Chapter 233 - Chapter One: To the Kingdom of Finis

Chapter One: To the Kingdom of Finis

My body was lifted high as the mountain ranges of the land came into view, only to be dropped all at once, surrounded by waves. Something welled up from the back of my throat, and I hurriedly leaned over the gunwale. I never imagined a sea voyage would be this terrible.

"What's the matter, what's the matter, Dragon Killer? If you're like that, you'll be dead before we even reach Finis!"

The captain, belonging to the Sertorian Navy, slapped my back with his large hand. The impact almost made me vomit my stomach out. Why are Sertorian soldiers so uncouth? They are like pirates rather than mountain bandits.

With the single-masted sail catching the full force of the wind, the fifty-man ship of the Sertorian Navy, based in Uminohara, headed north. Its speed was about the same as the Kawasemi-go, and since it traveled in a straight line over the sea, it was said to be faster than going by land. Leading the way was the ship carrying James-sama. It seems that only the three nations of Medioland, Sertoria, and Regnentes use the Owan (T/N: 'Owan' refers to the bowl-shaped magic vehicles) openly; other countries have decided not to use them. Apparently, it is a military secret. That said, traveling by land to the Finis Royal Capital would take too much time. As a result, two ships were prepared to depart from the port of the Medioland Royal Capital.

This was my first time traveling by sea. I had heard about seasickness, but with it being this bad, I started to think it might be easier to just jump into the sea and swim.

The ship ahead was from Medioland and could reportedly carry a hundred soldiers. The Sertorian ship was for fifty people at its largest. Surely, on a large Medioland ship, the seasickness wouldn't have been this severe.

"How much longer until we reach the next port?"

"Three hours have passed, so about seventeen hours more."

"We can see an inlet over there, right?"

"That's still Septanaquila, so we won't be landing there."

"We should just go from nearby."

"It's tradition to go in order from the north. If we made the first one second, Finis would get grumpy, wouldn't they?"

Beatrix asked every time an inlet came into view. Within half an hour of boarding, both of us had collapsed, leaning against the luggage at the front. Flora was inside the barrel on my back. She had said she hated places where seawater spray might fly, so I had her get in the barrel. Since pollination was successfully finished, she would be pregnant by autumn, but for now, there was no particular change and she didn't drink blood.

"Mary and the others look energetic."

The pale-faced mage looked enviously toward the bow, where Mary and Fiona stood with Gladys-sama, enjoying the sensation of cutting through the wind.

The noses of the pirates around them were about twice as long as usual (T/N: 'Noses getting longer' implies being prideful or, in this context, leering/being smug).

Between the sleds and the Owan, we really don't get along well with vehicles. Ah, the horses were the same.

"You became a mid-level mage, didn't you? Isn't there some magic that's useful at a time like this?"

There is a spell called Refresh. It's a mid-level magic that can raise one's spirits and provide a sense of exhilaration. The mid-level magic I learned during the Demon Lord subjugation war was Magic Reflection. The Goddess must have taken pity on me for not being able to protect myself with my own Magic Reflection during the battles on the third and fourth floors. If I can learn magic next, I definitely want to learn Refresh.

However, that was only after helping to subjugate an A-rank Demon Race and a B-rank Behemoth. It might be impossible with ordinary monster extermination.

"For now, we just have to rest our bodies. Let's try our best."

That was all I could manage to say.


A hellish time passed where I couldn't even put food in my mouth and mostly just drank water. By the time we reached calm waters, it was already the evening of the following day.

We proceeded through a large inlet for a while using the power of the wind magic generated by the pirates, and finally reached land.

"An earthquake?"

My body was swaying up and down! I hurriedly crouched down, only to be laughed at by everyone else who was walking normally.

"Your body just remembers the swaying of the ship. Don't worry."

Harris-sama, who has a fear of heights, seemed fine with ships.

He winked at me, telling me to be grateful for the earth.

That's right. I should kneel, prostrate myself, and thank the earth created by the Goddess.


The place we arrived at was a relatively large port town on the west coast of Finis... or rather a port village... apparently at the southernmost tip. Since it was said that heroes were coming, a large crowd had gathered.

From the crowd, a well-dressed elderly man came forward. His face was painted blue. He was accompanied by a person who appeared to be a priest, also painted blue.

"Welcome, heroes. I serve as the lord of this town. And this is the advisory priest. We have been ordered by the King of Finis to look after you for the night, so please, we look forward to your favor."

He greeted us respectfully in our language, and James-sama returned the greeting.

Diplomatically, Crown Prince James-sama is of higher rank, so he likely handles everything. Roberts-sama was watching from behind, looking relaxed.

During the exchange, a quite large middle-aged man came out, pushing through the crowd. He was also painted blue. He wore unique checkered clothes with the shoulders cut out. The ones I saw in the Royal Capital were primarily green, but this man's were primarily brown. The checkered pattern also seemed different. Come to think of it, Matilda, who saw this Finis fashion in the Royal Capital, liked it very much and asked me to buy some as a souvenir.

He strode toward Roberts-sama. A few town soldiers tried to restrain him, but they were brushed aside. The heroes seemed to have anticipated this and watched without saying anything.

"Are you Roberts?"

To my surprise, the language was understood.

I heard later that people living near the border can generally speak both languages. Conversely, people in the Finis Royal Capital, far from the border, apparently cannot.

"That's right."

"I am the strongest warrior in this town. Because I am a servant, I didn't have the qualifications and couldn't participate in the Demon Lord subjugation. If I had been chosen, I should have been the one called a hero. Roberts, duel me. You can choose the weapon as you like."

A stir rose from the crowd, and heckles flew: "Go for it!" "Do it, do it!"

An abrupt challenge to a duel. What kind of country is Finis, exactly?

The Lord who had come to greet us hurriedly tried to intervene, but James-sama stopped him.

"How did you know I was Roberts?"

Including Gladys-sama's attendants, there were many people dressed like warriors. Including the pirates, he didn't stand out that much in appearance.

"A truly strong warrior can be recognized at a glance."

The man was puffing out his chest. He looked as if he wanted to say, "You can't fool my eyes."

"I thank you. I also knew at a glance that you are a truly strong man. If we dueled here, neither of us would escape unscathed."

The man seemed satisfied to be recognized as an equal fighter.

"However, if someone gets injured here, it will spoil the long-awaited celebratory banquet. I'm sorry, but I am a national guest. If I get injured, you might be driven out of the country. That would be a loss for Finis. How about it? If you're a man, why not settle it with a drinking contest? If you beat me, you can call yourself the man who beat Roberts of Sertoria."

Since he said the weapon could be anything, he shouldn't be able to refuse.

The man hesitated for a moment but then replied, "Fine." Cheers rose from the crowd.

the advisory priest let out a sigh of relief, James-sama smiled, and Gladys-sama held her head and sighed. The attendant knights looked like they were having fun.

Roberts-sama tapped the man's shoulder, saying he had something to discuss.

"Actually, there are two people who are incredibly strong with alcohol. They are monsters who toast with barrels and drain half a barrel in one breath."

"Toast with barrels?"

The man's mouth hung half-open.

"I also challenged them twice with two people and lost twice. They are definitely stronger than that Bishop Catherine. I'm asking you because I see you as a man. I want you to back me up. For every half-barrel they drink, we've been allowed to drink three cups. If you're here, we can win."

He must be talking about Dune and Fiona. Fiona was already here. I hurriedly went back to the ship, hid behind the luggage, and called Dune and Mel.


At the banquet held in the town square, the heroes were lined up around the priest, and a crowd gathered to surround them. They didn't seem to care much about social status; except for the priests, farmers and everyone else were all mixed together.

True to war-loving Finis, it was full of wildness. Calves stuffed with plenty of herbs were rotating over a bonfire, giving off a savory aroma that made one's mouth water, and people were gallantly eating dishes like large fish or whole salted grilled shrimp with their hands. The bread was rye bread.

Special seats were prepared for Roberts-sama and the man. It seems cold countries prefer strong alcohol. Facing the two monster women who smiled while placing barrels of local liquor on the table, the two men with solemn faces were having liquor poured into their cups.

"A barrel for me too!"

The man showed off, even though he shouldn't have. Roberts-sama desperately tried to stop him, but he wouldn't listen. Finally, there was a toast led by the priest who acted as the judge, and the three of them tilted their barrels at the same time.

Everyone ignored the food and watched the outcome of the match.

The three of them put down their barrels, and one put down his cup.

"Not bad."

"It's wonderful."

Whether the two's voices were heard or not... the man just rolled his eyes and fell backward, chair and all. He began to sleep, snoring.

Roberts-sama, forced into a lonely struggle, let out a cry.

"Everyone! Proud warriors of Finis. Anyone who thinks they are up to it, please assist Roberts. Even one cup per person is fine. Please, show me your manhood!"

Gladys-sama stood up and called for support. Harrison-san and the three attendant knights rolled up their sleeves and stood behind Roberts-sama. Several pirates also felt like helping. The blue-painted men joined in one after another. Barrels were piled high beside the table, and for every amount Dune and Fiona drained, the men drank cups of liquor. The two of them together drained a barrel in one breath. The men were desperately trying to keep up by sharing the drinking, but as a result, the pace increased. I don't know what will happen, but the table was surrounded by cheering men.


"Since we're here, let's have some food ourselves."

Beside the table where the men swarmed, Gladys-sama began to gather the women and children who were watching nearby. There were female translators, and Mel and Flora, who could speak any language. We were also invited to join.

"In a place of friendship like this, men are just in the way, so let's let them drink themselves into a stupor over there. It's common in every country that they only think about fighting."

Is that something a world-famous female warrior should say? Beatrix was also tilting her head. Dune and Fiona ended up being human sacrifices, but they themselves were happy, so it's probably fine.


Mary busily carried food, and a young man with a red face nearby served sliced calf onto plates. The Finis women also sat in chairs with smiles, and a women-only banquet began with the famous Gladys-sama. Everyone ate with their hands, but they didn't care. Following Gladys-sama's lead, we also decided to eat with our hands.

A Finis woman grabbed a large shrimp. She snapped it roughly in half and handed me the tail side. I peeled off the hard shell and ate the white meat. After a plump texture, sweetness spread in my mouth. There was a faint scent of the tide. I heard from the pirates that the seafood in Finis is delicious, and it's true.

A dark brown lump of something I didn't quite understand came out. A Finis woman told me to just eat it, so I tentatively put it in my mouth. It was seasoned with herbs and salt, and it crumbled in my mouth. Is it mutton porridge? It's quite greasy. It has a bit of a smell and a strong habit, but it's sufficiently delicious. I can't eat a lot, but it might be good as a snack with alcohol.

When I asked for the recipe, it was sheep's entrails, oats, onions, and turnips chopped, mashed, mixed, seasoned with herbs and salt, stuffed into casings, and boiled. This might be sellable. Beatrix and Mary seemed to have the same thought. They were asking if it could be made with goat. If we start selling it at taverns, it might become a business. However, sheep is apparently tastier than goat.

There aren't many dishes using entrails. At most, they're for stuffing. Since it's delicious, I asked if it would be okay to make and sell it in Sertoria, and they were overjoyed and told me to spread it.

As a bonus, they brought out smoked fish, asking "How about this?" It was smoked cod. Smoked salmon is also delicious, but this is also good. This lasts long, so it can be emergency food, but the sea is far from Nakanohara. I was taught the recipe, but I gave up on making it myself.

From our side, we brought out Highway Cookies and had everyone eat them. They were highly praised. Unfortunately, since they are purchased goods, I couldn't teach them how to make them, but I was given some Finis sweets to eat.

The color was similar to Highway Cookies, but there was no moistness; they had a crispy texture and crumbled when put in the mouth. The aroma of butter was also high, and they melted in the mouth.

"Delicious! If you make this, it'll sell."

Beatrix bit. Unlike cookies, the recipe apparently doesn't use eggs or milk. It's like bread. It's economical. If you try to make it sweet, sugar is expensive, but if it becomes sellable, we'll break even. They said it was okay to spread this as well.

"Are you exporting it?"

When Beatrix asked, everyone tilted their heads. It seems the idea of exporting sweets doesn't exist.

"What a waste. You should think of something."

Beatrix made a proposal, and Gladys-sama pulled James-sama over, who was drinking with Evans-sama and Hughes-sama at another table. When he tried various things, they were well-received except for the first dark brown lump. This and that, she explained, and they began to talk about trade between Medioland and Finis.

Most of Finis's trade is apparently with the continent. Other than that, there's a little with Engrio, and trade with the west coast countries hasn't progressed. The reasons are that they are always at war and the export items themselves are few. Although Finis has a large land area, there are many rocky mountains and wastelands, so fishing, hunting, and ranching are the main focus, but those kinds of food products fetch better prices on the continent. Seafood can't be transported because it spoils. It seems trade doesn't progress with island nations where the products they can harvest inevitably overlap. However, there is high demand for smoked fish and sweets. Especially cod, which can be caught better in the northern seas, so it should sell. They could at least sell grain and buy smoked fish and sweets.

"If it goes well, we might be able to trade."

The Finis women widened their eyes at Beatrix's words.

"Sertorian women are amazing, aren't they?"

"We have to follow their example too."

The banquet proceeded peacefully, and at the center table, the priest, Phillips-sama, and Harris-sama were talking calmly. I don't know the details, but the myths that form the basis of their doctrines are the same. Surely, there are commonalities.

At the special seats, Dune and Fiona were drinking barrel liquor while gnawing on calf. I decided to ignore the fact that the men were lying around them like a field of corpses.