Judging that the question had been answered, Rosso and Tran began to exchange regular reports regarding supplies, ship conditions, and other matters. Once they had covered all the necessary details, Rosso turned to face me and cut off the conversation.
“Well then, is there anything else?”
I immediately responded to Rosso's question.
“I’d like to ride the ship.”
Upon hearing this, Tran widened his eyes and stared at me.
“…Are you suggesting that you intend to steal our technology?”
“Yes! If possible, I’d like to try building a ship myself!”
I answered, sounding childishly eager, and Tran froze for a moment, blinking, before bursting into laughter.
“Hahahahaha! No, I apologize. You were so blunt that it caught me off guard.”
Tran’s tone shifted abruptly, his speech growing rough and unrefined, a stark contrast to his usual formality. His boisterous personality was clearly seeping through.
“Is it not allowed?”
Since it was military confidential, I assumed it would be impossible. I asked again, and Tran chuckled softly in response.
“I can’t reveal the details of our ships, but if you simply want to ride one, that’s no problem. However, only Viscount Van and his attendants are allowed on board.”
“Really!? Yay!”
I cheered, overjoyed at his words, showing a completely genuine reaction. Panamera, on the other hand, pursed her lips in dissatisfaction.
“If the Viscount is allowed, then surely as a Count, I should be allowed aboard too?”
Upon hearing Panamera’s words, Tran let out a wry laugh and shook his head.
“I’m afraid that’s not possible this time. Well, Viscount Van expressed pure curiosity about seeing the ship, so I’m giving special permission only for him.”
“Mmm...! I suppose it can’t be helped... In that case, could you at least assign a few more guards for Viscount Van’s safety?”
“Hmm, guards, you say…? A maid as an attendant should be fine, I suppose…”
There was an obvious hesitation in Tran’s response to Panamera’s suggestion. He didn’t want military secrets seen by outsiders, and it seemed he believed that women and children wouldn’t be able to leak such information.
That assumption was a huge mistake.
I hid my thoughts behind a smile and responded.
“Understood! In that case, I’d like to bring Lady Arte, Kamushin, and Til along! They all wanted to ride the ship too!”
We boarded a small boat and made our way across the sea. The wind wasn’t particularly strong, but the boat rocked steadily. The boat’s small size was probably the cause. Kamshin, who was prone to seasickness, looked pale and trembled uncontrollably.
“I… I didn’t want to ride a boat…”
Kamushin muttered softly, casting a longing look back at the shore. Though it was called a small boat, it was still about four or five meters long. Tran, who was leading the way, probably didn’t hear him. Still, there were five sailors aboard—Tran’s subordinates—standing on either side, adjusting the boat’s direction with oars. Tran, the captain, seemed to be using wind magic to move the boat along.
The boat had the elongated shape of a canoe, but Tran’s mastery of wind magic was evident. The boat cut through the waves effortlessly as it sailed forward.
However, the boat still rocked.
“If we were on a bigger ship, the rocking would be much less. Hang in there a little longer.”
“Ugh… Understood…”
Kamshin, who had turned pale, now looked even more miserable as he spoke, his voice strained.
After about five to ten minutes, we arrived right beneath the massive ship. The ship was large enough for open sea travel, and as we got closer, it loomed over us. We had to look up to see the whole thing.
“It’s… so big…”
Arte muttered, clearly stunned. Beside her, a maid-shaped doll of the same size as Arte was also present, but strangely, it moved just like Arte, as if controlled by her.
Wondering how we were supposed to get aboard the ship, I saw ropes being lowered from the deck. Four ropes, one from each side of the ship, were tied at the appropriate spots and, like a crane game, we were hoisted up.
The process was rough on Kamshin, but somehow, he managed to avoid making a scene. Once we were on the deck, however, Kamshin sat at the edge, breathing heavily, staring off into the distance, and not moving.
At this, Tran laughed aloud.
“Still a kid, huh? Can he protect his master in that state?”
Hearing Tran’s words, Kamshin stood up, trembling, and drew his sword.
“Wh… whoever comes, I will protect… protect… Van-sama... ugh.”
Kamshin spoke with a serious expression, but his legs trembled like a newborn fawn. Tran smiled wryly and patted Kamshin’s shoulder.
“Don’t push yourself, young swordsman. There are no enemies on this ship.”
Tran said gently, but Kamshin didn’t sheath his sword. Tran looked at him in confusion, and I chuckled in return before speaking.
“Kamshin , despite appearances, is an amazing knight. He’s a reliable bodyguard of mine.”
Upon hearing this, Tran sighed and chuckled softly.
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