Published: January 17, 2026
The next day, we gathered at the Tribute coast. Although we assembled early in the morning, everyone was remarkably sharp and alert—as if it weren’t early at all. Even I, who could have easily gone back to sleep a couple of times, was amazed at their energy.
Lost in such thoughts, I gazed at the large ship moored at the pier I had made. Its size was similar to Tran’s, but the design seemed slightly different. The most noticeable difference was the color of the sails. Whereas Tran’s sail was pure white, Mondeo’s ship bore bright vermilion sails.
“...You look sleepy, sir Van.”
“Y-yes,” I replied with effort when Rosso called out to me, only to be laughed at. Ah, Arte and Til were laughing too. But I couldn’t help it—I was sleepy. After all, I’m only human.
As my hazy mind wandered to foolish thoughts, Mondeo and his group disembarked from the large ship moored at the pier I had made.
There were ten of them, with Mondeo himself at the center.
“Good morning, Lord Rosso, Lord Van! Welcome!”
Just like yesterday, Mondeo greeted us with a friendly attitude. His eyes were narrowed like thin threads, and he wore a smile that was visible even from afar. Rosso responded with a wry smile and a slight nod.
“Indeed, I entrust you with today’s matters as well.”
“Thank you very much!”
The composed Rosso gave his reply, while the genius boy Van-kun responded cheerfully and energetically to put them at ease. Mondeo laughed as he approached.
“Ha ha ha. It’s good to see you well. Now then, allow me to show you our ship, the Escalade. Since I heard you were already shown Tran’s ship, perhaps there won’t be much that’s new.”
Mondeo said this with a wry smile, and I pasted on an innocent grin as I made my request.
“No, I’m looking forward to it! Ah, may my subordinates also observe today? They’re really curious about the large ship…”
When I asked, Mondeo hesitated for a moment, then looked at me again before smiling and nodding immediately.
“...Well then. For Lord Van, this is a special exception, you know? Since it is an important secret of our country, we would like to limit the number to a maximum of five people...”
He glanced briefly at Rosso, who nodded deeply in response.
“Of course.”
Hearing Rosso’s reply, Mondeo lightly nodded and then turned his face toward us.
“Then, Lord Van, Lord Rosso, and who else will be coming?”
I answered with a beaming smile.
“Wow, thank you! The knight Row, who loves craftsmanship, the skilled adventurer Kusala! And please include Havel!”
“Hmm, I haven’t had much chance to talk with adventurers before...”
Mondeo, who had been smiling brightly, suddenly froze at the sight of Havel appearing behind Row and Kusala. He was a short but muscular middle-aged man. Meanwhile, Havel, aware of all the attention, paid no mind and continued to stare intently at the ship.
“...I-is that person perhaps a member of the race called Dwarfs?”
“Yes! He lives in my village! He said he wanted to see the ship.”
Mondeo’s face twitched in tension, but I introduced Havel without hesitation, patting his back. Havel then furrowed his brows and shifted his gaze to Mondeo.
“I am Havel. I have been looking forward to seeing a large ship.”
Saying this while folding his arms, Havel prompted Mondeo to respond with an awkward smile.
“...Um, well, I’m sorry. About the Dwarf…”
Mondeo hesitated, seeming reluctant to speak ill. Hearing this, I quickly spoke to Havel.
“Ah, Mr. Havel! You have a gift, right?”
“Oh, that’s right.”
Ignoring Mondeo’s unspoken words, I signaled to Havel. He nodded as if he had truly forgotten, then drew the dagger from his waist. In front of Mondeo, he sheathed it off and raised a beautifully decorated mithril sword.
“Oh, oh… what a magnificent…”
Mondeo’s eyes were captivated by the beauty of the sword Havel held. After confirming it, I smiled and called out to Mondeo.
“Mondeo! Mr. Havel wants to give you this top-grade mithril sword as a gift! It’s worth enough to be a national treasure, you know?”