Chapter 741 ·Obstacles to World Domination

Chapter 0741 Obstacles to World Domination

Translator: ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍Jay_Forestieri

Editor: ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍Tseirp

The ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍Skidbladnir departed from the city of Borne the following morning.

It ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍seemed they had attracted the attention of some troublesome being, but neither His Grace the Premier Duke nor His Majesty the King was the sort to lose sleep over something like that at this point.

“There’s hardly anyone more troublesome than Abel, after all.”

“If we held a vote, though, the result would probably say Ryo is more troublesome than I am.”

“So you’re going to buy the votes with money and corner me! I’d expect nothing less of the wicked King Abel.”

“Yeah, I think we’d get that result without any bribery.”

The deck where the two spent their time was peaceful as ever.

In one corner of the deck, the knights practiced with their swords while the crew busied themselves with their work.

Abel, who had been practicing with his sword until just moments ago, was now reading a book, while Ryo was looking over the magic formulae inscribed on an ice tablet.

“Are those the magic formulae from that coffin... the box that Regna-dono is in?”

“Yes. How did you know?”

“Because there are a lot of letters that look unfamiliar.”

“Exactly. I don’t understand any of it at all.”

Ryo said this with a smile.

And quite a big smile at that.

“Why are you smiling when you don’t understand it?”

“Huh? Why? Because it’s fun, so of course I’m smiling.”

“Fun? You don’t understand it, right?”

“Not understanding it is what’s fun.”

“...I see.”

Ryo answered with a smile still on his face, while Abel accepted it without really understanding.

‘Not understanding it is what’s fun’... Once someone becomes truly exceptional in many fields, this feeling begins to emerge.

Conversely, once you’ve reached the point where you can think that way, it’s fair to say that you have become first-rate in that field.

You might even be among the very best.

When it came to alchemy, Ryo had begun to enter the realm where he could be called first-rate.

As for water-attribute magic, he was probably among the very best in the world.

And in alchemy as well, he had reached a high level... It would be fair to say that, wouldn’t it?

Of course, Ryo himself had no awareness of that.

So he never became conceited.

That was because a genius alchemist named Kenneth Hayward was always right nearby.

Continuing to strive upward without becoming conceited... that was a fortunate thing.

“I think the greatest desire of mankind is to uncover everything in this world, to reveal all of creation. When I think about it that way, I absolutely have to become capable of deciphering even a magical formula like this!”

Ryo wore a bright smile, his expression brimming with enthusiasm.

“Everything in this world... That’s quite grand.”

“You’re like that too, aren’t you, Abel?”

“Me? I’ve never thought about possessing everything in the world.”

“King Abel must have the ambition to obtain everything in the world. You must have dreams of world domination.”

“No, I don’t have any such ambitions.”

“Now that you’re a king, you must have had that ambition at least once.”

“I’ve never had it.”

Ryo urged Abel toward world domination, while Abel remained remarkably sensible.

Ryo’s attempts to tempt him came in all forms...

“Twilight Land must be the most troublesome opponent when it comes to world domination.”

“Yeah... Isn’t conquering that place impossible? It’s a country of vampires.”

“That’s true. Let’s form an alliance with Twilight Land and make sure they don’t become our enemy. I’ll handle the negotiations when the time comes. Leave it to me.”

“Y-yeah... I’ll be counting on you then... No, wait! We’re not going to conquer the world in the first place!”

“So close. Almost had it...”

Ryo’s efforts at incitement had failed.

That peaceful time aboard the Skidbladnir continued until the morning two days after leaving Borne, when they arrived offshore of Hosoina, the capital of the Bardael Emirate.

Unlike the peaceful Skidbladnir, however, the scene there was...

“Patrol boats... There sure are a lot of them.”

“It’s quite intimidating.”

“Borne should have already reported that we saved the city, so we should be able to enter the port without any problems.”

Both Abel and Ryo tilted their heads at the sheer number of ships that appeared to be patrol boats, while Captain Paulina also wore a puzzled expression.

One of the many patrol boats soon spotted the Skidbladnir and approached.

“Stop your vessel. This is a patrol boat of the Bardael Emirate. You are to submit to an inspection of your vessel.”

The voice reached the deck of the Skidbladnir, just as it had at Borne.

“I suppose they’re trying to shout loudly...”

“It’s harder to make out than it was at Borne.”

“Perhaps they were suddenly called in from another department and aren’t accustomed to this work.”

“We’re offshore of the capital, aren’t we? Normally, you’d station an elite unit here.”

“Maybe the elite personnel were called away to somewhere even more difficult...”

Abel and Ryo exchanged rather casual remarks.

Still, it was true that the voice was harder to make out than that of the patrol boat at Borne...

The Skidbladnir accepted the patrol boat’s request to stop.

One of the two patrol boats came alongside, and five officials boarded.

That part was the same as at Borne.

“I’m Lexisadou, captain of the Bardael Emirate’s 40th Patrol Unit.”

“Thank you for your service. I’m Paulina, captain of the Skidbladnir, a vessel of the Kingdom of Knightley.”

They exchanged introductions.

Watching from a distance, the two spoke so that no one else could hear them.

((They said the 40th Patrol Unit.))

((The one at Borne was the 3rd Patrol Unit, wasn’t it?))

((Compared to Captain Nau back then, Captain Lexisadou this time is quite young.))

((The other four who boarded with him are... all young too.))

((So they really were called in from somewhere else...))

((That might be the case.))

Abel finally accepted Ryo’s theory.

Paulina handed the crew certificates to Captain Lexisadou.

“I’ll inspect the crew certificates.”

Lexisadou said this and began checking them, honestly looking rather inexperienced with the procedure.

Meanwhile, the four other officials who had boarded kept glancing around the deck.

Just as at Borne, they did not move around.

They didn’t, but...

((The way they’re looking around is obviously suspicious.))

((...Is it?))

((Yes. I can tell.))

((Even so, I don’t think they’re suddenly going to detain us.))

((Huh...))

((Ryo, that’s what you were about to imagine, wasn’t it?))

((Damn it... Abel the joke-killer! Are you going to crush even my brilliant fantasies?))

((I don’t think there’s anything brilliant about fantasies.))

The two continued their conversation.

Even from a distance, however, it was obvious that Paulina’s expression had darkened.

She was not arguing with the patrol unit.

If anything, Captain Lexisadou looked apologetic.

After a while, the patrol unit disembarked, returned to their patrol boat, and moved on to inspect another vessel.

Paulina came over to Abel.

“Something happened, didn’t it, Captain?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I apologize. It seems it will take some time before we can enter the port.”

Paulina reported this with a troubled expression.

“You don’t need to apologize, Captain. What happened?”

“The patrol unit didn’t tell me the details, but... apparently the Emir has gone to war, and it seems to be related to that.”

“The Emir has gone to war? Lord Chukudy of Borne never mentioned anything like that, did he?”

“No, Your Majesty. I didn’t hear any news either.”

Paulina shook her head in response to Abel’s confirmation.

Ryo also silently shook his head.

It seemed that, in the past two days, some major change in the situation had occurred that had made it necessary for the Emir himself to go to war.

“If the Emir is away at war, who’s in charge of the capital?”

“The Crown Prince, apparently.”

“Hmm... In that case, the procedures should still be able to proceed without any problems, but...”

Abel looked around at the ships surrounding them.

The Skidbladnir had arrived in the morning, allowing them to undergo their inspection relatively early.

However, ships had been arriving one after another from offshore in the meantime... and the situation was beginning to resemble a traffic jam.

“There were a lot of patrol boats too...”

“Perhaps the processing inside the port is taking too long. Not a single ship has entered yet.”

“Yeah... so that’s why the offshore area is getting backed up.”

Both Abel and Ryo gave a small shake of their heads.

“Can’t be helped. We’ve completed our procedures. Captain, let’s wait patiently.”

“Understood, Your Majesty.”

In the end, the Skidbladnir did not enter the port until evening.

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