Chapter 69
Under a blue sky filled with seagulls' cries, the men's voices joined together. As their voices rose, the enormous anchor was hauled up, and the Lazybones began to move slowly.
The day came for us to return to the Lionel Kingdom. Aboard the Lazybones, thirty sailors bustled back and forth across the deck. At the wheel, Captain Maurice called out orders to the sailors in his weathered voice.
We gathered at the stern and watched the harbor of Merka Island slowly recede into the distance.
Many people had gathered in the harbor plaza to see us off. Everyone waved and seemed reluctant to see us go. Among them were Rebecca-san, Captain Maurice's wife, and Babo-san, who was looking after things in Captain Maurice's absence.
We waved back. Then children broke through the crowd. They ran from the plaza to the pier in the harbor, chasing after the ship as it began to move.
Seeing the running children, Zeze waved both hands with a smile. The children called out Zeze's name as they ran.
Zeze had grown quite close to the children of Merka Island. Even after the meal distribution ended, I often saw Zeze playing with them. Zeze continued waving even after the island had grown distant, reluctant to part with the children.
"You've gotten quite close to the children."
I smiled at Zeze as they waved.
"Yes, they're all such good children. I want to see them again!"
"If the port is operated successfully, regular ferries will begin traveling between here and Merka Island. If that happens, you can go visit them. And some of the children might even move here with their parents."
"Really, Romelia-sama?"
Zeze broke into a broad grin, and I smiled back.
Zeze's face was as bright as a cloudless sky. This was how Zeze ought to be.
"All right! We managed to gather the migrant workers without a hitch, so we can return with our heads held high!"
Al clenched his fist tightly.
Although we had gone through many twists and turns, securing Merka Island's cooperation was a major achievement. Once the Port Authority was properly established, we should be able to operate the port smoothly. But the real problem began now.
As the port developed, various vested interests would arise. When that happened, people would appear who sought to drive out Merka Island's residents and monopolize those interests. We had to establish an administrative structure while we still could and make it so the port could not be run without the people of Merka Island. That was the courtesy I could offer the people who had promised to cooperate with us.
Once we get back, we'll have work piled up. You'll all have to work hard, too."
"Leave it to us, Romelia-sama."
Ray nodded and looked toward Captain Maurice.
"Captain Maurice, I'll help with wind magic."
"Yes, please do."
When Captain Maurice nodded, Ray's body glowed faintly green as he used wind magic.
Ray controlled the wind blowing around us and guided it toward the sails. The sails billowed out, and the Lazybones accelerated sharply. The force was so strong that I grabbed the gunwale to keep from falling over.
"Well now, Ray-san. You've gotten mighty good at handling the wind. There aren't many who can catch the wind as well as you can."
Captain Maurice threw his head back and laughed.
Over the past few days, Ray had become much more adept at wind magic. This trip to Merka Island seemed to have been a valuable experience for Ray.
Pushed along by the magical wind, the ship glided forward. When the sun began shining directly overhead, small islands came into view ahead of us. It was the archipelago waters we had passed through on our way there.
"Ray-san, I'll take over from here. The wind and currents around here are complicated, and navigating them takes experience."
At Captain Maurice's words, Ray nodded and stopped using magic. A strong crosswind struck my cheek. When I tried to hold down my windblown hair, a fierce wind suddenly blew from behind instead. The air currents must have been changing constantly as the wind rushed between the islands. There were also many shallows and reefs here. It was a dangerous area for anyone who was not an experienced sailor.
As the ship entered the archipelago waters, the waves rose as well, and the ship began pitching back and forth.
"Whoa, this is awful. I feel sick."
"Are you all right, Gatt?"
Paula-san rubbed the back of the pale-faced Gatt.
Just as on the way there, the ship was rocking violently. It was difficult even to stand. Zeze, Jini, and Borel also looked pale. I wanted to avoid this area, but the archipelago stretched over a wide expanse. Going around it would require a long detour, so it was faster to cut straight through.
"Captain Romelia! Look at that! Over there! There's a huge fish!"
A voice called down from above me as I stood at the stern. I looked up to see Al on the lookout platform atop the mast with a sailor. Unbothered by the rocking ship, Al pointed toward the sea to starboard.
I looked in the direction he was pointing, and a large fish with a triangular dorsal fin leaped from the surface.
"A shark! A shark!"
Al was excitedly shouting from atop the lookout platform. However, the tail fin of the leaping fish was horizontal. Its mouth was also long and narrow, so it was probably a dolphin, not a shark.
"Al, that's a dolphin."
"A dolphin? What's a dolphin?"
Apparently, Al didn't know what a dolphin was. That was all well and good, but why was Al so energetic? The lookout platform at the top of the mast should have been rocking even more violently than the deck. Yet Al wasn't seasick in the slightest; they were full of energy.
Behind Captain Maurice, Ray was watching the captain steer and use wind magic. Ray didn't seem seasick, either. Apparently, Al and Ray both had good sea legs.
"Captain Romelia!"
Al shouted again from above. I looked up once more.
"What is it this time?"
"There's a ship!"
Al pointed toward the port side. I followed his finger, but I could see nothing except a small island.
"Where is it?"
"Behind the island! I only caught a glimpse of it!"
Al said there was a ship, but the sailor beside Al shook their head.
"There! I can see it! Over there!"
Al pointed again. When I looked in that direction once more, a ship was indeed emerging from behind the small island we had seen earlier.
The ship emerging from the island's shadow was heading straight toward us. I narrowed my eyes and studied it. It was too far away for me to make out its name. But on its bow, I could see a statue of a falcon with its silver wings spread wide.