* * *
“Hello. May I ask you something?”
“Ship passages to Geumhae no longer operate. The one to Essia already departed yesterday, so you’ll have to wait at least another week…… Gasp!”
Again. The port administrator, who had been responding half-heartedly with an annoyed voice worn down by fatigue, was startled the moment he raised his head and saw Ban. Having encountered such stares—stopping mid-sentence and staring blankly—so frequently since coming to Gillia, he wasn’t fazed by it anymore.
Ban just shrugged his shoulders and opened his mouth first before the administrator could say something strange.
“Is there a ship passage to Yeru?”
“Ye-Yeru is…… in two days…….”
Two days was fortunate. Feeling like he’d arrived at an appropriate time, Ban slowly nodded and began asking again.
“How long will it take to arrive at Yeru if we board that ship?”
“……It will take a full month.”
“Three people plan to board—are there seats available?”
“There are seats, but…….”
The administrator looked at Ban with a serious face and fiddled with his bushy beard. He seemed to be thinking deeply about something, then unlike before, straightened his posture and asked carefully.
“Didn’t the people of Gillia surprise you when they saw you, Sir Knight?”
“……They did.”
“Seeing as you’re asking about ship passage to Yeru, you didn’t come to Gillia after hearing rumors.”
“Yes, I only came to Gillia to go to Yeru.”
“It’s truly rude, but what is your name?”
Still, this was the first person to ask his name so politely. Well, even if he didn’t want to give his name right away, wouldn’t he have to leave his name to book passage anyway? It wasn’t like his name was gilded or anything…….
Ban answered obediently, unaware that Orma was squinting and staring at him from beside him.
“I’m called Ban.”
“Don’t you have a family name?”
“……I’m an orphan, so I don’t know.”
“An, an orphan……! I see, I’m sorry…….”
However, rather than being sorry as his words suggested, the administrator became even more flustered and rolled his eyes busily. Not knowing what to do, he even stood up abruptly from his seat and opened his mouth without even thinking to hide his trembling hands.
“Ma-may I ask your age?”
“……Twenty-two.”
“Ah, Serka…….”
Finally, the administrator cried out to Serka and plopped down in his seat. To Ban’s eyes, it looked strange enough to seem contrived. He just watched as if viewing a well-crafted play and thought indifferently, ‘Were there many believers who worship Serka in Gillia?’
“If you’re done with questions, I’ll book passage to Yeru. Three people in total…….”
“L-look here. Yeru isn’t what’s important right now!”
No, Yeru is important to me though? When Ban frowned, the administrator began explaining in a fluster.
“Ha-haven’t the people of Gillia told you anything, Sir Knight?”
“Well. Everyone seemed to hope I’d go to the castle, but I don’t know the reason.”
“Hmm, then my questions may have been somewhat unpleasant. I apologize. This place, Gillia, is a city-state led by a family called ‘Lebesi.'”
“Yes, I know that. I heard they’re called the Duke of Lebesi.”
“……The current Duke of Lebesi has no children. A very long time ago, he lost his newborn son and it caused an uproar.”
“I see…….”
I’m not particularly curious, but do I have to listen to this? If I listen to this, won’t Orma be uncomfortable? Ban was busy checking on Orma, who didn’t look very pleased, while letting the administrator’s words go in one ear and out the other.
“But you see, Sir Knight resembles the Lady of Lebesi too much. The sparkling silver hair is also a characteristic of Lebesi. Considering you say you’re an orphan, Sir Knight, and thinking about your age, it makes one suspicious…… what do you think?”
“……Are you saying I seem like the child Duke Lebesi lost?”
“Th-that’s right!”
What do I think? Isn’t that unlikely? In both his previous life and this life, Ban had always had no connection with parents. He had just accepted that. Rather, it might have been more awkward if he’d grown up in an ordinary household.
Ban replied coldly with eyes that had sunk much more than before.
“I think it’s ridiculous.”
“N-no, why……!”
“I said I’m an orphan, not that I don’t know who my parents are.”
“Ahh…….”
Only then did the port administrator raise his hand to cover his mouth and became quiet. Judging by his dumbfounded face, it seemed he had been strongly convinced that Ban was Duke Lebesi’s lost son. He didn’t know just how much he resembled Duke Lebesi and his wife, but if all the people of Gillia were surprised seeing him, they must be quite similar?
However, in the world there are many people with similar atmospheres and many people with similar faces. If coincidences pile upon coincidences, there could be someone who resembles the son Duke Lebesi lost. It just happened to be Ban, himself.
“Then can I book passage to Yeru now?”
“……I, I apologize. You said there were three people?”
“Yes. I’d like one double room and one single room if possible. I’m not short on money, so please give us the best cabins.”
“How much luggage do you have? There’s a capacity limit in the cargo hold, so overly large luggage isn’t possible.”
“We don’t have much luggage, but can we bring horses?”
“That would have to be confirmed, but probably the chances are high it won’t be possible. Especially these days, since few people travel inland, it’s rare for people to take horses along.”
“I understand.”
It looks like we’ll have to dispose of the horses. Though we’d grown quite attached to them…… No wait, we’ll have to get new horses in Yeru anyway, so isn’t there some good method? Ban, who had been pondering, slowly turned his head to look at Orma.
At that moment, a good idea flashed through his mind. Right, doesn’t Orma have a floating island? Since the floating island always follows him, he could ask Gail to put the horses on the floating island, and when they arrive at Yeru, bring the horses down then.
Of course, flying through the sky was quite shocking for the horses, so they kept neighing or fainting then…… Still, wouldn’t it be better than saying goodbye completely? If horses blessed by Orma to withstand sunlight were released onto the market, who knew what would happen. And most likely with high probability, that wouldn’t be a very good thing for the horses. Though he didn’t know why there weren’t things like winged horses even in a fantasy world.
“Orma-nim, you heard earlier, right? I was thinking about what to do with the horses…….”
“Ban.”
“Yes?”
“……Do you know who your parents are?”
Orma himself still had a strange face as if absorbed in other thoughts. Orma too seemed to be convinced that Ban was Duke Lebesi’s son, tilting his head. He could also hear a quiet muttering of “But that can’t be…….”
Ban frowned in disbelief and answered.
“I don’t know.”
“What? Then why did you say that earlier?”
“I don’t know who my parents are, but I’m certain I’m not Duke Lebesi’s son.”
“So why? How are you so sure?”
“…….”
That’s because Ban had been reincarnated as the player character of the game <MOX NOX>, and the player character in the story was specified as a descendant of the ancient Saint Herna. He didn’t know who his parents were otherwise, but if Duke Lebesi was really his father, wouldn’t that mean the Lebesi family was descendants of Herna?
But no such content appeared in the game at all, and Gillia itself wasn’t highlighted. The player was simply a Holy Knight belonging to the Serka Order. In fact, Orma in the game also noticed the player character was a descendant of Herna by seeing their appearance, so it was certain there was no connection to Lebesi.
But…… how should he explain this to Orma? After hesitating for a long time, Ban scratched his cheek and opened his mouth.
“I just know.”
“…….”
It must sound insincere. He was sorry, but that was all Ban could say.
Orma listened to Ban’s words and stared at him, then ultimately exhaled a sigh and finished the conversation. He didn’t bring it up first until they returned to the inn, but he occasionally answered or interjected with what Ban was saying. To the request of whether it was okay to store the horses on the floating island, he also chuckled and jokingly permitted it, saying the horses that would faint again were pitiful.
Until arriving at the inn like that, Ban carelessly thought it was strange that things were going more smoothly than expected. Completely forgetting the fact that whenever he had such thoughts, situations would reverse like a ghost.
“……So it’s you. Everyone in Gillia who saw you, including the guards, has been whispering about it…….”
In front of the inn where Ban was staying, along with a fancy carriage, a woman stood out with her luxurious dress and neat bearing, waiting for him.
