‘Like Jarles, Valtano is also a highly regarded captain. Despite having his nose cut off and being abused by the Navy as a child, there’s no one who doesn’t look up to him… Someone who grew up to become one of the captains of the League. Even now, anyone who sees the scar that distorts the centre of his face will be in awe and pay their respects… Also, he’s from Marchand… As a result, Valtano’s ship always attracts a large number of eager applicants. In fact, most of the Marchand natives boarded his ship. But not only men from Marchand, but anyone who had a rough past puts their trust in Valtano…

What I told Ed in Panichi is true. The sailors from Marchand would definitely have come after his head. It was a fact, not a mere exaggeration. People from Marchand are just filled with repressed rage. And that uncontrollable ball of fire could consume them at any time. Exactly like Courant had a few days ago. But contrary to the young Courant, those who have already outlived their youth would  possess much more destructive power…’

Lil looked nervously down at Julio. Even from a distance, she could tell that he had an eerie expression. 

‘But for sure, he isn’t an idiot wanting to die. There’s no way he will kill an officer with 20 close range guns aimed toward us at.’

Lil believed in Valtano’s spirit more than Julio’s. 

‘He wouldn’t have lent an out-of-control guy to another captain. However, the urge for an impulsive attack or momentary rage is beyond my control. Tragedies happen in an instant… Just like what happened to Ed…’

A flamboyant bicorne* rose from Bell Rock’s railing. With the help of an officer who climbed the ladder first, a young lieutenant stepped on the ship. After that, a group of petty officers followed him and went up to the Bell Rock too. But no matter how many members of the navy rushed up, Lil persistently examined the higher ranked officer only. 

‘In his late teens. Must be an aristocrat from Lebrun based on his age and attitude.’

Just looking at him gave her the creeps. Of course, there would be many Lebrun officers on that sloop, but the second lieutenant’s presence on board the Bell Rock made her feel heavy. Finally, Lil decided to accompany him. The second lieutenant adjusted his hat with dignity as soon as he stepped onto the deck. Lil respectfully bowed her head in front of him.

“Mesonnier?”

“..?”

Lil frowned beneath her wide-brimmed hat.

‘…Mesonnier is Cesar’s alias when travelling to and from Marchand. Did anything happen in Marchand while we were gone? Based on the fact that they intercepted us here, they must’ve deduced the ship’s information from the appearance of the Bell Rock… and Marchand is the only place where such detailed records are kept. What’s the Navy looking for that they need to carry these Marchand records around?’

“Are you Mesonnier?”

The second lieutenant, approaching quickly, beckoned Lil rudely. Tilting his head, his gaze shifted from the report in his adjutant’s hands to Lil and back. Lil then removed her hat and rose respectfully. Because captains of merchant ships were normally dressed up fancily, the gold pieces jingled loudly when she moved.

“No, Sir. My name is Captain Duphy.”

“Lieutenant Guerin from Legardon.”

“Lieutenant Guerin. Welcome aboard.”

The lieutenant liked Lil’s accent first and foremost. Perhaps that’s why he seemed to give Lil a passing mark, seeing he raised his brows more generously than before.

“Are you of mixed origin? Your accent sounds just like the Empire’s standard.”

“Ah, yes. I was born in the Viscounty of Noirmont. Ever since I was young, I often travelled to and from Sesbron with my father.”

“Then he must’ve been a capital merchant. Yes, well. It could be because it’s Noirmont.”

When the lieutenant waved his hand, his adjutant held out a quill to him. The man with the eagle feather corrected something in their records. Lil saw this as a suitable opportunity to check the report.

“I don’t know what you have to check exactly, but would you like to take a look around? My sailors can be tough because they’re procured from the southern part of the region. Unpleasant things may happen, so let me take care of you.”

“Where is Mesonnier?”

“He controls the deck below.”

“Then have someone else call for him.”

Lil glanced at Jericho, who was standing by her side. Jericho had been shivering throughout their conversation, but straightened his back to go down the deck. The arrogant lieutenant satisfactorily looked down at Jericho. Clearly enjoying the sight of a trembling sailor who was basically running away, the lieutenant raised his chin in gesture towards the gathered petty officers.

“You guys spread out.”

Leaving their superiors behind, the lower-ranked navies seized the deck in a frenzy. On the other hand, the second lieutenant intended to slack off in the captain’s office.

‘I thought someone was gonna lose their composure, but now I’m more relaxed. Judging from the quick change in his tone, it seems he’s not here for the League. They might be after another group of delinquents. It feels like we just got excluded from the suspect list, which would mean the Bell Rock is now classified as a ‘virtuous merchant ship’. I just hope nothing turns into a headache when their inspection sweeps from the front to the back part of our ship. With Sir Mesonnier as its owner, the Bell Rock is a highly trusted and well-identified merchant ship that even has access to the Imperial Bank… As long as no one causes a fuss on deck, this should all go smoothly.’

Lil broke into a cold sweat, hoping no one would do anything stupid. She then looked across the lieutenant who was hiding his yawn behind his fanning hand.

“Would you like some tea? I have some Sudesno leaves. I’m sorry that I can only treat you this lacking because this is merely a merchant ship.”

Despite having said that, Sudesno was among the more expensive specialties of the South due to the difficulty of its cultivation. The lieutenant, who tried to hide his delight, answered proudly.

“Well, it’s better than nothing.”

So, Lil and the second lieutenant ended up exchanging some small talk in the captain’s office. It was mainly about the business of the lieutenant’s family, which was unbearably standard, but Lil tried hard to listen attentively. The second lieutenant also tried to gauge her position among the top. Apparently, he wasn’t the eldest son, and he had made an effort to establish a humble relationship with Viscount Noirmont. For some reason, she got the feeling that his family business, which he claimed was going well, was actually on the verge of ruin.

Lil, who was concentrating all her attention on the movements outside, felt strange for a moment. 

‘Why would an aristocrat who graduated from Lebrun try to look good in front of a Captain that’s only in charge of one single ship?’

It suddenly reminded her of the changing of the world.

With a fake smile, Lil tested her luck and hinted.

“By the way, can I ask what you’re inspecting us for? I could save us some time.”

“Yeah. We’ve been talking about business for a long time now, haven’t we? We can leak a bit of information to them. Am I right, Aspirant Rubens?”

“Yes! Lieutenant!”

“Yes, despite this being a waste of time, we’ve been given an order. We had a hard time coming here, so naturally, my wish is to return as soon as possible.”

The lieutenant gave Lil a gentle glance. Lil leaned in as if she was about to be spilt a big secret. The man then gave a sloppy explanation of the situation while complaining to his officer. Meanwhile, Lil naturally picked up the information the lieutenant spilt.

***

“Ah, Sir Mesonnier. So, what happened was…”

After the petty officer suddenly stopped talking, Cesar looked at the man who was nervously looking around. As the officer’s eyes rolled, his arms clutched the bag of gold coins handed over to him by Cesar.

“There’s no time for this. You’ll have to escort me to your commanding officer soon.”

Of course, Cesar already expected this to be a mission involving Ed. But he needed more information. 

‘If the fleet hasn’t rescued Ed yet, he should be dead by now. In that case, Commodore Sagastar will be chasing the source of the message. But if they did find him, that would make for a whole different story.’ 

That’s why Cesar hid on the deck around his cabin and searched for a suitable officer. There was only one guy who met all his criteria: a dissatisfied face because he hadn’t been promoted despite his age, an attitude that showed no loyalty, lethargy, anger, etc.

“Our fleet is looking for a noble person…”

“I won’t ask who he is, so go ahead. What I need is an explanation of how the Navy is doing, not classified information about someone’s identity… That way, I can prepare supplies for the base…”

The petty officer was at least relieved to hear that ‘Mesonnier’ wasn’t curious about the admiral’s identity and patted his chest. But he was still timid even though he had already received the money. Cesar crossed his arms like an impatient merchant. The officer approached, struggling to speak. Despite finding him pathetic, Cesar leaned in to give him his ear.

“Anyway, he’s safe, but the person under him was outraged and stepped forward. From what I’ve heard on the way here, what happened to him was absurd. However, I don’t know what’s going on on the Mondovi fleet… Whoa!”

The embarrassed officer covered his mouth as Cesar held out another bag of silver coins which caught him by surprise. When he heard the sound of money, his eyes widened. 

While the petty officer turned around to count the money, Cesar looked down at the floor, staring at his shoe prints on the wooden floor dirtied with rigging and dust.

‘…So he’s alive.’

– – – – –

Footnote: 

The bicorne or bicorn (two-cornered) is a historical form of hat widely adopted in the 1790s as an item of uniform by European and American army and naval officers. Most generals and staff officers of the Napoleonic period wore bicornes, which survived as widely-worn full-dress headdresses until the 20th century. [Wiki]