Chapter 375

Ivan did not hesitate to answer. Like a person who had waited a long time for Ruben to bring up those words, he straightened his shoulders and back upright and looked straight at Ruben’s face. A thread-like smile that couldn’t be seen until now hung on the corners of Ivan’s mouth.

“By any chance, a monopoly on trade.”

“That is not something I can promise.”

“I just said it once, how about a 50% reduction in overseas trade tax?”

“20.”

“…30?”

“Sure, let’s make it about 30%.”

I wasn’t the only one bewildered by the fast exchange of conversation. Ivan’s spouse had his eyes wide open, looking at Ivan, opening and closing his mouth. Only after seeing that sight did I realize how ugly my current appearance was and tried hard to compose my expression.

Ruben tore off a piece of paper from the notebook, wrote a simplified contract in his handwriting, and handed it over to Ivan. Ivan fluttered it three times so the ink would dry well, folded it finely, and pushed the contract into his bosom.

Watching that sight, Marianne’s voice rang vividly in my ears once again. Did she say to get permission from somewhere before signing? Indeed, those words are correct. I firmly resolved to receive help from smart guys before signing or making a promise.

Ivan, having obtained what he wanted to obtain, continued his previous words with a cool expression just like at first.

“Until last year, the strange phenomenon was continuing from west to east, but from this month, similar things are happening concurrently at all ports. Due to my influence, the number of fishing boats using Mana defense artifacts has increased, so there are also occasionally fishing boats returning alive even after discovering the strange phenomenon.”

“That means?”

“Will you meet a local who knows the related tale, or will you go sightsee the golden island?”

“Can you guarantee safety?”

“Yes, I have explored the sea area taking along civilians who wanted to sightsee the golden island a few times.”

“A few times?”

“Four times.”

This bold guy was risking his life playing tourist games. I was utterly astounded.

Ruben showed signs of agonizing for a long time. Why? When I tapped the back of the child’s hand, Ruben’s gaze rode from my left shoulder and flowed to my elbow. He worries about everything. I was the one who hugged the child with this arm and ran all the way here. Having rested deeply for a day and a half, there was nothing more to hinder me.

It’s fine.

When I spoke with the shape of my mouth, Ruben, who was agonizing, nodded his head.

“Then, both. I ask you to guide us.”

Ruber did not pick only one of the choices.

We decided to first go hear the tale related to the suspicious golden island. Even though Ivan and his spouse said they had seen the golden island with their own eyes, it was because they didn’t know much about Yulan’s legends, so they just calculated that unrealistic scene solely by objective indicators and moved on.

If we hear the legend story and learn what to pay attention to and examine, it will be more helpful. Then we scheduled to go to the area where the golden island appears in bright broad daylight and return.

“When will you depart?”

“Today… Let’s go immediately after having dinner.”

“Sounds good.”

All economic activities in Yulan were focused on the sea. Thanks to that, the closest Sombre Port was only half a day’s distance from Yulan’s capital Palmir.

If we board a carriage in the evening, we would be able to mix words with fishermen early in the morning. At the words that we would sleep in the carriage to save time, Ivan nodded his head vigorously.

We told the attendants to prepare a place for the guys to rest, and went to meet the quack with Ruben.

The quack wrapped a proper splint around my arm and fixed it. He applied a splint entirely matching the shape of my arm from the shoulder to the elbow and all the way to the wrist, and wrapped it with bandages. The surface was hard enough to make me think it would be fine to roughly use it as a shield in an emergency, which was exceedingly fascinating.

That guy started nagging again.

“Among Knights, there are some who wrap it like this and use it as a shield and stuff, but you absolutely, absolutely shouldn’t do that. Injuries like this accumulate, so the impact goes inside. Understand?”

“Mm.”

“If you feel like it hurts even a little in the middle, don’t endure it and unfailingly take your regeneration potions.”

“Mm.”

However, it is better to at least get some fresh air than just killing time and enduring. I let the guy’s nagging go in one ear and out the other. Instead of me, Ruben packed several regeneration potions. The child’s anxious gaze kept making my ears tickle.

In a spacious 4-person carriage, I sat facing Ivan and his spouse.

Ivan’s spouse was as large in build as he was tall. Because Ivan was on the thin side there was no lack of space even sitting side-by-side, but if I had seated even Ruber next to that side, we would have had to travel uncomfortably for a while due to touching shoulders.

Sienna Bikoff’s ordinary wheat-colored face was flushed red. Come to think of it, that guy hasn’t spoken a single word properly until now. I don’t know if he lacks social skills and is shy with strangers, or if he inherently has a lot of heat in his body, but I couldn’t treat him like a non-existent person the entire time, so I initiated a conversation first.

“Baron Bikoff’s Spouse.”

“Yes? [Read on RanaTranslations🌸] Yes… Yes?”

“Are you uncomfortable anywhere?”

“No! No, I am not.”

Didn’t he say he helped Ivan and knocked down the sailors.

Indeed, the bones of his limbs are thick and he looks like he can use quite some strength. If Ruben merely put muscles on straightly extended limbs through training, it was plainly visible that this person was born with a naturally plump and strong constitution. Traces of training a sword are… non-existent. At most, did he perhaps carry some goods?

His eyes are long and slanted and the bridge of his nose is sharp, but his expression couldn’t hide his tearful face and nervousness the entire time, so it’s not a good physiognomy for doing business. Even looking here and there, I think wouldn’t it have been better to start the sword a bit earlier, but a thin hand blocked the front of the man. It was Ivan.

“Mm?”

“Why are you staring so intently at another person’s spouse?”

“…Yes?”

“He’s mine.”

“Hah.”

Knowing it was a joke, laughter burst out.

Seeing him acting like this, it is Ivan all right? I quickly recognized the mischievousness steeped in Ivan’s calm face. Come to think of it, I remembered Marianne saying such words once. Was it that Ivan’s dream is to bathe in the sea with the person he loves. Endless amusing, I immediately played along with his joking.

“I was looking to see how well you suit Ivan.”

“And so, do we seem to suit well?”

“Yes, was bathing in the sea enjoyable?”

“…Where did you hear that story again.”

Ivan also soon laughed out loud.

Because only Ivan’s spouse couldn’t gather his senses and was restless, I added an explanation for him.

“I don’t know if you heard the words, but your husband and I are Academy classmates. We acted a bit familiarly because we stayed close receiving this and that help during the semester.”

“I told him on the way.”

“What did you say?”

“That there will be two handsome people sitting, so don’t fall in love.”

At that joke, I laughed again.

“Didn’t you say the Prince would be here?”

“Uumm… I told you I wasn’t certain either. I also didn’t know my spouse would be this surprised.”

“Is that so?”

“If Michael told you to come explain something, would you be surprised if the 1st Prince was sitting there?”

“I would be surprised, wouldn’t I?”

“Why are you surprised?”

If I encounter the 1st Prince right now…

First, I must determine whether Wesley is around him. There is still no word that the disappeared Wesley has returned to the capital. Now that it’s confirmed figures from the Academy who were said to be close to Wesley have turned into black mages, it is right to be wary of the 1st Prince.

Mumbling, I barely answered.

“Well… For one, I consider him a political opponent. Because it could be dangerous.”

“Exactly, I didn’t think it would be something to be surprised about because the Eldos Merchant Guild has almost no political connection with the Imperial Palace. I know the 1st Prince is in the capital, and the 2nd Prince is not dangerous.”

“…Mm.”

Ruben, who had been quietly listening to our conversation, smiled affectionately and acted gently.

“It’s fine, I am not such a scary person.”

“…That…! [Read on RanaTranslations🌸] That’s not it. No, it is not. You were not scary at all.”

“A truly scary person is someone like Baron Bikoff, because he’s a figure who would cut off your nose if you blink.”

“Me? When I’ve been of such great help to the Prince.”

“Was that so?”

Ruben looked at Ivan with a puzzled face.

And Ivan looked at me. I was the only one who understood what that guy was talking about. Instantly heat rose to my face, I gritted my teeth and threatened him.

“…Don’t say useless things.”

“He tells me not to speak.”

“…Huh?”

Ruber, puzzled, tapped my right shoulder. He’s pressing me to tell him. But there’s no way I have words to reply. I just rolled my eyes wildly toward Ivan.

Without being scared, the guy just patted the back of his spouse’s hand a few times, grasped it, and soon let out a shameless voice.

“Let’s go while sleeping now, because we’ll have a lot of things to say when we get there.”

“…Yes. Let’s do that.”

Phew. I heard Ivan’s spouse secretly letting out a sigh, but I didn’t bother showing I noticed.

I turned off the lamp illuminating the inside of the carriage.

Ivan fell asleep quickly, and Ivan’s spouse couldn’t even breathe properly out of extreme nervousness for a long time, then fell asleep around the time Ivan leaned on his shoulder. And I stayed awake listening to the rattle, rattle sound of the carriage running.

Worried they might catch a cold by chance, I had closed all the carriage windows so cold wind wouldn’t come in, so the only thing worth looking at is Ruben. The child wasn’t leaning against the wall, nor against me, and was keeping his eyes closed with his arms crossed in an upright posture.

Seeing his breathing so fine, did Ruben fall asleep too.

…Or is he deliberately staying awake while pretending to sleep.

I tend to see well ahead even in the dark. As I leaned my shoulder against the backrest and watched for a long time, his finely lowered eyelashes trembled.

Eventually, the child quietly opened his eyes and looked my way. I looked at the puzzledly blinking eyes for a long time again. The black pupils, which had never lost their mild light in front of me, sparkled brightly even in the dark.

Below his straight nose bridge, his puzzled lips opened and immediately closed.

Looking at this child after seeing Ivan, who had suddenly become an adult while I wasn’t looking, I think I somewhat understand now.

Has Ruben also… grown quite a lot…?