kscans

Chapter 98 - The Riverside Settlement and a New Encounter

As evening approached, a brick tower came into view on the riverbank. Behind it was a mountain, and I could see houses lining its slopes. The fleet was heading toward the settlement's port. It was a small community, but it had large harbor facilities. A few small boats were moored in the port, but none were as large as the sailing ship we were on. According to Myra, the Emperor directly maintains these facilities to support the river's transportation network. I could see figures on top of the tower, and it looked like they were waving a flag. A sailor at our bow held a flag as well, signaling back.

"So there are settlements like this along the river,"

Famu said, gazing at the scenery beside me. She was leaning forward, as if looking at something rare.

"Didn't you travel this same route in reverse, Famu?"

"Probably... but I was in the ship's hold the whole time."

I couldn't help but worry about the sanitation of locking someone with a supposedly contagious disease in such a confined space.

"You don't have to answer if it brings back painful memories, but do you remember any of the cityscapes?"

"Honestly, almost none. There was an incident in Heilon, where we're headed, when one of my friends failed to escape. After that, they wouldn't even let us see the outside scenery."

When she talks about her time as a slave, she tries to speak dispassionately, as if it happened to someone else, so as not to make me worry. That consideration itself is painful.

"You need not trouble yourself over my past, Master."

I must have been making a somber face.

"I feel bad for asking about unpleasant things."

"I'm more afraid of you losing interest in me..."

Famu leaned against me.

"I thought the route I traveled was 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 Famu was speaking, cries of surprise rose from the ship, and the crew members all looked up at the sky in unison. A massive shadow was soaring through it. As I strained my eyes to see, the creature flapping its wings high above was larger than our own ship, and it had the appearance of a dinosaur. It spread wings befitting its massive frame and danced majestically in the sky. Its scales, reminiscent of a reptile, reflected the sunlight.

"A dragon,"

Cecily said, clutching her staff as she ran over to us. "My aunt in Furufto said they live in the mountains south of here."

Mizuki, Myra, and Aira also gathered around, their faces tense.

"Is it planning to attack our fleet?"

I had a feeling that even if we prepared for battle, the ship would be sunk just by that massive body landing on it.

"Apparently, they show themselves along the river like this from time to time. My aunt said they just circle overhead and then go back, that they don't attack people..."

"A kind of show of force, perhaps..."

Myra murmured in response to Cecily's words.

"If so, does that mean this area, from the southern mountains to here, is the dragon's feeding ground?"

The southern mountains... that's where Hyakka and the others crossed to get to the sea. The nerve of them, passing through a region with monsters like that just to eat takoyaki.

"They say it doesn't eat the same kind of food we do."

"Is that so? Then what did it eat to get so big?"

"I've heard they eat Crystal Cores, but no one knows for sure."

Was it converting magical energy directly into sustenance? I looked around and saw that the crew, who had been startled at first, were now back to preparing for docking. The dragon circled overhead once more, then changed course to the south. We all let out a collective sigh of relief.

"Mizuki might be able to win against that,"

I mused. She had a skill that let her dodge fatal attacks and another that had a chance to kill in one hit. And her special skill was a combination that increased the effectiveness of those skills each time they were activated. The stronger the enemy, the more fatal the blows they dealt, so Mizuki grew stronger in response to her opponent's strength.

"...No way, right?"

she muttered, watching the dragon fly away.


There were no rooms at the inn that could accommodate more than two people, so we ended up splitting into three rooms. I tried to take Famu with me, but Myra and Aira objected. Usually, Cecily would take the lead and state her opinion while Aira quietly observed, so this was a rare sight. A meeting to decide the order began, and as usual, I had no voting rights and was left out. What's more, today I wasn't even allowed to listen in on the meeting and was kicked out. Dinner was to be eaten with the crew at the encampment, so I headed there alone. The settlement was built on a slope, a complex and labyrinthine design. It was probably built that way to buy time in case of a pirate attack. When I arrived at the campsite, several tents were pitched, and preparations for the night were underway. In the center, a soup kitchen was running, and some people were already eating.

"Did you happen to pass the young lady?"

a voice asked. It was Mercedes.

"No, I haven't seen her."

"...She may have been dragged into an alley and assaulted."

He said something disturbing with a straight face, but he seemed calm. I didn't get the impression he was genuinely worried.

"..."

"Just kidding. Avea is with her. I'm sure you just missed each other,"

he said after gauging my expression. Was he still trying to sound me out?

"About Claire, I'll be taking her, and I have no intention of giving her back."

"If that is what you wish, Master Mash, then it is fine."

Seeing Mercedes nod, I took the wine barrel I'd received from the noble out of my storage.

"I want to treat everyone here to this."

Mercedes's eyes widened when he saw the brand engraved on the barrel.

"This wine is from the Western Kingdom. It's not something to be served in a place like this. If you were to entrust it to us, we would be happy to purchase it for six large gold coins."

One large gold coin is equivalent to ten gold coins.

"Not enough to buy a female warrior slave, huh..."

"The value of wine from the Western Kingdom increases the further east one goes. If you desire to trade it for a slave, that can be arranged as well. We can make the arrangements in the city of Heilon."

Myra had also approved of treating the fleet's crew to this wine. Did she know its value? She could drink endlessly, but she didn't seem to be the type to seek it out herself, so I figured she was indifferent to the value of alcohol.

"...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'd like you to serve it as a treat from the Mateo Trading Company and my party, Levante."

"Once the barrel is opened, its value will drop significantly, no matter how much is left. Are you certain?"

His confirmation made me want to take it back, but I pushed the feeling aside and nodded.


The wine I offered turned the campsite into a banquet. Famu and the others still hadn't shown up. Avea, who had gone with Claire, hadn't returned either. I was eating alone. Dried bread, stew, and a cup of wine. There were no niceties like wine glasses here, so everyone was drinking from their own cups. A man and a woman appeared before me. The man had sun-tanned, dark skin, long, wavy black hair, and a short beard. He looked to be about 180 centimeters tall. He was thin but muscular. Probably in his thirties. The woman also had long blonde hair and stood about 170 centimeters, a tall figure. She looked younger than the man, perhaps around Myra's age.

"Heard you're the one who provided this booze,"

the man said with a grin, holding out his hand. I shook it.

"I'm Joe, leader of the adventurer party 'Caribbean Pirates.' This here is Becky. It's an adventurer party, but it's just the two of us."

An otherworlder? I almost reacted to the words 'Caribbean Pirates,' 'Joe,' and 'Becky,' but I desperately held it in. I couldn't tell if he was being careless or testing me.

"I'm Mash of Levante. The other members should be here, but it seems they're still at the inn. The wine was a gift from a noble in the city of Furufto. Drink up."

At my words, Joe made a gesture as if remembering something.

"Could it be, were you the one who brought back the noble's daughter who went missing on the shipwreck?"

"That's right,"

I nodded.

"We usually operate in Furufto or a city a little further south. This wine is different from what we usually drink; it's got a good taste. Reminds me of my homeland..."

If he was an otherworlder, he might have information about Mii and Izaak. But if he was their ally, this was a dangerous situation.

"That wine is from the Western Kingdom. Is the Caribbean also to the west?"

Joe shook his head.

"Much farther than that."

After saying that, he poured the wine into his mouth. I heard his throat gulp.

"We heard a rumor that someone who summoned a goddess appeared in the city of Richel. The story goes that this person also summoned a goddess in the city of Nieren and saved the town. On the other hand, there was an adventurer party that headed from Furufto to Nieren. They never came back, but the wolfman from their group returned as a member of a different party."

"You know the Men in Black? They might have been executed by now, but they're being held as the masterminds behind the disturbance in Nieren. The wolfman was a slave, so a trading company bought him."

How much information did they have on us? His sticky gaze, trying to probe my thoughts, was unpleasant. I couldn't help but glare back.

"Wait, I didn't know that information. We're not here to start a fight. We're just looking for the man who summoned the goddess."

Becky stepped between me and Joe. Seeing this, Joe scratched his head.

"You served this wine to get along with everyone here. And I accepted it. My apologies."

Joe raised his cup of wine and took a sip. They were lightly equipped, with short swords, but I had no idea what their professions were. True to their name, they did look a bit like pirates.

"Right. If you know the Men in Black, this will be quick. Turns out one of their members, a man named Izaak, is on the run. While escorting the caravan, I'm also tracking him down."

Joe and Becky exchanged glances.

"No, the Men in Black I knew was a party with Mii, Kei, and two wolfmen."

They didn't seem to know about Doris either. Speaking of which, I couldn't see Fang or Doris. Beers wasn't here either, so they must have gone with Avea and Claire. I wondered what they were up to. Just as I was thinking that, Famu and the others appeared. Claire, Avea, and the members of Altair were all there too.

"Well, we're planning to head to Nieren to meet this guy who summoned a goddess. Let's get along until then."

"...If you're going to Nieren, you're headed in the wrong direction. We're moving away from it."

"...Really?"

Joe looked surprised, and I nodded.

"See, I told you it was north!"

Becky jabbed Joe with her elbow.

"S-sorry. But I had no idea about the geography, so I asked you to confirm it over and over. And you just said you'd leave it to me."

The two of them started arguing. The members of Levante gathered around me.

"Did something happen?"

Famu asked, lining up next to me with dried bread and stew in hand. However, she didn't seem to care about Joe and Becky; her gaze was fixed on the wine in my hand. Curious, I glanced at Mizuki and saw she was firmly holding a cup filled with wine.

"Wh-what?!"

"...I didn't say anything."

"It's fine today! It's just one cup, and it's a day I finally got to do something I've always wanted to! Besides, Mercedes-san said it's really good wine. It's not fair if I'm the only one who can't have any!"

"I still didn't say anything."

Even as I bickered with Mizuki, Famu continued to stare at my wine.

"Master, I also heard that today's wine is very good. So, just one sip."

"..."

I had no choice but to hand her the cup. She took it reverently, as if it were a treasure, and took a gulp. It was a big gulp today.

"Master, this wine is so, ...so..."

"Hey, eat your dinner before you get drunk!"

I hastily took the cup back and handed her food. Why does she want to drink when she's so weak to alcohol? As this was happening, I noticed Joe and Becky watching our exchange. I introduced them to the members of Levante. I was worried Mizuki would react to the words 'Caribbean Pirates,' 'Joe,' or 'Becky,' but she only frowned at the name Joe.

"We formed our party two years ago. I want to add another female member, but this one here says no,"

Joe said, pointing at Becky with his chin.

"Of course not. You'd definitely cheat!"

Becky retorted, and for some reason, the women on our side nodded in agreement.

"That's why a guy would be better."

"N-no guys!"

Joe stammered. I nodded in support.

"Are you two a couple?"

Mizuki asked.

"W-well, yeah,"

Joe nodded, scratching his cheek, looking embarrassed.

"In that case, why don't you team up with another couple?"

"...I see. That would probably work."

At Mizuki's suggestion, Joe and Becky looked at each other and nodded. I had a feeling it would be even more disastrous if things went sour, but I decided to keep my mouth shut.