Volume 4 Chapter 97 Volcano
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Sorry, sorry—I won’t tease you anymore.”
The other day, I’d made fun of Tomoe for jerking off while watching me and Pamela go at it, and I’d turned her face bright red. She cried afterward, and I apologized, but she didn’t forgive me. As a result, Pamela was only allowed to come during mealtimes—morning and evening.
Ugh. I’m bored. I have no one to talk to. And I can’t move because I’m tied up.
The only person who could talk to me is Tomoe, who’s supposed to be watching me. But ever since that incident, she won’t say a word—won’t even make a sound.
Well, it’s not like Tomoe’s watching me all day. When she has other things to do, or at night, someone else takes over as watchman. Higuchi, who’s sociable and seems like he’d talk, brought a chair outside the door and does his work there. Aoi does the same, sewing or something. I’d hoped they’d chat, but no such luck. Imai, who once talked about seppuku, sits in front of the door cross-legged, pretending to meditate—though he occasionally nods off. Of course, he won’t give me even a sliver of an opening to talk to him. When I called out, “You’re sleeping!” he just shot me a glare and went back to pretending to meditate.
C’mon, keep me company.
So, Tomoe is the only one who actually comes inside the room and watches me. And she’s gone completely silent—not a single word, not even a sound.
”I’m about to crap myself!”
I lied, making a big fuss. She just looked down at me from above. Even Pamela, who comes to feed me, can’t stay long—once her duties are done, she’s immediately shooed out.
There was nothing left to do. So I sat on the bed and spent the whole day staring at the sea from the window. And I mean—nothing ever changes. The only variation is a little around sunrise and sunset. I had to watch the clouds to distract myself.
Boredom’s actually torture, you know?
About a week passed. I was starting to get used to zoning out all day. I tried not to think about anything, just staring blankly at the ship’s wake through the window, when I noticed we’d apparently turned west. The trail of foam cutting through the blue sea began to curve slowly.
”The course changed. We’re almost at Hojo’s village, right?”
I asked Tomoe, who was on watch duty. Naturally, she ignored me.
I knew she would, but still—lonely.
I cleared my head again and stared blankly at the trail. The curve was gone now; the wake had straightened out again. We’d been heading north, or north-northwest, but it looked like we’d shifted to almost due west.
About three hours later, near dusk, I spotted land in the left corner of the window.
”Whoa—I see land! Land!”
A cliff rising straight from the shoreline. Close enough to make out individual trees growing on top. A few seagulls were flying alongside the ship, wings spread wide.
”Seagulls! Seagulls! Been a while, huh!”
I couldn’t help it—I was excited after staring at nothing but monotonous sea for so long. I was practically bouncing at the window when I glanced back and caught Tomoe giving me this ice-cold stare.
Well, that killed the mood.
Still bound, I flopped onto the bed and lay curled in a “く” shape, looking up at Tomoe with my eyes.
”Aoi-chan’s always sewing, but you don’t have anything to do, Tomoe?”
I said it to Tomoe, who was watching me with that usual condescending look. Of course, I wasn’t expecting an answer.
”Whatever. It’s not like I can do anything womanly anyway.”
She muttered it under her breath—probably thinking I couldn’t hear. But I caught every word.
”Ah, so it does bother you.”
I sat up as best I could while bound and said that. Tomoe’s face went bright red.
”It’s okay. You’re plenty cute, Tomoe.”
There was a bit of teasing in it, sure. But I don’t mind a big woman.
No sooner had I said it than Tomoe’s flushed face went pale again, then settled into a deadpan expression. She leveled the butt of her naginata at me and swung without mercy.
”Ow—ow! I’m not lying, so quit hitting me!”
With my hands tied, all I could do was curl my back and protect my face.
”Tomoe, what happened?”
Aoi walked in right then.
The room next to mine used to be the Captain’s quarters, and now it’s where Berserker, Higuchi, and Imai stay. But Tomoe and Aoi apparently eat together in there too—they cook their own rice and bring food from the dining hall for meals and breaks.
”Did he say something to you?”
”It’s nothing.”
Tomoe denied it when Aoi asked.
”I was just—”
Before I could finish, she wasn’t just hitting me with the butt of the naginata anymore—she stabbed me with it. I couldn’t defend myself. The pain in my side made me gasp and hold my breath.
I wanted to breathe, but it hurt too much. I froze with my mouth open, trying to endure it.
That’s when she shoved one of those little Red Flame Balls into my mouth. Well, it was too big to fit completely, but this was no joke.
”If you say one word, I’ll pull the string.”
If the string gets pulled, it glows yellow in about ten seconds—and at that point, your mouth gets burned to a crisp. A few seconds later, it expands red and explodes, and the reactive linear mana pentamer and tetramer mana fry your nerves. You die.
I shook my head violently with the Red Flame Ball still in my mouth. I didn’t want to die over something this stupid. But damn, this was humiliating.
”Tomoe, that’s enough. That boy still has work to do.”
At Aoi’s words, Tomoe finally snapped out of it and pulled the Red Flame Ball out of my mouth.
”If you don’t want to die, you understand, don’t you?”
She whispered in my ear as she pulled back. The “work” they meant—showing them this ship’s weapons, right?
I nodded at Tomoe, gasping.
I was saved.
That night, Higuchi was the watchman. But instead of sleeping outside like usual, he came inside.
”What’d you say to my daughter?”
For one of Berserker’s subordinates, Higuchi was usually sociable, easygoing. But tonight, his tone was sharp.
For the record, Higuchi is Tomoe’s father—and Imai’s older brother.
”I just asked why Aoi-san sews when she’s on watch, but Tomoe-san doesn’t.”
That’s how it started, I think.
Higuchi snorted, and I thought I saw a faint smile.
”Tomoe’s clumsy. Lost her mother young, and I raised her, so she grew up rough. Not much of a homemaker. It’s my fault—don’t bully her too hard. She’s been doing bride training with Aoi lately.”
I mean, I wasn’t trying to bully her. But anyway—that explained why she learned martial arts from her uncle Imai.
That was all Higuchi had to say. He stepped back outside, sat down, lit his poor man’s lamp, and started working on something. Later that night, I heard him lying down and breathing evenly in sleep.
The next morning, the ship was heading south.
I thought that was strange, so I asked Pamela while she was feeding me. She explained that if we tried to go directly to Hojo’s village from the south, we’d have to cross the archipelago. There are islands and reefs everywhere, so you can’t sail at night, and pirates show up—it’s a hassle. So we’d taken a big detour north and were now sailing south.
After breakfast, Aoi came to watch me instead of Tomoe.
”Tomoe-san’s not coming today?”
I asked, since she’d walked in, sat down like it was natural, and started sewing.
”Because you keep teasing her.”
She answered coldly, without stopping her work or even looking at me.
”Hey, I wasn’t teasing her, you know.”
”But you said she was cute, didn’t you?”
Well, yeah. I said that. But if I leave a woman feeling down, it’s a pain, so I figured I’d lift her spirits a little.
”Tomoe is Hojo Takachika-sama’s fiancée, you know.”
Wait, what? Berserker’s fiancée?
”But I heard she’s a concubine?”
”That’s because Tomoe goes to war too. Right now it’s just a title, but once they have the formal wedding, she’ll be his primary wife.”
I couldn’t help it. “Primary wife?” I blurted.
”That’s right. So she’s keeping her purity until the wedding night. Don’t go messing with a girl like that. She’ll genuinely kill you.”
Right. That made sense. I should definitely watch myself.
”But isn’t she a little… old?”
Tomoe looked like she was well past twenty, so I asked.
And got:
”Think before you speak.”
Chastised. Talking about a woman’s age is sensitive no matter where you go—same in my past life, same in Schweilitz. Apparently, even in the Land of Shura, in this era, it’s the same.
”Sir Hojo said he wouldn’t marry until he settled things with the Luzon Kingdom.”
Aoi, who’d just scolded me, muttered like she was talking to herself while stitching fabric.
”Well, I don’t mind—that way I get to keep Sir Hojo all to myself.”
There’s a woman’s war happening here too? She stopped sewing and looked at me.
”But you know, it’s your fault for making a move on her. Tomoe got all worked up and said she’d attend to Sir Hojo’s personal needs today. She can’t even do it.”
This woman—once she starts talking, she doesn’t stop. But she seemed more likely to talk to me than Tomoe.
That’s when I heard a commotion outside.
”Stay put.”
She left those words, set her sewing down on the chair, and went out. Something must have happened, but it didn’t seem like anything big—the noise died down soon enough.
”It’s like a volcano. Can’t tell the distance from here, but it seems to be in the direction of Sir Hojo’s village. Hope nothing bad happens.”
According to Aoi, near Sir Hojo’s village, there are two isolated peaks—not as tall or steep as Mount Fuji, but prominent.
”The locals said it hasn’t erupted in three hundred years, though.”
Well, worrying about it won’t help. Maybe Aoi wanted to shake off the distraction—she went back to focusing on her sewing.
The sun set, and Pamela brought me dinner. I nudged her with my foot when Aoi wasn’t looking and reached out through telepathy.
’A volcano?’
’I know that much. How bad is it?’
’Still too far to tell, but Pole says it’s not that big an eruption.’
Pole’s one of the deck crew—he’s from the Celt Kingdom. He’s got relatives on the Island of Sicily in the Inland Sea, and there’s an active volcanic island nearby where he’s seen all kinds of eruptions. If he says it’s nothing serious, it probably is.
’We’ll be close enough by morning to see the damage. Kamea said we should reach Hojo’s village by nightfall.’
Well, reaching the village is fine—but they’d better not say they can’t give us food because of the volcano.
I woke up in the middle of the night to a sky full of stars through the window.
This world has a North Star too.
But there’s no Cassiopeia or Big Dipper to pinpoint it. Instead, there’s the Al-miraj constellation and the Piglet constellation. The North Star lies five times the distance along the line from Al-miraj’s eye to the tip of its ear. The Piglet constellation, which you can use the same way, is below the horizon at this hour.
I stared vaguely at the familiar constellations of the northern hemisphere.
Then—a massive BOOM shook the ship. I heard people murmuring.
Imai, who was on watch, stood up and disappeared somewhere. Probably the volcano, but I couldn’t see it from here.
After a while, Higuchi came into the room.
”Sir Hojo is calling. Hurry—we’re going to the bridge.”
He said that and unlocked the chains binding my hands. They weren’t on that tight, so my hands weren’t numb.
I wanted to see the smoke plume, so I went out on deck and headed for the bridge. The plume rising was abnormal—it blotted out the stars. Lightning discharges were visible in several places within the smoke.
Then, a red flash blazed from beneath the plume. Immediately after, the plume expanded further, climbing into the sky. Multiple bolts of lightning streaked through the dark smoke, writhing like a dragon.
This was a big eruption.
A long time later—maybe twenty minutes—a BOOM reached the ship, shaking it. Twenty minutes times sixty seconds times 360—that put it about forty kilometers away. Direction: southeast.
The plume was spreading at the top.
It’d been a while since I last stood on the bridge. The crew saluted me as I passed, and honestly? That felt good.
”What do you make of it?”
Hojo was standing at the chart table when he asked.
”From what I saw, the plume rose straight up before spreading. Ash is going to fall soon. I’d recommend a temporary retreat to the southwest.”
”Is ash really that bad for this ship?”
Hojo pressed.
”It depends on how much falls. If it piles up, with the ship already low on coal, the center of gravity rises—makes it easier to capsize. Ash gets slippery when wet and hardens when dry, which clogs the drainage. Worse, seawater muddied with ash will mess with the ship’s propulsion system.”
”So what do you suggest?”
Hojo was getting irritated.
”Like I said—the plume’s spreading at the top. Pull back to the southwest, wait for dawn. Then head for your village. When I was on deck earlier, there was a light easterly breeze. If Hojo’s village is south of the volcano, the damage should be limited. We’ll get there a little late, but it’ll be fine.”
”Always so high and mighty.”
Like you’d know any better.
”The wind’s coming from the east, right? Just keep the ship heading south. Leakle, translate my words.”
Then don’t bother summoning me!
Notes:
• Pamela – A loli elf mage and the protagonist’s companion. Uses pseudo-archaic Japanese with playful undertones. Acts as the protagonist’s lover and telepathic partner. Mischievous and quick to play along with schemes. Carries magical abilities. Loli elf mage and Earnest’s master. Sharp-tongued and practical. Uses telepathy and mana techniques. Acts as Earnest’s caretaker and disciplinarian. Observes the provisions gathered. Reacts with disappointment to the estimated duration. Knows the protagonist’s usual cautious nature and expresses surprise at his boldness.
• Tomoe – A tall, strong, and sincere warrior woman serving Hojo as an attendant and watchman. The daughter of Higuchi, she is skilled with a naginata, a heavy bow, and crafts, yet maintains a blank expression in battle. Easily flustered by nudity and naive around men, she has grown close to the other women, aids the protagonist with language, and holds deep emotional ties to the deceased Children.
• Pam – An escort to the protagonist who is observant and loyal.
• Higuchi – Hojo’s attendant. Sent to gather details from the ship that brought news of Daqin’s fall. Social member of the group. Helps the protagonist understand the Berserker’s language through gestures.
• Imai – Hojo’s attendant and group member who remains on the bridge with Fredys and Roland. Previously scolded by Hojo and having threatened seppuku, he speaks with frustration about the Luzon fugitives. A dagger-wielding warrior of cold, methodical brutality, he operates with clinical efficiency and no emotion, interrogating a pirate by severing his ankles and calf before beheading him.
• Aoi – Hōjō’s quiet female attendant and Kenma’s grieving mother on the Izumo, who watched over the protagonist and shared details of Hōjō’s past. Known for sewing children’s clothes, she was emotionally shattered by a dead child before perishing in a pirate attack. Serving silently, she handed Hōjō the Red Flame Ball on command and delivered the physical blow that knocked Earnest unconscious.
• Hojo – An unsettling, aggressive male warrior from a fallen clan and ambassador/lord of the Land of Shura, this “Berserker” commands Imai and the Izumo. Dressed in sumo referee-inspired garb with a gauntlet, knee guards, and hip-mounted longsword, he has an intense, unblinking gaze. Linked to the Hojo clan, he speaks in imperious, clipped Kamakura-period Japanese. Driven by honor and trauma from his family’s slaughter, he views lethal violence as jest, yet shows restraint before outbursts.
• Ho – Ho is the family name of Oliver, a 17-year-old deck crew member and comrade of the protagonist. As a member of the military unit that defended Garao Village, the young man was ultimately murdered during a night watch, slaughtered alongside Marx-san.
• Captain – The middle-aged commanding officer of the Izumo is outwardly calm, experienced, and traditional, masking a ruthless, pragmatic leader who prioritizes vessel survival over subordinates and civilians. While rarely reprimanding his men, he will execute deserters. Bebel reports directly to him, holding orders to return to Kure should the protagonist fail to return from their mission.
• Takachika – Hojo’s family name.
• Schweilitz – This kingdom, featuring towering academy spires and a full military arsenal of Royal Army troops, forces the protagonist to return. Ruled by a king involved in a hostage exchange, this political power holds a captive feared for execution. It also ordered the confirmation of Princess Rosa’s corpse, driving a scheme that the Queen has caught onto.
• Pole – An orphaned Celt soldier and anxious Izumo sail-handler, this youthful, enthusiastic deck crew member guides Earnest and the protagonist. Proficient in Turku, he is a loyal, gossipy aide who rows the landing boat, leads marlin hunts, and once brought a large, same-sized eel to the Dining Hall. A former gambler seeking his first love’s freedom, he counts Rafaela as his childhood friend.
• Celt – In his twenties, this former tenant farmer and 303rd Unit militia leader is now a pragmatic, calculating Deputy Commander of the Town Guards—equivalent to a sergeant or officer—overseeing Strock Village’s fortifications. Dressed in simple work clothes, he quietly admires Teressa-san’s skill and serves as the village’s trusted gossip source, having earned his land with reward money. Once a sandal-maker and translator of Bours’s jargon, he maintains a careful working relationship with Larry while balancing political interests, embodying calm kindness beneath his disciplined exterior.
• Kamea – An Amazoness crew member and former acting captain of a trading vessel, she is Larry’s physical partner and a knowledgeable navigator of local waters. Known for bringing rice to the city, she recommends green fruits for provisions and communicates via interpreter Leakle. Though she called for intelligence gathering, she is unrelated to the origin of the local syphilis outbreak.
• Al – Alberto (Al), a massive red‑haired man recently wed to Mary, lives near the Dish Basin. He’s a companion of Hans, helping intimidate and rally elders as a villager and leader.
• Leakle – An Amazoness official at the Viscount’s Palace in Oceanus who serves as the professional interpreter and primary intermediary for the Acting Captain’s crew. Fluent in Schweilitz, she maintains a diplomatic, respectful register, often softening others’ words. She reacts with visible alarm and concern regarding reports of Hole-Eaters and promptly mobilizes to handle affairs for Larry-san and the group.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply