Chapter 507: The Effect of the Contract
Hah!
Retze seems eager to pinch my cheek!
“Though you’ve gathered various experiences, could you tell Captain Goat what the Spirit King is like?” Haulon smiles with only his lips.
Whether it’s a Spirit, a Great Spirit, or even the Gods, I think it’s just people calling them whatever suits their needs. Those involved with the Temple and rulers embellish things to their advantage, but many remain unseen, and people’s perceptions aren’t consistent either.
Spirits are easily influenced by humans, while others exist completely detached from them, so their recognition could vary. Besides, Spirits are capricious, and with so many different beings, I don’t think it can be neatly summarized.
“A Spirit that produces multiple God-class Spirits as retainers, too powerful to interact directly with humans—no, the recent popular theory suggests that it doesn’t matter whether it’s a human or a Spirit, but rather whether they command many powerful Spirits or retainers—well, let’s just lump it all together as this.” As Captain Cat looks up at me, he traces the definition of the Spirit King that Seikai mentioned.
Please stop summarizing.
“…The fact that you can say it all the way to the end means you all know what this is about.” Captain Cat snorts through his nose.
Maybe it would look cool if it were a human? But right now, I’m dealing with a cat.
“The Oath of Silence Contract,” Retze murmurs.
Naturally, the contract with Captain Cat includes clauses that prevent me from disclosing information about myself. This is a common clause in contracts regarding information obtained through transactions, and as Retze said, it seems to be referred to as the Oath of Silence clause.
Depending on the added clauses, typically, one can speak to higher-ranking contractors. For example, Captain Cat is contracted with me, but it would be troublesome if he couldn’t discuss business matters with Soleil. Conversely, Soleil’s ability to speak to Captain Cat is restricted.
“…” Haulon gives me a frozen smile.
What did you do?
I can hear it, I can hear Haulon’s inner voice!
“I didn’t do anything. When I contracted with the captain, a Sea Spirit just popped up, called me the Spirit King, and then vanished.” I simply made a normal contract.
“…” Haulon looks at me with narrowed eyes.
“Sure, I thought the contract partner being a cat might mean it was some kind of cat-shaped Changeling or something—but in the end, it was a different matter altogether.” I half-expected one of the Gods protecting me to show up, but the Spirit that appeared was unexpected for other reasons.
“…When it comes to Spirits around here, aside from the common Sea Spirits, it wouldn’t be the Sea God Seikai enshrined in Naruadeid, would it?” Haulon confirms with a smile.
Haulon, who can’t shout, seems pretty strong!?
“I’m more curious about the other matter,” Retze mutters.
“Right, since we’ve finished the introductions, I have urgent business. Oh, before I leave, let me hand over some food. Whether you distribute it to other ships or not is up to the captain, but please disguise the source. —Where should I put it?” I say all at once with a smile.
I won’t let them talk about unnecessary things or ask questions! I want to avoid any trouble with my cheeks!
“Food is appreciated, but is it standard for something to appear during a contract?” Captain Cat, with half-open eyes, flicks his tail.
Is Captain Cat too perceptive? And it feels like he’s about to add, “but that has nothing to do with me.”
Following Captain Cat’s lead, we move to the ship’s hold. As we walk through the ship, the previously silent crew member joins us silently, opening doors and lighting lamps without a word, making it easier for us to proceed.
There aren’t many crew members on this ship. Did they fix this one first? They must be busy repairing the other ship that was heavily damaged.
“Do you have any animals on board?” It smells a bit?
“My ship goes out to the open sea. When we venture far, we keep goats here. My crew takes good care of them, but the smell lingers.” Captain Cat explains.
“I see, fresh milk and meat, then.” Retze’s gaze wanders around.
In the Kanum area, the only place you’d see something like that is a riverboat with a spot for fish. I’m also looking around curiously since it’s rare.
“The air isn’t stagnant, is it? Could it be a Spirit?”
“Well, yeah. My friend is a Wind Spirit.”
“I see, that’s why your cargo is well-regarded.”
“Transporting goods is just a way to make money; it’s not my main business.”
Haulon and Captain Cat’s conversation—are the goods really well-regarded?
“Wheat is better off in a well-ventilated space than damp. The hold is usually humid and smells musty,” Retze informs.
“Many ships stack their cargo on deck, but if the sea gets rough, the chances of losing the cargo increase, and if it gets splashed by waves, it’s ruined.”
“I see.” Retze seems more knowledgeable than me, who frequently comes to the sea.
“Before you start talking about raiding Mail Town out of hunger, even though I tied up other ships with contracts, we still had a slight shortage of supplies. I appreciate it.” As I pull out the food in the hold, Captain Cat thanks me.
“Thanks to our contract, the others on the ship won’t have to die.” The contract for transporting Mail Wheat likely includes a clause about respecting the Mailmen and not causing them harm. Once I contracted with Captain Cat, I couldn’t interfere with the Mail.
Well, the Mailmen are definitely strong, and while they seem gentle, they have an atmosphere that suggests they won’t hold back if pushed too far. I can’t imagine they could remain safe in a rich land where wheat grows. In that sense, humans are untrustworthy.
If they were to raid, it’s likely that humans would be the ones who wouldn’t come out unscathed.
After lightly discussing transportation to Karn’s Country and other matters, we return to Kanum. The moment we arrive, my cheeks are stretched. Terrible.