We left the inn town Kice and traveled along the road beside the great river towards its mouth. As we approached the sea, the river widened so much that we couldn’t see the opposite shore. The abundant water flowed smoothly.
“Hal-sama, it’s the third day since we left the inn town Kice, and we should be able to see the coast soon,” Liliana said.
“Why do you think so, Liliana?”
“The wind blowing around here smells of the sea breeze, and it’s a bit fishy.”
“You notice well.”
“My homeland, the Former Yangus Kingdom Territory, also faced the sea, so I’m familiar with the atmosphere of the coast.”
“I see.”
I, Hal Raymond, was resting inside the carriage, and Liliana informed me of our proximity to the sea. Freya was currently holding the reins of the two-horse carriage, and next to her, Elise seemed to be arguing about something. However, their bickering as sisters was commonplace, and I let it be, considering it their way of communicating.
Inside the carriage, Shera was curled up, looking apprehensive while eavesdropping on their argument. It was possible that Elise and Freya were arguing about Shera. Shera, originally a princess of the Kingdom of Sazania, was an enemy to Elise and Freya, whose homeland was destroyed. However, for the two dog lovers, she was treated more like a beloved pet than an enemy princess. Her pure white fur, fox ears, and beautiful tail, as a half-Fox Beastkin, were a favorite of theirs.
In her natural state, Shera was small and petite, with the timid cuteness of a small animal. However, when she used her racial skill “Beastification,” she transformed into a large and imposing female warrior. Nevertheless, Shera had died fighting us as a bandit, was revived by my “Resurrection Magic,” and was bound by “Slave Contract Magic,” so she could only transform if I commanded it.
“Hal-sama, we can see the sea now. It’s truly vast.”
“Elise, you grew up in the mountains, is this your first time seeing the sea?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Let’s take a break in a scenic spot. Freya, please.”
“Understood, Hal-sama.”
Several hours later, Elise reported that the sea had come into view as we continued on the road. According to the rough map, we were not far from the Former Kingdom of Vandis, Freya’s homeland. I instructed Freya, who was driving the carriage, to stop if she found a place with a good view.
“Whoa! It’s so wide. But the waves are really high!? I’ve never seen the sea in the southern countries before… it’s about the same as the northern sea in the Demonkin country.”
“Indeed… the waves are much larger and rougher than those in the western countries.”
“I’ve never been to the sea here before, so I don’t really know.”
We were gazing at the sea from a small hill overlooking the coast. Swan Hilda and Liliana mentioned the high waves, but I didn’t quite understand.
“Shall we have lunch here today?”
“Yes, Hal-sama.”
“Yes, Hal-sama.”
“Yes, Hal-sama.”
“Yes, Hal-sama.”
“Yes, Hal-sama.”
“Yes, Hal-sama.”
“Yes, Hal-sama.”
While I was making a makeshift stove by bringing over a suitably sized rock from a nearby rocky area, Mai and Kirika gathered fallen leaves, dead branches, and driftwood washed ashore. Elise helped Shera spread out a straw mat from her Item Box, while Freya, Liliana, and Swan Hilda took charge of the food preparations.
“Hal-sama, the food preparations are complete.”
“Thank you, Freya. The stove is ready, so I’ll light the firewood.”
On the stove, there was a pot for stewing vegetables and dried meat, a large pot for soup, and a kettle for tea. The firewood gathered from the surroundings burned vigorously. The meal we prepared, combined with the surrounding scenery, was exceptionally delicious.
After our lunch, I took over as the carriage driver and we proceeded along the coastal road, finally reaching our second destination for this journey: the Former Kingdom of Vandis. The Former Kingdom of Vandis was a small country centered around a large inlet, with capes jutting out like a crab’s claws. On the tip of the cape at the back, we could see a large stone structure. This was likely the ruins of Vandis Castle. On the cape in the foreground, a stone temple was visible. This was not a ruin, and many worshippers were visiting. Furthermore, on a stage built to face the open sea, preparations for something seemed to be underway. The inlet appeared to be deep and suitable as a good harbor, but departing would be difficult due to the high waves.
“It seems rather desolate…”
“I was still young when I fell back, so I don’t remember.”
“Hmph! We won. My homeland was also a rural area, but it had more vitality than this place!”
“Wh-what did you say, Elise?!”
“Freya, that way of speaking is not how you should address the ‘Sealing Priestess Princess’.”
“Elise is just a magic bag, isn’t she?”
“How dare you! Normally, for lese-majesty—”
We left the carriage at an old inn called ‘Diva’s Melody Inn’ and strolled through a nearby fishing village. As I commented on the fishing village, Freya and Elise’s banter began. The other party members seemed to be smiling wryly while keeping some distance from them.
“This fishing village is very desolate. Has it always been like this?”
“N-nooo〜. In the past, the sea was calm〜. The village had abundant catches too〜. It became like this after the Sazanians attacked〜.”
I asked an elderly fisherman who happened to be walking nearby about the fishing village. In summary, before the Kingdom of Sazania invaded, a small demon army attacked. Although the land was somewhat ravaged at the time, the Kingdom of Vandis as a whole was a prosperous country with abundant marine resources. However, taking advantage of the demon army’s invasion, the Kingdom of Sazania army destroyed the royal family of Vandis, and then, perhaps due to the goddess’s anger, the sea became rough, leading to the current situation.
The stone temple at the tip of the cape was a shrine of the Asgard Holy Church, with Acquuanar, the Water Goddess, as its principal deity. In this temple, they perform votive dances and prayers to appease the goddess’s anger, but so far, to no effect. In fact, tomorrow, a “Thanksgiving Concert” to praise Acquuanar is planned using the stage built to face the open sea. Originally, the founder of the Vandis royal family, the first queen, possessed an unparalleled beautiful voice and was granted the title of Diva and the blessings of the sea as a reward for comforting the goddess’s boredom. Furthermore, it is said that whenever a successor queen named “Diva” ascended to the throne, the Vandis royal family would offer a “Votive Song” to Acquuanar at the temple as a report of the succession.
What was even more surprising was that the old fisherman knew Freya. He mentioned that after the Kingdom of Sazania was destroyed by the Espana Imperial Kingdom, he was sent to pick up Princess Freya, who had escaped to seek refuge in the Espana Imperial Kingdom. However, her escorting retainers had gradually fallen away during their prolonged period of waiting, and even the former prime minister, who had remained loyal until the end, had fallen ill and was on his deathbed. According to the former prime minister, Princess Freya, who was running a business to make a living, had failed in speculation, incurred debt, and fallen into slavery.
The priest of the temple, in his search for Princess Freya, had gone to a slave trader. However, according to the slave trader, Princess Freya’s self had collapsed due to failure in slave training, so she was sold off at a slave auction at a loss. Under these circumstances, the slave trader had even lost the sales contracts from that time. From there, the trail could not be followed, but based on the situation at the time, it was presumed that Princess Freya had already passed away.
Elise listened to the old fisherman’s story with interest and looked at Freya, but Freya was sweating and looking in the opposite direction. If the old fisherman’s story was true, did Freya possess the power to calm this rough sea? I had never seen or heard Freya sing.
I thanked the old fisherman for the interesting story and left.
“Can Freya sing the ‘Votive Song’?”
“No, I have never heard of or sung a ‘Votive Song’.”
“I see…”
Freya’s full name is Freya Diva Vandis, and as the old fisherman mentioned, she bears the title of ‘Diva’. However, having been driven from her country at a young age and living as a wanderer, there was likely no one accompanying her who could teach her the ‘Votive Song’. Moreover, Freya, who knew nothing of singing, could not be presented at tomorrow’s “Thanksgiving Concert.”
We left the desolate fishing village and walked along the coast. The coastline in this area was mostly cliffs, with very little sandy beach.
“Hal-sama, look ahead! Two girls are about to jump from the cliff!”
“Wh-what! It’s too late now. Fortunately, there’s no one around, so Swan Hilda, please help them.”
“I-I understand.”
As I was lost in thought, Liliana’s scream alerted me to two girls attempting to commit suicide by jumping from the cliff. We were too far away to reach them in time by running. I instructed Swan Hilda, the trump card of “Princess Harem,” to rescue the two girls. Acknowledging the request, Swan Hilda’s attire dissolved into the air, and she transformed into her Valkyrie light armor. With “Sky-soaring,” she instantly closed in on the two girls who had leaped from the cliff, and returned, holding them in her arms. The two girls had clearly intended to drown themselves, having tied weights to their bodies, but they had lost consciousness. Meanwhile, Swan Hilda, having shed her Valkyrie attire, returned to her normal hooded robe.
“We can’t just leave them here, so let’s return to the inn. I’ll carry the older girl on my back, so Swan Hilda, please carry the younger one.”
“Understood, Hal-sama.”
Thus, we returned to ‘Diva’s Melody Inn,’ and the two girls were laid on the beds. Both girls had black hair and similar facial features, suggesting they were sisters. As we were discussing their fate, the older girl woke up.
“Where am I?! I didn’t die… —Who are you people?!”
“My name is Hal Raymond. I am the representative of the adventurer party ‘Princess Harem,’ and the women behind me are party members.”
“Why, why didn’t you let us die?! We—”
“Now, calm down.”
“Why, why—”
The awakened girl hugged her knees and began to cry.
Thank you for reading.
This concludes the “split posting” for Episode 19 “Freya II.”
Tomorrow, at 00:00 on July 22nd, Episode 19 “Freya II” – “The Sensitive Maiden You Admired Likes Doggy Style!? (Back)” will be posted as a “full post.”
Please note that the “split post” and the “full post” contain the same content.
