Episode 47 — To Use, or Not to Use?
～ Part 1 ～
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After finishing the negotiation with the dragonewt who gave his name as Ryuzaki, Welkano returned to the sailing ship. Him who returned was being pressed by the grim looking caravan survivors.
The maritime caravan which consisted of 8 vessels, now only had one remained. The survivors were mostly young merchants, hardly with any experience. They, gazing at Welkano, unanimously asked.
“Captain, how did it go?”
“Did you really accept that bunch’s offer?”
Welkano, cane in hands, silently nodded.
That bunch, naturally, was the Monster Corps that dragonewt was leading. The incubus who had stayed with this caravan for a little while, undertaking the guard duty against the sahagins, seemed to have been one of that Corps as well.
Welkano, as the president of the Welkano Company had wandered between various countries south of the continent. The southern part of the continent had especially many countries compared to other regions, and accordingly, a variety of cultures existed. Particularly in the cultural sphere of the Dragon King faith in the southwest and the Beast King faith in the southeast, countries and regions – which was very acceptant of the unhuman species and deepened their friendship – frequently existed.
Nevertheless, this situation where that much diversified monster species could speak human language and were being commanded in a single corps, should be said as abnormal. What the many merchants were wary of could be said of that unknown nature.
“Those guys … the heck are they?”
“I don’t know.”
Words of one merchant, yet Welkano quietly shook his head.
Naturally, Welkano too, had asked Ryuzaki about that. What on earth is this gathering, what is your objective?
According to Ryuzaki’s words, they had to unify and move together due to the course of events, now to achieve everyone’s objective, they were aiming for a forest in the east. In the eastern part of the continent, further east of the Soleil Principality spread a dense forest.
Perhaps, this was not a lie. This was Welkano hunch speaking when listening to those words. But neither did they tell him the truth. There were circumstances which couldn’t be told to this side.
Still, even bearing that circumstances in mind, Ryuzaki’s offer was a grateful one for the maritime caravan. Since every adventurers hired as guards had been swept away, they were uneasy to go on a voyage riddled with dangers unknown without a single thing that could be called war potential. Calculating from the position of the moon and stars, this sandy beach was considerably distant from the Maritime United Nations Albadanba. In the nearby sea inhabited the sahagins, and even without those, the sea was full of danger. Kraken, sea serpent, and then pirates. To protect the ship and merchandise from those sort of things, as expected, war potential would be necessary.
“Captain, I understand your feeling, but it’s still too risky.”
A young merchant, dissatisfaction bared, said so.
“President, you must have known this as well. The story of a bunch who gave their name as Red Moon attacking various places in the continent.”
“And then, you’re saying that has something to do with Ryuzaki-dono?”
“Can you say there’s not?”
Being asked in this way, even Welkano couldn’t refute.
“Even if the Commerce Guild was said to have been granted relatively civil liberties, the headquarter is in Arkarg, territory of the Empire. Being imprudent and the Empire will keep an eye on us.”
Things like risks, he knew all too well. If taking a safe plan, it would be best to move the ship along the coast after this and go ask for protection from Filnand Dragon Knight Kingdom.
But at the point they formed the caravan, moved the ships, hired adventurers, a lot of money was moving. If they turned back here, they would be unable to make even a single copper coin despite having paid that much money, and made a huge deficit. The young merchants here would eventually hang themselves.
There was no choice but to move forward. And then to move forward, hiring escorts was necessary.
Best of all, they didn’t demand money as compensation.
“If you say you understand my feelings, I also understand your complains as well.”
Welkano sat down on a wooden box and said so.
“But we’re already in a situation of ‘checkmate’. Unless we advance in spite of taking some risks, we won’t have even a sliver of hope left.”
In the end, those words summed up everything. The safe plan they could take at the moment would offer them no prospect.
These merchants too, were not foolish enough not to understand that. Emotional aspect, or possibly instinctual aspect governing the sense of crisis, those had a strong influence on them wanting to deny Ryuzaki group.
Probably even without Welkano here, someone else would reach the same conclusion, and then they would be bathed in questions like this as well.
In their present state, there was nothing that seemed better than Ryuzaki’s story.
What they demanded as compensation for the escort were 3 things.
Firstly, guarantee their person against the other side when entering Albadanba’s port.
Secondly, Ryuzaki asked to gather the necessary materials and carry it to the designated southeastern part of the continent.
And lastly, they were asked to offer human’s lifeblood – not to lethal degree, mind you.
The first proposal, he swallowed it. The second proposal, he formally informed that it wasn’t impossible, provided that monetary exchange occurred.
About the third proposal, as expected, he rejected it.
“Besides, captain, the storm we encountered as well…”
Being told so, Welkano narrowed his eyes.
“I think you remember. That guy raised a storm…. Wasn’t that guy a fellow of Red Moon too?”
What flitted through his mind was memory of a few days ago.
The sky that was supposed to be clear suddenly was shrouded by dark clouds, rain and wind attacked the caravan. The sea intently raged, high waves rushed at the ship’s sides. As a result, several merchant ships had capsized, only Welkano’s ship barely survived.
And then Welkano and them witnessed it, in the air within the rainstorm floated a devil’s figure. Whole body wrapped in black armor, well muscled physique. Darkish skin, trimmed hair. Red blood eyes, sharp fangs peeked out from his mouth. That thing certainly did have a figure very similar to Red Moon gang in the information.
“Whatever it its,”
Welkano once again spoke up.
“It doesn’t change that we have to move forward. Even if they are the Red Moon gang, which in turn, a comrade of that armored man who made our maritime caravan fall to destruction.”
In the end, the conclusion remained unchanged.
“Any dispute regarding this matter won’t be accept later. It seems that their ship will finish its repair the day after tomorrow. We too will finish our ship’s repair and then depart for Albadanba.”
If there were at least 2 ships, they would be able to let only the applicants return via the Dragon Knight Kingdom.
The words they said, Welkano had taken everything in to consideration and was discussing. Now he had no choice but to acknowledge the risk and carry it.
Supposing those guys came into contact with them while having some kind of malicious intent, they had no move to take at all.
But in that case, I will die while being cursed by the young merchants riding the ship, Welkano thought.
“Then, we will be heading for the said island country together with the humans of that maritime caravan.”
“Right. I more or less feel like a minimum negotiation is possible.”
After returning to the heavy cruiser branch school, Kyousuke had a conversation with Rin.
Previously, Ryuzaki had returned to Kyousuke and the others’ place with thumbs up. Everyone was a little relieved. Thereafter, they listened to the details regarding the contents of the negotiation from Ryuzaki, adding Kaoruko and made a gathering for a little while, and then repatriated to the heavy cruiser branch school.
The surroundings had become totally dark, fire was burning here and there on the beach. In this place, the students greeted a little relax time while listening to the sound of the waves washing ashore. Some students seemed to be planning to spend the night not at the heavy cruiser branch school but here on this beach.
“Only, the matter about offering blood to Akai seemed to have been refused as expected.”
“Ahh, so that’s really the case.”
Rin nodded as well.
“But was Akai-san okay? Something like this, you know? I means she’s being irritated…”
“She won’t become like an alcoholic without alcohol, right?”
“Geezz! Kyousuke-kun, even though I have been carefully choosing my words!”
Himemizu Rin bounced her entire body in a huff. She was right at home with slime motion.
“Akai has calmed down after talking to Sakuma and Kaoruko.”
“Ah, really. That’s good.”
Rin, with an absolutely relieved appearance, said so. Not that there was any facial expression to slime, but as of late, Kyousuke had started being able to read her emotion quite well. Was it a thing called accustomed? He somehow understood the subtle nuance loaded into every words or the rhythm of bouncing her body.
While gazing at that scene, suddenly, he asked.
“Hey Rin, I don’t know if it’s okay to ask this kind of thing, but,”
“What what? Try saying it?”
“No…. As expected, it’s rude?”
For Rin, am I a close friend like myself, Akira and Kogane, or like Akai, Sakuma and Kaoruko? He thought. But he also felt that speaking that aloud was a little lacking in delicacy.
Thinking so, he said it, but Rin bluntly pouted. To be accurate, she took a pouting gesture.
“I like said, I think it’s not good to refrain like that. Well, try saying it?”
“No, I just wonder who it is for Rin, a friend like that to whom you can talk and calm down.”
“Ah–, me? For me, there’s not many in this class. Speaking strongly it would be Tsurugin. Well, since I myself won’t become too mentally unstable.”
“Really. Rin is strong…”
Sitting on the sandy beach, he gazed at the bonfire in front. On the sandy beach at night was a queer scene where a skeleton and a slime – illuminated by the flame – did nothing but talk. Kyousuke had completely gotten used to it, but if Welkano or Remy saw this scene, they would unintentionally wrinkled their eyebrows.
He too, was a little worry about the thing Remy told him. At such a time, if you can confide, discuss with someone even the trivial things, it would be more relieving. Because she said she was cool with almost none of that, Rin was strong.
“…Ne~, Kyousuke-kun.”
Muttered, Rin called Kyousuke’s name.
“Nn, what’s wrong?”
“…No, it’s nothing.”
“What’s this? You was telling me ‘you can say it’.”
Hesitating to say something was unlike her.
“No, somehow…. On a sandy beach at night, watching the bonfire with only the two of us, such a story … is supposed to be romantic, but, well…”
“Ah–…”
Apparently, she was thinking about the same thing.
“(Romantic?)”
There is never a thing called mood for a skeleton and a slime, but Rin is also thinking about such thing, Kyousuke thought.
Before they knew it, himself and Rin had become close enough to call each other by their first name. No, it wasn’t before they knew it. It was since they EX-combine at that time. Some people seemed to want to say something about the two’s relationship, some didn’t seem interested at all.
17 years since Kyousuke was born, never had he got something like a lover.
Hino Akira was like that, the bunch who jokingly said such a thing always existed a certain number, but well, just leave it alone.
Because he didn’t have any until now, he didn’t know the thing call ‘How to make a lover’, neither was there any book about it – a trustworthy one, that is.
A frank story, Rin, himself, like, he thought.
But she had neither said «I like you» nor «Please go out with me». Only she did show favored attitude. Since it wasn’t as if she had clearly said it, Kyousuke still had quite some anxiety remained.
Himemizu Rin was originally a girl who came in contact with anyone cheerfully and gently.
Because Rin was like that, that Kogane got a favorable impression at first.
For Kyousuke who had got a bitter experience in middle school, he had made this habit to always doubt whether this kind of thing was no more than a «disgusting misunderstanding of a gloomy bastard».
“Ahh, it’s okay. Kyousuke-kun.”
As Kyousuke was thinking in anguish, Rin said such a thing.
“Because I’m embarrassed as well, I just didn’t say it.”
“Re–really?”
Nevertheless, «Then, Rin is my girlfriend now?», that, Kyousuke couldn’t ask.
To be continued…
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