The Water Magician

"I can feel the wind of freedom!"

Ryo said, taking a deep breath on the deck of the Rondark.

"What do you mean by the wind of freedom?"

The king, his companion, didn't seem to feel any sense of freedom.

As an absolute monarch, the king was undoubtedly an enemy of freedom!

Of course, there are laws in the Naitorei Kingdom.

Even the king, being an absolute monarch, cannot fundamentally ignore the law, so technically he should be described as a constitutional monarch rather than an absolute monarch.

However, that didn't matter!

Absolute monarchs have the image of tyrannical kings, so they portray Abel as an absolute monarch.

"Ryo, you were thinking of something inappropriate again, weren't you?"

"W-What? Abel is trying to falsely accuse me! I was merely envisioning a future for the Naitorei Kingdom where the people are happy!"

"Hoh~"

Abel did not believe Ryo's explanation at all.

"In my hometown, there's a saying that the air of the city frees you. People who escape from tyrannical lords can rid themselves of their yoke after spending one year and one day in the city."

"I see. There are various laws in this world, huh?"

What Ryo said was knowledge learned in high school world history.

Whether it applied in this Free City of Kubevasa was completely unknown.

The Rondark, on which the two stood on the deck, was anchored about three hundred meters offshore from Kubevasa Free Port.

They were waiting for permission to enter the harbor.

Since the Rondark was a warship of the Sujay Kingdom, the harbor procedures were apparently different from those of merchant ships.

Of course, it had to have been reported in advance by the Sujay Kingdom Embassy, so Captain Gorik said they should be able to enter soon.

"Signal flags confirmed from the port. 'Wait as you are.' I repeat, 'Wait as you are!'"

A crew member shouted from the top of the mast.

Captain Gorik, who was at the bow, seemed to have confirmed it with his own eyes as well.

"Confirmed!"

Gorik said, looking at Ryo and Abel.

"It seems there is a problem. It's likely that you'll have to sleep on the ship tonight."

"That's unfortunate."

"Well, it can't be helped."

Both Ryo and Abel accepted it.

After all, there was no other option.

The time was already five in the afternoon.

Both of them had a vague feeling that the likelihood of entering the port had shifted to the next day.

"It's sad to be put on hold at the last minute."

"Don't worry, Ryo-san. I'll make sure to prepare plenty of delicious food for dinner."

It was Soushi, the head chef of the Rondark, who brought some consolation to Ryo, who was wallowing in sadness.

"Really, Soushi-san?"

"Yeah. We'll be entering the port tomorrow. We can use all the ingredients we have on board. Leave it to me."

"Yay!"

Ryo looked like he could burst into a happy dance at Soushi's words.

The crew smiled at the sight.

The scene on the deck was peaceful.

The Free City of Kubevasa consists of the continental part, three large islands, and more than ten small islands.

Each large island is named Administrative Island, Diplomacy Island, and Prison Island, respectively.

Facilities that match the names are concentrated there.

In other words, Administrative Island is the administrative center of the Free City of Kubevasa, home to the Supreme Council, the Free Assembly, and various ministries.

The island is quite large, accommodating the core of the state.

Diplomacy Island is where each country's embassies and state-run accommodation facilities for delegations are located.

Among them is the Sujay Kingdom Embassy, which has over a hundred diplomats stationed there.

The crew of the Rondark, after completing their mission of delivering Ryo and Abel, would likely stay for a while, receiving several orders.

The center of this would be the embassy located on Diplomacy Island.

Finally, there is Prison Island. As the name suggests, the entire island is a massive prison.

The prison itself has various types, from those who committed minor offenses to those who committed serious crimes.

Naturally, access for ordinary people to the island is strictly restricted.