The days spent aboard the Anbert family’s ship were unexpectedly peaceful. The sailors were busy with their own duties and paid us no mind; as they were people with only loyalty to the family remaining, they caused no unnecessary trouble. They simply focused silently on the voyage.

I had been wary that the head butler might try to interrogate me about the events of that day, but he devoted himself entirely to caring for Roselia. Of course, that did nothing to bring her consciousness back. And that, in turn, led to our peace.

If there was anything bothersome at all, it was Saya’s excessive clinginess. Beyond mere displays of affection, she now followed me everywhere I went with a worried expression. Even when I told her I was fine, she refused to listen.

In truth, the fact that she could worry about such things was proof that everything was flowing peacefully. But precisely because of that, the time passed far too quickly. Around the time I had finally been freed from insomnia and was able to sleep deeply, the salty breeze began to carry the scent of burning.

The morning of our seventh day since leaving the island began that way.

The moment I woke from my long sleep, I felt someone’s gaze as surely as ever. It was too emotional to be Ms. Rebecca, and too bold to be Erika. Haru was out of the question from the start. That left only one person.

In truth, there was no need to deliberate. For the past week, the one who had stayed by my bedside was always Saya. And today was no different.

“…Good morning, Saya.”

“You’re awake, Lope. You didn’t need to get up yet—want to sleep a little more?”

“No, I’m fine. I slept enough.”

“Are you uncomfortable anywhere?”

“Yeah. I’m fine.”

I answered calmly, but Saya watched me with a worried face. She behaved as though I were a terminally ill patient. 

No, from Saya’s perspective, I suppose I am a terminally ill patient. Even as a half-elf, she would likely live a century longer than me. Regardless of the factual details, one thing was clear: she worried about me far too much.

She had shown signs of it since the day we left the island, but Saya’s worry grew worse with each passing day. She refused to leave my side for even a moment and stopped me from doing anything remotely dangerous. She even watched me, stamping her feet anxiously while I shaved, as if I were standing beneath a guillotine.

Of course, it wasn’t that I minded, but we couldn’t keep going on like this. So I once again uttered those same words I had repeated hundreds of times, knowing full well they wouldn’t work.

“Saya. I’m really fine. You don’t need to worry about me this much.”

“I know. But… does it bother you that much?”

“It’s not that. I just want you to worry about yourself a little more than you worry about me.”

“Still…”

“Please, Saya. Anyway, I don’t see anyone else. Did something happen?”

I looked around belatedly, but all I could see were empty bedrolls. Haru, Ms. Rebecca—everyone was gone.

Only then did Saya bite her lip slightly. She answered with considerable hesitation.

“Well, everyone went outside.”

“Outside? Why?”

“One of the sailors came and said we’re starting to see land. So everyone went out.”

“What? That’s… of course it’s my fault for not waking up, but you should have woken me earlier, Saya.”

“Sorry. But you were sleeping so deeply I just couldn’t bring myself to wake you.”

“Right. I understand. Anyway, let’s hurry outside. We can’t stay like this any longer.”

“Huh? Wait, Lope…!”

As I immediately threw on my outer garment and stood up, Saya anxiously followed after me. When I opened the door, a piercing winter wind struck my face.

The cold sea breeze scraped past my ears as always. The gusts grew stronger as I walked toward the deck, but today I felt a hint of warmth mingled in. Something had definitely changed.

To confirm whether that feeling was real, I cast my gaze toward the bow. But before I could, Haru’s sharp voice struck my ears first.

“Huh? Is that Senior’s smell? Senior!”

“…”

“He’s not answering again. Rebecca. Hurry and find him! It’s Senior’s smell!”

“Got it. Hold on.”

At that shocking address, I turned my gaze to see Haru riding piggyback on Ms. Rebecca. She was bouncing with genuine excitement when she accidentally smacked her head against a low mast and let out a scream.

“Aaagh! Look straight ahead! I hit my head!”

“Sorry. I’m not used to this.”

“Has no one ever given you a piggyback ride… geez…”

“What are you doing, Haru.”

“Huh? She said she wanted to get closer to me, so we were playing. And while we’re at it, we dropped the formalities. Can I speak comfortably with you too, Senior, while I’m at it?”

“Don’t do that. And Ms. Rebecca, please don’t humor Haru too much either.”

“I’m fine. It’s not a burden.”

Ms. Rebecca offered an awkward smile and patted Haru’s thighs. It was reassuring that they seemed to have grown closer, but I couldn’t help feeling somewhat concerned.

I passed them and continued walking toward the bow. Soon, the sound of murmuring reached me, and students gathered in the center of the deck came into view. Amid the crowd chattering in their various voices, one girl waved at me.

“Oh… Lope! You’re here.”

“Erika.”

“You seemed like you were running a bit late, so I was a little worried… ugh.”

Erika, who had been approaching me, stopped in her tracks, blocked by Saya’s sharp glare. She even faltered and stepped backward, seemingly frightened.

“I… wasn’t trying to get close. I just wanted to say hello…”

“…”

“Sorry. I was being a bit… too much, wasn’t I?”

“Don’t worry about it, Erika. More importantly, why is everyone gathered like this?”

“That’s because we heard we’ll be arriving on land soon. And the head butler of the Anbert family said he has something to tell everyone. He said it’s extremely important. Something everyone needs to know before disembarking.”

“Important, huh.”

“He said it’s about everyone’s safety. So it’s especially important for you.”

Erika’s gaze drifted slightly downward. Then she carelessly let out a remark.

“You’re going to deliver that elf’s item, right?”

“I told you not to talk about that here, Erika.”

“Ah, sorry. I know. I was just… wondering if there was anything I could help with.”

“You’ve already helped enough.”

“Yeah. Right. I did.”

Her tone suggested acceptance, but her eyes told a different story. Since I hadn’t properly explained about the elf’s item, she clearly suspected there was something more. Even the offer to accompany me back then—though I had revealed it to be a lie—seemed to still linger in her mind.

But that lingering gaze was quickly withdrawn at the sound of Ms. Rebecca’s metallic clanking. Moreover, the head butler was approaching from behind. All eyes focused on his characteristic limping footsteps.

Soon, he cleared his throat and stood before us. He stepped onto a platform prepared by the other sailors and slowly began to speak.

“Thank you for gathering, students. I’ll skip the meaningless self-introduction. You all know who I am anyway, and it’s hardly important.”

“…”

“The reason I’ve gathered you all here today is to inform you of our upcoming itinerary. As you can see, our ship has nearly reached land, and we expect to arrive in three hours.”

“Three hours?”

“That’s less time than I thought.”

“We can go home now…”

The mention of three hours sparked another small commotion. I knew there was no reason to simply rejoice at reaching land, but it seemed they were excited by the fact that the end of their long journey was in sight. Erika seemed to feel the same way, as she was the first to raise her voice, just like on the day everything began.

“Then are we heading to the port where the academy shuttle used to dock?”

“As I mentioned on the first day, we will head there. We should be able to dock without issue. After that, you are free to leave. Whether you head home or stay nearby—that is your individual choice.”

“Then… is the Anbert family heading to the Capital? If there are students going that way, would it be alright to travel together?”

“No. That is not the case.”

“Is it because having more companions would be a burden?”

“It’s not that. It’s just…”

The head butler trailed off for a moment. Then, with an exceedingly heavy voice, he revealed something shocking.

“…We will not be disembarking. After delivering you all, we will continue our voyage.”

“What? But… do you have another destination?”

“We have no destination.”

“Then…”

“That is the crux of this matter.”

His lips trembled faintly. Whether it was from old age or from the weight of his burden, I couldn’t tell. But the students’ murmuring only grew louder. This time, driven not by anticipation, but by anxiety.

“We will continue to wander the seas with Lady Roselia in our care. Once she awakens… or passes peacefully, only then will we head for land.”

“Why… land would be a far better environment for caring for Roselia than a ship.”

“I know. But right now, land is far more dangerous.”

“Even so…”

“The reason I am revealing this to you is to offer you two choices.”

He raised his head and surveyed the crowd. Beneath his grizzled eyebrows lay unfathomable sorrow.

“I understand your desire to see your families. But as I told you before we departed, the likelihood that the places you would return to still remain is extremely slim. Continuing an indefinite voyage with us would be far safer than setting foot on land right now.”

“…”

“Even so, those who wish to cling to hope and head home are free to go. But if you would prefer to spend your remaining time until the end in relative safety, you may stay aboard the ship. I apologize for telling you this so late, out of fear of shocking you.”

“You’re telling us to stay on the ship to be safe…?”

“Of course, I cannot guarantee even that. But I wish to do everything in my power to give you all as much time as possible until the end. I hope that this may serve as atonement for the countless atrocities I have committed as a minion of the Anbert family.”

For a brief moment, Saya’s shoulder flinched. I quietly took her hand. 

Of course, the remaining students were equally shaken. They were once again wandering, conflicted, and agonizing over the choices presented. Among them, only we had made up our minds.

“I’m sure this is a difficult decision. But let me say once more: the probability that your homes still stand is low. The Anbert family mansion has been confirmed to be completely destroyed.”

“The Anbert family mansion is located right in the middle of the Capital. And it was destroyed?”

“You need only know that it was. The vast majority of the Capital has been destroyed.”

“Why…? Why the Capital…”

“Th-then what about the surrounding cities? Are they alright?”

“What about rural areas? Like Mer…”

“They can’t all be destroyed. Right? Please, tell us somewhere that’s still intact!”

“Now, everyone, please calm…”

“…Just what.”

In the midst of the chaos, I spoke quietly. My voice apparently carried some authority among them, as the commotion subsided in an instant. I took a breath, then posed the question he had long left unanswered.

“What exactly has happened?”

“…”

“Please tell us now. Something happened, didn’t it?”

“…I did not wish to repeat the same mistake as the imperial family. I did not want to cause despair with unnecessary words. But now that I think about it, hiding the truth would also be a mistake.”

“…”

The head butler’s gaze wavered for a moment. In his eyes, I glimpsed the same despair the Imperial Spokesperson had shown three months ago. His wrinkled face trembled, and then his head dropped.

But he raised his head again. And in a flat voice, he began to speak.

“That is to say…”

“…”

“Two weeks ago, a single dragon made landfall. And it burned the Capital and most of the surrounding regions. Is that a sufficient answer?”