In a World of Reversed Chastity, I Strive to Become an Honorable Male Knight, but Lustful Women Keep Targeting My Body - 255

Chapter 255: The Kukkoro Male Knight and the Voyage

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The River Patrol Ship Michael Collins rode the current of the Elfen River and moved forward at a slow pace. The “New” settlement lay downstream. Even without using sails or oars, the flow of the river itself carried the vessel toward its destination.

…The trip out was easy, which was nice, but the return trip would be brutal since we’d have to go against the current. We’d have no choice but to force our way along by human labor or by having horses tow us. Operating it as freely as a modern vessel with its own engine just wasn’t possible.

“Even though we keep going, it’s nothing but forest, huh.”

On the upper deck of the Michael Collins, I muttered absentmindedly. Half a day had passed since departure, but once you left the agricultural plains around the city of Carrera, this land called Liseben was nothing but forests and mountains. No matter where you looked, it was a solid wall of damn green, so it didn’t exactly inspire much appreciation for the scenery.

“It should save us a lot of time compared to going on foot, but… I wonder how long it’ll take before we arrive.”

From Carrera City to the “New” settlement (apparently called Runga City), the journey on foot took three days. However, there was no highway connecting Carrera and Runga. That meant having to traverse what was practically untouched primeval forest, so naturally it would take even longer. Judging by straight-line distance, the two cities weren’t actually that far apart.

“This is my first time usin’ a strange ship like this, so I don’t really know for sure, but I reckon we’ll arrive in about a full day.”

The one who answered was a liaison from “New,” the crow bird-person Lady Uru. She sat atop a large wooden crate, wearing a relaxed expression as she enjoyed the wind brushing against her cheeks. Even tropical Liseben had settled into autumn, and the breeze had grown pleasantly cool.

“I see. Well, it can’t be helped… That means we’ll have to spend at least one night on the ship.”

I gave a small groan. The journey so far was peaceful, but since interference from the anti-“Legitimate” faction was expected, I couldn’t afford to let my guard down. We had no idea when an attack might come, which wore on my nerves.

After letting out a small breath, I turned around. There sat a compact cannon mounted on a rotating gun carriage—the Michael Collins’s main gun, a prototype 57-mm rapid-fire cannon. The 86-mm cavalry gun that had seen action during the Royal Capital civil war was already fairly small, but this one was even more compact—a real little cannon. And it wasn’t just the size that was different. The barrel wasn’t made of bronze but iron… Steel, to be precise, and a large handle was attached to the breech.

This prototype 57-mm rapid-fire cannon used a breech-loading system, meaning shells were loaded from the rear rather than the muzzle. As a result, its firing rate far exceeded that of conventional cannons, and in theory, this single gun could match the firepower of four traditional ones. It truly was a magnificent next-generation weapon… At least on paper.

But in the end, it was still a new weapon. To be honest, I didn’t trust it at all. During development, this breech-loader had a notorious history of frequent barrel-burst accidents. I’d heard those issues had been resolved, but… Accidents always happened at the worst possible moment. Caution was necessary.

“There’s no call for worry, Albert-don. If any scoundrels show their faces, we’ll chase ’em off. Rest easy.”

Saying that proudly was an elf soldier on deck, assigned to guard duty. She wore a poncho over her leather armor and was fully armed with a bow, arrows, and a wooden sword. Several other elves dressed similarly stood nearby.

They were guards dispatched from “New.” It seemed that Lady Dalaiya had taken the recent attack quite seriously, as she’d significantly increased the number of escorts. It was apparently a show of resolve: elf interference would be repelled by elves themselves.

“I’m counting on you all. In return, I’ll make sure the food keeps you full, so look forward to it.”

“Yeah! Leave it to us!”

With a thump, the elf soldier slapped her (characteristically slim) chest and laughed heartily. If they stayed quiet, elves had a fairy-like, ethereal beauty, but they were all boisterous to a fault. The gap was incredible. That said, the elf soldiers were certainly reliable… But since the “enemy” was within “New” faction itself, there was a real possibility that traitors were hidden among the guards as well. A snake in the grass. I couldn’t afford to lower my vigilance.

In situations like this, the most reliable people were those you trusted completely. I glanced back at Sonia, standing behind me. She’d been in poor condition for days, but she seemed to have recovered at last. Her complexion had returned to normal.

“……”

She lightly tapped the hilt of her beloved sword on her back and nodded. She was one of the finest swordsmen in the Kingdom of Galea. Having a knight of her caliber as an escort brought an extraordinary sense of security. Speaking of reassurance, I wondered what that ninja group was up to. Ever since I’d treated them to lunch as thanks for their assistance, I hadn’t seen them once… Were they still continuing their mission to guard me? Truly, they were a mysterious group, just like real ninjas.

“Still, it’s turned into a fine season, hasn’t it? I don’t care for the heat. If it stayed like this all the time, that’d be nice.”

As I was thinking that, Lady Uru struck up some small talk. She was right. The weather was pleasant. The sun was still blazing as ever, but the breeze was cool enough that you didn’t even break a sweat. …Seasonally, it should’ve been late autumn already. In the Royal Capital, people would’ve started switching to winter clothes by now. Such was the south, I suppose.

“But from what I’ve heard, autumn in Liseben-in Elfenia, autumn is short. It turns to winter in the blink of an eye.”

“That’s true. Liseben’s winter can be harsher than you’d expect. Best not to skimp on winter preparations.”

Even though I deliberately corrected myself to say “Elfenia,” she still insisted on calling it Liseben. That felt oddly deliberate… Were Lady Uru and the others planning to abandon Elfenia and side with us after all? Once this meeting was over, it might be time to confirm their true intentions.

If the bird-people truly switched to our faction, it would be more than welcome. They were far more maneuverable than wyverns and far more numerous as well, the perfect traits for reconnaissance and patrol missions. In the future, they might even be able to perform aerial shot observation, literally observing artillery impacts from the air, allowing gunners to adjust their aim for accurate fire.

“…I hate the cold. Though it won’t be as bad as my homeland.”

Sonia muttered with a sour expression. Her homeland, the Norl Frontier Territory, was a land of extreme cold. In the depths of winter, it was completely sealed in ice and snow, and stepping outside in inadequate clothing meant freezing to death in no time. For cold-sensitive dragonewts, it was an unbearably harsh place. I’d spent a few winters there myself as a child, and it had been miserable. Sonia, pale from the cold, would cling to me constantly. Apparently, among the dragonewts of the Norl Frontier, there was a custom of using hume as living hot-water bottles. Seriously, that kind of thing messes with a person’s preferences, so I really wished they wouldn’t.

“Your homeland’s up north, right, Sonia-don?”

“Far north, the northernmost tip of the Kingdom of Galea. Around this time of year, it’s already white with snow.”

“Eek… Snow.”

The elf soldier shuddered.

“Snow like that only falls on mountain peaks ’round here.”

“Well then, Liseben’s winters aren’t that bad after all, even if it’s cold.”

Sonia declared that smugly, but she was actually quite sensitive to the cold and was usually bundled up in layers long before the first snowfall, puffed up like a ball of fluff. She really wasn’t in a position to lord it over the elves.

“But Sonia…”

I had just opened my mouth to tease her a little when heavy footsteps approached. Reflexively gripping the hilt of my saber, I turned toward the sound, thinking at last the attack had come.

“…!”

But standing there was Bishop Fiorenza, her face deathly pale and her hand clamped over her mouth. She rushed to the side of the ship and vomited into the water below.

“U-ugh… Bleh…”

“Whoa…”

It wasn’t an attack, but it was still serious. I hurried over, rubbing her back and wiping her mouth with a handkerchief from my pocket. Bishop Fiorenza-sama’s complexion was nearly the color of dirt.

“A-Are you all right, Bishop Fiorenza-sama?”

“U-ugh… I’m fine… To think a cleric of the Star Guidance Faith would get seasick…How shameful—bleegh!”

It seemed another wave of nausea hit her mid-sentence, and she leaned over the side again, retching with an awful expression. A disaster… Truly. In fact, Bishop Fiorenza wasn’t the only one suffering. Many of the elf soldiers and the Liseben troops had never traveled by ship before either. Naturally, quite a few people were down with seasickness. With people vomiting all over the place, a sour stench hung over the deck.

If we were attacked in a situation this dire, it would be no joke at all. I hoped nothing happened, but in my experience, bad things tended to pile up at times like these. We’d better get our combat preparations in order now…

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