Chapter 0439 Revenge!
-x-X-x-
The Neil Andersen launched from the beach.
With water jets spewing from the back, launching from the beach posed no problem.
Splash.
The Neil Andersen plunged into the sea, with its two crew members aboard.
"Switching to alchemy water jet propulsion."
Ryo said aloud, making the operation clear.
It was important to confirm actions and set the mood…
But Abel hardly heard it.
Because he was captivated by the underwater scenery he was seeing for the first time…
The shallow depth allowed sunlight to illuminate the underwater world.
Schools of fish swam around.
Something glittered on the seabed.
Occasionally, the sun would be shaded, and looking up, he could see large creatures swimming above.
Since the submarine was made entirely of ice, the 360-degree view gave a floating sensation, creating a mysterious and spectacular scene.
"Amazing…"
Abel murmured in awe.
Hearing Abel's words of admiration, Ryo nodded with satisfaction and deliberately advanced the Neil Andersen slowly.
After enjoying the scenery for a while, Abel asked Ryo,
"The fish swimming around us aren't fleeing… they're not dangerous, right?"
"Nah. The fish are normal. If we provoked them, the entire sea would become our enemy, though."
Ryo replied, recalling a past mistake.
During his first dive, his careless actions led to a terrifying experience.
"So eventually, monsters will come?"
"No, the random small fries won't come near us. We have the monster repellent activated."
"Really? I don't see the 'sea monster repellent' I know of…"
Abel looked around the submarine.
It was transparent, so it was easy to see everything.
…Nothing.
Not even a single magic stone.
…Not a single magic stone?
"Wait, Ryo… how is this ship moving…?"
"How? By expelling water, of course."
"No, I mean… it's not running on magic stones, is it?"
"Oh, the power source? Of course, it's my magic power."
Ryo puffed out his chest a bit in response to Abel's question.
Ryo was the captain, the helmsman, the sonar operator… and the fuel tank.
Abel shook his head slightly.
This ship seemed to defy all his common sense.
Or rather, the fact that it was a vessel navigating underwater was already beyond his understanding.
"Right, the monster repellent. In the Central Countries, it's quite a large alchemy tool, right?"
Ryo recalled the 'sea monster repellent' he had seen before.
"Yeah, the bigger it is, the better it works."
Abel nodded.
"I never saw one at Kenneth's place…"
"In the Kingdom, everything related to the sea is under the jurisdiction of the Maritime Department. The 'sea monster repellent' is also managed by the Maritime Department."
"Even though it's alchemy?"
"Yeah. In the past, the administration was overcompartmentalized, causing various problems. About a few decades ago, they established the Maritime Department to consolidate everything related to the sea."
"They overcame the issues of compartmentalization but became too large and lost innovation… The difficulties of administration."
Ryo sighed softly at Abel's explanation.
"Innovation?"
"Yeah. In the Western Countries, they're transitioning from alchemy tools to magic formulas for the 'sea monster repellent'."
"What do you mean?"
"A magic formula that sea monsters avoid and keeps them away… was either developed or discovered…"
"Really…?"
"There are magic formulas using wind magic stones and earth magic stones too, both of which are highly effective when combined with magic stones. With magic formulas, you can directly inscribe them on magic stones. So, essentially, just having the space for one magic stone prevents the ship from being attacked by monsters."
"That's amazing…"
Abel was genuinely astonished at Ryo's explanation.
"This 'Neil Andersen' is inscribed with an improved version of those magic formulas, the world's first 'water-attribute magic formula for monster repellent'. It's quite effective."
"So, that's why the monsters don't come near…"
"Yes, weak monsters won't come near, but…"
"Big ones will, right?"
Ryo said, and Abel nodded.
For something like a Bait Ball of sardine-like creatures, even a small monster repellent would be enough, but for large creatures… for example, a Kraken, the current monster repellents could be said to be ineffective.
"Still, how do you know about such magic formulas?"
"Hehehe. I learned from the Franzoni Shipping Company, one of the top maritime companies in the Republic of Mafalda, the greatest maritime nation in the Western Countries. I studied many other things there too."
The knowledge Ryo gained in the Republic of Mafalda was now being put to use.
You never know when and where knowledge will come in handy.
The Neil Andersen continued forward slowly but surely.
There was no hesitation in direction.
Ryo seemed to know exactly where to go.
"Ryo, do you know where the Kraken is?"
"Yes, I do. It's waiting for us up ahead."
Ryo answered Abel's question with a determined expression.
He was avenging the first ship, Rondo.
Naturally, his expression tightened with resolve.
"Sea creatures like Bait Balls won't attack unless provoked. But the Kraken is different. It will mercilessly attack anything that enters its territory… or domain?"
"Yes, you mentioned before. That the smuggling ship I was on was attacked because it strayed off course during two storms and passed too close to the Kraken."
Abel understood from Ryo's explanation and his own past experience.
The Kraken was quick to pick a fight.
"It's almost time."
Ryo said.
As soon as Abel nodded, Ryo chanted,
"
The moment he finished chanting.
Thud.
A heavy sound echoed inside the ship.
"What was that!?"
Abel exclaimed in surprise.
"It's alright. Just its jab."
Ryo wasn't startled.
Of course. That was within expectations.
Next…
"Somehow… it looks like the ice wall is being peeled off?"
Abel muttered as he watched the scene outside.
He could see the ice wall Ryo had created being peeled away from the Neil Andersen and sinking to the seabed.
"The magic control of the Ice Wall has been stolen."
Ryo said regretfully.
Even though it was expected, it was still frustrating.
Even after all his training, the Kraken surpassed him in magic control.
The pinnacle of water-attribute magic was still far away.
"This is within expectations. I can't win with water-attribute magic yet. I acknowledge that. So we'll counter with alchemy! Activating 'Alchemized Armor'."
Ryo announced, and an ice coating formed on the exterior of the Neil Andersen.
It was hard to see because it was ice…
"This was generated by alchemy, so the Kraken can't steal it."
Ryo declared confidently.
Clink. Clink.
Occasionally, there were very high-pitched, but very faint sounds.
"What's that sound…?"
"It's probably the Kraken trying to steal the magic control of the alchemized armor and peel it off. Kenneth mentioned this before. When something generated by alchemy is being taken over, it can make this sound. But the fact that we're hearing this sound means it can't hijack the control."
Ryo replied with a confident smile to Abel's question.
And then he firmly declared.
"Alchemy won't lose to the Kraken."
Ryo described the anticipated developments.
"The Kraken is about forty meters long. It has ten legs, two of which are long, probably about a hundred meters. That attack on the
"I see."
"Once it realizes it can't steal the armor, it will come at us. Abel, hold on tight."
"Hmm?"
Abel tilted his head at Ryo's words.
Of course, he would hold on, but why say it now?
"The decisive difference between ground and underwater battles is that this is a fully three-dimensional fight."
"O-okay…"
Almost simultaneously with Abel's response, Ryo shouted.
"You won't hit us!"
He steered the vessel sharply.
One of the Kraken's outstretched 'arms' brushed past the outer layer.
Ryo felt like a pilot in a red mobile suit from a certain anime.
Though he couldn't move three times faster like in the anime.
"That won't work!"
He dodged the second 'arm' as well.
"We're charging in at full speed!"
As soon as Ryo spoke, he accelerated the Neil Andersen.
Dodging the two long arms, they entered the enemy's range.
It was better to advance at one go.
"Red eyes…"
Abel muttered.
Ahead, he saw two red glowing eyes.
Presumably, the Kraken's eyes.
"Abel, hold on!"
Ryo emphasized.
Indicating even more intense maneuvers were coming.
Abel braced himself.
But… it surpassed his expectations.
The Neil Andersen started to roll.
In other words, it began to rotate slowly like a bullet… while still advancing.
"Here come the eight short arms."
Ryo shouted.
Thud. Slash. Slash…
They couldn't avoid all the hits.
But it was within expectations.
The Neil Andersen continued its charge, deflecting the arms that hit the 'alchemized armor' with its rotating motion.
The linear kinetic energy from the forward charge was converted into rotational kinetic energy through the rotation, then reverted to linear kinetic energy outside the armor, flowing backward.
With each hit, cracks appeared on the 'alchemized armor'.
Abel could clearly see this from his position.
Although Abel said nothing, Ryo seemed to understand his concern.
"Don't worry. Damage control is also described in the magic formula. It will auto-repair."
"I see…"
All 'ships' inevitably sustain damage.
Whether it's a warship or a civilian vessel, collisions with icebergs, pirate attacks… and other mishaps are common occurrences.
The most crucial factor in such situations is…
Ensuring that the ship does not sink.
Ships are designed with this principle in mind, prioritizing it above all else.
When a ship is damaged, what measures are taken?
These considerations are factored into the design phase.
And are addressed during operation.
These two aspects comprise damage control.
Ships from maritime nations with long histories are less likely to sink because they incorporate damage control know-how in their design.
Decisions about the layout.
The placement of various devices.
And the control of air and water to prevent the ship from sinking when taking on water…
Though easy to describe, implementing such designs is exceedingly challenging.
Moreover, considerations about how much cargo to load.
Where to store weapons and ammunition.
And where to allocate crew living spaces.
All of these factors must be taken into consideration.
Ryo's ship, the 'Rondo-Class,' is a decisive weapon.
A final weapon deployed to determine the outcome of battles.
Even if it sustains some damage… its role is to defeat the enemy.
Thus, the expectation of damage is built-in.
And the damage control system is automated through alchemy to avoid burdening Ryo.
Ryo focuses solely on attacking!
"This is it, the final blow!"
He shouted as they dodged the eighth short arm and completely penetrated the Kraken's defense… getting close enough to see its mouth.
"This is for Rondo! Mark 256 torpedoes, 32 rounds, forward gun ports open. Fire!"
Following Ryo's command, Abel saw numerous ice lance-like projectiles launch from the front of the Neil Andersen.
As the ice lances struck the Kraken, dozens of long spikes emerged from each lance.
Piercing the Kraken.
"JUGYAAAAAA!"
The Kraken's scream echoed through the water.
Hundreds of icy spikes stabbing into it must have been excruciating.
During this, the Neil Andersen continued its charge, thrusting into the Kraken's wounded mouth.
"This is the end! All gun ports open, Icicle Lance Shower 'Fan' Alchemy Coating, full barrage!"
Ice lances launched from the entire hull of the Neil Andersen.
From a distance…
The ship would have appeared like a hedgehog, with ice lances protruding in all directions.
Despite being deep offshore, the high water transparency allowed sunlight to penetrate.
Causing the ice lances to reflect light and create a fantastical scene.
Although, for the Kraken, it was undoubtedly a tragic sight.
Its body was pierced and shredded by the ice lances.
Yet, the Kraken wasn't dead.
Being large perhaps conferred great resilience.
"What is this… I can't see?"
"Ink! It's a giant squid, after all."
The Kraken had released ink.
Obscuring their vision.
But…
"I can see it! We have sonar."
Ryo said, chasing after the Kraken, which tried to escape in the cover of ink.
"There! You're not getting away. Activating manipulator capture arms!"
Six manipulators extended from the Neil Andersen, swiftly grabbing the Kraken.
"Activating steel plunder arm. Attack!"
A seventh arm extended from the front of the Neil Andersen, stabbing into the Kraken.
"GYIIIIIIIIAAAAAHHHH!"
The Kraken screamed, its voice faint.
Having no choice but to flee, it had almost no strength left to resist.
When the plunder arm withdrew, it held a massive blue magic stone.
After storing the magic stone in the hull, the six arms released the Kraken.
Amazingly, the Kraken did not die but weakly swam away…
Having lost its magic stone, the source of its magic power.
It would no longer pose a threat.
"Complete victory!"
Ryo raised his arm in triumph.
Tears welled in his eyes.
And he murmured.
"Rondo, I have avenged you."
-x-X-x-
Extra 16 Rondo's Last Stand
-x-X-x-
In the night, Ryo screamed.
"Eureka! Eureka!"
As he ran around.
Abel, taken aback, just watched.
There was no one else on the beach but the two of them.
So, making a ruckus wouldn't bother any neighbors, but…
Abel was still a sensible person.
"Ryo, what's going on?"
He asked, just to check.
Ryo snapped back to reality.
And replied.
"Abel, when you make a great discovery, there's a tradition of running around shouting 'Eureka'."
"Uh, I've never heard of that."
Of course not.
Abel wouldn't know about Archimedes from ancient Greece.
Nor would he know the story of Archimedes running through the streets naked, shouting Eureka.
"If it works tomorrow, I'll tell you all about it."
"O-okay…"
The next morning.
Ryo ran to the beach.
Watching from the corner of his eye, Abel went into the forest to hunt.
Ryo began to chant.
"
And then, a ten-meter-long submarine made of ice appeared.
It was exactly as he had imagined!
"Ha ha ha, with this, I can win!"
It seemed he was satisfied with the result.
Ryo patted the submarine.
"Your name is Rondo. You're the first ship of the Rondo class. You will be the ruler of the sea!"
He declared as he climbed aboard the Rondo.
The inside was very simple.
A single-seat setup… just one seat.
In front of the seat, protruding from the floor, was a control stick.
The idea was to move using his water-attribute magic and attack with spells like
He just made it for now.
That's how it was.
First, a trial voyage.
"Alright, let's set sail into the sea!"
The Rondo slowly began to move into the sea, propelled by water jets from the rear.
Perhaps due to the high transparency of the water.
The underwater scenery was very beautiful.
Being an ice submarine, it allowed a 360-degree view, giving Ryo a complete and panoramic sight of the marine landscape.
Ryo might have been too enchanted by the unexpected beauty.
He noticed something approaching just in time.
"Evasive maneuver!"
He pushed the control stick to the left.
Simultaneously, the
With the side thrusters and rear jets combined, the Rondo swiftly moved diagonally forward to avoid the obstacle.
After evading, Ryo realized what it was.
A long arm.
He had entered the territory of a Kraken.
Without clear boundaries, such unexpected encounters could happen anytime, anywhere…
But he was also excited.
"With Rondo, I can fight the Kraken!"
He felt a surge of confidence.
But it was short-lived.
He thought he saw something glowing red in the distance.
"The Kraken's… eyes?"
In that instant…
"Huh? Rondo? Why isn't it moving…"
The control stick wouldn't budge.
The water jets at the rear had also stopped.
"I've lost magic control…"
Despair washed over Ryo's face.
The Kraken had seized control of the Rondo's magic.
The now immobile Rondo was being pulled toward the Kraken.
With Ryo still inside.
"Rondo! Move!"
Ryo poured all his magic power into the Rondo.
But it didn't move.
He tried to reclaim magic control, but it was futile.
"This is bad…"
Still inside the Rondo, Ryo was being drawn toward the Kraken.
"Rondo! Wake up! Please! "
He knew it was futile.
The Kraken had taken over.
Yet, he shouted.
But there was no response.
"Rondo…"
Just as Ryo called out in a faint voice…
Blub.
"Eh…"
Ryo found himself in the water.
The Rondo had ejected him from the rear.
(Rondo!!!!)
Ryo was expelled, and thrown backward.
After ejecting Ryo, the Rondo was pulled towards the Kraken.
Despite losing control… the Rondo seemed to act with a will of its own… using its last bit of strength to save Ryo.
(Rondo…)
Ryo's tears blended with the sea.
But through his tears, the fading Rondo… looked as if it was smiling.
As if satisfied with having saved its master in the end… it seemed to be smiling.
When Ryo regained consciousness, he was on the shore.
He looked out to sea.
Wishing it was a dream.
But he knew it wasn't.
More tears flowed.
Rondo had used its last strength to save him…
Rondo, whom he couldn't save due to his lack of magic control…
Rondo, sacrificed due to his naivety…
For hours, Ryo sat in a daze. Abel, saying nothing, silently handed him dinner.
He understood that Ryo had gone through something painful.
So he said nothing.
But it wasn't out of disregard.
He knew that when someone was truly hurting, they might not want to speak.
So he asked nothing, said nothing…
Ryo slept.
In his dream, the Rondo appeared.
(Rondo…)
Ryo cried out.
[A.v.e.n.g.e m.e…]
He thought he heard.
Rondo seemed to say that.
To Ryo, it sounded unmistakable.
The next morning.
Ryo shouted upon waking.
"I will definitely avenge you, Rondo!"
Later, as promised, Ryo avenged Rondo with the Rondo-class second ship, Neil Andersen…
-x-X-x-
Chapter 0440 Beyond That
-x-X-x-
The two aboard the Neil Anderson, having achieved a complete victory, returned to the original coast.
"It's good there was only one Kraken."
"Huh?"
Ryo questioned, responding to Abel's unsettling comment.
"Well, Krakens sometimes appear in groups. There's a story about a famous fleet from the Eastern Countries being completely annihilated, losing fifty ships in ten minutes. There's also a legend in the Kingdom about groups of Krakens… we were lucky there was just one."
"Like some kind of harbinger of death…"
Ryo, who had assumed Krakens acted alone based on his solitary encounter both here and off the coast of Rondo Forest.
Realized he still lacked sufficient knowledge about his enemies.
"Well, putting the Kraken aside. The underwater scenery was amazing, and so was the battle."
Abel, getting a grip on himself, spoke with slight excitement.
Being a former A-rank swordsman, his blood must have been pumping.
"Right? Engaging a forty-meter opponent in a fully three-dimensional battle. And then this at the prize!"
Ryo put the Kraken group issue aside for the moment and proudly held up what he had in his right hand.
It was a blue magic stone, the size of two fists.
"That's huge. Isn't it about twice the size of the Wyvern's magic stone we got in the mountains?"
"Indeed. With a body length of forty meters and arms extending up to a hundred meters. Maybe it needed a big stone to distribute magic power everywhere."
Abel marveled, and Ryo made a speculative comment.
"And the color is very deep."
The Kraken's magic stone was not only large but also a stunning, vivid blue… a very deep shade.
"It might have been the dominant creature in that area for a long time."
Ryo spoke thoughtfully.
His words might have contained the sadness he felt when the first ship, Rondo, sank.
"Alright then, let's eat. We'll have those monsters we caught on the way, grilled with salt, right?"
"Yeah. There are seven of them. So even a big eater like you should be satisfied. They're bigger than ordinary sardines because they're monsters."
"I think you're the one with a bigger appetite, Ryo…"
"Did you say something, Abel?"
"No, nothing at all."
Abel deftly dodged Ryo's pointed comment.
Perhaps the two made a good pair.
The seven caught monsters were from the way back after defeating the Kraken. They'd come across a Bait Ball and decided to catch some.
Using the capture arms and the plunder arm.
Seven in total.
Abel quickly gathered dry twigs and coconut fibers to start a fire.
He had apparently obtained a fire starter at some point and struck sparks with his knife.
As expected of a former A-rank adventurer, he was adept at this.
Meanwhile, Ryo was cleaning the sardine-like monsters that made up the Bait Ball… their official name unknown, extracting small magic stones from them.
These stones were smaller than his little fingernail.
Similar to the magic stone Ryo wore on his left ear, the 'Soul Resonance'.
In other words, the 'Soul Resonance' contained a magic stone taken from a sardine-like monster.
Although small, the magic stones were a very bright blue.
"If these were sapphires, they'd be incredibly valuable."
Ryo muttered to himself, but these magic stones were indeed highly valuable…
He was the only one unaware of that.
The seven fish were skewered on ice skewers generated by Ryo.
And soon found their way into the stomachs of the two hungry adventurers.
"Ah, delicious."
"It's strange, isn't it? Monsters taste better than regular animals or fish."
Abel expressed his satisfaction, and Ryo voiced his curiosity.
Yes, a rabbit monster tasted better than an ordinary rabbit.
The same seemed true for the sardines…
Ryo had always found this puzzling.
"Is it? Since magic power circulates through their entire bodies, it's natural that they taste better, isn't it?"
"Magic power… is tasty…?"
Abel spoke as if it were obvious, but Ryo shook his head slightly, unable to understand.
On 'Phi' that seemed to be the common belief.
"So that means a magic-wielding Abel would be tastier than a non-magic-wielding Abel…"
"Hey, don't say such disturbing things."
Abel reacted sharply to Ryo's muttering.
Not to mention, there was no such thing as a 'magic-wielding Abel'.
"If I soaked you in enough magic power and then ate you…"
"Wouldn't you, Ryo, brimming with magic power, be even tastier than me?"
Abel retorted strongly to Ryo's muttering.
Ryo's eyes widened in surprise.
And he became flustered.
"I-I-I-I-I wouldn't taste good at all! Besides, cannibalism is generally frowned upon…"
"Ohh~"
Abel responded coolly to Ryo's words.
Desperately, Ryo tried to change the subject.
"Th-th-th-that reminds me, today we had monster sardines, but where did you usually get food, Abel?"
"What a forced topic change… Well, alright. Mostly from the forest over there. Mostly fruits and animals."
"You went into the forest? That's amazing, really admirable, and quite brave."
Ryo praised Abel.
Of course, it was to avoid Abel's sharp retorts, but Ryo genuinely appreciated that Abel had been gathering and cooking food, allowing him to focus on building the Rondo-class ship.
His gratitude for that was sincere.
Yeah, truly.
"Well, even though I went into the forest, I didn't go deep. There's plenty of fruits and animals near the coast. Surprisingly, no monsters."
"I see. Then maybe we should gather supplies from the forest before setting sail…"
Ryo replied to Abel's words with a single nod.
However, he was a bit curious.
About what lay deeper in the forest.
"I'll just take a look from above."
Without waiting for Abel's reply, Ryo chanted.
"
In an instant, he soared into the sky.
"That… makes me a bit envious."
Abel muttered as he watched.
While he rarely wished he could use magic, the idea of flying.
Even just hovering, intrigued him.
The desire to fly might be a fundamental human wish.
Ryo floated in the sky.
"The forest is quite extensive…"
He murmured, glancing around.
"Could it be that we're not on an island… but on the tip of a peninsula or cape?"
Although there was a vast ocean around them…
And then, deep in the forest, about ten kilometers away, he saw something he shouldn't have seen.
Thus he chose to ignore it.
He descended back to the ground to report to Abel.
"Th-there was nothing, really."
"Why are you acting suspiciously and stammering?"
"I didn't see anything I wasn't supposed to see, nothing at all."
"Sounds like something was definitely there!"
Ryo's attempt at concealment failed.
"So? What did you see?"
"Uhh… I saw what looked like a town beyond the forest."
"Seriously!"
"And we're not on an island. We're on the tip of a peninsula or something."
"Well, I never thought we were on an island."
"What!"
It seemed that Ryo was the only one who had assumed, without any basis, that they were on a deserted island.
"Why didn't you tell me we weren't on an island!"
"Well, you never asked… We never really discussed it…"
Abel deflected Ryo's accusations smoothly.
Then he launched a counterattack.
"More importantly, there's a town. We have to go check it out."
"I knew it… I knew you'd say that, which is why I tried to ignore it."
"Why wouldn't we go? We need supplies to return to the Kingdom, and we don't even know where we are or how to get back… we could use Ryo's ship, but we don't know the direction, right?"
Abel stated the obvious.
"But… if we go to the town, we'll definitely get caught up in some trouble!"
"What do you mean by caught up in some trouble…"
Ryo's meta-reasoning about typical light novel plot developments confused Abel.
In other words, he assumed "something would definitely happen".
"We're in the south… really far south. So we just need to head north. See, no problem, right?"
Ryo had figured out from the sun's height that they were near the equator.
At the very least, they were south of Rondo Forest in terms of latitude.
Yeah, he knew the latitude.
"But we don't know where we are in the south. Are we south of the Central Countries, south of the Western Countries, or somewhere else entirely? Just heading north won't solve anything."
But didn't know the longitude.
Ryo had no counterargument to Abel's perfectly reasonable rebuttal.
He let out a huge sigh.
"Haa~"
A very exaggerated. Very intentional sigh.
As if to say he was completely opposed to the idea.
But Abel knew better.
He knew that despite what Ryo was saying, deep down, Ryo was eager to go.
Because both Abel and Ryo were adventurers at heart.
Trouble might come their way and things might get messy.
Sure, that's true.
Nobody likes that. Of course, they don't.
But they also knew that trouble wasn't the only thing waiting.
There would be something new and unknown.
Definitely.
Something that couldn't be found in an office, the Kingdom, or the Central Countries.
Something they might only encounter here.
Something they might never come across again if they didn't seize this chance.
Not going wasn't an option.
Ryo knew that too.
That's why he pretended not to see anything while floating.
Because he knew they would definitely end up going…
-x-X-x-
An hour later.
The two stood at the entrance of the town.
"…I'm really exhausted. It was more like a jungle than a forest."
"…Wouldn't it have been better to come on Ryo's ship?"
"Well, now that we know the other side of the town faces the sea, I admit that would have been the right way… but it's not like we could see that from the beach we were on!"
The town seemed hidden in the depths of the forest, so the two had resigned themselves to coming by land, only to find that the back of the town faced the sea.
It might indeed have been easier to come by sea from the beach…
The town appeared quite large, but there seemed to be no walls.
Ryo thought this was quite unusual for 'Phi', where monsters existed…
"It's rare in the Central Countries. Unless it's a pioneering village, towns of this size usually have walls."
Said the swordsman who had been a king in the Central Countries.
So, this wasn't the Central Countries?
Well, being near the equator, it was obvious it wasn't.
"It must mean there are no powerful monsters that would attack the town. At least, not on land."
"I see. It's good that it's peaceful."
Ryo nodded happily at Abel's explanation.
Peace is the best.
Even for a battle enthusiast, peace is the best, right?
It's called 'Parabellum'.
Si vis pacem, para bellum.
If you want peace, prepare for war.
There seemed to be no walls, and the entrance… well, the place they assumed to be the entrance, was where the stalls started lining up.
From there, the two entered the town.
But before entering, Ryo firmly told Abel.
In a strict tone that allowed no rebuttal:
"Once we find out where this place is on the map, we're leaving immediately!"
Another hour later.
"Mm~, this is really delicious! They fried the rice with salt and pepper… what is this? It's moderately spicy. It's not fried rice because it doesn't have eggs mixed in… the eggs are sunny-side-up on top, which is nice."
Ryo praised the food.
"Ryo, you said we'd leave as soon as we found a map."
Abel said, exasperated.
"Maps that include neighboring countries can sometimes be state secrets, so they're not that easy to get. More importantly, the food is delicious. There might not be any cake, but tasty food is justice."
Ryo said happily, eating the fried rice with a spoon.
Across from him, Abel, who had been scolding him, was also eating happily.
Both loved good food.
"The slightly sweet and spicy one was also delicious. Should we order another plate? Owner! Another one of these, please!"
When Ryo called out, the cook, a little distance away, raised his right hand in acknowledgment.
Ryo assumed it meant 'Got it'.
Abel looked at this out of the corner of his eye.
Noticing Abel's gaze, Ryo said:
"What's with that look? I'm not expecting you to treat me. You don't have any money, right?"
"Ah… sorry about that."
Ryo said, and Abel apologized honestly.
Yes, Abel was penniless.
Having been transported from the battlefield with the Djinn Garwin, Abel had no money.
It's only natural that a king wouldn't carry money on the battlefield…
Ryo had been given money by the delegation during his activities in the Western Countries, so he had some on him.
Moreover, the money from the Western Countries could be used in this town as well.
The same applied to the Central Countries; the value of gold, silver, and copper coins corresponded to their monetary value, so they could be used across different cultural areas.
Thanks to that, the two could eat.
If it had been paper money, it would have been difficult…
"When we safely return to the Kingdom, I'll charge you with interest, so don't worry."
"…I don't know what interest is, but go easy on me."
In a world without banks, where even guild deposits didn't accrue interest, there seemed to be no concept of interest.
Different worlds come with different challenges.
After enjoying their meal for a while, Ryo paid the bill.
"Owner, it was very delicious. Thank you."
"လာစားပြန်တယ်။"
"Yes, I'll come back to eat again."
"ဘာကြောင့်လဲဆိုတော့အခြားအရသာရှိတဲ့အစားအစာတွေရှိတယ်"
"There are other recommended dishes? That sounds exciting."
And so, the two left the shop.
"How are you able to have a conversation despite not understanding the language…?"
"Conversation is about the heart. Differences in language are trivial. I was taught that body language is fundamental long ago."
Indeed, they couldn't understand the language.
Both Ryo and Abel had no understanding of the language spoken in this town.
Despite this… they were lured by the delicious smell of a shop, struggled to place an order, and ended up enjoying a delicious meal.
It must have been Ryo's cheerful smile that helped.
Even though they couldn't understand each other, the owner cooked with a smile.
Of course, whether 'cheerful' is the right expression here can be debated.
Smiles are indeed a powerful weapon.
"So Abel, what do we do next?"
"Even if you ask that… I can't think of any good ideas."
The best option was to obtain a map.
The next best option was to at least see a map, find out where they were, and how to return to the Central Countries.
They knew the information they wanted.
The problem was how to obtain that information.
"Isn't it problematic that we don't understand the language in the first place?"
"That's true. But I had heard that Central Countries' language is widely understood around the world…"
"Isn't that the arrogance of people from the Central Countries? Thinking they are the world's standard is quite presumptuous!"
"I-I kinda feel bad…"
For some reason, Ryo pointed it out arrogantly, and for some reason, Abel apologized.
"The Central Countries' language is understood worldwide."
"Right. What I said isn't wrong, is it?"
"Yeah. Isn't it just laziness not to learn it?"
"Really… I was almost falsely accused by Ryo again."
"…Abel, who are you talking to?"
"Huh?"
Ryo asked Abel, who was facing him.
Abel looked at Ryo in surprise.
It definitely wasn't Ryo's voice.
Moreover, the voice came not from in front but from behind.
Abel turned around.
No one was there.
"Down here."
Following the voice, he looked down to see a boy of about ten years old.
"Hello."
"Oh, hello."
The boy greeted him, and Abel reflexively returned the greeting.
Then he realized.
"You can speak the Central Countries' language?"
"Yes, of course. It's only natural for someone who aims to make a living in trade to learn it."
The boy nodded firmly in response to Abel's question.
Moreover, his responses were precise.
His family probably ran a business, and he was trained from a young age.
That was likely the strength of a founding family.
Growing up in an environment where such things were expected from a young age.
"Abel, that's great. Your luck isn't so bad after all."
Ryo said happily.
The boy's Central Countries' language was very fluent.
Far more so than the Central Countries' language spoken by adventurers from the Dark Continent that he had heard before.
"I don't know if it's my luck… Boy, my name is Abel. What's yours?"
"My name is Banhu, Abel-san."
"Alright, Banhu. We want a map of this town… or rather, a map of the area around this town. Can you guide us to where we can get one? Of course, we won't ask you to do it for free. This guy in the robe, Ryo, will pay you properly."
Abel began negotiating.
However, upon hearing this, Banhu tilted his head slightly.
Then he said,
"I'm sorry, Abel-san. I can't fulfill that request."
"Why not?"
"Maps of the area around the town are prohibited from being taken outside. So, you can't obtain one."
Banhu said this with an apologetic expression.
"Can we at least see one somewhere?"
Abel continued negotiating.
He wanted to at least know where this town was located.
"That is possible. We run an inn, and there is a large map of the surrounding area there. It includes some of the surrounding islands as well, and we show it to guests who stay with us."
"Banhu seems likely to become a great merchant in the future."
Ryo murmured at Banhu's words.
Abel looked at Ryo.
Of course, Ryo understood what Abel was implying and had no reason to oppose it.
It was almost three in the afternoon.
If they left the town now, they would end up spending the night outside.
Wanting to sleep in a bed after a long time is only natural.
That feeling doesn't change even for adventurers accustomed to camping.
The two headed towards the inn guided by Banhu.
-x-X-x-
"Abel-san, Ryo-san, this is the 'Sogyokutei' inn. Please come in."
Banhu guided them to the 'Sogyokutei' inn, a rather large and impressive two-story building located in the center of the town.
Leading the way, Banhu took them to a reception desk at the front.
There, a woman, likely in her twenties and bearing a resemblance to Banhu, greeted them with a smile.
"ကြိုဆိုပါတယ်"
"These are Abel-san and Ryo-san."
Banhu introduced them in Central Countries language to the woman who had greeted them in the local language.
And then…
"Welcome, Abel-sama, Ryo-sama. Please register here."
The woman spoke in the Central Countries language.
She surmised from the fact that Banhu spoke the Central Countries language that they didn't speak the local language and switched to the Central Countries language to be understood.
"Impressive, how very professional."
"She's well-trained."
Ryo muttered, and Abel replied in a low voice.
"A guest register?"
The paper presented to them was in Central Countries language.
Even that was meticulously prepared.
They were required to write their names, country, and the reason for visiting the town.
Much like being asked the purpose of visit when entering a country on an international flight.
"Recently, regulations have become stricter. We can't allow guests to stay without filling this out."
The woman said with an apologetic look.
"Hmm."
With that single word, Abel began to write:
"Abel, Kingdom of Knightley".
He noted "Work" as the reason for visiting.
"It's not tourism… is it?"
"Even though you were enjoying your meal so much?"
"Like you're one to talk!"
Even if they were visiting for work, it's still fine to enjoy their meals…
Abel finished writing, and Ryo began to fill out the form:
"Ryo, Kingdom of Knightley, Work".
However, Ryo found it curious.
Originally, Ryo had reincarnated from Earth.
And somehow could understand the Central Countries language.
Reading, writing, speaking, everything.
Whether it was Michael (pseudonym) or a 'god'-like entity.
Who 'set' it that way was unclear.
But he couldn't understand the local language here.
Neither the spoken words nor the written characters.
"It would have been nice to at least have universal language understanding if not all magic attributes."
Ryo muttered something that would likely irritate a linguist.
With the paperwork complete, they moved away from the reception.
"Thank you for staying with us, Abel-sama, Ryo-sama."
Banhu, who had been waiting right behind them, bowed.
Now that they were confirmed guests, he addressed them with more formality.
"Not at all. So, about the map…"
"Abel, you're rushing too much. Quality inns usually have a welcome drink."
"A welcome… what?"
"It's where they offer a drink as a gesture of hospitality, saying 'Welcome, please have a drink'. The inn's specialty drink refreshes weary travelers and captivates them with that one cup."
Ryo answered Abel confidently.
However, Abel had noticed something.
Banhu, who had been flawless so far, showed a momentary flustered expression.
But it was only for a moment.
"Please head to the dining area, and I will bring you the drink along with the map."
"See! As expected of a fine inn. Let's sit over there and wait."
"No… I don't think they had planned on the drink."
Ryo happily headed to the dining area, and Abel followed, muttering quietly.
A bit away, Banhu started preparing the map and drinks while murmuring to himself.
"Welcome drinks… what a wonderful idea! I didn't know there were inns like that… Yes, it might be nice to have guests fill out the register while drinking it. I need to suggest this to father right away."
"Excuse me."
A man in his mid-twenties, who looked very similar to Banhu, brought coffee to Ryo and Abel.
"Here you go, this is 'Sogyokutei' special blend coffee."
"Oh!"
Ryo happily smelled the aroma of the coffee.
"It's been a while since I've had coffee."
"Well, you've been building the ship all this time."
Abel replied, also enjoying the aroma as he answered Ryo.
Then, they both took their first sip at the same time.
"Wow."
"This is…"
Both Abel and Ryo exclaimed in admiration.
With the first sip, they felt it was delicious.
With the second sip, they understood that there was no unpleasant aftertaste.
With the third sip, the richness and bitterness balanced perfectly and spread in their mouths.
"This is delicious."
Ryo smiled and gave his honest opinion.
"Thank you."
Banhu, who had spread two maps on the neighboring table, bowed happily.
"I've been drinking only Kona coffee lately, but this is also delicious…"
Since Abel had been confined to the Kingdom, he had become an avid drinker of Kona coffee, which is grown there.
"As for me, I ran out of Kona coffee on the way, so I mostly had dark continent coffee after arriving there."
When Ryo left the Kingdom as part of the delegation to the Western Countries, he had loaded a large amount of Kona coffee onto the carriage, but it ran out around the time they entered the Theocracy.
After that, it was mostly coffee from the dark continent… which was delicious in its own way.
In conclusion, coffee brewed with care is delicious.
Once Banhu finished spreading out the two maps on the neighboring table, Abel pounced on them and began examining them eagerly.
Ryo continued to sip his coffee slowly.
Muttering things like, "The map won't run away", or "The aroma of the coffee will".
For some reason, Ryo looked like he was trying to appear important… but, being the premier duke of the Knightley Kingdom, he was indeed important.
Still, Abel, who was poring over the maps, was not only above the premier duke but also the king, the most important person of all…
After finishing his coffee, Ryo stood up from his seat and walked over to the table where the maps were spread out.
He looked at the maps.
One was a regional map centered around the town.
The other was a map of the town itself.
Since he couldn't read the letters on the town map, he couldn't understand it…
So, he started by looking at the regional map.
"There are so many islands… is it an archipelago or a sea with many islands?"
Ryo muttered happily.
Seeing this, Abel muttered as well.
"He's definitely thinking of something mischievous."
He was right.
Ryo was imagining that the sound of 'archipelago' was cool, that there must be many pirates, and that they might be able to enjoy delicious fish dishes…
Ryo was indeed thinking of something mischievous.
…Well, if you only look at it like this, it's not really mischievous.
"This must be a sea teeming with pirates, and we will defeat them and get a treasure trove of pirate loot!"
That is where the mischief lies.
Abel sighed at Ryo's typical light novel-style expectations.
His face already said, "I knew it", without needing to say a word.
As expected of Abel.
"The scenario you always talk about, that pattern, doesn't exist. Well, there might be pirates, but we definitely don't need to defeat them. That's what the navy and the marines are for."
"What? Marines? There are marines?"
Ryo reacted with surprise to Abel's words.
Marines sounded too much like modern Earth.
Of course, Ryo knew that marines started around the 16th century…
"They board enemy ships after grappling them and take control. That's what marines do, right?"
Abel answered, looking a little puzzled.
For the king of the Knightley Kingdom, the existence of marines was only natural.
Come to think of it, Ryo had never seen the kingdom's navy or fleet…
"When I get back, I must go inspect them!"
Ryo vowed firmly in his heart.
After all, he was the premier duke.
If he flexed his position, he should be able to get a look.
"Kukuku… it's an evil duke's forced inspection."
"Why are you laughing so creepily…"
Abel looked at Ryo's creepy laughter dubiously.
However, Abel's expression turned serious again as he looked back at the map.
Then he spoke.
"It's clearly a region far from the Central Countries."
That was why his expression was serious.
Up until now, they had been thinking of returning to the kingdom as quickly as possible… but they had to change their plan.
"If returning is difficult, I at least want to contact them quickly."
Ryo reacted to Abel's muttered words.
"Contact?"
For some reason, Ryo tilted his head.
Abel couldn't understand why Ryo was tilting his head.
"The king is absent, you know? It would cause a lot of trouble."
"But we have His Excellency the Prime Minister back in the kingdom, right? With Marquis Heinlein there, would there be any issues?"
"Th-that is…"
Naturally, Ryo spoke in a small voice about the king and prime minister, and Abel was flustered.
Then he thought.
He thought a lot.
He thought intensely.
"Nah, it feels like all problems would be resolved…"
Abel accepted his defeat.
"Well, but, Rihya might worry, so we should at least let her know that you're alive and she doesn't need to worry."
Ryo said, nodding.
"You're right… just in case. Just in case…"
"Abel, if you're getting discouraged by something like this, you need to toughen up."
"Whose fault is it?"
Ryo said, wagging his finger, and Abel yelled back in irritation.
But Abel quickly came to his senses.
After all, it wasn't just the two of them here.
"Sorry, Banhu, this is just our situation. Don't mind us."
"It's fine."
Abel said, and Banhu said with a smile, bowing.
Despite being around ten years old, his composure was impressive.
Ryo nodded appreciatively.
As if he were an uninvolved third party.
The reason Abel was shouting was in no way perceived as related to him.
That's the kind of person Ryo was.
"Abel, it might be a bit one-sided, but if it's just to let them know we're safe, there's a way."
"What?"
"I think so, at least. Of course, it won't work unless the kingdom is prepared to receive the message… but Kenneth is over there. So, I think it'll work."
"What will you use?"
Abel asked in response to Ryo's words.
"We'll use this."
Ryo replied, flicking the earring dangling from his left ear with his finger.
Before they modified the 'Soul Resonance', they took another look at the other map.
However, the conclusion was the same.
"If we can't understand the text…"
"It's inconvenient not knowing what's written."
Both Abel and Ryo sighed lightly.
But then, a divine intervention.
"How about using an alchemy tool to translate it into Central Countries language?"
Banhu suggested.
"Eh…"
Both were speechless.
"The Central Countries' language is one of the most widely understood languages in the world. Alchemy tools that translate from other languages to Central Countries' language are quite commonly used. Even in this town, while not exactly cheap, they are obtainable."
"Long live alchemy!"
Ryo rejoiced at Banhu's explanation.
But then he turned to Abel and pointed out,
"Abel, you didn't know that?"
"I didn't, but you didn't know either!"
"It's fine for me. I was in the delegation. But Abel… you should know these things for your work."
Even Ryo understood that it would be bad to loudly mention Abel was the king.
So he referred to it as 'work'.
"Now that I think about it, I do remember hearing about such an alchemy tool."
"Too late!"
Ryo said, exasperated.
Of course, Ryo's logic that it was okay for him not to know because he was in the delegation was flawed.
But he just didn't let anyone feel that way.
"Ryo, you can't justify not knowing either!"
Abel felt it, and rightfully pointed it out.
In the end, you shouldn't blame others.
"I saw something that translated languages into the Central Countries' language in the Western Countries. The guests from the Dark Continent had them."
Ryo recalled seeing the alchemy tools that automatically translated languages into Central Countries' language when they saved the guests from the Dark Continent.
"It might be something similar."
Nodding once, Abel turned to Banhu and said,
"We definitely want to get that alchemy tool."
"Understood. There's an alchemy shop that 'Sogyokutei' favors in town. I can take you there anytime."
"Alright, take us there now!"
Abel decided immediately upon Banhu's words.
Ryo was wide-eyed in surprise…but muttered,
"Abel, you don't have any money…"
"Ryo, I'm counting on you for the payment!"
-x-X-x-
"This is… amazing."
"It cost a gold coin each, but its performance is exceptional."
Abel was astonished, and Ryo was in awe of the high performance of the 'Translator'.
Despite being as small as a Japanese 500-yen coin, the alchemy tool was packed with all the features needed for translation.
The words they heard were translated in real-time into the Central Countries' language that both could understand, and their speech was translated back into the local language, spoken by the alchemy tool.
Both wore the devices on their collars, and the local language they saw appeared in real-time translations floating in the air as if they were viewing an AR screen.
"What principle does it operate on? Aerial display? It's been a while since I've encountered an alchemy tool whose principles I can't figure out!"
Ryo, holding the 'Translator', looked at it from various angles with delight.
Naturally, he also wore one on his collar.
Yes, they had purchased two, one for practical use and another for research…
Abel watched with a critical eye, but since it was Ryo who paid for it, he couldn't complain.
Although technically, it was Ryo's money… it originally came from the funds provided by the delegation, so… it was also the country's money.
Therefore, one could say it was the responsibility of King Abel, the nation's highest decision-maker…
"Ryo, before you start tinkering with that, could you first arrange the means to contact our homeland?"
"Of course. I'll get on it as soon as we return to the inn."
Ryo nodded in agreement to Abel's words.
He didn't find it troublesome at all.
After all, it was also alchemy.
Moreover, 'Soul Resonance' was one of Kenneth's masterpieces.
That was certain.
It overturned many of the conventional ideas of alchemy.
To tweak and improve it…
"I am really looking forward to it."
That was a heartfelt statement.
"Dinner will be served from 6 PM in the dining hall. You may order whatever you like."
Banhu informed them upon arriving at the inn.
In a way, it was like a buffet.
"That's great, Abel. Even a big-eating swordsman like you can eat to your heart's content."
"I think you eat more than I do, Ryo…"
"A magician eating more than a swordsman? That's absurd. Please don't make misleading statements."
"I could say the same to you."
With such banter, they entered their room.
Ryo occupied the provided chair and table and immediately started analyzing the 'Soul Resonance'.
Abel brought some papers from the ground floor labeled 'Feel free to take'.
"Hmm… so this town is called Manyamya… it's hard to pronounce."
He mumbled 'Manyamya' softly several times.
"The third-largest town in the Komakyuta Principality… located in the westernmost tip of the safe sea area? There are numerous giant sea monsters like Krakens west of Manyamya… The coast we were on was… well, indeed west of this town…"
Abel murmured, absorbing various pieces of information.
You never know when, where, or what information might be useful.
That is almost a habit for adventurers.
It distinguished the elite from the rest…
However, after a while, he finished reading all the papers he had brought.
"No doubt… since becoming king, my reading speed has increased with all the paperwork…"
Abel muttered.
Habit is a scary thing.
Or perhaps it's human adaptability.
Having run out of things to do, Abel idly watched Ryo's work.
He saw ice slabs displaying characters.
Not just one… but eight?
"Even Kenneth didn't connect that many."
Abel murmured, recalling the scene of Viscount Kenneth Hayward's alchemy tool creation at the Royal Alchemy Workshop.
Kenneth used stone slabs, literally stone tablets.
According to the explanation, the magic formulas and circles inscribed in the alchemy tools were displayed on those slabs.
They were then modified or new magic formulas added before being 'transferred' to the alchemy tool.
Directly inscribing on the alchemy tool was also possible.
But was more challenging with smaller items, hence the use of the 'stone slabs'.
Alternatively, as Ryo was doing now, the 'stone slabs' were used to accurately view the inscribed magic formulas and circles.
Ryo was using ice slabs, though…
The 'stone slabs' had no computing function, merely displaying information, making them simple devices.
"As expected of Kenneth!"
Ryo suddenly exclaimed.
"What is it?"
A bit surprised, Abel asked without showing it.
"It's the magic formula for this 'Soul Resonance'. I knew it was based on Kenneth's paper, 'The Possibility of Long-Distance Communication Using Resonance Phenomena by Dividing Magic Stones', but it goes further, utilizing the water vapor in the air. He perfectly understood the knowledge I taught him and applied it to alchemy… Viscount Kenneth Hayward is truly a genius!"
Ryo rejoiced as if it were his accomplishment.
He was delighted to confirm the excellence of the person he considered his mentor.
To Ryo, Viscount Kenneth Hayward was not a rival but a master of alchemy.
"So… how is it? Can you manage it, Ryo?"
"How rude! Abel, despite how I may look, I am Kenneth's top… no, second… well, there are about ten alchemists in the Royal Alchemy Workshop, so…I'm the eleventh disciple! I can handle modifications. Creating an original from scratch might be difficult. But using the water vapor in the air is within my domain as a water-attribute magician. Just give me a moment, I can do it!"
With that, Ryo pulled one of the eight ice slabs closer and began writing something on its surface with his finger.
Using water-attribute magic, Ryo could directly inscribe magic formulas onto the ice slabs with his finger.
Different magicians and alchemists had their own methods that suited them best…
It was akin to programming.
Just as a programmer inputs code rapidly into an editor… Ryo inscribed the ice slabs quickly.
Initially, he used his finger, but soon, the magic formulas began appearing on the ice slabs without him moving his finger.
"Is he projecting the magic formulas he imagines in his mind directly onto the ice slab? Like the 'transcription' by Copilas…"
Abel murmured.
Reminiscing about the transcription service he often used in the city of Rune.
Lost in nostalgic thoughts, Abel absentmindedly watched Ryo work.
"Come to think of it, I haven't had much time to idly watch something in these past three years…"
Abel muttered.
Since the Kingdom Liberation War, or even before, when he assumed the throne in Rune… he had been constantly occupied with his duties as king.
It was a path he chose, so he never felt regret or dissatisfaction.
However…
There were times when he wondered if the path he had taken was the right one.
But… he had never had moments like now, idly watching someone else work.
Even when spending time with his wife, Queen Rihya, and his son, Prince Noah.
He wasn't simply idling…
While Abel pondered that…
"Alright, it's done!"
Ryo declared.
"Already finished?"
"I told you I could do it, didn't I? Well, the magic formula is a bit patched up, so it can only send a temporary message… like a voicemail. Having a conversation is impossible, so… you'll have to give up on that."
"No, that's more than enough. As long as we can let them know we're safe."
Abel nodded, satisfied with Ryo's explanation.
Using 'Abel's' Soul Resonance, even though Abel himself wasn't on the other end…
Abel couldn't understand how it worked.
Yet, if it could send a message, he genuinely admired the ingenuity of Ryo and Kenneth, both skilled in alchemy.
Then, Ryo began to do something even more perplexing.
Holding the Soul Resonance, he started turning in different directions.
Muttering stuff like, not here, a bit over there, definitely not this way…
After a while…
"Yes, it's definitely this direction. This must be northwest. Abel, I've found the direction to the royal capital."
"Really?!"
Abel was astonished by Ryo's words.
How could he know the direction to the royal capital?
"I just tested if the signal could reach the recipient. It's like a network ping… um, it's like sending a small message and confirming the response to ensure a proper connection. When I sent it northwest, the response was clearest, so the capital must be in that direction."
"I don't fully understand, but I get it…"
Abel said, turning to face the direction Ryo indicated.
Confirming this, Ryo handed the Soul Resonance to Abel.
Abel held it with both hands, cradling it gently.
"You can only send a message for fifteen seconds. Make sure you know what you want to say before starting."
"Yeah, I have it planned. How do I use this?"
"Hold it tightly, and you should feel a connection to another place in your mind. From there, you have fifteen seconds to speak, and your words will be recorded on the other end. Make sure to let them know you're safe."
"Got it."
Abel nodded at Ryo's instructions.
Taking a deep breath, Abel closed his eyes.
As instructed, he tightly gripped the Soul Resonance.
At that moment… the Soul Resonance emitted a faint blue light.
He felt a sensation of his mind connecting to another place.
"Ah…It's Abel. Uh… I was sent flying far away during the battle with Garwin. But I'm alright. I'm alive and not seriously injured. It seems I'm quite far from the Central Countries, so it might take some time to return. But I will definitely come back. Until then, take care of the Kingdom. Rihya, Noah, I love you…"
Abel opened his eyes after saying this.
He felt he had said everything he needed to say.
However, he noticed a water-attribute magician pointing at his face right in front of him.
"Oh, Ryo is with me too. He's safe."
Whoosh.
With a small sound, the light of the Soul Resonance disappeared.
The Soul Resonance in Abel's hand had turned completely black in the magic stone part.
"Geez! That was so close! I can't believe you weren't going to mention me, Abel!"
"Oh, no, of course, that wasn't my intention. I meant to say it at the end."
Ryo interrogated him, and Abel responded.
But anyone could tell Abel's answer was a lie…
"Abel, your lie is obvious."
"Ugh… Sorry, I completely forgot."
"I knew it!"
Abel admitted honestly, and Ryo puffed out his cheeks.
"Well, you made it just in time, so it's fine."
"Sorry, sorry. More importantly, this…"
Abel looked at the completely black Soul Resonance in his hand.
He had never heard of a magic stone turning like this.
"It seems that when the magic stone releases all its contained magic power, it turns out like this. Neil-san told me that."
Ryo had learned this from Neil Andersen, an alchemist in the Western Countries.
"To use it continuously, we need to come up with a more efficient magic formula that doesn't squeeze out so much power. This time, we had no choice because we were short on time."
Ryo shook his head slightly.
Given the priorities, delivering the message was more important than creating a perfect magic formula.
"I'll recharge it by wearing it on my ear. After a while, the color should come back."
"I see."
Abel nodded deeply at Ryo's answer.
"Oh, it's past six."
"Yeah. Let's go get something to eat."
"Food tastes better after good work. I'm looking forward to seeing what's available."
"Indeed, you did a great job, Ryo."
"Oh, it's nothing."
At the same time. In the royal capital of the Kingdom of Knightley. At the Royal Alchemy Workshop.
"Hm?"
Chief researcher Viscount Kenneth Hayward noticed that the 'Central Communication Device' in the center of the alchemy workshop was glowing blue.
"This is…"
He quickly operated the control panel.
Seeing this, the alchemists working in the workshop gathered around.
"Alright. I'll play it."
Kenneth pressed the switch.
'Ah…it's Abel. Uh…I was sent flying far away during the battle with Garwin. But I'm alright. I'm alive and not seriously injured. It seems I'm quite far from the Central Countries, so it might take some time to return. But I will definitely come back. Until then, take care of the Kingdom. Rihya, Noah, I love you… Oh, Ryo is with me too. He's safe.'
"Ooohhh!"
The alchemists cheered as soon as the message ended.
Some even had tears in their eyes.
"Thank goodness…"
Kenneth didn't cry, but he slumped into a nearby chair.
He believed Abel and Ryo were safe.
And he thought Ryo would use 'Soul Resonance' to make contact.
However, even if they managed to make contact, if they failed to receive it, the message would be lost.
Despite theoretical perfection and confidence… they had never tested the system.
Abel's 'Soul Resonance' wasn't at hand.
Abel himself was, of course, not there.
Abel's magic power residue left in the 'Repeater' had been amplified for use, but… it was all a first-time, high-stakes attempt.
Even for Kenneth, who was renowned as a genius, it was daunting.
But they succeeded in receiving it.
King Abel is safe. Duke Rondo is safe.
If so, it must be reported immediately.
"Radden, report to the royal castle immediately. Establish communication."
Kenneth stood up as he said this.
That day, the castle was filled with joy.
Records state that Queen Rihya and Chief Knight Sera embraced in celebration in the king's office…
-x-X-x-
"Abel… it's raining…"
"Yes, it is."
"The wind is also blowing quite strongly…"
"Yes, it is."
"There shouldn't be typhoons near the equator, so it's just heavy rain…"
"Yes, it is."
"I knew it! You don't know anything about typhoons, do you? You were just answering randomly!"
"How did you figure that out…?"
Abel lightily dodged Ryo's questioning.
There, Ryo launched a counterattack.
"I'm planning to write and publish a novel called 'The Hungry Swordsman Abel'!"
"…Huh?"
A critical hit!
Ryo's powerful attack finally made Abel turn towards him.
After a good ten seconds, Abel spoke.
"If it's interesting, I'll publish it across the entire kingdom. Ryo's writing skills will be put to the test."
"Ugh…"
Ryo had only meant it as a joke, after all.
The two were in the dining hall of the 'Sogyokutei'.
They were each reading a book.
They had borrowed them from the shelves labeled 'Feel free to read'.
Just like those in high-end Japanese inns.
Initially, Ryo was doing something else.
Yes, he was finally able to tackle the disassembly…or rather, the study of the 'translator'.
Like with 'Soul Resonance', he attached an ice plate to the 'translator' to examine the magic formulas inside, but…
"I can't read the letters…"
The language used was not from the Central Countries.
It was written in a language he didn't know…
So he couldn't understand the magic formulas.
Like a top-tier programmer not understanding a program developed in an Arabic script environment because they don't speak the language.
Same thing.
However, the 'translator', which he had bought for a large gold coin, should translate the letters in his field of vision into the central country's language in an AR-like manner.
Yet… for some reason, the magic formulas displayed on the ice plate weren't translated.
Thus, Ryo gave up and left the room, heading downstairs to the dining hall.
He hoped a change of place might spark some good ideas.
Changing locations to gain inspiration has been an effective method since the days of Ouyang Xiu* a thousand years ago. (TLN: A Chinese historian of the Song dynasty)
There, Abel, who had come down earlier, was reading a book… a sight often seen at the Golden Waves Pavilion in Rune before he became king.
Ryo, following Abel's example, took a book from the 'library' and sat down in front of Abel to read.
At first, he was genuinely reading.
But then…
"Heh heh heh…"
Abel suppressed his laughter.
While reading the book.
It was like the laughter of an Akuma…
Just like Leonor's laughter…
Seeing Abel like this made Ryo uneasy.
He wondered if Abel had been possessed by an evil spirit.
So he spoke to him.
Not to interrupt Abel's reading!
That needed to be emphasized clearly.
Disturbing someone's reading is a bad thing.
Ryo had no intention of doing that…
"Abel, quit laughing so creepily…"
"Hm? Did I laugh?"
"Yeah. If you didn't realize it, then you may have been possessed by an evil spirit! Like the young duke who was taken over by the Djinn's minion, Abel might be done for…"
"No. Cases like Erwin's are extremely rare."
The great noble of the eastern kingdom, Erwin Ortiz, Duke of Shrewsbury, had been deprived of his body's freedom by Djinn Garwin's minion.
It's no exaggeration to say that this triggered the Great Djinn War.
"Really… are you really Abel?"
"I don't get what you mean."
"Have you ever suddenly lost your memory, found yourself in a different place, or found you'd killed someone?"
"Nope."
"Have you ever asked for food when you're hungry, only for people to say you just ate?"
"Nope."
"Have you ever ridden a horse and found yourself going in the opposite direction?"
"The hell is that…?"
Ryo asked worriedly.
And Abel, not understanding but answering nonetheless.
He's a good guy after all.
After all that, Ryo finally felt relieved.
Without a doubt, Abel was the same as always.
So then…
"It still bothers me, that creepy laugh from earlier…"
"Oh… well, this book is quite amusing. Maybe I laughed without realizing it."
Abel showed Ryo the cover of his book.
"'The World is Mine'…eh? What kind of title is that?"
"Well, the title is a bit much, but it's actually pretty interesting."
"In other words, 'World is Mine'… no, that's a bit different, but I once created a spell with a similar name. It caused quite a stir with the Bait Ball… those were the days."
"…I have no idea what you're talking about."
Expecting a swordsman to understand the subtleties of a magician might be asking too much.
Ryo sighed softly.
"Hey, Ryo, did you just sigh in a way that made me seem like an idiot?"
"Wh-what are you saying? I always respect you, Abel. Really, I do."
Ryo replied, feigning an overly bright and sparkly-eyed expression.
"Besides, Ryo, pestering me won't do any good, you know?"
"I know. We're waiting for a ship to the capital of this feudal kingdom… and we have to wait for this heavy rain to stop, right? But, it's always in times like these that something happens."
"Happens? What does?"
"It's obvious. A pirate attack! A large pirate fleet will attack this town! That's the classic turn of events."
"Oh, uh… that turn of events you always talk about… why do you always expect such unlikely and impossible scenarios? Like bandits attacking on the nation's highways… or pirates attacking a town like now… If such things happened often, the country wouldn't function properly."
Abel was dismissive of Ryo's clichéd light novel scenarios.
Even shaking his head slightly.
"That's the pathos of things."
"Yeah, yeah, pathos of things. You said that before."
Ryo pouted, and Abel nodded, recalling what had been said through the 'Soul Resonance' previously.
It seems the king has a good memory.
"Do pirates… not attack towns?"
Ryo asked the experienced ruler, the king.
"I've never heard of it in the kingdom. I've heard of them attacking merchant ships in the shadows of islands off the coast of Whitnash or along well-used sea routes. Of course, the Royal Navy regularly conducts pirate exterminations… but complete eradication seems difficult."
"The pathos of things is hard to achieve…"
Sighing, Ryo realized he was unlikely to see the scenes he imagined.
"In the first place, pirates are a nuisance to honest citizens, aren't they? It's better if they don't exist at all."
"Well, yes, but… maybe there are pirates sanctioned by the state to attack foreign ships."
Ryo was thinking of privateers.
During the times when Spain and England were at odds.
Queen Elizabeth of England issued letters of marque, encouraging English pirates to attack Spanish ships…
Many famous privateer captains emerged… for instance, Francis Drake might be the most famous.
He not only attacked Spanish ships but also completed the second circumnavigation of the globe after Magellan.
His ship was the famous Golden Hind.
There should be a ship with the same name in the Kingdom of Knightley.
Drake returned to Plymouth, bringing great wealth to his investors from his privateering. Including Queen Elizabeth herself…
This led to the naval battle between the Spanish Armada and the English Navy.
Where Francis Drake served as a commander.
The fact that a privateer, essentially a type of pirate, commanded a nation's navy in a decisive battle is quite fascinating.
Drake, and many other privateers, attacked Spanish ships with the sanction of the English crown.
This mobilization of even rogues to fight for the country… is reminiscent of a certain former A-rank adventurer king.
Ryo pondered such things.
While looking at the cover of 'The World is Mine'.
The rain ceased.
Simultaneously, the sound of a bell echoed.
Clang, clang, clang. Clang, clang, clang.
"What's that?"
"I'm not sure, but usually bells ring to signal an emergency."
Abel and Ryo looked around.
Fortunately, the rain had stopped.
They stepped outside.
The 'Sogyokutei', where they were staying, faced the central square of the town.
Many people emerged into the square, drawn by the bell's sound.
"The airship has fallen!"
These words were heard, spreading far and wide.
The 'translators' the two were wearing did their job properly and conveyed the information to them.
"An airship?"
"It wasn't pirates, but sky pirates…"
Abel grimaced as he spoke, and Ryo said regretfully.
"How close."
The airship had fallen at the harbor.
Many people who had been in the square headed towards the harbor, and Ryo and Abel followed the flow of the crowd.
At the harbor, guards were already in place, seemingly to keep the onlookers away.
The guards might have been stationed at the harbor from the beginning.
The two managed to secure a spot at the front of the crowd and saw the scene.
"It's huge…"
"More than fifty meters, maybe? Comparable to the Golden Hind?"
Abel muttered, and Ryo also commented on the size.
In history, the Golden Hind wasn't that big, but the airborne battleship Golden Hind owned by the Rune Count was a massive ship exceeding fifty meters.
The fallen airship was also quite large.
On Earth, there would be a large upper section filled with hydrogen or helium gas bags… compared to the shape of an Earth airship, it seemed quite small.
Of course, Ryo had never seen an airship on Earth clearly…
But compared to the shape in his memory, it looked quite sleek.
But more importantly…
"An airship, huh?"
Yes, it was the first time Ryo had seen one since coming to 'Phi'.
In the first place, 'flying in the sky' was not an easy feat.
That's why he had been so impressed with the Golden Hind.
"There are none in the Central Countries."
Abel stated firmly. But his expression was stiff.
He might have realized some inconvenient truth.
Abel continued.
"There are none in the Central Countries, nor in the Western Countries."
"Come to think of it… I haven't seen any in the Western Countries either."
Ryo, who had been dispatched as part of a delegation to the Western Countries, had never heard of airships there either.
"But I have heard that in some places, flying technology is quite advanced, and in some countries, they use airships to travel through the sky."
"Some places?"
"Yeah. The so-called Eastern Countries."
"So this place is…"
"Yeah, it must be… the Eastern Countries…"