The Veronian Galley

A day had passed since the solstice festival.

I headed to the plaza in front of the city gates to go fishing like I'd promised Tanta and

the others.

"It's fishing time!" Tanta said.

"Yeah!" I raised my rod in reply.

Rit, Ruti, Tisse, Tanta, and I had all gathered.

"Hm? Where's Gonz?" I asked.

"Uncle Gonz drank too much at the festival yesterday. He said he'll pass for today. I

think he's sleeping off the hangover."

"It was his idea to go fishing in the first place."

"He took your medicine, so I think he'll be all right by lunchtime."

Sheesh.

"Fine then, guess we'll just go ourselves."

Tanta nodded excitedly. "Okay!"

Perhaps he'd been worried that the trip would be canceled because of Gonz? He

laughed as I patted his head to reassure him.

"I've got food for everyone, too," Rit said as she held out the large basket she was

carrying. Numerous foods had been packed into it. I had made them all, of course. "So,

where are we going?"

"I was thinking we could maybe rent some horses and ride to the sea," I replied.

"In that case, Rit and I can summon some spirit beasts," Ruti stated.

"Is that okay with you, Rit?" I asked.

"Of course!"

With that settled, we ventured beyond Zoltan's gate. We'd set out from town on a

journey to the Wall at the End of the World a few days ago, but it was for a far more

relaxed trip this time.

Once we were out of the town, Rit summoned a pair of spirit dire wolves, and Ruti

conjured two spirit steeds. Rit's wolves rivaled bears in size, and Ruti's horses had

beautiful white coats and came equipped with saddles and reins.

Tanta looked shocked initially, but he quickly settled down. One of the wolves carefully

grabbed Tanta's clothes with its mouth and lifted him onto its back.

"So cool!" Tanta was petting the spirit beast's fur excitedly. Evidently, he was enjoying

himself.

"I guess you're good there then. I'll ride with you." I hopped up onto the wolf's back,

sitting behind Tanta.

"Are you sure? Wouldn't the horse be better since it has a saddle?" Rit questioned.

"We'll be fine," I assured her.

The dire wolf snorted in response to Rit's worrying, as if to say, "Leave it to me."

Tanta grew even more excited at that. His eyes were sparkling as he clung to the wolf's

neck.

Simply put, fishing was profound.

Of all the skills in the world, there were only three related to it—the common skills

Fishing and Angling, and the inherent skill Advanced Fishing. That last one was only

available to blessings like Fisher and Angler.

I'd taken the Fishing skill and raised it to level 3. Doing so granted me Improved

Visibility Through Water. The effect was pretty self-explanatory. It let me ignore light

diffraction and allowed me to peer through the cloudiness of the water for a clearer

view. It was likely intended for spotting how many fish were beneath the surface.

The common skill Swimming granted some maneuverability and a bit of battle

aptitude in the water, but it did nothing for your eyesight. Aquatic Combat also

provided access to Improved Visibility Through Water and was the superior skill

overall. While it was available to the vast majority of fighting-oriented blessings, it was

still an inherent skill, which meant I couldn't get it.

Battling while submerged was difficult. Armor became a hindrance that kept you from

moving properly, and swinging weapons was all but impossible. Thrusts were the only

halfway usable attacks with swords. The best choice was to avoid underwater combat

if you could help it. Some situations left you with no other alternative, though. There

were countless monsters dwelling beneath the surface, just like there were up on land,

and both fishing and shipping over the water were necessary aspects of our lives.

One of the reasons it was difficult to navigate around the Wall at the End of the World

by sea was because storms frequently plagued the waters to the east of Zoltan. A more

significant reason, however, was because that region was infested with giant sea

monsters.

Krakens, deep sea serpents, great whites, and luscas all prowled the region. Even

worse, there were Sea demons, familiars of the legendary Leviathan demon, which

were capable of changing shape into giant aquatic dragons.

If a ship were attacked from below, there'd be no recourse but to dive into the water

and dispatch the creatures on their terms, which was all to explain why I had the

Angling skill and was pretty good at fishing.

"All right, got another one."

I was dropping the fish I caught into a container filled with seawater, one after the

other. I had landed six so far.

"Ghhh."

Rit was glaring at her bobber floating on the surface.

Skill or no skill, if you allowed your intentions to leak out that much, no fish was going

to approach.

We were on a jetty not far from Zoltan. It was a small port used to offload goods from

merchants who traveled around coastal villages. There were fees to use Zoltan's docks,

so the traders who went around peddling day-to-day necessities loaded and offloaded

their boats here.

"Ruti."

"What?"

"Throwing your hook into the water and hitting a fish with it isn't Angling."

Ruti already had more than thirty fish in her container. She wasn't baiting her line at

all. Instead, she cast the hook so that it landed in her target's mouth and pulled it out.

It was an absurd brute force method, but effective nonetheless. Ruti was reeling in fish

from the seabed, fifty meters down. She hadn't missed yet, so I couldn't fault her

method, but it could hardly be called fishing.

"But it's faster this way."

"I mean, yeah, but…"

Ruti looked at me incredulously. She'd never done this before, so I wasn't too

surprised.

"Okay, I'll teach you how to fish," I decided, standing up. "When you take a day off to

go fishing, the goal isn't to catch anything; it's to have fun."

"How so?"

I adjusted Ruti's rod, then picked a blue worm for bait. The little things were easy to

come by, and fish liked them. Some people didn't like the way blue worms wriggled,

though. I threaded a bobber and sinker onto her line and then hooked the blue worm.

"This is the basic method for baiting your line. Generally speaking, it's best to make

sure it's snug on the base of the hook," I explained.

Ruti nodded earnestly. "Okay."

"You don't have to throw it too far away. Just toss it close by and then wait patiently

for the fish to come."

"Really?"

"If you throw it with too much strength, the worm might come free, and the fish we're

dealing with here aren't that big. Threadfish can pick bait clean off the hook, so you've

got to check your line occasionally. For now, just toss it right in front of you and take it

easy."

"Fishing is so much work."

"That's just part of the fun."

Ruti took the rod back and cast again. The bobber floated gently atop the waves. A bird

cawed overhead.

"The weather's nice."

"Mhm."

The colder months made the ocean frigid, but beautiful.

When winter came to Zoltan, the winds from the Wall blew out to sea, and the surface

water would shift from the coasts toward the open ocean. Conversely, deeper water

rose to the surface.

Even without my skill, the water appeared a clear blue. It was easy to spot the red fish

swimming around. Knowing the reason behind this phenomenon did nothing to mar

its allure.

"Such an amazing thing to see," I muttered as I looked out at the ocean.

Rit and Ruti, both struggling for different reasons, gazed upon the lovely vista with me.

"Zoltan is great."

"It sure is."

They both had tranquil smiles on their faces.

"How about we take a break for lunch?" I suggested.

Tanta was the first to respond. "Yay! I was starting to get hungry."

"Gah, it's not like I was going to catch up to you anyway," Rit pouted playfully.

Turning to my sister, I asked, "What about you, Ruti?"

She stared at the bobber floating on the water before reluctantly reeling it back in and

setting her rod down.

"It was fun."

Ruti had only reeled in two fish the proper way. Honestly, that was exceptional for a

beginner. Still, I had been slightly worried that the more laid-back nature of proper

Angling would bore her. It was a relief to see she'd enjoyed herself.

Initially, she'd seemed perplexed at not getting many bites, but she settled into the

pleasure of kicking back and waiting.

On that point, Tisse was something else. She'd only caught a single fish, but it was so

big that it couldn't fit in her container.

Tisse had paid no attention to the small fires and had set her sights on the big score.

At first glance, it may have seemed she was only casually casting her line, but she was

truly proficient.

We gathered around the picnic basket.

"What did you make?"

"All sorts of things."

Inside the basket were sandwiches, a tomato salad, omelets, roast beef, ground steaks,

and milk to drink.

"Ohhh, it's all so colorful." Tanta immediately went for some roast beef.

Rit took a ground steak, while Ruti and Tisse started with some of the salad.

""""So good!""""

My effort in the kitchen this morning had all been worth it to see their smiles.

When we had nearly finished everything, Tanta suddenly pointed out toward the

water.

"Look over there! It's a ship!" he exclaimed.

Following the direction of his finger, I spied a galley with two square sails being rowed

systematically by oars that looked like countless legs extending from its sides.

"That's a warship."

And not a Zoltan one. Zoltan's armed forces only possessed three caravels with

triangular sails, so there was no mistaking it.

"…A vessel from Veronia or thereabouts, I'd guess?"

Observing it closely, I noticed that the uppermost of the three layers of oars had

noticeably fewer rowers than the lower tiers. Such a design was unique among galleys

from southern nations like Veronia.

Its deck was set higher than most other ships' so that when it lined up alongside an

enemy boat, they could fire a volley of arrows from on high. Veronia had designed this

model around eighty years ago for dealing with pirates who primarily relied on melee

combat. However, Veronia had converted their old-style galleys into large sailing ships

in more recent times.

"They aren't pirates, right?" Tanta asked nervously.

"It's certainly possible, but raiders around these parts wouldn't have such massive

boats." Plus, Danan had supposedly sunk no small number of pirate ships on his

journey here. The buccaneers would be lying low for a while. "There's no way a galley

will survive the eastern passage's storms. I wonder what they want in Zoltan."

I chewed on a sandwich as I watched the Veronian warship sailing in the distance, and

I pondered what it might be up to.

"We should probably start heading back soon," Rit said.

I glanced up toward the sun starting its path down in the sky. "Yeah… I guess it's about

time to go."

"Awww. But we can keep going!" Tanta whined.

"If we don't head out now, it'll be dark before we get back."

"Fine… We should do this again, though."

"Yeah, we should all do this together again," Rit agreed.

"Are you okay with that, Ruti?"

"Yes. It was fun. I want to try it another time."

In the end, Ruti caught fewer fish than Tanta once she started actually fishing. Yet it

was clear from her reluctance as she packed up her gear that she had enjoyed today.

I was glad that I'd agreed to do this.

On the morning of the next day, Ruti awoke when she always did. No matter how late

she stayed up or how early she went to bed, it was always the same.

"I was able to sleep again."

Ruti's eyes sparkled as the morning sun shone through the window. The simple human

action of resting at night was moving to her. Red and Tisse were probably the only

ones capable of noticing how excited she was, though.

She rinsed her mouth out with water from the pitcher and then drank from a glass.

Then she stripped down and wiped down her body with a damp washcloth. After

changing clothes, she started into some light exercise—a loop around the room while

doing a handstand. Next, she gripped one of the ceiling beams with her toes. Finally,

she hurled a ball out the window, striking a tree in the yard with enough force that the

ball bounced back to her. She did this one hundred times with each hand and foot. This

was Ruti's daily routine to make sure she was still fit.

"Mhm."

All told, the exercises generally took fifteen minutes.

Ruti did everything at a tremendous speed. Because the Hero blessing always kept her

in peak physical condition, the idea that her reflexes might dull, and even the act of

warming up, were fresh experiences.

Ruti did not break a sweat through all of it. Her cheeks were ever so slightly red, but

that was only because the next thing she had planned for the day was breakfast at

Red's place.

Fortunately, no one else knew about the absurd things she considered warm-ups.

Basking in the morning sun, Ruti and Tisse were walking along the Zoltan streets,

headed toward Red's shop.

Tisse had a shortsword concealed beneath her clothes, a carryover habit from

working as an assassin. Ruti was not carrying anything. She always left her blade at

Red's shop. When she would go out for an adventure, she would make a point of

stopping by his store first to get her sword.

Obviously, it was just a clumsy excuse to see Red, but no one seemed to mind.

The neighborhood was a bit rowdy today. People were gathering around the well or in

the back alleys, looking concerned as they discussed the latest rumors.

Probably about that warship from yesterday.

The galley would never be able to navigate the stormy eastern passage. That meant it

was bound for Zoltan.

What could the crew of such a vessel want in the middle of nowhere?

"It was delicious."

"Indeed."

After finishing their breakfast at Red's shop, Ruti and Tisse headed to their medicinal

herb plantation in the North.

Their meal had incorporated their catches from yesterday: cabbage and fish stewed in

tomatoes, an onion and fish marinade, refreshing lemon water, and fluffy white bread.

Both Ruti and Tisse were amazed that Red could throw together so much food so early

in the morning.

And also…

"This is the fish you caught yesterday."

When Ruti thought back on how Red had said that to her and eaten the tomato soup

with such gusto, she couldn't help but grin.

The manor she and Tisse were living in was on the southwest side of downtown.

They'd chosen it to give Ruti easy access to Red and Rit's apothecary, which was

nearby. Conveniently, Oparara's oden cart was situated at the edge of the harbor

district to the west, making it an easy walk when Tisse wanted chikuwa.

Ruti's farm was a fair hike to the north, but neither she nor Tisse seemed to mind.

Upon arriving at the plot, the pair had a look around. Ruti's medicinal herb plantation

had normal fields and two greenhouses. The latter had glass ceilings and walls on their

southern sides to increase the temperature within them.

"There are sprouts, Ms. Ruti."

"Oh. You're right."

Little green seedlings were peeking out from the soil. The nigh-expressionless pair

glanced at each other. They were both incredibly moved, but an outsider would never

have realized that. Ruti and Tisse shared a deep enough friendship to recognize each

other's feelings, however.

"That's fantastic."

"Mhm."

The girls smiled ever so slightly.

Come noon, Ruti and Tisse were carefully giving the plants just a bit of water, as Red

had taught them. They were nearly done with the work. Ruti and Tisse would surely

be busy dealing with weeds and pests when the plants began sprouting bushy green

leaves. Fortunately, Red had told them that their crops had been cultivated from wild

plants, so they should be fairly resistant to such nuisances. In fact, the girls would

probably need to keep a close watch on the lines between fields to make sure nothing

encroached on other areas.

"That's all for today, right?"

"Yes."

The pair discussed what they'd do for lunch while stowing their tools.

"Pardon me!" a loud voice called out.

Glancing in the direction of the noise, the girls saw Megria from the Adventurers Guild.

She must have hurried over, because she was sweating. Had another request from the

guild come in?

"Ms. Ruhr! There's something we'd like to ask you to do!"

Ruhr was the alias that Ruti was using in Zoltan. It was a rather shoddy moniker since

the full name she used was Ruti Ruhr. Still, it allowed people she was close with to call

her Ruti while she went by Ruhr to all others.

It was absolutely critical to Ruti that her older brother, Gideon, address her by her real

name. That was something she refused to budge on. Not even God himself could

change her mind.

Fortunately, the name Ruti was uncommon enough in Avalonia that anyone would

realize the Hero was in Zoltan.

Tisse's alias was Tifa Johnson, and she used Tisse as a nickname.

Ruti wiped her dirty face with a towel and hurried to Megria, who was looking pale.

"What is it?"

"Prince Salius of Veronia has come to Zoltan with a warship."

"Mhm."

Megria was shocked when Ruti nodded calmly at the revelation.

"That's Ms. Ruhr for you. So then you already knew?"

"I saw the galley yesterday, though I didn't know Prince Salius was on it…" Ruti thought

back on that name for a moment. "If I recall, Prince Salius is… the eldest son of the

Veronian king, but he is the son of the current king and the previous king's elder

daughter and was dropped to lowest in succession when the first queen disappeared,

right?"

"Yes, that is what I've heard. I'm not particularly well informed on the details,

though…"

Megria was just an employee at the Adventurers Guild and couldn't respond

confidently. Veronia was a major power, but it was still a far-off nation. The ins and

outs of the country's political situation were useless in Zoltan—until yesterday.

"So then, what does the Prince want?"

"He insists we share the holy church registers of Zoltan and the neighboring

settlements."

"The holy church registers…"

Holy church registers were written records of the births, deaths, marriages, and notes

of residents moving in or out. The documents also listed each entry's Divine Blessing.

Clergy used this information to collect taxes for kings and lords while receiving a

percentage of the take.

It was required to update the registers for significant life events. Even residents who

disliked their taxes put up with it without complaint because the holy church was

involved.

A given lord might also keep their own register separate from the holy church's to

track the territory and wealth they controlled. The holy church register was only for

keeping tabs on people, so it could be used for a per head tax, but not for a wealthbased one.

From time to time, arguments arose among clergy about changing how the records

were kept. However, the main goal of the registers was ultimately to assist holy church

members, not to collect taxes, so there were currently no plans to change how the

records were kept.

"The registers detail our residents' Divine Blessings. The Zoltan clergy were quite

indignant at Prince Salius's demand," Megria explained.

Even if they assisted with taxation, the holy church didn't turn over the registers

themselves to kings and lords. Salius's request was an outrageous affront.

"I'm surprised he would be so brash. After all, the holy church has a presence in

Veronia," Tisse remarked.

The holy church was a tricky organization to deal with, even for the Assassins Guild.

Its intelligence network spanned the continent, and it had been a significant obstacle

to many a hired killer before.

Megria replied, "Perhaps he thinks word of his action won't reach back home. Veronia

and Zoltan are far from each other, after all."

There was something about that that did not make sense to Tisse. The holy church

was united in its faith, regardless of national borders. Would the organization truly

forgive the prince's insult simply because it happened out on the frontier?

Tisse felt it was unlikely.

"Why does the Veronian prince want Zoltan's holy church records?" Ruti inquired.

"Supposedly… he's searching for someone."

"Who?"

"He refuses to say."

Ruti's eyebrows twitched a little.

"I see. So then it's something unrelated to Zoltan?"

"Yes."

"Then what if we refuse?"

"…Nothing. However, he intends to remain on the water outside Zoltan until he finds

the person he's seeking. We were also informed that we need not worry ourselves

about their supplies because they'll handle that themselves."

The prince was effectively threatening Zoltan with piracy if the holy church records

were not turned over. It was an act outrageous enough to justify a declaration of war.

However…

"It goes without saying, but Zoltan's navy is no match for that vessel."

Zoltan's navy consisted of three small caravels, each capable of carrying twenty

people. They couldn't stand against the Veronian war galley carrying three hundred

soldiers when it came to combat ability. And even if Zoltan did manage to win, there

was a distressing difference in power between a major power like the Kingdom of

Veronia and a tiny little backwater city-state like Zoltan.

Ruti couldn't imagine that Veronia was plotting to attack Zoltan, but if it did come to

war, Zoltan had already lost.

Even if they pled for help with another of the major powers like Avalonia, they had

their hands full dealing with the demon lord's armies. They would not have the

capacity to spare on a war with Veronia.

In other words, Zoltan was in a situation where they had no choice but to accept the

prince's demands.

"Eeep?!" Megria shrieked as Ruti looked at her.

Ruti frantically tamped down her emotions. "Oh, um. I-I'm sorry."

Megria felt the gaze of some giant monster on her for a split second, but after blinking

her eyes, she saw that the only other people around were the members of the everreliable B-rank party, Ruti Ruhr and Tifa Johnson. She placed a hand on her chest to

calm her racing pulse and took a deep breath.

"…"

Ruti was surprised at how much Megria's story had bothered her. She wanted to force

her way onto the Veronia ship right that instant, split it in two, and send it to the

bottom of the sea.

"What did you wish to ask of me?"

For the moment, Ruti did her best to remain calm and figure out what the Adventurers

Guild wanted.

"We'd like for you to participate in the ongoing discussions among Zoltan's

leadership."

"Me?"

"Currently, you are Zoltan's strongest fighter. Were a battle with the army out of the

question, then Zoltan would have no choice but to rely on your individual strength.

That's why we want you to participate in discussions on how to proceed, and we'd be

grateful for whatever thoughts you might have, too."

"Okay," Ruti responded immediately.

Megria looked surprised, but answered, "Th-thank you very much. Many adventurers

hate these sorts of councils, so I didn't expect you to accept immediately."

"It's okay. Don't worry about it."

During Ruti's time as the Hero, she had frequently been a part of military councils.

This was nothing new for her.

Seeing Ruti so at ease filled Megria with respect and awe.

"Where is the meeting being held?"

"At the Zoltan Assembly."

"I see. What is the status of the council?"

"Bishop Shien of the holy church is opposed to acquiescing. Galatine from the

Adventurers Guild agrees. Moen, the head of the guards, is on their side as well, and is

resolved to fight if necessary. On the other side, Mayor Tornado and Lord William, the

head of Zoltan's army, believe a battle is foolish."

"Shien, Galatine, and Moen. They're the old B-rank party," Ruti said.

"Indeed. Perhaps they feel the way they do because they're heroes themselves."

"Thank you. I'd like to listen to what everyone has to say. Let's go."

Megria followed after Ruti as she strolled off gallantly. At some point in their exchange,

her fear and dread at dealing with a threat like Veronia had faded away.

What a mysterious person.

Zoltan's newest B-rank adventurer was quiet, rarely showed any emotion, and it was

impossible to tell what she was thinking. Her strength was undeniable, though. Even

in the direst of circumstances, she and her partner Tisse resolved everything

immediately.

At first glance, Ruti appeared less reliable than Rit, Albert, or Bui, but her might far

surpassed them all.

Curiously, that didn't feel unnatural or frightening to Megria. When she looked at Ruti,

she instinctually believed that the girl would be able to help.

"I hope Ms. Ruhr will stay in Zoltan…"

Megria blushed as she realized that she had accidentally spoken her thought aloud.

The Zoltan Assembly stood at the center of town.

Mayor Tornado. Baron William, Zoltan's general. Moen, the captain of the guard.

Harold, who was the leader of the Adventurers Guild, and Galatine. Bishop Shien from

the holy church. These well-known local figures had assembled in a single room with

a few leaders from various other guilds.

"Pardon me," Megria said as she led Ruti and Tisse into the chamber.

A few present raised questioning eyebrows. That was more because Ruti was still

wearing the clothes she had been while working out in the fields, however.

Baron William made no effort to mask his scorn, but Ruti remained unbothered as she

sat in the seat Megria guided her to.

"My name is Ruti Ruhr, and this is Tifa Johnson. Thank you for having us. What is the

current situation?"

"Thank you for joining us, Ms. Ruhr." Baron William's vexation only deepened at Ruti's

introduction. It was Mayor Tornado who replied to the girl with a smile. "Right now,

we are debating how Zoltan should react to the Kingdom of Veronia's demand."

"Have you reached a decision?"

"Unfortunately, it's a rather difficult topic. Typically it would be unheard of for a

government to intrude into the holy church's domain, but Veronia seems very

determined to find whoever they're searching for. Agreeing to their request would be

the best course for maintaining amicable relations between our two nations…"

"Mayor!" Galatine interrupted, staring Tornado down with a twisted, terrifying glare

that was better suited to a high-ranking member of the Thieves Guild. "To demand

without explanation that we hand over the holy church registers is nothing less than

a diplomatic slap in the face. It's an insult!"

Several of the other participants in the council recoiled at Galatine's intensity, but

Tornado remained calm. Harold, on the other hand, was breaking into a nervous sweat.

"Galatine, tell me, can honor protect our country?" the mayor asked.

Baron William nodded in agreement. "As the leader of Zoltan's army, let me be clear, if

it comes to war with Veronia, we have no hope of winning. Dealing with that single

warship out on the water is only barely within the realm of possibility. Were there a

second waiting on the sea, I'd suggest we surrender immediately."

"Be that as it may, a demand to turn over our registers is unheard of. That is something

the holy church cannot accept. We should request that Father Clemens at the Last Wall

fortress make our complaints known to Veronia proper." Bishop Shien's tone made

apparent his belief that this was not something he would budge on.

Tornado furrowed his brow and heaved a sigh. Bishop Shien was known for his mildmannered appearance, gentle personality, and tolerant and forgiving nature. It

seemed to trouble the mayor that Shien was having such a difficult time agreeing to

turn over the registers.

The Last Wall fortress, huh?

That made Ruti a little bit nostalgic. She had met her comrade Theodora there. At the

time, the Hero's party had nearly been declared heretics conspiring with the enemy,

thanks to the machinations of the demon lord's army. It had almost come down to a

battle with the monks of Demis.

Fortunately, Theodora had believed in the Hero and her allies, ignored Father

Clemens's orders, and gone with them. Her aid led them to uncover the conspiracy

and resolve the incident.

Oh yeah, wasn't there some secret shrine deep inside the Last Wall fortress that no one

had ever entered? We had nothing to do there, though, so I never saw it…

"As stated before, as far as the holy church is concerned, be it the Kingdom of Veronia

or anyone else, we have no intention of turning over our records."

While Ruti was reminiscing, Shien had explained that the holy church stood separate

from the authority of the secular world and reiterated that his position on this matter

would not change.

"I see…" Ruti nodded.

She had a fair grip on the predicament now. Tornado and the majority of Zoltan's

leadership believed that they should turn over the records, while Shien, Galatine, and

the holy church were adamant about not giving in. Moen had not voiced any opinion,

likely because his superior officer, Baron William, was present. From the look on his

face, he seemed to be in support of Shien's side.

"I understand the situation. I'd like to comment."

"Ah, Ms. Ruhr. As one of the current B-rank adventurers, I would love to hear your

thoughts. You are an adventurer, but please don't let the guild's presence hold you

back. I assure you that whatever you say won't hurt your standing," Tornado replied.

"The Adventurers Guild would never do such a thing…" Harold, the head of the

Adventurers Guild, wiped the sweat from his wrinkled brow and waved his hands, as

if to dismiss the very notion. Then, seemingly experiencing a bout of stomach pain, he

took some medicine from his pocket and drank it with a cup of water.

Ah, that's Big Brother's remedy.

The Adventurers Guild was on the north side of Zoltan. Harold wouldn't have gone all

the way to the opposite end of town just to buy medicine. One of the local doctors who

bought wholesale from Red had likely prescribed it. Harold appeared a rather

unreliable sort, but Ruti felt a little goodwill toward him now that she knew the man

used one of Red's curatives.

"First of all, we don't have enough information," Ruti stated.

"Information?" Mayor Tornado repeated.

"Their goal, I mean. Who are they searching for, and why? They must have a reason for

keeping that a secret."

"We asked, of course. But they've no intent on telling us," Baron William responded.

Tisse grimaced at that. If a party's refusal to answer were always sufficient, there'd be

no need for diplomats. For the people of Zoltan, lack of an answer was sufficient,

though.

At most, all the Zoltan army dealt with were small bands of thieves or monsters. Actual

war was entirely outside Baron William's experience.

"I'll investigate," stated Ruti.

"You will? How?"

"Prince Salius believes that he will learn what he wants from access to the holy

church's records. The registers track names, birthdays, current location, job, parents'

names, Divine Blessing, and the date of immigration. Among those, names and dates

of birth can be faked. If that were enough to determine what they wanted, they

wouldn't need to ask for the holy church's accounts. Current location, job, and parents'

names aren't necessary when searching for someone. That must mean the one they're

after can be identified by date of immigration or Divine Blessing."

"I—I see."

"However, if they know enough to identify this person simply by their date of

immigration, they would not need the holy church registers. The prince could simply

insist the government hand over their records. That would be far simpler than making

an enemy of the holy church. Which would imply that Veronia only has an idea of when

this person arrived in Zoltan, but they need to identify them via Divine Blessing to

narrow it down."

"Still, can something like that really be deduced with a blessing? There are plenty of

people with the same blessings, and there are some who have not reported theirs to

the holy church at all," Baron William responded.

"And that makes it possible for us to surmise who they're looking for as well," Ruti said,

nodding. "It can't be a common blessing, and I don't believe it's one that'd go

unreported, like Manslayer or Ripper, either. It must be a rarer, upper-tier blessing.

The Champion, Sword Saint, Archmage, Hierophant, Crusader… Someone with a

powerful blessing that isn't the sort you'd keep secret."

"I see…!"

Limiting the scope to those who'd come to Zoltan rather than natives would

significantly narrow the list, too.

"Also, if possible, I'd like to meet Prince Salius directly to glean what I can. I suspect

that he might not be acting as an official representative of Veronia."

"Why is that?"

"Right now, Veronia is isolated and separate from the rest of the continent. King

Geizeric managed to make Veronia a world power in a single generation, but he's

ninety years old now. The nobility and common citizens are uneasy about their

nation's stance of neutrality toward the demon lord's armies. Making an enemy of the

holy church could spark a major insurrection. Could there really be someone in Zoltan

who's worth that tremendous risk? It's hard to believe Veronia would gamble by

refusing to explain its actions."

"When you put it that way, it is certainly odd."

Mayor Tornado, Baron William, and the various guild heads listened intently to Ruti.

The young woman was by no means eloquent, but her words carried the experience

of her many battles. Even without knowing her past, the dependability she exhibited

removed the doubts of the assembled officials.

Typically, Ruti struggled when it came to communication, but in situations like this,

there was no one more reliable.

Tisse was reminded of how incredible her friend was.

"I'd also like to see the official letter bearing Prince Salius's request to see whether it

really has the seal of the Veronian royal family—"

"There isn't one," Baron William cut in.

Ruti went stiff for a moment. "What do you mean there isn't one?" she asked.

"Exactly what I said. Prince Salius made a verbal demand for the records. There's no

mistaking that Prince Salius is who he claims to be, however. One of my subordinates

was an adventurer before settling in Zoltan. He's seen Prince Salius before and

confirmed his identity."

For the first time since arriving, Ruti looked a bit troubled. After taking a moment to

consider, she replied, "I'll investigate concerning that point as well, then. In ten days'

time, I'll report my progress, so please stall as best you can. Claim that the mayor is

working to persuade the holy church. Bishop Shien, please gather together a list of all

the things that the holy church wants to ask and have it sent to Mayor Tornado

tomorrow. The guard should be on watch for the townspeople getting on edge and

take care to prevent any rumors from spreading. Baron William, you should keep your

knights at the ready and train them in evacuation procedures to ensure they can get

the villagers out of town at a moment's notice in case the prince decides to attack.

With the water routes blockaded, trade by land will become all the more crucial, so

the guilds should seize the initiative and start preparing the necessary infrastructure."

"U-understood."

"That's something I can do! Leave it to me!"

The deadlocked council leaped into action at Ruti's words. Now that they knew what

they should be doing, the various guild heads were no longer hesitant.

"Wow, I never would have guessed you to be so skilled in these sorts of matters, too.

It'd be a weight off my shoulders to know that someone as capable as you might stand

among Zoltan's leaders someday."

"Indeed. If you ever want to join the army, we would gladly welcome you immediately

at the level of a squire. Or, if you would like, I can lend you some soldiers to reclaim

the lands being held by the hill giant Dundach, and you can become a noble. I'd gladly

endorse your request for a grant of peerage as the guardian of those lands."

Both Mayor Tornado and Baron William readily pitched their offers to Ruti. However…

"I don't need that. I have my herb farm."

She turned them both down without so much as a polite smile.

The two were silent for a moment before forcing grins to escape the awkward mood.

Then they insisted that Ruti come to them should she need anything.

With the meeting over, Ruti and Tisse left.

"So then, where should we begin?" Tisse asked.

"I need a dose of big brother," Ruti responded bluntly.

"Huh?"

"It's been a long time since I had to endure a serious talk for so long, so I need more of

him to recharge."

At first, Tisse thought Ruti was joking, but her face was deadly serious.

"W-well, you do need to get your sword, I suppose."

Tisse could not help breaking into a smile at seeing Ruti say something like that with

such a genuine expression.

For the two of them to protect Zoltan, Ruti needed to see her brother, and so they did.

"So that's what was going on."

"Mhm."

I served up a couple of plates of tomato and cheese pasta I had thrown together with

what was available while listening to Ruti.

"Sorry it's just leftovers."

Ruti and Tisse had been called to the meeting right as they were getting ready to break

for lunch, so they hadn't had anything to eat yet.

Obviously, Ruti could reactivate her blessing's skills that gave her immunity to hunger

and fatigue, but she elected not to.

After finishing off the pasta, she sighed contentedly.

"Your cooking is always so delicious."

Seeing her happy face, I broke into a smile, too.

"Happy to please."

My little sister had cleared her plate perfectly. Not even the tiniest bit of tomato

remained. She looked pleased as she wiped her mouth with a handkerchief.

I started to clean up the dishes, but Tisse stopped me with a polite gesture.

"I'll take care of that," she said before standing up and gathering the tableware herself.

"You and Rit should talk with Ms. Ruti."

"Got it. Thank you, Tisse."

"It seems like there's a bit going on under the surface with this incident," Tisse added

before leaving to wash the dishes.

That was true. This could easily become the most significant incident since the

founding of the Republic of Zoltan.

Hopefully, it would resolve peacefully before it got to that, however.

"What do you think, Big Brother?"

"Hmmm… I agree with your line of thought. Given that there isn't any official

diplomatic message, it's hard to believe that Prince Salius is acting under the direction

of the Kingdom of Veronia itself. He's threatening Zoltan even though Avalonia has

recognized it as an independent state. With the war against the demon lord's forces,

Avalonia won't go to war with Veronia to protect us, but there will be diplomatic

upsets. Even if Prince Salius were the future king, it's incredibly risky to do something

like this on his own."

"He's not even very high on the succession list, right?" Rit asked.

"Yeah. Prince Salius is the king's eldest son, but his mother, the king's first wife Queen

Misphia, disappeared, so he dropped to third place. The children of the king's second

wife Queen Leonor moved ahead of him. Prince Yuzuk is first, and Prince Silverio is

second.

In Veronia, the primary successor inherited everything, with some land and wealth

being allotted to the remaining brothers afterward. Given Salius had dropped in the

order, Yuzuk could use his actions in Zoltan as an excuse to cut him out of any

inheritance or provision," I replied.

"That's… pretty substantial. That would affect more than the prince; it'd destroy his

allies as well."

"Whatever he's after must be important enough to gamble everything."

There was plenty I could guess at, but I'd never met Prince Salius before.

The Kingdom of Veronia had once been a potential enemy to the world. Even now, it

remained neutral in the war with the demon lord's armies. During my time in

Avalonia, all I ever heard of Veronia were biased claims based on peoples' disapproval

of the other nation.

"If it were you, what would you do next, Big Brother?"

"Hrmmm." I thought a bit before continuing. "Well, going to Veronia to investigate

would be the best, but…"

"With the airship, it would probably be half a month for a round trip," Ruti said.

My eyes went wide. "Wow! It's that fast? But the airship would draw too much

attention."

"Mhm."

A one-way voyage would take over two months by sea. If airships were ever massproduced, the world would change pretty dramatically.

"The holy church will need to share whatever they know regarding the current

political situation in Veronia. We can likely entrust that task to Bishop Shien. Our goal

should be deducing who Prince Salius is seeking," I stated.

"I've already asked Bishop Shien to look into any people with notable, rare blessings

using the holy church's records," Ruti responded.

"All right, so let's focus on what you and Tisse can do, then."

"Mhm."

"At least one person in Zoltan already knows who Prince Salius is after."

"There is?" Tisse asked, having returned from cleaning up after our lunch.

I smiled. "Of course. The person he's searching for would know."

"I guess that's true…"

"No one in Zoltan knows what Prince Salius's goal in all this is. That's why we're all

shocked and having discussions like this one," I explained. "However, if there were

someone who was aware of the prince's aim, they'd have an entirely different reaction.

It might be to hide or run away. See what I mean?"

"Ahh." Ruti nodded in comprehension. "So we should keep an eye out for any who are

behaving differently."

"If it were me, that's probably how I'd start."

"Thanks, you really are reliable, Big Brother."

Ruti stood up and leaned over the table to hug me.

"Do you need any more help?" I asked.

"No, it's fine. You have your slow life."

My sister released me, and, with a smile, she grabbed the goblin blade she'd left in my

shop.

"This is my slow life."

The next morning.

Riding one of the Zoltan navy's ships, Mayor Tornado headed out to the warship where

Prince Salius was staying.

Calling it the "Zoltan navy" sounded nice, but the members were all sailors from trade

and fishing vessels without any maritime combat experience. An unease was quickly

settling over the boat as it approached the galley, and conversation died down.

"Can't blame them for getting nervous."

Mayor Tornado himself was doing his best to keep from being intimidated by the

enormous warship that seemed to grow larger the nearer he got to it.

He knew little of boats and had to assume that the sailors, who were more

knowledgeable on the subject, were dreading this even more than he was. They

understood just how easily they would all be killed—how little they could do to

resist—if the looming warship decided to go after them.

In truth, however, Veronia would be the side to regret any open hostility. For on the

boat with Mayor Tornado was the Hero and one of humanity's strongest Assassins.

"It's reassuring to have the two of you accompanying me," Tornado admitted to the

pair of women standing beside him. "Tifa and Miss Ru—Erm, I suppose I should go

with Miss White Knight?"

"Mhm."

Tisse had her standard light armor, shortsword, and hidden throwing knives, but Ruti

was wearing a different outfit than usual. Today she was clad in full plate armor and a

helmet with a visor that concealed her face. Her chest plate bore a lion crest—the

emblem used by masterless knights who traveled the lands in search of selfimprovement and glory.

I've never been to Veronia, but the royalty of a major country might well know my face

from somewhere.

Red had been wary of being targeted by the demon lord's army ever since he and Ruti

had embarked on their quest, and he'd been careful that there were no pictures of his

sister's face. Thus, despite Ruti's fame, only people who had met her in person knew

what she looked like. It was quite unlikely that Prince Salius would recognize her, but

Ruti had donned the armor just to be safe.

She and Tisse were accompanying Mayor Tornado under the guise of protection, but

they also wanted to see Prince Salius for themselves and hear what he had to say. They

still did not have enough information to negotiate with the prince, though, so this trip

would only be for the purposes of sizing up the person whom they were dealing with.

Neither Ruti nor Tisse had any intention of speaking during this meeting.

Finally, the little Zoltan sailing ship pulled up alongside the giant Veronian warship.

The galley's characteristic long oars loomed overhead, not unlike guillotines waiting

to fall.

A ladder was lowered from above, and Mayor Tornado, Ruti, Tisse, and three soldiers

climbed up to the warship's deck.

The Veronian sailors wore chain mail vests. It was light armor, but anything heavier

would make it difficult for them to swim. They had daggers and long cutlasses at their

waists, and bows and quivers on their backs. Each of them had a shabby shirt over

their armor to keep it from getting hot from the sun.

They looked more like pirates than a true navy, or at least that was the impression

Tisse had.

"Ahoy, my dear Zoltan friend. It's only been a day, hasn't it?"

A smiling, well-tanned man who looked to be in his late thirties appeared from the

door into the ship. Ruti had heard that the prince should have been pushing fifty years

old, though.

"Standing around on deck in winter is poison for the body. Please, come inside."

Standing three steps behind this man was a beautiful woman with silver hair gathered

into a side ponytail. Her ears were long, and she wore an eyepatch over her right eye.

Ruti could see a scar poking from above and below the bit of cloth.

"Lilinrala of the Elven Corsairs," Tisse murmured.

The strange band of pirates led by a high elf whose infamy had spread far.

Crueler than humans and unaffected by the passage of time, Lilinrala's fearsome deeds

had earned her a place in legends the world over.

When Geizeric betrayed and overthrew the previous Veronian king, Lilinrala's crew

had sided with him and destroyed the country's navy. After the battle, Lilinrala and

her pirates became the new navy, and had served King Geizeric ever since. Their

longevity meant that even though their liege was getting on in years, they were still

hale, and sat at the heart of Veronia's government.

It's possible she's a body double, but that wound matches the stories of Lilinrala. Which

means one of Geizeric's allies, the head of Veronia's entire maritime fleet, came all the

way out to Zoltan… Why?

Tisse quietly explained about Lilinrala to Mayor Tornado, who blanched. In Zoltan,

Tornado was considered able, skilled, and bold, but the current situation had pushed

the man entirely beyond his limits. He started to pull back uneasily.

"It's okay," Ruti assured from behind her visor. "No matter who we're up against, our

goal remains the same."

"R-right."

There was no hint of nervousness in Ruti's voice. Mayor Tornado took heart in that,

and reassumed a demeanor befitting Zoltan's leader.

The Republic of Zoltan was nothing more than a city-state established on the frontier

by pioneers. Still, it was an independent entity. There was no denying that Zoltan paled

in comparison to Veronia's might, but Mayor Tornado could not be abasing himself

before a prince.

"By all means, please lead the way." There was a tremble to his voice, but the mayor

flashed a grin as he responded to Lilinrala.

Prince Salius, Lilinrala, and Mayor Tornado sat around a table.

There were two high elf guards behind the prince. The scars and burns on their

handsome faces attested to the fact that they were experienced sailors who had

survived more than their share of combat.

"So then, do you bring good news?"

There was a friendliness to the prince's tone, but also an arrogance in his gaze that

was almost as if he were addressing a retainer. Tornado furrowed his brow ever so

slightly in discomfort, but his smile did not slip.

"Unfortunately, the holy church is rather vehemently opposed. As you are undoubtedly

aware, your request is unprecedented. I am currently in the process of persuading the

bishop, and I believe the results will be to your liking, if you would be willing to give

me just a little bit more time. The bishop surely recognizes the reality of the situation.

He merely wishes to take all steps necessary to assert that he did his best to defend

the holy church's prerogatives.

It won't be an issue. With just a little time, it will all be resolved. With regard to your

highness's request, the upper levels of Zoltan are all in agreement that we should

cooperate."

Having said that much, the mayor wiped away the sweat on his forehead with a

handkerchief.

Partway through, the grin had vanished from the prince's face and he stared straight

into Tornado's eyes without expression. The mayor of Zoltan felt a dull ache as his

heart raced from the tension, but he bit his lip, refusing to show weakness.

"I see, so the holy church refused."

"I'm doing my best to persuade them."

"And you say you require more time."

The prince's tapping finger echoed through the room. It was clear from his expression

that he was irritated. Ruti watched him in wonder.

There's no way he didn't anticipate opposition from the largest organization on the

continent. As prince, he has been immersed in politics for decades now. Surely, he'd

understand that much. This can't be more than a façade to increase the pressure.

Ruti was staring at the prince from behind her visor.

I don't get it…

She had always struggled with those sorts of things. When it came to working out what

other people were thinking, she just could not seem to get the hang of it. Ruti screwed

up her face in frustration.

Because of the Hero blessing, Ruti had grown up without knowing many human

emotions, leaving her overwhelmingly inexperienced when it came to empathizing

with others. This was why she had unintentionally intimidated Tisse so many times in

the past. Her natural difference in mentality likely had something to do with it, too.

That quirk and the fact that she only had eyes for her older brother were why Red had

handled all critical negotiations when they'd traveled together. Until recently, Ruti had

not even realized that she was actually a terrible communicator.

It's fine, though, because Big Brother understands me.

Having quit being the Hero and settled down in Zoltan, Ruti had started to feel the

need to better express herself. However, she was also glad that Red had no problem

comprehending her, tempting her toward a turn for the worse. Ultimately, she decided

to leave it all up to Tisse, this time.

Fine, fine, I've got it.

Tisse flashed a slightly troubled smile, as if to indicate she had known it would come

to this and observed the prince in Ruti's stead.

It feels like he's impatient.

Salius looked on edge, even though he was clearly in the superior position. It wasn't

as though he'd been unable to get his desires across; he'd done a fair job of pressuring

Zoltan without doing so outright. By Tisse's assessment, he was by no means a master

negotiator, but he certainly seemed as skilled as the average member of a royal family.

Which means that whoever he's searching for is just that important. It also suggests

some kind of time limit.

All that, combined with what Red had mentioned the day before, was helping Tisse

piece things together. The only thing that remained was to test whether her conclusion

was correct.

…!

Just then, Tisse felt a chill down her spine.

Lilinrala was silently staring daggers at her.

That was a whole lot of bloodlust out of nowhere. I guess that's a former legendary pirate

for you. No, maybe she still is a pirate?

Lilinrala's gaze felt less like the well-honed blade of a famed sword and more like that

of a blood-drenched cutlass that had robbed untold people of their lives.

It's still nothing compared to when I first met Ms. Ruti, though.

A slight grin crossed Tisse's lips as she thought back on that. She quickly braced

herself, but the discussion came to a close without incident.

No matter how impatient Prince Salius was, this was not a place where he could resort

to force. The holy church's opposition was predictable, and the administrative forces

in Zoltan were doing what they could. That was already more than conciliatory enough

for the current stage of negotiations.

Lilinrala agreed with the mayor's idea of a two-week deferral before meeting again for

further discussions, and though he seemed dissatisfied, the prince had accepted this

as well.

For now, Zoltan had gained some time to search for whoever Salius was after, which

was what Ruti had wanted.

As the Zoltan group climbed down the ladder back to their boat, a small shadow

hopped down onto Tisse's back.

"Nice work."

Tisse thanked her little partner, who had been off investigating the ship on his own.

Mister Crawly Wawly waved both his front legs gently, as if to say, "It was nothing."

There was a sound of boots walking across the wooden floor.

Lilinrala was pacing slowly back and forth in the cabin.

"Who is that girl?"

Lilinrala bore the Divine Blessing of the Pirate and was a natural born buccaneer,

taking to her blessing like a fish in water. She had acquired her own ship, formed the

Elven Corsairs, and sailed all around Flamberge, Veronia, and Avalonia, building her

fame and carving out many bloody legends in the process.

She was confident that her blessing level, forged in decades of battle, was second only

to the Pirate King Geizeric's in all of Veronia. Her skill Strong Impression hit targets

with an intense bloodlust that instilled terror and robbed them of their judgment.

No one in some backwater place like Zoltan should have maintained their composure

in the face of her ability.

"But that girl… Not only did she keep her calm, she even smiled."

The discussion today had been the equivalent of testing their blades on each other.

The young girl serving as the mayor's guard had faced Lilinrala's haughty strike and

parried it deftly. Lilinrala was loath to admit that of an enemy, but it was true. There

was a hint of frustration in her astonished sigh.

Lilinrala had only agreed to Zoltan's proposed two-week extension because she

recognized that the situation would not be as easy to deal with as she'd first

anticipated. She felt it necessary to investigate the heroes of Zoltan more closely and

devise how best to deal with them.

"It was careless not to research what these people have been keeping here. As a pirate,

I'm ashamed of myself." Lilinrala's face twisted into a ferocious expression she had not

worn in years. "Fine, bring it on."

She began to rework her plan for raiding the town, considering her minions and the

man she had hired.