The ship glided smoothly at a leisurely pace down the calm sea, entering the military port that was our destination.
The Roma military port was an artificial harbor base that felt sowhat out of place against the backdrop of an untouched natural coastline.
The bay, nestled within steep cliffs, was difficult to see from the outside, making it an ideal refuge from wind and waves. Various military ships were docked, the majority of which were galleys with oars protruding from their hulls.
In addition to standard port facilities, there were buildings that appeared to be barracks and arms factories bustling with activity as many people worked diligently.
The military base housed not only officers of the Kingdom's Knight Order but also a large number of ordinary sailors, contributing to its town-like atmosphere with restaurants and other anities.
Truly, the port didn't betray its image as the first line of defense against the Rosemieur if the sparks between the two nations ever developed into war.
"Well then, I’ll take my leave here. I have a mountain of tasks to attend to. I might not be able to see you off, but I’m sure we’ll et again at the Royal Capital. I look forward to it."
Glover-san said, flipping his cloak as he stepped off the ship.
The ordinary soldiers, caught off guard by his unexpected arrival, montarily showed shocked expressions before hurriedly saluting with their right hands to their chests.
"Long ti no see, Sir Caster."
As Glover-san walked away, a soldier adorned with nurous dals and insignias ca to greet us while we were preparing to disembark.
He was a sunburned, stout man with a muscular build and sharp eyes, mirroring the relentless activity on the site.
"Been a while, Yakkul. Where's Revol-san?"
"Captain Revol’s in his office and will be organizing information with Commander Glover. Rosemieur seems to be equally preparing their navy, apparently, so the Captain’s on high alert."
"Can’t bla him for that. Ah, let introduce you, Yakkul. You might have heard of them already, but these two are the key figures that made it possible to complete the ergency transport mission: Allen Rovenne and Daniel Serdos."
Yakkul nodded once and directed his sharp gaze toward and Dan.
"I am Yakkul von Furstel, the deputy base commander here at Roma Military Port."
"I’m Allen Rovenne, a provisional mber of the 3rd Legion."
"And I’m Daniel Serdos, also a provisional mber of the 2nd Legion."
As I shook the offered hand, I was taken aback.
The thick calluses on his hand likely ca from years of rowing in galleys. From the stable and unwavering strength of his grip, I could sense a level of physical enhancent magic that rivaled that of a Knight Order's knight.
But for so reason, he just held my hand tightly, showing no sign of letting go.
“...It’ll only be for a short ti, but we’ll be disturbing you, Yakkul-san.”
“Oh? Regardless of your young age, you're still a mber of the Knight Order, Sir Allen. It's surprising that you're sticking to formalities. I’m usually fussy about hierarchy myself, but you really have stumped right now.
This is certainly not Sir Allen from the rumors who was said to have grown up with the fad mantra of «Unceasing Prudence». Please, feel free to drop any formalities with ."
What the hell did he an by the fad mantra «Unceasing Prudence»?......
Aren't rumors spreading a bit too much?
“Speaking of which, could you show this poor, outdated old man so new theories on ship sailing? Ah, I'm not belittling you. I’m very much aware of your service in saving the nation through this mission.”
Yakkul-san spoke, further strengthening his hold on my hand.
“It's just... this senile mind of mine is finding it hard to comprehend how a re sail ship outpaced a galley, more so when it's missing the magic engine that has seen a revolutionary breakthrough in recent tis.
Including , there are many stubborn people who won't believe in what happened unless they witnessed it themselves... Just a short demonstration is fine. Could you take and a few young folks for a little ride?”
A smile tugged the corner of Yakkul's lip, but it certainly didn't reach his eyes.
I glanced at Cass, feeling bewildered, and saw him frowning as he stepped in.
“Allen has told us of his plan to spread the new theory, but now is not the right ti. This technology will undoubtedly be integrated into the Royal Army and will eventually spread to the civilian sectors as well, but it must remain a revolutionary technique pioneered by the Kingdom. It’s not sothing to be carelessly flaunted. There's no problem showing it to you, but... do you believe you can keep it from spreading, Yakkul?”
Cass-san said as he directed his gaze beyond Yakkul.
I noticed that the sailors behind him were watching us with wary expressions.
…Ah, I see.
These n have dedicated their lives to galleys. And there should be many more like them in the army.
They are grappling with the fear and absurdity of watching everything they’ve built co crashing down.
The technological advancents that should have evolved steadily were now happening suddenly and unexpectedly. Such tension was bound to occur.
We could show them our navigation skills just as they wanted, but overflowing emotions could easily leave lasting consequences. We had no way of knowing how it would adversely affect them later. If things went poorly, it could significantly impact the developnt of sailing ships using wind magic.
But more importantly, the fact that this seemingly sensible person was insisting on confirming it in this situation showed that it would undoubtedly affect their morale.
…Well, that wasn’t my concern. As I pondered on what to do, Dan, who had been quietly observing Yakkul’s worn hands, stepped in calmly.
“I’m Daniel Serdos, the president of the Royal Academy's Sail Club. This might not be the best ti, but how about a match with my sailing ship? We’ll race from this Roma Naval Port, through the Corrida Strait, and around Corrida Island, competing in speed.”
A skeptical expression flashed on Yakkul-san's face when Dan suggested that.
"Quite a gallant suggestion, as expected of one who bears the Knight Order’s mantle at such a young age. But the Corrida Strait... Do you know that it’s often called the ‘graveyard of sailing ships’? How do you intend to deal with the Sea Falcons?”
“Yes, I’m aware. Therefore, I’ll handle the navigation, and Allen will take care of the Sea Falcons with his bow. He's quite an impressive archer.”
Dan replied with a grin, further adding “There's no better playground for a sailor than the sea, right?”
Yakkul-san broke into a delighted smile when he heard Dan.
“You truly are a one-of-a-kind genius of Grauksh, Daniel Serdos! You have sothing that sets you apart from the other elite knights who graduated from the Royal Academy. That's very reassuring! You must still be tired for today, so let’s hold the contest at 1 PM tomorrow. The patrol ship is set to sail at around that ti, so we can depart together. Many here, myself included, are from the Grauksh region. This is going to excite everyone for sure!”
Seeing Yakkul-san’s tense expression crack to reveal a bright smile, Dan accepted the suggestion with a wry expression.
◆◆◆
The dawn of the next day.
I visited Shalom Lake — located near the Roma port — along with Dan.
Cass-san seed bothered by our decision, asking back, ‘Can't it be left for another occasion?' but I remained adamant about my stance.
It seed Cass-san was worried about possible accidents, but I wouldn’t miss the chance to see the wild blue flamingos, an opportunity that might never co again, just because there was a 'what if' chance of so incident happening.
I would have endured if there were still pending tasks for to undertake, but I had none. That was the entire reason why I detested being a man of rumors or status. Soone in a position of authority was severely restricted in their actions. They wouldn't be allowed to do anything even if they have a valid reason like 'I had nothing to do.’ But with , I was a student first before a knight.
Cass-san showed his intention to accompany us as our guardian and protection, but I swiftly stated that it was unnecessary.
"You going out of the port area on your own would absolutely not be allowed. The typical procedure would be to send a few escorts along with you, but that would instead make you stand out more," Cass-san countered.
Cass-san should've had a multitude of things to do as well, but here he was, fretting over us due to our decisions.
I did feel a bit bad, but I couldn't back down here.
If I kept compromising in situations like this under the guise of cooperation, it would go against my motto of an unfettered life.
There was nothing more terrifying for than that.
And so, here I was, enjoying the sights of Shalom Lake...
To put it plainly, I was glad I ca here. One of the Kingdom's three great birds, the blue flamingo.
Their overlapping blue feathers ranged from pale sky blue to deep navy blue, and the depth of blue varied among individuals.
Moreover, depending on the angle of the light, the colors took on the hues of red or yellowish blue, creating an indescribable palette. I’ve been watching them for nearly two hours now, and I still haven't grown bored of them.
The high-pitched cries of "kawawa, kawawa" resonated across the tranquil morning lake from their uniquely curved beaks.
They were about the sa size as earth flamingos, but so were more than twice as large— those must be the ones that have beco monsters.
Given the current situation, there were fewer tourists than usual, but still, a few were scattered around.
As I stood there in casual clothes, trying to disguise my identity and staring intently at the lake, a local gramps called out to from behind.
"You’re watching them quite ardently, kid. Is this your first ti seeing the blue flamingos?"
Cass-san moved to wedge between us imdiately, but I gestured for him not to.
"Yes, it’s my first ti. The beauty of this scene is beyond words. It truly moves my heart, making forget the passage of ti."
When I replied like that, the man smiled happily.
“Haha! You’re quite the honest kid, aren’t you? I like you. I usually give tours around here, but due to that foul incident, there haven’t been many tourists despite the peak season. Would you like to try feeding the blue flamingos? It's just that—”
The man said this and grinned while offering a fishing rod about 1.5 ters long.
“You’ll have to gather your own bait. Normally, it would be 30 rea an hour, but I’ll let you have it for half price!”
I was imdiately caught by his words.
“For real?! Thank you very much! Hey, Dan, let’s have a competition to see who can catch more!”
“...I don’t mind, but rember, unlike you who grew up in the mountains, I grew up in a port town. Have you ever fished, Allen? If you haven’t, I honestly don’t think it’ll be much of a contest.”
Heh heh heh.
I may not look it, but I was actually quite fond of fishing myself.
It wasn't connected to my past life, but before my mories awakened, I often thought about what I would do after skipping my studies. Fishing was one of the things I was most hooked on back then.
Fishing at sea might not be comparable to my ti at rivers, but judging from the shortness of the fishing rod, the thinness of the line, and the size of the hooks, fishing in the lake was definitely going to require delicateness.
If my guess wasn't wrong, then I should have a fair chance, having honed my skills in the stream confined within our walled city where the fish were already wary.
In fact, I could only see myself winning.
“Yeah, well, I’ve tried a bit in a stream near my house. Though I doubt it would be comparable to a sea guy like you, so go easy on , alright?"
I said while trying to maintain a calm facade in an attempt to bait Dan into lowering his guard. Dan, however, narrowed his eyes and stared at for a mont before addressing the man.
“...I want to examine the equipnt. Please bring out all the rods, tackles, and bait. I’ll pay, of course… I’m going to take this seriously, Allen. No complaints, right?”
Wait, what?!
What the hell did he read from my expressionless face?! What was he, a long-ti wife of mine or sothing?......
“...Do you both even know what the situation is right now?”
Cass-san's shoulders drooped feebly, seemingly feeling a wave of powerlessness, as he murmured so with a distant look in his eyes.
E/N - Hey guys! Sorry for missing yesterday's chapter. Translator had to deal with sothing important and I myself wasn't doing too hot with the storm and nonstop rain in my area. Here is the one we missed. We should be able to post the last one for this week as scheduled.
If you like the novel, you can also rate and review it on , it will help both the site and also others to find the novel!
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