novelzi Chapter 181 : Chapter 181
Chapter 181 : Chapter 181
The port city of ‘Véry-Catena’ in the southwestern Plank Kingdom.As the plains in the kingdom's southwest were cultivated into a ‘large-scale mega-farm’ by Leonardo’s policy, Véry-Catena also transformed into a port befitting it.
The port had grown larger and the number of ships had increased to transport the vast quantities of grain produced in the region.
Into such a Véry-Catena port, three particularly dilapidated ships entered.
Creak— Thud…….
As the two ships docked at the port.
The laborers and soldiers who had been waiting at the port from early on approached the ships.
“It’s a ship bearing His Majesty’s flag!”
“The ship that went as an envoy to the Jerpan Archipelago!”
“Seeing its condition, it must have been attacked! Check it quickly!”
In the Plank Kingdom, no one could touch a ship flying the King’s flag.
In the first place, ever since the great King established the law that ‘robbery is punishable by death,’ no one dared to attack another’s ship or carriage.
Therefore, for the King’s ship to be in such a state, it must have been attacked by a monster.
Just as the busy port was about to get even busier, people started to emerge from the ship flying the King's flag.
Just as it was a wonder that the ship was still afloat, it was a wonder that the people who came out of it were still alive.
“……We’ve finally arrived.”
Ronak, who was the first to disembark, spoke with some difficulty as he looked around.
A crowd had already gathered near the ship, and there were knights and soldiers who recognized Ronak.
“Sir, Sir Ronak, the High-Knight?! Is that you, sir?”
At a knight’s question, Ronak nodded his head.
“It is.”
“Ah…… Wha- what happened? Why is the ship in such a state……?”
“We were attacked by monsters on our voyage back from the Jerpan Archipelago.”
“Just what kind of monster was it—.”
As the knight was asking.
Seeing what the other people disembarking from the ship were carrying over their shoulders, the knight was dumbfounded.
“That, that giant tentacle…… Don’t tell me you encountered a Kraken? In the sea?”
“Yes.”
“……”
“We almost died. But thanks to His Majesty, we were able to overcome it. Because he believed in me, I was able to believe in myself.”
The knight tried to support Ronak, who was speaking in an exhausted voice. It seemed he could stand perfectly fine, but the knight still wanted to offer help.
It was then.
Piyooooo—!
Suddenly, the cry of a Gryphon was heard from the sky.
“……The Gryphon Knight Order?”
The knight who was about to support Ronak looked up in surprise toward the source of the sound.
All knights and soldiers of the Plank Kingdom knew. The position the ‘Gryphon Knight Order’ held in the kingdom.
That Knight Order was led by the great King himself. It meant they were the strongest and highest existence in the kingdom’s military.
So for such an existence to suddenly appear at the port, the knight couldn’t help but be surprised.
Piyoooo……! Thud!
One of the Gryphons from the Gryphon Knight Order floating in the sky landed.
Whoever it was, because they were a ‘Gryphon Knight,’ the knights and soldiers guarding the port tried to show their respects.
However, because that Gryphon Knight was no ordinary person, everyone became several times more tense.
“……Commander Jereuth?!”
Clank!
As the knight recognized him and shouted, the other knights and soldiers also showed the appropriate courtesy.
Jereuth waved his hand at them and smiled.
“I am no longer the ‘Commander.’ Just an ordinary knight. You should know that, right?”
“Ah…… So- sorry! Sir Jereuth, the High-Knight!”
“You don’t have to be so tense.”
Even if he told them not to be tense, how could they not be?
Even if Jereuth had stepped down from his position as Commander after his marriage and become a regular knight, he was still a hero.
Jereuth approached Ronak. Ronak had looked tired until a moment ago, but it seemed he couldn’t maintain that in front of Jereuth, so he straightened his posture.
“It’s been a while, Comman—.”
“I said I’m not the Commander. Ah, you wouldn’t have heard. Since you were away as an envoy to the Jerpan Archipelago.”
“Yes. Did something happen? To suddenly not be the Commander……?”
“It’s nothing major, I just felt it was time for me to step down. It’s a long story if I go into detail, so let’s talk on the way. More importantly—.”
Jereuth looked at Ronak’s soldiers standing behind him and asked.
“……Did you hunt a Kraken?”
“Yes, it just happened that way.”
“What do you mean, it just happened that way…… I knew it, but it seems no one can match you at sea.”
“Haha…… Coming from you, Commander— no, Sir Jereuth, who treats me like a complete child, I feel embarrassed.”
“No, really.”
Jereuth’s voice was filled with sincerity.
Even he was not confident he could fight as well as Ronak ‘at sea.’
He was confident he could defeat any monster on land, but at sea, he felt he wouldn’t be able to display 100% of his abilities.
‘His Majesty’s choice was right after all. This time, too.’
“Let’s talk on the way.”
“Ah, yes. By the way, Sir Jereuth. There is someone I’d like to introduce.”
“Introduce?”
“Yes. She is the daughter of the Great Lord of the Jerpan Archipelago. She came with us this time as an envoy.”
As Ronak spoke, Loa, who had been standing quietly behind, walked forward.
Loa had been in a state of great intimidation since arriving at the port.
‘……Is this the Plank Kingdom? What are all these numerous ships? And what is all that grain piled up on them?’
There were many other things that surprised Loa.
The nutritional state visible in the complexions of the knights and soldiers, the bright expressions of the people coming and going from the port, and so on.
These were things one could never see in the Jerpan Archipelago.
But what surprised Loa the most.
It was the knights riding winged monsters flying in the sky.
‘For humans to be flying in the sky…….’
Since Loa was not a military expert, she didn’t know the extent of the power of ‘knights riding flying monsters.’
But one thing was certain, it would be formidable.
Just thinking simply, wouldn’t it be threatening if they just threw stones from up there?
‘As expected, we must never go to war with the Plank Kingdom. We must, must prevent war.
If we can’t, our people will be annihilated.’
“M-my name is Hideon Loa. I didn’t quite hear your conversation…… may I know your name, Sir Knight?”
As Loa spoke politely, Jereuth replied in an ordinary—yet clearly dignified—voice.
“I am Jereuth, a High-Knight, the sword of my great lord, King Leonardo.”
“……Jereuth?”
Loa’s voice trailed off, then—.
“D-don’t tell me you are the hero who single-handedly slayed thousands in the war against the demonic race?”
Loa asked in surprise.
However, Jereuth did not answer Loa.
He simply ignored her, took out a luxurious scroll from his bosom, and handed it to a port knight.
“This is an order from His Majesty. It says that any ship in the port can be requisitioned to summon Ronak and the other envoys who went to the Jerpan Archipelago, as well as the ‘Great Lord’s, or King’s daughter’ who will come from the Jerpan Archipelago, to the royal capital.”
“Yes, I understand! I will prepare the best ship then!”
“I’m counting on you.”
“Yes, yes!”
No matter that Jereuth had stepped down as commander, he was still a very important figure.
So, for such a big shot to say ‘I’m counting on you’ to him, how happy and nervous must he be.
Clank!
The port knight saluted Jereuth and Ronak, then immediately led his soldiers somewhere.
He was going to prepare the best ship for Ronak and the envoy party.
Loa tried to speak to Jereuth again.
‘If he is Sir Jereuth, he must have great influence in the Plank Kingdom. So if I persuade him, I might be able to prevent the war somehow.’
“Ex-excuse me—!”
Loa tried to strike up a conversation, but.
This time, too, Jereuth completely ignored her and spoke to Ronak.
“Well then, Ronak, let’s go get something to eat. You must not have had a proper meal on the ship.”
With Jereuth openly ignoring Loa, Ronak also decided to ignore her.
He judged that there must be a reason why Jereuth was ignoring Loa. Perhaps he had been instructed by the great King.
“To be honest, we lost most of our food while fighting the Kraken, so we couldn’t eat properly.”
“Then how did you survive?”
“We ate the Kraken’s tentacles. We also fished. It reminded me of my old pirate days, so it was fun.”
“I see.”
“What’s amazing is that after eating the Kraken’s tentacles, my broken bones and torn flesh all healed.”
“Your wounds healed?”
“Yes. That’s why the ‘comrades’ who went with me were also able to recover without dying.”
“Oh…… that’s incredible.”
“Yes. And even after slicing up the tentacles like that, they didn't spoil. The Kraken's heart, which we prepared as an offering to His Majesty, is still beating.”
“The tentacles not spoiling and the heart still beating… Come to think of it, I once heard from the mages of the Mage Tower that marine monsters have a much greater life force than ordinary monsters. Perhaps that’s why.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“So, how do the Kraken tentacles taste?”
“……Honestly, they’re not edible. They’re tough and astringent, with a sour and bitter taste as well. It seems they’re only good for medicinal purposes.”
Jereuth and Ronak made light conversation as they walked into the port. The knights and soldiers followed behind them.
Watching the knights and soldiers pass her by, Loa was flustered.
‘……What should I do?’
Jereuth and Ronak did not tell her to follow them.
From what she could tell, Jereuth had spoken to her at first but had completely ignored her since then.
It was like… dealing with an ‘enemy.’ Even if not openly hostile, that was certainly the feeling.
‘Come to think of it, Sir Jereuth said earlier. The King of Plank said he would ‘summon the Great Lord of the Jerpan Archipelago, or the King’s daughter, to the royal capital.’
That means.
‘Did that king know I was coming? How on earth did he know?’
Loa got goosebumps.
Whether it was Ronak or Jereuth, they called the king the ‘great King,’ which made her curious about what kind of person he was, and now she had seen a glimpse of him.
Aeris, her guard, spoke to the dazed Loa.
“My lady, I think it would be best to follow them. Since all our knights and soldiers died in the Kraken’s attack, we are the only envoys.”
“Ah…… ye-yes, I should. I should, but……”
Loa couldn’t bring herself to follow Jereuth and Ronak rashly.
The atmosphere around her was too unfamiliar. In the Jerpan Archipelago, as the ‘Great Lord’s daughter,’ she was treated with respect wherever she went, but here, she was being completely ignored.
‘Still, I can’t just stand here. I have to prevent the war somehow.’
Squeeze—.
Loa clenched her hand tightly and steeled her resolve.
Then, with quick steps, she passed the knights and soldiers and went toward Jereuth and Ronak.
The two were still talking amongst themselves.
“Sir- Sir Jereuth, you’re married? When on earth— no, who is she?”
“Haha, she’s an Elf. Silvia.”
“Ah, Lady Silvia……! Congratulations! How is married life?”
“Ahem, well. Honestly, I am happy. His Majesty has also been very considerate in many ways, telling me to take it easy for a while. However, this is my first time being this close to a woman, so it’s been difficult in its own way. Every day is as tense as a battlefield.”
“Haha, I see. Then, as a wedding gift, I will give you the cleanest of the Kraken’s tentacles.”
“Didn’t you just say it was inedible? To the point it should only be used as medicine.”
“That’s true, but it seems to be really good for men. It enhances one’s ‘vitality,’ so to speak.”
“……I’ll accept it gladly.”
Loa overheard their conversation. It was an unremarkable conversation one might hear between a superior and a subordinate.
The problem was that Jereuth, who was leading the conversation, didn’t mention the ‘Jerpan Archipelago,’ ‘Loa,’ or the ‘Great Lord’s daughter’ at all.
‘Sir Jereuth is definitely ignoring me. Why is he ignoring me……?’
Loa thought for a moment, then gathered her courage and spoke to Jereuth.
She felt she couldn’t continue to be ignored like this.
“Sir Jereuth, may I follow you as well?”
It was humiliating. To come as an envoy and have to ask, ‘May I follow you?’
“Who were you? Ah, you said you were an envoy from Jerpan.”
Jereuth once again made it obvious he was deliberately ignoring her—
“If you want to follow, you may. But pay for your own meal.”
“……Pay for my own meal?”
“Yes. His Majesty only ordered me to bring you to the royal capital, not to entertain you.
Besides, it makes no sense to entertain an envoy from those Jerpan bastards who are trying to attack our kingdom.”
At those words, Loa’s eyes widened.
“W-we are attacking the kingdom? What do you mean by—.”
“It’s useless to deny it. The great King has said so.”
“……”
“If the King has spoken, then it is the truth. Is there anything else you want to say?”
He only asked if she had more to say; Jereuth seemed to have no intention of listening to Loa any further.
Thump— Thump—.
He started walking towards the inner port with Ronak again.
Watching their backs, Loa realized.
‘The King of Plank already knew everything. Then he must have been preparing for war all along. But the fact that he isn't hiding it means…….’
Does it mean the Plank Kingdom doesn’t care about an attack from the Jerpan Archipelago?
Do it if you want, but you’ll have to be prepared… Is that it?
‘……The composure of the strong. The Plank Kingdom was truly strong.’
At the chilling thought that suddenly occurred to her.
Pat-pat-pat—!
Loa, without even minding her attire, ran after Jereuth. She then overtook even Jereuth and Ronak, blocking their path.
Loa took a ring off her finger, showed it to Jereuth, and said.
“This is a ring my mother gave me before she passed away. This should be enough to cover the cost of a meal.”
“……”
“So…… may I dine with you? There is something I must discuss with you, Sir Jereuth.”
Jereuth looked at Loa’s ring.
Hoo…… Heh heh.
He answered with a mixed sigh and laugh, as if to say, ‘I can’t believe this.’
“It’s been quite a while since I started serving the King, but I still cannot fathom the depths of his wisdom.”
“……What do you mean by that all of a sudden?”
“The King said so. That no matter how much I ignored you, you would somehow try to talk to me. He also said that although he hadn’t met you, you were that kind of person, which is why you’d come as an envoy yourself.”
“The King of Plank— no, His Majesty said that?”
“Yes. And he also said this. 「”The daughter of the Great Lord of the Jerpan Archipelago probably wants peace.”」 —he said.”
“……!”
“If you truly want peace for your country, you must obtain it. If you fail to bring about peace, the Jerpan Archipelago will be devastated. It will become a place with neither people nor monsters. We truly have the power to do that.”
Jereuth finished speaking as he walked past Loa.
“My King shows no mercy to his enemies.”