Water Magician

Chapter 0531 Water Drawing

“The eighty guards from the Darwei side have withdrawn, and instead, adventurers are being recruited.”

“Adventurers?”

Hearing Mifa’s explanation, Princess Shio Fen tilted her head for a moment.

But she quickly nodded in understanding.

“Normally, they would have requested soldiers from the deputy governor of the town we just passed, Randa. But they must have judged that there was a high risk of saboteurs mixed in among those troops. So instead, they hired adventurers… cautious or bold, I wonder.”

Princess Shio Fen said this with a faint smile.

Mifa also nodded in agreement and continued,

“So, Deputy Minister Snus has requested a reassignment. The newly hired adventurers are aboard the ninth and tenth ships.”

“Speaking of adventurers, wasn’t Abel-sensei and Ryo-sama on a merchant ship that was following us? Did they disembark in Randa?”

“It seems so. After getting off the Sue-Ku, I saw them walking with the crew toward the bank.”

“I see. If they were going to hire adventurers anyway, those two would have been the best choice.”

Princess Shio Fen said this with a smile, and Mifa responded with a wry grin.

Neither of them knew yet that the two were actually on the same fleet…

Ryo and Abel were sitting in a corner of the first deck, seated on chairs made of ice created by Ryo.

Abel was reading a book spread open on an ice table, while Ryo was writing something on an ice slate with an ice pen.

At first, Abel was focused on his book. But gradually, his curiosity got the better of him—he started wondering what Ryo was writing… eventually, he spoke up.

“Ryo, what are you writing?”

Ryo immediately moved his body to hide the ice slate.

“Why are you hiding it…?”

“I’m n-not hiding anything!”

“No, you clearly just did.”

Ryo avoided Abel’s gaze and insisted it was just a misunderstanding.

Of course, there was not a shred of credibility in his words.

“I was just curious, that’s all.”

“We haven’t signed a confidentiality agreement, so I can’t show you.”

“What kind of agreement is that?”

“It would be problematic if information leaked from you…”

Ryo shot Abel a suspicious look.

Of course, there was no record of Abel ever leaking information in the past.

This was just another one of Ryo’s baseless assumptions.

“Well, I was just a little curious. My bad, go ahead and continue.”

“This isn’t just any work—I’m writing a research paper.”

“A research paper?”

“Yes. It’s almost finished. Once it’s done, I’ll let you know about it, Abel.”

Ryo grinned mischievously as he spoke.

“Why do I feel like this is going to be bad news for me…?”

“How rude! This is a paper containing a groundbreaking hypothesis that just might… possibly… maybe… change the very laws of the world!”

“Just hearing that already makes me uneasy…”

“Don’t worry! It’s not about researching Abel’s biological records or anything like that.”

“Yeah, that thought hadn’t even crossed my mind.”

At the very least, it was clear that the two of them were relaxed enough to have such a conversation aboard the ship.

“I heard that cargo transport is also part of our duties, but being on the ship gives us plenty of free time.”

“Cargo transport probably means bringing food and supplies onto the ship after we dock. No wonder there’s nothing to do on board.”

Incidentally, the space they were occupying had been secured by Ryo through negotiations with the crew.

Each ship was manned by about forty crew members.

As they passed by, several sailors raised a hand to greet Ryo.

“Ryo, you really have a way with people.”

“Not at all. I’m bad at socializing. I’m a Pisces and blood type O, so I just seem kind and approachable.”

“Pisces…? I don’t really get it, but the crew seems happy around you.”

“That’s the power of bribery.”

“Bribery? You gave them money?”

“No, something even better.”

Ryo grinned mischievously again.

It was an exaggerated, intentionally villainous grin.

“Unlimited deck shower privileges.”

“In other words, they can enjoy as much fresh water as they want?”

“Exactly. Fresh water is precious on a ship. Not only are baths out of the question, but even wiping oneself with a cloth is restricted. But I told them, ‘I can make it rain as much as you want, so you can all take showers together.’ And when I showed them… I became their favorite person.”

“Impressive.”

“I’m deeply honored by your praise.”

Ryo bowed with exaggerated politeness in response to Abel’s compliment.

Despite their casual demeanor, these two were actually a king and a premier duke.

“The cargo hold, and even the second deck, aren’t very spacious. We have to secure the best spot.”

“True. Spending time on an open deck like this is wonderful.”

Both Ryo and Abel were highly satisfied with spending their days on the first deck.

The tenth ship carried a total of eighty people—forty crew members for navigation and forty adventurers hired as guards.

Although the ship was quite large, its cargo hold was filled with Princess Shio Fen’s dowry items and congratulatory gifts from the Bosuntar Kingdom. As a result, the living space available to the crew and adventurers was not very spacious.

The first deck… also called the open deck or upper deck, where the sun shone the brightest—was free of cargo.

Of course, the mast and essential sailing equipment were present, so while all forty adventurers could rest there… their presence often earned them irritated glances from the sailors…

Because of that, most adventurers spent their time in the second deck or cargo hold, passing time with gambling rather than resting in their hammock-like bunks.

“Oh, Ryo-san, could I have a moment?”

“Captain, what is it?”

While Ryo was writing and Abel was reading, the captain of the tenth ship, La Wu, approached them.

“Ryo, you said you can produce an unlimited amount of water. Did you really mean ‘unlimited’?”

“Uh… I think I meant ‘unlimited’ in the way you’re thinking.”

“For example, could you provide fresh water for all ten ships?”

“I’m not sure about the exact amount, but I think I can.”

Ryo replied with a confident smile.

At times like this, it was better to exude confidence— people tended to value you more that way.

“Oh! Actually, every time we dock, we carry barrels of fresh water onto the ship, but I was thinking that if Ryo-san refilled the barrels already on board, it would be faster. That way, we could allocate more people to transporting cargo, reducing the overall burden on everyone. I was planning to propose this idea at the captain’s meeting…”

“I see! I think that’s a great idea.”

However, just as he said that, Ryo suddenly realized something.

“Ah, sorry, Captain. The proposal itself is totally fine, but could you avoid mentioning my name?”

“Huh? Is there a problem?”

“Well… I have an acquaintance on one of the other ships, and, uh, it would be kind of embarrassing if they found out…”

“Ah, I see. Then I’ll just refer to you as ‘our ship’s water-attribute magician’. Most of the time when you’re filling the barrels, almost everyone else is ashore, so I doubt you’d run into your acquaintance anyway.”

Captain La Wu tilted his head slightly at Ryo’s unusual request but quickly came up with a compromise.

He was indeed an excellent captain.

Being appointed as the captain of a state ship at the young age of thirty was no small feat.

“Thank you so much!”

Ryo responded with a smile.

A proposal that benefits everyone. That is the best kind of proposal.

The fleet arrived at its next port, Yiliang.

They planned to stay for two days and one night.

Princess Shio Fen and her maids and guards, who were aboard the first and second ships, immediately disembarked and began attending scheduled welcome ceremonies and meetings.

The civil officials from other ships also went ashore to complete their tasks, while the Darwei guards and adventurers assisted the crew with loading cargo.

Only Ryo remained aboard, assisting Captain La Wu of the tenth ship in refilling the water supply on each ship.

“By the way, Ryo-san, your water-attribute magic is incredible.”

“Nah, it’s nothing special.”

Captain La Wu praised him, making Ryo a little embarrassed.

“You fill the barrels almost instantly. At this rate, we should just have you fill the ones on the First Ship’s as well.”

“Huh?”

Captain La Wu nodded as he spoke, but Ryo wasn’t quite following.

“Actually, the First Ship has a bath.”

“A bath? On a ship… ah, for the princess, right?”

“Exactly. The princess and her maids have to attend meetings and welcome ceremonies with important figures as soon as they land, so they don’t even have time to bathe after disembarking… that’s why they prepare themselves completely before leaving the ship.”

“I see. Being in such a high position must be tough.”

“Tell me about it.”

Ryo shook his head slightly, while Captain La Wu chuckled wryly.

As long as you do your job, that should be enough… but in higher positions, things don’t work that way.

People judge you based on things beyond your actual duties.

One-sidedly at that.

And you don’t even get the chance to explain yourself.

That’s how the world has been for thousands of years.

It’s not something that will change easily…

The First Ship was noticeably larger than the others.

“It’s bigger than the other ships, isn’t it?”

“Yes. About 30% bigger. The idea was to make the princess and her entourage as comfortable as possible. Unlike the other ships, it doesn’t carry wedding gifts. So there’s more living space.”

“I see.”

Ryo nodded at Captain La Wu’s explanation.

Larger ships generally experience less movement.

Even though the fleet was traveling along the coast, it would inevitably rock as long as it was on the ship.

Although not as much as on the open sea, it still rocked.

Rocking makes you more susceptible to seasickness.

It seemed all the ships were designed to minimize motion, but the First Ship was particularly stable.

“If only all the ships were this steady, but making every ship like this would cost a fortune.”

Captain La Wu laughed as he explained.

While sailors were used to the ship’s movement, government ships often carried people who weren’t accustomed to the sea—important people.

He had probably seen plenty of high-ranking officials suffering from seasickness.

And seasickness wasn’t something you could just power through with willpower…

Captain La Wu led Ryo to the cargo hold of the First Ship.

There, a two-meter-square wooden bathtub sat.

“This is impressive. I can’t believe there’s a bath like this on a ship.”

“Right? Since water is so heavy, it had to be placed in the cargo hold, so you can’t enjoy a view, but being able to bathe on a ship is still a luxury. It’s ironic, isn’t it? Surrounded by water everywhere, yet all of it is saltwater.”

Captain La Wu laughed.

Ryo suddenly thought of a question.

“You asked me to fill it with water, but… the princess isn’t just going to bathe in cold water, right?”

“Oh, no, of course not. There’s an alchemy tool on the other side of that wall that heats the water. That part alone cost a small fortune.”

“I see…”

Ryo was a little delighted to see alchemy being put to such practical use.

Finally, they arrived at the deck where the freshwater barrels were stored.

“Oh? La Wu. Ah, this must be the adventurer with water-attribute magic I heard about.”

The man who greeted them had a rugged yet refined presence. He appeared to be in his late forties.

“Let me introduce you. This is Ryo-san, the adventurer I mentioned at the captain’s meeting. Ryo-san, this is Captain Myun of the First Ship.”

“I’m Ryo. Pleased to meet you.”

Ryo bowed respectfully.

“Hmm… A fine bow, Ryo-dono.”

Captain Myun seemed impressed.

“It’s nothing special.”

Ryo responded modestly.

Even if it was just a polite formality, being praised still felt nice.

“Oh, right. La Wu, I need your opinion on something. It won’t take long—can you come to my cabin for a moment?”

“Understood. Ryo-san, once you finish filling the fresh water barrels, just wait here for a bit. The adventurers will be having lunch at a port-side restaurant… so I’ll take you there afterward.”

“Got it.”

With that, Captain La Wu and Captain Myun left.

Ryo proceeded to fill ten freshwater barrels as instructed.

It barely took ten seconds.

And then, he was left with nothing to do.

There was no one else on the deck.

When he had been filling the bath earlier, he could still hear the sounds of cargo being loaded, but now, either the work was done or it was just a quiet moment—there was no one around.

Then, someone stepped onto the deck from the pier.

It was a woman in a white cloak over white armor, and at a glance, it was clear she was one of the princess’s guards.

“Hey! You there, what are you doing?!”

“Huh?”

The white-clad guard challenged him, and Ryo was so startled that he momentarily froze.

Something seemed to click in the white guard’s mind.

Her expression shifted as if she had just realized something.

“Could it be… that you’re poisoning the water…?”

She recalled how, at the first port of call, Randa, eighty guards from Darwei’s side had left.

She could tell that the robed man in front of him was neither a crew member of this first ship nor a member of the guard unit.

In other words, someone who shouldn’t be here.

That made him a suspicious individual.

The white guard—Captain Bizis of the princess’s escort unit—made a swift decision.

And she acted just as quickly.

In an instant, she stepped forward and drew her sword in a single, sharp motion.

Clang!

However, her strike was deflected.

It wasn’t a blow aimed at the neck to kill but rather a slash meant to wound the abdomen, preventing escape. Even so, it was as fast as ever.

The fastest strike.

As long as the person survived, a healer could take care of the rest… that was the calculation behind her attack.

But the robed man before her blocked it with his sword.

He looked like a magician, yet his movement…

Wait, a magician blocked it with a sword?

Captain Bizis examined the weapon that had stopped her own.

“A blue sword? What is that…?”

She had never seen or heard of such a thing before.

“Um, excuse me…”

The robed man holding the blue sword tried to speak.

It was the first time she had heard his voice, and he didn’t sound particularly intimidating…

“I was just told to fill that barrel with water, and that’s all I was doing.”

“Fill it with water? You mean to poison it…?”

“No, no, I’m just a harmless water-attribute magician. Oh, right, you can check with Captain Myun on this ship. He just went to the captain’s quarters.”

“Even if what you say is true, I cannot leave this place to confirm it.”

“That’s true… hmm, this is a problem.”

Their swords remained locked together.

“Then, how about this? My captain and Captain Myun should be back soon, so let’s just wait here like this until then.”

“What?”

Captain Bizis recognized the unusual nature of the proposal but also saw its logic.

If they remained still, neither would be injured.

But if they continued to fight, there was a risk she might be killed.

She had already realized that the robed man before her was, despite appearances, no ordinary swordsman.

“Very well. I am Bizis, captain of the princess’s escort unit. And you are?”

“My… my name… well…”

Ryo hesitated to introduce himself.

The captain of the princess’s escort unit meant she was someone who directly protected Princess Shio Fen.

If he gave his name… there was no doubt that both he and Abel would be reported to Shio Fen and her attendant, Mifa.

That would be embarrassing.

“Why won’t you give your name?! That makes you even more suspicious!”

“No, no, it’s not that… it’s just a little embarrassing…”

“Huh?”

It didn’t seem like Captain Bizis would understand Ryo’s feelings.

In truth, even Captain Bizis was at a loss for what to do.

At the very least, this robed man knew Captain Myun’s name.

And he had made the bizarre suggestion of waiting while keeping their swords locked—a proposal that no ordinary person would make.

Strange.

Very strange.

Of course, suddenly attacking had been strange on her part, too…

At first, she had intended to wound and capture the intruder.

As long as he didn’t die, a healer could take care of it.

But the robed man’s swordsmanship was far beyond expectations.

Even from just one exchange, it was clear.

His sword handling, his movements, and even his composure.

Whether she liked it or not, she could tell the man was strong.

The man claimed to be a water-attribute magician who was simply generating water, but a magician with such sword skills was hard to believe.

Unbelievable… and yet, for some reason, it also made sense.

As she pondered this, Captain Bizis found herself unable to take any drastic action.

The robed man had said Captain Myun would return soon.

If that were true, maintaining the current situation was the best course of action.

But if it was a lie?

Captain Bizis shook her head slightly.

Even if it were a lie, she had no move to make.

And before long…

“Sorry to keep you waiting. It took a bit longer than expected…”

Captain La Wu, who had returned from the captain’s quarters, stopped mid-sentence in shock.

Behind him, Captain Myun of the first ship also widened his eyes in surprise before quickly regaining his composure.

“Captain Bizis, what happened here?!”

Captain Myun knew who Bizis was.

Although they had only been sailing together for about two days, he knew her to be serious and dedicated to her duty.

For that reason, he didn’t believe she would draw her sword against the water-attribute magician, who had just been introduced to them, without good reason.

“Captain Myun, do you know this person?”

“Yes. Just earlier, Captain La Wu— he’s the captain of the tenth ship—introduced him to me. He can generate an unlimited supply of water, so he has been providing fresh water to all the ships…”

The moment Captain Myun said this, Captain Bizis sheathed her sword and bowed deeply.

“My deepest apologies!”

Her sudden change in demeanor left not only Ryo but also both captains stunned.

Even after several seconds, she remained bowing.

In this situation, it was up to Ryo to speak…

“Ah, um… I’m glad we cleared up the misunderstanding.”

Ryo smiled.

After all, no one had been hurt, and he had no intention of holding anyone responsible.

“Captain, you were just doing your duty, so don’t worry about it. If a stranger is on the ship of someone you’re supposed to protect, it’s only natural to question them.”

“But… I even drew my sword…”

“Yes, that was a bit much… maybe next time, just stick to questioning, or at least stop your sword at the last moment. I understand you weren’t aiming to kill but just to wound and immobilize, but getting slashed would still hurt.”

“…I will take that to heart.”

Captain Bizis bowed deeply once more.

“Captain Myun, I’ve finished filling the water. Captain La Wu, shall we go ashore? You were going to take me to a lunch spot, right?”

With Ryo’s words, the situation was resolved.

As he walked away with Captain La Wu, Captain Bizis watched from the deck and muttered to herself:

“What a disgrace… How am I supposed to report this to the princess…?”

With a deep sigh, she shook her head slightly.