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Chapter 37
“Come on, it’s true. You don’t love me?”
“I love you, that’s why I’m the one driving. Only I should touch my husband’s pretty hands.”
“Darling…!”
Moved, Ameta scrunched her nose slightly.
“But still, really.”
Jenie Velo ran a hand back through her hair.
As her fingers brushed it, the short platinum locks shifted into a deep brown, lengthening as they flowed down.
Her sharp features softened, her eyes turning a rich green.
“Of all things, it had to be Oceanus’s…”
Back in her true form, Jenius Advelo smirked.
“Well, if that’s fate, then so be it.”
“Fate can change anytime if our parents are against it.”
“Oh boy, you sound like an old man.”
She wanted to brush off her husband’s words with a laugh, but Jenius’s expression wasn’t all that lighthearted either.
“…Won’t Mother say something about this?”
Catching his expression, Ameta asked, trying to shift the mood.
Fortunately, it worked.
“Mom already knows.”
Jenius recalled the call from the night before.
“She yelled so much, saying if the wedding went ahead without you, she’d overturn the entire ocean.”
“So… she’s giving her blessing?”
“Would she really oppose young people who want to marry out of love?”
“Well, still…”
“Oh please, if it doesn’t work out, you just get divorced. Divorce isn’t some huge stigma these days.”
Jenius’s voice was calm, as if divorce were no big deal.
Just then, sunlight poured through the thick leaves, caught by the breeze, creating a dazzling spectacle.
“…We’ll manage.”
Taking in the sight, Jenius spoke.
“Let’s not worry about things that haven’t even happened yet.”
“…”
“Anyway, that damn little major.”
Jenius thought of Leto, who had greeted him with exaggerated politeness.
“He usually looks like he’s dying every time he sees me, but today he was desperate to look good. Took everything I had not to laugh.”
“As expected, he’s got serious character issues. I’m against him.”
“Don’t worry. Once he meets my mom, he’ll be scared out of his wits. Disciplining people has always been her specialty.”
“I’ll put my faith in Mother then…!”
Ameta clasped her hands together in an earnest prayer.
“…By the way, still no word from Arti?”
After a long prayer, Ameta cracked her eyes open, thin as threads.
“With him, no news is good news.”
“At least he’s eating somewhere…”
“Our eldest isn’t the type to go hungry anywhere.”
“No, I mean…”
What if he was stealing food somewhere and causing trouble?
“…”
This time, even the ever-carefree Jenius couldn’t answer lightly.
Spring comes to the south earlier than anywhere else in the kingdom.
When the fierce sea winds meet the coming of spring, the southern Sharpe territory takes a break from fishing.
The waves, whipped up by the ocean winds, make it impossible to sail out.
During that time, people repair their rusted fishing gear and fix homes worn down by the winter gales.
In the south, spring was a season of preparation.
And it wasn’t only for humans.
“They say the General’s resting on Difenn Island.”
One late spring day.
Clare carefully read through a children’s guidebook handed out on the passenger ship.
“It says he’s going to eat a ton of fish here, get plenty of sleep, and then head to the ‘Windless Sea.’”
“The Windless Sea?”
Sereny, reading along, tilted her head.
“They say the Windless Sea belongs to the gods.”
Sensha chimed in knowingly.
“Dad said no wind ever blows there. That’s why so many people died there, too.”
The kids swallowed hard, eyes glued on Sensha’s words.
“…Hmph! I’m not scared of stories like that!”
But despite her defiant tone, her blue eyes wavered nervously, searching for her guardian.
“As!”
As, who was nearby keeping watch over the other children, looked up.
Clare dashed over and clung to her leg, words spilling out in a rush.
“Sensha told a scary story, but I wasn’t scared at all.”
“As, do you know about the Windless Sea?”
Bor, a sharp-eyed boy in glasses, asked curiously.
“They say so many people died there…”
Lili added timidly.
“That was long ago. Not anymore.”
At As’s words, the children’s frightened faces eased into visible relief.
“Ships this big are so powerful, they can move even without wind.”
“I knew it!”
Clare puffed herself up, as if she’d never been scared. The childish bravado brought smiles to the adults’ faces.
“Now, the teacher just called you. Time to go.”
Clare and the other children went over to their teacher, who had been calling them from a short distance away.
Following them, As checked the class roster for the group she was assisting with.
Catching her confirming glance, the teacher nodded—they were all present.
“Everyone.”
Voices were calling children not just from Clare’s first-grade teacher but from here and there across the ship.
Today, the entire Marei School was aboard this passenger ship.
“The General will be arriving soon. So please stay calm…”
[Attention, please.]
Right on cue, the PA announcement rang out.
[We’ve just received word that the Special Fleet Command departed the Naval Headquarters escorting the General and his unit…]
“Look over there!”
Someone pointed past the railing to the horizon.
The sound of rushing waves split by immense force surged toward them.
[…Ah, new update—looks like they’ve already arrived.]
The flat announcement cut off.
“As! As!”
Clare hopped on her heels.
“It’s my big sis and brother-in-law!”
Rear Admiral Clasis, commander of the 1st Fleet, stepped onto the deck.
“What a fine day!”
Normally a rough seafarer dressed carelessly, today he wore his dress uniform buttoned all the way up.
His usually tied-back ashen hair was neatly slicked down with pomade.
He marveled at the perfect sailing weather.
“Only the General could pick a departure date this well.”
“Admiral.”
At the voice, Clasis turned—his ship’s captain.
“Ah, Captain. I insisted on boarding this time.”
Clasis grinned sheepishly, apologetic.
“Not at all. If I were in your position, I’d have requested to board too.”
“So you’re subtly saying I’m stubborn, eh?”
“Ha ha! I’d never put it that way.”
“Let it slide anyway. Today’s an honorable day.”
For today, they were sending off another war hero of the kingdom.
To mark the day, Clasis had authorized three escort ships from the 1st Fleet to sail.
“In fact, we just received word. They’ll be rendezvousing with us shortly.”
“Time to get ready.”
Clasis slipped on the white gloves he had in his pocket.
Meanwhile, under the captain’s orders, the crew mustered on deck, facing the sea.
Clasis gazed out at the horizon, lips curving in a refined smile.
“…They’re coming.”
In the distance, a formation cut rapidly through the waves.
Sleek gray backs arched gracefully, sharp dorsal fins slicing the sea like the trident of a sea god.
The spray shattered into white diamonds, reflecting sunlight more brilliantly than any jewel.
And flanking them, spread wide to the sides, the Special Fleet officers sailed.
Clad in the kingdom’s most admired navy uniforms, running freely across the sea, their sight stirred awe in all who watched.
[Prepare for fleet salute!]
The command boomed from the speakers.
[All hands, attention!]
Eyes fixed on the two heroes who had brought victory to their nation, the sailors brimmed with respect and pride at being here.
[Salute!]
“Victory!”
Voices roared as every arm shot up in unison.
Clasis and the captain saluted as well.
Just then—
Fweeeet!
The leading ship, saluted by the rear vessel, answered with its own signal.
At the General’s cue, the following units shot fountains of water into the air.
A rainbow arched above.
Scree-eech!
Then, starting with the General, the entire formation leapt from the surface.
The fleet surged ahead with even greater speed.
“…What a spectacle.”
Clasis breathed in awe.
“Captain, have you ever seen such a thing?”
“This is my first time as well…”
His dazed voice was proof of his spellbound state.
“Remember this well.”
The Admiral grinned.
“The famous Special Fleet’s ‘Send-Off Ceremony.’”
All 13 members of the Special Fleet slicing across the blue sea wore full dress uniforms.
Enlisted wore black with dark trim, NCOs a shadowed green sheen, officers blue—the three colors symbolizing the sea.
“Ugh, all that exhausting solo sailing…”
Someone shouted through clenched teeth, recalling their training.
It voiced what everyone felt.
To prepare for today’s ceremony, the Special Fleet had endlessly sailed stormy seas.
Even with cutting-edge personal ships, waves towering two or three times a sailor’s height meant betting your life.
One mistake and you’d be fish food by sunset.
“…Honestly.”
Ami grumbled.
“Every time the General’s fleet sets out, the weather’s perfect. So why’d we have to bust our backs training through storms?”
“…”
“…”
No one agreed aloud, but inwardly, all felt the sting of truth.
Today’s sea was calm and gentle, like heaven’s clouds—making their grueling training feel almost pointless.
“If we’d trained every other day with more flexibility…”
“Lieutenant Chitia.”
Noah cut her off, pressing a hand to his comm device.
His voice, transmitted to all, was stern.
“No matter the conditions, we must always be ready to command our personal ships. The training we endured for this ceremony was only one step in that preparation.”
“…”
Ami’s lips jutted out a mile.
