15-8
Carral Hez's Love and a Boy's Heart
Translator : PolterGlast
A small bonfire was
lit at Erin Port. Deviating from the dark highway and advancing through
a grassland unsuitable for wheel traffic, it eventually turned into a bedrock
ground. Catching sight of the dazzling bonfire and a group of sailors on
standby ahead, we seemed to have let out a sigh of relief.
After all, what we
are doing is thievery. Furthermore, having pushed overloaded carts all the way
here in two shifts, everyone was exhausted.
「Good
work, everyone! We'll handle it from here, so take a rest!」
At Carral Hez's
words, even those beastmen slumped down onto the ground. With this, divine
punishment is brought down upon the lowest pervert. Since we weren't caught, we
are not thieves, but chivalrous thieves. Every one of the beastmen looked
satisfied.
「Shinza,
glad you're safe, good work!」
「There
were some accidents, though. Setting that aside, shall I help?」
「No,
you have to rest, otherwise it reflects poorly on our merchant company.
Besides, Shinza, not just this, you built this port and even scraped the
rocky reefs, right? Don't take away any more of our turns.」
She has a point.
Trying to do everything by myself is probably my bad trait. There was also the
psychology that I absolutely couldn't involve them in my self-righteousness.
But now it has come to this. What a strange turn of events.
「However,
I can't settle down unless I'm helping with something...」
「Oh,
then may I leave the Admiral to you? We won't be able to see you for a little
over a month, so even just a brief farewell—」
「W-Wait
a minuteeee?! Wh-Why are you setting things up on your own?!」
「No, he
has a point. I'll be lonely if I can't see you for a while.」
「Heh...!?
You'll be lonely... I see, is that so... Ehehe...」
Together with Carral,
we moved a little away from the bonfire to the dim shade of the trees. The amount
of cargo is massive, after all. Over there, the sailors raised noisy voices,
hurrying to load the stolen goods.
「Captain,
this is crazy, aren't these platinum coins?!」
「This
is good, weapons and armor from the Imperial Knight Order should fetch a good
price over there.」
「You
guys, let me tell you this, don't pocket anything! These are stolen goods, if
you leak them to the wrong place, your necks will be hanging from the gallows!」
Carral looked
at such comrades and laughed. They were clearly the reliable partners who had
braved the voyages by her
side.
Carral holds
in her hands a dream that I, bound by the Empire, can absolutely never grasp.
Half feeling envious, I was also happy as someone who had shared board and
lodging and supported her back then.
「Sorry,
those guys are noisy, aren't they...」
「Yeah,
but someday I'd like to join that too.」
「Eh...
really? Do you really, truly mean that?」
「The
outside world is my aspiration. I have a half-baked birth, but I've lived my
whole life tied down to this land. How fun it would be if I could cross that
sea together with you...」
Part of it is also
that having rough adventurers or sailors as neighbors is more calming than the
refined court.
「Yeah,
I'll let you on board anytime. Because that fleet started with me and Shinza,
after all. Shinza always has the right to join it.」
「I see.
Then when it becomes peaceful, work me hard as a sailor. Even I can't dig the
sea, though.」
「You
intend to start from a mere sailor...」
The loading seemed
to still take some time. The armor and swords of the Knight Order were
excessively heavy, making things difficult. It meant I could stay together with
Carral for just a little while longer.
「Hey, Shinza.」
「What
is it, did you get hungry? I am.」
「Gramps... Gideon-san
came to see me. It seems he remembered me.」
「Yeah,
far from just remembering, Jii talked about you
whenever he had the chance.」
「Is
that so. Gideon-san is a cute grandpa, isn't he.」
「...And
a fine man. He dotes on his children too much, but I am grateful to him. But what about him?」
Carral, who
had been laughing, suddenly erased her expression. With a serious look, staring
this way, after tightly closing her eyes, she seemed to have prepared herself
for something.
「Gideon-san
wished for Shinza's happiness. That goes for me too, I'd be sad if Shinza
died. Ever since I learned of Shinza's true identity, I've been worrying
over it far across the sea. I wished, that you would be safe...」
「You're
beating around the bush and being gloomy. What's the main point? —Carral?」
It seems I was slow
to notice because of the darkness. Carral Hez was shedding tears,
shaking her body as if struggling painfully, and spat out words.
「Please...
Marry Princess Yumil-sama...」
「Marry,
Yumil?」
「Gideon-san
said that a marriage proposal has come... That if Shinza marries Yumil-sama,
Shinza won't have to be frightened of assassination anymore... Gideon-san,
apologized to me...」
It seems talks had
been proceeding arbitrarily without my knowledge. Because of that, Carral
is shedding tears and suffering. She will be departing for the Coastal
Provinces carrying a broken heart.
「Father
and the others are truly a handful. And Yumil... ah, so that was why she was so angry back then..」
「Knowing
Shinza, you intend to refuse, right.」
「Naturally.
If I do such a thing, I'll be bound to the Empire and unable to move. It's true
my position would probably improve, but there are far too many inconveniences.」
「No. Shinza
is always doing reckless things as it is, you know? At this rate, you'll die
someday... So, use Yumil-sama's Fimbul Duke House as backing...」
Zirant, you
had a hand in this matter too, didn't you. The reason you read me a romance
novel was because of the marriage proposal with Yumil, wasn't it?
『Never
mind Wagahai. Keep Carral company right now.』
How brazen of you to
say. That Carral was crying, you know.
『Then
can you guess the reason why she is crying?』
Who knows. It's
certain she's worrying about me to the point of crying. Even so, being told to marry
a woman I met just a few days ago is troubling.
『U-Umu...
This might indicate that Gideon's words pointed to the truth...』
Zirant's
words could no longer be heard after that one utterly exasperated line. More
importantly, Carral. Let me comfort her in my own blockhead way.
「I will
not marry. If I am bound to this land of the Empire, my life is over. Rather
than that, Carral, let's go to the Coastal Provinces together someday.
Show the outside world I've continually yearned for to this pitiful man who was raised confined
in a tower. And let's eat lots of delicious food there!」
Carral said
the fish in the Coastal Provinces tastes bad, but I've heard there's a mountain
of other delicious foods. Taking Carral's hand and shaking it, I smiled
towards her.
「Shinza's
heart is, still that of a boy, isn't it. Then, does that mean I still have a
chance too... Ah, but you see, if marriage with Yumil-sama is necessary,
do it. If you want to make the elves outside the country your allies going
forward, you should marry Yumil-sama.」
「I
suppose so... I'll consider it if I can divorce later.」
「If you
don't mind every single member of Yumil-sama's family taking a turn
punching your lights out, then by all means—why don't you give it a try?」
Looking beyond the
bright bonfire, the loading of the stolen goods was nearing its end. About time
to wrap things up? Perhaps Carral thought the same thing, she looked at
me again.
「About
a month or so, I'd say... I'm gonna go make a quick killing with the cargo Shinza 'borrowed,' alright, Boy?!」
「Calling
a man this big a 'boy' is a bit much, don't you think... hey—?!」
It's déjà vu. The
day Carral departed for the Coastal Provinces, she did this exact same
thing to me. Clinging to my shoulder as if pouncing, our lips were pressed
together.
「Did
your heart throb...?」
「Naturally...」
「There
there, grow into an adult little by little, boy!」
「I'm
asking, what's with this
treatment...」
「See
ya! I'm off, Shinza! No, my Prince Ashley-sama!」
Carral ran
down the stairs of Erin Port and left for her ship. It's departure time.
While being cheered on by both the beastmen and the sailors, I watched over the
departing fleet of the Hez Company. I wonder why. My chest tightens more than
that day, that time I parted with Carral at Naglfar Port. Lonely.
I thought I wanted Carral to come back quickly.
「You
guys go back ahead. I want to stay here until the ships disappear from sight.」
Carral Hez.
It seems she is a very important person to me.
◆ ◇ ◆
When I checked the Book
of the Evil Dragon on the dark coast, only a certain page was faintly
glowing. Opening it, it was Carral Hez's page.
――――――――――――――――――――――――――――
- Emperor of the
Round –
N01. Adventurer Sigrun
of the Black Horn
N02. ――――――
N03. ――――――
N04. Court Alchemist
Durin Andvaranaut
N05. ――――――
N06. ――――――
N07. Admiral Carral
Hez
N08. ――――――
N09. ――――――
N10. Archer Kachua
N11. Administrator Puis
N12. ――――――
――――――――――――――――――――――――――――
――――――――――――――――――――――――――――
NO. 07 Admiral Carral
Hez
【Bond
Lv】 3
【Growth
Limit】 +100%
【Achievement
Effect 1】 Headwind canceling effect when acting with Ashley
【Achievement
Effect 2】 Business Acumen LV +1, Big Sister Adoration Rate +50%
【Achievement
Effect 3】 Bonus worth 10% of Ashley's VIT
【Achievement
Effect 4】 Sailing speed of owned fleet +25%
【Achievement
Effect 5】 Sailing speed of Carral's ship +100% (Unacquired)
【Next
Lvup】 Depends on the other party
【Target's
Lv】 17 / 100
【Trust
Level】 Trying to dedicate everything
――――――――――――――――――――――――――――
Dedicate
everything...? I thought she had already repaid the favor sufficiently, but to
think she felt indebted to that extent for that matter. I really
shouldn't be looking at things like this.
If the fleet's sailing speed has increased by as much as 25%, does that mean Carral will return to the Empire within a month? It seems that if I am with Carral, headwinds will be canceled out. I want to quickly finish cleaning up the Empire's mess and travel the Coastal Provinces together with Carral. That ship is promised a swiftness that knows no headwinds. Those feelings towards the Coastal Provinces grew even stronger.
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