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Chapter 85: The Barbar and Princess Sophia

After lunch, the boat trip came to an end.

Prince Alex and Princess Sophia said they would speak with the King to discuss things further.

Jessica, Rosso, and I returned to our Barbar Viking ship and began rowing leisurely.

Jessica turned to me and asked,

「Hey, Gaia. Do you think Sophia-chan will be able to come with us?」

Jessica had grown very fond of Princess Sophia, almost like a little sister.

She probably really wanted to travel together.

And I understood how she felt.

I thought Sophia was adorable too.

Jessica and I had both lost our families to war early on.

We didn’t have any siblings either.

So perhaps, for us, taking care of Sophia was our way of compensating for the family we lost.

If Jessica and I had children of our own in the future, maybe that would change how we felt.

Well, we were doing what we needed to, so… that would come in time.

I responded to Jessica’s question calmly.

「I don’t know… I think it’ll be tough. This isn’t a vacation. It’d be strange for a princess of Algeas to accompany Barbar on a diplomatic mission.」

「That’s true~. Ahhh, what a letdown!」

Jessica made an exaggeratedly childish pout, which made me chuckle.

「You two shouldn’t let your guard down, you know?」

Rosso, who had been quietly steering the ship while listening to us, suddenly spoke in a serious tone.

What was that about?

「Rosso? What’s up?」

「It’s just… sure, getting along with this country is great and all. But don’t forget, we fought against Alex and the others, didn’t we? And it wasn’t all that long ago. There’s always the chance we’ll end up fighting again. And when that time comes…」

「……」

「……」

Jessica and I had no response to that.

We Barbar had once been hired by the Vaffanclaw Empire to fight against the Kingdom of Algeas.

Right now, our relations with Algeas were good. And I personally wanted to keep them that way.

But that didn’t mean the future was guaranteed.

It was entirely possible that we could become enemies again someday.

Jessica and I both understood that a harsh future might be in store.

And if that day ever came… then Jessica and I would have to draw our swords and face off against Alex and Princess Sophia.

I let out a deep sigh.

「You’re right. Rosso’s got a point.」

「I mean… I really like that Princess. She’s taken a liking to me too. But it doesn’t matter how I feel personally, what matters is that when nations go to war, emotions don’t factor in. That’s why I’m not letting my guard down.」

「Yeah. That’s true.」

I straightened my thoughts.

Rosso was right, if war ever broke out, we had to be prepared.

I’d need to gather intelligence from inside Algeas, analyze it, understand their strengths and weaknesses…

Jessica, in a tearful voice, shouted out:

「Rosso, you jerk!」

「Sorry, Jessica. My bad.」

「Idiot! Idiot! That’s not gonna happen, so there!」

「Yeah, you’re right. It won’t happen. It won’t happen…」

Rosso tried to comfort Jessica with a gentle voice.

It would be my job to steer things in a way that Barbar and the Kingdom of Algeas never ended up at war.

So Jessica wouldn’t have to cry.

I had to stay strong and keep things on course.

Princess Sophia had declared, 「I want to go abroad with Barbar.」

Back in the Algeas royal palace, a family council of the royal household was convened.

In one of the palace’s chambers, the King, Queen, Crown Prince Alex, and Princess Sophia all sat around a table.

The King was the first to speak.

「Sophia. I heard from Alex. You’re saying you want to go abroad with Gaia-dono and his people? You are royalty. You mustn’t trouble those around you with selfish whims.」

His tone was gentle.

Seeing his once-sickly daughter full of energy and speaking her mind, it was simply too endearing.

If possible, the King would love to let her go abroad.

A father is always soft on his daughter.

Next, the Queen spoke.

「That’s right, Sophia. And during that boat trip, you jumped into the river, didn’t you? You mustn’t do such dangerous things. Think of the poor maids who have to look after you.」

The Queen, too, smiled gently as she offered her admonishment.

Crown Prince Alex watched his parents and felt relieved.

(Good. Father and Mother are being gentle, but they’re clearly putting their foot down. That should stop Sophia from running off abroad on a whim.)

Under the watchful gaze of her three guardians, Princess Sophia began to speak in a calm tone.

「Father, Mother, Brother. I did not declare I wanted to go abroad with Barbar on a whim or out of selfishness. Please, take a look at this.」

She placed a board with a drawing on the table.

In the Kingdom of Algeas, they didn’t have paper made from wood pulp.

They used things like parchment, wooden boards, or clay tablets instead.

Before the meeting, Sophia had quickly drawn a simple diagram on a suitable wooden plank using charcoal.

The King looked at it with interest.

「Sophia, this is…?」

「It’s the underside of Barbar’s ship. I noticed it when I dove into the river, the hull shape is different from our ships.」

「What!? Is that so?」

The King examined the drawing seriously.

Prince Alex leaned in for a closer look as well.

「Father, Brother, please look here. Barbar’s ship has a spine.」

「A spine?」

「Yes. Right here, there’s a central ridge, and the bottom of the ship forms a triangle like this.」

Sophia used her hands to trace the shape of the hull in the air.

Alex was impressed.

「I’ve seen Barbar’s ships, but I never noticed the difference in the hull. You have a sharp eye, Sophia.」

「Brother, the time you saw them was during the battle with the Kiritai tribe, right? You were too busy to take a close look.」

「That’s true.」

Alex nodded, accepting the explanation, but inwardly he was surprised at her keen observation.

He hadn’t expected that, while playing around with Jessica, Sophia had also been analyzing ship design.

The Kingdom of Algeas was primarily a land-based military power, centered on infantry, spearmen, and cavalry.

They did operate ships, but only as a supplement to their land forces.

However, both the King and Alex recognized the strategic importance of ships.

They knew the Vaffanclaw Empire utilized ships effectively for trade and naval battles.

They also understood how ships had played a key role during the siege of Fort Colon.

Going forward, if they were to engage the Empire in the south, building up naval strength would be crucial.

Which is why they showed such strong interest in the diagram Sophia had brought.

Sophia turned to the King with a question.

「Father, are there any experts on ships within the palace?」

「I’ll summon one immediately!」

At the King’s order, an elderly general with maritime knowledge was called in.

He studied the drawing Sophia had made and let out an impressed murmur.

「This is fascinating… I’ve never seen a ship with such a spine before…」

Sophia explained the diagram further.

「Gaia-sama and the others from Barbar crossed the northern seas in this ship. They passed through the commercial city of Livonia and arrived here in Quinpella.」

「Hm… The northern seas are rough. I imagine this central spine helps the ship handle waves better. May I keep this drawing? I’d like our engineers to study it. Princess, well done!」

The general praised her, and Sophia beamed with pride.

After the general left, Sophia began to steer the conversation.

「Father, Brother. I only recently learned about Barbar. Were they already well-known before?」

「No, we’d never heard of them. I first learned of their existence from Alex.」

Alex picked up from there.

「I heard about them from my subordinate, Karanos. It was during the battle at Fort Colon against the Empire.」

「Barbar is a mystery. They possess medical knowledge unknown to us. The ship, too, clearly something outside our understanding. Then there’s the jam and maple syrup. The men may dismiss them as treats for women and children, but…」

「They’re not?」

「As trade goods, they’re excellent. Who knows how much wealth they’ll bring to Barbar? And just where did they gain the knowledge to produce such things? Barbar is supposed to be just another subordinate tribe under the Empire, yet it’s all so curious…」

「True…」

Alex’s view of Barbar began to shift.

Until now, he had seen Gaia and the others purely as a 「reliable military force.」

Essentially, 「battle units.」

But Sophia’s insight was changing that.

From mere 「battle units「 to 「mysterious entities「 and 「groups worthy of close attention.」

「Brother. Is there anyone in the capital well-informed about Barbar?」

「Karanos has returned. I’ll summon him immediately.」

And so, Karanos was called to the palace.

Even before four members of the royal family, Karanos remained composed and gave a proper bow.

「Your humble servant, Karanos, has come as summoned. Your Majesty, Your Highness the Queen, Prince Alex, I hope you are well. And I am glad to hear of Princess Sophia’s recovery.」

Alex gave him his instructions.

「Karanos. You can skip the formalities. Tell us everything you know about Barbar.」

「Understood. Regarding Barbar—」

Karanos explained how he met Gaia and their trade dealings, as well as Barbar’s reputation and assessment within the Empire.

He then added his personal opinion.

「Within the Empire, Barbar is vastly underrated. Gaia-sama and his people have cleverly turned that to their advantage. They are extremely shrewd. If I may humbly offer a suggestion… I believe it would be wise for our kingdom to maintain a friendly relationship with Barbar. It would give us an ally opposite the Empire, and they are very promising as trade partners.」

Once Karanos finished his report, Sophia asked a question.

「Karanos. How many languages does Gaia-sama speak?」

「As far as I know, Barbar’s native tongue, Algeas language, and Imperial. I’ve also seen him conversing with elves in a language I couldn’t understand, so I presume he speaks Elvish as well.」

Alex added to that.

「I’ve also seen him talking with the Kiritai tribe. According to our interpreters, he spoke fluently.」

「How strange… How can Gaia-sama speak so many languages? His Algeas is so natural, it’s like he was raised in this country…」

Everyone in the room fell into thought at Sophia’s words.

Some individuals are naturally gifted in language.

But they’re rare.

—Is Gaia such a rare individual?

The King and Queen found themselves increasingly intrigued by Gaia and the Barbar.

The King looked at Sophia and nodded.

「I see now. You want to go with Barbar to learn more about Gaia-dono and his people, don’t you?」

In response, Sophia gave a bright, radiant smile.

「Oh, Father! Please don’t make it sound so ominous by calling it ‘spying.’ I merely wish to travel as your representative and deepen our friendship with the Barbar. I love Jessica-oneesama, Gaia-sama, and Rosso dearly!」

The King smiled wryly at his daughter.

(Good grief. I thought she was a frail child, but she’s every bit a royal. I don’t know if she’s aware of it herself, but she clearly separates personal feelings from national interest… how reliable!)

He quickly reviewed the situation in his head.

Letting Sophia go abroad would bring many benefits, foreign diplomacy, gathering intel on the Barbar, and Sophia’s personal growth.

The King made his decision.

「Very well. I permit your journey. Represent me and visit the neighboring nations.」

Sophia stood from her chair and bowed to the King.

「Thank you. I humbly accept His Majesty’s command.」

Then she turned to Alex and spoke in a sweet voice.

「Brother. Please, may I borrow Karanos? I’ll need someone knowledgeable about Barbar and skilled in trade.」

「Of course. Karanos! Accompany Sophia!」

「As you command.」