episode_0213

I’ve said it several times, but I’ve never left the royal capital.

And due to the nature of the royal capital, which is located inland, I’ve never been on a ship. Therefore, this feeling of floating on the sea was very new.

Unseen undulations caused the entire sea to ripple, and the ship, floating on the surface, moved forward, bobbing up and down with the ripples. The land was already far behind.

I went up on deck, enjoying the sea breeze and taking in the seascape.

“You’re always staring blankly at the same sea like there’s something to see.”

Just then, a light voice came from behind.

I turned my head in the direction of the voice, and there was Captain Row John Gold, the owner of this ship.

“No seasickness?”

“Ah… Yes, unlike what I heard, there are no particular problems.”

“Really?”

He scanned me up and down, then raised the corners of his mouth and said.

“Your body is made for the sea, huh? Why don’t you get involved in something strange and become a pirate with us? Judging by your skills, we’ll treat you well.”

I was just embarrassed by the sudden invitation to become a pirate.

“You were a pirate?”

“Didn’t you know?”

“Well… I kind of expected it.”

When I got on the ship, it had quite a few weapons like cannons, which wasn’t normal for a regular merchant ship, and the guys he introduced as his subordinates were carrying pretty brutal weapons, so I roughly expected it…

“I’ll pass. I’m not interested in pillaging.”

“Really? Well, you did seem that way. My gut tells me you’re some kind of high-ranking noble, aren’t you?”

“…”

Strangely accurate.

And if you thought I was going to refuse, why did you even ask?

I was so dumbfounded that I stared at Captain Gold, and he shrugged his shoulders and said.

“Well, that’s not what I came for.”

“Then why did you come?”

“Are you guys planning on going to Laputia?”

The sentence and tone were a ‘question,’ but his expression contained ‘certainty.’

So, I figured he wasn’t expecting an answer to this question, and instead, I threw a question back at him.

“Do you know about Laputia?”

“Of course, I know. But it’s been quite a while since beings from the surface knew about Laputia accurately and came looking for it, so I was just surprised.”

As I expected, he wasn’t expecting an answer from me.

But… I felt something out of place in Captain Gold’s words.

“Beings from the surface…? What does that even mean? That sounds like…”

“Huh? What? You don’t know? Or didn’t that woman tell you anything?”

“What… do you mean?”

Without me knowing, saliva gathers in my mouth.

And in the very short time I instinctively swallowed the saliva in my mouth, he opened his mouth.

“I’m from Laputia. Of course… it feels like it’s been hundreds of years since I escaped that stuffy town.”

“…”

I flinched when I heard those words.

At the same time, I felt like Captain Gold’s words were connecting with the unknown sense of incongruity I felt towards Levia.

“Anyway, coming to me was the right decision. This body is the only captain who can take you to your destination, piercing through the ‘waves’ caused by the『monster of magic that swallows the sea』as it wriggles.”

Captain Gold’s confident words.

But unfortunately, his words didn’t register in my head.

Because several thoughts were running wild in my head right now.

‘How did Levia get information about Laputia?’

Through a book?

No. That’s just what I thought would happen, and Levia herself never said that.

In the first place, that book only gives ‘Levia’ the information she needs, not the information ‘I’ need.

‘How did Levia know that the『monster of magic that swallows the sea』was shaking the sea?’

Through a book?

No. Levia doesn’t have enough motivation to deal with dangerous things like the『monster of magic』.

Considering that the book gives Levia ‘necessary information’, there’s no reason to tell her about these things.

Then what?….

“…Thank you for your help. But where’s Levia?”

“Her? Hmm… I don’t know? I didn’t see her on deck, so isn’t she in the private room?”

* * *

Knock knock knock

“Levia. Are you in here?”

“I’m here.”

“Can I come in for a second?”

“Yeah. Come in.”

Levia’s voice came from beyond the door.

The doorknob turned easily, as if the door hadn’t been locked from the beginning.

When I entered the private room, I saw Levia lying in a swaying hammock, reading a book.

“What’s wrong?”

Levia said without taking her eyes off the book.

“No, nothing special. I just… have something I want to ask. Is that okay?”

“Yeah, it’s okay.”

“Levia. Are you… from Laputia?”

At my question, Levia stopped reading.

Then she gently closed the book and shifted her gaze from the book to me.

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“…”

“Did the captain tell you?”

“No. Well… the captain just said that he was from Laputia.”

He added some boasting besides that, but there’s no need to talk about that.

“I wasn’t going to hide it.”

“It’s okay. I’m not saying anything because you hid it. I’m just… a little surprised. Captain Gold said he’s been on the surface for hundreds of years. Levia, have you by any chance…”

“I haven’t been on the surface for very long. About… 10 years.”

Levia’s age appears to be at most in her late teens, but the fact that she’s been on the surface for 10 years means…

How old is Levia anyway…?

No, never mind.

Such stories don’t matter now.

“Actually… I wasn’t planning on going back to Laputia.”

“Why?”

“…Because I’m looking for someone to save me.”

“Someone to save you?…”

I felt something different in Levia’s gaze as she looked at me than usual.

It’s hard to explain… would you call it a strong will? It felt like that.

“I had a prophecy. Someday, someone will appear who will break my chains of fate and destiny… and save me.”

“Breaks the fate and chains…”

“…I think that’s you.”

Levia got up from her seat.

Unlike her usual atmosphere, where she seemed detached and always observing the world from a step behind, now she looked as if she would break at any moment….

It was like looking at a glass sculpture that was about to fall to the ground and shatter into pieces.

“Actually… the reason I’m helping you is… because of my personal greed.”

“Levia…”

“I wonder if you’ll save me. From that small anticipation… from hope… from vague selfishness, I’m trying to help you.”

Before I knew it, Levia had stopped right in front of me.

“Still, is it okay?”

“…Yesterday, I was thinking. Levia, why are you helping me?”

“Really?…”

“Now I can understand. At the same time… I’m a little relieved.”

Levia tilts her head at my words.

I looked at her and hugged her without saying a word.

Even Levia was surprised by my sudden action and flinched, but she didn’t push me away or anything.

“So there was something I could give you too.”

“…?”

“I’ve only been getting help from you. I thought it was just a one-sided relationship. But now that I know that’s not the case… I feel a little relieved.”

“What does that mean?”

Levia asked as if she didn’t understand, but instead of answering, I hugged Levia a little tighter.

“I’ll help you.”

“Really?”

The back alleys of the royal capital.

Every night I was dealing with ‘Shadow Puppets’.

From that day when I saw Levia under the dark night sky, receiving the moonlight, saving my life, probably…

I think I’ve been liking Levia.

So….

“I’ll save you no matter what. No matter what happens. So…”

“Yeah. I know. I’ll help you too.”

Right now….

Right now, this kind of relationship is enough.

After I get rid of the burdens I’m carrying now, and break all of Levia’s ‘fate’ and ‘destiny’….

Only then…. I will confess my feelings.

* * *

6 hours after departure.

The sea was definitely getting rougher.

The intensity of the ship’s swaying was getting stronger, making it difficult to even stand on two legs.

In that situation, the captain summoned me and Levia to the deck.

“Wh-what’s going on?”

“Hahaha. To not be able to keep your balance with just this much, I take back what I said earlier.”

“…I wouldn’t have joined anyway.”

The captain, who was laughing heartily at my words, raised the corners of his mouth and said.

“We’ve arrived. This is Laputia.”

“?”

At the captain’s words, I looked around.

The surroundings were just a vast sea with a continuous series of rough waves. There were no islands or land to be seen.

“Where exactly is the arrival…”

“Hey. Don’t you know? Laputia is a country that has sunk to the bottom of the sea. There’s no way you can see it from the surface.”

“Ah… that’s true.”

“Laputia is under here. We’re above Laputia.”

Then… how are we supposed to get there?

Just as I was worrying, Levia headed to the deck without hesitation.

“L-Levia?”

“Follow me.”

And before I could say anything, Levia fell straight into the sea.

“L-Levia?!”

“What are you doing? Hurry up and get in too.”

“G-get in?!”

“Where else would you go? It’s where your girlfriend went.”

No, what the…

“If you don’t get in quickly, the ‘path’ will be cut off?”

“Tch…”

I have no choice.

I somehow shook off my hesitation and threw myself into the sea, following Levia, who had gone ahead.