Chapter 351 - Dark Continent (2)

Blazing sunlight and sun-heated sand. A cool yet somehow damp breeze carrying the tang of salt.

Raimia, the Island of Beginnings.

Yet the vast sea stretching to the horizon was nowhere to be seen.

「You have entered the sixth floor, the Great Ocean.」

The first thing I saw upon crossing the portal was over a hundred enormous sailing ships lined up along the coast. Their hulls were so huge, and there were so many of them, that even the vast ocean felt cramped.

"All right, move aside once you're through! Other people need to come through too!"

Before I could even look around, an explorer bearing the Explorer Guild's emblem directed us away from the portal. His tone was so casual that I asked Erwin about him, and she said he wasn't a regular guild employee. Apparently, these explorers were taking on a guild commission? The royal family had requested the guild's help managing the explorers, but with no staff to spare, it had outsourced the job.

'Makes sense. An ordinary employee would have trouble getting all the way to the sixth floor.'

Anyway, with the war already over a year old, the clearly divided procedures ran smoothly.

"This way! First, we'll register you for the war, then help you through your unit assignment!"

After waiting in the long line along the eastern shore, we handed over our identification and registered for the war. There was a small commotion during that process, incidentally. Erwin was simply far too famous.

"Erwin Fornacci de Tersia... Uh... oh, B-Blood Spirit Marquis...?"

"Is there a problem?"

"N-No... none! I apologize for making a scene!"

Seeing Erwin come to register on her own must have raised all sorts of questions, but the registrar seemed uncomfortable even speaking to her and hurriedly finished her registration.

"Rank-five explorer Emily Raines. You have a previous record of participation. You're registered."

Amelia went after Erwin, and this time the registration really did take only a second.

Her identity had been created two years ago, and her age was twenty-two. Apparently, she'd started as a rank-9 explorer and gradually climbed the ranks, paying taxes and everything to make the identity completely legitimate. As long as she didn't run into someone like Erwin, who knew her bare face, her identification was a free pass.

Unlike me, who received a somewhat pointed look.

"Rank-five explorer Rihen Schuitz. You have no previous record of participation. Would you remove your helmet?"

The identity Amelia had procured for me, Rihen Schuitz, belonged to an explorer who had been active five years ago. Of course, the broker had diligently paid his taxes since then, so there was nothing wrong with the paperwork, but...

"Hmm."

His reaction was odd, perhaps because my face looked younger than twenty-nine. Somehow, I felt like a minor trying to buy cigarettes.

Still, I got through without trouble, possibly thanks to having dyed my hair light brown to match the identification. I'd chosen one with the same eye color to begin with.

"Something wrong?"

"No. It seems you're returning after a long absence. I wish you luck in battle."

"Much obliged."

I'd had to lift my helmet once, but fortunately, registration ended without incident. Just as Amelia had said, there were so many retired explorers returning after the war broke out these days that it wouldn't raise much suspicion. Apparently, even two of the Seven Powers fell into that category.

"Then all that's left is the unit assignment."

After registering, we moved to the bulletin board beside the desk. It listed the ships currently waiting and brief details about those aboard. Which ship you boarded mattered quite a bit in this war, since explorers aboard the same ship would form a single unit upon reaching the seventh floor...

"There's no need to deliberate over which one. This is your first time, so you can only board a third-class ship."

"A third-class ship?"

"They're mainly for explorers who haven't distinguished themselves in battle yet, or who lack the backing of a major force like a large clan. Their combat strength tends to be lower, so they mostly stay in the rear and provide support."

Hah, so newbies had to work their way up from the bottom? Fair enough. Having a newbie dragging you down on a dangerous battlefield would only make things difficult.

"Then let's take that one."

We chose the third-class ship with the fewest people aboard, and the three of us boarded together. I figured fewer passengers would give us a better choice of cabins.

"Fortunately, we managed to get a three-person cabin."

"Why? Are those hard to get?"

"They aren't that scarce, but they are the most popular."

I figured out why without needing to ask.

'Right, Unity magic got an update while I was gone.'

Six-person teams were the norm these days. Naturally, three-person cabins were the most popular, since a team could simply split into two groups.

"We sail tomorrow, so let's each relax and rest for now."

"Yes, sounds good! What should we talk about now?"

"... I said let's rest."

"Yes, exactly. That's what I'm doing."

"..."

I looked to Amelia for help, but she'd already finished putting her belongings away and was lying in bed.

Oh, come on. I knew she was pretending to sleep.

"Then shall we talk about the war...?"

"Sure! Is there anything you're curious about?"

"I heard people on third-class ships usually provide support in the rear. What exactly does that involve?"

"Uh... I'm always at the front, so I'm not sure... I think I've heard they secure retreat routes and take escort assignments, things like that."

I wasn't particularly tired anyway, so I kept talking with Erwin and hearing about this and that. How much time passed?

KNOCK, KNOCK.

We suddenly had a visitor. Someone all of us knew well.

"... I heard you were on the same ship, so I came to say hello. It's been a while, Ms. Tersia."

I never imagined we'd reunite this soon.

* * *

"Whew..."

Standing before the closed cabin, the blonde woman straightened the collar of her uniform. Then she heaved a deep sigh.

'Why did that woman suddenly pull a stunt like this?'

The Blood Spirit Marquis, Erwin Fornacci de Tersia. She was the reason Raven was standing outside this cabin. For some reason, that woman, a member of the Seven Powers, had boarded a third-class ship instead of a first-class one.

'... Seriously, the higher-ups dump all the annoying jobs on me.'

The Third Magic Corps, to which Raven belonged, had originally been scheduled to board a third-class ship as well. A force composed of mages needed an escort, after all. But it certainly hadn't been this ship. They had merely been reassigned here on orders from above.

'We're not even close anymore. Not that we were all that close before.'

Her superiors had assigned her to this ship because they had once belonged to the same clan, but Raven herself wasn't confident. How was she supposed to control that crazy woman? Who knew what trouble she'd cause next?

'Still, orders are orders. I suppose all I can do is talk to her and try to find out what she's up to...'

With another sigh, she knocked on the door.

KNOCK, KNOCK.

The door opened about ten seconds after her knock.

CREEEAK.

The hinges, rusted by the sea breeze, creaked open, revealing the cabin's interior. There were three people inside, just as she'd been told.

'Rank-five explorer Rihen Schuitz. And Emily Raines.'

One wore a helmet even inside the cabin, while the other's eyes and ears were hidden behind a black veil that reached down to her nose. This only heightened Raven's curiosity. Who were these two, and how had they suddenly come to travel with a woman like the Blood Spirit Marquis?

"Stop staring at Mister and tell us what you want."

At the voice, which was not merely cold but downright aggressive, Raven stopped studying the cabin and turned to Erwin. She forced a professional smile.

"... I heard you were on the same ship, so I came to say hello. It's been a while, Ms. Tersia."

"Yes. Then if you're done saying hello, would you leave?"

Tsk. When would she ever learn some manners? Raven clicked her tongue inwardly, but spoke without letting it show. There were too many things she wanted to know to simply leave.

For example...

"By the way, you just called him Mister, didn't you?"

Why had she referred to that man as "Mister"? Hadn't she reserved that nickname for him alone?

"..."

Unfortunately, Erwin gave no answer. She merely glared at Raven as if to ask what business it was of hers. Yet there was something anxious in her eyes. As though she'd let something show that she'd wanted to hide.

"Hmm."

Raven shifted her gaze from Erwin to the man. He was a complete stranger, and his helmet hid his face, yet something about him felt familiar. She couldn't quite put her finger on it. No, even though they had nothing at all in common, he somehow reminded her of one particular person.

"Y-You can't mean! This man..."

Raven's jaw dropped. She stared back and forth between Erwin and the man.

* * *

"..."

The longer the silence lasted, and the longer Raven's gaze stayed fixed on me, the more thoughts crowded my head.

'What? She figured it out already?'

What happened now? Could I convince her I wasn't an evil spirit? If I couldn't, word would definitely reach the royal family...

"..."

I moved only my eyes to glance at Erwin, and found her looking at me too. Her eyes seemed to say, 'Mister, what do we do now?'

I was a little dumbfounded. You were the one who let it slip, so why were you asking me—

"I never imagined..."

Raven finally spoke, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

"You'd fallen apart this badly."

... Huh?

What was that supposed to mean?

As Erwin and I both stood there bewildered, Raven continued in a somewhat sorrowful voice.

"Ms. Tersia—no, Erwin... It isn't right to look for a replacement."

"Huh...?"

"There can't possibly be one. You have to work through it, however painful it is."

"Uh...?"

Only then did I understand. Raven had gotten the wrong idea. She thought Erwin missed me so desperately that she'd found a similar man, covered his face, and was playing pretend.

"And you."

Raven, her petite frame clad in uniform, whipped her head around to glare at me.

"I know exactly what you're thinking."

"...?"

"So forget about taking advantage of Erwin. Whatever else may have happened, I won't stand for that. I'll be watching you from now on, and if you step even slightly out of line..."

As Raven trailed off, I found myself blurting out a defense.

"Wait! I don't know what you've misunderstood, but I have no intention of taking advan—"

"Your voice..."

"My voice?"

I tilted my head at her incomprehensible remark. Raven stiffened with a start and avoided my eyes.

"Your voice... sounds... like his."

She reacted as if she now understood why Erwin had done this.

"So that's why..."

Murmuring bitterly, Raven turned to Erwin.

"But you still can't do this. This... surely isn't what he would have wanted, is it?"

Her words were filled with heartfelt emotion, and her tone went beyond advice, sounding almost pleading. But it wasn't going to work on Erwin. Everything she was saying was based on a misunderstanding in the first place.

"W-Who are you to interfere? You don't know anything!"

Erwin finally recovered her wits and went on the defensive. Or, to put it more simply, she attacked.

"Get out right now, and don't ever come back!"

After physically throwing Raven out, Erwin slammed the door.

* * *

Time passed quickly after Raven's visit. Departure day arrived, and the warships floating along the coast unfurled their sails in unison. Our ship's role was also decided.

"Escorting the Magic Corps, huh..."

As soon as we reached the seventh floor, the explorers aboard this ship would join the fighting as escorts for the Third Magic Corps.

Incidentally, we received instruction in battlefield formations, tactics, and the like by gathering on deck during the voyage.

'So that's why they organize units by ship. They have time to train us on the way.'

The estimated voyage to the seventh floor was about fifteen days. Aside from training, most of that was free time, which I spent almost entirely on deck. The reason was simple. I was being reminded once again that barbarians didn't do well at sea.

"Bleeuuurgh!"

Even on a ship this large, seasickness left me so nauseated that I couldn't stay in the cabin. Out here, at least I could throw up wherever I wanted.

Anyway, spending so much time on deck meant I sometimes ran into Raven. Quite frequently, in fact. For some reason, it was always when Erwin was away.

"... Even the seasickness is the same. It's creepy."

"... Bleeuurgh."

"Why do you keep your face covered like that? Did Erwin tell you to?"

"Urgh..."

"Well, I suppose your face doesn't look anything like his."

"..."

"You have a perfectly good face. Why go around like that? Have you no pride?"

"..."

"Just try anything. I won't let you get away with it."

Ugh, I already felt like I was dying. Why did she keep pestering me?