A refreshing clear morning.
Celica, Lapisia and I went to the river inside the capital with luggage on our backs. It's a branch of a large river.
Several ships are moored to the wharf, people are loading and unloading cargo.
We approached one of the ships.
The ship carrying more people than luggage. Half of the hull is covered by a roof.
It's a ship that looks like a pleasure boat that could carry around 50 people.
I talk to a man who seems to be the boatman while showing him the 【Emblem of Hero】.
"I'd like to go to Drias, does this ship go there?"
"Ou, aren't you Hero-sama. Yeah it does. The fare is three gold coins for an adult, two for a child. Add another piece if you've got a lot of baggage. Since Hero-sama isn't carrying a lot, two coins for three people will be fine."
"Understood. Celica, pay him."
"Yes, Keika-sama."
Celica hands over two mid gold coins and two small gold coins.
"Hee. So these are mid gold coins. As expected of Hero-sama. --Oops there, d'you have food with you?"
"We have enough for three days."
"That's just right. It's gonna take three days until Drias. Hop on board."
"Got it."
I'm relieved inwardly.
--Looks like we can make it in time for the festival.
We got on the pleasure boat.
The ship is long and narrow.
There's around 20 passengers on board. They're sitting on their own places.
I look at the bank and say.
"Lapisia, careful with your footing."
"Un!"
She jumps onto the ship with fluttering dress. Her slender legs are shown to the root.
We went under the roof.
A merchant-like man and an adventurer-like woman are leaning on the wall inside.
There's a girl carrying a huge bag in the back.
Hiding her triangular ears under a hat.
"....Minya. What are you doing."
Her black tail raised straight up when I called her.
She's staring inquiringly from under her hat.
"Running away from home."
"....Haa. The old man will get mad."
"I'm just traveling alone. Meeting Keika-Oniichan is just... a coincidence."
"Like I'd buy that! Haa."
I sighed.
Looks like she ran away from home on her own since she couldn't get the permission.
This stubbornness must be from the old man.
"Would you go back home if I told you so?"
"Nn... I'm going to continue traveling alone."
I'm thinking a bit.
She's probably going to get on the next ship even if I drive her away now.
If that happens she'd be alone in the bustling port town. And there would be more people due to the festival, it'd be hard for me to locate her.
Besides, there are people who despise beastfolk in this country. If she got found out by people like that, they might take her to the back alley and let her experience something painful.
....It's too dangerous to leave her alone.
The boatman's voice can be heard.
"We're departing soon! Anyone else who want to get to Drias~?"
Several sailors start to unfasten the ropes in a hurry.
Celica sat next to Minya.
"You'll apologize to Kinmerick-san once we're back okay."
"....Will you take me along if I do?"
Minya's big round eyes are looking up at me. Staring without blinking.
I sigh for many times.
"Fine. But don't do anything dangerous got it."
"Got it. ...--Keika-Oniichan."
"Hm?"
"I like."
She hugs me as I'm standing on my knees. The swelling chest is pushed against my thighs.
I only noticed Minya's trembling body at that time.
--She must have felt lost.
She couldn't possibly know whether she would meet me or if she would be allowed to go together with us.
I smile while feeling amazed.
I gently pat Minya's back as she buries her face on my stomach.
"Don't act this rashly again okay."
"....Un."
She nods and sniffs.
Her tail is swinging happily even though she's crying.
I took out the 【Emblem of Hero】 and put Minya in the hero party.
And I asked someone in the pier to deliver a letter for the old man at the tavern.
The content informs him that I'll take Minya along and protect her.
I'm sure he's worried.
And then the ship left the bank.
Passing through a water gate, entering a large river.
It's speeding up in the middle of the several hundred meters wide river.
I leaned on the side of the boat while viewing the splendid scenery.
A calm flowing large river.
Gazing at the gleaming surface of the water while letting my fluttering hair in the wind.
A gray waterfowl flew quickly riding on the wind.
The figure of a river, different from a brook. It makes you feel better just by gazing at them.
--Then.
The inboard became noisy all of a sudden.
A man shouts.
"Oy, this girl doesn't look good!"
"What's with this girl. Is she going to explode!?"
When I looked at the voice, I saw Lapisia in her white dress crouching down in the middle of the ship. Her blue twintail is spread like a fan, her body is rounded up and trembling.
Her small body is emitting blinking white light.
The interval of that blinking does make it look like she's going to explode.
Celica calls out to Lapisia with a flustered voice.
"What's happening!? Pull yourself together, Lapisia-chan."
"Lapisia, what's wrong?"
I rushed up and held her small shoulders.
And I stare her with <<Truth Sight>>.
The thing's different than the usual was the 【Job: Mother Earth God Lv1】.
This what makes her blink.
I squint my eyes to see the details.
And then.
『Mother Earth God Lv2 (Level Up Requirement - Be separated from the earth) 【Achieved/Unachieved】』
Her body blinks every time it alternates between 'Achieved' and 'Unachieved' .
You mean Lapisia's level up isn't from experience point but by accomplishing a requirement!
But why?
We're on a ship here. It's on a river, not the earth.
The requirement should have been achieved.
I look at Lapisia's condition.
Lapisia is trembling.
"Scary... scary... mom's not here."
--Ah, it's not that she's got to be physically separated, but mentally separated from her mother huh.
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