Chapter 91 - A Rendezvous on the Pier and a Small Boat Crossing the River
She stood there on the wooden pier, dressed in her usual black clerical robes. The blue surface of the water rippled gently around her, and a soft breeze danced up, causing her long hair to sway. With her hands clasped behind her back, she began to walk slowly toward the end of the pier. She stood at the edge for a few seconds, gazing intently at the water. Then, with a light step, she turned around. Her chest bounced softly with the movement. She looked around restlessly, as if searching for someone, before heading back toward the land. She let out a sigh, turned back to the river, and once again walked to the end of the pier. She was repeating this pattern. I took the opportunity while her back was turned to sneak closer. When she turned to come back, I hid behind some cover. But either my timing was off or she turned around sooner than I expected, because she spotted me.
"Hmph! I'm here waiting for you, so why are you hiding?"
I gave up on hiding and walked toward Maira.
"You just looked so cute while you were waiting."
"…I didn't think you were the type to pay such compliments, Mash."
I was being sincere, but she must have taken it as a joke after my little prank.
"A rendezvous like this is a nice change of pace."
The same wind that stirred Maira's black hair now caressed my cheek.
"Yes. My heart was pounding while I waited. And yet, Mash, you…"
She seemed to hold a slight grudge. She took my hand.
"Let's get on the boat right away."
The rental boats were two-person rowboats. Several were already out on the water, some having rowed quite far from shore.
"They said it's okay to go all the way to the other side. I'm counting on you, Mash."
This was probably her payback for my prank.
"You've got to be kidding. How many meters is that?"
I gazed at the far-off bank. There was nothing but despair.
We paid two silver coins and got into the boat. It seemed there was no time limit. For now, I started rowing out from the shore. At first, I kept making arcs instead of going straight, but once I got the hang of it, I could move as I pleased. Still, reaching the other side seemed impossible. When the time felt right, I took the skewered fish I'd bought at the morning market and some ale out of my storage. Items in my storage don't change state, which is convenient because they can be preserved exactly as they were when I bought them. We toasted and took a bite of the fish. It looked and tasted like sweetfish. It was well-salted and delicious. I took a sip of ale. Maira sat across from me. This was the best way to start the morning.
"You saw an elf?" Maira asked, looking surprised. I'd only caught a glimpse of them going into their room, so my impression was faint, but I remembered Fam saying they were an elf.
"Yeah, a kid with pointed ears. They were staying in the room next to ours. There was someone with a leaf on their head, too."
"Perhaps a Flower-Kin? They are a race said to live in the far west."
"Flower-Kin? As in, from plants and flowers? Does that mean…"
I'd heard that in the myths, the human race had interbred with all sorts of creatures to create new races.
"Yes, I know what you want to ask, Mash."
Maira seemed to want me to drop the subject of the Flower-Kin. This world was once filled with adventurous people. But even after creating all these new races, they now treat other races with discrimination.
"Are they from the kingdom in the west?"
I changed the topic to the Flower-Kin's homeland. The western kingdom was where Reed from Wind Blade was from.
"It's to the north of the kingdom, actually."
"Is that so?"
As usual, I couldn't get a grasp of the geography.
"Between the Empire and the western kingdom, there's a great forest and a mountain range. It spreads to the northwest, surrounding the kingdom, and to the north, there are lowland plains that face the sea. Many of the Flower-Kin live there."
"I see. Flucht has a king, but is it similar to the western kingdom?"
"No. The western kingdom is an independent nation, not under the Empire's influence. Flucht is one of the city-states under the Empire's rule."
The fact that the political systems of the city-states under the Empire's influence weren't unified was what made it so confusing. Monarchies, democracies, oligarchies—they had it all. As long as the city-states remained subordinate, the Empire didn't interfere.
"So, broadly speaking, from east to west it goes: Demon Kingdom, Empire, and western kingdom."
"That's right. To the south of the Empire are independent city-states, and there are other countries even further west than the western kingdom."
It was no use. My head was spinning; I couldn't remember it all. All I needed to know was that we were traveling toward Migul, which was west of the Empire.
"By the way, Mash, who do you prefer, Fam or Mizuki?"
Maira changed the subject. I almost choked, spitting out the ale I was drinking.
"…You like Fam, don't you, Maira?" I asked, trying to calm myself down before answering.
"Yes. As I've said before, if Fam were a boy, she'd be my absolute ideal type."
She's definitely a dangerous one. I'd better keep Fam away from her.
"You thought Chihiro was pretty cute too, didn't you?"
"Hmph, what are you trying to make me say? It's true I'm a shotacon. But it's a bit different from romantic attraction. You're my number one, Mash, you know?"
What did she mean by being a shotacon but not seeing young boys as romantic interests? But I didn't think I could press her for any more details.
"So, what about you, Mash?"
Maira brought the conversation back to me. Why did I have to talk about other women in front of her? Cecily would have been furious.
"It's hard to compare them. If we're talking about looks, I prefer Fam's face. Mizuki is just too perfect in every way."
"I see…"
Maira nodded, then fell into thought.
"There's something I want to ask you, Maira…"
I figured I might as well ask what I'd been wondering.
"Yes, what is it?"
"Is Mizuki, like, actually a beautiful girl?"
"…What do you mean?" she asked, looking at me blankly, not understanding the intent of my question.
"Well, I'm starting to suspect that Racshell's power is making me see her as exceptionally beautiful, and only me."
"No, I think anyone would see her as a pretty girl. I certainly do, of course."
"Is that right…"
I'd been bothered by what Hyakka had said about her having a different impression from when she'd met her in our original world.
"Mash."
"Hm? What is it?"
"You've stopped rowing. At this rate, we'll never reach the other side."
"You're serious about this, aren't you?"
It seemed Maira was determined to get to the other bank.
Somehow, we made it to the boat landing on the opposite shore. The boat had no cover from the sun, and it was hot. I was exhausted. My arms were burning. I didn't even want to think about the return trip.
"I'm sorry. I didn't realize it would be this much work."
Maira stroked my arm sympathetically. She cast a healing spell, and the fatigue eased.
"You know, if you massaged them between those breasts of yours, I bet they'd heal right up."
"Huh?" Maira looked at me, surprised.
"Ah…" Overcome by exhaustion, my inner voice just slipped out. My words left Maira frozen.
"I-I was joking. Please, forget I said that."
"N-No, you're my boyfriend, so it's okay to say things like that. D-Did you always look at me that way, Mash?"
This was awkward. I was speechless. I thought I'd completely creeped her out.
"Please give me a chance to make it up to you. Forgive me!"
"I thought you weren't interested in my body…"
"That's not true. I'm nothing but interested."
I want to dive into that bountiful chest and drown.
"You're always saying lewd things to Fam and Mizuki, but you never said anything like that to me."
"Well, saying it to you is…"
Maira wrapped her arms around mine. A soft sensation enveloped my arm, but it was gone just as quickly.
"It's incredibly embarrassing, so just for a little bit."
We started walking, hand in hand.
"Did you have a reason for coming to this side?"
"Oh, right. This city has churches on both banks, and I heard the one on this side is putting on a play about the myths. I wanted to see it with you, Mash."
"Do you know where it is?"
"Yes."
Just then, a group of people rushed past us, making a commotion.
"I wonder what happened."
Maira turned around. She stopped in her tracks, looking stunned. I thought I heard her gasp. I turned around too. A short distance from the boat landing where we had arrived, a large wooden sailing ship was moored. No, it was practically a wreck. The mast was broken, the hull was listing, and there were holes in its side. It looked like it had run aground. It had the eerie air of a ghost ship.
"Was that there before?"
We should have seen it as we approached by boat. Maybe I was too tired from rowing to notice. But Maira shook her head too.
"I'm curious. Let's go have a look."
She started walking toward the shore.
Maira gathered information from the people who were staring at the shipwrecked vessel. Apparently, the ship itself had been abandoned for a long time after running aground. The ship's owner and its operator were two different parties, and they were locked in an endless dispute over compensation. It had become a regular spot for children's explorations and tests of courage. And since yesterday, some children who had boarded that ship had not returned. Their fathers had gone to search for them early this morning, but they hadn't come back yet either. The ship was large, over twenty meters long, but the search area should be limited. It seemed like something that should have been over quickly. Someone was shouting toward the ship, but there was no sign of life, and no reply came back.
"I'm worried. Let's go see what's going on," Maira said.
"I have a bad feeling about this. We should leave it to the city's guild or knights. If we're going, all six of us should go together."
"Shouldn't we at least check if there's a dungeon entrance?"
Just like what happened at the mountain castle, it was possible that a dungeon created by Mii's Crystal Control had formed, and the children and the adults who followed them had gotten lost inside and couldn't get back out. It seemed Maira was thinking the same thing as me.
"Alright. But if it looks dangerous, we're turning back."
Maira nodded.
Thank you for reading. To everyone who has liked, bookmarked, or rated this story, thank you very much. It encourages me. I'll do my best. Thank you for the typo reports. I appreciate it.