Chapter 571: The Recalled Spell
“So, this is the Fortress,” I said, taking in the sight.
“Just ‘this is’… well, yes, it is the Fortress. But it’s not what I expected. Aren’t ruins supposed to be more… crumbled?” Retze replied, sounding skeptical.
Haulon seemed ready to argue back but changed his mind halfway through.
Sorry, I had already repaired the holes.
“How is this possible? Can a fortress be built in less than a week?” Soleil muttered, still facing the fortress, lost in thought.
“Hmm, it might be good against enemies coming from the sea, but—” Kiel chimed in, also mumbling to himself.
“I thought it would be up high, but it’s clinging to the cliff. What a magnificent fortress!” Dinoss leaned against the ship’s edge, gazing at it.
Unlike Haulon and the others, he seemed to be enjoying himself.
“Captain Goat, I want to build a staircase on the side without the castle wall, like a pier. You know, at a height that matches the ship’s edge,” I said.
“A staircase?” Captain Cat’s ears perked up, tilting back slightly in confusion.
“More like a step? It should be adjustable for the weight of the cargo. Can you come over for a moment? I want to check the height.”
The tidal difference in the inland sea is only about ten centimeters, so it’s not something to worry too much about. Unlike the Pacific, the strait leading to the open sea isn’t very wide, so the water level doesn’t fluctuate much.
“Fine, but what kind of major construction are you planning?” Captain Cat replied, signaling to the silent crew member perched on his shoulder.
The ship began to move slowly. The silent crew member seemed to understand Captain Cat’s gestures perfectly.
“We’re going to enter that fortress, right?” Captain Cat glanced at Haulon.
“Of course. I want to check inside as well.”
“Prepare to lower the small boat,” he instructed another crew member.
The ship approached the dock.
“Wait. Why are we moving sideways?” Captain Cat squinted.
“Because the Great Sage is on board.”
“Wha—?!” Haulon looked at me with a face that screamed ‘Why?!’ but I had received permission to use the name long ago.
“Even this large ship…” Soleil gasped in awe.
“…” Kiel shot a serious look at Haulon.
“The name of the Great Sage is indeed magnificent…” the Butler said, staring off into the distance.
“…” Captain Cat was giving me a half-lidded stare!
“…Make sure to serve him good sake later.”
“Yes,” I replied to Retze.
“Can we still proceed…? I remember the waters being shallow around here,” Captain Cat said, a frown forming on his forehead.
What had settled at the bottom of the sea had either clung to the cliff or turned into a fortress. Captain Cat, who hadn’t been too concerned about the fortress, was now being strict about the changes in the ship and the sea.
The ship stopped, and the small boat was lowered. A rope ladder was thrown down. I was about to approach the cliff where the Stone Spirit was waiting on the opposite side when—
“Save the strange stuff for later,” Retze said, capturing me.
“Wait, just a mark, just a mark! ‘A line that matches the height of the ship’s edge, but a bit inconspicuous, please!'” I called out as a thin line shot across the cliff.
“I get that you’re having a free-for-all over here, but don’t actually do that as Kanum, okay?”
“Yes,” I promised to be careful.
In a pinch, I could escape to the House, but I didn’t want to miss seeing everyone from Kanum.
“Oh!”
As I was having that exchange with Retze, cheers erupted from the crew.
“What’s going on?” Everyone was looking at the rope ladder. Some were peering over the edge.
“Haulon must have used some magic. There’s no way everyone could have descended that quickly,” Retze said, surprisingly aware despite not having seen it.
I see, the deck was now only occupied by the crew and the Butler.
“Just like the Great Sage, always so flashy,” someone remarked.
“…” The Butler stood in front of the rope ladder, wearing a subtle expression.
“Thank you for your hard work,” he said to Retze.
Peering down from the ship’s edge, I waved at the Ittan Momen.
The red Fandor flames and the Flower Spirit, the blue robe of the Deep Spring Spirit, and the Dwarf with a red hat and earthy skin representing the Earth and Hole Spirits—all of them were there. I wondered why ‘hole’ and ‘cloth’ were part of their names.
The Ittan Momen gently lifted Retze, the Butler, and me down. I wasn’t good with rope ladders.
“Truly, the Great Sage can even make those far away float,” Soleil praised Haulon.
“Ah… So it seems,” Haulon replied, staring blankly at the Ittan Momen.
We split into two small boats, heading toward the fortress, with the crew members rowing.
“Whoa! The water is moving?!”
“The surface?! There aren’t any waves, right?!”
Well, I guess the Sea God and the Atmosphere Spirit must have some other work to do besides moving the ship, right? Aren’t they going to head back?
“Truly, the Great Sage is amazing,” I muttered to myself.