The Ultimate Sage Who Faked Incompetence and Was Disinherited Just Wants to Enjoy His New Life! - Episode 29: The Downstream Town

Episode 29: The Downstream Town 

A clanking sound echoed through the air. I wondered what it was as I ran across the deck. Looking closely, I saw chains plunging one after another into the river from the side of the ship. After a while, the magic ship came to a stop in the middle of the river. It seemed that the chains from earlier had been used to drop anchor. 

“It’s amazing that such a big ship can be stopped like this. There are so many things you can’t understand just by reading books.” 

“That’s true. Seeing something with your own eyes is always clearer than just hearing or reading about it. Look over there! It looks like they’re lowering a small boat.” 

I followed the direction Lilia was pointing. A chain extended from a large metal pillar. It was effortlessly lifting a boat into the air. 

“Wow, it looks like the boat is flying.” 

“Yeah, but… wouldn’t using magic be faster? Lifting heavy things is tough. But at that distance, it shouldn’t be a problem.” 

“Lilia, let’s not say things like that.” 

Lilia, being a Fairy skilled in magic, always tried to solve everything with magic. However, unlike Fairies, most people in this world couldn’t freely use magic. That was why various magic tools had been invented—to create something akin to magic that anyone could use. 

Once the boat was lowered to the water, crates of cargo enclosed in wooden frames and passengers began to be unloaded. On the opposite shore, people had already started gathering. 

There were wagons loaded with goods and empty wagons waiting for the small boats to arrive. It seemed like a significant number of people were boarding and disembarking here. The boats were being lowered one after another. They were traveling back and forth between the river and the magic ship. 

It looked like our journey for the day had come to an end. Even as the sun began to set, the anchor remained in place. For dinner, we would use the ship’s dining hall. There was more than one, and they were divided based on rank. 

We were told we could eat in any of the dining halls. So we chose the one most commonly used by ordinary people. The food was of a similar quality to what was served in town. Though the prices were slightly higher. Probably because of the magic stones used, making it more expensive. 

I considered eating the food stored in my magic bag. But since this was a rare opportunity, I decided to try the ship’s dining hall. Who knows if I’d ever get another chance? 

While a magic ship was one way to reach the royal capital, traveling by land was also an option. However, the land route passed through numerous towns and villages, taking about five days. In contrast, the water route would get us there in about two days. 

Because of the cost, most people who weren’t nobles or merchants would likely choose to travel by land. 

“Hmm, fish dishes, huh? I wonder if we can fish on the ship.” 

“That’s possible. If you’re curious, we can check tomorrow.” 

“That sounds good. But I’m more interested in the magic tools used on this ship.” 

I flaked off a piece of grilled fish and fed it to Lilia. Watching her chew, I realized she didn’t seem to have any food preferences. 

“How’s the fish?” 

“It’s mild in flavor. But it’s not bad in its own way.” 

I agreed with her. I had wondered if her sense of taste was different from humans. But it seemed there wasn’t much of a difference. Despite Fairies being mentioned in many books, their true nature remained a mystery. Either no researchers had studied them, or they had been unable to do so. 

Maybe I could be the first researcher. If I wrote a book about Fairies, it might even sell well. 

Entertaining that unlikely idea, I took a sip of my drink. 

“This is lemon water. Refreshing, and it goes well with any dish.” 

“It doesn’t interfere with the flavor of the food, which is nice. But I prefer fruit juices.” 

Hmm, so Fairies prefer fruit… Noted. Next time I buy a drink in town, I’ll choose something fruit-based. 

To maintain a balanced diet, I made sure she ate some vegetables too. She didn’t seem to dislike any. She was eating them all enthusiastically. 

“Lilia, what about the bath today? From what I’ve checked, it looks like only nobles get private baths. Everyone else uses the public bathhouse.” 

“Then I won’t take a bath.” 

“Got it. That’s fine.” 

Lilia didn’t like bathing with anyone other than me. That was why I always needed to check the bath situation in advance. As expected, she wasn’t interested this time either. She didn’t dislike baths, but she wouldn’t force herself to take one. 

After dinner, we returned to our private room. It was where I used a Clean-Up spell to freshen up. 

Through the round window in our room, I could see the river faintly glowing under the light of two moons. 

“This is a sight you can only see from a ship.”

“You’re right. This might be the only place where we can see the water’s surface this closely.” 

The moonlight illuminated Lilia’s profile. It made her look almost divine—like the goddess of the moon herself. 

“By the way, Lilia, did you sense anything unusual today?” 

I spoke to cover up the fact that I had been staring at her. 

“No, nothing. What about you, Fel?” 

“Same here. It seems like traveling by ship is safer than I expected.” 

“Looks that way. I think I’ll be able to sleep soundly tonight.” 

Saying that, Lilia nestled into my chest. Holding her in my arms, I slipped under the covers. 

— 

The next morning. 

When I woke up, the ship was already moving. It seemed that we had set off as soon as dawn broke. Maybe they were trying to cover as much distance as possible? 

When I arrived at the dining hall for breakfast, it was already bustling with people. 

I bought a sandwich made with bread, ham, eggs, and vegetables—something I often ate in town—and searched for an open seat. 

I had hoped to eat breakfast on the deck. But I had checked yesterday and found that eating and drinking there was prohibited. Makes sense—if people made a mess, the crew would have a hard time cleaning up. 

After finishing our meal, we set off to explore the ship. Yesterday, the crew had been busy loading and unloading cargo. So we had kept out of the way. But today, since we were just sailing downstream, it shouldn’t be a problem to look around. 

Our goal was the large magic device that powered the massive wheels. I was curious to see what kind of magic tool was being used there. 

“Fel, I think it’s this way.” 

“That way, huh? Oh, looks like we’re not the only ones here to check it out.” 

I noticed a group of men standing around. They were gazing up at something. I followed their line of sight and saw a series of enormous gears. 

“So those gears are what turn the wheels… With something this big, the rotation speed might not be as fast as I expected.” 

“It must take a huge amount of power to move something that massive. Look over there—I think that’s the power source.” 

A large, square box with a round pillar protruding from it was connected to other gears. It seemed that by rotating this pillar, the rest of the gears were set into motion. 

“Looks like we can’t see inside the box.” 

“Probably a trade secret. I wonder how many magic stones it takes to keep that pillar spinning.” 

It was probably powered by a huge magic stone. Where would they even get something like that? Could it be obtained by slaying a Dragon or something? It must be worth an unimaginable amount of money. 

“Hmm? This feeling… What is this?” 

“What’s wrong, Lilia?” 

“Something with immense magical power is approaching us.” 

“Let’s get to the deck, now!” 

Grabbing Lilia, I sprinted through the narrow corridors. We were dodging people as we rushed upward. Once outside, we’d be able to get a clearer sense of what was coming. 

We reached the deck. No one seemed panicked or alarmed. 

“Lilia, which direction?” 

“Behind us.” 

Following her cue, I extended my Analyze ability toward the rear of the ship. Sure enough, there was a massive magical presence approaching us. 

This magical aura… There’s no doubt about it—it’s a monster. A powerful one. 

“That… could it be a Dragon!?” 

Lilia’s voice rang out in shock.