[V8C4] No Cats on Ship

The Silent Witch, Monica Everett, was cloaked in her Sage’s robe and equipped with a beautifully decorated staff as tall as her own body. However, she was currently staggering on the deck of a ship with a pale face devoid of color.

She clung onto her staff with trembling hands as strained breaths escaped through her small lips.

“I promised to protect you, Ike… I promised…”

Monica began groaning in pain and covered her mouth, so Isaac moved to stroke her back. The man was currently wearing disguise glasses and covering his mouth with a thin scarf, furrowing his brows apologetically.

“Sorry, I had no clue this was your first time on a ship…”

“It’s not your fault, Ike… I was too naive. Ugh, I never expected ships to sway so much…”

The two had boarded a relatively large merchant ship for the water dragon extermination. Apparently, the schedule did not provide enough time to secure a military ship.

Of course, even this merchant ship was equipped with a few cannons and other armaments, but it was doubtful if such weapons could do anything to a water dragon.

Ultimately, Monica’s magic was their only means of defeating the target.

In other words, the linchpin to their plan was the Silent Witch——the small girl who was currently overwhelmed by seasickness. Many of the sailors glanced at this sight with unease.

Monica had clearly noticed the bad attention she was receiving. This caused her to become more withdrawn, which only worsened her seasickness. It was a vicious cycle.

Even during her conversation with Isaac, Monica staggered again and almost fell over.

Concerned that she might roll overboard at this rate, Isaac lifted Monica into his arms. Though she had grown since they first met, her body still felt unnaturally light.

“Would you like to lie down in the cabin?”

“…No, I can’t. We don’t know… when the water dragon might come…”

Monica lifelessly rested her cheek against Isaac’s shoulder. She didn’t even have the energy to resist being lifted. With Monica still in his arms, Isaac deftly adjusted his scarf to avoid getting it blown away by the sea breeze.

“When you’re seasick, it’s better to look far away or close your eyes. A change of mood might help too.”

“Change of mood…?”

“Shall I sing a song for you, Master?”

Isaac offered to sing as a joke, but Monica replied with a soft mumble, as if all the emotions had vanished from her being.

“…Okay. I’ll think about unsolved mathematical problems for a change of mood… Call me if the dragon comes.”

And with that, Monica closed her eyes and went completely motionless. She still seemed to be conscious, albeit barely, but the average onlooker would probably think that she had fainted. Just as she had declared, she was pondering unsolved math problems for a change of pace.

With Monica still in his arms, Isaac began whispering the incantation for detection magic.

Detection magic and reconnaissance magic are the two types of spells used for sensing mana, although from a technical standpoint, there isn’t much difference between them.

Reconnaissance magic is simply the variation of detection magic tuned for scouting, which increases precision in exchange for reduced range. However, the increased precision comes with the cost of additional mana, so detection magic would be better to get a rough overview of a wide area.

Of course, detection magic also consumes a fair amount of mana, so it is not meant to be maintained over an extended period of time. This was why Isaac intended to cast the detection magic at regular intervals to stay alert to his surroundings.

(No significant mana reactions nearby, for now.)

Things were currently peaceful, but considering Monica’s seasickness, it would be better if the water dragon appeared sooner rather than later. If the dragon refused to appear before nightfall, they would have to repeat the same process the next day.

As Isaac deactivated his detection magic, he was approached by a man with tanned skin, who seemed to be in his thirties. Judging by the quality of his clothes, he didn’t look like an ordinary sailor.

The man glared at the girl in Isaac’s arms before grumbling in a low voice.

“Hey, are we gonna be okay with the great witch acting like that?”

“There is no need to worry. My master will deal with the water dragon as soon as it appears.”

Isaac gave a calm and appropriate reply, but the man put on a doubtful scowl. He was irritated and impatient, to the point where he did not even try to conceal his displeasure. Perhaps he had suffered some losses due to the water dragon.

“The water dragon was sighted right next to Sazandol’s Second Harbor. You get what this means right? It’s abnormal for a large dragon to roam that close to the port.”

The man spoke the truth. Water dragons tended to stay away from ports, with only medium-sized or smaller ones wandering in on rare occasions.

Isaac thought back to the sighting information sent alongside the request.

(The one near Sazandol’s Second Harbor was described as the shadow of a large water dragon with big fins swimming underwater.)

There were several large dragon species that fit the description of the fins, but none were known for approaching harbors. In fact, all of them tended to be rather timid, and hardly ever got close to ships.

“I take it you are frustrated because of the unprecedented situation. In which case, I must say your anger at my master is misdirected.”

“Wha…!”

Perhaps that struck a nerve, as the man’s tanned skin flushed red with anger.

Seeing the man’s reaction, Isaac put on a cold smile.

“If you wanted the assistance of the Seven Sages, wouldn’t it have been more appropriate to send your request through the headquarters of the Mage Association?”

The man was stunned silent. That reaction indicated that he knowingly skipped the proper procedures.

Monica had received this request from the Sazandol branch of the Mage Association. However, mobilizing one of the Seven Sages would normally require submitting a proposal to the Mage Association headquarters and obtaining approval from the council, except in the case of a royal decree.

Yet despite all this effort, it was still just a request. The Seven Sages possessed the right to refuse, as only the king held the authority to command them.

But in this case, the request came directly from the Mage Association’s Sazandol branch. This was an breach of etiquette that would not go down lightly with the association headquarters.

There was a reason why the Sazandol branch did it regardless. Isaac suspected that they had been receiving pressure from the Merchant’s Guild.

(It is not publicly known that the Silent Witch resides in Sazandol, but this is not a particularly well-kept secret. It must have reached someone in the Merchant’s Guild somehow.)

The merchants of Sazandol had suffered significant losses to the water dragon incident.

Eager to resolve the situation as soon as possible, they likely used their financial influence to pressure the Sazandol branch of the Mage Association into deploying the Silent Witch, who they knew already lived here.

And, being the kind-hearted person she was, Monica accepted the request, thinking Lana might be in trouble.

“Please do not forget that my master accepted the water dragon subjugation out of goodwill.”

At Isaac’s bone-chilling words, the man finally turned away with a grunt and walked off. Isaac watched him leave while pondering what to do next.

(…I suppose a bit of punishment might be necessary.)

Isaac simply wanted to live in peace, so it would not do for his revered master to be burdened with all manner of troublesome requests.

The lord of the region was probably looking the other way in regards to the collusion between the Sazandol Merchant’s Guild and the Mage Association, or perhaps even directly involved.

The wealth of the Merchant’s Guild gave them strong influence in this area, to the point that even the lord could not stand up to them.

(In which case, rather than dealing with the lord, it would be faster to involve the higher ups of the Mage Association. I should inform the former member of the Seven Sages in the Baroa headquarters.)

As Isaac contemplated how to make the arrangements, he was approached by a middle-aged man with a cane. Thinking back to the greeting prior to boarding the ship, Isaac remembered that the man was the ship’s captain.

The captain stopped in front of Isaac and Monica, then removed his hat and lowered his head.

“I must apologize for the rudeness of my son, the vice-captain.”

“Your son?”

The two seemed a bit too close in age to be father and son. Perhaps sensing Isaac’s doubts, the captain went on to explain that his son was adopted.

“He may not look the part, but he is a diligent worker. Am I not a happy Simeon to be blessed with such a wonderful son?”

The captain mentioned ‘Simeon’, the name of a man from classical literature. Euphemisms referencing classical literature were used mainly between nobles——meaning, the captain suspected that Isaac had a noble affiliation.

Without showing the slightest hint of agitation, Isaac responded with the calmness of a casual conversation.

“Are you a fan of the classics?”

“Merely as the modest hobby of an old sea-farer.”

Isaac decided to suppress his anger at the vice-captain, for now at least.

In Ridill, the captain of a ship was generally not the same as its owner. The real owner was likely a merchant, making the captain an employee of that merchant. In other words, the Merchant’s Guild was an entity the captain could not disobey.

While the captain may be associated with the Merchant’s Guild, he was also a mere individual forced to bend to its will. There was nothing to be gained by bickering with him.

Isaac glanced around the ship and observed the movements of the sailors.

“This is a fine vessel. Your sailors are also very skilled.”

“Are you a fan of ships?” the captain asked in return.

“Yes.”

Isaac smiled gently, holding back the “I have some in my territory too” that was about to follow.

His compliment about the ship was not simple flattery. This ship was undoubtedly top-notch when compared to most merchant vessels. Moreover, the sailors showed no sign of fear despite the fact that they were headed to subjugate a water dragon.

This was evidence that both the captain and his son——the man from earlier——were well-trusted by their men.

Apparently, the Merchant’s Guild made an effort to provide a good ship and crew.

“I appreciate that you have prepared such a splendid ship for the sake of my master.”

“I am also sincerely grateful that the great Sage has graced us with her presence.”

The two hid their true intentions behind smiles. This was the kind of complicated probing that Isaac felt was his duty as a disciple.

His job was to reduce Monica’s burden as much as possible, and to protect her from any stray sparks that might fly in her direction. As for the troublemakers spreading those sparks… he would not hesitate to silently eliminate them if necessary.

“The waves are getting a bit rough. The swaying of the ship will likely worsen from here on out. Shall I arrange for some motion sickness medicine?”

“Yes, please do.”

After confirming that the captain had walked away, Isaac turned his attention back to Monica. She was still slouched in his arms with closed eyes. Though awake, her consciousness was likely immersed in the world of numbers.

(…This time, I will protect you.)

Thinking that it was about time for the next round, Isaac activated his detection magic again.

Shining stars of light were projected on the backs of Isaac’s closed eyelids. These represented clusters of mana. The one right next to him was Monica, and the small stars surrounding them were the crew members.

As for the large cluster of stars at the distance from the ship…

Isaac’s eyes flung open, and he began to shout. Though he usually spoke in a calm tone, he could produce a voice much louder than Glenn’s if necessary.

“All hands, be on alert! There is a dragon up ahead!”

After finishing his warning, Isaac turned back to Monica. Despite practically shouting into her ears, Monica had yet to open her eyes.

“Monica, Monica? Master?”

Could it be that she completely immersed herself in the world of mathematics?

That would be a serious problem. In such situations, Monica would shut out everything around her, not returning to reality until she felt a paw pad on her cheek.

“Monica, please wake up… There are no paws here.”

“Um, I was thinking about whether all even numbers greater than two can be expressed as the sum of two prime numbers, based on statistical observations about the probability of prime distribution… Oh, Ike, good morning.”

“…Good morning, Master. It’s time for work.”

Isaac quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, Monica came back to her senses sooner than expected.

Currently, he found himself in a somewhat complicated state of mind about what the only substitute for paw pads entailed.

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