Chapter 565 - Chapter 8: To the Ice Island
North of the White Island, at the northernmost port of Finis, I received a grand send-off as I boarded a ship owned by the Medioland Great Church.
The night before, I received a warm welcome from the lords and nobles I met for the first time, and the priestesses and ghosts I knew. Recently, trade in alcohol, dried meat, and dried cod, conducted under the management of the Finis Royal Family, seems to be going well, and they seem to be becoming wealthy. The people's lives in winter also seem to be stable.
At the port, there are not only Medioland and Primordia ships, but also Finis and Northern Gram ships, showing activity.
When I arrived, I came to the offing of the port on an ultra-high-speed medium-sized bowl and transferred to the ship, but from here on, it's a ship journey all the way. After all, it takes five days. Moreover, on the way... or rather, in the early stages, magic will become unusable, so I'm worried about seasickness. Fortunately, Anri-sama taught me about medicinal herbs effective for anti-nausea and how to adjust them, so I brought some that Mary adjusted for me. When I distributed them at the port in the Royal Capital area as samples, I received many orders from merchants in the Royal Capital who suffer from seasickness, and we started selling them in earnest. I want to believe it'll be fine.
Shortly after setting sail, a medium-sized bowl flew over from the Primordia ship. It must be the Henry Party. Not only is it incognito, but there's also the Church's perspective, so they were lurking on the Primordia ship without going ashore. They must have come to greet Price-sama.
「Can we come down?」
Henry-sama called out from the bowl. On the ship is, so to speak, Church territory.
「I don't mind.」
When Price-sama gave his consent, they slowly descended.
However, why a medium-sized bowl? There are six people: the original five members—Henry-sama, Eleanor-sama, Wilson-san, Will, and Bonnie—plus Harold-sama, who joined recently, so a small one would be enough.
I thought Sianya came too, but the ones who climbed aboard with a "ya ya" were nine people including Sianya.
I recognize the other two. A bard wearing flashy clothes with a lute in his hand, and a blonde long-haired playboy.
「Did the number of people increase again? I thought the additional member was only the retired scout.」
Even Price-sama has an exasperated face.
「All three are still apprentices, but they are legitimate traveling merchants. You need not worry.」
Harold-sama is replying, but there's no persuasion when a scout says it.
「Ah, Jeanne-sama~. Your protection~, this Eowyn shall undertake~. Yes, as a mere apprentice traveling merchant~, this Eowyn shall~. Please, rest assured~.」
He is singing while strumming his lute in front of me.
Gwyn-sama, also a mere apprentice traveling merchant, is bursting out laughing.
Eowyn-sama. As always, the order of greetings is wrong.
The people who were lurking came out, and the full military force was revealed.
The main people gathered in the captain's room for a strategy meeting.
First, the confirmation of military force.
The main force is the monster extermination squad from the Medioland Great Church led by Captain Price-sama, totaling fifty people including the captain and crew.
Next is the monster extermination squad belonging to the Primordia Great Church led by Sianya, totaling thirty people including the captain and crew. The Wetlands Priestess and twenty Knight Order members. The Wetlands Priestess participated in the meeting as the representative.
The Regnentes representative is Harrison-san. The Sertoria representatives are Harris-san and me. The rest are the eight members of the self-proclaimed traveling merchants, the Henry Party, and their official nationality is not well known.
「When we get close to the Ice Island, we will anchor at the limit where High-level magic can be used. First, let's fly the bowl and scout.」
It's Eleanor-sama's immediate proposal. She must want to be the first one there. If it comes to flying the bowl, there are few competitors.
「I don't mind. Henry, you, Harold, and I, the four of us shall go.」
At Price-sama's words, I gasped for a moment.
The former heroes are all present. No, he intends to go with only the former heroes. They probably intend to confirm the safety themselves and then guide the others.
「That should be fine. We must prioritize the elders in all things.」
At Harold-sama's words, the four of them nodded in satisfaction. They say they are former Military Ministers or currently serving Archbishops, but in the end, they are of the same kind.
The other people fell silent for a moment. It's not so easy to complain to these four.
The one who complained was the Wetlands Priestess.
「It's fine, but if something happens to you guys, what are we going to do? Like, an immediate total wipeout. If that happens, the remaining people will go searching, right? And then, more casualties will occur, right?」
Excluding Harrison-san, how can she even talk on the premise of an immediate total wipeout for the strongest four in this investigation team? If these four die easily, no one will return alive.
「If a certain amount of time passes and there is no contact, you are free to return.」
「Impossible. You guys are famous for being the heroes who defeated the Demon Lord, right? If we do that, people will say, 'Did you return without even attempting a rescue!' and we won't be able to stay on the White Island. Please think a little about the people left behind.」
On the White Island, she is completely fearless even toward people who hold positions second only to the King and the Grand Archbishop. She is reckless in many ways. However, it's just as she says. It doesn't hurt to assume the worst in all things.
「Then, do you have a counter-proposal?」
「I do. We go to the limit where middle-level magic can be used, and I and the Wetlands Knight Order will confirm the safety.」
She is smirking. In other words, she's of the same kind. However, the Wetlands Priestess and Knight Order members belong to the Western Church. In other words, they are stateless, so there's no problem even if they are the first to assert territorial rights.
「You alone cannot reach the island.」
Once they come out of the stones for movement, the range they can move is limited. About the distance from one end of the town of Nakanohara to the other.
「That's right, we need you and one more bowl user. If the two of you take the stones we've possessed, it'll be fine, right?」
「Then I shall go. Who is the other person?」
As far as I know, it would be Eleanor-sama, Harold-sama, or Wilson-san.
「That's, look, it's fine with a lottery or something, so you guys decide over there.」
After Eleanor-sama exchanged glances with Harold-sama, she took out some dice.
After seeing off Eleanor-sama, who had a full smile, we passed by a small island that I thought was narrower than the town of Nakanohara. From here on, magic seems to be unusable. The White Island is already far away, and in front of us, only the ocean spreads out.
The ship, because the wind from the east is strong, proceeds in a zigzag while heading roughly north while looking at the sun and the wooden fish for knowing the direction. It's a five-day voyage from here.
When night came, the North Star and the Star of the Class of 175 could be seen. Because we were surrounded by the ocean and there was nothing to block the view, they could be seen well at a high position.
The anti-nausea medicine Anri-sama taught me was a great thing, and the swell is also terrible because the wind is strong. Despite that, there's no seasickness and my appetite is sufficient. For things to eat, there's only bread, cheese, dried fish, dried meat, ham, bacon, and pickled vegetables, but since it's usually the same except for banquets, there was no particular inconvenience.
We also drink alcohol. It's strong alcohol from Finis. According to the captain, since trade with Finis progressed, the alcohol drunk during voyages has changed from wine to that of Finis. Come to think of it, I feel like all the navy soldiers were drinking Finis alcohol too. However, since it's a priest group, the discipline is strict, and it's only one glass at dinner. There's not a single person who gets drunk and has a hangover.
At first, I thought water would be the most difficult thing. After all, in the explanation before boarding, the amount that could be used in a day was only three hand-buckets. You receive one at each meal, and at that time, you scoop it with a bowl and soak a towel to wipe your face and hands, and use the rest as drinking water. Since it's hard later if you drink it all at once, you fill a water bottle and drink it little by little. That's what I was told... but in reality, it often rains in sunshowers. It's a happy miscalculation, a blessing from the rain. Everyone lined up buckets on the deck to collect water and filled their water bottles. The crew members stripped to the waist and washed their bodies. While I was watching enviously, the captain beckoned me. Wondering what it was, I went to the captain's room, and everyone was putting the collected rainwater into a basin. He said I could bathe since no one could come in or out once the door was closed.
The hardest thing was when sleeping. Because the swell is large, if you aren't careful, you'll roll and almost fall out of bed. A simple handrail is attached to prevent falling, but it was especially hard in the first half when we were proceeding in a zigzag. In the end, I slept tied with a rope. The latter half, when we proceeded toward the northwest as if drawing a large arc, was fine.
And, although it's summer, because we were heading north, the temperature was low. The nights were unexpectedly cold. I had brought my autumn/winter green marble gear because I had some experience on the Wyvern Island, so it was the right choice. However, it never became extremely cold or hot.
The voyage to the Ice Island proceeded in that way.
「The stars can be seen well.」
When I went outside to get a little air before sleeping and was looking at the Star of the Class of 175, Price-sama spoke to me.
It's already the third night since we left the White Island. The further north we go, the longer the time the sun is out. Now there are only about six hours of night.
「I heard the emblem of the Class of 175 is designed with the North Star and those seven stars. Because there are eight companions of the same age. It's quite romantic.」
「Haah.」
I wonder if it was Mary who said it. It must have been decided when Beatrix was finally about to graduate.
「Who corresponds to the North Star?」
「It's not particularly decided. We've discussed that we can decide from time to time.」
「You don't have a leader, then.」
「Yes. Because our specialties and professions are different.」
「I see. Then, when it comes to monster extermination, who is the leader?」
Who would it be? When the eight of us did monster extermination alone, there were several times during the training for the Demon Lord subjugation. If I recall, at that time we made it daily and decided by lottery. Other than that, there were other veterans.
「That's also not particularly decided.」
Should we decide? I've come this far without thinking deeply about it. When consulting about something, Beatrix, who is the organizer, brings it up, and after listening to everyone's stories, she summarizes it. The conclusion is basically a majority vote. Will, who is smart, organized the main points, and there was also Mary, who has good intuition. I think things generally went well.
「Did you not have conflicts?」
「There wasn't much of that. Besides, partly because I was a wait-priestess... a priestess after coming of age... when there was really a conflict, the discretion was left to me.」
To listen well to what the priest says is the Headmistress's words. The Headmistress was a hero who subjugated the Demon Lord, and she was held in high regard by the townspeople and Church priests. Besides, if there was a child who was acting out, she could make them quiet just by touching them with her hand, so we all told each other not to make her angry.
「How was it for Price-sama's companions?」
Needless to say, it's the seven people Henry-sama led. Their reputation as the strongest in history is well known.
「Because Catherine was there. It's the same as you. The strongest priest in history was also the strongest warrior in history.」
Are you serious? Headmistress, aren't you a serious monster?
「That was a joke, but...」
I almost dropped my staff.
「We conflicted often. Henry summarized those well. He wasn't a person who usually said opinions, but when it came down to it, he decided properly.」
When opinions were split, it was mostly between Eleanor-sama and the Primordia warrior, meaning Sianya's grandfather. In that case, he would listen to the opinions of the remaining four and make it a majority vote. Mostly it was decided that way. Especially the opinions of Price-sama and the Headmistress were respected. Because priests have precepts, they can never do anything that goes against the precepts. When it was completely split, he would add Henry-sama's opinion to make it four to three. However, occasionally they would say either is fine, and at that time they rolled the dice. Eleanor-sama always rolling the dice must be a remnant of that.
「When it comes to life and death, there are times when luck tips the scales. The one who has luck on their side wins, everyone thought so.」
All of them were warriors worth a thousand. No matter whose opinion was adopted, it wasn't that wrong.
「The leader of the heroes was also decided by dice.」
He is chuckling.
I didn't know that. They were quite casual about it.
「It's to decide the one who has luck on their side. We purified the dice with holy water and did it after offering prayers to the Goddess.」
Each person was to roll ten times, and the one with the largest total number would be the leader.
The result was apparently a landslide victory for Henry-sama.
「He alone was prominent. The others had similar numbers. Even the Primordia warrior, since he was the Crown Prince at the time, wouldn't easily become the second. There's public appearance. Since he made such an undeniable difference, they had to acknowledge him.」
Fortunately, Henry-sama was the oldest. Officially, they apparently made that the reason.
「Do you know how the leader of the current heroes, James-sama, was decided?」
Among the seven, four are from Sertoria. Gladys-sama is from Medioland, but her husband is Roberts-sama. Normally, one would think it would be Roberts-sama, who is called the strongest warrior in history. However, with that personality, he must have found it troublesome.
「Partly because James-sama is the only Crown Prince, but it was somehow decided. You should say he naturally became the leader.」
According to Price-sama, there's a quality to a leader.
To listen well to people's opinions and make decisions within the range where they can take responsibility. Often, a good leader speaks last.
「Henry was like that, and James-sama is also practicing that. You might be similar to the two of them.」
I wonder. I feel like Beatrix is more similar, though.