The Ultimate Sage Who Faked Incompetence and Was Disinherited Just Wants to Enjoy His New Life! - Episode 27: The Magic Ship

Episode 27: The Magic Ship 

Three days after arriving in the commercial city of Everan, we headed to Sancho-san’s mansion. 

For the past three days, we hadn’t done any work—we just wandered around the city. Everan was larger than Colibri and received rare goods from the royal capital. 

We visited food stalls, magic tool shops, weapon and armor stores, and even a bookstore. Unfortunately, the bookstore didn’t have any magic-related books. If there were something like a “Complete Magic Encyclopedia”, I could at least figure out whether my magic was normal or not. 

I once asked Matilda-san about magic. But apparently, it could only be taught through a master-apprentice relationship. No mage would reveal their secrets otherwise. 

Come to think of it, I had used the same excuse to avoid explaining my own magic. So it made sense that no one would give me detailed information. 

In the end, I only learned about “beginner magic”, which most mages used. These included spells like the Arrow and Ball series. Beyond that, I had no clue what kinds of magic existed. 

I needed to keep researching magic. Becoming someone’s apprentice was an option, but that seemed like a waste of time. 

There was probably no better magic user than Lilia. Even I hadn’t learned everything from her yet. With those thoughts in mind, we headed to Sancho-san’s mansion. 

Sancho-san seemed to have been eagerly waiting for us. 

“I’ve been expecting you, Fel-san. I thought you’d arrive sooner. But it seems adventurers are quite busy.” 

“Uh, well…” 

I couldn’t exactly say we had just been fooling around for three days. So I dodged the question. For some reason, I felt a little guilty. Maybe having too much money was actually a problem. 

We were led to a guest room. There, Sancho-san’s wife, Mies-san, soon greeted us. Both of them seemed to be in good spirits. 

“This time, I’ll be traveling to the royal capital with Count Hauzinha’s entourage.” 

“I see.” 

I had a feeling this would be the case. So the lord of Everan, Count Hauzinha, was heading to the royal capital as well. If he had his own soldiers for protection, they should be more than enough. 

Did that mean we were just an extra precaution? 

“Count Hauzinha already has his own guards. But you never know what might happen on the way. So we decided to take extra precautions. That’s when your name came up, Fel-san. Having a Gold Rank adventurer around is reassuring.” 

Apparently, word had spread that I was a Gold Rank adventurer. I had only visited Everan’s Adventurers’ Guild twice. But it seemed like the guilds across different cities were more connected than I had thought. 

“Understood. I’ll do my best to protect everyone.” 

“Much appreciated.” 

“By the way, has there been any trouble on the way to the capital?” 

“None that I’ve heard of. We’ll mostly be traveling by magic ship, after all.” 

Magic ship… It seemed that the vessels traveling along the river were called that. Judging by the name, they were powered by magic tools. If that were the case, there must be enormous magic tools capable of moving an entire ship. That was surprising. 

“Then it doesn’t sound like there will be much danger.” 

“That’s right. I’ve never heard of monsters attacking a magic ship.” 

Yeah… This just made it even more unclear why we were needed. Honestly, wasn’t our presence unnecessary? Maybe they just wanted to strengthen their ties with us. That seemed plausible. 

Well, I’d get a free trip to the royal capital, plus payment for the job. And since it was a request from Count Hauzinha, it would boost my reputation as an adventurer. Not a bad deal. 

“We’ll be departing tomorrow. We’ve prepared all necessary supplies. But if there’s anything else you’d like, we can add it to the list.” 

“In that case, some alcohol—mmph!” 

I quickly covered Lilia’s mouth before she could finish. Drinking alcohol while on a guard mission was out of the question. Even if the trip seemed safe, it was still forbidden. And stripping down inside a ship of unknown size was even more unacceptable. 

Just in case, I asked Sancho-san to prepare some motion sickness medicine. He assured me that the magic ship was large and barely rocked. So, seasickness wasn’t an issue. But it was better to be safe than sorry. I wanted to be fully prepared for this journey.

—

The next day. 

We met up with our other client, Count Hauzinha, at his estate. 

The last time I met Count Hauzinha, I was disguised as a traveling healer. Naturally, Lilia hadn’t shown herself back then. 

It seemed the count didn’t realize that I was the same healer from before. He looked at me with surprise. It was likely due to my young age and the fact that I had already become a Gold Rank adventurer. 

After exchanging greetings, I introduced Lilia. If they already knew I was a Gold Rank adventurer, they probably knew about the Fairy traveling with me as well. There was no point in hiding it now. 

“I had heard the rumors, but you really do have a Fairy with you. This is quite the sight to behold!” 

The count seemed genuinely delighted and called for his wife, Lady Petra. Lilia, on the other hand, didn’t seem too pleased about being treated like a spectacle. I hoped she could endure it for just a little while. 

Once the introductions were over, we immediately departed. Everything was already prepared, and the carriages were brought to the entrance. 

I quickly activated my Analyze spell and went into alert mode. No suspicious individuals were nearby. Since we were in a crowded area, I kept my detection range minimal to avoid missing even the smallest hint of hostility. At this distance, I could react quickly if anything happened. 

Well, chances were that the soldiers acting as guards would handle any issues before I needed to step in. I’d only intervene if the situation got out of control. Hopefully, that wouldn’t happen. 

Count Hauzinha and the Sancho Trading Company’s group left Everan through the west gate. The road leading to the river was wide enough for two carriages to pass side by side. 

It seemed Everan’s economy relied not just on land transport but also on river trade. The constant traffic of carts and people was proof of that. 

After traveling for about thirty minutes, we saw a large river. Floating on it was an enormous ship. On either side of the vessel were massive wheel-like structures. Could those actually spin? 

“That ship is incredible! I’ve never seen one like it before.”

“Since it’s called a magic ship, I’m guessing those wheels are powered by magic tools.”

“So, those wheels propel the ship forward? That sounds amazing.” 

As we got closer, both the river and the ship looked even more massive. The docking area appeared to be artificially constructed, with sturdy stone reinforcements—different from the rest of the riverbank. 

A wooden bridge connected the dock to the ship. It seemed that was how we’d board. 

A staff member, possibly from the reception team, hurried over to Count Hauzinha’s carriage. After checking some documents, they started counting the number of people. Once that was done, we were allowed to pass without issue. 

By the way, I wondered how they handled the fare for Fairies. Since no one mentioned anything, maybe Lilia traveled for free. 

Surprisingly, the outer hull of the magic ship was made of metal. According to the books I had read, the deck was wooden. If I hadn’t read it beforehand, I would have doubted that something heavier than wood could even float. 

And those massive wheels on both sides! Upon closer inspection, they had a structure similar to waterwheels. It was clear that they turned to propel the ship forward. They probably even allowed for reverse movement. I couldn’t wait to see it in action! 

Following our clients, who moved through the ship as if they were used to it, I looked around curiously. My head and eyes were darting in every direction. Lilia’s gaze was also moving nonstop. So, she was just as fascinated as I was. Good—it wasn’t just me!