“You’re not used to traveling, I heard that beforehand, but you need to report any injuries. That’s basic. Glenn would kill you if he found out.”
“I’m sorry.”
After efficiently treating her, Ur scolded Shizuku thoroughly. Sitting formally, Shizuku listened earnestly, though it was unclear how much she truly understood.
Managing her was difficult because she had an unusual sensibility—she placed no value on herself.
Though she acted reasonably understanding in conversation, she had a bad habit of prioritizing things other than herself at critical moments.
“But I’ve left everything to you, Sir Ur.”
She glanced apologetically at the dinner being prepared. Throughout this journey, Ur had taken the lead, handling most of the preparations. Given that Shizuku wasn’t accustomed to life outside, it was inevitable.
“It’s just dried meat and some random herbs in a soup. It’s not much trouble.”
But Ur didn’t think it was a big deal. He was used to cutting corners and making decent meals with minimal effort.
“But… I’ve left even water magic to you.”
“It’s better for me to use up my mana since I can’t use magic in combat. It’s only natural.”
“But—”
Shizuku was, but… she was unusually noisy.
Normally calm and composed, Ur could understand why she now seemed so uncomfortable.
This woman couldn’t stand being pampered and prioritized like this.
“……If you’re going to be that fussy, maybe I should just feed you all your meals myself,”
The idea made him inexplicably angry. She needed to get used to being prioritized a little, or it would be a problem.
“Um…”
“Here, open up.”
“No, really…”
“Eat.”
Without giving her a chance to refuse, he scooped up some soup and offered it to her. Shizuku hesitated for a moment but then made up her mind and took a bite.
“How is it?”
“It’s delicious.”
“Glad to hear it.”
With that, she smoothly continued her meal.
Shizuku’s compliment didn’t seem like mere flattery. The wild herbs had a slight bitterness and sweetness, warming her from the inside. It seemed she was making good progress with her meal, and there was no worry about her leaving anything behind.
“It’s truly delicious. I didn’t know you could cook, Sir Ur.”
“I learned from an old man at the orphanage. Things like how to pick wild herbs and such.”
“I see.”
Living outside the city-states as a “Nameless” meant you had to learn basic survival skills. Otherwise, you’d die. Ur hadn’t had the chance to learn much from his parents, so he’d learned from that cranky old man instead.
Not just him, but many of the children who lived there were taught the wisdom of survival.
“At first, I couldn’t tell the difference, and when I showed the old man what I’d picked, it turned out to be all poisonous plants…”
“Well…”
“Don’t try it if you’re not used to it. And when you’re learning a job, don’t copy my mistakes.”
It wasn’t like they were in a City-State where plants were safely cultivated and managed. Identifying wild plants was difficult.
Even Ur, with his knowledge, wouldn’t pick anything that seemed the slightest bit suspicious. That kind of discernment came with years of experience, not just knowledge.
“By the way, Shizuku, didn’t you learn any skills like this?”
“No, my training was mainly focused on combat.”
She nodded, then gave a slightly troubled smile.
“Though I wasn’t very good at it. Training and real combat are different, after all.”
It was true that Shizuku had far more talent than Ur. But at this point, there wasn’t much difference in their combat abilities. Whatever “training” she had gone through, it didn’t seem to have yielded the results one might expect. Still…
“You’ve been a great help to me, though.”
“Really…?”
“Yeah, you’ve definitely been a big help.”
“Thank you.”
Shizuku nodded quietly. Her expression didn’t change, but there was a hint of relief in her demeanor.
The two of them continued their meal and soon finished everything.
The sun god Zeuradia had completely set, and all that was left to do was sleep.
It was important to rest early so they could move as soon as Zeuradia’s light returned.
“Oh, and…”
As they prepared for bed, Ur handed Shizuku something he’d forgotten to give her after the meal.
“What’s this?”
“A Laila fruit. It’ll help if you’re tired. Eat one.”
It was a small fruit, about the size of her palm. They grew everywhere on the Islaria continent, were easy to identify, and had no toxicity. For the Nameless children, they were a good snack and a source of nutrition.
“Thank you.”
“Yeah, but…”
There was nothing to complain about, except for one thing.
“It’s suuuuuper sour!”
The taste was quite unique.
“…………!”
Shizuku’s wide-eyed shiver amused Ur, and he burst out laughing.
Being close to a satellite city-state, the “Perch” was well-maintained. There was even a simple hut for sleeping, which was a godsend. Just being able to shelter from the rain and wind made it much more comfortable.
“If there’s nothing, rainy days are the worst… Even the shade of the trees doesn’t fully protect you,”
Ur muttered as he spread out a blanket in the hut.
“Did the Nameless build this?”
“Probably the people who use this place often. I’m grateful for it.”
In that way, the efforts and consideration of strangers helped them. That’s why the Perch had to be used carefully—to help others and, in turn, be helped.
“We only need minimal watch. The Sun Barrier is close, so monsters rarely come near.”
Near the Sun Barrier, weaker monsters didn’t approach. They disliked the presence of the sun god Zeuradia. They were still some distance from Alto, but they still benefited from it. That alone was a great help.
That said, if they both fell asleep and ended up inside the stomach of some giant monster that even the Sun Barrier couldn’t stop, it would be no laughing matter. But staying tense all the time wasn’t sustainable either.
So, after setting up a simple barrier, the two of them got into bed. Shizuku bowed her head to Ur.
“What’s up?”
“I’ll learn how to prepare meals and handle the chores during our journey.”
“Alright.”
“I’ll learn quickly.”
“…I’d appreciate it.”
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT LOCALIZERMEERKAT.PAGES.DEV
Shizuku’s expression was cheerful, but there was something intense about it.
Being taken care of by Ur seemed unbearable for her. The warped part of her wasn’t going to change easily.
Still, it had only been a little over a month since they’d met.
The days had been so intense that it felt much longer, but in terms of time, it was only that much. Thinking you could change someone to your liking in such a short time was arrogant, Ur thought.
“Don’t rush it. We’ll reach the Moving Fortress soon.”
The Moving Fortress—Island Devouring Turtle—was a rare means of travel outside the human survival zones, unprotected by the Sun Barrier. Diz planned to board it, and it seemed he’d secured passage for Ur and Shizuku as well.
Once they reached Alto, they’d be free from camping life for a while.
As Ur thought about this, Shizuku tilted her head, peering at his expression.
“Sir Ur, are you looking forward to it?”
“Huh?… Yeah, maybe.”
Being pointed out, Ur realized he was a little excited.
“I’ve never had the chance to ride one before. I’ve always been a little envious of safe travels outside the city-states.”
“Never ridden one… because you’re Nameless?”
“Not exactly… It’s mostly because I didn’t have the money.”
Otherwise, the Nameless wouldn’t wander with just the clothes on their backs. They’d use the Moving Fortress. There were various types of Moving Fortresses, but the fare was usually expensive.
“After all, the Moving Fortress is mainly for transporting goods between cities that are hard to reach.”
Especially the transportation of magic stones from the Sin City-States was crucial for maintaining the infrastructure of each city-state. That was its primary role, and transporting people was secondary. Naturally, the cost was high.
“So, it’s not for people without money. It’s for the wealthy of the city-states or priests who have to travel to another city for work.”
Being able to ride it, and for free at that, was enough to make anyone a little excited.
“Diz said it’s for escorting, but it might turn out to be a pretty easy job.”
“That sounds wonderful.”
It was probably an optimistic estimate, but imagining it was free. Ur laughed, and Shizuku clapped her hands.
After talking for a while longer, Ur fell asleep first. Shizuku was on night watch, keeping an eye out for monsters. She insisted on taking the shift because she’d used a recovery potion, so Ur reluctantly gave in.
Ur was also tired from guiding Shizuku, who wasn’t used to traveling. If he wanted to look after her, he needed to conserve his energy. The fatigue and the relief of being close to their destination made Ur fall asleep quickly.
“Sir Ur.”
He was shaken awake.
Shizuku was right in front of him. Her eyelashes are long, he thought groggily, shaking his head.
“What’s up?”
She’d woken him up during her watch. It wasn’t time to switch yet, so something must have happened. He immediately grabbed the handle of the Dragon Fang Spear by his side and sat up.
Shizuku nodded with a serious expression.
“Yes, it’s serious.”
“Serious?”
It was an extremely simple statement. Too simple to understand anything. At least, he didn’t sense any monsters nearby.
“It’s on fire.”
“What is?”
“The Island Devouring Turtle.”
The additional explanation made Ur’s mind go blank. He refused to comprehend the words.
On fire?
The safe and secure Island Devouring Turtle?
“No way.”
Despite his disbelief, Ur turned his gaze toward the satellite city-state of Alto, where the Island Devouring Turtle was stationed.
“…………”
“…………”
“It’s on fire.”
“Yes, it’s on fire.”
The Island Devouring Turtle was burning.
Visit the request page If there’s a Japanese Light Novel (LN) or Web Novel (WN) you’d like me to translate
When the donation goal progress bar above hit 100% one novel will be chosen for translation
| Table of Contents | Next* |
Support the Author by Buying the Original Books!
