Chapter 30
"Captain, where are we now?"
Pretending to be Leo, I asked the captain our current location.
The storm had somehow subsided, but we'd been separated from the ship carrying Leo, and it had cost us a great deal of time. The sun was already beginning to set.
It had been a storm violent enough to capsize us, but this was an Imperial diplomatic vessel, and everyone aboard was a soldier trained by the Imperial Navy. Somehow, we'd managed to weather it.
"We're probably in the territorial waters of the Albatro Principality. We avoided capsizing, but we were carried a considerable distance away. Actually, rather than carried away, it might be more accurate to say we were dragged along. That storm was clearly abnormal."
"Then it probably involved a monster, right?"
"Yes, without a doubt. I've been a sailor since my grandfather's time, but that was exactly like the sea dragon's storms I've heard about."
"A sea dragon's storm... What sort of thing is that?"
"It's exactly what it sounds like: a storm caused by a sea dragon. Apparently, it keeps dragging ships closer and closer to itself. Even if you survive the storm, a sea dragon awaits wherever it has dragged you. It's enough to make any sailor tremble just hearing about it. Sea dragons are among the highest-class monsters in the sea, after all. Seeing one means death."
Hmm. The storm I'd heard about and the one we'd just endured had the same characteristics.
Did that mean there was a sea dragon in these waters?
If so, this was a serious problem.
To begin with, dragons were monsters that alternated between active and dormant periods. Their dormant periods were overwhelmingly longer than their active ones. There had even been reports of dragons remaining dormant for a hundred years.
They remained dormant for a long time and active for only a short while. That was the nature of dragons. Sea dragons were no different.
I would have to check the records, but it seemed that a sea dragon that had been dormant in this area had entered its active period. The problem was that the Albatro Principality thrived on maritime trade. Though it kept its distance from the Empire, it traded extensively with other nations. If a sea dragon had appeared in those waters, the damage could be catastrophic.
The Albatro Principality must have been secretly investigating because they knew this, but judging by the situation, it seemed they had seriously incurred the dragon's wrath.
The storm had probably been caused by Eva and the others.
That storm... They probably weren't alive anymore. Poor things.
"Then there's no reason for us to stay here. I'm worried about my brothers, too. Set a course for Rondine immediately."
"H-Hey! Look at that!!"
Just as I was about to issue the order, one of the sailors cried out.
I had a bad feeling, so I looked in that direction. Sure enough, the wreckage of a ship was drifting toward us.
"A ship from the Principality..."
"Most likely. It must have been caught in the same storm as we were."
"What a shame..."
As I tried to leave it at that, the middle-aged knight beside me whispered.
"Your Highness... Prince Leonart will undoubtedly order a search for survivors...!"
"We don't have time for that. There might be a sea dragon here, you know? We'd better get out of here as quickly as possible...?"
"I understand that, but you must act like Prince Leonart. If it became known that the nation's plenipotentiary had exchanged places with his twin, it would be a major incident...!"
"I know, but the crew is already shaken by that storm. They won't notice anything strange about me...!"
"Precisely because they're shaken, we need you to act like Prince Leonart. If the switch is discovered here, their agitation will only worsen. We probably won't even be able to keep it quiet, and who knows what Rondine might say to us...?"
The middle-aged knight was absolutely right.
Yes, he was. But acting like Leo meant doing the one thing I least wanted to do.
There was nothing to gain from a rescue at sea here. The Albatro Principality wasn't an ally, or even a friendly nation. It was absurd to conduct rescue operations for such a country in waters where a sea dragon might be lurking nearby.
We didn't have time to spare. We'd already lost several days. If we carried out a rescue operation here, our arrival in Rondine would be considerably delayed. Even if Leo arrived first, it wouldn't matter. After all, Leo was Arnolt now, and Arnolt was the useless prince. If he began goodwill negotiations with Rondine on his own, people would grow suspicious.
I wanted to get to Rondine as soon as possible. Even with Elna beside him, I was worried whether Leo could convincingly impersonate me without being discovered.
Besides, if we conducted a rescue and found survivors, we'd have to stop at the Albatro Principality. That would be the biggest hassle of all. Would Albatro really release an Imperial prince who knew a secret they wanted to keep hidden?
If I were in their position, I'd definitely detain him until the matter was resolved. That would mean Leo and I would have to remain switched for a long time.
No, that wouldn't do.
"The survivors are probably beyond hope, so let's leave here quickly—"
"Look! Someone's clinging to the wreckage! They're alive!!"
"..."
"What will you do? Are you going to abandon them?"
The middle-aged knight was asking about something whose answer was obvious.
Now that we'd come this far, there was no way out. We had no choice but to save them.
Why did problems keep cropping up right in front of me, one after another? Oh, come on!
If there really was a god, I'd curse him!
"Lower the ropes! Rescue them at once! Keep watch on the surroundings, and search for any other survivors!"
As I issued an order that sounded like something Leo would say, dark clouds gathered over my heart.
I wanted to reveal that I was Arnolt and run away right now. It wasn't because I was afraid. If a sea dragon showed up, I could just fight it.
But that would make things extremely troublesome. The chaos that followed would almost certainly be more than I could handle alone. I had to avoid that at all costs.
And yet the softhearted Leonart wouldn't let me do it.
"We've rescued a survivor! They say there are still many more survivors!"
I nearly lost consciousness when a crewman brought me the report.
A large number of survivors meant we'd have to remain in these waters longer, and it also meant making room aboard the ship for them. On top of that, we'd have to calculate our food and water supplies.
"Is Albatro some kind of jinx?!"
"Please watch your words...!"
"How am I supposed not to say it?! Ah, damn it... This is the worst...!"
"Please bear with it. This will spread word of Prince Leonart's great character. Once Rondine learns that he rescued people in a dangerous situation, they will praise him, if anything, rather than disparage him."
"Rondine and Albatro are bitter enemies, you know? They've been fighting over supremacy in the south for a long time. Do you really think we'll be praised for saving a rival nation...?"
"Our Empire has nothing to do with the conflict in the south, and we are a great power. We need only conduct ourselves with dignity. If you understand, then steel yourself."
Prompted by the middle-aged knight, I let out a deep sigh, steeled myself, raised my head, then lowered it again and sighed.
Oh, I really hate this. Wasn't there some way to get through this without damaging Leo's reputation?
No, there wasn't. Leo would save them without question. He'd even throw everything away to do it.
If Leo were capable of thinking about profit first, he would already have become emperor, without my needing to help him.
He was worth helping, but right now I resented that softhearted nature and sterling reputation.
"Captain. Rescue the survivors."
"Are you insane?! There may be a sea dragon here! If it attacks us during the rescue, we won't stand a chance, and before long monsters will be swarming the corpses! Monsters other than a sea dragon are a threat too!"
"The storm has passed. The sea dragon must be satisfied. Besides, ordinary monsters don't approach places where powerful monsters have been. Our opponent is a sea dragon. We should be safe for two or three days."
"But night is already falling! Rescue operations in the dark are dangerous! Using lights might attract the sea dragon!"
"Even so, continue rescue operations for as long as possible. I want you to determine our course based on the survivors' information. I'm sorry, Captain, but this is an order from the plenipotentiary. We will use every means at our disposal to rescue the survivors from the Albatro Principality. We will not leave a single survivor behind."
"I'd heard the rumors, but you really are a softhearted fool through and through. As captain of this ship, I can't approve of this, but since it's your order, I have no choice. We'll conduct the rescue."
As if resigned, the captain relented.
I understood how he felt. I agreed with him, too. This was ridiculous.
But this was Leo.
It couldn't be helped. So please don't look at me with such reproachful eyes.
And so, for some reason, on our way to Rondine, we began the utterly foolish task of conducting rescue operations in waters where a sea dragon might be lurking.