The Unexpected Blast from the Sea
On the way back from the resort, a massive explosion suddenly erupted from the nearby sea.
“Ugh, shit…!”
I barely managed to swallow the curse that had nearly burst out of me. That scared the hell out of me. The boat captain at the helm and Aaron, who was guarding my side, looked just as startled.
This was a bit out of nowhere, wasn’t it?
“Is it war? An attack? Or just an accident?”
“We should check it out right away,” Aaron said, swallowing hard. He was clearly on edge.
“It’s magic, right?”
“Yes. There’s no way this could happen without magic. I’m examining it now, but it doesn’t look like something created by a person jumping, nor does it seem like an object fell.”
Of course. No ordinary heavy object dropping would make a sound like that. It would have to be at least the size of a small house.
“Let’s head to the dock first.”
“Yes.”
The captain answered in a calm voice. Even though a commotion had broken out in what had been peaceful Marseille, he showed no fear. Just as expected from someone with war experience. It wasn’t only the captain—the villagers, Aaron, and even me. Everyone in Marseille, and indeed the entire continent, was a veteran of the war. Only a few months had passed since it ended. Far too short a time to bury those scarred memories.
‘Gaus? No. It couldn’t be Gaus.’
Gaus couldn’t have come this far. He didn’t have the time or the ability. The urgent situation stirred up all kinds of suspicions, but they were foolish thoughts. So I cleared my head.
“Young miss!”
Just as I was turning things over in my mind, Charlotte approached from a distance with a crestfallen expression. She looked like an elementary schooler who had done something wrong.
“It’s Lady Reinhardt. What brings you here?”
“I’m sorry. You all seem startled by the explosion just now, but… that was me.”
Charlotte stated only the essential facts, clear and concise. But why?
“Ahem. Could you explain?”
“Yes.”
Charlotte nodded immediately and explained the full circumstances. Now it made sense.
“Aaron. You heard her? Calm the agitated defense forces first. After that, tell them we’ll be investigating that ship and to get ready.”
“Yes, understood.”
Aaron ran straight toward the outpost. Chaos was visible over there too, so calming them quickly was the right move. No need to waste energy.
“Thank you for your help. If the boat had charged into the dock and collided, it could have caused a major disaster.”
There were hardly any people on the dock, but not none. A collision would have injured them. On top of that, many facilities starting from the dock itself could have collapsed like dominoes. Human casualties and material damage. As the half-owner of this city, I had just averted a huge crisis. Of course I had to express my gratitude.
“No, I’m the one who should apologize for startling you. So… you don’t have to be so formal with me.”
Charlotte gave an awkward smile. Her cheeks flushed red with embarrassment.
“Thank you.”
I answered politely and met her eyes. The atmosphere felt warm. The ship investigation and incident report would be handled by others, so I only needed to wait for the results. This was one of the privileges of power.
“Young master. I’ve delivered every instruction without missing a single one. They said they’ll report directly to the villa as soon as the work is finished. The administration will be included as well.”
Aaron, who had vanished like a rabbit, returned in a flash. There wasn’t the slightest sign of fatigue on him.
“Good work. Let’s head back.”
“Yes.”
“Lady, would you like to come with us? Or will you wait outside and join us later?”
“I’ll come too. I left my horse nearby. Could you wait just until I bring him?”
I nodded without hesitation. It was no trouble at all.
“Sorry for making you wait. Did I take too long?”
It had only been about two minutes. Charlotte, who had run off alone toward the shore, returned riding a large black horse.
“Not at all. Let’s go.”
I shook my head as I watched Charlotte on horseback. I could see her thick, firm thighs and the saddle I had given her. It made me a little proud.
Aaron and I walked while Charlotte rode the slowly walking horse back to the villa. Fatigue suddenly crashed over me.
Ah, I’m tired.
I’d already been stressed from managing the resort, and now an accident on top of it. No wonder I was exhausted.
“Lady. Excuse me, but I need to go in and rest first. Please get plenty of sleep.”
“Not at all. You rest well.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
I exchanged greetings with the softly smiling Charlotte and entered my room. Aaron followed.
“Aaron. Go wash up. I need to clean myself and sleep too.”
“I’d like that, but nothing will happen while I’m washing, right?”
Aaron asked while fiddling with the sword at his waist. He must have been anxious because of his bodyguard duties.
“This villa currently houses three war heroes. Only someone with a death wish would dare come here.”
“Ah, that’s true. I’ll go wash up quickly then.”
“Good. Change your clothes too.”
I washed thoroughly in the bathroom attached to the room and came out. Washing properly improves sleep quality and makes it easier to fall asleep. So I took my time and cleaned every inch.
“Huh? You’re already back?”
The moment I stepped out, there was Aaron. I had deliberately taken my time, but even so, he was fast. His hair was still damp.
“Thanks to you, young master, I had plenty of time to wash properly.”
Aaron chuckled and sat on the sofa. That was also where he slept. In all decency I should let him use the bed, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. That felt a bit too much.
“Alright. Let’s sleep.”
I lay down on the bed. Aaron stretched out on the sofa and closed his eyes. My body slowly melted into relaxation.
#
After a short nap, I woke in the afternoon to find the investigation results waiting. It had been careless driving caused by intoxication.
That’s ridiculous.
Drunk driving in a rofan world was absurd enough, but on a boat? This really was fantasy. Fortunately, there were no signs he had been ordered to do it or brainwashed. It was purely an honest mistake.
“Whew……”
I tossed the report I’d been holding onto the table from the sofa. It was absurd, but my mind felt at ease.
“I mean, how does something like this even happen?”
Aaron muttered as he looked at the report. He seemed to share my thoughts.
“Unbelievable, right?”
“Unbelievable is right. Sailors drinking is common, but leaving the helm to someone who causes accidents like this was a mistake. If you’re going to drink, at least don’t get drunk.”
A rofan is a world of romance. Strangely, drunk driving itself isn’t considered a crime. Property damage. Injury. Murder. It only becomes a crime the moment an accident occurs because of it. The system places heavy responsibility on the outcome.
In a way, was it reasonable?
—If you don’t want to be punished, don’t drink and drive.
—If an accident happens from drunk driving, it’s entirely your fault.
Both are warnings against drinking, but the second one feels much colder. Still, either system only works if the punishment actually follows through.
“My thoughts exactly.”
“What punishment was decided? Gunter made the final call, right?”
“We settled on confiscating half his cargo as a fine. Since Lady Reinhardt stopped it in time, there wasn’t any major damage.”
If he had actually rammed the harbor while drunk? It wouldn’t have been half—he could have lost everything, including the boat. He needed to lose that much to truly learn his lesson.
“That seems appropriate.”
“It is. You have to leave a deep wound for it to really stay with someone. So it hurts every time they remember.”
I closed the document and stood up. Now that the results were in, I needed to show my appreciation to the person who had created this outcome.
“Aaron. Go downstairs and ask them to prepare a banquet. They worked hard, so they should eat well.”
“Huh? Me?”
“Yes. You.”
I sent Aaron off to prepare the banquet. In moments like these, showing sincerity through food seemed better than material rewards. Like a victory celebration.
Of course, it wasn’t a formal party, so there were no restrictions on format. We ignored unnecessary etiquette. It just needed to be comfortable enough for us to eat and enjoy ourselves.
Since we were holding a banquet anyway, it would have been nice to set it up outside with a good view, but the weather was cold and everyone was exhausted. We had to compromise.
The staff will suffer, but… I need to raise their favorability whenever I get the chance if I want to survive.
Just adding a few extra dishes and drinks makes people grumble. I should give them a proper tip later. I also told them they could take any leftover food, alcohol, and ingredients. They’d probably prepare generously.
“Young master. Everything is ready. We’ve set up in the first-floor lobby, so please come down.”
While I was killing time yawning with the returned Aaron, Glock the villa butler arrived.
“Alright.”
I closed the book I’d been reading and stepped outside. It had been a common erotic novel, but the overly feminine writing style killed any primal excitement. I might have to write one myself later.
They decorated it nicely.
Still thinking about the novel, I arrived at the lobby. There were chairs to sit on, and the long rectangular table was beautifully arranged with all kinds of food, wine, and tableware. It looked excellent.
“Goodness. All of this…?”
On the staircase leading to the second floor, Charlotte let out an exclamation on behalf of the war heroes descending with her. It wasn’t that surprising, was it?
The three of them were wearing suits at my request. Not dresses.
“Welcome. You can eat standing or sitting—whatever you prefer. Please enjoy yourselves comfortably. This is my way of showing gratitude.”
I approached the three women and greeted them warmly. Sparkling eyes turned toward me.
“The work was done by Charlotte, but you’re thanking us too?”
Reina tilted her head, looking genuinely puzzled.
“If I only treated Lady Reinhardt, the rest of you would feel left out, wouldn’t you? Think of it as benefiting from your friend’s good deed.”
“In that case, I won’t hold back. Thank you.”
Reina’s eyes curved into a smile. She looked truly delighted.
“Thank you for going to all this trouble.”
“It’s nothing.”
Amelia’s eyes trembled faintly. I could see a mix of burden and joy, apology and gratitude.
Good thing I prepared this.
“It may not compare to the dinners the lady usually enjoys, but we did our best. Shall we?”
“Not compare? Not at all.”
Finally Charlotte shook her head, looking genuinely flustered.
I stood before the table with the three women whose emotions were visibly stirred. Right in front of me was the wine.
“First, I’d like to offer a toast filled with gratitude. If you enjoy drinking, please drink. If not, simply clink glasses.”
Including Aaron there were five glasses total. I poured the deep red wine for each person and handed them out.
“Once again, I sincerely thank you. Cheers.”
I looked at Charlotte and extended my glass.
Clink.
Charlotte smiled as our glasses met with a light ring.