Volume 3, Chapter 1, Prologue
Finally, we arrived at the port of Ryuujin.
For now, I decided to find Yamato's ship and ask for a ride.
Completely returning to my former loner self, I simply followed everyone else.
Originally, I was a loner, but due to what Lianfuan-san said, I'm even more distant from everyone now.
Even though I should be the Colonel and the leader of the Special Operations Unit, everything is being decided by Princess Miyabi and Lieutenant Yoshiaki. They make all the decisions.
Furthermore, there is no asking for my opinion or even an explanation of why things turned out this way.
I simply follow them in silence.
Only Lieutenant Murasaki looks at me with a worried expression.
Well, this child could be the heroine, right?
Even though he's a boy, he's a "otokonoko" (boy who looks like a girl).
Once we boarded the ship, the atmosphere became even heavier.
Since I used the skill "High-Speed Escape," the story about Feitzi hasn't been conveyed here yet. The crew members of Yamato, who only heard about the incident with Alexia, treat me like a tumor.
The sailboat we boarded set sail, but while everyone has their own cabin, I was sleeping next to the cleaning supplies.
Well, maybe it's just for today? But a week passed, and it's still the same.
I should have stayed in the palace room and lived as a NEET.
"This is bad. Last time, I went from being a hero to a NEET, and this time, I might even rank down to a savior."
Muttering in a low voice, I wrapped myself in a shabby blanket.
I looked at the remaining food on the plate in front of me.
It was a meal that looked like leftovers, with soup poured over the rice.
Originally, the atmosphere in Yamato was so bad that I became a shut-in, but on the ship, the crew's attitude of keeping their distance from Princess Miyabi and Lieutenant Yoshiaki seems to irritate them, and my treatment worsens day by day.
Wait a minute.
Come to think of it, if I bring up the story of Lianfuan, they might treat me like a monster.
This is bad.
I might be exterminated.
Filled with anxiety, I left the room and went to the deck, and it was already night.
When I looked over there, I saw an island with several lights.
And when I looked at the dark sea, I saw several small boats drifting without anyone on board.
One of the boats hit the bottom of the sailboat we were on.
When I took a closer look, it had a paddle attached to it.
"C-Could this be! Are they calling me?"
"It's probably just a coincidence," Murasaki Lieutenant said, surprising me.
We remained silent.
"Do you want to escape?" Murasaki Lieutenant asked while looking at me intently.
"I don't want to escape, but it feels like they're calling me."
Yes, that was a lie.
One of the people I respect is Katsura Kogorō.
He is known as "Nige no Kogorō" during the Bakumatsu, someone who fled from the government's pursuers and lived as a beggar or merchant. It is said that when he couldn't stay in Kyoto anymore, he sought protection from a merchant in Izushi and disguised himself as a merchant in Tango. However, according to recent studies, he was pursued not only by the government but also by the Chōshū domain, and he ended up quitting the samurai life for real and finding a second life as a merchant. I also admire someone like that.
People are not that strong, after all.
Because they are humans, they falter.
"Indeed, everyone nowadays is too harsh. I tried my best to convince them, but they wouldn't listen."
He was indeed the heroine.
Lieutenant Murasaki is angry.
Somehow, I feel happy.
Anyway, Murasaki used to come and check on me occasionally. Only Murasaki did.
"For now, I'm thinking of going."
I pointed at a few lights in the pitch-black darkness.
"Are you really going?"
Murasaki asked mischievously and laughed.
He's still the heroine, after all.
Murasaki took off his rank insignia and carefully placed it on the floor of the ship, then jumped into the small boat.
He really is coming with me.
I'm grateful.
I can't bear it any longer.
I also took off my Colonel's rank insignia and jumped into the small boat.
"For now, once we escape from here, I'll change jobs to become a merchant like Professor Katsura Kogorō."
Whispering softly, I started rowing the small boat into the pitch-black darkness.