Part 2, Volume 6 – Farewell and the New Continent

Chapter 209

The extent to which a ship sways probably depends on the size of the vessel.

At the very least, the ocean-going ship we were now on didn’t have that “excessively rocking and nauseating” feel.

Even so, a deck that slowly rises and falls on a large scale would probably feel strange to someone unaccustomed to it.

“W-weird feeling…! Whoa… it’s swaying!”

“This ship is on a completely different scale from the one that takes us to the islands. Melt, are you feeling okay? You’re alright, right?”

“Y-yeah, I’m fine… but Sheele…”

Once we were out on the open sea and the rocking had somewhat calmed, it wasn’t Melt who had succumbed to motion sickness—it was Sheele.

“Sheele, you should probably rest in your cabin for a bit.”

“I’m fine… I’ll get used to it soon. Please, let me stay with you.”

“…Alright. Then at least we can rest on the deck and feel the breeze.”

“Sheele, okay. Shall we hold hands and go?”

Taking Melt’s hand, I slowly led them to the deck.

Finally… we were heading toward the neighboring continent, Riseark.

From the port town, we had crossed to Yasha Island and then transferred to a large ocean-going passenger ship capable of enduring a long voyage.

Because the ship was bigger, its movement was different from the island ferry—and that difference didn’t quite suit Sheele.

Once on the deck, warm sunlight and the sea breeze greeted us.

Perhaps it was because we had already left the territorial waters of Dusterfil, or because the dungeon core had some influence, or simply because it was already June—whatever the reason, the temperature that had made Dusterfil so oppressive had vanished.

“There’s a bench over there. Sheele, Melt, you two sit there.”

“Yeah. Sheele, shall we go?”

“Sorry to trouble you…”

The warm, slightly humid sea breeze coated our faces gently, like a soft protective layer.

The sight of Yasha Island had disappeared, and no other islands or continents were visible—just an expanse of blue, peaceful and endless.

“Here, drink this to help with seasickness.”

I handed them both a simple lemon tea—a minor restorative item from my game days. I remembered that citrus helped with motion sickness.

“Thanks, Shizuma.”

“Thank you… it’s delicious.”

Their pale pink lips quietly sipped the tea through straws, an image that made me want to protect them.

Melt began drinking in the same way, and the two of them together looked irresistibly cute.

“Then I’ll have some too.”

I sat on the empty spot on the bench and sipped the tea, looking out at the sea. I watched the seagulls that had been following us settle on the deck railing.

Time passed slowly, flowing together with the vast seascape.

“I’m getting used to it now. Thanks, Shizuma.”

“Sheele, your face looks better. Hmm… I should have made some of the anti-nausea medicine for myself too.”

“Don’t overdo it. There’s a cabin ready for you.”

“Thank you. I’ll just relax here a little longer.”

“Me too! Sometimes the birds flying at the same speed as the ship come really close—it looks like they’re hovering in place.”

After a short while, as she had predicted, Sheele’s complexion improved and her frail appearance softened, and she even smiled. Though, naturally, Sheele always gave off a somewhat delicate impression.

“Then I’ll go take a look around the ship. Let me know if anything happens.”

“Understood. We’ll return to the ship before evening.”

“I wonder what it’s like to sleep on a ship… it takes about two weeks, right?”

Yes—the ship we were on was a massive passenger vessel designed for comfort and slow cruising. That meant it would take thirteen days to travel from Yasha Island to the Riseark continent.

A long journey, indeed—but fortunately, Sheele’s seasickness seemed to be improving.

I decided to explore the ship and familiarize myself with the main facilities. Showers and toilets were available, of course, but there should also be a dining hall, infirmary, and small shop. It was essential to know the layout in case of emergency.

Leaving the two of them behind, I returned alone to the ship’s interior.

Riseark… the continent we had once accidentally stumbled into, but left without interacting much with its people or towns. What kind of place could it be?

By the time I returned to the ship, Melt had leaned slightly against the now-recovered Sheele, smiling happily.

Like a child clinging to a beloved mother or older sister.

“Hehe, I’m so happy. I get to go to a place I’ve never been with Sheele. And Shizuma is coming too. Same… it’s a little disappointing, though…”

“Hehe, Same loves the city and is helping protect our home with everyone. When we return, we’ll bring back lots of souvenirs and stories.”

“Of course! Oh! Another bird came close!”

“Indeed, it’s so cute.”

The two girls happily watched the seagulls. Their beautiful hair caught the eye from afar. Their laughter was infectious—people passing by couldn’t help but smile, and those who glanced secretly admired their appearance.

It was almost inevitable that someone would try to tease them.

Of course, the fact that this was a luxury passenger ship meant for traveling elegantly to a neighboring country, mostly with wealthy passengers, likely contributed as well.

“Excuse me, may I join you to watch the seagulls?”

A young man asked indirectly if he could sit in the empty space on the bench.

Melt almost said “sure” immediately, but noticed Sheele preparing to respond, so she stayed quiet.

I remembered how Sheele had handled a man making advances in the library once. Now, I wanted to see how she would respond.

“Yes, please. This is everyone’s seat, after all.”

The man sat next to Sheele. Shile stood up, and Melt followed, holding her hand.

“Melt, shall we go greet him?”

“Oh, are you looking for Shizuma? He should be inside the ship.”

Sheele spoke loudly enough for the man to hear, subtly implying she had company. Melt followed the cue perfectly.

The man was left alone on the bench, his approach thwarted, and his initial excuse for being there (to see the birds) now working against him. Sheele had successfully distanced herself from the would-be suitor without causing a scene.

“Sheele, what just happened there?”

“That was someone trying, indirectly, to get closer to us. But they were polite and subtle, so we could respond just as subtly. Perhaps it was a false alarm, but generally, a young man wouldn’t casually sit with two young women talking happily.”

“I see… that’s tricky!”

“Yes, tricky indeed. For now, let’s try to find Shizuma. He should be somewhere inside the ship.”

“This ship is huge… I hope we find Shizuma! There are probably more people on this ship than in a small village, it’s really big.”

And so the two of them also began exploring the ship. Sheele’s seasickness had clearly improved.

As we explored, I found that many non-noble passengers were concentrated near the lower decks, close to the cargo hold.

Our carriage had been stored on the lower deck with most of the luggage, and the half-demon beast pulling it was resting in the ship’s stables.

After checking the main facilities, I headed toward the lower deck where the cargo hold, stables, and carriage were located.

The ship’s size might rival that of the Titanic I had seen in movies…

…Let’s hope it doesn’t meet the same fate.

“The cargo hold is… huge.”

In the lower deck warehouse, guards patrolled to protect the luggage and carriage. I showed proof of ownership and was guided to our carriage.

The latest-model carriage Same had prepared for us.

Since the horse wasn’t attached yet, it felt somewhat incomplete—as if it were the final touch missing from a masterpiece.

“Phew.”

With a sigh, I climbed into the passenger carriage.

The low-sway carriage seemed to completely cancel out the ship’s movement. The moment I got in, the rocking I had been feeling until now was significantly reduced.

“…The next continent, huh.”

In this quiet and calm space, even quieter than my cabin, I closed my eyes.

I sent my consciousness inward.

To meet everyone.

In the dark round table that now existed entirely in my mental world, a place I could reach at will, I found myself seated at the head. I glanced at the faces of my characters occupying the surrounding seats, and then at the empty seat nearby—Same’s seat—and I let out a faint, wry smile at the twinge of loneliness that stirred in my chest.

“Hey… it’s been a while, everyone.”

“Y-yeah. First of all… congratulations. A word of celebration for the success of Melt’s medicine experiment.”

“Thanks, Silent. I think someday I’ll be able to send everyone out into the real world too.”

I spoke to the gathered group. As expected, the first to raise their hand was Still.

“My lord. Honestly, now that Same has remained in Lindblum, the significance of me operating in the shadows from afar—keeping the attention of those working in secret, including Hus—is greatly diminished. Yet, I still believe… it is important to ensure that the world always suspects that there exists somewhere an unusual, powerful, and heretical presence. I humbly request your consideration.”

“I volunteer as well. Of course, I wish to travel together, but at the same time, the security of Lindblum is too vast to leave solely to Same. And there’s the refugee situation to consider.”

Rue also volunteered. Honestly, I felt these two should have priority.

On the other hand, there were a few I wanted to keep in reserve as my “hand”—characters specialized in one skill or inherently powerful, whom I preferred to keep within my control a while longer.

I explained my thoughts to everyone.

“Right. I’ll try to remain inside Shizuma as much as possible. Among those at this table, there are probably few who surpass Shizuma in combat ability. Since I wish for Rue and Still to have freedom, it makes sense for me to remain here.”

“Indeed… but even among those not manifesting here, there are strong ones, right? Silent, my lord, you are now one of the relied-upon figures in Lindblum’s guilds and a war contributor. Surely there are those who seek you out.”

“That’s true. But among the strong, those I could confidently leave Shizuma to… honestly, it’s only ‘Tistnardo’. But to put him in the forefront—”

“Hmm… Shizuma, from your perspective, who would be the next most capable after Silent? Considering we want to increase our options and eventually allow Silent out, having another candidate wouldn’t hurt, right?”

“Huh? Hmm… I guess ‘Seion’…”

Listening to Silent and Rue’s discussion, I pictured one of my characters I hadn’t yet manifested—someone strong, aside from Tistnardo or Schweigen. Counting all my characters, including those mostly kept in storage, I had about eight more.

Among them, the one who met the conditions mentioned was probably Seion. But—

“Could they really serve as my replacement…? Seion’s combat style is almost identical to yours, Shizuma.”

“True. But their skills would definitely be useful, and I think they have a survival ability comparable to Silent.”

“Hmm, that’s reasonable. Considering non-combat aspects, they’re certainly a resilient person.”

Seion’s profession is “Thief/Light Warrior,” meaning they can utilize pure thief techniques. And they have learned, at a higher level, knowledge and experience akin to what Same used to analyze locks.

“Also, while I’ve learned some combat skills from Rue, transforming into Seion, a natural speed attacker, could be a way to gain additional techniques.”

“I see… but for now, I’ll still remain inside Shizuma. There’s no need to make immediate decisions, right?”

“Hmm, that’s true. This is a matter for the future. Whether we can even obtain the Dungeon Core is still uncertain.”

“Exactly. Shizuma, I think that after arriving at Riseark, while gathering information on dungeons is important, your priority should be to establish your status and position first.”

That made sense. On a foreign continent, I had no guarantee that my adventurer or explorer ranks would be recognized. First, I needed to understand the system and establish my standing.

“It’s a bit inconvenient that Same and Sheele, the two who usually provide ideas and organize things, aren’t here.”

“True. Seira, I also look forward to your perspective as a woman, so I’ll be relying on you.”

Seira mentioned the two who had left the round table. Indeed, they were excellent at coordinating.

“I’ll tell everyone that you miss Sheele.”

“Hehe, thank you. And remind them to properly train Melt too, will you?”

“Understood. Alright everyone, let’s wrap it up for now.”

I said goodbye to everyone and returned my consciousness to reality.

…Yes, I need to start thinking about who to keep around and who to hold in reserve.

I opened my eyes. In the dim, lightless cargo hold, within the passenger carriage, I stretched deeply and prepared to go fetch the two waiting on the deck.