[Interlude] The少年's Journey – From the Capital to the Port –

I am William Loring.

A noble from a town on the outskirts of the capital.

More precisely, I am the second son of the Loring family, which governs the Entshi region near a port belonging to the kingdom.

Due to political circumstances, I had been studying in the capital, but I have suddenly been called back.

Could something have happened? Lately, relations between the Empire and the Kingdom have been deteriorating—maybe it's related to that. I've heard there are talks of gathering soldiers at the port, and my half-brother is acting all flustered.

Regardless, since I've been called back, I must return.

But it's winter now. I can't come back through the mountains like I did when I arrived in the Empire.

After careful consideration, I've decided to return by sea.

I've heard the winter sea can be quite rough. I'm feeling a bit uneasy about it now.

After requesting escort services from the guild, it seems they faced pressure from the Empire, and as a result, they've provided a fairly large ship and veteran crew members from their holdings.

Now I feel much more at ease.

I'll be returning home after a long time. I'll finally get to see my sister, who's been bedridden. The cause of her illness remains unknown, and there's still no established treatment. Fortunately, as long as she gets sufficient nutrition, she can maintain her daily life.

I must grow stronger and prove my worth. Let's continue striving with dedication, even after returning to town.

As I prepared to return to Entoshi, I heard that researchers specializing in gemstones had gathered at a major source of water magic stones.

What could this mean? My personal maid will look into the details. These maids have been taking care of me ever since before I arrived in the capital city. Why do they go to such lengths for me? I can vaguely imagine the reasons, but I truly appreciate their kindness.

According to the maids, in Akau Village, where researchers have gathered, there was an increase in sub-beasts and a mysterious illness spreading.

However, thanks to the efforts of adventurers dispatched from the guild, the cause of the illness was identified, and the rise in sub-beasts was brought under control. They even went on to exterminate monster beasts—truly remarkable people.

Since they seem to be magic users, could they teach me their magic?

But when I heard about the symptoms of this rare illness, I couldn't believe my ears. They closely resembled the symptoms my sister was suffering from.

I immediately instructed them to gather information about the strange illness. Although a treatment method has not yet been established,

It seems effective measures are being taken. It looks like adventurers involved are still traveling to the site and offering assistance, gradually making progress toward a resolution.

This adventurer seems to be solving problems with increasingly imaginative ideas. Their magical prowess is particularly strong when dealing with long-range situations. I'd really like to meet this person.

Although it's not really my style, I used the Rolling family's influence to request the guild that this individual be assigned to accompany us on the escort mission.

Fortunately, this individual has been assigned to accompany us on the escort mission. Another skilled person from the capital will be joining us as both guide and leader of the escort team.

Although long-distance travel during winter was a concern, given the recent situation between the Empire and the Kingdom, it seems the guild will be providing generous support.

It looks like our journey by ship will be a safe and comfortable one.

On the day we set off from the capital, that adventurer came by to say hello.

But is this really the person who's solved countless problems? Disheveled black hair, simple clothing, yet a rather impressive magical stone lamp and a sturdy-looking crossbow—quite an odd appearance.

"William Rolling, I am Satō Tarō, your assigned guard for this journey. I am the one among the guard team who can use magic. Please, look forward to my service."

"Yes, I'm looking forward to it. Please do your best."

What should I do? I have no idea how to start a conversation when we actually meet. I don't know.

Ah... I've gone and done it.

During the journey to the port, I couldn't find a chance to talk, and I failed to properly learn about the mysterious illness.

What should I do? The maids are all concerned and showing care. Only the head maid, Anne, says she won't speak to me directly, but if there's any possibility, I want to try anything.

In the end, we've arrived at the port.

I still haven't heard any promising news, but right now I'm overwhelmed with other worries. The winter sea is notorious for its rough conditions, so the ship and crew prepared by the escort soldiers and guild have been thoroughly readied. The captain came to greet us.

He's a sturdy, strong-built man—someone I can rely on. I feel a little relieved.

The ship sets sail out to open waters.

As expected, the sea grew rough, and the ship rocked violently and continuously. Even the dependable maid Anne looked a little queasy.

As for me, I was violently sick. I felt utterly miserable.

The maids are frantically saying something, but I can't make sense of it. My consciousness is hazy—uncertain whether I'm awake or asleep. It suddenly feels incredibly cold. The room should have been warmed by the fire crystal, though....I'm growing drowsy....

Suddenly waking up, I see that the adventurer Taro is here. Soft light is pouring down from Taro. Thanks to that light, I gradually feel much better.

Water entered my mouth. I only realized I was thirsty afterward. It felt strange to be thirsty despite the cold.

Chills came over me again.

In situations like this, there's nothing better than sleeping. So I closed my eyes tightly, trying to force myself to rest.

When I became aware again, I seemed to be sleeping once more. The maid Anne was peering at me with a worried expression. There was no need for her to look like that—it was fine.

I sat up and asked Anne what had happened while I was asleep.

I didn’t realize it, but I’d actually gotten quite close to danger.

I’ve done some bad things to Anne, the other maids, and the guards.

Once we return to the estate, I should give them special rewards. I thought it was just a dream, but apparently Adventurer Taro used a healing stone to restore me.

This gives me a perfect opportunity to strike up a conversation as a way to thank him. I immediately began devising a plan.