Since few grown people paid attention to well-behaved children, Azuki and Shota rode in silence, listening to the soldiers chat about their adventures and their homes. Occasionally, they could hear Yuta-sensei laughing with the men ahead of them. He would be obtaining information, and would do a better job of it than either of them could. Shota found it hard to stay quiet and let him, though.

They must see Lord Eitaro! Knowledge that the resource the Westerners sought was in ...