50 – Ship

Kurando, Iraida, and Yukishiro sat in the shade of the tree outside of the gate that they drank at last night.
Kurando didn’t open his mouth, but Iraida stared at him and waited.

While keeping silent by not saying anything and looking at Iraida who waited on him, Kurando decided.
There was no basis for it.
There was no way there could be one.
People will absolutely betray others.
And then, they absolutely won’t betray others.
It was a zen-like dialogue, but he thought that it was something like that.
Even if he doubted the character of Iraida, who had looked after him in various things, at this late point in time by thinking “would Iraida betray me”, the answer wouldn’t come out.

Maxim felt responsible for inviting her to become a Hunter, and as a result of thinking and acting as everything being for Akari’s sake, he ended up lying. Even how he brought along Orphia and the others was due to that. Akari couldn’t be allowed to be discovered by Zaul. They couldn’t allow him to think that she was alive, nor could they let him sense her location. If he were to find something even the least bit suspicious, he probably would have trampled them down with many violent acts in the name of the just cause of arresting someone on the wanted list. Even if the Alerudouria Mountain Range was a spiderweb, they wouldn’t be able to defend against them.
If Orphia’s group was around, they could pa.s.s it off with that group of oddb.a.l.l.s, and even in the worst case, they wouldn’t be able to trample them down with numbers without any questions asked.

It was the same with Orphia. Since the Explode (monster attack) occurred, even if the monsters split their rank and file, as long as they weren’t annihilated, if the Heroes that were there were to stubbornly insist on cooperating, it would have been difficult to exclude them. He understood that most likely, even if Orphia refused them, they would have entered the mountain on their own, and would have gotten in contact with him faster than Orphia’s group could have through the power of their divine protection. Orphia approved travelling together to at the very least prevent that.

There were a great number of reasons to betray him.
In that case, all that was left was nothing more than if he himself wanted to trust them.
This time, he decided that he would not do it little by little. He would not regret it.

「……It’s about the Hero.」
Kurando finally opened his mouth.
Hearing the word Hero that Kurando said, she immediately remembered about the cave, and awaited Kurando’s words.
「……I have a bit of a connection with the Hero, see. And I’m not just talking about that Hero. If possible, I don’t want to meet with any of the Heroes other than Akari. It’s that kind of relationship.
If we were to meet, in the worst case, they would come at me to kill. Threatening me, abducting me, or torturing me would also be possible. There is the possibility that they will do the opposite and get away from me, and there’s even the possibility that they will cooperate with me, but there is no mistake in thinking that things will go in a bad direction.
Besides, it would be bad if my background were to be known by someone. That is why I lied about being abandoned on the Alerudouria Mountain Range and was a refugee child that lived there by my own strength.
That is the reason for this hard to understand story. Although I had promised to go with you to Saulan, I also fear that, in the worst case, you’ll get dragged into it all. ……So what will you do?」
Yukishiro took a position behind Kurando.
It wasn’t like it was threatening her, and it wasn’t like it was letting its guard down. Stretching out so as to snuggle up to Kurando, it simply watched intently for Iraida’s response.

Iraida was finally able to comprehend various things.
About how he didn’t fuss over being a Hunter. About his secretiveness. About how he left as if running away from the Hero.
「I’ll ask this one thing but, what was up with that Hero called Erica?」
「Ahh, for that, she simply didn’t remember me. At that time, I thought that I was saved by that from the bottom of my heart, but then the Explode (monster attack) happened after that. In the end, I ended up encountering the Heroes, but as for them, it should be fine from now on so long as we don’t come into contact with each other. ……There are parts that I worry about though.」
Remembering Kuu, Erica, and Alice, Kurando wasn’t able to a.s.sert it completely.
It was because of that that he wanted to get away from this continent.
「……Fufu」
Iraida laughed.
Fearlessly.
「Same to you,

are you fine with it? I’m strong enough to be called 『Queen Bee』, I also have quite the past, there are also guys that would aim for my life even now, and you might end up getting mixed up in all that. If things go wrong, they might even investigate your origins.」
「Even if they investigate, nothing will come out. They might know if they ask the Heroes, but the Heroes probably won’t answer, but they surely wouldn’t come up with the idea of asking the Heroes in the first place. And even among the Heroes, who knows how many of them would realize it with the name Kurando.」
「Even if that’s the case, you can’t deny the possibility of it being exposed, right?」
Even Kurando was unable to deny that part.
「That’s just how it is. If I wanted to absolutely stay hidden, I would have no choice but to live in a place where there isn’t a single person around. However, where would that kind of place be? Beyond the forefront? And then how would I live. It would end with me being eaten by magic beasts.」
Even in the Alerudouria Mountain Range, it was because the master of the territory, Yukishiro, was there that Kurando was able to live there, and even if he were to search for territory from scratch, even Kurando understood that it would be difficult even if Yukishiro was there.
「If I were ta be bothered by somethin’ like the past of a fellow traveller on my journey, there’d be no end to it. When the time calls for it, dealin’ with it somehow with one’s own quick wits is what a Hunter is. Ya don’t act like a spoilt child.」
Those were indeed Iraidlike words.
It was because Kurando also understood that that he believed in her though.
「Well, I guess, I’ll be in your care from now on.」
「What’s this, sayin’ that at this point. So, is this all?」
Since this was about the secretive Kurando, Iraida simply wanted to try saying that for some reason.
And then, in the next moment, without a doubt, she felt like she was tricked by a fox.

Kurando first removed Yukishiro’s illusion.
And then, he also removed the illusion on his own hair while he was at it.
「……I got no idea where I should start gettin’ surprised from.」
Iraida was surprised, and made a wry smile.
Since he was a particularly secretive man, when she thought about what he was planning on revealing, something with some real pretext came out.
「To think that Yukishiro, was an Ireniiku.」
「Since we’ll be travelling together for a while from now on, as expected, it’s not like I can keep this hidden, right?」
Iraida squatted down, and faced Yukishiro at point-blank range.
「I did think that you weren’t a simple heavy drinker but. ……Was that alright?」
When they were drinking the night away together last night, Iraida noticed that this magical beast owned an intelligence that was hardly any different from that of a person.
That is why Iraida directly asked that to Yukishiro.
Yukishiro made a rare docile acknowledgement. It might have gotten along with the fellow heavy drinker.
Iraida caressed from Yukishiro’s neck to its cheek.
「So this is the White Phantom. I’ll be in yer care from now on.」
――Guau.
Yukishiro also made a cry that sounded like it was giving its regards.
Iraida looked up at Kurando while still squatting.
The cleavage of Iraida’s large chest barged into Kurando’s eyes.
「So, yer either an Origin holder, or a Magic Tool holder. Either way, it’s no wonder ya didn’t really get into Magic Tools.」
「……That’s a secret.」
Kurando averted his eyes a bit.
「It’s this.」
Iraida talked to Yukishiro saying “Your master just doesn’t get it”.
――Guaugau
Yukishiro sounded dissatisfied as it cried that as if to say “I am the guardian”.

And then, the next day.
Iraida vacated the inn, and waited for Kurando outside of the gate.
That being said, since Kurando was in a place that could be seen from the gate, Kurando also noticed her immediately.
Carrying his newly bought leather-covered trunk and food rucksack, Kurando joined up with Iraida.
「Good morning.」
「Good morning. Well then, let’s go.」
Saying that, without facing the gate, Iraida started walking along the stone wall.
「Nn? Where are we going?」
Iraida breathed her usual sigh at Kurando’s question.
「And how do you plan on enterin’ the town with Yukishiro?」
While it was a bit late, Kurando was made to realize that point.
「……If it’s just the port, there’s a place it can enter by going along the stone wall. Come on, let’s go.」
Saying that, Iraida started walking.
Kurando and Yukishiro did nothing but follow her like ducklings.

When they were getting on the ship, there was a single trouble, but Kurando, Iraida, and Yukishiro were able to safely get onboard the ship.
Although it was a single

single trouble, it was just that the sailors that saw Yukishiro were surprised, and ran to the captain’s cabin.
As expected, although they were muscular sailors, seeming like they didn’t think that they could handle Yukishiro, who had the appearance of a large black panther, with brute force, and with the thought that there was surely a faint conflict about the fare flickering in their heads, they ran to the captain’s cabin.
But surprisingly, the captain was only a little surprised even after seeing Yukishiro and let them on board.

There were several reasons why Yukishiro was smoothly let onboard the ship.
How there was the intent to pay for it along with Kurando as two person’s worth which came out to 20,000 Rodo.
How Yukishiro was extraordinarily smart, and was properly disciplined.
And, above all, the dark green band was effective.
In the frontiers, respect for the Moon G.o.ddess Faith was that strong.
It’s not like the 『Maluuna Nyuumu (the Moon G.o.ddess’s attendants)』 were just Orphia and the others, there were several groups with Cheif Ladies-in-waiting that went around to remote regions all over the world.
Saulan was no exception to that.
The captain, who was well-versed in the blessings and faith of the 『Maluuna Nyuumu』, determined that if it was a person and a magical beast that those women would vouch for, then there wasn’t a problem with it.
Yukishiro was covered in Kurando’s illusion, but the dark green band on its forefoot was made to be visible, and even Kurando, although it was hidden in his sleeve, he made it so that he could show it at any time.
It seemed that that had bore fruit.

The ship caught wind in its sails, and nimbly advanced on the sea.
It had already separated from the sh.o.r.e quite a bit, and it had become small.
The ones enjoying the gentle blowing breeze and morning sun on the deck were Kurando and Yukishiro.
Maybe because the waves weren’t rough, the ship didn’t shake all that much.
In truth, Kurando was relieved from the bottom of his heart.
And then, he made a rare prayer. Asking that everything stay like this, without getting rough.
Kurando feared seasickness as much as he did the Heroes.

The ship that Kurando was on board, the Al Meed, had three masts and several large sails, and had the appearance of a small but wide galley ship.
The part of furling and unfurling of the sails seemed to need human effort, but even so, the Al Meed was by no means slow.
Even now, several Wind Spirit User sailors were facing towards those large sails, and were gently gathering the wind that was flowing in the vicinity. The long oars that were sticking out on both side of the ship were slowly working, giving the ship even more speed. Of course, what was moving the oars weren’t slaves, but automatic Magic Tools.
With all of this, they might arrive before he gets seasick.
However, that wishful thinking of Kurando’s, that a.s.sumption that was similar to escapism, was broken by Iraida who had appeared behind him.
「Going at this rate, we should arrive by around the half month. The captain was delighted by how the winds and the currents were doin’ well.」
By half month, it meant the 51st day, the day right in the middle of the month.
Kurando fell into despair.
The sea not getting rough for a little more than 50 days. As expected, that was impossible.
「……Why’re ya makin’ that face that looks like it’s the end of the world?」
Forgetting to even answer to Iraida, Kurando leaned all of his body weight onto Yukishiro, and went limp.
Just from hearing Iraida’s words, Kurando felt like he got a bit seasick.
Yukishiro, whom he had leaned all of his body weight on, made a face as if to say that he was a helpless guy, and after putting Kurando on its back with its tail just like that, it started walking towards the cabins.
「Seein’ this, ya just can’t tell which one of them is the guardian.」
Iraida breathed a sigh.

「……So it’s seasickness.」
After a little while, Iraida breathed her nth sigh.
「Even though you get seasick, why’d ya go outta yer way to go to the desert on a ship. You just said that ya wanted to run away from the Heroes, right? To begin with, although it’s only a small number of ‘em, I’ve heard that there are Heroes even in Saulan.」
While being tormented by nausea, Kurando was lying down in the cabin, but hearing those words, he twitched in response.
「……So there are some?」
「Ain’t it obvious that there are? Or more like, there ain’t a continent that doesn’t have any, ya know?」
Kurando’s nausea grew even worse.
「Did ya not know? Well, it looks like Alubaum has about half of them though. Officially, it’s humane a.s.sistance as a sign of friendship. But

friendship. But as for the truth, it’s probably because they received concentrated fire from the other countries tellin’ them not to monopolize the Heroes. Even if Alebaum is a major nation, they can’t be goin’ to war with countries in the continent.」
「……Even so, it’s better than being close to Alubaum.」
While saying “I guess it’s like that”, Iraida rubbed Kurando’s back.
「Sorry about this. Well, after this, I’d like to draw some pictures, or play the flute.」
「……I’ve decided to stop thinkin’ of ya as a Hunter already. …Come to think of it, your pictures, I’ve never seen any of ‘em.」
When he got close to the luggage as if he were crawling in the cabin, Kurando took out his notebook, and handed it to Iraida.
「……You, you were in the Alerudouria Mountain Range, right?」
「Yes, that’s right.」
「……Then why, are there women in all of the pictures?」
「What’s so fun about drawing men? I can live even if I just leave men alone, and they aren’t interesting at all.」
Kurando was making a face as if he found what she asked to be extremely strange.
「Besides, it would be too dull if it were just scenery. For me, the world is there because people are there, and I find it fun thinking about the meaning of that world, at that time.」
「Seems like it’s not like ya hate people.」
「I’m also a person, you know? There’s no way I would hate them.」
By no means did Kurando hate people.
If he hated them, he wouldn’t save anyone, nor would he get involved with anyone.
It’s just that he wasn’t able to get along very well with society.

The ship turned the rudder to go southeast from Oslon, and about ten days pa.s.sed.
As for Kurando, he had already turned into a pale Slime, and was limp.
Even now, he was sticking his face out at the sea on the deck and hanging his head.
Yukishiro, ever since it saw Iraida rubbing Kurando’s back one time, had been imitating that action.
Naturally, with its tail.
Even now, with a look that said “what a troublesome fellow”, it was rubbing Kurando’s back.
「……Ueppu.」
Only the ruins of his breakfast flowed into the sea.
While feeling Yukishiro’s warmth on his back, Kurando was unable to do anything but gaze at that.

――Because of that, he noticed.

That the contents of his stomach, were unnaturally washed away.
「……Iraida.」
Kurando called for Iraida with a voice that sounded like he was going to die.
「What is it, honestly. Showin’ me somethin’, like, that……」
Iraida’s complexion changed.
And then, she immediately surveyed the surroundings.
The vicinity had strangly become busy.
Wondering “is it a magical beast”, Iraida looked at the escorts, but it seemed that even the escorts didn’t grasp the situation, were being vigilant of the surroundings without letting their guard down just like Iraida, and were speaking with the sailors to figure out what was going on.
Mercenaries and Hunters that specialized in battles against magical beasts and could even be said to be specialists with magical beasts of the sea were hired and on the ship, but seeing as how they didn’t understand what was going on either, was it not magical beasts?
Iraida searched for the captain.
「――Wait.」
Kurando, who had a pale face, pulled Iraida’s waist to stop her.
「Wh, what’re ya doin’, at a time like this.」
Saying that, Kurando’s face that was looking down was serious.
Looking closely, even Yukishiro had wrapped its tail around Kurando as well as herself, and was sticking close to Kurando.
Kurando quitely said “it’s coming”. At this time, Kurando had already searched the sea with Water Spirits and noticed it.
The reckless movements of the Water Spirits, the mischief of the spirits.

And then, the ship, was split right in half.

As if they were oriental dragons, the roaring ocean currents bit away the bottom of the ship along with the physical barrier that covered the ship.
The oars were broken off, and the masts were broken down.
Being at the stern of the ship, Kurando’s group could to nothing but cling to the ship due to the incredible impact.
There was a faint bellow and the sound of the ship’s destruction.
Rumbling and wriggling, there were several ocean currents.
Just like starving wolves jumping at a carca.s.s that they finally found,

Several dragons bit at the ship.

What an absurd sea.
While floating in the sea, Kurando was unable to do anything but make a strained laugh.
Even Yukishiro, on its first time at sea, despite having encountered this absurd of a phenomenon, it carefreely sprawled out.
「……You’re surprisingly composed, ain’t ya.」
Iraida was making a slightly haggard face, but her voice had the usual tone.
「No, I can’t do anything but laugh at something like that. I had only read about it in books, but that was probably one of those things called the Spirits’ pranks.」
「Looks like it./>「Looks like it. This is also my first one at sea.」
「If something like this were to happen often, then not even the Water Spirit Using sailors would be able to do anything about it.」
「As if somethin’ like that would happen every time. At most, it’d be once a month.」
Since one month was a hundred days, that meant that it would happen about four times in a year.
Kurando wasn’t able to tell if that was a lot or a little though.

Right now, in the middle of the sea, Kurando’s group was packed in an irregular sphere of ice, and were floating in the sea.
It was something that, at that time just before the ship was completely destroyed and they were thrown out to sea, Kurando used the Ice Spirits that coiled about the Ice Warrior’s round shield to create
Since there weren’t any Ice Spirits in the sea, Kurando used the Ice Spirits of the shield, but since it would have to cover them, that was the best he could do. They didn’t have the leeway to save the other sailors or Hunters.
At sea, if it was about Water Spirits, there were enough of them to be able to use Spirit Magic of the highest grade, but there were no Ice Spirits.
Water Spirits and Ice Spirits had a relationship like both sides of the same coin.
If one were to express that contradiction with knowledge, what froze Water Spirits was Ice Spirits, and what melted Ice Spririts was Water Spirits. Therefore, when there are a lot of Water Spirits, there are fewer Ice Spirits, and when there are a lot of Ice Spirits, there are fewer Water Spirits.
With that being the case, the question of “which came first, the Water Spirits or the Ice Spirits” but that is something that Spirit scholars have been disputing over for the past two hundred years. Furthermore, there was even the question of “which came first, water or Water Spirits”, but neither question has reached a conclusion even now.

Putting that aside, Kurando’s group was thrown out to sea, but fortunately, they weren’t troubled in terms of food.
Being told by Iraida that the luggage to be left in the cabin should only be things that were okay even if they were stolen, he had brought his luggage onto the deck, and thanks to that, even though the ship was broken, they didn’t end up losing their luggage.
Kurando’s group was jostled about by the large waves and ocean currents the whole day up until now, but even now, they were being carried away somewhere at a terrifying speed.
Or rather, every time they would be hit by the ocean current that was like a dragon even now, cracks would appear, and as a result of continuously repairing the ice that looked like it would break, they were simply carried along, and at times where he didn’t make it in time to repair the ice, they would end up being thrown into the sea right there.
However, there wasn’t an island or a continent anywhere in their surroundings.

「Can you tell where we’re being carried off to?」
Iraida shook her head at Kurando’s words.
「I see. Then, how’s your handling of Ice Spirits?」
「There are a lot of Giants that originate from cold places, but for some reason, my affinity with Ice Spirits has been bad since birth. My affinity with Wind and Fire is good though.」
「In that case, if my and Yukishiro’s magical power runs out, we’ll go splash.」
「……’Bout how long does it seem like we’ll last?」
「At this rate, it’ll just barely be ten days. Any more than that and our bodies won’t be able to hold out.」
「So it’s ten days even if you and Yukishiro take turns huh. Thinkin’ of it like that, it’ll be about eleven days even if we put in my portion worth of magical power.」
「Until then, it’ll have to either be that the Water Spirits lose interest in us, or we get washed up somewhere.」
Kurando and Iraida breath sighs.
「Well, just in case we do get separated, if we do get washed up somewhere, I guess we should leave a way to get into contact with each other at the nearest Guild.」
「Heeh, so that sort of thing is possible.」
「It’s only for emergencies. By doin’ that, we’ll be able to contact each other someday no matter which Guild we’re at. ……If we’re not greatly separated though.」

After arranging things like that with Iraida, eleven days pa.s.sed.
Iraida had already pa.s.sed out, and even Yukishiro, who had perservered more than anyone else, was completely exhausted.
Even Kurando was aware that he would fall at any moment.
Suddenly, a black shadow outside of the ice could be seen.
「――Land huh.」
The moment he shouted that, the ice broke completely, and the three of them were swallowed by the sea.