Water Magician-Chapter 645: Trump Card

Editor: Tseirp

After the king and the Premier Duke had thoroughly discussed the future of the Knightley Kingdom, Captain La Wu and First Officer Myan Mar returned, having finished calculating and recording the battle damage.

“We have completely shaken off the enemy.”

Captain La Wu reported.

It was welcome news.

Yet the captain’s face was grim. The same was true of First Officer Myan Mar standing beside him.

“However, we were unable to obtain the food supplies we had planned to purchase in the town of Shunbol.”

“Ah…”

Neither Abel nor Ryo could immediately find words.

Yes—the entire reason they had intended to stop at Shunbol in the first place was to obtain provisions.

“Even if we ration strictly, we only have three days’ worth of food remaining.”

Myan Mar continued.

As First Officer, he was responsible for the ship’s general operations.

And food management clearly fell under his authority.

“We’ve identified several ports that we might reach within three days, but honestly, there’s no guarantee…”

“In other words, just like Shunbol, Prince Kouri’s people may already be there.”

“Yes. That is a strong possibility.”

Captain La Wu nodded at Abel’s observation.

“If we continue north and try for the port of Peiyu…”

“Even at best, it would take six days. That means the crew would have to endure roughly three days without food…”

“O-oh…”

In short, it was unrealistic.

While Abel, Captain La Wu, and Myan Mar discussed the situation, Ryo was oddly staring up at the sky.

Not vaguely, but intently.

“What is it, Ryo?”

“Well… I’m not sure if it’ll work, but there’s something I’d like to try. If it does, we might get food.”

“What?”

Both Captain La Wu and First Officer Myan Mar were startled.

Of course they were.

Food—out here in the middle of the ocean?

“Please.”

Captain La Wu said after exchanging a glance with Myan Mar.

Ryo took a deep breath, then shouted toward the sky:

“Leonor! If you’re watching from there, please come here! I need something! ”

His voice carried powerfully. Many of the crew on the main deck turned to stare at him.

All wearing identical expressions of shock.

But when nothing seemed to happen afterward, they gradually returned to their work.

One minute passed.

No one spoke—not Abel, not Captain La Wu, not Myan Mar.

The latter two simply exchanged uncertain glances, apparently deciding that since they had no idea what was happening, it was better not to speak.

Perhaps only Abel truly understood.

The name Ryo had called… Leonor.

An akuma.

Terrifying beings.

Beings one would never describe as ‘comforting company’.

Another minute passed.

Then, without any warning, a four-meter-square black wall—like a slab of darkness—appeared on the main deck.

When Captain La Wu and Myan Mar saw it, they did not immediately comprehend what they were seeing.

Their gazes passed over it once… then snapped back.

People apparently do double-takes when they witness something incomprehensible.

“Seriously, opening a gate without warning is way too overbearing…”

“Be silent, Jean-Jacques! I have not forgiven you yet, for siccing those two on Ryo… Yo, Ryo!”

Two akumas stepped out of the Gate.

One was a man dressed like a priest.

The other… a woman wearing something like a swimsuit… with horns and a tail.

“I’ve noticed this for a while, but your outfit changes every time you appear, doesn’t it?”

“Indeed. I was in a pool just now. I saw you calling me and hurried over.”

“She forced me to open the Gate.”

Ryo commented on Leonor’s appearance, Leonor explained, and Jean-Jacques complained.

“It was Pastra-san and Argenta-san, right? They said Jean-Jacques was the one who suggested that they fight me.”

“W-wait, how do you know that…”

“Because Pastra-san told me.”

“That bastard…”

“Which means, Jean-Jacques, you owe me.”

“Tch…”

When it came to akumas, Ryo ended up playing the role of the one who pokes and points out the obvious—speaking reason…

He didn’t like that role much, but this was an emergency!

Use whatever tools you can.

“So, Ryo, you said you wanted something?”

“Yes. When that incident happened, you told me to make a wish. I’ve found one.”

“Ooh! Speak— and I shall grant it.”

Leonor urged happily.

“I want food for everyone on this ship.”

“Food?”

Leonor tilted her head.

Abel, Captain La Wu, and Myan Mar stared in disbelief.

“Our food is about to run out, and hostile forces have moved ahead of us at the ports. Abel and I could storm the city, but I came up with a smarter solution.”

That was Ryo’s answer.

He had been thinking about asking Leonor for something for a while.

Still, asking for something one could get oneself felt odd.

He’d thought and thought and couldn’t come up with the perfect request.

Then this trouble appeared.

He had a feeling those akumas might be able to procure food, so he tried asking….

“Very well. What specifically do you need?”

“Myan Mar-san, do you have the list of what we were meant to procure?”

“Yes—here.”

Navigator Myan Mar said, handing over four sheets of paper.

They were the list of items they had planned to get in Shunbol.

“There are other items listed besides food…”

“Hmm… no matter.”

Leonor skimmed the four sheets and accepted the task.

“Then afterward, you’ll fight me, Ryo!”

“No.”

Leonor smiled eagerly; Ryo rejected her with firm resolve.

“Why not!”

“This is compensation for the trouble caused by Pastra-san, Argenta-san, and Jean-Jacques over there. It does not include a duel between you and me.”

“Ehh—”

Ryo said decisively; Leonor’s face fell.

Ryo felt a little sorry—if she was going to bring food, that was a kindness.

But that fight would be brutal, and Ryo’s chance of dying was high.

Sympathy alone wasn’t a good enough reason to accept…

“Very well. This is indeed the fault of these fools.”

Leonor said, glaring at Jean-Jacques beside her.

“Me? How’s it my fault? I just said ‘Ryo could probably handle it’ to those two—”

“There! See? That’s it!”

Ryo pointed out Jean-Jacques’ excuse.

“I was just going with the vibe…”

“People almost die because of your ‘vibe’. Humans are not that sturdy!”

“Then humans should evolve to be sturdier.”

“Maybe in several hundred million years, but not right now.”

Ryo shook his head at Jean-Jacques’ flippant remark.

Put that way, Ryo seemed very sensible.

Yes, perhaps Ryo really was a sensible person.

…Okay, that was going too far.

“All right, wait a bit. Some things take time… when it’s ready, I’ll drop them on this deck.”

“Yes, please.”

Ryo nodded to Leonor’s confirmation.

He also confirmed that Navigator Myan Mar nodded.

“Okay, Jean-Jacques, let’s go.”

“Ugh, I feel like I’m being made to work again…”

“Of course you are! Those two will work too!”

“Ugh…”

People must take responsibility for the words they’ve spewed.

It seemed akumas, too, must bear responsibility for what they say.

Watching that, Ryo thought people from old times were really wise.

“Silence is golden.”

Truly a maxim.

If you don’t speak unnecessarily, you avoid unnecessary obligations.

You won’t be accused of insult or defamation.

People who blurt things always say afterwards, “I didn’t mean that.”

It doesn’t matter.

All is decided by the listener; the one spoken to decides.

By uttering words, you hand over the power of life and death to others… terrifying if you think about it.

How frightening.

One of the akumas, forced to take responsibility for words, was dragged and disappeared into the ‘gate’.

Silence returned to the First Deck.

No—actually that’s wrong.

From the moment Leonor and Jean-Jacques appeared from the ‘gate’, everyone on the First Deck had their eyes glued to the two of them and remained speechless.

Except for Ryo and Navigator Myan Mar, no one opened their mouths.

“Captain La Wu, for now, there’s nothing left to do but wait.”

Ryo said, turning to Captain La Wu.

“…Ah, yes. Thank you.”

Even Captain La Wu seemed somewhat dumbfounded.

Together with Navigator Myan Mar, he went down to the hold to prepare for moving and stowing supplies if the food arrived.

“Getting Leonor to procure things was a great idea.”

“Right? Honestly, I wasn’t sure she’d agree…”

Abel praised him, and Ryo nodded that it had worked out.

Of course, they wouldn’t know if it had truly worked until the goods actually arrived.

For now, there was nothing to do but wait.

“She said some things would take time, so let’s wait calmly.”

“That’s right.”

Just as Ryo said that and Abel replied—

Thud! Thud! Thud!

A gate formed parallel to the deck, and several sacks that looked full of grain came through.

“So fast!”

“Sorry! Someone get these into the hold!”

Ryo cried in surprise as Abel called the crew.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

A few barrels rolled out.

“Sorry! Those, too—please!”

Thud! Thud! Thud!

More wooden crates filled with vegetables appeared.

“Sorry! Adding more!”

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Wooden crates of fruit also came through.

There weren’t enough people.

“This is…”

“We’ll have to help carry them.”

So Ryo and Abel were drafted into carrying the delivered food to the hold as well…

Twenty minutes after the first grain sacks arrived.

The First Deck was piled high with food.

They were loading goods into the hold as soon as they appeared, but they couldn’t keep up.

Then the two akumas appeared again.

“What a spectacle.”

“Where’s Ryo?”

Jean-Jacques nodded at the piled deck and Leonor searched for Ryo.

Ryo, who had been drafted to carry goods, returned after a while.

“Oh—Leonor, Jean-Jacques.”

“Ryo, that took you long.”

“I was pressed into carrying cargo…”

Leonor scolded him; Ryo gave his excuse.

Jean-Jacques, for some reason, stood on one leg and stretched both arms wide to balance horizontally…

Ryo had no idea what that was about.

“I brought everything on the list.”

“When I look in the hold, it seems like you’ve brought more than what was listed…”

“Is that so? Pastra and Argenta brought some too, after all. So the total might be larger. Well, as long as the ship doesn’t sink, there shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Ah, yes…”

Abel and Navigator Myan Mar arrived as well.

Ryo asked Myan Mar,

“Do we have everything we need now, Myan Mar-san?”

“Yes, of course. It looks like we’ve received much more than expected… We’re saved.”

Myan Mar said, bowing in Darwei fashion to Leonor in thanks.

“Don’t worry. Give your thanks to Ryo instead.”

Leonor said magnanimously, nodding.

Ryo thought Leonor had a big heart. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

He was impressed—until the next line blew that impression away.

“Now we’re even. Next time we meet, we’ll fight again.”

“I don’t have to fight, you know…”

“No. I must be the one to fight and kill you, Ryo.”

Leonor grinned.

The unsettling content of the words and the lovely expression formed quite a contrast.

“Well, anyway— thank you, that helped a lot.”

Ryo said and bowed politely.

Abel bowed silently behind him.

Etiquette among friends, after all.

“Very well, until next time.”

“Ryo, fight me too—ow! Leonor, stop pulling my ear, hey—”

Leonor and Jean-Jacques disappeared back into the ‘gate’.

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