Chapter 0074 Mock battle with Sera
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At a distance of about 20 meters in the center of the practice ground, the two faced each other.
"Ryo, are you ready?"
"Yes, I can start at any time."
"Then, here I come!"
Sera's figure disappeared the same moment those words were said.
(Fast!)
In an instant, she leaped into the Ryo's space and sent a downward blow at her fastest speed.
Ryo did not retreat but instead retaliated by thrusting his sword forward.
He aimed for the point where Sera had not focused her force yet to interrupt her sword from reaching its greatest speed.
Otherwise, a downward swing from a powerful opponent could even snap the sword he had.
He aimed for a strike at Sera's hand.
However, Sera removed one hand from her sword and dodged it. She followed up with a sideways sweeping motion with that hand.
Ryo shifted his center of gravity to the back and dodged with a swayback.
Without changing the position of his feet, he returned his center of gravity to the front and swung down with his sword.
Dodging it with her body, Sera thrust twice.
Ryo dodged the first thrust, twisted his sword, and slashed diagonally upward from below as he dodged the second thrust.
With a light back step, Sera dodged his sword.
That exchange only lasted a few seconds.
They had returned to their starting positions once more.
"Ryo, you're amazing!"
She was all smiles with joy.
Sera praised Ryo with a voice of delight from the bottom of her heart.
"Well, Sera, aren't you way too fast?"
Her speed was terrifying.
She dove in at a speed that the Devil Prince yesterday could not even hold a candle to.
It was at the speed of sound similar to the Akuma Leonor or the one-eyed Assassin Hawk.
A frightening swiftness that allowed her to dive into his space in an instant.
"But Ryo dodged it! No one in the Knights Order can dodge that dive."
Then Sera looked around.
Ryo followed her gaze and found dozens of people who seemed to be knights in the audience seats.
"Since you were able to respond to that, had you experienced that speed before?"
"Yes … in the past, something similar."
"I see … Then, I'll be completely serious next!"
"Wait- …"
Before Ryo finished his sentence … she lunged at him once again … this time at supersonic speed.
Moreover, the speed of her sword swing …
(It's even faster than before!)
The speed of her swing was about 50% faster than before.
As expected, it was impossible to dodge that speed.
In addition, that made it difficult to directly interrupt her from the front.
When he clashed with her sword at the point where her speed was the highest, it turned out to be a surprisingly heavy blow.
(Sera-san, even though she's so delicate, where does this weight come from …)
A line that was sure to anger a woman crossed Ryo's mind.
In the first clash, he could counterattack after interrupting her strike, but now he was completely prioritizing his defense.
He occasionally threw out stabs and slashes to keep her in check but they were predominantly defensive strikes.
However, when Ryo devotes himself to defense, he would transform into an iron wall.
After all, neither the one-eyed Assassin Hawk nor the Akuma Leonor could break Ryo's iron wall defense.
Ryo's defensive abilities when he devotes himself to defense were to that extreme.
However …
(Kuu~ this is intense. It's as if I'm continually receiving Mentor's sword strikes …)
Even that iron wall defense was on the verge of collapse.
In terms of speed alone, she may even exceed the sword speed of his Mentor, the Dullahan, who was called the Fairy King.
(This is it, Wind-Attribute Magic.)
Of course, they did not prohibit the use of magic.
However, there was no time to use magic in such a swift sword fight.
Even the slightest amount of concentration used for something else would spell defeat in a split second.
Even with Ryo's magic generation speed, it was impossible to utilize magic in such a match.
But …
(But Sera was able to use it. With Wind-Attribute Magic, she sped up everything from the swing of her arms, the movement of her legs, and even to the movement of her body …)
It was astonishing magic control.
She was using magic as though it was as easy as breathing … the ability to use magic completely unconsciously … just like how a heart constantly beats without conscious intent … her magic control had been raised to such a level.
Clearly, she had mastered a fusion of Wind-Attribute Magic and swordsmanship greater than what the Akuma Leonor had.
Even her sword strikes were infused with Wind-Attribute Magic to increase its power, so her sword strikes were unusually heavy.
Against an opponent who surpassed him in speed and power … he would have to use extraordinary means to win … but Ryo didn't want to do that.
He finally had such an opponent.
Precious experience....
Now that he thought about it, it felt as though he had grown dull since the last lesson from his Mentor, the Dullahan.
If that sword fight could whip him back into shape, it would be a fortuitous encounter indeed.
The change was negligible.
Of course, it was Ryo who felt the change the most.
The change was 『complete disintegration』.
Until now, it was barely holding on, but now it had reached its limit.
His sword was in bad shape because of the repeated unreasonable clashes.
(This is tricky …)
And catastrophe.
When Sera attacked with a horizontal slash from the right, he had no option but to receive it head-on instead of parrying it.
At that moment, the sword broke, and the next moment, Sera's sword was snugly attached to Ryo's neck.
"I give up."
Cheers could be heard from the audience seats, but it didn't matter to Ryo.
"You're amazing, Ryo!"
Then, Sera hugged Ryo.
"Huh..."
Due to the abruptness of the situation, Ryo's mind fell into panic.
"Ah, sorry..."
With her face bright red, Sera let go of Ryo.
However, she immediately held both his hands and shook them up and down.
"Ryo, it's amazing you can block my 『Wind Equip』 sword that much!"
"No, Sera-san is even more remarkable for mastering such a skill."
It was Ryo's honest impression.
Using Wind-Attribute Magic to speed up all body movements … the idea was simple but executing it was a different matter.
Even if you think about it, maintaining that state would already be difficult, and when it comes to executing it, it would be impossible with shallow magic control.
In the first place, with the amount of magical power of a normal person, their magical power would quickly be exhausted.
"That's because I put in a tremendous amount of practice. Putting that aside, Ryo's iron wall defense. What the hell is that! I can tell that you gained it through a staggering amount of effort, but … what on earth did you do?"
"My sword was trained by my Mentor."
"Mentor?"
"Yes. The one who gave me this robe …"
When she heard that, Sera's eyes opened wider than usual.
"The Fairy King is your sword Mentor?"
"Yeah … how did you know?"
Ryo was surprised Sera knew that it was the Fairy King's robe.
"Oh … well, an Elf is like a half-Fairy. So, we can tell that the robe is the Fairy King's robe because of its racial characteristics. I can tell that the Fairy King is extremely interested in Ryo … he gave you that robe after all. But I thought that he was interested in your magic. But instead, a sword mentor … Learning the sword, and not magic, from the Fairy King, that is too amusing."
"I remember being told exactly the same thing some time ago … Is it so strange?"
Once, the Dragon Ruwin said those same words while laughing.
"Not to mention strange … in the first place, the Fairy King is already considered a legend … well, never mind."
Sera had an expression that showed her indescribable thoughts.
And as she was about to continue, she was called out from the audience.
"Sera-sama, Alfonso-sama's training time is approaching."
Looking at the source of the voice, a young woman was calling Sera with all her might.
"Oh … it's already this time. Ryo, I'm sorry, I have some work to do."
As she said that, Sera beckoned the woman who called her out loud earlier to come over.
"Who is Alfonso-sama …?"
"The Lord's grandson. He came of age last year. All of the Lord's children have passed away so he is set to be the next Lord. In the past, he was a hopeless boy so I disciplined him … he tried to violate me so I stabbed with my sword and crushed his shoulder."
There was an Elf here who could say something that frightful with an everyday tone …
"But he's the next Lord …?"
"It's okay. When I was first hired, the Lord told me that if that happened in the mansion, he would kill him. Just keeping his life was already a blessing."
A very lovely smile … it must be impossible to imagine what she was saying just by looking at that smile.
Ryo decided to be careful about what he said and do.
By that point, the woman who called Sera managed to reach the center of the practice ground.
"Reylita, this is Ryo, an adventurer. He's an important person, so make sure to guide him to the outside. Then, I'm off to training."
With that, she probably used wind magic as she jumped to the exit with a single leap and left the practice ground just like that.
Ryo and Reylita were left behind.
Reylita had been surprised and her eyes and mouth were left open since Sera's introduction.
"Um..."
"Ha. I'm sorry."
Ryo called out and Reylita finally returned to herself.
"I'm a maid working in the mansion, my name is Reylita. I am in your care."
"Ryo, an adventurer. Likewise, I am in your care."
"Then, I shall guide you to the gate, please follow me."
Reylita said and started walking.
However, she was mumbling something softly.
"Important person Important person …"
It didn't reach Ryo's ears.
On the way to the gate after leaving the practice ground, a carriage that overtook them stopped in front of Ryo and Reylita.
The man who opened the door was …
"Isn't it Ryo? Fancy meeting you here."
"Guild Master …"
Hugh was on his way back to the guild after reporting to the Lord.
"Are you returning to the dormitory? I have something to talk about so hop on."
"Eh..."
To be honest, he didn't want to ride because of yesterday's case …
"The lady there, I'll definitely send Ryo to the guild, so tell them that."
There was no way to refuse it at that point.
"Thank you, Reylita. I'll return in the Guild Master's carriage, so thank you."
"Yes, I will relay that."
Ryo thanked her and entered the carriage.
Hugh was the only person in the carriage.
"Excuse me."
"Oh, take a seat there."
After seeing Ryo sit down, Hugh hit the wall of the carriage.
With that as a signal, the carriage started moving.
"So, you're probably aware, but what I want to talk about is yesterday's case …"
"Yes..."
Yesterday, Advisor Arthur saved him.
But it wasn't possible today … Ryo prepared himself in various ways.
"Hey, don't get so tense. I heard a lot from Arthur and understood that if you didn't make it in time, they would have been wiped out. I'm grateful for that. Thank you so much."
Hugh bowed, though he was still sitting.
"No, I just went on my own volition …"
Ryo was flustered due to the unexpected development.
"Still. You've saved Abel's life twice. But … it's no good to break through the guard's blockade. As a guild member, it doesn't appear good that you break through so openly. So as a punishment, I'm thinking of having you take on requests."
"Requests?"
"Yes, you haven't accepted a surface request since you registered, haven't you?"
Come to think of it, he had never taken any requests.
Well, he didn't even think of taking any.
"There's a possibility that I have not."
"Oh, it's not a possibility, you have not."
Hugh asserted himself.
Before visiting the Lord's mansion, he confirmed it in the guild, so he could be certain.
"That said, it's not like I want you to pick up any requests urgently. You just need to complete three requests in the next two months. It is up to you to choose which request you want. That should be acceptable as punishment, right?"
It was a lighter 『punishment』 than expected.
"Um … I shouldn't be saying this but … is it okay with such a light punishment?"
"It's okay. In this way, no one loses."
The guild benefits because the requests would be cleared.
Ryo would benefit because he would gain achievements.
Abel and the ones who were saved could just offer him requests normally … so there is a possibility they can benefit too …?
Well, there was no loss.
"By the way, why was Ryo at the Lord's mansion?"
"Oh, I was having a little mock combat …"
Ryo answered lightly but at that moment, Hugh's face with his eyes wide open came into view.
"Yo-you didn't destroy the facility … right? It's okay, right?"
"Hey now, Guild Master, I wouldn't do that."
Ryo assumed he was joking and shrugged it off.
On the other hand, Hugh couldn't laugh at all because he wasn't joking.
"It was a mock combat with swords, so that can't happen in the first place."
"I-I see … It's okay as long as there's no damage, yup, yeah."
Hugh nodded with a truly relieved expression.
At that point, the carriage finally arrived at the guild.
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Extra 1 <
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The third magic practice ground in the suburbs of the Debuhi Empire.
There was currently mock combat by the Court Magic Division.
The practice was divided into 20 people on each side.
There was no doubt that if the court magicians of the Kingdom of Knightley had seen the scene, they would have had looks of shock warp their expressions.
First, no one was chanting.
Moreover, the power of each attack magic was an order of magnitude more powerful than the magic known to the magicians of the Kingdom.
Furthermore, instead of activating magic while standing still, they were casting magic while on the move.
One side fired fireballs while running while the other side shot air slashes toward the oncoming fireballs to offset them.
Six people were watching over the practice.
Fiona Rubin Bornemisza, Court Magic Division Chief.
Oscar Ruska, Court Magic Division Deputy Chief.
Fiona's adjutant, Marie.
Oscar's adjutant, Jürgen Kirchhoff.
And the commanders of the two companies currently facing off in the exercise.
Oscar, the Deputy Chief, was watching the exercise with the strictest gaze.
"So this is the maximum for their current state…"
It was just a soft murmur, and it was not directed at anyone, but cold sweat dripped down the backs of the two company commanders on standby behind them.
It even seemed as though they instinctively wanted to apologize.
"If you think about how they have come this far in half a year, I don't think you should be so pessimistic."
The Division Commander Fiona's words were gentle, but her gaze on the exercise was by no means gentle.
"Yes. Two other companies … How long would it take to reach the scale of a 『Division』? For now, let's end this exercise around here."
"Yup, you're right."
With Fiona's words as a signal, three colored magic bullets fired from Oscar's hand and exploded, signifying the end of the mock combat.
When the two companies amid the practice confirmed the signal for the end of combat, they stood upright on the spot and turned to face the spectators' seats.
There was only one person who seemed to be exhausted and fell on their rear.
"Fool!"
Someone lashed out …
At that moment, a very fine Flame Arrow pierced the ground, nicking the right cheek of the person who fell.
"Heeee."
A scream spilled from the mouth of the member who collapsed on the ground.
That Flame Arrow was fired from the hand of Deputy Chief Oscar.
"Fool! Don't let your guard down just because the battle is over. The moment you need to be the most alert is when you think it is over!"
"Yes!"
All the members replied.
"The Division Chief has a few words to say. Everyone pay attention."
Then, Oscar nodded a little towards Fiona.
"Everyone, great work practicing. You have improved from the last time, but I can't say that you have passing grades yet."
Upon hearing Fiona's words, the troops all stood at attention.
"Tomorrow, Deputy Chief and I will accompany His Highness the Third Prince to travel to Whitnash, the port city of the Kingdom of Knightley. We are scheduled to return in a month. When I come back, I will watch everyone's practice once more. I believe you can all show me an even greater form at that time. Dismissed."
With the word 'Dismissed', everyone performed an imperial salute with their right hand on their left chest.
Their number was a little over fifty, and although not many, it was a fitting spectacle that showed that all of them were the cream of the crop.
After Division Chief Fiona and the four others returned to the Division Chief's office, the members of the Court Magic Division were cleaning up the practice ground.
There were no fools in the division who would cut corners there.
Their strength would grow as their daily training goes smoothly. As a result, they can survive on the battlefield.
That was because everyone there had experienced it personally.
And for daily training to be carried out smoothly, the practice ground had to always be maintained.
However, speaking among themselves during that time was not prohibited.
"Sheesh, who would collapse on the ground at the end?"
"Yeah, I thought you were dead at that moment."
They were commenting about Oscar's extra-fine Flame Arrow just now.
"I-I didn't sit down because I wanted to …"
"But isn't Deputy Chief kind today? The guy who sat down in the same way before … I recall that guy in the Third Company was shot through both legs?"
"Right right, the Flame Arrows pierced his thighs and was burning his legs from the inside … it looked painful."
The members all shuddered after recalling that scene.
However, there was a misunderstanding in that story.
It was true that he was shot through both legs, but because it was a Flame Arrow that does not burn the surroundings, it did not burn the inside of his legs, and because he was immediately treated by a healer who was there, the member who was shot was still training without any problems.
However, such stories always had an element of exaggeration.
"But it is certain that if we follow the training, we will definitely get stronger; and by being stronger, we will survive. It is best to do it seriously."
"Yeah, you're right about that."
"But in reality, how strong is the Deputy Chief? Maybe as we are now …"
"Fool, he's in a different dimension. Even if all the division members attacked at once, we would be killed instantly. We would probably be killed even by the Division Chief. And even the Division Chief mentioned that she doesn't hold a candle to the Deputy Chief … well, you can imagine it yourself."
"As expected … his alias as the Explosive Blaze Magician is not just decoration …"
"In any case … Whitnash is a long distance away."
Returning to the Division Chief's office at the practice ground, Fiona opened a map of the entire Central Nations and muttered to herself.
"I heard you were invited as a guest for the Whitnash Port Opening Festival that is held once every five years."
Fiona's adjutant Marie commented while brewing tea.
"Yeah. The third prince, Konrad-oniisama, was chosen to go as representative … but His Majesty the Emperor wants me to follow along for some reason …"
Fiona thought hard with an expression that said she couldn't understand and then turned to Oscar, who was sitting in his usual chair.
"Teacher, what do you think?"
"Your Highness … how many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me that …"
"It's just the usual four people here. Isn't it fine?"
The four people there were Fiona and Oscar, as well as their adjutants Marie and Jürgen.
They were certainly Fiona and Oscar's most trusted people in the court.
Oscar exhaled a big sigh.
"In the first place, I don't know anything about politics. I am just a Magician."
Fiona stared at Oscar for a while before nodding.
"I felt something was wrong, it's the way you're talking. Teacher, why are you talking so stiffly?"
"… I'll be with other aristocrats and royalty for a month after this. I have to get used to it from now on … I can't switch so dexterously like Your Highnesses."
"Regarding that … I think all the royal family, including His Majesty, have already given up."
When Fiona said that with a look of disappointment, Oscar looked at Fiona with a startled look, then Marie, and finally his adjutant Jurgen, finding that they all agreed.
"My efforts …"
"Yeah yeah, that manner of speech suits teacher better. Teacher's polite speech somehow makes my body itch."
"Shut up, I prefer it this way too."
All four of them burst into laughter after he said that.
"Well, I don't really understand what the Emperor is thinking. The Empire doesn't have a sea, so it's not just a matter of looking at the sea … but I don't know what other reason can there be."
"Hmm … Well, I guess it is all right as long as we are aware of it."
Fiona was deep in thought as she tilted her head slightly.
Although Oscar said that, he had an idea in his head.
(Perhaps His Majesty is trying to do something bloody while Her Highness Fiona is not in the Empire.)
Emperor Rupert VI was fond of his youngest daughter, Fiona.
Fiona Rubin Bornemisza.
She was the Division Chief of the Court Magic Division and the 14th child of the current Emperor. Rupert VI had three princes and eleven princesses.
The eleven princesses were all beautiful, but Fiona's beauty was somewhat prominent.
She inherited the stunning ginger hair of the now-deceased queen and her deep azure eyes. And white skin.
Her height was about 160 cm, but she had wonderful style for an 18-year-old.
She rarely appeared in public at balls and such and was always immersed in magic and sword training.
On her waist, she always carried the treasure sword Raven, which was bestowed to her by Emperor Rupert VI, and imposed strict training on herself.
After being appointed as the Chief of the Court Magic Division at the age of seventeen, she devoted her heart and soul to the management of the division and no longer attended balls.
Among the eleven princesses, Fiona was the only one who had developed the power to use magic at a level that could be said to be abnormal.
Moreover, she could manipulate two attributes, Fire and Light.
The Fire of attack and the Light of recovery. Currently, she could control both attributes at a high level.
Emperor Rupert VI loved her as his youngest daughter as a parent and as a rare magical fighting force as an Emperor.
That was a matter of course.
But at the same time, Oscar thought that the Emperor didn't want to show Fiona a grotesque scene because of his love.
Parents wouldn't want to show their children such a sight, which was natural, but this was more prominent even compared to the other princesses.
With that in mind, the thought arose in Oscar that during this visit, the Emperor was trying to do something that would stink of blood in the Empire.
For example … the purge of aristocrats who were rebellious against the imperial family.
Well, it was just an idea, there was no basis for it, and there was nothing he could do about it, so Oscar decided to maintain silence on the matter.
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Volume 1, Part 5, Port Opening Festival
Chapter 0075 Port Opening Festival
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Two days after Ryo returned from the Lord's mansion. Three days after the battle with the Devils.
The four from Room 10, including Ryo, were having breakfast at the guild cafeteria.
"Finally, it's our first escort request!"
The Swordsman Niles was feeling very excited.
"Hey Niles, your body won't hold up if you start feeling so excited so soon."
Ryo warned Niles as he was getting too excited and had a hard time eating.
"But I'm glad. With Ryo joining, everything will be fine even if something happens."
The Priest Etho expressed his thoughts while eating in a graceful manner that showed his upbringing.
"This is my first time working with people from another party."
Amon, the only F-rank adventurer who was an Apprentice Swordsman, also couldn't hide his excitement.
"You'll be fine if you do exactly as what you heard from Abel last night. He's still the leader of a B-rank party despite how he is. He probably has a lot of experience."
The four of them were taught by Abel, who they happened to meet at the cafeteria last night, about the fundamentals of an escort request.
"With an escort of ten, there will probably be five wagons. Well, in some cases it can increase to about seven, but the manner to arrange them doesn't change. Typically they will assign three escorts for the front wagon, three escorts for the rear wagon, and the remaining four will spread out to defend the middle."
"We can't rest in the wagons, right? … What a shame."
"Yeah, Ryo's stamina is bottomless anyway so you can just keep walking. The wagons are naturally full of goods, so there is no place for the escorting adventurers to ride on. The escort arrangement I mentioned earlier may change depending on the member composition. Usually, it would change according to the number of Priests, the number of long-range attackers such as Magicians and Archers, and so on. This time you guys are teaming up with Delong, right? They have a lot of experience in escort requests so it's okay to leave everything including the placement to them."
As for the luggage to bring, all of them learned about that during the beginner's course so there were no particular problems in that aspect.
"The beginner's course is really brilliant …"
No one heard Abel's mutter.
After breakfast, the four of them headed to the meeting place for the escort requests, although it was a little early.
"Let me ask again … are the three of you sure that you want to name your party 『Room 10』?"
Ryo had been asking the same question several times since yesterday.
Since Niles and Etho were promoted to E-rank, they could establish a party name but the party name they chose was 『Room 10』.
"Oh, of course. That represents us the best."
Niles said confidently.
It was possible to tell who came up with the idea by that … well, it was also possible to draw that conclusion even if he didn't say anything.
Etho had a forced smile as he looked at him.
Amon had a troubled look but he didn't reject it.
Well, at the end of the day, 『Room 10』was organized centered on Niles.
There were no particular rules regarding party names.
It seemed that only names that slander someone or something would be rejected.
For example, a party name like 『Abel's an idiot』 would probably not pass.
Also, when words of royalty such as 『King's』 and 『Royal's』 were included in the party name, the guild would force them to change it.
It was similar to how the word 『Royal』 could not be used freely in England on modern Earth.
In that sense, the rules were relatively loose so it seemed that the adventurers based in the City of Rune had quite a wide variety of party names.
Putting aside 『Crimson Sword』 and 『White Brigade』.
『Red Dragon and Blue Wolf』
『Kreis-sama and friends』
『Armor Brigade』
『Let's become Blacksmiths together』
『Coffee Maker』
『Switchback』
『Devil』 and so on …
For the last entry, after the dungeon teleport incident, the guild staff apparently had a few words with them …
Of course, they had nothing to do with the incident, the party name was chosen because it sounded strong, and it seemed that none of the members were worshippers of the Devils.
In the first place, it wasn't certain if there was something like a Devil religion.
And this time, the party that Room 10 + Ryo would collaborate with was 『Coffee Maker』 led by the D-rank adventurer Delong.
It was still more than 30 minutes until the gathering time, but six wagons were already lined up at the meeting place near the south gate.
As the four approached, a man who looked like a merchant approached them.
"You all are the adventurers who took up the escort request this time, right? I'm Ugo, the person who put together this trading company. Nice to meet you."
Only Ryo, who was next to Amon, heard him take a sigh of relief as he was a little worried about encountering a high-handed merchant.
"I'm Niles from Room 10. And these are Etho, Amon, and Ryo."
The introduction was done without any problems.
Then, they heard a voice from behind.
"Oh, you guys are early."
Looking back, they saw six adventurers approaching.
"They are the members of 『Coffee Maker』 who will be escorting us too."
The merchant Ugo was acquainted with 『Coffee Maker』 because they had escorted his company several times.
"Good morning, Delong, I'll be in your care once again."
"Ugo-san, it's been some time. We'll be in your care too. So, you guys are Room 10? I've heard about you guys from Abel-san. Pleasure working with you."
It seemed that Abel laid some groundwork after he met them last night.
Abel was good at that kind of attentiveness or behind-the-scenes groundwork despite how he looked.
The four people from Room 10 greeted them politely.
"We'll be in your care."
A pleasant greeting was important.
Greetings were the supreme and versatile communication tool because you could establish a friendly relationship with the other party just by greeting them.
The destination of this trading company was Whitnash, the best port city in the Kingdom of Knightley.
It would take two days by wagon in the southwest direction for a one-way trip from the City of Rune.
The escort request was for a round trip, two days to reach the port, nine days stay, and two days for the return trip, for a total of 13 days.
The nine days of stay was considerably longer than that of a normal caravan, and because the total duration of the request was long, the reward became five gold coins per person.
However, during their stay in Whitnash, they were exempted from their escort duties and they could spend their time freely, so it was not so difficult.
It could be said to be fairly good conditions for an escort request for D-rank and E-rank adventurers.
The three people from 『Room 10』 were able to take up this request because they were lucky, but Ryo slipped into the last vacant slot because it had been a long time since he had fish and he was craving for it.
In the first place, when he was in the Rondo Forest, it was extremely difficult to get saltwater fish.
He almost died in a battle with the Bait Ball … he was shot by a giant snapping shrimp and fainted … he was almost killed by something that looked like a Kraken … those were Ryo's memories of the sea.
(Huh? Does that mean the last time I ate saltwater fish … was when I was on Earth …?)
Ryo turned pale from realization.
While Ryo was in shock, 『Coffee Maker』's Delong voice was heard.
"Ryo, along with Gan and John from my party, will follow behind the last wagon."
Before he knew it, the escort arrangement was over.
"Well then, let's set off."
The first wagon started moving and all the other wagons followed soon after.
That said, the adventurers escorting the wagons were walking and wagons that carry goods were very slow in the first place.
"Hey, Ryo, you're a Magician, right? What attribute do you have?"
"It's water."
Before long, Gan from 『Coffee Maker』spoke to Ryo who was situated at the rear.
"Water? That's rare, I don't think there are many Water-Attribute Magicians in the guild either …. John, among the adventurers of Rune, who else uses Water?"
"Hm … there's no one else? Fire, Wind, Earth … Well, recovery is Light, but … there aren't any Water or Darkness."
"No wonder I didn't meet any other Water-Attribute Magicians…"
When Ryo said so, Gan and John burst into laughter.
"But Ryo is amazing, and we're looking forward to seeing you in action because of what Abel-san said yesterday."
"Yeah, you should be deserving of it if that person says so."
It seemed that he wasn't being ridiculed thanks to Abel.
(Abel is a good guy. I'll treat you to a meal next time … Ah … I wonder if he has forgotten his promise to treat me to dinner for a week …)
"By the way, the request this time has us staying for nine days in the city over there, isn't it? Isn't that very long?"
"What, haven't you heard? This trading company is going to the City of Whitnash to take part in the port opening festival that is held once every five years. If I recall correctly, the port opening festival will last for seven days, so we'll be staying there for that duration."
"A festival! That sounds fun!"
"Yeah. Since it is only held once every five years, it's quite a huge festival and there will be many programs so onlookers come from all over the world. This request gives us free time while we're there and our lodgings would be paid for by the trading company so it's a perfect request."
Gan and John were in a good mood.
"After all, there is a highway between Rune and Whitnash, and there are guard patrols, so bandits rarely appear. That's why this request is open for D-rank and E-ranks."
"We were able to snag such a good request …"
"Oh … the 13 days duration is the issue. Almost half a month … many adventurers live in the City of Rune and they rent a place? Paying for half a month without staying there … would be a waste. So, requests that have a long duration aren't popular. Whereas, Ryo and others live in the dormitory so …"
"Even if we leave the City of Rune for a long time, we would not lose money on accommodation."
"That's right."
The six members of 『Coffee Maker』 owned a house so they had no problem picking up an escort request with a long duration.
(That's smart, Coffee Maker … oh yeah.)
"Oh right, your party name, Coffee Maker … why did you name it so?"
Yes, coffee maker would refer to those machines that automatically brew coffee on modern Earth.
What's more, the party leader's name was 『Delong』 … similar to the name of a famous coffee maker in Ryo's company …
That maker, always brewing delicious coffee, was loved by all the employees, so of course Ryo knew it too.
"Oh, leader was insistent on it."
"Yeah. If I'm not mistaken, leader's grandfather was a famous adventurer and his party name at that time was 『Coffee Maker』 …"
"His grandfather's name was …"
"Delonga, wasn't it?"
Ryo nodded deeply.
Incidentally, Ryo had not drunk coffee since reincarnating on 『Phi』 …
Two days later, the party arrived in the port town of Whitnash without any problems.
The first leg of the first escort mission for 『Room 10』 was successfully completed.
*Please read this novel on my website (tseirptranslations.com) to support my work*
-x-X-x-
"Everyone, this is the 『Blue Horizon』 where we will be staying. We have reserved two triple rooms and one quadruple room. Please make your own arrangements. We will return to the City of Rune the day after the end of the Port Opening Festival ten days later and will depart at 9 am, so please feel free to spend your time until then."
Ugo, who was the manager of the merchant group, announced before he brought his fellow merchants away and immediately went on to the business talks.
"So we will take the two triple rooms and Niles and party will take the quadruple room."
"Yes, that's okay."
"Okay. See everyone again in ten days."
Then, 『Coffee Maker』 approached the reception desk of 『Blue Horizon』.
"I'm glad we arrived without incident."
Upon entering the room, Etho exhaled loudly.
It was the first escort request for the four people from Room 10, so they were a little tense for the two days.
Of course, Ryo was no exception and felt a little tired.
"For the time being, why don't we take a walk outside while looking for something to eat?"
Following Niles' suggestion, they decided to go out to eat.
The whole city was lively as the Port Opening Festival would start the day after tomorrow.
Stalls lined up not only the main street but also at the back alley, where there was only a single lane.
The four of them strolled as they bought and ate among those stalls.
"This is … indeed fish and chips. It's delicious …"
Next to Ryo trembling with emotion,
"I can't believe it … this is Devilfish's leg …"
Etho was enjoying charcoal-grilled octopus tentacles.
"This croquette is delicious with ground shrimp in it."
While Amon was enjoying a croquette,
"This Mini Kraken is also addictive with its sweet sauce."
Niles was glowing with satisfaction with grilled squids in both hands.
In the end, that night, the four from Room 10 filled their stomachs with food and drink from the open-air stalls without entering any restaurants.
The next day.
The entire city was pressed for time to complete the final preparations for the Port Opening Festival starting tomorrow.
The final group of arrivals, such as those here for field trips and guests from various countries, entered the city one after another.
Among them was a group that caught the eye.
The guests from the Imperial Capital of the Debuhi Empire.
Among the carriages of the group, there was an even more luxuriously constructed carriage … The imperial coat of arms was drawn on the door.
"Rando, what's wrong? Is there a problem?"
"No, Your Highness, the carriage from the Kingdom of Kufaris, which entered ahead of us, seems to be taking some time to complete the procedure … What should I do?"
"It doesn't matter if it's not our problem. The circumstances of other countries are not something we should talk about. We shall wait."
Then, the third prince of the Empire, Konrad Stein Bornemisza, sank deeply into the sofa of the carriage.
"So this is the scent of the sea? … Feels somewhat nostalgic."
Konrad muttered at the scent of the tide drifting through the carriage window.
(It's interesting that I feel nostalgic for the scent of the sea even though there is no sea in our Empire. It is a long-cherished wish of His Majesty the Emperor to obtain the sea, or rather, it has been the dearest wish of many generations prior but … obtaining it will carry seeds of trouble…)
After his thoughts wandered to that point, the carriage started to move forward.
"Your Highness, I will head directly to the Lord's building where we will be staying."
"Yes, Rando, thank you. I believe there is a meeting with the town representative."
"Yes, that's right. After that, there will be a dinner hosted by the Lord."
As long as he was the representative of the Empire, his schedule was packed.
"Well, it can't be helped?"
That night, supper was hosted by the Lord at the Lord's building to celebrate the eve of the festival.
"I'm sorry Fiona. You're probably not used to this kind of event … Are you tired?"
"Don't worry about me, Onii-sama."
The third prince Konrad called out to the eleventh princess Fiona, who was next to him receiving greetings.
"After this, the Lord Roxley will retire for the night. You may return to your room at that time. There are still many things planned tomorrow and beyond, so you should have a good rest tonight."
As he said that, he moved a little with the guests from various countries that came to say hello. That made it easier for Fiona to leave.
That could be said to be Konrad's tactful nature.
The Lord Roxley was seen off by everyone and left. And some of the guests, including Fiona, left the venue as well.
"Your Highness, welcome home."
When she retired to the room she was assigned to, Fiona jumped straight into the bed.
"Your Highness, that is improper."
Her adjutant Marie quickly cautioned her.
During this journey, Marie took on the role of a maid.
She was a talented person who could handle acting as both the adjutant in the army and the maid of the princess without any problems.
"Marie … I'm tired."
"Yes, I can tell without you saying that because you are exuding the feeling of exhaustion with your whole body."
While replying, she raised Fiona's body and took off her dress.
"I'm glad Konrad-oniisama told me that I should retire early … After all, that kind of place is not suitable for me. The division commander's office is tens of thousands of times better."
Fiona changed into her casual clothes with a sigh.
Normally, the maid would also help when wearing the loungewear, but Fiona only found it a hassle since she had always been in the army and did most of the tasks herself.
"His Highness Konrad has always been kind to Fiona."
"Yes, Konrad-oniisama is kind, but I don't think this is the only reason. I am just a hindrance when I'm there."
"No way! How could you be a hindrance!"
Marie retorted unintentionally.
"Yes, I am not well versed enough in conversation. This delegation, I carry the name of the 『Imperial House』 along with my brother. In other words, I am also the representative of the delegation. If I say something detrimental … it would be a hassle to resolve it so he thought of letting me leave first."
"I see. Konrad-sama thought up to that point …"
"Really. We only have a three years age gap but … he's amazing."
Fiona shook her head a little.
"Fiona-sama is unrivaled in sword and magic!"
Marie encouraged her beloved superior, Fiona.
"It's also interesting how my redeeming features are the sword and magic as a woman."
Fiona laughed when she said that.
-x-X-x-
The first day of the Whitnash Port Opening Festival.
At the main venue set up in the central square of the city, the Port Opening Festival was officially declared open and the seven-day festival began.
"That … looks like Abel no matter how I look at it …"
"Yes, no matter how you look at it, that is Abel …"
"Abel is in the guest seat. That is kind of amazing, right?"
"As expected, Abel is incredible!"
Those were the remarks of Ryo, Etho, Amon, and Niles.
The guest seats could be seen from the standing audience seats where Ryo and his friends were, and among the guests, there was a person who seemed to be Abel.
However, he was not wearing his usual adventure clothes but formal wear, so he looked very dignified.
"I guess its true that anyone can look good with the right clothes."
Ryo muttered a rude remark but it was erased by the hustle and bustle of the surroundings and even the people from 『Room 10』 beside him didn't hear it.
"That woman in the guest seat is amazingly beautiful."
"Oh, that ginger-haired person? Yeah, she is."
Amon and Niles evaluated while looking at the guest seats.
"It was mentioned earlier that she is the princess of the Empire. Niles, she is even further beyond your league compared to Nina."
Etho ruthlessly stabbed Niles with the truth.
"No, you know, it's not that I want to go out with her, I'm just admiring a beautiful woman."
Niles shook his head exaggeratedly.
"Niles, what if you could go out with her?"
"Oh, then I will date her."
Ryo stirred Niles on and he took the bait.
Etho sighed and Amon smiled wryly.
"Is-isn't it fine. It's natural for a man to aim for the top!"
"Niles, you'll have to surpass Abel first!"
"Well, Abel is a little impossible …"
Just as Niles was quickly facing a setback from his goal of aiming for the top, a few people called out to the four of them.
"Ah~ Ryo and gang are here!"
When Ryo looked back, he saw Rin from 『Crimson Sword』.
And behind her, Rihya and Warren appeared.
"It's amazing how we can bump into each other in such a crowd."
When he hear Rihya's voice, Etho, who had been sighing a while ago, became nervous.
"Ri-Rihya-san …"
"If the three of you are here … that means the person in the guest seat really is Abel?"
Even now Ryo still didn't believe it, but it seemed that it really was Abel.
"Yeah. Abel came as the representative of Rune's Guildmaster. Well, the Guildmaster will arrive tomorrow, so he'll be relieved of his duty after that."
Rihya explained why Abel was in the guest seat.
"It happens occasionally. When you're a B-rank adventurer or above, you might need to act as a proxy of the Guildmaster. Normally, in the case of the City of Rune, the White Brigade Phelps often acts as the proxy. But currently, the White Brigade is busy with food transportation missions, so this time it's Abel. That's the ostensible reason."
"Ostensible reason?"
"As expected, Abel-san. So cool."
Niles, who was not obsessed with the minor details, had high praises for Abel, who he respects.
"The real intention of the Guild Master was to remove us from the dungeon mission of the Court Magic Group. Because of that incident that happened. It's revenge against Illarion-sama in the royal capital."
『Crimson Sword』 received a letter from a person named Illarion and dove into the dungeon to escort the Court Magic Group.
And they ended up fighting Devils …
Hugh, who was about to lose his valuable talents, would certainly want to have a word with Illarion.
While Ryo was thinking about that, Rin groaned as she looked at the guest seats.
"Muu ~. That barrier that covers the guest seats, it's a Wind-Attribute barrier after all … it's extremely thick."
"What? That is wind? Isn't it an ordinary magic barrier?"
The priest Etho responded to Rin's mutterings.
"Yes, it's wind. It might be more accurate to call it a protective film rather than a barrier. It somewhat feels like the wind protective film that Wyverns constantly deploy."
"One of the treasures that have been passed down to the Whitnash Lord for generations is a treasure that creates a wind protective film. I heard that it is rarely used because it is extremely fuel-inefficient … Well, the prince and princess of the Empire are here … and a war would break out if any subversive activities occur … I guess they can't afford to save on fuel."
Rin and Rihya were talking about dreadful topics.
(It would certainly be troublesome if there's terrorism. Was it the First World War that happened because a prince was killed? May nothing bad happen today.)
Ryo wished for world peace in his heart.
"But that princess is the Emperor's Magic Division Chief of the Empire, right? That means that the deputy chief would definitely be here too …"
"You're right, he probably came along …"
Rin and Rihya had a meaningful exchange of looks.
"Is that deputy chief a troublesome character?"
Ryo was intrigued and asked them.
"Yeah, that deputy chief is the Empire's pride, the『Explosion Blaze Magician』."
"What the heck, that sounds so cool."
Ryo's mutter was inaudible to them.
"Legends say he burned down 1,000 Kingdom troops with a single blow. Legends say he exploded a Wyvern into bits with a single blow. Legends say he annihilated a city of rebels with a single strike."
"I've heard of those rumors. Are they true?"
Etho joined the conversation with a flustered expression.
"I don't know, but it's said to be true. If it's true … he's someone you wouldn't want to face."
Yeah, his alias was cool, but Ryo vowed to stay away.
Abel would not have free time as a guest until Hugh came tomorrow, so the three others from 『Crimson Sword』 told him that they would be touring the festival and left.
As for the four people from Room 10 …
"Okay, let's eat our fill today too!"
"Oh!"
Normally, E-rank and F-rank adventurers would not have that much money.
However, the people from Room 10 were different.
"I'm really glad we succeeded in Ryo's magic copper ore request."
Yes, thanks to that request, they earned a reward of 300,000 Florin per person.
Immediately after that, Niles bought a pocket watch, but he still had enough savings because it only cost about 20,000 Florin.
"Oh, pardon me."
"No problem, my apologies too."
The moment they wanted to start walking and Ryo turned around, he almost collided with a person from behind.
However, contact was avoided due to the super-fast reaction of both parties.
"Hey, deputy chief, what are you doing? We have to buy a lot and bring it to the chief."
Ryo heard that voice from behind.
"No, I'm not good with crowds …"
"Are you planning to make such an excuse to the chief? I'm sure she's looking forward to it. If you don't bring it, she would cry and complain about how she had to put up with it and sit in the guest seat, but the deputy chief didn't even bring her delicious fish and chips."
The deputy chief Oscar, with his alias the 『Explosion Blaze Magician』, and his adjutant, Jürgen, were responsible for buying delicious food from the stalls and delivering them to the chief Fiona.
"No, she wouldn't cry just because of that …"
He muttered but due to the noise of the surroundings, his adjutant Jürgen didn't hear him.
"Well, grilled mini kraken, thin okonomiyaki, and grill bowl, we have them all … All that is left is something I was told that was an absolute must … yes, the fish and chips over there. Fortunately, the queue seems short. Deputy chief, let's go. "
The adjutant Jürgen said and lined up at the open-air stall.
"Jürgen … you're taking it pretty seriously …"
Of course, Oscar liked delicious food but he wouldn't think of lining up just to buy something and he wasn't comfortable doing so.
However, that『mission』absolutely required Oscar.
That was because ...,
"Deputy chief, the one I bought earlier, please keep it warm so that it doesn't get cold! The chief will be sad if it gets cold."
For the Explosion Blaze Magician, it was a simple task to keep what they bought warm.
But … the only person in the world who could use the Explosion Blaze Magician in such a way was Princess Fiona.
"Oh, pardon me."
"No problem."
Another commonplace exchange happened after two people left the guest seats.
It was between Konrad, the third prince of the Debuhi Empire, and Abel, acting as a proxy for the Guildmaster of the Rune Adventurer's Guild.
"Proxy of Rune's Guildmaster … Abel-dono … yeah … am I right?"
"Yes. Your Royal Highness Konrad. It is Abel. At least for now, just Abel."
Konrad commented as if he noticed something and Abel emphasized his address.
"I see. Excuse me. You just looked like someone I've met before."
"I see. It must have been someone else."
"Will Abel-dono be acting as a proxy for the entire festival?"
"No … only for the first and last days. The Guildmaster will only arrive in the middle of the festival. I believe from the second day to the sixth day, there will be individual talks and various meetings?"
"Yes, it's rare to have representatives from each country, guild leaders, or lords all gathered around here. The schedule is packed with talks and meetings."
Konrad shrugged his shoulders and shook his head a little.
"That's a pity."
"If Abel-dono returned to his parents' house … Oh no, I'm just talking to myself. My sister is here too, but I've given her the task to enjoy the festival."
Konrad smiled.
"She was in the guest seat earlier. Her Imperial Highness the Emperor Magic Division Chief Fiona."
"Does Abel still care about that title?"
A sharp light ran behind Konrad's eyes for a moment, really just for a moment.
But it was Abel, and he didn't miss the momentary light.
"I'm not sure what you are talking about but the fact that the 『Chief』 is here means that the 『Deputy Chief』 is also here, right? Yes, the person with the alias, the 『Explosion Blaze Magician』 …"
"That pertains to confidential military matters so I can't comment on that."
He dodged the question in the end but of course, they had no intention of hiding the arrival of the Explosion Blaze Magician Oscar Ruska.
Everything was tactics and everything was a show of force. The Empire was such a country.
"Oh, that seems to be the Lord. See you again."
Then, Konrad left Abel.
"Sheesh, what a difficult person … I'm not good at this kind of thing."
Abel muttered in a whisper.
"Phew, I'm tired."
Fiona fell into bed.
"Your Highness, please stop such improper behavior … this is the second time."
Marie, her adjutant and maid, continued to chastise Fiona in continuation from last night.
"But it's troublesome to sit like a princess while being watched by everyone?"
"Your Highness is unmistakably a princess after all … don't you face being watched by everyone in the division?
"The division is fine. Everyone is a familiar face and friends. But, like this, the line of sight from an unspecified number of people … how do I put it …"
"Disgusting?"
"It feels ticklish."
"… Yeah, I can't make sense of what Your Highness is saying."
While having such a conversation, Marie took off Fiona's dress and arranged it so that it would not wrinkle. Fiona also changed into the familiar division clothes without permission.
"Oh, this is the best outfit. It's functional and easy to move in."
While she was talking about that, there was a knock on the door and the shopping group came back.
"Your Highness, we're back."
"I'm tired."
The deputy chief Oscar displaying his exhaustion and his adjutant Jürgen were back.
"Even deputy chief acts like that …"
"Hmm?"
"When Her Imperial Highness returned from the guest seat, she said the same thing …"
Marie shook her head and began preparing tea.
"Oh, I'm just not good with crowds."
For some reason, Oscar was boasting.
"Deputy chief, you were really close to colliding a while ago. But you didn't for some reason."
"Oh, that was dangerous. If I bumped into him, I might have dropped the food I was holding. But I didn't collide not because of my actions but the other party avoided me with great reaction speed. He was an adventurer and seemed to be a Magician, but he's pretty good."
Recalling the scene at that time, Oscar reheated some of the food they bought.
"Well, let's eat for the time being."
With Fiona's words as the trigger, the Emperor's Magic Division's tea party started.
-x-X-x-
The second day of the Whitnash Port Opening Festival.
"I heard that there are good stalls at the port too."
With that line from Amon, the four people from Room 10 headed toward the harbor.
So far, they had focused on the street stalls along the main street, but today they changed their direction.
However, the fact that the dishes were still based on produce from the sea did not change.
"What's on this salt-grilled dish? Is it perhaps … charred soy sauce …"
Next to Ryo, who was feeling emotional by seeing his first soy sauce since Japan,
"Wrapped baked flour … Crepe? I can't say that it's not tempting."
Etho enjoyed the crepe that was sold under the 'Grand debut in this country' sign and was not found anywhere else.
"This combination of roasted tuna slices and bite-sized rice is amazing."
Amon was having second servings of many sushi-like grilled tuna.
"This hard candy drizzled with sweet juice from Rindo, this is good!"
While Niels was stuffing his mouth as he held two candy apple-like snacks in both hands.
Along the way, as the four of them ate things that both were related to the sea and had nothing to do with the sea, they stopped to see the fast ship 『Rain Shooter』 exhibited at the harbor.
Ryo really wanted to see it and persuaded the other three to take a look, but even those who weren't so interested until they came were entranced by the ship's graceful appearance.
"That is … beautiful …"
"It has a strange shape."
"I want to see it moving."
Niels, Etho, and Amon were also fascinated in an instant.
It was a three-hulled ship with a total length of 30 meters and had the appearance of a trimaran.
There was one large hull in the middle that had contact with the water and smaller hulls to the left and right, and compared to the catamaran with two hulls, it was more resistant to rolling over.
In this world, not to mention a trimaran, there had never been a catamaran either.
With that in mind, the『Rain Shooter』could be said to be a very ground-breaking ship.
But that wasn't the only thing that caught Ryo's interest.
"There are no sails …"
Etho reacted to Ryo's mutter.
"There are no oars either."
It was neither a sailing ship nor a paddle ship.
Of course, there was no propeller either.
"How does it move?"
Amon tilted his head in confusion too.
It was Niels who took action as the three were deep in thought.
He caught a nearby person who seemed to be related to ship work.
"Excuse me, how does this ship sail?"
He asked directly.
"Oh, we're often asked that."
The person answered with a smile.
"It is propelled forward by wind magic jetting out from above and water magic from below the draft of the hull."
A hybrid of a wind jet and a water jet!
"That means Magicians with wind and water attributes will …?"
"No, apparently it is achieved with magic stones made using alchemy. But I don't know the details of that either."
Then, the person walked away.
"Ho~"
It was obvious who that exclamation of admiration came from …
"I want to see it when it's moving."
Etho muttered to himself.
Niels, who began to look around, headed toward a signboard.
"Hey, it's written here. It seems that it will set forth in front of the guests tomorrow afternoon."
"Oh~"
There was one more fun event for the four of them, but Niels seemed to have found something else.
"What's wrong, Niels?"
"Oh. Tomorrow morning, there seems to be an event called the『30th two-seater boat race: Adventurer's category』… It seems that there were still slots in the participation slot as of this morning …"
"Adventurer category?"
Etho, Amon, and Ryo all asked the same question.
"Let's see … participation is not limited to adventurers (magic is prohibited), but in the second half, attacking with the oars is allowed so only stout individuals should apply …"
"What kind of race is that …?"
Ryo muttered unintentionally.
"Is registration done at that tent at the front …?"
"Niels-san, are you planning to participate?"
Amon addressed Niels.
"The prize money for the winner is 300,000 Florin, and second place can still get 100,000 Florin …"
"Wow!"
Ryo and Etho stared from afar as Niels and Amon were about to lose their senses due to the draw of money.
"Ryo … money is scary."
"Etho … Let's pray for their safety."
After that, the Niels-Amon party succeeded in applying for the final slot.
"Oh, there's a shooting gallery too."
"Shooting gallery?"
It seemed to be a game of『Target shooting』from the harbor toward the sea.
(Target shooting … but the scale is a little too different from the target shooting in fairs …)
The aim of the game was to hit the targets floating on the sea, with the furthest target 100 meters away.
It seemed to be quite difficult as although there were some arrows stuck at the nearest 30 meters target, none were on the target at 100 meters.
"We don't have any archers among us …"
Niels skimmed through the faces of the other three and then muttered.
"Now that I think about it, Abel said that in『Crimson Sword』, he could use the bow …"
Ryo remembered what Abel had said before.
"Yeah, I saw him in action during the Great Tidal Bore. Abel was astounding! I would believe it if you told me he was a professional archer."
"Nah, I'm not that skilled."
Suddenly, Abel's voice could be heard from behind them and Niels froze.
Etho and Amon were also surprised.
Only Ryo who had noticed him was not surprised. Or rather, he knew he was approaching, so he veered the story in that direction.
"Abel is alone? What about the other members?"
"The others should be visiting stalls … I was finally released from the role of guest because Gilmas finally arrived …"
Abel, who said that, had a grilled squid-like grilled mini kraken in one hand.
"Oh, that grilled mini kraken is delicious!"
It was what Niels was eating yesterday.
Niels seemed to be touched to know that he had the same taste as the one he respected.
"Yeah, this is delicious. Or rather, there are a lot of things that look delicious. Won't there be a lot of people who run out of money?"
"And that is when Abel will lavishly go 'It's my treat, eat whatever you fancy!"
"Yeah, I'll never do that."
Next to the three having that conversation, Etho and Amon were attempting the『Shooting Gallery』.
For 50 Florin a try, if they hit the target at 100 meters, they would get a prize of 5,000 Florin.
Even the nearest 30-meter target would net them the prize money of 500 Florin.
Etho and Amon bought five arrows each and were dreaming of getting rich quick as they looked to be aiming for the target 100 meters away.
"Tei."
He shot it with spirit, but … the arrow was nowhere close to reaching the target.
(In a sense, I've never used a bow and arrow … Given that their arrows flew forward, the two are definitely better than me.)
Ryo was impressed with Etho and Amon.
"Don't you want to try, Niels?"
"Fufufu, don't be surprised, I've never touched a bow."
"It was just as I expected so I'm even more surprised."
Upon hearing that, Abel restrained himself from laughing.
"Abel, you're laughing too much."
"I-I'm trying not to laugh. I'm sorry. I'm not making a fool out of you, it just felt like I was looking at the me in the old days, so …"
"Abel wasn't good at bows in the past too?"
"Far from not being good, I had never touched it like Niels. I was fully focused with the sword after all."
As he said that, he struck the handle of the sword on his waist.
"But when I became an adventurer, that could not continue … especially in my party, we don't have an archer? That's why I practiced quite a bit."
Meanwhile, Etho and Amon returned with zero results.
"The bow is too difficult."
"I couldn't reach it at all."
Both Etho and Amon sunk into disappointment.
"Now, this is where Abel comes in. Please show your juniors how a bow is used."
Ryo fueled him on.
Abel had a very reluctant expression.
"No, I'm a Swordsman …"
"Abel will be able to do it~"
For some reason, Niels had bought one arrow while Abel and Ryo were having that exchange.
"Abel-san, here."
(Just one arrow … hitting it with a single shot, Niels, aren't you raising the difficulty too much.)
Even Ryo felt that Abel was a little pitiful.
However, Abel accepted the bow and arrow without changing his expression.
Then, he held it quietly and drew for only a moment and released it.
"Ooooooooooooooooo."
Cheers from around them welled up.
The arrow brilliantly hit the target 100 meters away. The target that was floating in the sea and swaying.
"Protagonist …"
Ryo muttered unintentionally once again.
"Wow Wow Wow."
"So this is a B-rank adventurer …"
"Abel-san is seriously amazing."
Amon, Etho, and of course Niels were all extremely excited.
Abel who shot the target was the calmest.
He returned the bow and received the prize. When he received it, an even louder cheer broke out.
"I was wondering what was causing the cheers, so Abel was here~"
"Oh, Abel, you've already been released."
The Crimson Sword Rin and Rihya, and Warren who was carrying a lot of luggage behind them, appeared.
"You guys … why did you buy so much from the stalls …?"
Abel looked at luggage carried by Warren and grimaced.
"Women need all kinds of things."
"Yeah yeah, they are mostly for Rihya's stress relief."
Rihya answered prickly while Rin added on with a wry smile.
And then Rin whispered to Ryo.
"Rihya was in a bad mood because Abel wasn't around."
"I see..."
To Ryo, it was a very convincing reason.
"Then Niels, let's go over there. Abel, thanks for letting us watch a good show."
"O-oh. See you again."
With that said, Abel was grabbed by the arm by Rihya and pulled towards the main street.
"Abel-san is really cool!"
"Rihya-san … goddess."
"I wonder if I should practice the bow too."
Niels, Etho, and Amon said to themselves, but it went without saying which sentence belonged to who.
"This enchanting scent is … no way …"
"That smells great. A smell of spice that stimulates the appetite."
"Now that I think about it, I'm feeling hungry."
"Niels-san, weren't you holding the Rindo candies in both hands?"
Ryo, Etho, Niels, and Amon were attracted to the enchanting scent that was drifting from across the street.
When they took a peek,
"Seafood curry!"
Ryo exclaimed before he could stop himself.
"Oh, curry. It's also found in the City of Rune, but I haven't eaten it much because it's expensive."
Etho commented as he sniffed the air.
It was rare to see Etho act in that manner.
"Okay, let's eat here. I can't stand this anymore."
"It's definitely a scent that whets the appetite. This will be the first time I'll be having curry."
Niels sat down and Amon looked at the menu with excitement.
"I'd like a seafood curry."
"Hmm~original curry."
"Large beef curry!"
"Chef's Special Super Spicy Curry."
Ryo, Etho, and Niels ordered sequentially, and finally Amon, who was trying curry for the first time, chose the spiciest curry … those words terrified the other three from Room 10.
"A-Amon, aren't you challenging it too far …"
"Super spicy that is even more spicy than usual …"
"Amon, I'll hold your funeral for you!"
Ryo, Etho, and Niels cheered him on with their respective expressions.
"I like spicy food."
Amon looked indifferent.
The curry that arrived in front of each of the four looked delectable.
If the curry from Run's『Houshoku-tei』was the incarnation of Japanese curry, this curry was 'a slightly Javanese Japanese curry'.
The taste was delicious.
Any curry above a standard was delicious no matter what!
And the most worrisome Amon …
"This is insanely delicious! The moderate amount of spiciness is just right."
Had high praises for his curry.
When Niels saw that, he took a small bite but … he gave up after just one bite.
"Niels, pass on in peace …"
"It's freaking spicy."
Ryo and Etho were interested in the spiciness but decided to stay away from it.
After all, curiosity killed the cat.
Amon seemed to like it a lot and ate another serving.
Seeing that, Niels was frightened.
After all, he had experienced the strength of that super spiciness.
That night, three shadows were squirming in the darkness of Whitnash.
"How successful was it?"
"Good. We can go anytime after the 4th day."
"When do they gather together the most?"
"The last day, a night garden party. It will be held in the courtyard of the Lord's building."
"Outdoors huh, that will be convenient. We will do it at the garden party."
"Understood."
-x-X-x-
The third day of the Whitnash Port Opening Festival.
Finally, it was the day for Niels and Amon's race.
The two, who had been enthusiastic since the morning, headed for the venue of the 『30th two-seater boat race: Adventurer's category』.
However, a shocking scene unfolded there.
"Why are you here?"
"Ah? That's my line."
Dan from Room 1 of the Guild Dormitory had also entered the competition.
That scene was also visible to Ryo and Etho in the audience seats.
"I guess that is Dan."
"Niels is clashing with him."
Niels' attitude toward the other party verified their suspicions.
Dan's followers were gathered a little away from them.
Originally the entourage consisted entirely of men, but Ryo noticed that there was now a girl among them.
(Huh? If I'm not wrong, that kid is … the kid Dan helped in the courtyard of the dormitory … I see, so she entered Dan's party? She's looking at Dan with a really worried expression, did she fall in love with him …? )
Ryo pondered to himself.
"What's wrong?"
Seeing that, Etho followed Ryo's gaze.
"Dan's entourage?"
"Yeah, do you see the girl in there? She looks like the one Dan helped previously."
"Hoho ~. That is Sasha in Room 2. I know her because she's a Priest just like me. She's apparently only 16 years old, but she's pretty good. The other kids in Room 2 were scouted for E-rank parties. Sasha must have been invited too, but … it looks like she went to Dan's party. They didn't have a priest there, so with Sasha in the party, it will be a very well-balanced party."
As expected of Etho, he was familiar with the inner-goings of the dormitory.
While talking about that, the preparations for the 『Two-seater boat race: Adventurer's category』was steadily underway.
The race was as simple as taking four oars to a boat prepared by the tournament, boarding it in pairs, and rowing with the oars to circle a buoy 400 meters offshore before returning.
However, from the moment they cross the buoy in the middle, they can be attacked by participants from other boats with their oars.
Magic usage and boarding other boats were forbidden.
They had to keep both their feet from the heels to the tips of the toes on the boat.
Also, weapons other than oars could not be used. However, that didn't apply to the physical body.
The rules were simple, yet violent, so it was a popular event every time.
It was the 30th race this year so it boasts a history of roughly 150 years.
All 30 boats arrived at their positions.
"Ready … Go!"
And all 30 oars began rowing at once.
Anyway, in the first half up to the buoy, there would be no attacks from the other boats.
They focused entirely on rowing towards the buoy.
But think about it.
A two-seater boat … even if some have not actually ridden on one, such boats could be seen in photos or videos … how would the rower seat?
Yes, they would turn their back to the direction of travel and row the oars.
That's not always that the case? But such boats were not prepared.
Since this was entertainment, they sought a scene that made the audience happy … A martial arts scene at sea was the desired goal.
Basically, one person rowed and the other directed … it was explained that way and suitable boats were prepared … but usually, it wouldn't work that well.
By rowing without looking at the direction of travel … it was easy to hit other similar boats.
Contact, running over, anger … The sea became a battlefield whirling with annoyed screams.
During the race, even if a participant fell into the sea, they could resume by returning to the boat on their own.
However, if they were to be thrown into the sea while unconscious, they would be rescued by the tournament committee members who were waiting at sea and will be disqualified.
It was a terrifying scene.
"I'm glad I didn't get lured by money …"
"Etho, don't they need the power of a priest?"
"Nah~, my strength is insufficient … sorry."
Ryo and Etho in the spectator seats were in awe as they watched the hellish scene.
A short distance away from the spectator seats, four people from the Empire were watching that hellish scene as well.
"That's a tough competition beyond my expectations."
The chief of the Imperial Emperor's Magic Division and the princess, Fiona, expressed her thoughts with her eyes wide open.
"It's hard to attempt it without magic."
"If magic was allowed, it would end in an instant …"
The conversation between Adjutant Jurgen and Deputy Chief Oscar sounded dangerous.
"Teacher … not everyone can cast powerful magic like a teacher, okay?"
"No, even if Chief attempted it, wouldn't the result be the same?"
When Fiona pointed that out, Oscar retorted while addressing her in an unthinkable manner.
He addressed her as 『Chief』 instead of the usual 『Your Highness』 because no one was listening.
"In any case, they can only attack with their oars."
Marie, her adjutant and maid, pulled the fruitless conversation back on track.
"Leaving that aside, Chief really likes that crepe. You ate it yesterday too, didn't you?"
Marie said in a surprised manner when she saw Chief Fiona filling her mouth deliciously.
She had been taking care of Fiona for almost two years, but she had never seen Fiona so obsessed with food.
She didn't dislike any food, but she didn't like any food in particular either. That was her impression.
"Yeah, this is delicious. I hope we can have it at the training ground too …"
"That is impossible."
Deputy Chief Oscar dismissed it.
"Te-teacher, please overlook it somehow …"
"In the first place, the training ground is a place for training and exercises. The meals are carefully selected and only healthy foods are served in the cafeteria. Sweets are not included."
Even though he was the Deputy Chief, the words of Oscar, who was also Fiona's magic teacher, were absolute.
Even though they were absolute, she couldn't give up on the crepes.
"Then, we can call a crepe stall to come to the castle …"
Her mutter did not reach Oscar's ears. Or perhaps he pretended to not hear it …
"We-well, there are a lot of really delicious stalls, right?"
This time, it was the Adjutant Jurgen who somehow managed to patch the conversation together …
At sea, the battle was about to enter the climax.
Finally, the first two boats reached a position beyond the midway buoy.
"That is … Niels and Amon …"
"The other one is Dan …"
Ryo and Etho in the spectator seats were watching the race on the sea while drinking freshly squeezed orange juice and Lindo juice.
Niels and Dan, who had a fated connection, were fighting for the lead.
Or rather, both sides were working hard to outdo the other.
Amon rowed while Niels stood up on the boat.
To match that, Dan also stood up on his boat.
And they glared at each other.
As Niels shouted something, Amon pulled the boat over to Dan's boat.
The fight with oars began there.
Strike, thrust, strike, strike, strike …
"Niels and Dan are doing amazingly despite standing on swaying boats."
"As expected of Swordsmen!"
Ryo and Etho both seemed to be playing the funny man role of a comedy duo but there was no straight man in their duo.
As both E-ranks, the Swordsmen had already crushed one oar each and were fighting with their second oar.
In the meantime, the boats were moving forward little by little, but were overtaken by other boats that avoid unnecessary battles.
However, the cheers of the audience were monopolized by Niels and Dan.
"Great ~ Sock em ~ Push him off ~"
"There, put in a feint from the right and switch to a thrust at once!"
"From above, hit, hit, hit."
"Punch a hole in the boat and sink it."
"Oars are boring, attack with swords!"
"From their movements, they are both Swordsmen! If so, gather strength and slash diagonally from the shoulder, before suddenly reversing it and slashing your opponent!"
All kinds of cheers were flying around.
And at the moment when they finally struck each other, their second oar broke almost at the same time.
"Oh~!"
The audience seat spectators were roused.
As both were out of weapons … naturally it turned into a slugfest.
But … as they were on separate boats and the boats were swaying at different timings, neither of them could land a solid blow.
Both Niels and Dan, as Swordsmen, must have understood that.
Both sides grabbed each other's right and left hands and shifted to a competition of strength.
They were locked in combat like professional wrestlers.
Just like how wrestlers proud of their strength displayed it in the center of a ring, the two were competing in male stubbornness.
Even though there was no movement, it brought a mysterious amount of heat that excited those watching.
It was the same at sea.
And … neither one of them had the upper hand in the lock.
However, the audiences watching were even more excited than before.
"Oh, someone else reached the goal …"
"Well, the last or the second last place is confirmed."
Etho and Ryo weren't excited by the power comparison of Niels and Dan.
Of course, they had unwavering support for Niels as his party member.
But … well, that was it.
And then, the turning point happened in an instant.
The combined hands and upper body did not move at all, but their feet were different.
On the swaying ships … or boats rather than ships … the boats couldn't stand the pressure and broke.
Zabon
Four people were thrown into the sea.
They were disqualified because their boats broke. With that decided, the tournament committee members immediately headed to recover them, but … Niels and Dan were still locked at where they were, that was, even when they were in the sea.
"For the tournament, a special prize will be given to the two teams that gave the spectators a good show."
Niels and Amon, along with Dan's team, received a congratulatory special award.
10,000 Florin per team.
"Niels, Amon, congratulations."
"I'm glad you guys came back safely."
Ryo and Etho also applauded them from the bottom of their hearts.
Both Niels and Amon seemed to be dissatisfied with everything … but when they received 10,000 Florin, they smiled.
The power of cash was so terrifying.
And, in the afternoon, the three-hulled Rain Shooter would be unveiled.
The four people from Room 10 immediately converted the 10,000 Florin, which was given as the special prize, to food, and were well prepared as they secured a place next to the guest seats.
Because that spot had the best view of the ship.
"Why are Ryo and the others here …"
Among the guests, Hugh, the Guildmaster of the City of Rune, who was seated in the farthest corner seat, whispered in a very quiet voice.
"Because this is the best spot."
Ryo gave a very proper and accurate answer that also completely missed the mark for why Hugh was asking.
"I-I see …"
Hugh, who had accumulated fatigue from the talks and meetings since the previous day, decided to let it slide and accepted the answer weakly.
"And so … why is Niels looking like he's about to drool?"
Hugh asked Ryo why Niels, who was looking at the guest seats, was in such a state.
"He's just looking at that beautiful Princess over there."
"Well … try not to do anything. It will definitely become an international issue."
"He'll be burned by the Explosive Blaze Magician?"
Ryo commented, remembering what Rin and Rihya were saying.
"I'm surprised you know. The Explosive Blaze Magician is here in this city as a subordinate of that Princess. His name is Baron Oscar Ruska. He's a former adventurer who was elevated from a commoner to a noble for his achievements."
While having that conversation, the Rain Shooter came into the harbor and slowly started operating in front of the guest seats.
"Oh."
"How beautiful."
"Truly a revolution in shipbuilding."
Voices of praise leak from here and there.
The four people from Room 10 were no exception.
"She's beautiful …"
"It's moving forward like it's flowing."
"I want to ride it."
"Why did they decide on a hybrid of air jet and water jet?"
Niels, Etho, Amon, and Ryo said different words, but they all expressed 『Admiration』.
The last comment from Ryo was also … in a sense, 『Admiration』.
And an unrefined comment was heard from the side too which was also a kind of 『Admiration』.
"The construction cost of 370 billion Florin is not just for show …"