Chapter 541: Skyward Branch
“Well then. You came for a business negotiation, right?” Captain Cat settled into a comfortable position.
It’s so cat-like to fold her paws under her body and lie down like that. Daifuku doesn’t do it much, but when he curls up, he looks just like a rice cake. And the way Retze and Ash dangle from their laps is also adorably soft and squishy.
I wonder if Captain Cat doesn’t curl up? With her tiger stripes, she’d look cute like an ammonite.
“You’re quick to switch gears…” Haulon remarked, surprised, while Soleil nodded in agreement.
“Seafarers don’t sweat the small stuff. Even if things seem a bit strange, you can’t get through without dealing with what’s right in front of you. You have to accept things as they are—believe me, I know how annoying it is to be asked all sorts of questions with my appearance.”
Captain Cat seems to have a high level of deflection skills! And while she’s being considerate, it also means I can’t ask her the questions I want to…!
“Take a seat.”
Before I knew it, one of the crew members had prepared chairs for us.
“It’s cramped.”
Sitting down, it felt like our knees were about to touch. Haulon is huge, and even though he’s standing, the crew member is pretty big too.
“It’s a ship, so just deal with it.”
“Space is limited, huh…”
Even though it’s the captain’s quarters, it’s still a private room, while the other crew members sleep in hammocks lined up together.
But wait, are hammocks more convenient? Ships sway… I mean, sailing ships catch the wind, so they often tilt to one side. Wouldn’t a bed just stay still? Oh, is it fixed to the floor? What if I roll off while sleeping?
Now I have even more questions!
“My contract is to sell Mail Wheat to Soleil, but which ship will we transfer it to? Are we going to the warehouse first?”
“Yes. Half will go to the Merchant Guild’s warehouse, and I’ll need the Akatsuki and four designated ships. Some will be transported by small boats to the island.”
“The Akatsuki… so the Shipping Guild is involved too.”
I’ve heard bits and pieces about the rivalry between the heads of the Merchant Guild and the Shipping Guild. Mostly from Soleil, but a little from Naruadeid as well.
“Those two are currently competing to see who can stay the longest on Blue Spirit Island…”
Soleil gazed off into the distance for a moment.
“We’ll transport it to Es with a large ship, and one of those will go to Fire Country Shahira. Do we have a designated riverboat company?”
Soleil turned her gaze to Haulon.
We went over various detailed arrangements. It seems Captain Cat doesn’t particularly enjoy sticking to solid business practices, but after losing a ship, she’s going to be serious for a while.
And for that “while,” her partners are Soleil and Haulon. Karn’s Country is also in need of furniture and various living supplies all at once. It’s not enough to warrant a large ship, but it seems they’ll rotate one of their own ships for us.
“Is this about all we need for now?”
“Yeah, if anything else comes up, we’ll discuss it separately.”
“Right. I’ll leave it to you.”
The three of us took a moment to sip the alcohol we had nearby.
“By the way, I heard you have three Spirit’s Branches?”
“Yes. One of them, I’m not sure if I should even call it a branch.”
“If Naruadeid’s wheat is a branch, then it’s a branch, right?”
“That’s true…”
“More importantly, can you really manage with three branches, each representing different ideals?”
“Fortunately, yes.”
Soleil smiled brightly in response.
It’s a secret that the three branches don’t have the effect of repelling Demon Beasts. Thanks to the effects of Naruadeid’s wheat branch and the contracts with the Wind Spirit and the Dragon, Demon Beasts don’t come near, and with so many Spirits around, the island feels bright, and the residents are healthy. The little black ones don’t form into lumps either.
“Three branches…”
Haulon, please stop looking at me like that.
“Could it be that two of them are the white and black mistletoe?”
“I’ve only heard about mistletoe in stories, but they’re branches that look like a more delicate version of white and black red coral.”
Haulon turned to Soleil, who answered him.
“…”
“Could it be that the extended branch known as the ‘King’s Branch’ is…?”
Soleil asked cautiously, her voice trailing off as Haulon fell silent.
“Yes. That beautiful branch is Karn’s Branch.”
I answered in place of Soleil.
“Karn, the king of Fire Country Shahira? Does that mean our homeland is involved?!”
Soleil’s eyes widened in shock.
“Our homeland? Is that how it works?”
“If that branch was granted from Shahira’s ‘King’s Branch,’ then yes, it would be. But still, the center of the island is that Hani… ‘Skyward Branch.’ What happens in this case?”
Did she almost say Haniwa?
“‘Skyward Branch’ sounds powerful and divine—oh, and the Ex-Staff!”
Haulon suddenly seemed to realize something and buried his head in his hands.
Captain Cat was left behind, her tail twitching in confusion.
I think what she realized was the deception hidden within the term “Skyward Branch.” Words can be quite misleading, can’t they?