I was greeted by the cry of seagulls and a salty breeze.
The wrecked remains of the ship had been drifting at sea for several days when another merchant vessel just so happened to spot it. Almost the whole crew had been wiped out. Because I’d been chained to the bow, I wound up the sole survivor.
If the ship had sunk, I would have been dragged to the bottom of the sea along with it. I was just fortunate that it had been such a sturdy vessel. It was another stroke of luck that the merchant ship happened upon me before I withered in the sun.
I had lived to see another day.
Our destination turned out to be the Sauslind Kingdom. We arrived at Kelk Harbor, located within the Hoover Domain and the last stop along the highways of the Ars Continent. When I first laid eyes on the city, I thought I’d entered a dreamworld. There was a seawall big enough to accommodate several large ships, as well as a pier packed with medium-sized sailboats. What’s more, the view of the city from the seawall was absolutely breathtaking. Rows of red-roofed, white-walled houses lined a gentle slope. The tapestry of color was dazzling, almost like a reflection of the blue of the sea.
I later learned that Kelk Harbor was known by a second name: The City of Housewives. The vast array of walls and roofs certainly made that believable. Walls had been built around the city, and an imposing fortress stood planted right in its center, but even that managed to look like a symbol of the power that protected the thriving port.
Most of all, I was blown away by the hustle and bustle of the harbor. The place had to be lively and vibrant enough to give the Miseral Dukedom, a renowned maritime nation, a run for its money. The merchants and crews of trading vessels boasted of their voyages across rough seas. Brokers dove into business negotiations. Sailors and laborers hefted cargo, and young children lent them a hand for a small share of the profits.
The pier buzzed with a constant flow of people and cargo. All manner of foreign languages filled the air. Even the sheer number of squawking seagulls seemed like a testament to the harbor’s prosperity. The medley of music drifting in from who-knows-where gave me a sense of the whole city’s power. I was completely overwhelmed.
This was back when I was still just plain old “Alan.”
“This place hasn’t changed at all,” I, Alan Ferrera, murmured, taking in the cool sea breeze from atop a small hill.
This was the western gateway to Sauslind: Kelk Harbor. It had taken me twelve days on horseback to get here. From where I was standing, the city looked the same as I’d left it. If I recall, the Malduran delegation left here for home a few days ago, I mused before amending that thought.
“Or, wait, didn’t Irvin and his men set sail from the neighboring Tajnat Domain?”
Though it couldn’t measure up to Kelk, the neighboring domain featured a seawall large enough for a medium-sized ship to dock. The change in plans made sense, seeing as the Hoover Domain was governed by Duke Odin—one of the key figures in the anti-diplomacy faction, whose schemes had included the potential assassination of the Malduran delegation. The duke had been stripped of his position, but there was no telling if his subordinates back in his domain shared his beliefs. We’d avoided war with Maldura by the skin of our teeth; it would have been a shame to see those efforts come to nothing now. In light of the risks, the crown prince had taken extra steps to prevent that outcome.
“Can’t blame him.”
As a matter of fact, though it wasn’t public knowledge, Kelk Harbor had a powerful armed force to its name. The thriving port was a veritable treasure trove; it was a well-known fact among sailors that the place was teeming with a wide range of exotic goods that could fetch high prices, along with the merchants’ hoards of gold, silver, and jewels. As a consequence, Kelk was a popular target for pirates and foreign raiders. One countermeasure was the fortress, which kept a watchful eye on seafaring enemies from the center of town, and the majority of the Hoover Domain’s regional army was stationed in the city. Its strength was incomparable to that of other territories. Furthermore, the city had its own mercenary force hired by the Maritime Merchants’ Guild. In combination with the naval vessels at its disposal, Kelk’s military might likely rivaled that of the Edea Domain.
I found myself imagining a scenario I’d rather not think about. What if Duke Odin hadn’t sought to subjugate the prince and seize power in the capital, but had used his military forces to start a rebellion based in Kelk? Or what if he had proclaimed himself king and declared his independence from Sauslind? Divided into two factions, the borderlands would have been forced to look out for enemies from Maldura, the Hoover Domain, the north, and the south, and even the Guardian God of the West might have found himself in a tough spot. If that had happened, Sauslind would still be caught in a state of upheaval and crisis.
But Duke Odin had chosen to seize power in the capital, and Chris, whom the duke had long considered a thorn in his side, had stayed put in the royal palace and stood strong in opposition.
“I wonder if Prince Chris had the same thought.”
As long as he stayed in the royal palace and pretended to have his back to the wall, the duke would likewise choose to remain in the capital. Similarly, Prince Theodore had left the region as soon as he had finished gathering evidence. Under normal circumstances, it would have been wise for him to stick around to clean up the mess and keep an eye on the army in light of the duke’s downfall, but Prince Theodore had chosen not to do that. Based on what I’d heard, the moment Randy and the navy showed up, they’d taken over for him and he’d departed the harbor straight away. I had a feeling I knew the reason for that.