Volume 5 - CH 10

Chapter 10 – Routine and Troublesome Thing

Back to the Southern City from the Dark Elf Island, we spent a leisurely day.

I gave Ines and Felicia the day off and had a pretty good time reading manga.

We also went to the village of Siena to see how things were going. What surprised me was how fast the villagers acted. They put up a big signboard along the river, built a stone oven, and handed out pizzas on the spot when small boats came by. Is this some kind of river version of a drive-through? It seems to be very popular.

“Hello, Village Chief-san.”

“Oh, Wataru-san, it’s been a long time. Thanks to you, Wataru-san, the village has come to life.”

“It’s amazing. The pizzas you sell by the river seem to be very popular. But if you sell them by the river, won’t people come to the village?”

“We only sell one kind of pizza at the river, which is quick and easy to make. While the pizzas are baking, we advertise that you can go to the village and have an elaborate pizza.”

“Wow, so people are interested in coming here.”

“Yes, and the cottage cheese salad you taught us about is also very popular.”

“That’s good to know. So, I would like to stock up on cheese, milk, and eggs. Do you have any to spare?”

“Yes, no problem. How much do you need?”

“Well, I need a block of cheese, two barrels of milk, and about 50 eggs. Is that okay?”

“Of course. I’ll get them right away. Do you want me to bring them to the front of the ship like the last time?”

“Yes, please. In the meantime, can I have one of your popular pizzas?”

“Yes, I will guide you.”

As it turned out, it was quite good. The basic pizza I taught them is the one with meat on it, but the popular one is served with wild rabbit, chicken, egg, tomato slices, and a variety of other things on it. They’re experimenting with customers…

They didn’t accept my money for my purchases. I told them that it would make it harder for me to come back next time to buy something, so I’ll have to ask them to sell it to me at a discount. This time, I’ll gratefully take it and leave. If Camille-san knew about this, she would be appalled.

After that, I talked with Camille-san. I went to see Guido-san and the others. I also had a business meeting about wholesaling wine. I’m feeling pretty content. Is this what it means to be satisfied?

As we were discussing the countries we would like to visit in the future, Alessia-san jumped in.

“Wataru-san, please lend me your strength.”

“W-what’s wrong?”

“Please, I will pay you as much money as I have. If it is not enough, I will do whatever you want.”

“C-calm down, please. I don’t understand.”

Normally, this would be an attractive proposition, but I’m too desperate, and my skepticism is not piqued. All the members of Girasole are looking serious. Is something troubling happening that Creator God-sama said?

“Alessia, calm down. Wataru-san, excuse me; let me explain the situation.”

“Oh, Dorothea-san, please.”

“The receptionist in charge of the Adventurer’s Guild called us to the guild just now, and when we went to the guild, we were taken to the guildmaster’s room. There, he told me that our hometown, the trading city of Lucca, was under siege by the Empire.”

“The empire is mainly fighting with the Beast Kingdom, right?”

“Yes, but it seems they have turned their attention to Lucca. The Imperial warships were discovered, and Lucca shifted to a state of warfare. The merchant ships and fishing boats in the harbor were evacuated from Lucca.”

Later, information from ships that went out to Lucca to scout the area, as far as could be seen from the ships, the city was surrounded by imperial soldiers. There were also rumors that the imperial army had invaded the kingdom of Brescia at once.

“…They were ambushed, weren’t they? I know this is hard to hear, but can Lucca withstand it?”

“…Lucca is an important trade port for the Kingdom of Brescia. There are many talented people there. If they have shifted to a wartime system and held off the imperial army behind fortified walls, they should be able to hold out for a while. So, Wataru-san, please help us. We have lots of family and friends.”

Wow, Creator God-sama said that trouble is coming to Girasole… So that trouble is war. That’s not the level of trouble, is it? What am I going to do?

People are coming to me with anxious looks on their faces. I can’t abandon them, but I’m also afraid of war. What should I do…?

What should I actually do? To be honest, I’m probably too scared to attack, so if it comes to a fight, I’ll just summon a ship and play the role of a wall? And then watch all the killing going on in front of me?

No way, I’d throw up for sure, and I wouldn’t be able to eat afterward. I can’t play the role of a hero, and if I’m not involved in a war or something, I’m the type of person who can’t see, can’t hear, and can get away with it.

Creator God-sama, isn’t it funny that the first hero-like event is a war? There should be more steps to it.

“I know it’s a terrible request, Wataru-san, to get you involved in a war. Just like Alessia, I’m willing to do whatever you say, so please, can’t you do that for us?”

Oh, I’d like to stay cooped up. Run away? Well, I guess I can’t. I don’t even dare to refuse. I’ll just have to decide on a line I can’t compromise on and help out.

“Ah, it’s alright, Dorothea-san. I will help you as much as I can. But there are a few conditions.”

“Thank you very much. What is it? Anything you want.”

“No, it’s not difficult. First, I will not make any attacks. Also, please keep me, Ines, and Felicia absolutely secret. If we get involved with someone important in Lucca, I will not be the one to negotiate with them. Please do not force me to do anything I don’t want to do. I can help you with defense and escape. As for the fee, it should be as much money as you can reasonably afford.”

“Will that be enough?”

“Yes, that’s fine.”

“Thank you. Is it okay if we leave now?”

“We will need at least some coverage. We are going to show up at the Merchant’s Guild now and leave, though. Everyone from Girasole, please come out of the gate and walk to the seaside. We will meet up there and depart. It’s suspicious, but it’s better than nothing.”

“I understand.”

“Oh, and it might be better to sign a contract this time since we couldn’t talk because of the contract. I hope that will convince the other party. Is there any way to make sure the contract is really signed?”

“Yes, there is. There is a possibility that it could be a lie, so some of the larger organizations have magic circles that confirm contracts.”

“Well, then, let’s make sure we have a proper contract. Can I add to the previous conditions that my information will not be divulged as well?”

“Yes.”

I headed to the Merchant’s Guild with the members of Girasole. We signed the earlier promise between the contracts. After that, I told Camille-san that I would head to Palermo again. What a gaping hole in my alibi.

On the way back, I bought three hooded robes. With these on, my face wouldn’t be visible, and I’d pass as a suspicious mage.

Back to the ship, and off we go.

“Hey, Master. They said they’d do whatever you say, right? I wonder if money was all you wanted.”

“Ines, don’t ask such nasty questions. If I had asked them for their bodies, they might have agreed to it, but they wouldn’t have been able to do it under the circumstances.”

“Ufufufu, that’s true.”

I thought about it, I thought about it, but I couldn’t say it out loud. Everyone in Girasole was coming to me with desperate looks on their face, asking me to do something for them. And then ask them to let me hold them? That’s impossible. I had to have the mental strength of a monster to say it. There was no way I could say it.

We’ll wait on the shoreline for a while. We’ll meet up with the Girasole team.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

“No, we’re leaving now. We’re going along the coast, so we’ll take the Lutto. Is that alright?”

“Yes.”

“Since the autopilot is not working, we’ll talk at night.”

“Thank you.”

I go up to the flying bridge and sit in the control seat. After a while, Ines comes up to me and offers me a cup of tea. A while later, Ines came up with a cup of tea.

“How is everyone doing?”

“It’s a situation they have no choice but to be in, but they don’t seem to be able to afford it. They’re trying to talk it out, but it’s spinning out of control.”

“I see…”

Ah, I hadn’t thought about war. I’d love to be able to dash in like the hero of a novel and pull the war back and forth, but it’s impossible.

I maneuvered the ship, taking turns with Ines and Felicia, until the sun went down and then returned to the living room.

“Well then, let’s begin our discussion. First, could you tell me about Lucca?”

“Yes, Lucca is one of the largest cities in the Kingdom of Brescia, with a population of about 20,000 people. It is a trading city surrounded by huge walls and has a large port.”

Twenty thousand people, that’s not much in Japan, but in another world, it would be a big city. But 20,000 people, I wonder how many people can fit on the Fortress in a tight space?

“How long does it take to get there from here?”

“It takes 22 days to get to Lucca by regular magic boat.”

“Well, if we go at full speed from morning until dark, we can get there in about 20 days.”

“I’d appreciate it if we could get there sooner.”

“Well… if it’s me, Ines, Felicia, Alessia-san, and Marina-san, we can get there in less than ten days if we drive through the night.”

“…I know it’s a lot of work, but is that okay with you?”

Well, if five of us take turns, that’s less than five hours a day per person.

“I understand. I will do my best. Alessia-san, if it looks like we can defend, we will help with the defense. If we need to escape, I’ll help with the escape, okay?”

“Yes.”

“If it is for defense, I can only serve as a wall by taking the ship out of harm’s way.”

It would be tremendously powerful if I could summon the Fortress and bring it down against the imperial forces, though. I don’t want to get that deeply involved.

“Yes.”

“In case of an escape, is it acceptable if the goal is to take at least your family and friends with us?”

“Yes. If possible, we would like to rescue the beastmen as well.”

“The empire was human supremacist, wasn’t it?”

It’s a common story, but when it concerns me, it’s troublesome.

“Yes, I believe they will be dropped into terrible circumstances…”

I guess it’s slavery, and it’s illegal, too. I feel sorry for them, but I’m no hero; I’ll think about it then when I can afford it.

“Is there any way to get into Lucca?”

“The land part is tough when it’s surrounded. I think the harbor is blockaded with ships because the entire port can be attacked from the top of the walls. If we can break through the blockade of ships, I think we can get inside.”

“I understand. So the first thing to do is to break through the blockade of ships and get into Lucca?”

“Yes.”

“In the worst-case scenario, we can break through by taking the Fortress, but I’d like to sneak in if possible. It depends on the situation. If it is possible to sneak in, we will use a rubber boat, but if not, we will use a ship that fits the situation. If we can get to the gate, can we go in?”

“Yes, until we reached the C-rank, the base of Girasole was in Lucca. I know some of the soldiers, so I think it will be fine. But it is wartime, so I’m sure Wataru-san and the others will be checked out.”

“We will wear these hooded robes. Our faces will be hidden, so it will look suspicious, but please don’t tell anyone about us at all. We are the people you have hired for this purpose, and because of the contract, please do not tell them anything about us.”

“Yes.”

“If they don’t let us in, we’ll return to the ship. Please go through the talk alone with all of you. I’ll be moving into the port the next night, and we can share the information there.”

“But if we had a hard breakthrough the day before, wouldn’t it be impossible for you to go in?”

“I don’t think they can build a siege in one day that will stop my ship from breaking through.”

“I understand.”

“I also don’t like to be called by my name, so please call me Mage. Ines and Felicia are my followers; is that clear?”

“Yes, Mage-sama.”

“Alessia-san, you don’t have to add ‘sama’ on it, do you?”

“Yes, because Mage is a position. Even though we hired you, I don’t think it’s right to call you by just your name.”

“I understand. However, you can only call me Mage-sama when I am wearing a hooded robe. So if they let me in, are we going to go to the Adventurer’s Guild?”

“Perhaps we will be called by the lord, but if not, we will be in the Adventurer’s Guild.”

“What kind of person is the lord?”

“It’s a marquis. I’ve never met him, but I’ve heard nothing bad about him. The town is growing, so I think he is an excellent man.”

“I see. Thank you.”

Marquis is a very important person, isn’t he? I would prefer not to have a chance to meet him, but if a party of A-rank comes, they might be invited, right? I hope we won’t be invited.

“I understand. The rest depends on the situation. I will think of various things I can do. Since we’ll be running all night, let’s decide on the order in which we’ll steer the ship.”

The five of us decide on the turn of the shift. Alessia-san and Marina-san were willing to take turns at midnight, but we were worried that they seemed distracted, so we decided that we would take over at night.

“Those of you who don’t have plans, let’s take turns taking a shower and go to bed. If we don’t stay in shape, we won’t be able to do anything when we get to Lucca.”