Chapter 100

After that, the orcas made two desperate ramming attacks, but Dan skillfully evaded them.

The most challenging part was when we had to move the incredibly heavy Duralize by shifting the center of gravity, in sync with the turn, with the help of the Nigefu Commerce Company employees.

When we returned to the Solcoast port in the afternoon, Mimosa, Gondo, and the other Nigefu Commerce Company employees were waiting at the pier, their eyes shining with anticipation.

"Welcome back. You're quite early. Does that mean... a big catch?"

Mimosa smiled at Dan and me.

"Yeah, we managed to secure three. The last one got snatched away by the orcas."

When I answered, the Nigefu Commerce Company employees who had come to greet us started to buzz, and Gondo asked us.

"Orcas?! What happened?! Dan, your hands are all torn up!"

Dan's hands were raw, with the skin peeling off and blood dripping.

I thought he had managed to evade them, but we had returned to the port using my wind magic and Dan's navigation, just to be safe, so he probably didn't have time to treat his hands.

"Haha, it's been a while, so I guess I was a bit rusty. On the way back, there were a few moments when I didn't have the luxury to use the winch, so I had to pull the line directly. ...Sorry, grandpa, I'm pretty tired. I don't even want to explain. Can everyone hear it from them? I'm going to rest at the inn. Ren, come with me. Sailing is exhausting, even for you, especially when you're not used to it."

...Indeed, I was exhausted, more than I would have expected from the physical exertion.

After spending half a day on the sailboat, exposed to the wind and constantly maintaining balance on the rocking ship, and having narrowly escaped a life-threatening situation, it was only natural.

I felt so heavy that I wanted to lie down in bed immediately.

"Yeah, I'm... pretty tired too. Mimosa, I'll show my face at Ginkgo tonight. Tell the boss that I'm 'looking forward to it.'"

With that, Dan and I started walking towards the inn.

I thought Dan could sleep in the main house of the Nigefu Commerce Company where he was born and raised, but he said he wanted to stay at the inn, and had been staying at the same inn as me since yesterday.

It might just be a desire for independence appropriate for his age, or he might be wary of the noble family.

I didn't intend to pry into those matters.

"Wait, Dan. Take some medicine and sandwiches. I prepared them just in case. You two must be hungry, right?"

Mimosa said, offering us a basket.

"Yeah, now that you mention it, I am hungry. Thanks, Mimosa. See you later."

Dan and I started walking towards the inn, munching on the sandwiches we had received.

"...Really, even though he's only 12, he's already showing such a cool back..."

Mimosa, watching the imposing backs of the two of us, felt a complex mix of joy and sadness, a feeling hard to put into words, and gently bit her lip.

◆

After taking a nap at the inn, we woke up at 6 PM and headed to Ginkgo.

Even though we had eaten sandwiches before going to bed, our stomachs were still growling.

"That was tough..."

After resting a bit and calming down, the reality must have sunk in.

Dan muttered, almost to himself.

I nodded in agreement.

"Yeah. To be honest, we were saved by Dan's navigation skills and, more importantly, by luck. I never want to do that again."

Dan chuckled.

"You always say that. ...What was that last thing? It would have been much tougher without it."

...Hmm, how do I explain this?

In a world where the concept of air pressure is vague, if I were to explain the phenomenon systematically, Dan would undoubtedly want to learn the theory himself.

But I can't reveal the source of my information.

I have no intention of telling anyone that I'm a reincarnated person.

If the numerous scientific theories I possess, which don't exist in this world, were to be exposed, there would be no way to live a peaceful life.

At best, I would be forced to provide information to the kingdom.

At worst, I could be kidnapped by radical groups and exploited for the rest of my life, being whipped and forced to work.

I decided to explain it as a discovery rather than knowledge.

"I analyzed the airflow using wind magic that applies external magic circulation. The key is that the wind speed is different on the outside and inside of the sail. ...From here on, it gets more intuitive... The outside, where the flow is faster, feels thinner. While the wind's push is certainly converted into propulsion, I felt that the ship was being pulled towards the thinner, faster side, which is the outside of the sail. When I slightly slowed down the flow on the inside, making the air denser, the outside became even thinner and faster, and the result was as you saw. It was a product of chance, and there's a lot to verify, but the reproducibility is undeniable."

When I said this, Dan fell silent.

He's good at physics and is probably verifying various things in his head.

As evidence, he occasionally pinched the bridge of his nose, a habit he has when deeply concentrating.

I decided to leave him alone and not disturb his thoughts.

Dan didn't say a word until we reached Ginkgo.

"...We're here, Dan."

"Huh? Oh. ...Yeah, Allen's discovery is actually pretty significant, isn't it? It's been said that square-rigged ships are fastest when the wind is coming from the side, not from behind. Maybe it's because of the difference in air density. ...I want to verify it more."

Dan looked like he wanted paper and a pencil more than fish.

◆

"Good evening~"

We opened the door to Ginkgo.

Inside, we saw the members from yesterday, as well as those who had joined us on today's fishing trip.

"Hey, you're up. We were just saying that after such reckless maneuvers, you might not wake up until tomorrow morning."

This was said by Konji, who had assisted Dan with navigation on the way back.

A sailor for 40 years, he joined the Nigefu Commerce Company after retiring and is mainly involved in ship design.

"Maneuvers? Ah, the navigation itself wasn't much compared to our usual training. We're pushed to our limits every day by the hellish basic training devised by the tyrannical coach and then further pushed by the tyrannical teacher in practical classes. ...Today was more mentally exhausting. We could have died. Konji, you're in good shape."

Dan smiled and glanced at me.

Who's the tyrannical coach...

I just taught you an efficient way to train your whole body...

I never pushed you to the first team from the start.

Everyone, including Konji, swallowed hard at Dan's words.

"...What a guy. After 40 years in this business, I'm speechless. You do more intense exercise every day than today's navigation... It's no wonder you're from the 'Royal Academy.' ...I just followed Dan's instructions on the rudder. At my age, I know when to cut my losses. Honestly, I gave up many times, thinking it was over. But Dan and Ren never gave up."

Katzu took over the conversation, excited.

"Absolutely amazing! While we old guys were just shaking, you made instant judgments and executed precise actions one after another. I was thoroughly impressed! You've grown into a big man!"

The Nigefu Commerce Company employees who helped with the fishing also tried to speak, but Mimosa silenced them and scolded Katz.

"Not 'thoroughly impressed!' What were you there for? In that situation, even these two kids didn't have it easy. I'm not asking you to do the impossible, but at least show some effort to support them and lighten their burden! No matter how excellent they are, we adults must remember that they are only 12 years old."

...This reminds me of my mother.

Father often got scolded by Mother for setting the wrong boundaries as an adult and a parent, just because my sister and I were better than other kids.

"Well, in my case, I just thought this guy would figure it out somehow."

Dan nudged me with his elbow to ease the awkward atmosphere.

"Daniel Sardos, the genius who ranks second in his year at the Royal Academy, stop making potato faces and joking. I thought Dan would handle it even if I messed up."

Dan hadn't told the Nigefu Commerce Company about his top-class performance at the Royal Academy, so everyone was shocked to learn about it.

Well, he's not the type to boast.

"Potato?! You're not that cool-looking either! You have a plain face!"

"Who has a plain face?! Say 'modest'!"

And as we, the plain-faced ones, bickered, everyone laughed.

"Ahaha! You two can compete in anything but your faces, so being plain-faced is fine. Pfft. Second in your year at the Royal Academy, I can't believe it. And having such a trustworthy friend is better for attracting good women in the long run, I think.

Let's eat. Ichou, is everything ready?"

...I heard that 'pfft' you made.

When asked by Mimosa, Ichou smiled slyly.

"Who are you asking? Today, you'll get to taste the work of the 7th generation Ichou to your heart's content!"