The clothes that suit a baseball boy best, should be mud-stained uniforms and sports clothes.

When I’m in a no-nationality chef’s outfit, complete with a long ap.r.o.n in the front and a floral bandana around my head, even if I’m complimented by others, I can’t bring myself to be happy about it.

“I thought Yuuri looks really good like that, so I asked the chef to bring his uniform.”

Even if the compliment comes from an unparalleled pretty boy, as fantastical as flowers.

“And you do need a change of clothes, right?”

“…Thanks.”

I accept the neatly-folded stack of clothes from Saralegui, who is c.o.c.king his head to a side and giving me a blossoming smile. Yup, it is a set of starched chef’s uniform.

“Waa— It’s brand new, too—”

No, no, my tone, it sounds as flat as a textbook recital, I have to accept his nice intentions happily.

“But clothes should rightly be a bit dirtier! Sara, eventually they’ll get dirty anyway. Dressing up so white and handsomely, will actually be rather c.u.mbersome. Ah, or maybe I should just be a bona fide kitchen apprentice, and go peel some potatoes in the dining room.”

“What are you talking about, Yuuri!”

Saralegui grabs my right hand tightly with his fair and slender fingers.

His reaction and the skin contact are surprisingly agitated, seems like his fantastical appearance hides a rather pa.s.sionate side of him.

“You are my very important guest, how can I let you work together with the employees outside? Besides, the sunlight and the sea breeze are very strong on the ocean, if you catch a cold, how can I face the people of s.h.i.+n Makoku?”

“Even so, my pockets are completely empty, so I can’t even give you a transportation fee or hand gift. If I ride your s.h.i.+p for nothing like this, I’ll feel uneasy.”

“No one here will think you’re riding for free! You and your friend saved my life, you could say Shou s.h.i.+maron is in your debt.”

The friend he’s talking about is Wolfram.

Because the borrowed cloak caused Wolfram to be mistaken for Saralegui, and then he was shot in the chest by the rebelling Maxine’s subordinate.

It’s all thanks to the protection of the Poison Lady that he’s fine now, but back then my mind had really gone blank with the shock.

And so, after travelling urgently on business from j.a.pan to this world, I’m now, for some specific reasons, on the boat of a long-time enemy country, Shou s.h.i.+maron, and together with the seventeen-year-old tailor-made-for-the-throne Shou s.h.i.+maron king, Saralegui, no less.

And our destination is way at the ends of the seas, somewhere not even stated on a map, the country locked away for 2000 years, Seisakoku.

This trip is aiming for the s.h.i.+nzoku’s mysterious homeland, in the hopes of discussing the possibility of restoring diplomatic relations between us.

Although it’s an amba.s.sadorial envoy led by the king, the s.h.i.+p we’re riding seems a bit simple.

Still, three days in the storm hasn’t affected it at all, proving that it is indeed stronger than it looks.

Though due to the vessel’s slight… no, considerable age, the paint on the outside is peeling in many places.

Not only isn’t there a beautiful G.o.ddess statue on its helm, even the railings don’t have any animal carvings.

Unsurprising, because this was never a king’s flags.h.i.+p. Instead, it’s a cargo s.h.i.+p meant to bring offerings to Seisakoku.

Although this situation was caused by accidents beyond anyone’s predictions, but they can’t let a king sail on a lone s.h.i.+p no matter what, so they had summoned some of the medium-sized s.h.i.+ps in the Shou s.h.i.+maron outer waters to take up guard duty mid-way. That’s why we don’t need any self-defense equipment, and there are enough rooms for the crew of both the flags.h.i.+p and the cargo s.h.i.+p to live in.

Thrown into a panic by the presence of the king, the captain had even prepared s.p.a.cious and beautiful cabins for the king and his guests.

Despite all the preparations, Saralegui still sighed in surprise—looks like he can only rest in a luxurious bedroom.

Though that room is a lot bigger than the living room back home.

Even though these are pretty good circ.u.mstances for a cargo s.h.i.+p, but it’s still torturous to stay with someone you’ve just met, twenty-four seven.

And Saralegui is the young king of a large country, unlike me, he’s a royal heir from a famous family.

If you want me to stay in the same room as him all day, just that awkward atmosphere will be enough to suffocate me.

Maybe if he studied at a public high school too, we’d still have something to talk about.

Unfortunately, I was born in a commoner’s family, and studied at fairly standard public middle, middle high, and high schools.

I didn’t have any friends who are n.o.bility, and neither do I like riding horses.

For my graduation trip I always went to Kyoto, and would get a las.h.i.+ng from the teacher for pillow fighting.

As for Saralagui, he even wears silk nightclothes to sleep.

Pretty boys’ pajamas must be made of silk, that seems to be a rule in this world.

As for someone like me, who feels bothered wearing even shorts and a T-s.h.i.+rt to sleep, the silk nightclothes that are sometimes there and sometimes not, are practically maiming my eyes.

In the middle of the night when I went to the bathroom, I even thought I’d accidentally walked into a girl’s room, and got such a shock.

At first all our belongings were kept it a luxury ferry, pretty as picture and docked in the Saralegui War Port. Who would have thought that just as we were setting sail, there was a political upheaval, and we barely escaped with our lives into this accompanying cargo s.h.i.+p.

Although all that happened more than ten days ago, but just thinking about the situation back then still makes my heart ache, and a certain spot deep in my mind heat up.

The hands that were gripping mine so tightly. Loosening with the indescribable sound of a stick plunging into the sand, and the body next to me falling slowly.

Wolfram with an arrow sticking out of his chest, fell backwards onto the deck, engulfed in flames.

When I grabbed the middle part, it felt exceptionally cold.

“…ri, Yuuri!”

“Ah?”

Saralegui’s fair and slender fingers are shaking my shoulders, and he’s staring at me with an expression of concern.

Since there’s a pale colored lens between us, I can’t see the color of his eyes.

Those sungla.s.ses are meant to protect his eyes from the light and the heat, so unless he’s sleeping, he always wears them.

“What’s the matter? Are you not feeling well? Didn’t you say you don’t get seasick?”

“Relax, relax, I’m fine. I was just feeling a little breathless, that’s all.”

“Breathless? Uh-oh, I’ll go open the windows.”

“Ah~ It’s okay, it’s okay! I’ll just go out for a breather. Seems like if I’m cooped up indoors, I can’t calm down at all!”

And so I abandon my unhappy roommate and leave the room, closing the door behind me, then going with nature and heaving a long, long sigh.

Only now do my tense shoulders relax.

For some reason, I get really nervous whenever I’m alone with Saralegui.

On the wide open deck, I enjoy the sea breeze and prepare to break my own squats record.

“Something happened?”

“Waa!”

The very neutral and husky voice comes from right beside me, forcing me to make a very embarra.s.sing scream.

“D-d-don’t suddenly speak up like that! Y-you scared the h.e.l.l out of me.”

“A lady never makes a noise when walking, and Gurrier is very graceful, y’know.”

s.h.i.+n Makoku’s spy self-indulgently flexes his muscles.

Sometimes a well-honed spy infiltrating another country, sometimes the most reliable bodyguard in history’s lowest staffed amba.s.sadorial envoy, sometimes the flower of the party dressed in magnificent evening clothes… He is Gurrier Josak.

The scary thing is, he still gets tons of invitations, and has almost never known what it’s like to be a wallflower.

Seems that different people have different interests, after all.

“Why d’you suddenly pop up from the corner of the corridor?!”

“Because this s.h.i.+p doesn’t have an extra layer under the floorboards, or an extra layer on the ceiling, but we spies are the best at hiding in dark and damp spots…”

“And Josak… Why are you wearing the long-sleeved ap.r.o.n of a cafeteria auntie…”

His most incredible skill is his seamless disguises, there’s not any bit of awkwardness in it.

“Isn’t it obvious? Of course it’s to match the Young Master, and I won’t ever let you leave any food uneaten—”

I feel as though he’s stuck a sour plum on my forehead.

Although he looks a bit disorienting, I know that once he has a weapon in his hands, he’s the most capable soldier.

Only now he has a pan and a ladle in those hands.

“But what’s up with you? Sighing so long just now, that’s not like you at all.”

“You say it like I’m always carefree. Right, right, so I’m someone with no brains and all brawn!”

“I would never say something so rude-- Ah, but Gurrier likes bodybuilding. After all that’s a pretty good hobby, too.”

“Don’t tell me, you flex your pecs even when you’re bored with nothing else to do…”

And flexing both sides in rhythm.

The two of us, in brand new kitchen uniform and a long sleeved ap.r.o.n respectively, come to the chilly, windy deck.

The sun is high in the sky, so it should be past noon now. But it seems that the temperature in these parts of the seas is real low all year round, the ocean surface is greyish-blue, and the waves are fairly high too.

“Because there’s a cold current. This is far north, quite a distance away from s.h.i.+n Makoku, aren’t you cold?”

“Cold? Ah~ Right.” Now that he mentions it, I realize that the muscles in my body are all taut, it’s because of the cold air here, making my body naturally contract. If I did rigorous exercises the way I am now, my skin and flesh will probably split right open.

“Right—Then I’ll just do some warm-ups, first some simple stretches and slow jogging.”

Josak’s brows immediately sag downwards. This is not surprising either, because whenever I’m free, I’ll drag him jogging with me.

“More jogging? Really, since I escaped from the army academy life where I was tortured by the seniors, I haven’t run like this.”

“Actually, you don’t have to force yourself to accompany me!”

“Nonono, please let me accompany milord. In fact, I even wish we could sleep in the same room.”

“…When it comes to the rooms, I’d advise you not to accompany me.”

Josak asks me, who’s staring into the sky wordlessly, “Why?” Although it’s not something I should announce to the whole world, but I say it anyway.

“Becauses Sara is a lingerie-wearing s.e.xy king!”

Only thing is, if something small like this makes him lose his confidence, I’ll feel troubled; if it fires him up and causes him to wear a s.e.xy long-sleeved ap.r.o.n, I’ll be even more troubled.

After some simple stretches, I start jogging around the deck.

Just when I touch the mast at the s.h.i.+p’s stern for the second time, my foot gets caught on the ropes, and I lose my balance.

“Careful!”

Josak grabs my waist just in time.

I’m saved, thank goodness I didn’t have to crash into that stack of cargo left out here to brave the weather.

Just as I shake my head and prepare to lift myself up, although I wasn’t paying any particular attention to it, my gaze just happens to wander to the shadows of the wooden crates.

“Eh?”

A young woman is squatting by the boxes.

Both her hands are pressed against the peeling paint on the wood, her thin body gently holding her breath.

When our eyes meet, she resists the urge to scream, moving away from me using her knees, her lashes and lips trembling.

“Who…”

Before I can ask her ‘who are you’, she’s already stood up.

Her eyes are wide with terror, eyes that are clearly golden even under the sun.

She turns back as she tries to escape the scene, and that long hair floats by before me.

Even her hair is golden, although filth has turned it pale grey.

“Wait, please wait a moment! I won’t do anything to you!”

“Aiya, Young Master, there’s no need to look so desperate[1]… Ah~ It looks like there’s no need to put up a chase anymore, perfect.”

Just as Josak said, the woman is turning back.

Since she had changed directions as soon as she started running earlier, now her stick-like legs are both shaking like leaves.

Now I accidentally notice that she’s barefoot, and not wearing any decent clothes either in this cold air. All she has is a piece of cloth, worn in the fas.h.i.+on of the Yayoi period, tied at the waist with a piece of rope.

Her arms and neck are really thin too, even her indistinguishable scream sounds weak.

She curls up in the dark beside the cargo, holding her head in her hands. Her back continue to shake nonstop, what on earth is she so scared about?

“Um…”

Before I can even touch her with my outstretched hand, she’s already so terrified her shoulders are shuddering.

Just then, some angry male voices come from the stair leading to the storage hold.

Their conversing voices come closer and closer, making it obvious they’re looking for someone. The woman desperately curls up her body, covering her ears, too scared to move. There’s no mistaking it, she’s the target the men are after.

“There’s no point in hiding, they’ll flush her out eventually… If she hides in the boxes, she might still have a shot of making it past them. d.a.m.n, why are all of them covered?!”

I frantically fumble with the cargo, looking for something that opens, but every surface is firmly nailed shut.

The spy beside me can’t bear to watch anymore, so he puts his hands to the edges of the boxes, and starts pulling at them forcefully.

The entire side of the box rips away in his hands, those biceps really can do anything.

“It’s all thanks to you, Josak, I’m sure your mother was a beauty who looked great in an evening dress.”

“You meant, my dad.”

We hurriedly stuff the thin body into the box, then casually put the boards back in place.

In case the boards fall down again, we use our backs to hold them there.

That’s when the crew, yelling loudly, notice us and run over.

The sleeves on their clothes have been deliberately ripped off, as though they’re showing off how thick their arms are.

“Deepest apologies, milords.”

“W-what be the matter?”

c.r.a.p, I’m talking like historical drama again.

Whenever I purposely want to sound authoritative, I’ll unconsciously use this manner of speaking.

After all, I haven’t learned the proper manner of n.o.bility a king or ruler should have.

“Have you seen a young woman?”

“No, no. W-we didn’t see any stowaways!”

The two crewmen c.o.c.k their heads out on confusion at my answer. Their light brown ponytails even swing about gracefully.

I said something I shouldn’t have, didn’t I?

“There aren’t any stowaways aboard this s.h.i.+p.”

“Is that so? That’s great. What a bother, stowing away has become an up and coming culture amongst the youths, like in j.a.pan, we have a saying, ‘whatever happens, we have to stow away first’.”

There’s no such saying!

“We’re not looking for stowaways, but Seisakoku’s…”

“Are you deaf? My young master already said he doesn’t know anything.”

Stunned by my ridiculous excuse, Josak presently starts cracking his fingers, looking as though he was getting ready to play it rough.

“Right, who wants to be the maidmer princess’ lunch?”

The crewmen’s expression changes abruptly. But hmm, I didn’t know mermaid princesses were carnivorous?

“Y-y-y-y-you said, be their lunch?”

“Not that way, I saw her head for the control room.”

Right then, a figure with a familiar gait, walks over to us from a cabin in front of the mast, near the bow.

He’s wearing a uniform different from anyone else on this s.h.i.+p.

Different from the aqua blue-based Shou s.h.i.+maron army uniform, his outfit is yellow and white, reminiscent of desert sand.

He is the Dai s.h.i.+maron amba.s.sador traveling with us, Lord Weller Conrad.

“You should be looking in the opposite direction.”

After all, he is the royal amba.s.sador from a neighboring country of higher position.

Perhaps they know that disobeying orders now will be a direct slap to the other party’s face, because the crewmen reluctantly take their leave.

Standing before us, who had our backs against the wooden boxes, Lord Weller says in a low voice, “I honestly can’t quite approve of your methods.”

At first I thought he was blaming me for hiding the stowaways, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.

After scrutinizing me from top to bottom, he hands over his brown coat, saying,

“Dressing like this and coming out into the sea breeze. You’ll catch a cold.”

I softly turn my head to the other side.

“No need, I don’t want to borrow another country’s uniform.”

“These are my own casual clothes.”

“I appreciate the intention.”

Lord Weller turns his gaze to Josak. The spy raises both hands, saying in a light and mischievous tone,

“Don’t look at me like that!”

And then he continues,

“I didn’t do anything, and I didn’t give him any funny ideas either.”

“It’s true, no one gave me any ideas. It’s because I don’t feel cold, so I don’t want to borrow anyone else’s clothes. Even if I need to, I will borrow Saralegui’s, that’s all.”

“…If so, you should go and get it from him quickly, or it’ll be too late when you start feeling uncomfortable.”

“I think you’re worrying about the wrong person.”

He doesn’t answer, narrowing his eyes, and the scar on his brow even twitches a little.

“Sara is in the bedroom, is it okay for you to be away from him?”

“This is his s.h.i.+p. As long as there’s no big crisis, Shou s.h.i.+maron’s Saralegui should logically be very safe. That’s right, as long as there’s no big crisis.”

Lord Weller pulls back his left hand, his expression still unreadable.

I look at the joint with its natural movements, but I can’t stop thinking, is that a real hand?

Is his left arm real?

Or is it a well-crafted prosthetic, which looks and works just like living flesh and bone?

But is there really a prosthetic that’s as soft and warm as real human skin in this world?

And there’d probably be the von Karbelnikoff stamp near the arm, too.

My imagination is interrupted at the moment Lady Anissina smiles knowingly, because the wooden box behind me shakes slightly.

c.r.a.p, we forgot about the stowaway in the box. We can’t have her running out of air to breathe, so we hurriedly take away the wooden boards.

The woman tumbles out of the box, taking a deep breath of fresh air and then sneezing loudly, and not just once or twice either.

She doesn’t stop sneezing, and as the ones who helped hide her, we feel really guilty about it.

“Sorry, turns out there’s pepper inside, huh.”

She puts her hands on her unsteady knees, trying to stand.

That’s when I carefully reevaluate this sneaky stowaway, and honestly calling her a woman doesn’t seem too appropriate.

She’s more or less my age, or maybe she’s just one or two years older than me? Those golden eyes, filled with terror and staring at us, are fairly large, and those stick-like limbs poke out of clothes that look like they come from the Joumon or the Yayoi period.

But despite her skinniness, her chest is surprising large and eye-catching. So much so that I don’t know where to look, finally resorting to staring at the sky.

“Your… chest… is… really… big… Waa! S-sorry!”

I actually said something that sounds like s.e.xual hara.s.sment!

“Young Master, really, why should you get all fl.u.s.tered over those fakes? Those are obviously stuffed. Outsiders might be fooled, but you won’t get past my eyes!”

“Because your chest is pure and genuine muscle… Waa!”

While I’m thrown into a panic by the b.u.mps under the thin clothes, something hard and heavy suddenly lands on my foot!

It’s a can with red and white labels.

The girl hurriedly kneels to the ground and picks up the fallen can, cradling it. From the slit in her clothes, I can even see the bread stuffed down her chest.

“Ah, a manmade chest!”

“See!”

The spy who believes that men should have D cup laughs, telling me ‘I told you so!’ with a look. Seems like she couldn’t bear her hunger while stowing away, so she stole some food from the kitchen, and even now she’s desperately protecting the food so we can’t s.n.a.t.c.h it away.

“I won’t take it! I won’t take away those things, so please stop grabbing your chest! Ah, otherwise my nose will starts spraying Gun… Gun Juices!”

“Once you know they’re fakes, even the desire seems hollow,” taken from s.e.xual hara.s.sment Senryuu[2].

Lord Weller quickly surveys the surroundings, and after making sure the crew didn’t see anything, he pushes the girl’s back, saying urgently,

“She’s a s.h.i.+nzoku, I’m afraid we won’t be able to communicate with her.”

“It’s best if we get her back as soon as possible.”

“Back? Back where? Although there are plenty of places in my room where she can hide, unfortunately this time I’m bunking in with Sara. Ah! That’s right, give me that coat just now.”

There are already gooseb.u.mps on her exposed shoulders.

“It’s for her. If you’re willing, can you lend it to her.”

“Of course.”

For a moment there, I felt as though Conrad smiled, or it could be the strong winds forced him to arch his eyes.

He puts the coat over the girl without a hint of displeasure. At least he’s as gentlemanly as he used to be.

“Anyway, first we have to find you a room to stay in. Josak, is there anywhere she can hide around your place?”

He replies with a shrug.

Looks like he’s also stuck with the captain, who had arranged for Saralegui and me to be in the same room.

“How about Lord Weller’s place? Although it’s near the crew’s cabins, he has a single room. Because he’s Dai s.h.i.+maron’s amba.s.sador.”

“If it’s just her, of course there wouldn’t be a problem lending it to her as a hideout.”

“Eh, what? She didn’t stow away alone… Ah!”

Carefully appraising her surroundings, the girl breaks free from us and starts running forth.

As she’s running, she even purposely bends her body forward, to prevent the food she’s carrying in her chest from falling, as fast as a rabbit.

“Wait a sec!”

I hurriedly give chase, but she climbs down the ladder in the stern, pa.s.sing through the storage hold we’ve never been in, finally pulling up the last floorboard. There’s instantly a smell of salt.w.a.ter even stronger than the sea breeze.

“Wait up, you!”

“Your Majesty, don’t run too far in!”

Before my belt is grabbed, I’m already climbing down a ladder that will break at any moment.

Although my palm is being p.r.i.c.ked by the wood, but it’s taking all I got just to prevent myself from falling, so I don’t have the effort to worry about splinters.

“What happened to that girl? Don’t tell me she lost her footing and fell onto the shelves?” I look down warily, but I never thought—

“Eh…”

Suddenly, countless lights s.h.i.+ne up simultaneously from the bottom of the s.h.i.+p.

It’s not the light from fireflies or marine animals, those are eyes, the eyes of sentient beings.

This reminds me of the time I was surrounded by rats in the sewers, forcing a cold sweat on my back. My fingers start trembling, and I nearly fall.

“Your Majesty!"

“Young Master, are you all… Aiyaya, looks like we’ve discovered some rather troubling cargo.”

Josak and Lord Weller actually look panicked, reaching out frantically and grabbing my clothes tightly.

“Why are there so many people at the bottom of the boat… Is this entire group stowaways?!”

“They’re not in here of their own free will.”

Lord Weller seems to know some inside information.

As I’m pulled up, I feel that painful, needle-sharp gaze.

Only I don’t know if it represents disgust or curiosity.

“They’re all s.h.i.+nzoku. s.h.i.+nzoku who had wandered to s.h.i.+maron from Seisakoku, and are now being deported back to their home country.

Their eyes are all golden.

The weak rays of light s.h.i.+ning in from the cracks, make their silent eyes glimmer.