The Water Magician

"Wow, the last supper yesterday was really delicious!"

"I don't understand the meaning of calling it the last supper... but it was definitely tasty."

Both Ryo and Abel praised the dinner on the Rondark.

The meal prepared by Soushi the head chef and the other cooks on the Rondark was quite high-level.

As it was the last dinner before landing, even alcohol was served, and they enjoyed a fun meal filled with singing and laughter.

"Half of the crew seems to be staying at the same inn."

"Yeah, they said that. Half of them, including the captain and other executives, are from Diplomacy Island. That's where the embassies are, right? It seems they have a lot of work even after landing."

"Espionage... It's definitely intelligence activities, just like Count Heinlein. Oh, speaking of which, Kavui Somaru looks somewhat like Count Heinlein."

"Now that you mention it, that might be true. They both don’t seem to be bad at espionage and schemes."

Ryo nodded in agreement with Abel's words.

Although Abel wasn't skilled in that area, he understood that information gathering was necessary for maintaining a nation.

"Espionage is a dirty job. That's why only gentlemen can do it."

Ryo spoke solemnly.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It was a famous saying by a renowned spy from long ago. It seems difficult for you, Abel..."

He said after dramatically looking Abel up and down.

"Sure, it might be impossible for me, but Ryo would struggle even more."

"How rude! No matter how you look at it, I'm a gentleman!"

"A gentleman wouldn't call himself a gentleman, would he?"

"Ugh... I've fallen into Abel's trap..."

While the two of them were chatting, the Rondark docked at Kubevasa Free Port.

The entry procedures for the Free City of Kubevasa were quite simple.

A port management official came aboard the ship and matched the names on the roster with the crew one by one.

Of course, there were no photos or special identification, so it seemed unlikely they would get caught lying.

Both Ryo and Abel were processed as crew members and passed through immigration without any issues.

"It's dangerous for a swordsman like that to get in without any problems. It's easy for saboteurs to enter the country..."

"Hey, did that dangerous mage say something?"

Ryo lamented the difficulty of water's edge control, and Abel protested.

Though they were bickering, it goes without saying that they put on a composed face during disembarkation.

They looked like harmless swordsmen and mages.

However, a small Ice Cart was following behind Ryo, so it was only natural that the port management official did a double take.

It was the usual [trolley] magic.

This time, the bending of light was adjusted so that the contents were completely invisible.

By the way, inside was the money belonging to Ryo and Abel...

The Denari currency exchanged by the Sujay Kingdom for them in the Free City of Kubevasa.

"The inn prepared for you two is called 'Inn of Free Winds.' Half of our crew will also stay there. The executive there is Lieutenant Rena. Since we are from Diplomacy Island, if you need to get in touch, please speak to Rena."

Captain Gorick said, then boarded the carriage to Diplomacy Island.

Ryo and Abel set off on foot towards the inn together with Lieutenant Rena, Soushi the head chef, and the fifty crew members.

"Abel, it seems the name of the inn is 'Inn of Free Winds.'"

"Come to think of it, did Ryo mention that yesterday? Something about the wind of freedom blowing."

"You remembered well! There truly is a wind of freedom blowing in this city."

"Yeah, I still don’t understand what that means."

It seemed that the concept of liberalism was lost on Abel, who had not studied the history of it on modern Earth.

Ryo thought for a moment about giving a five-hour lecture on the history and significance of liberalism but decided against it.

After all, Abel was his majesty the king.

It felt pointless to explain liberalism to someone who embodied an absolute monarchy and divine right theory, which liberalism tried to transcend.

"It means there is freedom to eat delicious food and the freedom to choose."