Volume 7, Chapter 3 – A Comfortable Voyage

Our ship departed from Semnos and began to move slowly between the islands floating in the sea, gradually leaving the mainland behind.

The vessel we were aboard was apparently one used by the royalty of the White Moon Kingdom, and it was a magnificently luxurious large cruiser.

As for its name, it was—quite literally—just called the King White Moon.

And, wonderfully, Chris-san has finally acquired Seasickness Resistance, so there’s no longer anyone doing the Merlion and feeding the fish.

At this rate, there’s nothing left to do but enjoy a comfortable voyage.

After all, when you’re on a luxury ship, the one thing you really want to do is bask in the sun on the deck while elegantly sipping a drink.

And so, I set up a beach chair on the deck and was all ready to sunbathe in a swimsuit, when I realized—I didn’t actually have one!

Left with no choice, I gave up on the swimsuit and thought I’d just take off my robe and sunbathe, but it was freezing.

Come to think of it, this robe from the “Saint-sama Cosplay Set” had incredibly good cold-weather protection.

Thanks to that, I had completely forgotten that it was already December.

A cold wind howled across the deck, and even the crew members were dressed in layers.

Hmm, it can’t be helped. I’ll just enjoy my sunbathing while wearing the robe.

I lay back in the beach chair. My accompanying drink was orange juice that I had brought from the Royal Capital in my Storage.

Taking a sip of the orange juice, I began my sunbathing.

The robe blocked the chilly wind, and the weak winter sunlight warmed me. Lulled by the comfort, I slowly closed my eyelids.

…

…

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…

“Onee-sama, aren’t you cold in that?”

When I opened my eyes, Lu-chan was peering down at me.

She was bundled up in fluffy winter furs and looked perfectly warm.

“As long as I’m wearing this robe, I’m warm. Besides, sunbathing feels great.”

“Haa… Must be nice.. I want that robe too!”

Even if she says that, it was a gift.

I guess she’d have to find that Holy Bow thing and be recognized before she could get one?

As I was having this idle chatter with Lu-chan, Shizuku-san approached us.

“Fiene-dono, are you basking in the sun?”

“Yes. It really does feel good to soak up the sun like this.”

“Haha, as always, it’s hard to believe those words are coming from a Vampire”

“Ahaha, I suppose so. Though it would be even better if it were warm enough that I didn’t need this robe.”

“That robe truly is in a league of its own. This cloak of mine is reasonably warm, but not nearly enough to make me want to sunbathe here.”

“I see.”

Which means Chris-san’s cloak is probably the same.

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Wait? Come to think of it, I haven’t seen Chris-san around.

Seeing me looking around curiously, Shizuku-san beat me to the punch and informed me.

“Chris-dono has been working alongside the crew for a while now. It seems she wishes to train her Ship Handling and Sail Handling skills.”

“I see.”

Chris-san is so diligent. I’m sure she’ll become a proper captain in no time.

◇ ◇ ◇

While this was happening, it became dinner time.

Today’s dinner was an octopus and vegetable salad, steamed lamb, some kind of fish soup, and white bread.

Eh? You’re wondering how we can eat such luxurious food on a ship?

That is, of course, because I bought it in Semnos and brought it along in my Storage.

You see, basically, the only things you get to eat on a ship are salted meat and fish, along with beans and hardtack.

However, we have Lu-chan, who is in her growth spurt, and if I don’t eat nutritious food, I’ll start craving blood, which would be quite problematic.

Besides, I’ve used Storage plenty in the Red Sky Empire, and I haven’t hidden the fact that I can use it.

So, having given up worrying about it, I boldly offered to carry everyone’s food supplies in my Storage.

Judging by the atmosphere, it doesn’t seem like I’ll run into any danger even if people know about my Storage.

And so, we enjoyed dinner in the cabin.

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First was the octopus and vegetable salad.

It contained a massive amount of chopped octopus along with tomatoes, red onion, and lettuce.

In terms of ratio, it felt like the octopus made up about fifty percent.

It was seasoned with a dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and parsley.

First, a bite of octopus.

Ah, this octopus is surprisingly tender.

It’s soft enough to bite through easily without tiring the jaw.

The umami of the tender octopus intertwined with the dressing and spread through my mouth.

When I add vegetables to the mix, the complexity of the flavor increases, turning into a deep taste.

The acidity and aroma of the tomato blended together with the crunchy texture and slight pungency of the red onion, while the faint bitterness of the lettuce tied everything together in exquisite harmony.

As expected of a dish said to be a specialty of Semnos.

Next was the steamed dish.

This dish was apparently made by placing the ingredients into a lidded iron pot called a “peka” and slow-steaming them over charcoal.

They apparently place charcoal on top of the lid as well and heat it for several hours.

Since I had the portions put onto plates before putting them in Storage, I haven’t seen the pot itself, but I’d definitely like to see the pot if I get the chance.

Now, the seasoning for this dish was extremely simple: just salt, garlic, and herbs for the base.

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The lamb is eaten together with potatoes that were steamed in the same pot.

I first cut a piece of lamb and brought it to my mouth.

Hot juices immediately burst out.

There was no gaminess, and the umami of the meat was brought out strongly.

The aroma of garlic and herbs added to that meatiness, creating an exquisite harmony, with the saltiness providing a nice accent.

Shifting my gaze to the potatoes steamed in the same pot, they had turned a beautiful golden color and were releasing a most delicious-looking steam.

I cut off a bite-sized piece, and the sweetness spread throughout my mouth.

Yes, it’s a dish that embodies “simple is best.”

And finally, the fish soup.

This was a simple salty soup, but the fish stock gave it a strong umami.

Dipping the bread into this soup was, again, superb.

Glancing over, I saw Lu-chan eating with a look of absolute happiness on her face.

Yes. Seeing Lu-chan’s smile makes me feel happy too.

Delicious food really is the best!

And so, the first night of our voyage quietly drew to a close.