“Master! Let’s check out the ships next!” Bal said, pulling Marcel by the hand.
We headed to the shipyard, where boats were being made for the canal. Father was there to inspect the works, so our plan was to join up with him.
The domain already had ferryboats to cross the Renard River, but it had never produced a ship made for transporting goods to other domains. As such, we had picked out a shipwright from among the monastery criminals to serve as the master carpenter for the project. This man had been convicted at the same time as Theo, on grounds of being his accomplice. He was a good friend of Theo’s, and was just as passionate about the canal construction.
The Renard River was much smaller compared to the canal Theo had been working on in the capital, so the shipyard was working on creating an appropriately sized vessel under the guidance of the master carpenter. He had come up with an idea for a small ship with sails and a flat bottom to fit the shallow riverbed.
During the monster attacks in the last few years, a lot of lumber had slid down from the mountain, which was a big help now. And since the domain was surrounded by mountains, we had access to plenty of good timber.
As soon as we stepped into the shipyard, the scent of fresh wood drifted in, mixed with a tinge of something else I couldn’t identify.
This smell makes me feel a bit nostalgic.
In the dusty shipyard, a bunch of bare-chested men were cutting wood. The sharp sound resonated rhythmically while the workers rolled around pale, shaven logs. With each cut, wood shavings fluttered into the air. Nearby, women were putting up white fabric to make the sails. There were all kinds of other people here too, such as repairmen who looked after the tools and packhorse drivers who brought in fresh timber.
Father was already inside, inspecting the works.
“Wow! This is amazing!” I cried out.
The workers paused and turned to look at me. A couple of them pressed their hands together when they spotted me and Lord Reineke.
“How are things progressing?” father asked.
As the master carpenter began his report, the others resumed working. Bal ran over and watched them, fascinated.
“There’s not enough time to build new ships from scratch, so we’re converting the old ferryboats and making them bigger,” the master carpenter said.
“How big will the ships be?” father asked, listening with great interest.
“Around fifteen meters long and two meters wide. Each ship will need a crew of three to four people, and will be able to transport the same amount of goods as twenty horses.”
“How long would the journey take?”
“I calculated that with the sail, they’ll travel faster than the previous boats. Going down the river would take somewhere between six to eight hours, whereas it’d take two days for a horse.”
That information caused a buzz within the shipyard. It seemed like even the workers hadn’t had a concrete understanding of the project.
“That’s incredible!” Bal exclaimed, earnestly impressed. He had traveled to Renard on horseback, so he knew how steep and winding the mountain trail was.
The workers were talking among themselves.
“That’s way faster than a horse!”
“It’s over for the drivers.”
Father and brother nodded.
“That is indeed impressive.”
“For so many goods to be transported in such a short time...”
The master carpenter smiled wryly. “Yes, but going up the river will require people to pull the ship.”
“Still, think of how many things we can transport! All that salt, sugar, ham, and bacon!” I said.
The carpenter’s eyes widened. “Why, indeed, it’ll be a lot more efficient than going on foot. Brilliant as always, Lady Lune.”
I grinned when he praised me.
“It’s time to consider what we can ship to the capital as well. It’d be a waste to send empty ships,” Liam said with a smile.
I nodded.
“You said there will be thirty boats by the time the canal is complete. Is that still the case?” father inquired.
“Ah, about that... It’s not quite going as smoothly as I thought,” the master carpenter replied quietly, looking away.
I found that odd, so I turned to Lord Reineke. He looked around the shipyard with an exaggerated motion.
Hmm? Is he trying to tell me something?
I wished he’d tell me telepathically, but it seemed like he wanted me to figure out the answer myself.
As I looked around, I noticed that a lot of the workers had poultices on their shoulders, wrists, and backs.
So that’s where that other smell was coming from!
These poultices were made at the monastery. Dr. Guillotin had taught me how to make them, and I must have found the scent nostalgic from my time helping out there.
They must be in pain...
I pondered for a while. The poultices were very effective, but at the end of the day, they were symptomatic treatments—they didn’t address the actual root cause. Though the pain was being soothed, injuries wouldn’t heal without proper rest. Worse yet, with the pain temporarily receding, people might push themselves past their actual limits. And that was exactly what had happened to these workers.
Winds of change had come to our domain, and these ships would be a symbol of that. I was glad that the workers were giving it their all, but I definitely didn’t want them to destroy their bodies.
But they’re already using poultices... Is there anything else I can do for them? If there was a way to get rid of the pain—
That was when I had a flash of inspiration.
“I know! The onsen!!!” I shouted.
Lord Reineke nodded in satisfaction.
“Lune?” Liam looked at me, confused.
“I think everyone here should try out the Reineke Hot Spring!” I said excitedly.
Father and brother stared at me, unable to keep up with my sudden proposal.
The hot spring was already in the town thanks to Lord Reineke’s power. The construction of the inn was still ongoing, but I hoped it would be okay since soaking in the onsen would help all the workers here.
“Can you explain what you’re thinking, Lune?” Liam asked gently.
I gasped and blushed. I obviously hadn’t communicated my thoughts clearly.
“Well...it sounds like the workers won’t be able to make thirty ships in time,” I said.
“That’s right.”
“I’m sure all the carpenters are exhausted because they’re pushing themselves too hard. They’re all using poultices.”
I turned to look at the men, whose expressions softened.
“Lady Lune noticed...”
My fox ears picked up on their whispers.
“So I think it’d be good for them to get some proper rest and take a dip in the Reineke Hot Spring,” I explained.
Bal raised his arm. “You’re right! Master said the hot spring helped with his old wounds, so I bet it’ll work for everyone here!”
But father looked unsure.
“And I don’t think we need thirty boats right from the start. They can just make more little by little,” I added.
Liam patted my head. “You’re always so perceptive.”
His words embarrassed me.
“It’s because Lord Reineke gave me a hint.”
With that, a light of faith spilled from the workers into the spirit.
“Lord Reineke...”
“He took notice of simple workers like us.”
“I’m so thankful.”
Lord Reineke looked proud, puffing out his chest.
“But the inn isn’t ready yet,” father murmured.
“Oh...”
Bal and I both slumped.
“Then why don’t we put a bathtub outside the building? Everyone can enjoy being by the riverside, and it won’t be an issue if they keep their clothes on,” Liam suggested.
“In that case, since we won’t need as many boats right away, we could use the extras as bathtubs. After all, a boat is kind of like a bathtub, isn’t it?” said the master carpenter.
“Yeah!” Bal clapped his hands.
“All we need to do is fill it with hot water,” Liam said.
“That’s a good idea.” Father nodded. “All right then, move the extra boats to the inn construction site and make a simple, open-air hot spring. Then you can build the rest of the ships without pushing yourselves. Don’t think that I want these ships so badly that I’d risk injuring my valued engineers.”
The carpenters breathed a collective sigh of relief, feeling moved.
“Our lord is so kind!”
“He looks scary, but he’s a softy on the inside.”
As the men murmured among themselves, the marquis huffed and looked away.
“H-Hey, you lot! Don’t be rude!” the master carpenter scolded frantically.
Father cleared his throat before looking at the workers. They all shrunk under his gaze.
“It’s fine,” he said simply, before promptly leaving the shipyard.
“Did we anger him?” the master carpenter fretted.
“Don’t worry about it,” Liam replied with a blank look on his face, but his emotionless voice only made the man more afraid.
“Eep!”
I burst into laughter.
Poor father and brother! People keep misunderstanding them.
I pulled on the master carpenter’s sleeve.
“Lady Lune!” he wailed.
“It’s okay!” I said, winking at him. “My father isn’t angry. He just doesn’t know what to do in these situations. Will you please believe that he actually wants you to rest?” I pleaded, looking up at him sweetly.
The man’s face turned red and he nodded.
“O-Of course! I believe you, Lady Lune!”
Liam embraced me from behind. “Let’s go, Lune,” he whispered into my ear, sounding a bit displeased.
“Someone’s jealous.” Lord Reineke laughed, swatting Liam’s legs with his tail.