WeTried Translations

Translator: Hydrogen B

Editor: Hydrogen B

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 101: Where the Storm Calls (1)

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The sky was clear. The waves were calm. The ship continued onward.

Once it caught the wind, the Black Crow Merchant Company's massive trade ship began cutting through the water at great speed. At some point, not only Cadis but even the mainland had nearly vanished from sight. All that surrounded them was the blue sea and the horizon where it met the sky. Only when Kyle turned his gaze to the left could he faintly make out the silhouette of land.

It was the southern coastline of the continent.

The view was peaceful beyond words, but the sailors could not rest. They took turns standing watch in the crow's nest, or pulled and loosened ropes to adjust the sails according to the wind. Every so often, the boatswain's shouts from the bow reached their ears.

"The deck really is better than the cabin."

"It is not a passenger ship. It cannot be helped."

Kyle answered Elysia's remark without much emotion. Like when they had first departed from Cadis, the two were out on the deck.

They had stayed in their cabin for a while earlier, but it did not last long. It was hard to get any proper rest in such a cramped space. On a luxurious passenger ship, they might have rested quietly in their room or meditated. This was not a passenger ship. Their assigned cabin existed solely as a place to sleep. It was better to spend the day outside, feeling the sea breeze.

"Still, the sunlight is nice. It makes me feel sleepy."

Elysia, her robe hood pulled low, took a deep breath.

"How is your head?"

"My head?"

"Are you dizzy? Nauseous?"

"No, not yet."

"Then that is a relief..."

Kyle looked around. Fortunately, neither of them had anything to do. They had agreed to serve as guards in exchange for boarding, not as sailors. The ship was so large that it hardly rocked at all.

At this rate, everything seemed likely to go smoothly.

At least until they entered the strait.

"How is the cabin? Is it bearable?"

Captain Jorde came up to the deck and approached them with a familiar smile.

"I cannot exactly say it is fine."

"Ha ha, please understand. That was the only room left. We had to make space for it, too. Thanks to that, two other sailors have to share a room."

Jorde turned his gaze toward a spot nearby. Kyle and Elysia naturally looked in that direction as well. A young man and an older, middle-aged sailor were adjusting ropes there. Since the waves were calm and the wind was favorable, they chatted leisurely as they worked.

"...I have nothing to say."

Two grown men sharing that cramped room. Kyle looked away without realizing it.

"If I could, I would give you my captain's cabin, but it is full of this and that."

"No. This is enough. Honestly, we are not in a position to complain."

"Thank you for understanding. The voyage itself should not be too difficult, aside from the storm. It is far better than heading toward Azaril, at least. That route takes about a month. Ours will take ten days at most."

A week at the shortest. Ten days at the longest.

As Jorde said, it would be an easy journey if not for the storm. It was certainly better than crossing the Spina Mountains in early winter, a range said to be harsher than the Ligrid Mountains. They were called the backbone of the continent, after all.

"And besides, you are a couple, so there is no problem sharing a room, right? In my experience, people usually like it better when the room is small. Though the soundproofing is poor, so you should be mindful of that..."

Kyle stared at Jorde.

The sudden change in the atmosphere made Jorde's shoulders twitch. When Kyle glanced beside him, Elysia had lowered her head as if avoiding his gaze.

"Ah... you are not?"

No answer came.

Jorde cleared his throat.

"Ahem. That was rude of me. The older I get, the more useless things I say. I was mistaken for a moment."

"......"

"Still, it is fortunate that your seasickness does not seem too bad. Most first-time passengers vomit all over the place and make a terrible mess."

"The weather is quite good right now. Does it change drastically once we enter the strait?"

Kyle deliberately changed the subject. Jorde eagerly took the opening.

"It does at this time of year."

"Then we should prepare in advance."

"I told you this morning, but do not worry about that. We have prepared properly. A Black Crow Merchant Company trade ship is not something that will capsize so easily. These men have crossed the Pargon Strait in autumn several times already."

"Is that so?"

"For now, get some air. Staying on deck will be better for seasickness than being in that cramped cabin."

Jorde, who at least had enough sense to read the room, waved a hand and left. Kyle looked down at Elysia, who had been silent since earlier.

"Eli."

"......"

"Are you all right?"

"Ah, yes. I am fine. I was just lost in thought for a moment."

"Just ignore what you heard. He did not mean any harm. It seems they often trade those pointless jokes."

"I know."

With that, Elysia turned her eyes back toward the sea.

Kyle watched her for a moment, then looked down at the ring on his left hand.

The gem set in its center still swirled slowly with five-colored light. Even to the naked eye, the glow had grown stronger than before. Compared to when they had first entered the Duchy of Tervan, it held much more mana as well. At this rate, it would be nearly full by the time they reached the Kingdom of Rustin.

"I have been wondering... Is that ring some kind of special Magic Tool?"

Elysia glanced at Kyle's left hand as he touched the ring radiating five-colored light. Kyle nodded easily.

"Something like that."

"What does it do...?"

"It automatically absorbs mana from the outside and stores it."

"It automatically absorbs and stores mana from the air? There cannot possibly be such an absurd item..."

Ah.

The curiosity in Elysia's golden eyes faded in an instant.

"...I am sorry. I said something unnecessary."

"It is fine. Do not worry about it. It is not your fault."

Elysia knew Kyle was the last Commander of the Knights of Ash. Naturally, she could infer that Izra's Thorn was eating away at his body. Two Thorns had been created in the Empire, and it was an open fact that both had been used on Commanders of the Knights of Ash.

"That is all in the past."

Kyle spoke as though it were nothing. It was all over. The past could not be undone.

More than anything, Izra's Thorn was not Elysia's fault.

Even if the Thorn embedded in the previous Commander, Rowen, had been a curse using her mother as its medium, and even if the Thorn eating away at Kyle's body had used her maid as a sacrifice, that did not change. Strictly speaking, Elysia was one of the victims too.

"You still have that safely stored, right?"

"That?"

Kyle gave a small nod toward the inside of Elysia's robe. Understanding at once that he meant the Dragon Heart he had briefly examined and returned yesterday, she nodded.

"I am wearing it around my neck so I will not lose it."

"Keep it safe. Just in case."

"I understand. But would it not be better for you to keep it, Kyle?"

"Not yet."

"Why?"

"I have a bad feeling from my dreams."

"Because of nightmares?"

Kyle did not deny it. Still, he did not explain in detail.

He could not yet be certain what that dream had been, or whether the being in that colorless space had truly been Frisia.

"Have you had any nightmares lately?" Kyle asked.

"No. I have hardly had trouble sleeping recently..."

"Then it is fine."

Kyle took his eyes off the ring and looked ahead. Elysia followed his gaze westward. In the distance, the coastline was faintly visible. Birds occasionally glided through the high sky overhead.

* * *

Near sunset, the two returned to their cabin. The cramped room was the same as before, but one thing had changed.

"I am sorry. My stomach suddenly feels sick, and my head is spinning..."

Elysia lay on the small bed and muttered. Unlike earlier that day, there was no strength in her voice. She had been fine for the first few hours, but by late afternoon, she had started to look ill and complained of seasickness for the first time in her life. Kyle had expected it, so he was not too flustered.

"Do not apologize. If anything, it came later than expected."

"Is that so...?"

"Yes. No matter how large the ship is, it does not stop moving completely. It is not strange to get seasick and develop a headache after a while."

Captain Jorde and the others had said something similar. For someone riding a ship for the first time, holding out until late afternoon was actually quite impressive. Countless people never adjusted to seasickness, even after spending their whole lives on ships.

"And you, Kyle...?"

"I am fine for now. I will have to watch how things go for a few more days."

Kyle had been fairly resistant to motion sickness even on Earth. Still, he could not be certain that would hold true on a ship. He might be fine now, only to end up bedridden like Elysia a day or two later.

It would be convenient if I knew a useful spell for this.

Kyle muttered quietly to himself. Unfortunately, as far as he knew, no magic existed that could cure seasickness. The Black Crow Merchant Company's trade ship was an enormous merchant vessel over fifty meters long, which was why he was managing at all. If it had been a small fishing boat, Kyle would probably have been sprawled on the floor by now, swallowing back nausea.

Seasickness happened when visual information and the sense of balance did not match.

Could Illusion Magic reduce that gap?

For a moment, his thoughts went in that direction. Naturally, they did not last long.

Impossible.

Along with Spatial Magic, Illusion Magic required extreme mana control. Even though Kyle could now use personal magic, he could not create illusions in response to the ship's movements at will.

More precisely, it was not impossible, but it would be horribly inefficient. It would consume a great deal of mana, and he would have to maintain constant focus while using the magic. It was not something any person should have to do.

"What about food...?"

Kyle started to ask. Still lying down, Elysia weakly shook her head.

"At least you do not have a fever. That is a relief."

Kyle touched Elysia's forehead. She did not flinch this time. Perhaps she had grown used to it by now. She had collapsed from seasickness, but it did not seem like she had a cold or body aches.

Taking his hand from her forehead, Kyle said, "If anything happens, turn on the Magic Stone Lamp on the bedside table like you did now. The moment I sense mana, I will come right back."

"...Okay."

"Do not push yourself."

"Even if I wanted to, I do not think I could get up."

Elysia gave him a faint smile as she made a joke that was not really a joke. With a small sigh, Kyle spread out a blanket nearby and pulled it up to her neck.

"Rest."

Elysia stared at Kyle's left hand as she lay there, then slowly closed her eyes. Before long, soft breathing filled the room. After confirming she had fallen asleep, Kyle stood, turned off the lamp on the bedside table, and left the cabin.

I am starting to feel dizzy too.

Who am I to worry about someone else?

Kyle gave a bitter smile and walked down the corridor filled with soft lamplight.

The dining room was quite large compared to the cramped cabins. Several small round windows lined the wall of the room at the front of the ship. Vivid orange sunset light poured through them. The sailors in the middle of their meal spotted Kyle standing beyond the open door and widened their eyes.

Footnotes:

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