Chapter 494 - Just a Merchant and a Stray Bishop
We boarded the ship as if swapping places with Duke Harmonia and Bishop Lloyd.
"Well then, Henry Party. I look forward to working with you in the future."
"We look forward to working with you as well."
"Please, we look forward to it."
To Duke Harmonia, who gave a greeting with a somewhat tense expression, Henry-sama and Eleanor-sama, who remained on the pier, repeated various greetings using many words. Bishop Lloyd, who was beside Duke Harmonia, was looking away.
"That's a very long greeting."
"Let's watch a little longer."
Magdalena-sama said this, and I was wondering what she meant when I saw Duke Harmonia's cheeks twitching.
"How long do you think he'll last? I say about fifty."
"I say sixty."
"Then I'll go with seventy."
Magdalena-sama, Sianya, and Mary were saying numbers.
Beowulf was looking elsewhere, pretending not to notice. For some reason, Bonnie was muttering and counting numbers. It was currently in the forties.
"Hey, what on earth is this about?"
I whispered to Beowulf.
"The two of them are making funny faces. So they're betting on how many more counts it'll take before Duke Harmonia can't stand it anymore and bursts out laughing."
Stop that!
In the end, Duke Harmonia cleared one hundred while his entire face was twitching.
Then, when Henry-sama and the others boarded the ship and immediately turned around and looked down, it seemed they had reached their limit.
"How regrettable. I didn't intend to let him last even ten more."
"As expected of the head of a Duchy. He is quite formidable."
"Shall Magdalena participate next time?"
"No, I am not good at making funny faces..."
"How about Miana?"
"Um. I've never done it."
"Once we return to the ship, Edward-dono and Sianya-dono will be there, right? Why don't we all do it at once?"
I said, stop it!
The funny faces were voted down by majority, and a crisis was averted.
We safely returned to the ship and set sail in a state fully loaded with water and supplies to be carried to the island.
I immediately went to Archbishop Lloyd's senior disciple.
This was because I was supposed to release one shot as a precaution for infection prevention.
Just like an isolation ward, a whole room was chartered. Since there are no wounded soldiers now, there's plenty of room. I lightly tapped his shoulder with the wooden stick and released Anti-Sepsis. After that, I cast Thought Communication and invited Henry-sama and Eleanor-sama in along with Edward-sama and Sianya.
(I am Edward of Primordia.)
(Oh! Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince. To think you would go to the trouble of coming here, it is truly an honor.)
(No, Bishop, I have heard that you will be giving lectures on herbalism in our country. It is a great honor for our country. We look forward to working with you.)
(No, no, I have conducted various researches since my youth, but the treatment of the karmic disease was not something I could have known. I am grateful for the opportunity to give back even a little to Primordia, which reached out and provided Bishop Jeanne's magic water to this body that I thought was only going to rot away.)
(You are too modest. Furthermore, Bishop. Not only in our country but on the White Island, the disease you are suffering from is called Just a Disease. It has nothing to do with the person's own karma. Therefore, I recommend you call it that from now on.)
(Ah, is that so. Such consideration is also wonderful. Thank you very much.)
The main priests I met in Harmonia, starting with Lloyd-sama, called it Just a Disease. On the other hand, the senior disciple was on the side of the patients and, moreover, had been isolated. Their perceptions must be different. And after all, on the continent, groundless prejudice might still be deep-rooted.
The hospital ship that left the harbor of Harmonia first headed northwest, then changed direction and headed northeast. It seems they are using the tidal current that flows northeast between the continent and the White Island, and that way is faster to reach the destination. In fact, the target small island that was visible on the right is rapidly approaching.
Since it was flowing like a river, the ship, which was sliding along on the tide, arrived at the anchorage surrounded by three small islands in not much time.
Unloading takes time. In the meantime, we decided to go ashore and check the results of the experiment.
When I went to see the water tank guided by the Bishop, it was surprisingly full after only two full days. Originally five magic circles had been set up, but since there was space, the effect of adding all three spares I had brought seemed to have worked.
"It was worth reinforcing it. It lasts for two weeks, so it won't take that long to become full. After that, it will be a matter of how much is used when the wounded soldiers actually come."
"Eleanor-sama, thank you very much. With this, we can say we have a prospect."
"It is not over yet. Next, we will make it so that magic water made in Primordia can be jumped directly. Edward-dono and Sianya-dono should be the ones to do it."
"Jumping magic water directly... that is truly a wonderful story. However..."
"The duration of the effect, right?"
"Yes. I believe the effect of magic water does not last that long."
"I know. Therefore, we will jump it continuously to the ward in Harmonia. We can just barrel part of what has accumulated and send it here as well."
"I-I see. That is true."
"In exchange, we shall have the relatively healthy ones here make dried fish and salted fish. We will use that as payment."
"I-I see. You will use those preserves."
The preserves are currently underwater at high tide. When it's low tide, fish should have been caught, so one can walk there. Even if the prisoners go to get them, they don't use a boat. The condition of being a remote island can be maintained.
"As expected of the one hailed as Eleanor of Tactics. Thank you very much for your various instructions."
"No, it was not me. Both the jumping of water to this island and everything else are the ideas of the Class of 175. Through this visit, they have received special consideration from Duke Harmonia. Please continue to favor them in the future."
Hearing Eleanor-sama's words as she pointed to Mary and me with a smile, I nudged the elbow of Mary, who was giving a slight nod to the Bishop with a composed face.
Since the tide had begun to go out, we decided to go and see if fish were actually being caught. Since it wasn't exactly low tide, we borrowed a flat-bottomed boat and went to see.
The preserves were made by modifying several shallow rocky areas, and the rocks at the bottom of the rocks had been dug quite deep. The perimeter was surrounded by stones. There were wooden sticks here and there, and fishing nets were hooked onto them like awnings.
"How did you dig this?"
Curve is intermediate level, so it shouldn't have been effective.
"Glaciate and Colossus Collapse. Since the original was ultra-high-level, we were able to dig it to some extent by repeating it many times."
Ultra-high-level magic. Even if it drops by two levels, it has the power of an intermediate level, so it must have had some power. The broken rocks were apparently further crushed by Henry-sama slashing at them, carried up and lined around the perimeter by Edward-sama, and further fixed with mortar. Apparently, there are several such places.
When I peeked in, there were indeed some. Not just some, there were quite a few. Some were fairly large.
"It seems they were doing the chumming properly. It looks like it will be a good catch."
Edward-sama said this while plunging his hand into a bucket and throwing a handful of reddish grain-like things. Immediately, fish gathered and the water surface stirred.
"What is that?"
"Fish chum. There are small shrimp near the coast. They're ground up and mixed with flour like oats and kneaded."
He made a gap about the size of a single coin held vertically between his thumb and index finger.
"They're used as bait for fishing, but you scatter them like this. If you scatter them at high tide, the fish will gather, right? The bait sinks, so they should stay for a while."
I see. Ingenious.
"And that net?"
"It's a measure against sea birds. It wouldn't do to have the fish we've gone to the trouble of gathering taken away. Ideally, we should just float wooden boards, but they'd be washed away, right? So I told them to use fishing nets. Thanks to them doing it properly, it's a big catch."
As expected of someone who once aspired to be a fisherman. He apparently gave detailed advice to Eleanor-sama on how to break the rocks so that shadows for fish to hide in would be created, and taught the soldiers dispatched from the continent about chumming and fishing nets.
"I learned it all from my uncle."
The one who taught Edward-sama the fun of fishing was reportedly the King of Primordia.
"Even though he's the one who drew me into fishing, he's apparently against me becoming a fisherman. Lately, instead of fishing, I'm being made to study politics and management."
Because he said that with a sigh, Beowulf was about to burst out laughing beside him.
I see. The King of Primordia is a role model not just for Sianya, but for Edward-sama as well.
After finishing the patrol of the preserves and returning to the island, the unloading work was mostly finished.
I returned to the hospital ship with Edward-sama, who had finished discussing future matters with the Bishop, and we were to return to the home port of Primordia as we were.
Once we were away from the continent, Eleanor-sama used wind magic to fill the sails, so we proceeded comfortably.
As the White Island drew closer and closer, magic could be used normally, so Eleanor-sama handed over the role to the naval soldiers, and one bowl for security also flew up into the sky.
After that, while we were all chatting and looking at the continental coastline, thinking we were just going home, a soldier came running with a pale face.
"Edward-sama! An emergency report!"
In his hand was a scrap of parchment.
He likely jumped here via Teleport.
"Let me see!"
"Yes."
The expression on Edward-sama's face changed when he took it and looked.
"I don't care. Proceed as we are."
"B-but..."
"We proceed as planned. Understood?"
"Yes! Understood."
The soldier glanced over here.
Since Edward-sama had his back turned, his expression was not visible from here.
"What's wrong? Edward."
Sianya approached, and Edward-sama showed her the parchment while still facing away.
Tension ran through Sianya's expression, as she must have seen Edward-sama's face.
Did something bad happen?
"Is this... okay?"
"It can't be helped. It'll be after we return to port."
"...I see... understood."
Sianya let out a sigh.
"Now then, Henry. What shall we, this party, do next?"
Suddenly, Eleanor-sama spoke in a loud voice.
Sianya looked over here, perhaps surprised.
"Let's see. Since we are merchants with the endorsement of the King of Primordia. We should be able to go anywhere within Primordian territory. Let's see, it might be good to board a Primordian ship and go watch the battle. After all, we are just merchants."
"Watching the battle. That sounds good. I hope there's a suitable ship somewhere."
"Anything will do, I suppose. After all, we are just merchants who have received the endorsement of the King of Primordia. We and the members of the Class of 175."
What on earth was she saying?
"That sounds interesting. I would definitely like to join you. Is that alright?"
This time it was Magdalena-sama.
"Oh, of course, I don't mind. Magdalena is also one of those who received the endorsement of the King of Primordia as part of the Henry Party."
"Thank you very much. Even though I look like this, I was once a unit commander of the light cavalry, so my blood stirs when I hear of battle."
"Indeed. Let's go watch together."
"Yes."
Er, this is...
Sianya's eyes were wide. Edward-sama, as he turned around, had his mouth hanging open.
"H-Henry-sama? What on earth are you..."
Edward-sama was flustered.
"No, no, I want at least one story of this battle to take home as a souvenir. As someone who received the endorsement of the King of Primordia and was allowed to board a ship heading for the continent."
"B-but..."
"Now, now," Eleanor-sama cut in.
"I suspect that an allied hospital ship is being pursued by the West Liber Navy. The position from here would be east. Most likely, our allies are desperately fleeing against the tide. What do you think?"
Edward-sama looked down. His opponent was the great mage and Eleanor of Tactics. There was no point in playing dumb.
"If that's the case, it'll be fine. Please proceed northeast along the coast of the island. That way, magic can be used. In other words, we can take off with Flight Magic at any time."
"E-even Eleanor-sama, saying such things..."
"Indeed. We shall ride the tide and proceed northeast while drawing closer to our motherland, the White Island, and if we use magic to throw rocks from the coast, we can likely drive off most enemies. The enemy won't know who did it. They won't dream that merchants would do such a thing."
"That's right. And while we're at it, shall we throw a shot of Prominence? The power might drop midway, making it just right."
This is bad. These people intend to join the fight.
"Then, I shall join you as well. As the manager of Shop No. 3 of the Class of 175, which received the endorsement of the King of Primordia, I believe it is a good opportunity to observe the state of the world."
This time it was Mary. Since when did she start 'believing' such things?
"T-then I will too. I-I'm the manager of Shop No. 4!"
Even Miana. Magdalena-sama, who was beside her, put a hand on Miana's shoulder as she spoke with a desperate expression.
"Then, I shall accompany the manager as a clerk of Shop No. 4."
"I'm going too. I'm also acting as the manager's deputy."
In the end, it was Beowulf and Bonnie.
When I looked at Wilson-san, he was shaking his head with an expression as if he were suppressing a laugh.
"Pfft!"
Finally, Sianya burst out laughing. At this point, the Henry Party's farce had won.
"Come to think of it, Jeanne was a stray Bishop. What would you do if a wounded soldier were before your eyes?"
Henry-sama, hitting me where it hurts.