usage regulations to the end!”
“Even if it’s ‘express delivery,’ there should be some limits. How many days have you been letting us starve? You treat us like cargo, but surely you don’t actually think of us as mere baggage, do you?”
“Starving…? Wait, are you serious about that?”
The coachman glanced sideways at Seongjin’s feet with a bewildered look. All over the floor of the carriage, undeniable traces of snacking were scattered in plain sight.
But Seongjin shamelessly jerked his chin upward.
“What, is that your method? Starving outsiders on…