243 241. Old friend.txt (1/2)

Having saved the fleet, we were about to leave at once, but decided against it when we remembered that the sails of the ”Living Legend” had been torn.

It was then that Chloe suggested that we repair the sails and we accepted the offer. With a fleet this large, they have a few spare sails. I don't know if they'll fit or not, but at the very worst, I've heard that sewing them up will allow the ship to move.

However, the suggestion for that repair is just a tatemae, and the fleet would really like to prevent the benefactor from not repaying anything in return. If the benefactor is the rumored ”Aika Wakanami Christ Eurasian Waldhusiers von Walker”, the other side may have wanted to make a connection with him or her here.

And so the fleet, having survived the monster attack, prepares to welcome us back on board. In addition, I also had Titi's ”The Founder and the Demon King's Magic Sword Brave Florite” properly collected.

There's one luxury cruise ship in the fleet, and that's the one we're moving to.

That cruise ship is surrounded by military ships, and chairs and tables are set up on the deck in the style of a nobleman's mansion, where the welcome tea party begins. In attendance will be Chloe, who is probably the fleet's chief executive, first of all--.

Well, I didn't think it was really just the two of us who were in control of that ship: ......

When I explained to Chloe that we were traveling together, she was taken aback by the surprise.

However, she quickly brings it back up and explains about her own fleet.

'Well, ......, this one is made up of over a thousand sailors. Since our mission was to escort dignitaries, we had to allocate this many people to .......

Chloe-san seemed to feel unworthy that she had fallen behind the monsters with that thousand-man system. She didn't turn her face down, but her face was slightly twisted.

However, a voice sounded like it was soon being worked on.

''Chloe-san. The monster just now was far more than we expected. It was never your fault.

A soft voice.

The owner of that voice is the second woman in the room - perhaps she is the key figure that Chloe says she is, from her appearance and attire.

She is a little older than me and a little younger in height. Her long chestnut-colored hair is neatly trimmed, and she has an elegant appearance. Behind them are two attendants.

It's a pleasure to meet you, Kanami-sama. I am Flora Sestia of Sestia, and I am grateful for the opportunity to save your life. I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for saving my life.

Self-introductions are made, and Chloe quickly supplements them.

''Flora-sama is the second daughter of King Sestia and holds the fourth succession. She has been living across the sea for a long time, but recently the settlements have become more dangerous, so she has decided to move to the royal capital on the mainland.

He tells me that I'm a princess, and I reply shortly.

”My name is Aikawa Uzumi. It's nice to meet you.

”The boy is Titi.

Titi next to her also replied lightly.

The princess responded with a flattering smile.

I'm a little impressed.

In case you're wondering, Titi there is a former queen and Rastiara is also a princess. However, neither of them were fragile people, so the legitimate princess in front of me is a rarity.

''There is one more royal on this ship: ......

Chloe mumbles that there are two important people in the room. She would like to introduce the other one, if possible. I look around.

Just then, one of the barrels on the deck of the ship moved by itself, and the lid of the barrel flashed open.

The lid of the barrel flashed open and a small girl came out of it.

It's time for the battle to be over ......?　Woohoo, watch out. I mean, was it because of my guess that I was attacked?　No, there are many other important people in this fleet, and I'd like to believe they aren't: ......

The girl who came out of the barrel, muttering to herself, gave me more of an emotional response than the legitimate princess in front of me.

If I had to describe it, it would be too nostalgic and too other-dimensional.

The first and foremost thing that caught my attention was the girl's waist-length black hair and her glorious ”kimono”.

The top is a kimono and the bottom is probably a hakama. ...... I'm sure it's arranged for this other world, and the patterns are more mature for daily life, but it's definitely what you would call a kimono in my world.

For a moment, I was under the illusion that they were the same Japanese.

However, the girl's morbidly too white skin and red eyes deny that expectation. The canine teeth peeking out of her mouth are strangely long and her magical power is unusually large. It turned out to be not a pure human, but some kind of 'beastman'.

The princess laughs as the strange girl appears.

''Hmm. It's just right, Chloe. ...... That one is a friend of mine, and he's as famous as Kanami-sama. In that legendary 'Princess of the Legia Country Honorable Absence', I'm the head of Ingrid's Grand Chamber of Commerce, Kounel-chan.

'Heh, heh: ......'

I had no idea what it was like to be compared to me.

As I was mesmerized by the girl's kimono, Kounell-chan spotted a familiar face and came over to me.

''No, that was awesome. The last magic just now is the magic of the person who reached the 'demon return' of the example, isn't it?　Could it be that any of the sailors have gone over the edge?

'No, Kounel. That's the power of the two of you over here. Both of you saved us without using 'chanting', using only your body's magical power. This is the rumored Kanami-sama. And this is her friend, Titi-sama.

And then the princess introduces us.

With that, Kounell's eyes move.

The sight of me and Titi comes into her field of vision.

At that moment - she lets out a voice like a girl would.

''--Gee, gee!

It sounded as if he had encountered a 'monster'.

''Geez?''

But now both me and Titi have learned a lesson from the earlier blunder and have completely suppressed their magic. I didn't understand why they would react like that.

But Kounel-chan, the one in question, keeps looking at the nodding faces of Titi and I over and over again and keeps breaking out in a cold sweat. No, I'm not in a cold sweat. She's getting a little teary-eyed.

It's not normal.

And the princess, who is probably a friend of mine, seems to have wondered about it.

'......?　Are you by any chance acquainted with Lady Kanami, Miss Titi?

'What?　Someone you know: ......?　I know you, or whatever you call it: ....... Yea, yea, we've never met?　Seriously, it's never happened!

After a shudder, Kounell-chan shook her head at the bar.

I can't refrain anymore.

Immediately I 'gaze' at her.

[Status]

Name: the Kounel Chronicle, Shulus Regia Ingrid.

HP 25/25 MP112/112 Class: Bloodsucking

Level 43.

Strength 0.67 Strength 0.89 Skill 2.12 Speed 0.99 Wisdom 2.56 Magic 7.12 Elemental 0.19

Inherent Skill.

Acquired skills: sewing 1.33 baking 1.02 trading 1.58 music 1.01 harp 1.12

''--?

I'm surprised at this extraordinary figure.

First of all, the level is too high.

And even for that level, his status is too low.

There are plenty of skills, but there are no good combat skills.

And then the occupation section is ...... bloodsucking species?

The other party is a woman, and I don't hesitate to go scan her for physical characteristics with Dimension. It wasn't long before I found something different from a human from her.

It was very obvious, and on her back underneath her kimono, she had black wings that resembled a bat.

'What, va, vampire (vampire) ......?'

The answers derived from those information will come out of his mouth.

Then Kounell-chan starts to panic.

''Wait, in a place like this--!　Kai--Kanami-san!

It's a race that appears frequently in fantasy, but I've never seen it before in this other world. Wary of their unknown power, I try to be on the brink of war. However, Titi stands up and interrupts me by interrupting me from her.

''Hmmm?　You look like you've seen it somewhere: ......

I pulled my face in a much more unguarded manner and looked into Kounell-chan's face.

''Hee!　Well, well--Mr. Titty, please don't surprise me.

Kounel-chan immediately took five steps backward, dripping copious amounts of cold sweat.

She was upset from earlier.

And now, she definitely called out 'Demon King' to Titty.

But I don't know what she called out to me. I called out 'Kai' instead of the original 'Shi', but I wonder what she saw in me.

Titi and I continue to look at the flailing, Japanese dressed girl suspiciously.

As if she couldn't bear the gaze anymore, Kounel-chan immediately bowed and retreated further.

''Well, um, I'm very, very grateful to both of you for your help. Kanami-san and Titi-san, I am truly grateful for your help in this case. However, I'm feeling really bad because of the rocking of the boat, so I'll have to excuse myself for a moment at ....... Oh no, I'm really sorry. Hahaha.

And the princess facing her looks disappointed.

Well, that Kanami-sama is here, after all.　Are you that unwell?

I'm sorry. No, I really feel like throwing up. Seriously. --Bye.

With that, Kounell-chan pulled back into the boat as quickly as she could.

She looked really sick, so I didn't stop her. However, it looked like the bad mood wasn't from seasickness, but from meeting me and Titi.

'Excuse me, Kanami-sama, Titi-sama, I'm sorry. Kounel-chan can be a bit fast-paced. ......

Immediately, the princess follows up with her friend.

She really is a modest, ladylike, royal and noble girl.

But now our minds are not filled with the orthodox princess, but with the colorful princess from earlier.

'No, I don't particularly care ....... I'm not here .......

'Mmm ....... Rightly so: ......

Me and Titi make an eye roll and decide to gulp down the pursuit of her here and there, and continue with the princess and the other conversations. If she is someone involved in a thousand years ago, we have to be very careful and cautious.

And the princess seems to enjoy the conversation with us.

But most of it is about me. First, she told me how she had heard rumors about me many times in the Confederacy, and how she had attended the same ball in the Confederacy a year ago, but was disappointed that I had left in the middle of the ball.

He also told me about modern geography, such as the fact that Sestia, the princess's homeland, is located near the Husseys.

At the end of that conversation, we talked about our destination.

”Well. So Kanami-sama is heading to the same 'cork' as us, right? ...... So, would you like to join us for a little more of this fleet's journey?　It's not much of a thank you, but we will provide you with the best food and room we can provide on this ship. If you rest for a night or so, I am sure you will arrive tomorrow morning. Of course, by that time the ship should be in perfect repair.

It wasn't a bad suggestion.

I was actually thinking of just getting a meal and running the boat for the night: .......

'Kanamin, what are you going to do?　Honestly, you don't need at least one sail to get the ship going.

'I was going to get away from this fleet early, but ....... I'm wondering about 'that' earlier. What do you think, Titi?

Indeed. I'm sure that's what bothered you, too. I have no doubt that you know of them. They were the children of a thousand years ago.

Honestly, I don't care about this legitimate princess.

More importantly, it's that girl in kimono who might be a vampire. I want to gather some more information about her. If possible, I want to talk to her again. That's the truth.

We decide to nod in return to the princess's suggestion.

''Then I'll take you up on your offer and borrow two guest rooms. We've been running the ship alone for many days now, so it would be very helpful to have a break here.

Oh, thank God. Then I hope you'll join us for dinner. Next time I'd like to hear a story about Miss Titty instead of Kanami.

The princess smiled and was happy to see us.

Chloe, who was next to her, doesn't seem to feel bad about accompanying us.

”It's just the two of you for many days now, that huge magic ship ......?　On top of that, after all those battles, not only your strength but also your magic power must be nearing its limit. I will immediately prepare a room for the two of you.

He immediately calls out to the nearby sailors to begin preparations.

On cue, the sailors around us busily begin to move about.

Then the tea party on deck is over, and in no time at all our rooms are prepared and shown around. While we're resting, we're relieved to hear that the Living Legend will be restored and towed by the fleet's elite.

Thus, we have a luxurious cabin to relax in after a few days on the water.

We get as much sleep as possible in our soft beds, thinking about our plans for this evening.

Later, just as the sun was setting, another sumptuous dinner was served on the deck of the cruise ship, for which I offered the princess and Chloe a few trivial stories in return. The other side doesn't go into too much detail either, so it's very easy to talk to them. While we were talking about exploring the labyrinth with Titi and the ”ballroom party” of a year ago, it was nighttime in the blink of an eye.

Once the night is over, the pleasant banter is over.

In the end, we laugh at each other's good fortune and the princesses and I return to our rooms.

--now this is where the real work begins.

The voyage continues through the night, but still far fewer people are awake.

It's a time when only the sound of ripples can be heard in the darkness.

And I wait in my room prepared, listening to the sound.

I wait for Titi and the girl in question.

So, you see, I've been very good at this.

'Mmmm!　Mmmmmm!

Late at night with only the sound of the ocean's ripples in the air.

Titi holds my mouth and takes me to my room.

I stare at it with my three blank eyes.

”Hey, Titi,” I say. I said to you that I wanted you to bring me in peacefully ......

I kept telling him he wouldn't open the door. I just slipped up.

Don't kidnap the royals at ......

I feel like I can't speak for others either, but for now, I'll leave it at that.

But if this was going to happen, I should have gone. I shouldn't have thought that because she's a girl, Titi would be better than me as a guy.

While I regret it, Titty moves.

She forces Kounell-chan to sit on a chair in the room and restrains her with a rope she took from somewhere.

Then the hand that was placed over her mouth is released.

At the same time, a scream echoes in the room.

''Ha, let go of me!　I don't want to die!　I still want to be alive--!

WIND. Shout all you can, but I doubt the sound will ever escape the room. But I doubt the sound of the child's wind will escape the room.

'What is that?　Too scary!

Frightened and frightened, Kounell becomes teary-eyed and starts shaking like a small animal.

The tension is like a hostage waiting to be executed.

'Oraa, throw up!　You will learn everything you know!

Perhaps caught by her tension, Titty also happily thrusts out the side of Kounell's stomach. She writhes in agony at the attack, and tears drip from her eyes.

The same goes for you. This is not good. Why do I keep getting hurt like this, Mr. Guo? I should have just stayed at home where there are no enemies. ...... I didn't have anything to do with the ”Great Disaster” or anything like that in my favor!

If I let it go, it will be a disaster.

With that thought in mind, I quickly go to counteract that funny air. I try to speak to Kounell-chan in a terribly serious voice, but still gentle.

'Oh, calm down. We're not going to do anything to you. We just wanted to hear what you had to say. The idiot over there got in trouble, and that's what happened. ......

”Ugh, the kindness of a quintessential 'chairman' ....... But I feel like this is the candy and whip used for interrogation: ......

...... I'm not denying it there.

If possible, I had hoped that he would feel indebted to me and that the conversation would be quicker. I was able to see through that vague thought in the corner of my mind, and I changed my perception of Kounell-chan.

Regardless of her strange language and statements, this girl is smart.

It might be better to talk honestly to her to gain her trust.

''We don't have time to talk too long, so let's get to the point. --”I don't know you, first of all. The Founder Kanami failed in his plan a thousand years ago because of the Apostle Legacey. It's taken away my memory and my powers. So please tell me why you call me 'Chairman' first.

'What, eh ......, Apostle Legacy?　Um, first of all, what's that 1,000 year old plan: ......?　I mean, it's been a thousand years to begin with, so how are they both still alive?　I'd like you to start there and explain it to me: ......

Have you ever heard of ...... Apostle Legacy?　Maybe you don't know anything about what happened a thousand years ago, or the plans for the labyrinth or anything at all?

All the question marks fly in between.

I can tell from this that our consciousnesses are largely at odds with each other, and I wonder where to start talking about it. It seems to be the same for them, and I groan.

It was Kounell-chan who finished her thoughts first.

...... Well, listen up. Ate is just a little thing that collaborated with 'Aikawa Uzumi' before he was called the 'Founder' a thousand years ago to make money. The two of us formed a business association and made a lot of money by taking advantage of each other's hobby of sewing. But Aikawa Uzumi, who was the 'chairman' of the trade association, soon left everything to chance and disappeared. That was the end of the relationship. The reason I know about the demon king there is simply because Atai has been super famous since he was born, and I've seen him from a distance: ......

It's very easy to see that we were friends a thousand years ago.

Furthermore, I can also see that they were friends who had nothing to do with my battle.

It seems that a thousand years ago I had interactions with these ordinary people as well as the ”Stealers of Reason” and the ”Apostles”. No, that's not surprising: .......

I silently examine the information I got.

All the while, Kounell-chan, with tears streaming down her face, appeals to me to be truthful.

”Ugh, it's not a lie! It's true!

I don't think I'm the kind of person who would lie in this cul-de-sac situation.

But the rest of it is bothering me, and I've been unable to focus on my thoughts since earlier.