Chapter 98 - The Riverside Settlement and a New Encounter
As evening approached, a brick tower came into view on the riverbank. Behind it rose a mountain, its slopes dotted with houses.
The convoy changed course, heading toward the settlement's port. Though small, the village possessed a large harbor facility. A few small boats were moored there, but none were as large as the sailing vessel we were on. According to Maira, the emperor had ordered the construction of these ports to support the river's transportation network.
I could see a figure on top of the tower, waving a flag. A crewman at our bow held up a flag of his own, signaling back.
"So there are settlements like this along the river."
Fam stood next to me, watching the scenery. She was leaning over the railing, her eyes wide with curiosity as if seeing something rare.
"You traveled this same route in reverse, didn't you, Fam?"
"Probably… but I was in the ship's hold the entire time."
I couldn't help but worry about the hygiene of locking someone with a supposedly contagious disease in such a confined space.
"You don't have to answer if it brings back bad memories, but do you recognize any of the towns?"
"To be honest, I remember almost nothing. In Heilong, where we're headed, some of my companions tried to escape and failed. After that, they wouldn't even let us see the outside."
Whenever she spoke of her time as a slave, she tried to recount it in a detached, matter-of-fact way, so as not to make me worry. That consideration itself was painful.
"You don't need to trouble yourself over my past, Master."
I must have had a somber look on my face.
"I'm sorry for asking about painful things."
"I'm more afraid of you losing interest in me…"
Fam leaned against me.
"I used to think the path I traveled was just gray, but it was filled with beautiful places. Ever since I met you, Master, the world I see has been sparkling. And from now on…"
As Fam was speaking, cries of surprise erupted on deck, and the crewmen all turned their gazes to the sky. A massive shadow was soaring above us. As I focused my eyes, I saw that the winged creature was larger than our ship, with the appearance of a dinosaur. It spread its colossal wings, appropriate for its size, and glided majestically through the open sky. Its reptilian scales reflected the sunlight.
"A dragon. My aunt in Flucht said they live in the mountains south of here," Cecily said, rushing over to us with her staff in hand. Mizuki, Maira, and Aira gathered around as well, their faces tense.
"Is it planning to attack the convoy?"
Even if we prepared for battle, I felt that if that behemoth were to descend, our ship would be sunk in an instant.
"Apparently they show up along the river like this from time to time. She said they just circle overhead and then go back, that they don't attack people, but…"
"Perhaps it's a kind of territorial display…" Maira murmured in response to Cecily's words.
"If that's the case, does that mean the area from the southern mountains to here is the dragon's feeding ground?"
The southern mountain range was the one Hyakka and the others had crossed to get to the sea. To think they'd traverse a region inhabited by creatures like that just to eat takoyaki. What a reckless bunch.
"It is said they do not eat the same food as us."
"Is that so? Then what does it eat to get that big?"
"I have heard that they eat crystal cores, but the truth is not known."
Does that mean they convert mana directly into energy? I looked around and saw that the crewmen, who had been startled at first, were now back to preparing for docking. The dragon circled overhead once more before changing course to the south. We all relaxed.
"Mizuki might be able to beat it."
Her special skills were a combination: one that let her evade fatal attacks, and another that had a chance to kill in one hit. And each time one of those skills activated, its effectiveness increased. The stronger the enemy, the more devastating their attacks become, which in turn made Mizuki stronger in response.
"…You think? No way," she muttered, watching the dragon fly away.
We were told the inn had no rooms that could accommodate more than two people, so we had to split up into three rooms. I tried to take Fam with me, but Maira and Aira objected. Usually, Cecily would take the lead in these discussions with Aira silently observing, so this was a rare development. A meeting to decide the room arrangements began, and as usual, I had no say in the matter and was left out. Today, I wasn't even allowed to listen in and was kicked out entirely.
Dinner was to be eaten with the crew at their campsite, so I headed there alone. The settlement was built on a slope, a maze of winding alleys. It was likely designed to buy time in the event of a pirate raid. When I arrived at the campsite, several tents had been pitched in preparation for the night. A soup kitchen was set up in the center, and some people were already eating.
"Did you happen to pass the young mistress?" Mercedes called out to me.
"No, I haven't seen her."
"…She may have been dragged into an alley and assaulted."
He said something dreadful with a serious expression, but he seemed calm. He didn't sound genuinely worried.
"…"
"A jest. Avea is with her. You must have simply missed each other."
After gauging my reaction, he said. Was he still trying to figure me out?
"About Claire. I'll gladly take her. I have no intention of giving her back."
"If that is your wish, Master Mash, then so be it."
Seeing Mercedes nod, I pulled the wine barrel I'd received from the noble out of my storage.
"I'd like to treat everyone here to this."
Mercedes' eyes widened in surprise when he saw the insignia stamped on the barrel.
"This wine is from the Western Kingdom. It is not something to be served in a place like this. If you were to entrust it to us, we would be willing to purchase it for six large gold coins."
One large gold coin was equivalent to ten gold coins.
"So, not enough to buy a female warrior slave…"
"The value of wine from the Western Kingdom increases the further east one travels. If you wish to trade it for a slave, that can be arranged. We will see to it in the city of Heilong."
Maira had also been in favor of sharing this wine with the crew. Did she know how valuable it was? She can drink endlessly, but she doesn't seem to seek it out, so I'd figured she was indifferent to its value.
"…Tch, no, it's fine. But I understand now that this is a bit much for a single party to be treating everyone to. I want you to serve this as a gift from both the Mateo Trading Company and Levante."
"Once the barrel is opened, its value will drop significantly, no matter how much is left. Are you certain?"
When he put it that way, I felt a flicker of regret. But I pushed the thought aside and nodded.
Thanks to the wine I provided, the campsite had turned into a full-blown banquet. Fam and the others still hadn't joined us. Avea, who had supposedly gone with Claire, hadn't returned either. I was eating alone—dried bread, stew, and a cup of wine. There were no fancy wine glasses here, so everyone was pouring it into their own cups.
A man and a woman appeared before me. The man had tanned, dark skin, long, wavy black hair, and a short beard. He looked to be around six feet tall. He was slender but muscular, and I'd guess he was in his thirties. The woman had long blonde hair and, at around five-foot-seven, was also tall. She looked younger than the man, perhaps around Maira's age.
"Heard you were the one who broke out this booze."
The man grinned and extended a hand. I shook it.
"I'm Joe, leader of the adventurer party 'Caribbean Pirates'. This here's Becky. It's just the two of us, though."
A transfer student? I almost reacted to the words 'Caribbean Pirates', 'Joe', and 'Becky', but I managed to restrain myself. I couldn't tell if he was being careless or if he was testing me.
"I'm Mash of Levante. The other members should be on their way, but they seem to be at the inn still. The wine was a gift from a noble in Flucht. Drink up."
At my words, Joe made a gesture as if trying to recall something.
"Wait, were you the one who brought back the noble's daughter who went missing on that beached ship?"
"That's right," I nodded.
"We usually operate around Flucht and a few towns further south. This wine is different from what we normally drink. It's good. Reminds me of my homeland…"
If he was a transfer student, he might have information about Mii and Isaac. But if he was one of their allies, I was in a dangerous situation.
"That wine is from the Western Kingdom. Is this 'Caribbean' place also in the west?"
Joe shook his head.
"Much farther away."
With that, he tipped the wine into his mouth. I heard his throat gulp.
"We heard a rumor in Richelle about someone who summoned a goddess. They say the same person summoned a goddess in Nielen and saved the city. On the other hand, there was an adventurer party that headed from Flucht to Nielen. They never came back, but a man from the Werewolf Race returned as a member of a different party."
"You know about the Men in Black? They may have already been executed, but they're being held in Nielen as the masterminds behind the recent trouble. The werewolves were slaves, so a trading company bought them."
How much information did they have on us? His sticky, probing gaze was unsettling, and I found myself glaring back.
"Wait, we didn't know that. We're not looking for a fight here. We're tracking the man who summoned the goddess."
Becky stepped between Joe and me. Seeing her, Joe scratched his head.
"You brought out this wine to get along with everyone here. And I accepted it. My bad."
Joe raised his cup of wine and took a drink. They were lightly armored and carried short swords, but I couldn't guess their professions. Calling themselves pirates, they certainly looked the part.
"Right. If you know about the Men in Black, this will be easier. One of their members, a man named Isaac, is on the run. I'm escorting this caravan while also tracking him."
Joe and Becky looked at each other.
"Nah, the Men in Black I knew was a party with Mii, Kei, and two werewolves."
It seemed they didn't know about Doris either. Speaking of which, I hadn't seen Fang or Doris around. Beers was also missing, so they must have gone with Avea and Claire. What on earth were they doing?
Just as I was thinking that, Fam and the others appeared. Claire, Avea, and the members of Altair were with them.
"Well, we're planning to head to Nielen to meet this guy who summoned a goddess. Let's get along until then."
"…If you're going to Nielen, you're heading in the wrong direction. We're moving away from it."
"…Seriously?" Joe asked, shocked. I nodded.
"See, I told you it was north!"
Becky jabbed Joe with her elbow.
"S-sorry. But I had no clue about the geography, so I checked with you a bunch of times, right? And you said you'd leave it to me!"
The two started bickering. The members of Levante gathered around.
"Did something happen?"
Fam, holding a plate of dried bread and stew, stood next to me. She seemed uninterested in Joe and Becky; her gaze was fixed on the wine in my hand. I glanced at Mizuki and saw she was firmly holding her own cup of wine.
"Wh-what?!"
"…I didn't say anything."
"It's fine today! It's just one glass, and today was the day I finally got to do something I've always wanted to do! Besides, Mercedes said this is really good wine. It's not fair if I'm the only one who can't have any!"
"Again, I didn't say anything."
Even while I was arguing with Mizuki, Fam continued to stare at my wine.
"Master, I also heard that today's wine is very good. So, just one sip."
"…"
I sighed and handed her the cup. She took it reverently, as if it were a precious treasure, and took a gulp. Gulp. It was a big sip today.
"Master, this wine is very… very…"
"Hey, you'd better eat your dinner before you get too drunk!"
I quickly took the cup back and handed her some food. Why does she want to drink so much when she can't handle it?
As this was going on, I noticed Joe and Becky watching our exchange. I introduced them to the members of Levante. I was worried Mizuki might react to the words 'Caribbean Pirates', 'Joe', or 'Becky', but she only furrowed her brow at the name 'Joe'.
"We formed our party two years ago. I want to add more female members, but this one here says no," Joe said, pointing at Becky with his chin.
"Of course I'd say no! You'd definitely cheat on me!"
Becky retorted, and for some reason, the women on our side all nodded in agreement.
"That's why a guy would be better."
"N-no guys!"
Joe was flustered. I nodded in support.
"Are you two a couple?" Mizuki asked.
"W-well, yeah," Joe admitted, scratching his cheek, embarrassed.
"In that case, why don't you team up with another couple?"
"…I see. That might actually work," Joe and Becky looked at each other and nodded at Mizuki's suggestion. I had a feeling that would only make things worse if they ever had a falling out, but I decided to keep my mouth shut.
Thank you for reading. To everyone who has liked, bookmarked, and rated this story, thank you very much. It encourages me to keep going. I'll do my best.