“Why don’t you go instead, then?” protested Tankai.
“It’s not just a boat that we need, but the people to sail it as well,” said Jusetsu, thinking aloud to herself.
What Tankai had said was right. If they could find someone who was open to the idea, bringing them on board would be a piece of cake. This wasn’t the time to invest effort in convincing those who were entirely unwilling to cooperate.
“Raven Consort,” the two military officers suddenly called out, their voices soft. They were now standing on guard.
Onkei and Tankai’s expressions also grew tense.
A lone man was approaching the group, clearly aiming for them. He must have been making it obvious in order to indicate that he wasn’t hostile. He was in his fifties or thereabouts and had a towering stature. His lips were pursed together in a surly manner, making him look quite grouchy, and he had a cold look in his eyes. This well-dressed man walked in an unhurried manner. He had the face of a cerebral palace official, but Jusetsu guessed that he was likely a merchant. At the same time, not all merchants were friendly.
“I suppose you must be Ryu Jusetsu…” the man said to her, having stopped a short distance away from the military officers.
He had a low, unemotional voice, but it wasn’t stern in any way—in fact, there was a certain gentleness to it. Perhaps refreshing is the right word, Jusetsu thought to herself—but at that moment, she realized there was someone else who she’d describe in the same way.
Kajo.
The man gave Jusetsu a polite bow. “I heard that you were searching for a boat and crew capable of sailing it. If it’s all right with you, our family would like to provide you with what you seek.”
“Are you…?”
“I’m a sea merchant. I believe the two of us are connected, to some extent.”
“Through Kajo?”
A slight smile came to the man’s lips. “I am Kajo’s father, Un Chitoku. I hear that you are a kind friend to my daughter.”
“It’s the other way around. She’s the one who’s been kind to me,” Jusetsu said.
“She enjoys taking care of those who are younger than her, so I’m sure your company is very much appreciated either way.”
Jusetsu couldn’t help but feel surprised by the subtle display of kindness in his words. From what she’d heard from Kajo, she’d somehow ended up with the impression the man had no real interest in his daughter. It didn’t seem like that was actually the case at all.
“The boat is ready to go,” Chitoku continued. “Not that it can set sail until the eruption has settled, however.”
“It will. I know it,” she replied.
Chitoku nodded. “Very well. Now then, let us proceed to the boat.” He then turned around the way he came and began walking back toward the port.
Jusetsu looked up at the sky. The plume of volcanic smoke, thick as rain clouds, was still hanging in the air of the darkened sky.
I’m counting on you, Owl.
Shiki could smell a decoction brewing. He took a peek inside the kitchen to find the old woman from the Sho lineage throwing medicinal herbs into a pot that was set on the stove.
Spoon in hand, she turned around to look at him. “How is To doing?” she asked.
“His fever appears to have gone down.”
“He should be fine, then.”
“Your decoction must have worked wonders,” Shiki said. “Thank you so much.”
“He has somewhere comfortable to sleep—that’s the most important thing. The head of the Jo family has his good qualities too.”
Shiki smiled back at her and went back to the other room. Senri had been put to bed and Ishiha sat beside him, soaking the handkerchief that had been placed on Senri’s forehead in a washbasin while regularly changing it out for a new one.
They were inside the home of the Jo family, a line of sea merchants. Shiki and his companions had gotten caught up in the underwater volcano’s eruption and were flung out to sea as a result. After being rescued by sea swallows, they’d been brought here. Or, to be more precise, the sea swallows had told the old lady—an acquaintance of theirs—what had happened, and she’d knocked on the Jo household’s door.
This old woman was descended from a clan of shrine maidens from Je Island, whereas the Jo family was a sea merchant family that had fallen from grace. Shiki and Senri had met both the old woman and the head of the Jo family the day they arrived on Je Island.
Shiki had regained consciousness as he was being carried along, and Cho had managed to wake up after about half a day. For Senri, however, it had been a close call, and he’d had a high fever ever since the incident. Given his inherently weak constitution, it was no surprise that the frigid sea water had been detrimental to his health—but at long last, his fever had thankfully begun to abate.
Cho worked under the foreign trade director, so he had returned to his post as soon as he felt well enough. He’d turn up every now and then to check how Senri was doing and provide updates on the eruption. According to him, the eruption had cut Je Island off from the mainland, so they hadn’t been able to communicate with anyone there. There were plans to make contact by boat from the other side of the island by taking the current and bypassing it, but that was going to take quite a few days. There was also the possibility of using a messenger bird, but it was uncertain that such a bird would be able to reach the island due to the smoke from the eruption—something that was causing its fair share of problems in itself.
“The fishermen are also unable to fish because of the small stones covering the sea’s surface. They’re in a real fix,” Cho had also grumbled. “Even if they were able to go out to sea, they wouldn’t be able to use their nets—but what are we supposed to do?!”
Cho was a seaman from Ake and had also been a seafaring mourner—a sort of oracle for sea voyages.