kscans

Chapter 92 - A Rendezvous on the Pier, and a Small Boat Across the River

She stood there on the wooden pier, clad in her usual black priestess robes. The blue water lapped gently around her, and a light breeze stirred, sending her long hair fluttering. With her hands clasped behind her back, she began to walk slowly toward the end of the pier. She stopped at the very edge and stared down at the water for a few seconds. Then, with a light step, she turned around, her chest bouncing softly with the movement. She scanned her surroundings as if looking for someone before heading back toward the shore. Letting out a sigh, she turned back to the river and once again walked to the end of the pier. She just kept repeating the process. I took the opportunity to approach while her back was turned, hiding behind some crates whenever she turned to walk back. But either my timing was off or she turned back sooner than I expected, because she spotted me.

"Hmph! I've been waiting for you, so why are you hiding?"

I stopped trying to hide and walked over to Myra.

"Because you just looked so cute waiting for me."

"...I didn't take you for the type to make such flattering excuses,"

she said. It seemed my heartfelt words were taken as a joke to cover for my teasing.

"This kind of meetup feels new and exciting."

The same breeze that had tousled Myra's black hair now caressed my cheek.

"Yes. I was waiting with a fluttering heart. And yet you, Mash..."

It seemed I was in her bad graces. She took my hand.

"Let's get on the boat right away."

The rental was a two-person rowboat. Several other boats were already out on the water, some having rowed quite a distance from the shore.

"They said we can go all the way to the other side. I'm counting on you, Mash."

Was this her payback for my little prank?

"You've got to be kidding. How many meters is that?"

I gazed at the opposite bank, far in the distance. It was a hopeless task.

We paid two silver coins and climbed into the boat. There didn't seem to be a time limit. I started rowing out from the shore. At first, I just went in circles, but once I got the hang of it, I could steer it as I pleased. Still, making it to the other side was out of the question. When I figured we'd gone far enough, I took some grilled fish skewers and ale I'd bought at the morning market out of my storage. Items in storage don't change state, which is convenient since they're preserved exactly as they were when I bought them. We toasted and dug into the fish. It looked and tasted like sweetfish. The salt was perfect, and it was delicious. I took a sip of ale. Myra sat across from me. What a perfect morning.

"You saw an elf?"

Myra asked, looking surprised. I'd only caught a glimpse of them going into their room, so my impression was faint, but I remembered Famu saying they were an elf.

"Yeah, a kid with pointed ears. They were staying in the room next to ours. There was another person with them, one with a leaf on their head."

"Perhaps one of the Flower Folk? They're a race said to live in the far west."

"Flower Folk, as in flowers from a plant? Does that mean..."

I'd heard that in the age of myths, humans had interbred with all sorts of creatures to create new races.

"Yes, I know what you're asking."

Myra seemed to want to avoid any further questions about the Flower Folk. This world was once filled with adventurous humans, but despite creating all these new races, they now treated them with discrimination.

"Are they from the kingdom in the west?"

I changed the subject to the Flower Folk's homeland. The western kingdom was where Reed of the Wind Blade was from.

"It's to the north of the kingdom, actually."

"Really?"

I still couldn't get a good grasp of the geography.

"Between the Empire and the western kingdom, there's a great forest and a mountain range. It spreads out to the northwest, surrounding the kingdom, and in the north, there's a low-lying plain that faces the sea. Many of the Flower Folk live there."

"I see. So, Fuhlt has a king, but is the western kingdom similar?"

"No. The western kingdom is an independent nation, not under the Empire's influence. Fuhlt is one of the city-states under the Empire's control."

Things got complicated because the political systems of the city-states under the Empire's influence weren't unified. Monarchy, democracy, oligarchy—you name it, they had it. As long as a city-state remained subordinate, the Empire didn't interfere.

"So, broadly speaking, from east to west, it's the Demon Kingdom, the Empire, and the western kingdom."

"That's right. South of the Empire, there's a group of independent city-states, and there's another country even farther west than the western kingdom."

It was no use. My head was spinning; I couldn't remember it all. In any case, we were traveling toward Miglutt, which was west of the Empire.

"By the way, Mash, who do you prefer, Famu or Mizuki?"

Myra changed the subject. I nearly choked on my beer.

"...You like Famu, don't you, Myra?"

I asked, trying to calm myself down before answering.

"Yes. As I've said before, if Famu were a boy, she'd be my perfect type."

She was a dangerous one, alright. I'd have to keep Famu away from her.

"You thought Chihiro was a little cute too, didn't you?"

"Hmph, what are you trying to make me say? It's true I'm a shotacon, but that's a little different from romantic interest. You're my number one, Mash, you know?"

I had no idea what she meant by being a shotacon but not seeing them as romantic interests. It didn't seem like I'd get any more out of her, though.

"So, what about you, Mash?"

Myra brought the topic back around. 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 just about faces, I prefer Famu's. Mizuki is just... too perfect in every way."

"I see..."

Myra nodded and seemed to be lost in thought.

"Myra, can I ask you something...?"

I figured I might as well ask what had been on my mind.

"Yes, what is it?"

"Is Mizuki really that beautiful?"

"...What do you mean by that?"

She tilted her head, confused by my question.

"Well, I'm starting to wonder if Laciel's power is making her seem especially beautiful just to me."

"No, I think anyone would find her beautiful. I certainly do, of course."

"Is that so..."

I was still bothered by what Hyakka had said, that Mizuki gave her a different impression than the one she'd met in their original world.

"Mash."

"Hm? What?"

"You've stopped rowing. At this rate, we'll never reach the other side."

"You're serious about this, aren't you?"

It seemed Myra was determined to get to the opposite bank.

Somehow, we managed to reach the boat landing on the other side. There was nothing to block the sun on the boat, and it had gotten hot. I was exhausted. My arms were burning. I didn't even want to think about the trip back.

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize it would be this difficult."

Myra said, stroking my arm sympathetically. A healing spell washed over me, and the soreness eased.

"While you're at it, if you massaged my arm between those breasts of yours, I'd be cured in an instant."

"Eh?"

Myra stared at me in surprise.

"Ah..."

Maybe it was the exhaustion, but my inner thoughts just slipped out. Myra froze at my words.

"I-I was just kidding. Please. Forget I said anything."

"N-No, it's fine for you to say that, since you're my lover. B-But, Mash... have you always looked at me that way?"

This was awkward. I couldn't say a word. I was sure I had 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 only interested in it."

I wanted to dive into that bountiful bosom and drown.

"You keep saying lewd things to Famu and Mizuki, but you never said anything like that to me."

"Well, saying it to you, Myra, is..."

Myra wrapped her arms around mine. A soft sensation enveloped my arm, but it was gone as quickly as it came.

"It's terribly embarrassing, so just for a little bit."

We started walking, hand in hand.

"Did you have a reason for coming to this side of the river?"

"Oh, right. This city has churches on both banks, and I heard the one on this side is putting on a play based on mythology. I wanted to see it with you, Mash."

"Do you know where it is?"

"Yes."

Just then, a group of people rushed past us, shouting excitedly.

"I wonder what happened."

Myra turned to look. She stopped in her tracks, clearly surprised. I thought I heard her gasp. I turned around as well. A short distance from the boat landing we'd just used, a large wooden sailing ship was moored. Or rather, it was in a severe state of decay. The mast was broken, the hull was listing, and there were holes in its side. It looked like it had run aground. It had an eerie, ghost-ship-like quality.

"Was that there before?"

We should have seen it as we approached in the boat. Was I so tired from rowing that I didn't notice? But Myra shook her head too.

"I'm curious. Let's go have a look."

She started walking toward the shore.

Myra gathered some information from the people staring at the shipwreck. Apparently, the ship had been abandoned for a long time after running aground. The owner and the operator were different parties, and they were locked in an endless dispute over compensation. It had become a regular spot for local kids to explore and test their courage. And yesterday, some children who had boarded the ship never came back. Their fathers had gone to search for them early this morning but hadn't returned yet. The ship was large, over twenty meters long, but the search area was limited. It seemed like it should have been over quickly. Someone was shouting toward the ship, but there was no sign of anyone on board, and no reply came.

"I'm worried. Let's go see what's going on,"

Myra said.

"I've got 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?"

It could be just like what happened at the castle in the mountains—a dungeon created by Mii's Crystal Control could have formed, and the children and the adults who followed them might be lost inside. It seemed Myra was thinking the same thing I was.

"Alright. But if it seems dangerous, we're turning back."

Myra nodded.