Part 2 Chapter 46

Part 2 — Episode 46

The passenger ship was the most massive ship I had ever seen, reportedly one of the most famous vessels heading to Ostia.

As members of a party support guild, we were each assigned fairly decent cabins.

“If the weather permits, we are scheduled to arrive at Ostia Pier tomorrow at 11 p.m. We wish you a pleasant journey.”

Considering that our departure time was 6 a.m., it was quite a long distance to cover.

After resting briefly in our respective cabins (Rue and I, of course, shared the same room), we reunited at the nearest restaurant when it was time for breakfast.

Everyone glanced curiously at the man in the golden butterfly mask as they passed by. It would be so much easier if he just showed his face openly, but it seemed I was the only one uncomfortable with the hassle.

“Did you leave all your duties to my little brother?”

“Gavroche is a fine successor. Times like these also allow for him to gain experience holding the fort in my absence.”

“I think today is the day I’ve seen the brightest expression on your face yet, Your Grace.”

“A misunderstanding, I assure you.”

After a simple meal, we moved to the ship’s generously sized garden plaza.

The ship’s interior, decorated with a charming garden theme, had various shops large and small. The presence of makeshift banners and merchants with bundles made me come to the conclusion that commercial activity was permitted onboard.

“We have plenty of time, Daisy. Let’s take it slow.”

I am taking it slow.

The swordmaster, who was looking at the place, said, “The food over there looks quite appetizing.”

“I find the shops on this side more interesting.”

As expected, the Swordmaster and I were polar opposites.

We agreed to meet up later and went our separate ways.

Walking down the aisle, colorful flyers kept pouring into my arms. Among them, one particularly eye-catching slogan stood out:

<The Next Generation of High-Income Professions!

Druid Training Academy Now Open!

Enroll in our 300-day intensive course

and secure a job with the Legion!

*(This academy operates with support from the □□ Guild.)>

Druids?

“Since when are druids… trained in academies?”

Feeling a great sense of betrayal, I flipped to the back of the flyer.

<Q. Why are druids gaining attention as a promising profession?

Most airships operate using frame balls equipped with magical springs.

However, all machinery powered by frame balls cannot cross the Wall of Fire.

As such, druids capable of communicating with highly intelligent avian species play a crucial role in maintaining contact within the Wall of Fire…>

Ah.

‘So this “druid” did not refer to the chieftain of the Greyhawk tribe after all.’

Given that the overall meaning wasn’t all that different, it seemed plausible that the origin of the term “druid” might indeed lie with the Greyhawk tribe though.

Soon after, I also heard voices promoting donations:

“Please help the citizens trapped inside the Wall of Fire! Your small act of kindness can change their lives!”

Hmm… right… that’s true… One small coin from me could indeed save a refugee in crisis.

“Here, Ash. Go make a donation.”

Squeak—

Ash nimbly weaved through the crowd and landed politely on the donation booth.

“Ah! Thank you… A bird?”

After that, I was completely absorbed in exploring.

I had no idea there were so many guilds and organizations in this world!

And that wasn’t all. There were ads for guild-run academies, guild recruitment offices, gift giveaways through hero guessing quizzes, magazine subscription services, and even “Experience the Flames of Calamity” exhibits.

So many things.

Truly diverse and fascinating.

This one, and this one, and this one too…!

“Enough. Daisy.”

At the cold warning, my hand—which had been about to accept the 18th flyer—froze mid-air.

Rue, who had handed the flyer back to the promoter, took my arm and said:

“Any more, and it becomes baggage. If you want more, finish looking through the ones you have now, discard them, and then take new ones.”

“But… they’re not heavy, are they?”

“Look at yourself right now. You look like a street peddler. It doesn’t feel like a date at all.”

This isn’t a date, though.

But it seemed this was a good time for a break.

Following Rue’s precise memory, we took a long detour and arrived at a café overlooking the sea.

I ordered a pistachio waffle and a sweet chocolate Gugelhupf cake for Rue, along with two cups of black tea, and secured a table.

The seating… I wasn’t really satisfied with it. It was right next to a busy walkway. But given how crowded the ship was, we were lucky to get a spot at all.

While browsing through the flyers, I stumbled upon a map of the three nations—Penrotta, the Republic of Contaninos, and the Kingdom of Banahel—and nodded in satisfaction.

“We made the right call taking the ship, Rue. It takes quite a while to reach the Kingdom of Banahel… but it seems there are direct airships to eastern Contaninos since it’s mostly flatlands.”

In contrast, traveling from Penrotta to the Kingdom of Banahel required first taking an airship to Astrosa, then transferring to either a train or a second airship to reach Banahel.

That alone could easily take a full day or two longer.

Just then—

“Hurry, hurry!”

“If we’re late, we might not even catch a glimpse!”

At first, it was just a table or two emptying out, but soon, more and more people began leaving like a receding tide.

What was going on? My butt was itching to get up from my seat and take a look too.

But seeing Rue gently scooping up that chocolate Gugelhu…—or whatever it’s called—with such a calm expression on his face, I couldn’t find it in me to follow them.

Thanks to the commotion, though, we managed to claim a prime spot with a view of the sea.

And it wasn’t just one seat. Two, three… before long, more than half of the premium seating had emptied out, and I couldn’t help but wonder what was causing it.

What in the world was happening?

As I strained to listen, one unfamiliar name kept repeating:

“Flame King? Rue, who is the Flame King?”

He elegantly sipped his black tea, then pulled out the supplementary magazine New Hero Profiles that Ash had been sitting on and flipped to the back to show me.

Let’s see.

<Ranked 5th among the Top 100 Heroes.>

<Leader of the Flame King Party, known as the rival to the Sword Demon Party.>

*<No. 1 in approval ratings within the Republic of Contaninos (based on mid-year popularity polls). A people-friendly hero and beloved national leader.>

‘He’s ranked No. 1 in approval ratings but only 5th overall?’

Then who could possibly be above him?

I’d always skimmed the list from 100th upward but never made it to the top 10. I tried flipping to the front to check the higher rankings, but…

“…Ash. Did you do this?”

I held up the magazine to the bird, eyeing the small holes peppered across the pages.

But the little hawk was busy preening itself with the water Rue had poured into a saucer, utterly unconcerned.

[The water’s lukewarm.]

“Playing dumb, huh?”

Anyway, this meant he was the rival of the Sword Demon Party—the one I’m supposed to join—right?

If his rival had the No. 1 public approval rating, then this Sword Demon guy must be pretty impressive too. Even that Legion official was so agitated just because our guild was supporting the Sword Demon Party, wasn’t he?

If both the Flame King and the Sword Demon were outstanding party leaders… maybe they shared some similarities.

Just then.

Someone stopped right in front of our table.

“…Lord Andert?”

The woman’s wide-eyed face was somewhat familiar to me as well.

“It really is Lord Andert! I had no idea I’d see you here… I’m truly pleased to meet you again. I’ve been troubled that I couldn’t properly express my gratitude back in Brisher.”

Baroness Fyora, the guild master of the <Golden Lion’s Mane> Guild.

I shot Rue a look that asked, What’s going on? But he merely shrugged lightly and picked a raisin from a crumpled paper bag.

“The spell only blurs first impressions. It doesn’t work well on those who feel strong regret or joy toward you.”

Maybe I should have covered my face after all.

Though somewhat bothersome, this was a warrior who had given her all to protect Brisher. I decided to play along politely.

“It’s been a few days, Baroness. What brings you to the Republic of Contaninos? Ah, perhaps your guild was also selected as a party support guild?”

Baroness Fyora laughed, her face slightly flushed.

“You… remember me?”

“I’m not that stupid.”

“Ah, no, I meant it was just an honour.”

She then glanced at Rue and slurred her words.

“And this is……?”

Seeing she wanted an introduction, I offered a simple explanation to satisfy both parties.

“She’s my girl.”

“….”

“So, what brings you here?”

Baroness Fyora, who had been standing there dazed for a moment, let out an awkward cough.

“Ah, my apologies. We’re on our way to the republic to protect and support imperial citizens dispatched inside the Wall of Fire.”

Imperial citizens dispatched inside the Wall of Fire… That’s me, isn’t it?

“Additionally, we’re meeting the Flame King for a simple dinner… Ah, speak of the devil, here he comes now.”