131: The more panicked you get, the more you gotta stay calm.
We were just arriving at Golden Dune, heading toward the Production Guild.
The main street was packed with people, as usual.
My Black Dragon No. 1 was a particularly large horse, so I was making it walk slow to avoid bothering anyone, but suddenly a frantic man burst through the crowd, shouting at the top of his lungs, darting past me like a bolt.
"Accident! Someone's hurt!"
I kicked off the horse like a spring, grabbed the man trying to push through the crowd.
"Where?!?"
"River! The big northern river—bridge piers test going on there, and it’s a mess!"
"What?!"
If it’s a pier test, Leifan and several Production Guild members should be there in person.
"Shururu! I need the horse!"
"Wha—?!"
I handed the Black Dragon to Shururu and bolted toward the northern gate. The central avenue of Goldendown was packed with people and cargo carts—no room to ride a horse here.
"Running’s faster!"
"I’m coming too! Please let me use my pony!"
"Wha—? I’m coming too… ugh!!"
I left Shururu’s complaints behind and cut through the crowd in one smooth dash.
◆
North of Goldendown, a massive river stretched out, so wide you couldn’t see the far shore.
A short way past the northern gate, we reached the riverbank. A dock extended into the water, and several flat-bottomed boats called *hishike* floated there, used for hauling cargo.
Goldendown hardly developed water transport, even though it had a river.
Simple reason. No trade partners, inside or out. If the route stretched toward Gandar, the river surface would’ve been packed with merchant ships by now.
Too bad. Upstream and downstream alike, it’s all dangerous territory. Water transport? Practically nonexistent.
The biggest reason Goldendown was built here was because this stretch was the only place both banks could be crossed.
Since there are small nations beyond the opposite shore, we absolutely had to build a great bridge here.
The production guilds pooled every ounce of effort, brainstorming dozens of construction methods. Right now, they’re using the most common technique, building a small test pier in a relatively shallow spot.
That construction site is just ahead from the dock I’m standing on. Naturally, it’s in the river.
A few flat-bottomed boats loaded with materials float nearby. Easy to spot.
“”Far Sight””
Several injured people lie sprawled on the flat-bottomed boat. Those still able are pulling others from the water.
I’m frantically scanning the area, trying to figure out how to get to the boat at the scene.
Then a man standing on the flatboat moored to the dock shouts out.
“Need hands! Anyone here willing to help!?”
I glance at Jitarou, then jump straight onto the boat.
“Got it! Get us to the construction site on the water—quick!”
“Y-you’re… Craft! That’s a relief—but wait a sec!”
The sailor shouts louder, trying to gather more help, but the noise from the onlookers drowns him out.
“Leave it to me!”
I shove past the sailor, activating the spell.
“Wide-Area Amplification”
This is, uh, my own spell—amplified sound magic. It gobbles up mana, but it carries the voice far and wide.
I’ve used it before to reach Lord Bairoroad, the Marquis of the Frontier, deep in his city.
‘Listen up! There’s been an accident on the big river north of Goldendoon! We need help! Anyone who hears this—come down to the dock!’
My voice carried on magic, echoing across the whole area.
The sailor yelled, “Oh wow! That’s the real Craft!”—but I ignored him.
I squinted toward the town. Sand was rising from inside the gate.
“What the hell?”
The dust storm kept growing. Then came a rumble—“dododododododo”—like the ground itself was shaking.
A group of adventurers came running toward us.
They weren’t just any adventurers—elite, forged in the Goldendown ranks. At the front, racing faster than a horse at full gallop, was the party with silver hair.
“Raidock!”
“Craft! What the hell happened!?”
I pointed toward the river’s depths.
“There’s an accident at that floating construction site over there! Can’t tell what kind, but I see people drowning, people hurt! We gotta pull them out now!”
“Got it!”
Following Raidock, Solar, Eva, Camille, and Marilyn leapt onto the skiff.
A moment later, the flood of adventurers arrived, piling onto the skiff.
A skiff—flat, massive, built to carry building materials.
It’s called a ship, but looks like nothing more than a square box floating on water.
Probably anyone seeing a skiff for the first time would mistake it for a floating bridge.
It’s a cargo barge, so there’s plenty of room even with a bunch of adventurers on board. But it’s got a big weakness.
It’s just a flat platform floating on water—can’t move on its own.
There are smaller skiffs with sails, but this one doesn’t have one.
Sailors gather and start preparing a galley tied up nearby.
Looks like they’re going to tow this skiff with the galley.
The adventurers notice and shout.
“Wait for a galley? No way! Give us the oars from that ship!”
The sailors on the galley look confused, flustered by the shouting.
Then Raidock cuts in, louder.
“Throw all the oars from that ship over here! We’ll handle the rest!”
The sailors glanced at one another, but everyone in town knew Raidock’s voice. Though flustered, they began heaving the massive oar from the galley onto our skiff.
"Evah!"
Yes! Leave it to me!
Evah snatched the oar falling short of the barge with magic, and the adventurers quickly took it.
Seemed like the Casper sisters and Raidock were getting along so well they could understand each other just by calling names.
A massive oar meant for galleys, usually requiring several men to wield, was casually held in one hand by each adventurer.
When Raidock finally took the all, he gave orders as if it were natural.
Split evenly on both sides of the boat! One stroke per shout! Ready— one!
No one complained as Raidock took the lead—so smoothly, so naturally, it was like they’d always been part of the same crew.
“““One!!”””
The oars, easily three times a man’s height, rose in unison, then slammed into the water with a shout, slicing through it all at once.
The skiff shot forward—faster than I’d ever imagined—and I went flying backward.
“Whoa!?!”
“Eeep!?!”
Smacked into something soft, then rolled with it, tumbling head over heels.
“Ow…!”
I never thought a massive skiff could accelerate lighter than a tiny boat.
“Should’ve watched my step.”
Muttering to myself, I tried to push up—hand on the floor.
Squish.
The floor didn’t feel like wood at all. Something soft. Unconsciously, I moved my hand, testing the texture.
Squish… squish… squish…
I shifted my gaze from where I’d been looking straight ahead to the palm of my hand.
Our eyes met.
Evie.
Staring right at me. Red-faced. Glaring.
Cold sweat burst across my back.
The floor I thought I’d touched? It was Evie’s chest.
……
……
Ah…
……
Yeah. Guess it’s bigger than it looks. Hahahaha.
Silence. Then a punch to the face.
Book 4, Volume 6 — coming out on the 30th!
Had a rough one, so please give me some praise and comfort… (sob)