Chapter 86
Chapter 86
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 86
Chapter Title: The Ogre First Mate
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Basen instinctively reached for the hilt of his sword, but seeing everyone on the deck casually loading cargo without a care, he didn't draw it.
Tione Itimo spoke up.
"It doesn't seem like your first time seeing an ogre."
"Why do you say that?"
"If it were, you'd be screaming in terror, let alone thinking about drawing your sword."
"Rougher-looking than expected."
"This is our ship's first mate."
Basen straightened his back and addressed Hwesa.
"Pleased to meet you, ogre. I am Basen Rak Orazn."
"Pleased to meet you, lizard."
Basen hadn't expected the ogre to recognize his royal blood.
In fact, it was refreshing to be categorized simply by race from an ogre.
Most ogres Basen knew weren't like that.
Hwesa said,
"Me, I am First Mate Hwesa."
"No name?"
"Had name. But didn't like it, so threw it away."
He almost pointed out that "First Mate Hwesa" was a name, but Tione gave him a look, so he stopped.
"First time seeing an ogre on a ship. I didn't think it was common."
"Why you think that, lizard? You first time on ship too, right? First ogre sailor for you too, huh?"
Basen was caught off guard by the unexpected logic, but his comment hadn't been offhand either.
"Ships have limited food supplies. Smaller eaters have the advantage, don't they?"
"True. Small friends, many. But First Mate Hwesa eats what he works for."
"Ships are made of wood. Doesn't it worry you about damaging it?"
"Ship sturdy. And First Mate Hwesa builds careful, careful."
Tione interjected.
"Looks like it, but Hwesa hails from Jarin on the North Coast."
"Ah."
Basen nodded.
Jarin was one of Heukrin's major cities and the elven capital.
But Jarin had other traits.
Ogres from Jarin all had unusually high intelligence without exception.
Of course, there were legends about it.
About 150 years ago, the North Coast ogres had a god who made them smart.
'And they lived happily ever after, or so one might hope.'
The smartest among them, the ogre king, ruled over goblins, elves, and centaurs on the North Coast, threatening Heukrin until the great Rakrak defeated them and made them fair citizens of Heukrin.
Afterward, the elves conquered the North Coast, wiping out the remaining ogres, and the wandering ogres who eventually assimilated into Heukrin became Jarin's ogres.
'They say North Coast ogres used to be even smarter back then. But mixing with wild ogres from other regions dulled it a bit.'
In other countries, ogres were little more than monsters—sometimes hunted by official armies under the pretext of subjugation.
Not in Heukrin.
In Heukrin, an ogre in proper clothes was treated as a person, and those from Jarin were preferred for hire as laborers. They ate a lot, but they worked for it.
Still, Basen was surprised this ogre was a first mate—a high-skill position.
'Could the Heukrin palace employ an ogre as a left-hand advisor these days? Probably not.'
Hwesa added,
"And First Mate Hwesa left land behind."
"Left the land? Why?"
"Land no longer scares First Mate Hwesa. No land beast stronger than me. So First Mate Hwesa rides ship to conquer sea."
Basen was relieved this ogre hadn't met Manun.
"Hope you conquer the sea someday."
Hwesa nodded seriously, dropped the cargo he held in one hand with a thud, and lumbered away.
Basen hoped Hwesa wasn't his overseer.
'Kyle wanted to send me without one, but the ministers opposed. So he snuck one in among the crew.'
Secret overseer.
Maybe the title was just for show.
Even as expedition leader, Kyle needed to go through 'Alika Yul,' the lizardman general on one of the warships, to command soldiers.
Alika Yul was a descendant of the famous great general Yur.
Unfittingly indecisive and rigid, which was probably why he was on the ship.
'Can't rebel alone.'
Above all, Basen had never even considered treason.
He wouldn't have given up the crown prince position if he had.
But he trusted his brother Kyle, judged Kyle more fit for the throne, and had no desire for it now.
'Problem is, even if I say so, not everyone believes me outright.'
Rakrak blood that could claim the throne.
Some might still suspect Basen—or seek to use him.
'Of course, Kyle probably saw keeping me in a closed space safer than some remote village.'
But the overseer could always judge Basen's intentions at will.
Innocent actions could be twisted as preparations for rebellion.
'Or used as pretext to kill me, whatever the reason.'
Basen couldn't think of a strong motive, but he didn't rule it out.
The eclipse incident proved it.
The observatory minister who botched it was one thing, but who expected longtime administrative minister Salushin O to be dismissed and exiled too?
The event left a strong impression on many ministers and their subordinates.
Ministers who mistook Kyle's leniency toward his once-crown prince brother as softness quickly reconsidered after he became king.
'Palace intrigues aren't simple. Maybe killing me weakens Kyle's power.'
It sounded plausible.
Kyle trusted Basen, but if the overseer killed him and claimed treason, that was that.
Dead men can't defend themselves.
'Maybe that's why assembling the fleet went so smoothly.'
Basen considered disembarking now to tell Kyle, but figured if he thought of it, Kyle probably already had.
Tione said,
"By the way, Your Highness."
"...Just call me Basen."
"It's a bit much for someone so esteemed..."
"Or call me Captain."
"Very well. Captain. Do you know our next destination?"
Basen turned to Tione.
As far as he knew, several villages served as ports downstream from Orazn.
Lizardman villages and servant villages where specific races gathered—not capital-sized, but he didn't know their names well.
Basen knew little of navigation.
"Not exactly. Sail south past the southern tip of Maganen, then east along the coast, right?"
"That's the overall route. But our next stop is 'Babrin.'"
"Babrin?"
Basen knew Babrin.
The largest port city around here besides Orazn.
But that wasn't the only reason he knew it.
"Isn't that foreign territory?"
"Yes. Danyeom's port city."
"We need to go west, not south or east?"
It wasn't that far.
But Danyeom, near the continent's center, meant its coast was due west from Orazn.
"We're a merchant ship, remember?"
"Hmm...?"
"I'll explain after departure. First, let me show you your quarters. Follow me. Oh, should I help with your luggage? No, Hwesa should've taken it inside..."
"No, it's fine."
Basen hefted his luggage with both arms.
The ogre had carried it one-handed, but no ordinary man could lift it alone.
Tione looked at Basen admiringly.
"Lead the way."
The voyage went smoothly.
When nothing much was happening, Basen would come on deck to watch the sailors work or gaze at the distant horizon.
Tione, a landlubber, worried Basen might get seasick since he'd never sailed before, but contrary to expectations, he didn't.
"By the way, Tione. Why is the ship named Pirate's Shame?"
"Ah, you'll probably think you were better off not knowing—it's so mundane."
"Better mundane than losing sleep over curiosity."
"Haha. Nothing special. We took it from pirates."
"Oh, really?"
Tione said,
"I figure the pirates stole it from somewhere too. Other merchants say its design looks unfamiliar, so probably built far away. The tech isn't much different from ours, though."
"Fascinating."
"Anyway, solid ship with a story, so I got it cheap."
Basen nodded.
"Come to think of it, you're a merchant?"
"Yes."
"How'd you end up in this line of work?"
Tione looked at Basen as if wondering why he didn't know.
"What?"
"It pays well? Heukrin's always generous. Especially palace-related jobs. And reliable too. Merchants prefer low advances from Heukrin deals—means bigger final payouts. No worry about not getting paid."
Being trusted by merchants made Basen feel proud.
Tione continued,
"Got a good advance this time."
"What?"
"Heukrin glassware."
"Worth much?"
Basen asked curiously.
The palace was full of glassware, so it hadn't occurred to him.
Plus, he'd broken plenty as a kid, shocking the advisors, so no fond memories.
"Joking? Heukrin glass crafts fetch higher prices than Amgul or Geuman. Babrin's just a midpoint. How much those Satyros gouge for asbestos in Danyeom or Seokmyeon."
"Merchant life sounds tough."
"No. Simple. Buy low, sell high. Heukrin glass is cheapest here. No glass artisans in Danyeom, Seokmyeon, or Danyi. Prettier than nearby Amgul and Geuman trinkets, so sells for more. And glass breaks easy. Gets used up, so they keep buying."
"Hm."
"Anyway, glass trade's exclusive through Heukrin, so rare chance. Caravans rotate it, but this time we loaded up the ship."
Seeing Tione's passion for glass, Basen decided not to mention his childhood breakage.
Tione said,
"Proceeds after sales will feed the expedition, those three warships' soldiers, and rowers. Warships lack space, so we supply their food and water. We'll trade along to Maganen, of course."
"Ah, so buying something in Babrin to bring back?"
"Of course! Can't sail empty."
Basen wondered if that was bad, but as captain, Tione knew best.
"Curious, then. What fills the hold after selling glassware?"
"Ah, usually expensive local goods. Prices fluctuate. Depends on destination too."
"Makes sense."
"But palace specified it already."
"What is it?"
"Was supposed to be secret... but you're Captain, not prince. It's lime. Buy in Babrin, sell in Sashian."
Basen asked, not knowing what it was.
"Lime?"
"Comes from those caves, I hear. Don't know much. Good for farming? Boosts soil fertility."
"Really? Sashian's a lizardman village. Wide plains. Planning big farms? Like those chosen ones striking lightning into the ground back in the spring?"
"Fertilizer lightning? Wow, I saw that as a kid. Amazing."
But Basen couldn't understand why such cargo needed secrecy.