Risou no Himo Seikatsu - Volume 12 - Chapter Pr

Prologue — Goat Island

“I see land!” a sailor’s voice called out.

The young man was in the crow’s nest on the second mast, and his voice rang across the Glasir’s Leaf, breaking through the salty breeze from his elevated position. While it was not a particularly sonorous voice, no one missed it.

The sailors started talking among themselves.

“For real?!”

“I’ll toss you out of there if you’re wrong!”

“Who’s on watch?”

“Boris.”

“Boris... The brat could definitely be mistaken.”

“If he’s got our hopes up for nothing, the goats can have him.”

Whatever they said, though, they were all looking out at the horizon with sparkling eyes.

It was hardly a surprise. Forty days had passed since the ship had left Valentia. Some of that journey had been along the coast of the northern countries of the continent, but it had been thirty days since then. Even veteran sailors would be longing for land—or more accurately, something outside of the ship—at that point.

It went without saying that Zenjirou, being much less toughened and with a modern lifestyle, felt it all the more keenly.

“Land? I wonder if we can disembark for a bit,” he mused.

Forty days at sea had acclimatized him significantly to the motion. He left the cabin and walked along the narrow corridor with one hand on the wall to the rope ladder at its end. The cabin they had been assigned was something of a basement compared to the main deck, so getting onto the deck itself meant climbing the ladder.

“Can you manage, Sir Zenjirou?” Natalio asked.

“The ship is still rocking considerably; take care,” the knight’s subordinate added.

The two of them had been relaxing in the same room. While their advice was worded politely, their tones and expressions were both much lighter than when they had first left. Spending over a month in the same room would push people together regardless of rank.

“I know,” Zenjirou replied, waving them off as he climbed.

Natalio and the soldier waited below. Emergencies were one thing, but in most cases, only one person would climb at a time for safety’s sake.

While the rope ladder had been terrifying to begin with, it was now just a matter of course. Zenjirou had learned from experience that a hanging ladder like this was actually safer in rough seas than a fixed staircase.

“The cots are hard to sleep on when the sea’s rough,” he remarked to himself as he climbed. “Maybe I should suggest hammocks to Princess Freya?”

He vaguely remembered hearing that hanging hammocks had been well regarded for sleeping during the age of sailing on Earth. He at least hoped it would be better than the cots they currently used, which saw him bashing his head against the side every time the ship changed course. Of course, he would be making the trip back via teleportation, so such changes to the ship wouldn’t hold much bearing for him personally.

The knight and soldier came up behind him and followed him out onto the deck. There was already a large crowd gathered there. It felt like everyone who wasn’t currently busy with other duties was out on the bow of the ship.

That was perhaps to be expected. Even a small island was the best news that sailors on a long voyage could receive.

“Ah, Majesty.”

“Here, a space.”

“Thanks.”

He had gotten rather at ease with the sailors for the journey so far. Two of them made space for him, and Zenjirou breathed a sigh of relief as he got a handhold on the railing around the deck.

While he was more used to living on the ship after so long, he couldn’t stride across the deck with no handholds like they could. Now securely in place, he turned to the blonde girl who was holding the banister at his side.

“So, you’re up here too, Lucy,” he commented.

Lucy—Lucretia Broglie—turned around and smiled at his voice. “I am. I could not simply stay put when I heard there was land.”

When she had heard the comment about the precaution of using short names at sea, she had leaped at the chance and asked him to call her by her nickname, Lucy. Zenjirou could certainly see her aim, but there was also a logic to her request, so he had given a rueful smile and added the proviso that it would only be while they were on the ship.

Still, it went without saying that it was far easier to call her Lucy rather than Lucretia. Because he had grown so accustomed to it now, he would probably continue to do so. Perhaps one could say he had been taken in all the same.

Enduring the restricted confines of the ship and being saddled with the abundance of free time that traveling as a passenger provided, he felt like he had probably ended up becoming much closer to the girl.

As that thought passed through his mind, he had a sudden realization. While Lucretia usually did her best to be as close to him as possible, she seemed to be almost pulling away at the moment.

“Lucy?” he asked.

“My apologies,” she capitulated with reddened cheeks. “The rough seas mean I have been unable to wash properly for a few days.”

Zenjirou felt slightly amused by her efforts to stay out of smelling range, and a smile found its way to his lips. “I know what you mean. I haven’t managed to shave for at least five days. It’s been a whole forty since my hair was cut.”

As he spoke, he lifted his left hand—still keeping his right on the railing—and rubbed at the stubble on his chin before running a hand through his scruffy hair.

Bringing blades up around his face and head to shave or cut his hair while the ship was tossing was not the most sensible of ideas. He normally only got his hair cut about once a month, so it wasn’t too bad. The facial hair was getting rather irritating after five days, though. He could hardly ask for the Lulled Sea to be used just so he could shave. If there was a storm after he was done, it would be too late for regrets. This was another reason that the news of land was so welcome.

“If we can disembark, I would like to have my hair tidied as well. But who could do so?” Lucretia commented. She fiddled with the hair tied at the side of her head with a slight frown as she spoke.

She had long hair to begin with, so Zenjirou couldn’t see anything particularly different. Still, a girl concerned about her appearance would likely find that it bothered her.

“You can ask Ines. She is just as good as a professional.”

Ines usually handled cutting Zenjirou’s hair. A trustworthy barber was a considerably important thing for a royal. It meant they would have blades around your face and neck, so such selections were rigorous. It was quicker to ask someone with enough skill, who was already trusted, than to search for someone who worked as a barber and had earned that level of trust.

“Skaji can also cut hair. She always cuts mine.”

The two turned towards the voice to see a woman with bluish-silver hair wearing a captain’s garb approaching them with sure steps. This was the captain of the ship, Freya. Following behind her was—as ever—Skaji, the female warrior.

Unlike Zenjirou and Lucretia, the captain, for all that she called herself a figurehead, was living up to the title with the ease with which she stood. She’d had rather short hair to begin with, so a decent look at her hair showed the changes. It had originally been on the verge of reaching her nape but now extended below her collar.

“Hey, Captain. Do you have the time to be talking with us?” Zenjirou asked, raising a hand in greeting.

The princess smiled back at him and nodded. “I do. The confirmation has been given and I have already left instructions with the sailors. The vice-captain will deal with the rest until landfall.”

“You mean...” Zenjirou asked, leaning forward eagerly, though he still held onto the railing.

“Indeed,” she replied. “The forecastle spotted it as well. It is an island of decent size. The navigation officer says it is possibly an island we stopped at on our journey to Capua as well.”

Sea travel was much less developed than on Earth, and the only driving force the ship had was wind power, so it was exceptionally difficult to determine their precise position. This was particularly true on the wide seas of the Great Southern Sea—named by the Northern Continent—that separated the two continents. They had spent dozens of days with no landmarks, only open water. Sighting the same island on both legs of a journey was less skill than luck.

“We will be anchoring at that island for a while. Vice, deal with the rest!” the captain said.

The bearded man yelled in response, “You lot hear that?! You can sleep on solid land tonight if things go well! If you scrape the hull, it’s coming out of your wages and leave at the next port!”

A ship of the Glasir’s Leaf’s size could not easily dock just because there was land. Still, being as close as possible to land was safest, since rowing across these waters could lead to the smaller boats capsizing. The captain, therefore, had to give specific instructions depending on the sailors’ skill and how dangerous the waters were.

Unfortunately, the captain in this case was not the figurehead, Freya, but the vice-captain, Magnus.

“Aye! Keep the speed like that! We ain’t gonna just stop on the spot! Ralph, Tomas! Call when the sea color changes!”

“Right!”

“Aye, aye!”

The ship slowly and carefully made its way towards the island.

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

Eventually, they were safely ashore.

The watchman had spotted the island when Zenjirou’s watch showed around ten in the morning, but by the time everyone—barring the unlucky sailor who lost the coin toss and had to keep watch—was ashore, it was getting close to four in the afternoon.

There was still some time before the sunset, but it was already hanging low in the west and lengthening the shadows. The sailors were busily working away to secure a campsite and water before the sun set.

Zenjirou, though, found a tree near the shore and sat down upon it. He felt somewhat guilty resting before the sailors could, but he’d be more of a hindrance than a help, so he was better off like this. On top of having no camping knowledge, he felt dizzy from the long time spent on the ship, so he was somewhat unsteady on his feet.

The trip in the boat had also taken more out of him than he’d expected. The sea spray covering him was one thing, but while the waves had appeared small from the Glasir’s Leaf, navigating them in the boat showed just how towering they were. They were closer to walls than waves. Walls of water bearing down on you.

He technically knew how to swim but had only ever swum in pools, rivers where it was allowed, or the sea close to the beach. The rough open water was terrifying to him.

The spindrift had chilled him to the bone as well, but he didn’t want to admit how much of his shivering next to the fire was due to the leftover fear from the trip.

Once he’d collected himself somewhat, he looked over at the blonde girl to his side.

“Lucy, are you well?”

She didn’t have the wherewithal to put on a mask to his question. She just shook her head with chattering teeth.

“That...was harrowing...”

The trip would have been dangerous in her normal attire, so she was currently wearing clothes that were suitable for activities like horse riding. They had been drenched and she looked pitiful. Her small stature was her undoing, as even her hair was completely sodden.

“It certainly was...” Zenjirou replied. As he spoke, he reached for the kettle on the fire and poured the water from it into a wooden cup, which he offered to Lucretia. “Drink. It will warm you up.”

“Th-Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Even looking like a drowned rat, she managed some politeness. She took the cup and blew on it before sipping the water.

A glance at the sailors showed they were moving much less urgently. They must be likely to make it in time.

Freya had finished issuing instructions and was slowly making her way over. She held up a hand to stop Zenjirou from standing to greet her before starting to jog their way, sending up small sprays of sand.

“Stay as you are. While it varies from person to person, land-sickness is nothing to take lightly.”

Indeed, Zenjirou still felt something similar to vertigo, so he followed her suggestion.

“Thank you, Captain. I assume making camp is going well?”

Freya nodded happily. “It is. Fortunately, this is the same island as the last journey, so we can resupply.”

“Resupply?” he asked.

“Yes. We had some surplus on the outward journey, so we left several goats of both sexes along with scattering seeds for herbs and other plants that grow well when unmanaged.”

The sailors had searched for the mated goats and their kids, finding several of them.

“I see; I didn’t realize you did such things.”

While Zenjirou was impressed, not knowing any better, a modern ecologist would faint at the thought. An island was a somewhat isolated ecosystem, so introducing external species of flora and fauna to it was practically ecoterrorism. Goats in particular ate almost anything and could weather almost any environment, which meant that they could cause significant damage.

The concepts and culture around these issues were completely irrelevant to the sailors of this world, though. The important thing for them was that their journey was just a little bit safer. They wouldn’t care about wiping out a rare species on an uninhabited island in pursuit of that safety.

“Indeed. They have caught several of the young goats, so some of those on board will be slaughtered and distributed to the sailors. According to the vice-captain, not allowing them to regain their energy under these circumstances would crush their spirits.”

“So we’ll be staying for two or three days?” Zenjirou lifted a hand to his chin in thought.

Seemingly not noticing his reaction, Freya continued her explanation. “The real relaxation will be once we hit the Northern Continent ports. Still, filling up with proper food is quite another matter. Having some alcohol would be best, but that is too much to ask for.”

There were some casks in the ship’s hold, but there was still a long journey ahead, so they couldn’t drink them dry now.

“Alcohol... Two or three days... That might be enough...”

“Ah, Your Majesty?” she asked, noticing his preoccupation.

“Captain?”

“Yes, what is it?”

“It feels a little unfair for just me, but would it be acceptable to return home briefly?”

As he spoke, he pulled out his camera, wrapped in several layers of sealed bags to protect it from the water. If Zenjirou could fix a firm image of his destination in his mind, he could move there in a literal instant.

Someone as skilled as Aura could rely solely on her own memory across a dozen destinations both domestically and internationally. Zenjirou was a beginner, though, and for anywhere other than Capua, he relied on the camera to be able to teleport.

Conversely, with the camera, he could travel to a greater variety of places. He searched for a distinctive rock arrangement and photographed it the next morning, then temporarily returned home.

“I understand them, but the lineal magics of the Southern Continent are truly unsporting.”

While Freya was refreshed from being able to sleep on solid—albeit sandy—ground, that didn’t match her expression as she complained the next morning.

“Such convenient lineal magics are in the minority even on the Southern Continent,” Lucretia disagreed. She had slept in the same tent as Freya due to the disparity in the numbers of each gender. She was also considerably refreshed from finally being able to wash properly.

“They are?” Freya looked down at the shorter girl, somewhat taken aback. She herself was considered short for a woman in Uppasala, so it was a rather novel experience to be able to look down at someone like that, and she felt—meaninglessly—superior because of it.

“They are,” Lucretia explained. “Of course, it eventually depends on when and how they are used, but there are very few nations whose lineal magics can compete in terms of utility, regardless of peace or war, for being able to constantly strengthen their country. The only examples I can think of are enchantment and healing from my own country and the Kingdom of Tucale’s divination.”

While a country’s strength was not wholly tied to how usable its lineal magic was, there was a general trend where more powerful countries had more powerful magic.

Regardless, Zenjirou had gone back to Capua and would be returning the next day with as many provisions as possible. He had promised alcohol, fresh meat and vegetables, and fruit and desserts. Even now, they were looking forward to it. It was something they were thankful for. Very much so.

But still...

“It certainly does feel somewhat unfair,” the silver-haired woman said, combing sand out of her short hair with her fingers.

Lucretia rather agreed but wouldn’t voice anything against the man she was after, even when he himself was absent. She vaguely laughed the comment off instead.

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

The next day, around noon, Zenjirou returned as planned. He had a massive barrel on his back and a medium-sized rucksack on his front, with bags hanging from each elbow. His hands were occupied with his camera. He looked like an elementary schooler who had lost a game of rock-paper-scissors and been forced to carry everyone’s bags.

The barrel on his back must have been the heaviest item because he was on the verge of falling backward until Ines appeared out of nowhere to support him.

“Are you well, Sir Zenjirou?” she asked.

“Thanks, Ines,” he replied before letting out a sigh. With her help, he divested himself of the “souvenirs” all over his body. The dull thud of the barrel seemed to have summoned those working over at the beach. He answered their hopes, thumping the top of the barrel and yelling, “I brought booze!”

There was a unanimous cheer from everyone in earshot. That night was, inevitably, a night of making merry. The sailors had built a massive bonfire during the day, and now they were all seated around it.

The guest of honor was the massive barrel to the side. Said barrel was full of beer, and the sailors were scooping out wooden tankards of it. While Capuan beer was relatively weak, the atmosphere of being back on land for the first time in a while was contributing to their inebriation. The majority of the sailors were already three sheets to the wind.

“Oh, the open seaaas, my beloooooved. How far youuuuu stretch, neveeeeeer endiiiing!” one of them sang heartily.

“Then the bastard pissed off the stern! I mean, we were on a ship, running right along a tailwind. He got covered in it!” another of them was recounting.

“This scar? I got it in a fight over my love. She was a barmaid, but what a woman she was. I’ve still got me heart set on her. What was her name again? Ange, I think. Maybe Anne? Actually, Lieselotte? Either way, I’m never gonna forget her.”

“You already have!”

“Shut it! Just her name! I still remember her face and figure, plus the noises she made!”

One of them was telling tales of his romantic conquests like they were heroic epics.

The common points among them were that they were all, to one extent or another, drunk, that they were enjoying themselves, and that most of the conversation was vulgar. It was hardly a pleasant place for a lady.

Indeed, Lucretia was unable to deal with those kinds of topics and was looking down by Zenjirou’s side with flaming cheeks. Freya, however, was guffawing away with the sailors while Skaji looked aggrieved at her liege’s actions.

The best choice here was probably to pretend they couldn’t hear it and talk about something else.

“I see you’ve styled your hair,” Zenjirou commented.

Lucretia grasped at the topic like it was a life ring.

“I have. I had Ines cut it. You were right—she is as good as a professional,” she replied, softly touching her now neatened hair.

Zenjirou couldn’t tell the exact differences, but her cheery tone meant that she probably wasn’t just saying that. He smiled at her red-tinged hair from the firelight.

“That is good to hear, though we have just as long a journey still awaiting us. I am unsure how much it will help, but I brought some things back with me,” he said, offering her a bag.

There were several metal bottles along with some bronze shapes. They shone almost like gold at a glance.

“What are these, Your Majesty?”

“Shampoo... Ah, that is, a cleaning liquid specifically for hair, along with some perfumed oil. The other things are hairpins.”

Washing your hair was somewhat of a luxury on a sea voyage. However, there were several people who could purify water as well as a magic tool for it, so there was a surprisingly large surplus of fresh water.

“These are hairpins?” she asked, picking one up between two fingers.

This world had objects to hold women’s hair in a particular style, but they were like fairly large needles. The hairpins Zenjirou had given her were much more reminiscent of the “hairpin bend.” They were thin pieces of metal folded into two.

Zenjirou had noticed Aura using needle-like pins to hold her hair up and brought the design to the palace smiths. It was not particularly complicated, so the Earth hairpins had been fairly easy to reproduce. Aura had been entirely happy with them. They were easier to use and more versatile than the others, along with offering a better grip.

These were gold in color for Lucretia, but Aura used reddish-brown ones. Having them close to your hair color meant that it was easier to use them without them showing. The hairpins this world already had also acted as accessories and were often decorated, so Aura was rather impressed.

“Thank you. I shall try them later. I see that you are more well-kept now too?”

He felt somewhat guilty at her comment but didn’t let it show. “I am. I had a haircut and a shave.”

Although Lucretia and the others had been on land, it had been in tents on sandy ground. Meanwhile, Zenjirou had bathed in the palace, had his hair cut, and spent the night in soft bedding. That wasn’t a conversation he wanted to have.

“The plan is that we’ll be returning to the ship and leaving tomorrow, no?” he asked instead.

“It is. I am honestly rather apprehensive,” she said, sighing and slumping forward.

While the action was somewhat exaggerated, she truly did feel that way. Zenjirou felt quite the same.

“True, thinking of going back to that bed is less than pleasant,” he agreed. He tried to offer a somewhat rueful smile, but it ended up being rather forced, given how depressing the thought was to him. He wished he had brought some cloth and rope to make a hammock, but trying to implement an amateur’s idea without real testing was too dangerous.

“Quite right,” she replied with a sigh.

“Well, we have to get back to the ship before that.”

“That makes me feel even worse,” she replied after a pause, her face paling with fear at the memory of their trip to the island. It meant moving low on the water in a rocking boat, looking up at towering cliffs of water. Then, when they got to the ship, she would need to climb the long rope ladder on her own strength.

Of course, with Lucretia’s size, they could probably get a stronger sailor to haul her up. Still, it was a rather unladylike way to travel.

“It is a scary thought. I would feel better if I could at least be in the same boat as you.”

Zenjirou actually found it slightly heartening that she would use that teary fear to try and flatter him again. Still, he couldn’t accept it.

“That cannot happen. I have no way of helping anyone who can’t swim, so having two people to worry about in the same boat is out of the question.”

Considering their country was landlocked, it was hardly a surprise that neither Lucretia nor her maid, Flora, could swim in the slightest. From a safety perspective, splitting the burden between different boats was for the best.

“That is true,” she admitted.

She had nothing further to say. It would be risking her life. That said, the scary trip had led to a party on land again. There was no need to worry over the fear of tomorrow as well.

“Hey, Majesty. Thank you for the meat and drink. Drink up as well!” one of the sailors urged him with ruddy cheeks. He took the tankard and put it to the prince consort’s lips.

“My thanks,” Zenjirou said.

“Nice one, Majesty. You can hold your drink.”

“Right, fetch him another!”

“The meat is done as well.”

“I’ll have some. What about you, Lucretia? The meat, if not the drink.”

“I believe I will,” she replied.

The uninhabited island was filled with the light from the bonfire as well as the general merriment of the party.