WeTried Translations

Translator: Hydrogen B

Editor: Hydrogen B

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 102: Where the Storm Calls (2)

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"Ah, you're here?"

"Over here! Make some room, boys!"

The sailors who recognized Kyle each called out to him.

They quickly cleared a seat for him.

"Did you come alone? Where is your companion?"

"She's in the room. Her seasickness seems pretty bad."

"Goodness. I hoped it would not come to this..."

"Still, she held out for quite a while. Honestly, I'm more surprised the male mage has not collapsed yet."

"Are you sure he's a mage?"

"Then what, a sword mage?"

One sailor's joke set off laughter all around. Kyle sat in the empty seat, unfastened the sword at his waist, and leaned it against the table.

"Here you go."

Someone placed a bowl of food in front of Kyle. He turned to the side and saw a familiar face, Fabio, the navigator who had shown Kyle and Elysia to their cabin that morning.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome."

Fabio took the seat beside Kyle. Once the laughter died down, Kyle asked him a question as he placed salted meat on a slice of rye bread.

"Where are the captain and the boatswain? I don't see them."

"Ah, they will be a little late. They have the most work to do."

"That is a little different from what I expected. I thought they would leave the work to their men and relax."

"Maybe in a small merchant company, but on a huge trade ship like this, everything would fall apart if they did that. I'm not exaggerating."

"Fair enough. The food is pretty good too."

Kyle bit into the rye bread topped with salted meat and cheese. There was also porridge made by boiling crushed biscuits, along with a cup of water. Dark red wine and deep brown beer sat before the other sailors. He had brought food in case the meals were terrible, but there seemed to be no need to take it out now. They even had fresh lemons and oranges for dessert.

"Even in the mage sir's eyes, the food from our merchant company is not bad, right?"

The heavily bearded sailor across from him took a drink and let out a satisfied sigh.

"Do you usually eat like this?"

Fabio answered from beside him.

"Usually, yes. Though it is the first day, so the meals are better than usual."

"I heard the Merchant Head of the Black Crow Merchant Company is quite the money fiend..."

Kyle trailed off as if testing the waters. The sailors all turned to him at once, then burst into giggles as though they had agreed beforehand. They were not mocking him. They simply found it funny.

"Did you hear that? A money fiend?"

"Our Merchant Head is a money fiend, that much is true."

"Then is he a nice lunatic?"

"Hahaha!"

Their laughter showed no sign of stopping. Kyle looked at Fabio with an uncertain expression, surprised by the complete opposite reaction from what he had expected. Fabio gave him a silent, bitter smile.

"Listen, mage sir. Our Merchant Head may get called a money fiend, but he is not such a bad person."

The sailor across from him lifted his glass and swirled it.

"Right. What kind of corrupt Merchant Head gives sailors meals like this?"

The other sailors nodded in agreement. Judging from their expressions, Enrico, the Merchant Head who owned the ship, did not seem like such a bad person.

"He pays well too. The treatment is not bad either, though the work is hard."

"Remember when that bastard Kurt got caught trying to support two households and got himself in deep trouble? If he had worked for another merchant company, he would not have ended up like that because he was short on money."

"Coming from fools who throw away their wages at brothels whenever they get the chance."

"Hey, why is that throwing money away? It is a sacred act where two people share love."

"What nonsense."

The noisy chatter continued. Their conversation was full of crude curses, but Kyle somehow found it familiar.

"You do not seem worried. We will enter the strait soon."

Kyle took a sip of water as he spoke. The waves were calm for now, but things would change once they entered the Pargon Strait between the Corsa Archipelago. Even for experienced sailors, it would still be dangerous. With pirates to consider as well, Kyle could not relax.

"Worried? Ah, the autumn storm?"

The sailors did not seem especially concerned.

"We are used to it. We have spent our whole lives working on ships. Do you think we would hide just because of a little rain and wind?"

"The Siren is scarier than that."

"The Siren?"

"You have never heard of it?"

When Kyle showed his confusion, Fabio continued as if explaining for him.

"There is an old story passed down in the Pargon Strait. They say that if you fall into the sea, you become intoxicated by the Siren's song and fall asleep just like that."

"So it is just a legend. You believe that?"

Kyle turned his gaze to the sailor across from him. Fabio and the other sailors followed his gaze toward the man's beard.

"Normally, I would not."

"Then?"

"The sea is irregular. You can never predict it. More than one sailor has claimed to have seen a Siren. They say that, before drowning, they hear a heavenly song. Those lucky enough to return alive all say the same thing. They say all their worries disappear, and life begins to feel meaningless."

It was an absurd story. Even so, Kyle did not laugh at him or dismiss what he had heard as nonsense.

Working at sea was that difficult. Just as people on land sought religion for something to lean on, perhaps people at sea believed in superstitions like this. Falling asleep, intoxicated by a Siren's song, was probably better than simply drowning in the endless ocean. Whether it was true or not was another matter.

"It is an interesting story, but it is not to my taste. Most people would probably get cut down by pirates before ever meeting a Siren."

"Haha! Is that so?"

"I think it would be better to worry about what lies ahead."

"You mean the pirates? You do not need to worry about that. We know them well enough. If we slip them a little money like usual, they will retreat on their own."

The bearded sailor across from him spoke calmly. The other sailors did not appear worried either. Kyle muttered quietly to himself.

Would they really?

This was no ordinary trade ship. Both Enrico, the Merchant Head, and Jorde, the captain, were hiding something. Kyle did not know what was inside the cargo hold. Still, he knew one thing.

Whether they were smuggling something or transporting something else important, there had to be a reason Kyle and Elysia had been allowed to board as guards.

Did the sailors not know, or were they pretending not to know?

If they encountered pirates, they would only find out then whether the pirates would let the ship pass. Whatever happened, Kyle only hoped they would get through the storm safely. Problems between people could be handled well enough with his sword. It would not be all that different on a ship.

* * *

Leaving the sailors behind, Kyle left the dining room and returned to the cabin assigned to him. When he carefully opened the door, Elysia was still fast asleep.

Lying on the bed, she was faintly frowning. It seemed she was suffering from seasickness even in her dreams. Without waking her, Kyle leaned against the wall beside the bed and wrapped himself in a blanket he had taken from his Inventory Pouch. Even though he had eaten dinner, there was nothing much to do, so it seemed best to get some sleep.

Later, Kyle left Elysia behind, woke in the late evening, and briefly patrolled the deck and the ship's interior. The sea breeze seemed to ease the creeping nausea a little. During his patrol, he received a blanket from the captain that he could spread on the floor. Then he returned to the cabin and slept beside Elysia again.

Several days passed like that.

It was the fourth day since they had left Cadis. Fortunately, there had been no major problems with the voyage.

Morning, noon, and night, everyone gathered in the dining room to eat at set times.

At other times, the sailors went up to the deck to keep watch or took turns adjusting the anchor. They did not forget to go down to the cargo hold, where the goods were stored, and check for leaks or damaged areas.

Just as the captain had said, Kyle and Elysia did not have much to do. They had not entered the strait or encountered pirates yet, so all they did was make a token patrol around the ship once in the morning and once in the evening.

Kyle left Elysia, who remained bedridden from seasickness, and stood alone on the deck, watching the dull scenery drift by.

He hoped they could reach the Federation safely at this rate. Once they arrived in the south of the Rustin Kingdom, all they had to do was continue north to Renavik with nothing in their way.

Creak, creak.

The sudden discordant groan of wooden boards woke Kyle from his thoughts. His closed eyelids trembled.

Slowly, he opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was the dim cabin. Faint lamplight from the corridor slipped in beneath the tightly shut door. Still groggy, Kyle blinked repeatedly as he held something in his arms.

Warmth wrapped around his whole body, along with the sound of soft breathing.

Kyle pushed himself upright unsteadily. Elysia lay sprawled beside him without any guard up. Only then did Kyle fully come to his senses.

Memories from the past four days rushed back like a tide.

He had finished his patrol safely on the first day. He had nursed Elysia through the second day.

Then he had gotten seasick himself on the third day. He had tried to sleep while leaning against the wall, but his headache had grown unbearable, and Elysia, unable to watch any longer, had suggested they sleep together.

Unable to endure it any longer, they had ended up lying in the same bed.

And now it was the fourth day.

"This is driving me crazy..."

Kyle reflexively rubbed his face. A sigh slipped from his lips.

The cabin was small, and the bed was painfully narrow. There was only enough space for one person to lie down. There had been only one option from the beginning. Otherwise, the two of them could not have slept in this bed.

It was hot, humid, and his head was spinning.

He should have waited a week and boarded a passenger ship instead.

That thought faded soon enough. There was no way to know. If they had taken a passenger ship, they might have regretted it after a week. That was why Kyle did not regret his choice.

He raised his free right hand and placed it on Elysia's forehead. He did not feel any fever. At least, not yet. If this condition continued, she might develop one. Elysia had also skipped most of her meals because of the seasickness.

Creak, creak.

The wooden boards made that unpleasant sound again. Unlike the first day, he could feel the hull rocking from side to side. Kyle brushed aside Elysia's golden hair, damp with sweat, and stared blankly at the ceiling of the dark cabin.

Had they entered the strait while he was asleep?

"Elysia."

"Ugh..."

"Elysia. Wake up."

Kyle shook Elysia's shoulder. She let out a groan that was almost like sleep-talking, then pushed herself up on the bed with unfocused eyes. Her golden hair fell down in a messy cascade.

"Kyle...? What is it?"

"I think we entered the Pargon Strait."

"The strait? Ah, where the Corsa Archipelago is..."

"And..."

He could not finish. Faint shouts from the sailors could be heard on the deck above.

Thud, thud, thud, thud-thud.

Footsteps sounded overhead. Kyle and Elysia looked at each other. Their exchange of glances was brief, but it was enough. Kyle got fully out of bed and put on the leather coat and black cloak hanging on the wall. Elysia also hurriedly put on the white robe folded on the bedside table.

"Your Inventory Pouch?"

"I have it. What about you, Kyle?"

"I have mine too. Let us go out. We need to see what is happening."

After fastening his sword at his waist, Kyle left the room with Elysia. The corridor, dimly lit by lamps, was empty. Only the footsteps echoing from the ceiling grew louder and louder.

"The ship is shaking quite a lot."

"Let us go up. Be careful not to fall."

Perhaps because of her seasickness, Elysia staggered for a moment. Kyle caught her before she could fall and headed up the stairs to the deck.

Whooosh...

It was late afternoon. The first thing he saw outside was the rain pouring down. Thick raindrops seeped between the wooden boards of the deck. Dark storm clouds covered the sky, completely hiding the sun. The whole world had been dyed gray.

"You there! Move it, move it! A storm is coming soon!"

"Raise the sails! Raise the sails!"

"Put your backs into it, you useless bastards!"

The senior sailors and the boatswain shouted at the top of their lungs. The helmsman was tying his hands to the massive wheel in front of the captain's cabin, preparing for the storm.

"This way, this way!"

Jorde, who was near the captain's cabin at the rear of the deck, spotted Kyle and Elysia and waved. Kyle took Elysia by the wrist to keep her from falling and made his way over.

"I was just about to call for you. Good timing."

Unlike before, Jorde spoke with a grave expression. His sharp eyes were looking down over the deck from the highest part of the stern.

"Have we entered the strait already?"

"We have. More precisely, we entered its outskirts earlier. It is not usually this bad, but this is the season for it."

"That makes it sound like this is only the beginning."

Kyle asked, and Jorde looked up at the storm clouds with narrowed eyes.

"That is right. This is only the beginning. We will need to endure for at least a day."

"Tonight will be the critical point."

"Probably. By then, the rain and waves will be much worse than they are now. So, could you two watch over my men here in case something happens? You said you are both mages, so it will be enough if you stop any waves that seem too dangerous and save anyone who looks like they might fall overboard."

Kyle looked back. Elysia, who had been listening quietly, gave him a small nod. He had been about to tell her to go below and rest, but he changed his mind.

"That much will not be a problem."

Elysia came first.

Kyle checked his ring one last time. He had plenty of mana left. The seasickness was bothersome, but not serious enough to be a problem. Jorde looked between the two of them and grinned.

"That is reassuring."

"......."

"I am looking forward to seeing what the mages the Merchant Head vouched for can do."

Just as Jorde made that joke, a sailor at the very top of the mast shouted loudly.

"Ships ahead! Three vessels, believed to be fast ships, are approaching from the one o'clock direction!"

Everyone's eyes turned toward the bow. Beyond the pouring rain, something was cutting through the rolling waves and closing the distance. At first, it had looked small, but it steadily grew larger over time. The three ships carried black sails, with two cutlasses emblazoned in their center.

"That is..."

Elysia muttered quietly. Kyle felt as though he recognized the emblem on those sails immediately.

The rulers who had controlled the archipelago for centuries.

The masters of the sea who controlled the Pargon Strait, untouchable to anyone from inland.

"It is the crest of the Skaldir Family! The Corsa Archipelago! Pirate ships from the Corsa Archipelago are approaching!"

Footnotes:

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