AWML 06

The Beiron Company, which operated the ship, had not only invested enormous funds into additional search operations but had also privately hired mercenaries to comb through the sea.

Thanks to that, they had in fact managed to recover a few more missing people.

But in the end, Ruberster had taken all that money and effectively declared defeat. Roella could not accept this situation at all.

“So you’re just taking the money, fattening your pockets, and backing out.”

Roella muttered.

It seemed that the specialized equipment needed for the search was mostly owned by Beiron rather than the mercenaries.

They had requested cooperation from the navy, but had received no response. The navy was already too busy dealing with sea monsters.

With even the Imperial Palace refusing assistance, Beiron Company could be considered the last remaining hope.

Roella grabbed Ruberster’s wrist tightly.

“Find my friend. Right now. If you hadn’t deceived us, none of us would have ever boarded that ship!”

Roella screamed shrilly.

“Even if it means throwing your pathetic life into the sea, bring my friend back!”

Ruberster sighed and stood up. When Roella tried to follow him, he stopped her and closed the door behind him.

After confirming they were alone, he spoke in a low voice.

“Lady Roella, I truly do not wish for things to be this way. You know how much I cherished that ship.”

“Then why!”

“Even raising the ship itself is now difficult. The navy has issued restrictions.”

“…What?”

Roella looked stunned.

If the navy had imposed restrictions, that meant the Imperial Court had intervened.

She blinked in disbelief.

Why? This was a massive disaster involving imperial citizens. If anything, they should be leading the search effort. And wasn’t Duke Kaiser involved?

Duke Kaiser was a hero of the empire.

One of the very few Swordmasters in Luikaron, he could fight multiple monsters alone. Even monsters would flee when they sensed his killing intent.

And they were abandoning someone like him?

“I’m just a businessman; I don’t know the details. All I know is that naval restrictions have made further sea searches impossible. They say there are traces of monsters moving south beyond the Sea of Monsters, making it too dangerous. You know how it is… they’re keeping it quiet, but those traces are probably a Kraken. If they haven’t been found yet, they’re likely already monster food.”

“…That can’t be.”

Roella muttered, her face turning pale.

No, Milena.

Roella closed her eyes tightly, then opened them again. She felt like she couldn’t breathe.

She bit her lip until it trembled.

“I truly am sorry, Lady Roella.”

“…So you’re saying I just need to persuade His Majesty the Emperor.”

“Lady, you will also need to find people willing to risk their lives fighting monsters for the search. If word spreads that monsters have moved south, who would agree to go? Even seasoned veterans are pulling out.”

“Is it really true that monsters moved into Poseidon’s waters? That what I saw that day was real?”

“If that is what the navy says, then we must assume it is true. The sea is under their jurisdiction. They are currently busy repairing Poseidon. In any case, I am truly sorry, Lady Roella.”

Roella’s lips trembled.

With things said this clearly, there was nothing more she could do.

Her eyes filled with tears as she turned away.

She still could not give up hope that they were alive.

She could only think of bringing them back by any means necessary.

Just as you never gave up on me, I will not give up on you either, Milena. I promise.

Roella bit her lip hard.

That evening, we had dinner with tomato stew Kaiser had cooked himself and bread from the bakery.

The next morning, while we were eating leftovers from dinner, the events of yesterday already felt somewhat like a dream.

And then I suddenly remembered something I had forgotten.

“By the way, Your Grace.”

“Mm.”

“The six words…?”

Kaiser made a displeased expression.

Then he stood up from the table while biting into bread.

“Your Grace?”

“Yesterday was truly unavoidable.”

He spoke with a serious face.

His silver hair was slightly disheveled, and his deep violet eyes contrasted sharply with it. His straight nose made him look like a perfect sculpture carved from stone.

Everything about him screamed honesty and trustworthiness.

But the way his eyes kept avoiding mine completely destroyed that impression.

“Your Grace!”

“It really was unavoidable. I swear. I lost the vocabulary notebook while hunting wyverns… If you make me a new one, I will memorize it for sure.”

“Liar!”

That’s exactly like a kid saying they lost their homework sheet!

I glared at him suspiciously, and Kaiser quietly backed away and even left the kitchen entirely. I followed him.

“You’re going to keep lying and avoiding it like this? You know we can’t do that! We still have months to live here!”

“I know that. I just need time.”

“How much time?! At this rate, the smuggling ship will come and we’ll already be back home!”

“Then that would be grea—cough! Milena, how about I buy meat for dinner? Steak and pasta? I can try to recreate them.”

“…Hah. Fine. But you promised you’d memorize six words today. Like ‘over here,’ ‘please let me off,’ ‘thank you,’ and…”

“I think something more practical would be better.”

Kaiser said seriously.

I tilted my head.

“Like what?”

I thought we were already focusing on practical survival phrases.

Kaiser looked serious.

“Rather than words, I think memorizing a full sentence would be better. For example: ‘If you don’t do exactly what I say right now, I don’t know what my sword will do.’”

“…Isn’t that a threat?”

“That is a very practical sentence for yesterday’s situation.”

I blinked.

Come to think of it… he might have a point.

Kaiser worked as a mercenary. And in situations like yesterday, that kind of sentence might actually be more useful.

It would also be difficult to improvise on the spot.

I nodded seriously.

“Alright. Repeat after me.”

Kaiser followed my instructions seriously, even writing down pronunciation repeatedly.

It was a surprisingly enthusiastic attitude.

Maybe he really was someone who focused only on practicality. That was his nature after all—only doing what was necessary.

“And one more sentence.”

“Anything you need.”

“I warn you. I am someone who can become dangerous at any time. If you back down now, I will forgive you.”

“That’s a very useful sentence.”

We sometimes got requests to deal with bandits occupying mountains, after all.

I nodded and taught him the pronunciation. Kaiser wrote it down seriously.

Maybe I should have started teaching him like this from the beginning. I had been focusing too much on basic words.

I had taught him everyday survival vocabulary, but I realized now that Kaiser used a completely different kind of language.

“If you think of anything else, tell me.”

“This should be enough for today.”

“Alright. Then let’s get ready for work. We’re already a bit late.”

Kaiser nodded.

And so, after reaching this unusual compromise, we began preparing for work.

Honestly, him memorizing sentences might even be better. His enthusiasm for learning softened my heart.

I had no idea what kind of butterfly effect that would eventually create.