WeTried Translations

Translator: Hydrogen B

Editor: Hydrogen B

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 100: How to Cross the Waves (6)

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After returning to the inn, Kyle parted with Elysia in front of their rooms and lay back down on his bed. Perhaps the night walk had helped him sort out his thoughts, because drowsiness slowly washed over him before long.

His tense body gradually relaxed.

Then, just as his sunken consciousness began to rise back toward the surface.

"......."

Kyle opened his eyes. The ceiling looked somewhat brighter than before.

He reached for the bedside table and checked the time. It was past five in the morning.

It would be dawn soon.

Closing his pocket watch with one hand, Kyle rubbed his slightly heavy eyelids and got out of bed. He walked to the window and threw it open. Only when the cold wind rushed in did he finally wake up completely.

The sky, black until he had gone to sleep, was now streaked with scattered bluish dawn light.

He felt quite good. He had eaten his fill the previous evening and slept more than enough. His body felt light, his mind was clear, and nothing seemed wrong.

After looking out at the view for a short while, Kyle closed the window again. He put on the clothes he had taken off one by one. His leather coat, black cloak, sword at his waist, and Inventory Pouch. All his belongings were already packed away.

After checking himself one last time, Kyle left the room. The hallway, where the sun had not fully risen yet, was as quiet as dawn itself. He knocked twice on Elysia's door next to his. Knock, knock.

The small knocking sound had barely faded when Elysia, dressed in a white robe, opened the door from inside.

"Good morning."

"Did you sleep well?"

"Thanks to you. My body feels light and my head is clear. I feel like I could do anything."

"That is good to hear."

"Are we leaving now?"

"We should. Boarding is by six. If we leave now, we should have plenty of time."

After closing their doors and taking their keys, the two went down to the first floor. Despite the early hour, a few people like Kyle and Elysia had already come downstairs. The employees were busy cleaning as they prepared breakfast and began their day. It had a different atmosphere from dawn.

"Breakfast..."

"We will eat outside. We need to stop by the market too."

They had bought some supplies yesterday, but it was better to pick up fresh food that spoiled easily, including bread, on the day they left. Kyle handed his key to a nearby employee and stepped out of the inn.

As the cold wind swept over his body, it finally felt real that he was about to board a ship. Kyle walked through the streets with Elysia. Unlike the city center, which had barely shown any signs of life, more and more people appeared as they drew closer to the market.

"What time is it now?"

Elysia asked as they walked side by side.

"About five-thirty."

"Yet there seem to be quite a lot of people. It is not even six yet."

Elysia looked around with curious eyes. Cadis, a port city, looked completely different in the afternoon, at dawn, and in the early morning.

"The sea starts its day earlier than other cities. There should be more than ten ships leaving today alone. Some of them will probably depart early, like the trade ship we are boarding."

"True. That makes sense. Where there is demand, there is supply."

The bluish sky gradually brightened. Kyle and Elysia entered the market they had visited yesterday.

Passing merchants who were eagerly calling out to customers even in the morning, Kyle stopped at a bakery selling freshly baked bread. He bought several loaves of rye bread that would keep well, then picked up two sandwiches filled with white fish instead of ham for breakfast. They also contained olive oil and fresh green vegetables. After buying a lemon, Kyle cut it in half, squeezed it over the sandwiches, and handed one to Elysia.

"Here."

"A fish, lemon, and olive oil sandwich..."

"Is this your first time eating something like this?"

"I have often eaten fish with olive oil or lemon, but this is my first time having them all together between slices of bread. This kind of food is not common in the Empire. More than that, I think you added rather a lot of lemon..."

"Just eat it. Lemon is especially good to have before a voyage. It helps prevent scurvy too."

"Scurvy?"

Elysia tilted her head.

"It is like a chronic illness for sailors. It does not mean much in this case."

Kyle said it casually. Cadis was not that far from Rustin, the Federation's southern kingdom. The journey along the coastline would take a little over a week. There was no need to worry about scurvy on a trip that short.

"Ugh..."

"Is it bad?"

"No, it tastes good, but it is too sour..."

Kyle glanced at Elysia as she frowned, then bit into his own sandwich. The sourness was strong, but it was not unbearable.

After finishing the last bite, Kyle pushed through the crowd and left the market. Elysia followed beside him after forcing down the rest of her sandwich. As the number of buildings dwindled, the sea drew closer. Countless ships were still docked at the seaside pier.

"The ship we are boarding..."

"There it is."

Kyle said as he checked the paper Enrico, the Merchant Head of the Black Crow Merchant Company, had given him yesterday. Not far away stood a large sailing ship with its black crow-marked sails folded up.

"Move faster!"

"You there! Why are you just standing around?"

"Set it down here. Do not break anything."

Countless sailors moved around the pier. The greatest number of them were gathered near the Black Crow Merchant Company's ship. Following the orders of a man who appeared to be the boatswain, they moved wooden crates in orderly lines. Given the hour, it seemed loading was not finished yet.

"Kyle, that ship..."

"Yes. It is the ship the sailor we gave a silver coin to mentioned yesterday."

Had he called Enrico a Mad Money Fiend? Just as that sailor had said, the ship Kyle and Elysia would board was an enormous merchant vessel that looked at least fifty meters long.

At the very least, it did not seem likely to capsize easily during the voyage. Holding the paper, Kyle approached the pier where the ship was docked.

"How much is left?"

"About eighty percent is loaded."

"Someone is coming."

Two people stood on the pier beneath the ship. One pointed at Kyle with their eyes, and the other man's eyes widened.

"Could you be...?"

"We are supposed to join this voyage as guards."

Kyle handed over the paper he held. The man examined it with narrowed eyes, then waved to another sailor beside him. The sailor who had been watching left. The man who remained spoke.

"Your names?"

"Kyle. This is Eli."

"Kyle and Eli. The Merchant Head told me about you."

"What did he say?"

"He said you were distinguished guests joining us on this voyage. He told us to make things as convenient as possible for you, since you are highly skilled mages."

The man's gaze passed over Kyle and Elysia. A black cloak, a plain sword, and an expensive white robe. From the outside, they looked like a reasonably skilled mercenary and a mage from the Magic Tower. They did not look like two mages. Still, the man did not seem to doubt it in the slightest.

"Highly skilled mages? I am confident in my magic, but that is a slight exaggeration."

Kyle corrected him. The man smiled warmly and waved his hand.

"Ha ha! An exaggeration? Our Merchant Head might get called a Mad Money Fiend and pointed at by everyone, but he was born with an eye for people. If he made room for you and allowed you to board on such short notice, there must be a reason."

After checking the paper again, the man held out his rough, callused right hand to Kyle. Kyle took it without hesitation.

"I am Jorde, captain of this ship. I look forward to this voyage."

"Likewise."

"Let me tell you in advance. How much do you know?"

"Only that this ship is going to the Kingdom of Rustin."

Jorde released Kyle's hand and let out a low groan. He stroked his chin.

"Is that all?"

"Is there more I need to know? This is the only ship leaving for the Federation today."

"Hmm... that is true. Still, there is no need to worry too much. I and every sailor joining this voyage are hardened veterans. The sea is more familiar to us than land."

Jorde looked to the side. Kyle and Elysia followed his gaze. Sailors were carrying cargo there. Their sun-darkened bronze skin and firm muscles exposed beneath their thin clothes made them look like seafarers who had been through every hardship imaginable.

"The journey will take a week at the shortest, ten days at the longest. Our destination is Belmar, the southernmost port city in the Kingdom of Rustin."

Jorde continued once Kyle and Elysia looked back at him.

"As you can see, our ship is known for being very large and sturdy. Even in an autumn storm, you do not need to worry about it breaking apart or sinking along the way. As you know, our route passes through the Pargon Strait between the Corsa Archipelago. We can handle most things that happen along the way ourselves, so it should not be a major problem."

"What do we need to do?"

"Just patrol the deck and the inside of the ship from time to time. That will be enough."

"That is all?"

"There may be more to do if something unusual happens... but for now, that is all."

"Assuming there is no trouble with pirates at this time of year."

Kyle calmly struck at the heart of the matter. The pirate families that ruled the Corsa Archipelago, the masters of a country that was practically a small nation.

"You are sharp."

Jorde smiled bitterly and looked up at the ship. Then he suddenly shouted.

"Fabio!"

"Yes!"

"Are you busy?"

"Busy enough! Is something wrong?"

A young man called Fabio leaned his head out from the deck and looked down at the pier. Jorde gestured at Kyle and Elysia with his chin.

"Show these two mages to their room."

"The ones the Merchant Head mentioned yesterday?"

"Yes, you fool. Treat them with respect. Do not be rude."

"Understood. This way, please."

Fabio turned around. Jorde urged them with his eyes. Kyle and Elysia nodded slightly, crossed the wooden plank connecting the deck to the pier, and boarded the ship.

"It is bigger than it looked from below."

"It seems its reputation as one of the top three is not empty."

The Black Crow Merchant Company's enormous trade ship felt far larger in person than they had expected. There were four sails visible right in front of them. Considering that even fairly large merchant ships had only three sails, it was easy to see how expensive and impressive this ship was.

Following Fabio, the two went below deck. After descending the creaking stairs to the lower floor, they found a long row of rooms that appeared to be sailor quarters. Fabio stopped in front of one door and looked back at Kyle and Elysia.

"This is it. It is a little cramped, but it is livable."

Fabio tapped on the closed door. A faint Magic Stone Lamp light shone from inside.

"Where is the dining room?"

"It is at the very front. It is a shared dining room, so the captain and boatswain eat there too. This is a trade ship, not a passenger ship, so there is not much extra room to begin with."

"I see."

"Is there anything else you would like to ask?"

"No. This is enough. Thank you for showing us around. Fabio, was it?"

"Yes. I am Fabio, the navigator. If you have questions or anything is inconvenient, come find me in the room near the center. Well then."

With that, Fabio went back up to the deck. Kyle watched him disappear, then opened the closed door.

"...It is small."

At the same time, Elysia looked inside and muttered in a tone close to despair. Kyle could not deny it. The room was that small. It did not even have a single window.

"It is smaller than I expected. I suppose that cannot be helped on a trade ship."

Passenger ships and trade ships were different. The larger the rooms, the less cargo they could carry. Usually, sailors were kept to a minimum and cargo holds were made as large as possible. In that respect, windows were difficult to maintain and an expensive luxury.

Not that he had expected much to begin with.

The two carefully stepped inside. Damp, humid air touched their skin.

A small bed and a bedside table sat inside the cramped cabin. There was nothing else. There was not even a bathroom to wash up in. The Magic Stone Lamp on the table was the only source of light. It was a room focused solely on sleeping. The captain's cabin was probably larger and better, but they had forced their way onto the ship only yesterday. They could not ask for anything more.

"Um... Kyle."

"Go ahead."

"Is this not a serious problem?"

"In what way?"

"There is only one bed. And it looks like it is only large enough for one person."

"Hmm..."

Kyle lightly pressed down on the cabin floor. The wooden boards creaked.

"I should ask for a blanket to lay underneath me."

"A blanket? Are you going to sleep sitting up?"

"I have a blanket to wrap around myself. I have slept on bare wood when I had to. This is not much of a problem."

"You are telling me to sleep in the bed by myself?"

"Of course. Do you have a better idea?"

"It is not that. I just feel a little sorry..."

Kyle stared quietly at Elysia. The moment their eyes met, she hesitated and looked away. Perhaps it was not his imagination, but her earlobes seemed slightly red beneath the faint light of the Magic Stone Lamp.

"Do not think useless thoughts."

"No, when did I..."

"Let us go outside for now. It is a good thing we have an Inventory Pouch."

At least they would not have trouble because of their luggage. Feeling a small sense of relief about that, Kyle went up to the deck with Elysia.

The sun had completely risen by then. When he looked up, the faint navy light had vanished, replaced by the sharp blue sky unique to the morning. The waves repeatedly rolling in through the harbor looked the same. Everything felt open and refreshing.

Perhaps the damp, stifling cabin made it feel even more so after they came out.

"The weather is this nice, and there is supposed to be a storm..."

Elysia leaned against the deck railing and murmured. White seagulls cried as they flew above her head.

"The coast and the strait are different. Still, there should not be a major problem. The Black Crow Merchant Company seems experienced with voyages like this."

"That is true, right?"

"Yes."

"I only hope we do not end up in the middle of the open sea when a storm hits..."

Magic could not do everything. Even the strongest mage could do nothing in the deep sea. For a while, the two leaned against the deck railing and watched the city spread out before them. The rising sun, the city waking from sleep, people passing by, and the morning sunlight breaking white over the sea.

"We are about to depart. Are you ready?"

How much time had passed? Near seven, Jorde approached Kyle. Looking around, Kyle saw that the sailors had finished loading and were raising the anchor.

"It does not matter."

"Good. You all heard him! We are departing! Untie the ropes!"

"Untie the ropes!"

Once the anchor had been fully raised, the Black Crow Merchant Company's sailors on the pier released the ropes. The deck shook heavily once, then soon settled again.

"Favorable wind! Unfurl the sails!"

As the pulleys loosened, the sails bearing the black crow emblem unfurled one by one.

The wind blowing from land caught the sails and slowly pushed the massive sailing ship toward the sea. It moved slowly at first, then gained speed until it had completely left the harbor. The sailors on the pier waved to the others aboard the ship.

"We are really leaving."

Elysia spoke in a strangely complicated tone. Kyle silently watched the city grow distant.

Only halfway there at last.

They had killed two Wyvern Knights and crossed the Duchy of Tervan, filled with barbarians and rebels. Only after boarding a ship on the sea were they finally leaving the southern part of the continent behind.

Still, he did not fall into despair or grief.

That remained true even though Renavik, where the Federal Assembly stood, was still far away.

No matter what obstacle stood in his way.

Footnotes:

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