Chapter 17: Interlude (A Certain Guild Leader)
“President! A ship we’ve never seen before has just entered the harbor!”
“…What did you say?”
I was about to scold the rude subordinate who had barged in, but I swallowed my words at the last moment. A ship they had never seen? In this situation, could it be that someone is sending a trading vessel? Or perhaps it’s an enemy ship?
“How many?”
“Just one! But it’s carrying what looks like a massive cannon!”
A cannon, huh? Even trading ships sometimes carry cannons for self-defense. However, this man has worked in this port for several years. I doubt he would make a fuss over just any cannon. It must be a particularly rare ship that has arrived.
“Understood. I’ll go take a look.”
“That would be a great help! We can’t handle this alone!”
As I made my way to the port, I quickly spotted the ship. It was painted a brilliant white, so beautiful that it was hard to believe it was real. Indeed, it had one large cannon mounted at the bow and another at the stern—both impressively long and unlike anything I had ever seen before. But what stood out the most were the circular structures protruding from both sides at the rear.
“I’ve never seen anything like it… Is that the rumored magic-powered ship?”
“Yes. It’s likely a magic-powered paddlewheel ship. I’ve only seen one once before, back at the port of Uryabak…”
It was a massive vessel that moved by turning a waterwheel instead of using sails. It was equipped with over a hundred cannons, the largest battleship in the Port Town of Uryabak. While the ship before me was certainly smaller in size, its imposing presence was incomparable to any sailing ship around.
“This one is the real deal…”
I swallowed hard. The white ship had dropped anchor a short distance away and was currently dispatching a cutter. A few crew members climbed aboard and began rowing toward the dock.
“Make way, make way! The President is coming through!”
“Don’t crowd around or we won’t be able to disembark! Move aside!”
My subordinates scattered the men gathered at the dock. Their words may have been rough, but they were sharp-witted.
“…President, can you see?”
“Yes… A woman, perhaps?”
As the cutter drew closer, I could finally make out the crew members. However, something felt off. The long hair looked feminine, but the hairstyle was peculiar, almost as if she had beast-like ears atop her head…
“President, I thought it was just a tall tale, but…”
“I remember now. There were rumors of savages with beast ears on their heads…”
“…They don’t seem very savage, though…”
“Indeed. Underestimating them could lead to trouble. Hey, you lot, keep an eye on the men. Make sure they don’t act rashly.”
I issued instructions to those around me. This was not someone to provoke lightly. If they were indeed as beautiful as they appeared, it would be even more dangerous. Normally, women do not serve on merchant ships. I don’t believe in the superstition that a ship will sink if a woman is aboard, but having a woman on board usually leads to conflict. If they absolutely had to bring a woman, it would typically be a courtesan or a slave. Even then, it would likely lead to disputes. The fact that only women were coming ashore from that ship suggested that perhaps it was crewed entirely by women. I couldn’t even imagine a ship without men aboard.
It would be a mistake to underestimate them simply because they were women. The best approach would be to treat them as fellow sailors.
“President, I’ve relayed the message. Honestly, I’m not sure if it will deter them…”
“…As long as we have the fact that we warned them, that’s enough for now. If they do anything, it gives us an excuse to take action.”
“Understood.”
I wanted to avoid any unnecessary trouble. I didn’t know their purpose for entering this port, but whether for trade or resupply, I hoped they would become a good business partner. To be honest, the current situation was dire. There were hardly any safe trading partners, and potential enemies surrounded us. We were barely maintaining neutrality through the trade of food and salt. Perhaps that ship could change our circumstances.
“…They’re coming.”
The guide waved his arms widely, directing them toward our dock. They waved back. At the very least, it seemed we could communicate through gestures.
“Do you think we can understand each other?”
“Who knows? It’s rare these days, but in the past, ships came from countries with completely different languages…”
The white cutter approached the dock. There were three people aboard, and they all appeared to be women. I could clearly see triangular ears atop one of their heads. One of them stood while the others flitted about behind her—was that a tail I saw?
“This way! Alright, good! Throw the rope! Do you understand? The rope!”
The guide brought them close to the ladder affixed to the dock and raised a rope for securing the vessel.
“Okay! Rope, catch!”
One of the women on the cutter shouted back loudly. While her pronunciation was curious, it seemed she understood our language to some extent. I couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief; it seemed we could communicate, at least to some degree.
“It looks like we can exchange information.”
“Yes. Alright, I’ll go. Don’t do anything foolish.”
“Understood!”
The three women climbed the ladder with surprising agility, appearing lighter on their feet than the average sailor.
“…Welcome to the Port Town of Terek. We are glad to have you.”
“Welcome… Arigatou, suru.”
She understood our language. Despite their appearance, they seemed to possess a sense of decorum. When I extended my hand, she responded with a handshake. I was taken aback by the softness of her palm, far from what I would expect from someone who had crossed the sea. Normally, hands would be much rougher.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to describe her hands as delicate, like those of a white fish. However, the grip she returned was surprisingly strong.
“I am the one who oversees the merchant guild in this port. My name is Kuravia Terek.”
“I am Zwei Ringo. Warui, mae, wakaranai. Minato? Shoukai? Tachiba?”
“Ah… I apologize. Do you understand ‘leader’?”
“Leader. Wakaruka. Wazawaza, arigatou. Watashi ga, fune no nagai.”
I was a bit surprised to learn that the woman who introduced herself was the ship’s captain. It seemed she had boldly arrived at a port she had never visited before. Was it courage, recklessness, or confidence?
“Standing here and talking isn’t ideal. Shall we sit and discuss? I can prepare a room.”
“Room. Wakarita. Daijoubu.”
“Then this way… Hey, prepare a room!”
“Yes!”
After confirming the captain’s nod, I began to walk, conscious of my role as her escort. Thankfully, she followed without hesitation. There was no need for the formalities one would use with nobility…
“President, we’ve prepared Room 3!”
“Understood.”
Room 3 was designated for entertaining distinguished guests. It was structured to allow for guards to be stationed, making it perfect for discussions like this. Speaking of guards, the two women following the captain must be her bodyguards.
I took a moment to observe the captain’s attire as we walked. She had a cloth wrapped around her head, likely for sun protection. Her upper garment was a well-tailored long-sleeve shirt, and she wore trousers. Her boots were sturdy, and at her waist hung what appeared to be a cutlass—a curved sword. It seemed she wielded it with her left hand. What caught my attention was the mysterious device hanging on her right side. It was a combination of metal rods and grips, likely a weapon. It resembled something I had seen before, a firearm.
The journey was mostly silent as I guided them to the meeting room. Our language barrier made casual conversation difficult.
“Now then… Once again, I thank you for coming. Welcome to the Port Town of Terek.”
“Yoroshiku onegai suru.”
We faced each other on the sofa. Of the three, only the captain took a seat. The other two remained standing behind her, likely still acting as her guards. I had also stationed guards, perhaps to match their presence.
“Things have been quite dangerous lately, but you’ve made it this far.”
“…Busso, to wa?”
“Ah… It means ‘dangerous.'”
Upon hearing my response, the captain nodded. It seemed she understood the word “dangerous.”
“Busso, datta. Watashitachi wa, oki, mawaru te kita.”
So they had been moving around offshore. Well, with a paddlewheel ship like that, there was no need to approach a pirate-infested port town. Even if they were pursued by a ship, if those cannons were as formidable as they appeared, repelling attackers would be easy. Here, ballistae were still the mainstay of naval warfare.
“I see. And what brings you to this port?”
“…Koueki o nozomu.”