Miyo was a member of the Mercury race from Village Four, formerly known as the Sun Castle. Somewhere along the line, she had started working for the Magistrate of Shashato City.
My name was Bron.
I was a beastman who did my best to handle whatever work was thrown my way.
Wait, what?
Did my appearance still look like that of a boy to you?
I was already a married man, so please, treat me like an adult.
At the moment, I was in Shashato City.
Since the city had a port, the sea was naturally close at hand, and the scent of the tide tickled my nose. However, that was quickly overwhelmed by the aroma of curry.
That was Shashato City in a nutshell.
My job here was to welcome a guest, but they didn't seem to have arrived yet. They were traveling by ship, and it was notoriously difficult for vessels to arrive exactly as scheduled. You usually had to allow for a ten-day arrival window.
...
Wait.
Did that mean I had to stay here and wait the entire time until the ship docked? That sounded like a massive hassle. It wasn't as if the guest would go out of their way to contact me the moment they arrived, either.
What was I supposed to do?
I didn't let it get to me. In times like these, you turned to adventurers. I could just hire someone to keep an eye on the port and check the names of the ships coming in. It would cost some money, but considering it would buy me my freedom, it wasn't a significant amount.
"Now, now. If you're going to hire an adventurer, you really ought to rely on us instead."
Just as I was heading toward the Adventurer Guild, Miyo stopped me. She had been lying in wait. Miyo served as the secretary to the Magistrate of Shashato City, so she undoubtedly had immediate access to all the incoming ship data.
The problem was that it was always difficult to ask her for a favor.
Because...
"Actually, there's something I'd like to ask of you as well."
There it was. I really didn't want to get dragged into something troublesome.
"No, no, I just want you to participate in a little event being held in the city."
A little event?
"Yes. A Small Boat Race. Each boat is rowed by eight people, but a vacancy opened up on the team we prepared. I'd like you to fill in for them."
She wanted me to act as a substitute on a boat? I had almost never been on one before. Was that really all right?
"We can't even enter if we don't have eight rowers."
"What about teamwork?"
"Participation is what matters. You don't need to worry about the results."
Well, if that was the case, I suppose it was fine. I asked her when this event was taking place.
"Right now."
...
"I wouldn't be asking for a substitute if it weren't happening right now."
That was a fair point.
I followed Miyo to the event venue. It was packed with spectators, and there were just as many stalls set up to cater to them. All sorts of delicious smells filled the air.
"If you're hungry, I'll go buy something for the team as a gift," Miyo offered.
That made me feel a bit better.
"This is the team. It's composed of the sons of fishermen living here in Shashato City. The team name is 'Fishermans'."
Miyo led me to a boat, and I greeted the team.
"Thanks for filling in. Glad to have you."
"Likewise," I replied.
Miyo had called them the "sons" of fishermen, but every one of them looked like a veteran with the weathered aura of someone in their mid-twenties.
"Ahahaha. Our old men are still active, so we're still treated like kids."
"It'd be different if we could strike out on our own and get our own boats, I guess."
"Maybe it's because we aren't married yet."
"If I show off my skills today, I'll finally tell that girl..."
"By the way, the reason we're short a man is because one of our guys suddenly got married. The traitor."
Suddenly?
"Just last night. I won't forgive him."
I thought they should probably be congratulating him instead. Also, I was married too.
"What?! Miyo-san, why did you bring a married man here of all people!"
"If you keep saying things like that, it's no wonder you couldn't find a replacement. Would you rather withdraw because you're short a member?"
"Guh..."
"Besides, rather than making an enemy of a married man, wouldn't it be more productive to make him an ally? He might introduce you to his wife's friends."
"I don't want to hear your logic! ...But, it would be a problem if we couldn't race. Glad to have you on board."
"Y-yeah, likewise."
I had wondered why I was the one chosen, but now I saw what kind of team this was.
Before long, it was time for the race to start. The vessel we boarded was a long, narrow boat without sails. The style involved eight people lining up in a single row and rowing with both hands... but didn't that actually require a massive amount of teamwork?
Was it really okay for me to be the substitute? And for this kind of boat, wasn't the direction of travel supposed to be forward? If we were moving backward, who was steering?
Wait, if I had the backs of seven teammates in front of me, did that mean I was at the lead? Wasn't this the most dangerous position? I was starting to get seriously scared.
As I began to panic, my teammates just turned around and gave me a thumbs-up.
...Was that it? Hey!
Actually, they were just joking. Thank goodness.
Apparently, each boat would be joined by a Steersman who would guide the course. So, a full team consisted of eight rowers and one Steersman. The Steersman would board only when the signal to start was given.
I wondered where they would come from, and then a head popped out of the water right next to the boat.
It made sense once I realized the Steersman was a member of the Sea Race. If they lived in the ocean, their skills as a navigator were guaranteed. It was quite reassuring.
As I watched in awe, members of the Sea Race leaped from the water one after another to board the competing boats. Our Steersman was a slender Sea Lizardman. He didn't seem to weigh much, which was good for the boat's speed.
I offered a greeting, and he simply nodded before pointing out the course with his finger.
...If he didn't speak, how was I supposed to follow him?
Ignoring my confusion, the boat began to move. Was this really how it worked? Well, I had heard that the race started as soon as the Steersman was on board.
Fine, whatever! I didn't care what happened anymore! I just matched the rhythm of the teammate in front of me and rowed with all my might.
The goal of the race was to pass through a series of buoys set out at sea and then return to the finish line. There were three colors of buoys—red, black, and white—and the finish line was the same as the Start Point. We just had to hit all three checkpoints and get back.
The problem was that since I was facing backward, I couldn't even see the buoys. I had no choice but to trust the Steersman's directions and keep rowing.
Of course, this was a race, so there were plenty of other boats doing the exact same thing. Some of the more prominent ones included:
"Money World," a team made up of young members from the Shashato City Merchant's Association. "Ifuls Curry," composed of instructors and students from Ifuls Academy. "Slow Life," made up of young men from the villages surrounding Shashato. "Prada and Party," a group that had come all the way from Village Five.
...Wait, it was called "Prada and Party," but Prada wasn't even on the boat.
Suddenly, some boats collided and capsized. Since everyone was gunning for the same checkpoints, it was bound to happen. It looked like rescue teams from the Sea Race were picking up the people who fell in, so at least safety was being looked after.
That was a relief. Or so I thought, until a side wave slammed into our boat.
Honestly, these narrow boats were clearly meant for rivers or ponds. They were far too thin to handle the rough waves of the open sea. We were definitely going to capsize. Look, the boat right next to us just went over! We were next!
As I was braced for the end, my teammates called out.
"Bron-kun! The worst thing you can do at sea is lose your nerve!"
"With a weak heart like that, even the best boat will sink!"
"If you don't want to go under, find some confidence!"
"Also, this might be too much information, but none of us can swim!"
...
Even though you're the sons of fishermen?! Wait, is that why you're still being treated like "sons"?!
"Argh, I told you I don't want to hear your logic! Besides, the sea is terrifying, isn't it?!"
"Yeah, it's scary! Really scary!"
"I don't know why the ocean even exists. It'd be better if it was all just land!"
"Totally!"
The future of the fishing industry in Shashato City looked pretty grim. However, it seemed we all shared the same desperate desire not to sink, so we rowed like our lives depended on it.
In the end, we finished in ninth place. Since there were thirty-three teams, being in the top half wasn't a bad result. Actually, I was just grateful we finished at all.
I suppose I had to give credit to the Steersman, though I didn't want to admit it. His silence was really unnerving. There was no way to build a relationship of trust with someone you just met when they wouldn't even speak to you.
"Good work, Bron-kun. We're planning to have a Review Meeting after this, so we'd love for you to join us."
"A Review Meeting?" I asked.
"It's just an excuse for a banquet."
"Don't call it that! It's a chance for us fishermen to unite and stand tall against the Merchant's Association!"
"Hahaha. I won't say it's not like that, but we aren't really enemies with the Merchant's Association. It's just a party to celebrate the fact that nobody got hurt. Our families and friends will be there too."
Well, if that was the case, I didn't mind.
"Great. Oh, by the way, I have a message from Miyo-san. She's confirmed the ship you're waiting for is offshore. But because of the restrictions on port traffic for this event, it won't be able to dock for another two days at the earliest."
...
I see.
Miyo knew that all along, didn't she? She hid that information just to get me on the boat.
Good grief... I ended up with a sunburn for nothing. Well, I suppose it was fun enough in its own way.
By the way, the overall winner was "Go Joro!", a team of traveling merchant volunteers. Their boat handling was incredible. I wouldn't mind learning a thing or two from them.