The consequences of my little show were predictable: the nobles both lost their attack power in case of a war, and were much more approachable when it came to signing perfectly-equal treaties.

While I was looking at the shipwrecks, I was approached by Elina.

“Was that actually necessary?!” She was more displeased than angry.

“If I want to make them understand how much stronger I am, then such things must always be considered. They must never even dare thinking of opposing me, or do you think that the king will just let some parasites question his rule?”

“I still can’t get it why you choose the options with blood spilled.” (E)

“Just because I am forced to in the contemporary circumstances?”

“Whatever…” (E)

“Don’t you just try copying me, you need more practice if you want to become a suitable duchess!”

While this conversation was all about my nonsense, I still remembered why this nonsense works so well. I was already done with showing off and it was a good time to go back home and offer my prayers to the deities of luck that support me all the way.

While my arrival was not exactly grand, I still had a good way to show off before the departure. A bribe here, a bribe there, and also gathering a large crowd of nobles under the guise of making a speech.

The speech itself was nothing remarkable.

“Elina, I expect you to do what I said.” After saying that, I turned towards the harbor and walked to the edge of the pier. And then I jumped off right into the water.

The medieval people should be really surprised by seeing someone walking on the water. And if that was not enough, the hired people would start talking about divine powers. Clearly, no human can walk on the water, so it would be about my humble self.

I steamed at my maximum speed and as I was about to leave the harbor, I summoned the foxfires at their maximum strength and covered myself in blue flames. I used my momentum to keep myself moving when I dived under the water. For the people on the pier it must look like I just vanished in the fire, and that should also help me strengthen their belief that I am beyond their capabilities.

Back at the construction site I entered the tent where I made myself a little shrine. I decided to pray at the altar and ask for help with achieving my goals. While normally I just feel some warmth from praying, today something happened. I felt as if someone was actually talking to me. I couldn’t understand what was said but I felt as if I know where I should go. I was trying to understand what has happened and after I looked at the altar I found a map lying on top, a navigation map with a course towards somewhere, somewhere a few thousand miles away from here.

I spent hours studying the map, trying to figure out all the shallows I will encounter on the way, where are the possible locations of the storms, and where I can resupply the carrier. I decided to prepare carefully because it will be my first time navigating in this world’s seas.

“Master, are you sure it is a good idea? You just found a map somewhere in the tent, and you already consider it to be an actual route somewhere, and where we will be going is still unknown!” Rin was trying to make me reconsider, and she was doing this as a new part of her everyday duties.

I decided to ignore her and keep preparing for the travel.

The basics of my plan were prepared first.

The neighboring nobles agreed to supply my expedition with food. Elina and Albert were to be left here to settle all the issues the duchy will have after my leave, as well as to oversee the construction of my palace.

[I still don’t understand what makes me so eager to travel into the unknown, I doubt it is just due to me relying on the luck, granted to me from the heavens, or just due to my stubborn desire to find out what I can find there, all that I know is that there is something out there, a land where something is destined to happen.]

I did not rush the preparations or the departure so I had a lot of time to make sure everything will go smoothly. By the time I was ready to raise the anchor and plot my course, I’ve participated in Elina’s inheritance ceremony and swearing loyalty to the king, who kindly arrived to my humble abode.

One day before the departure.

This day will be forever remembered for Elina’s clinginess. I was actually carried around in her arms all day, and even at night, when I was continuing ordering around for preparations, I was also carried around. She spoon-fed me all the times when I ate, she suggested to bath me, I think she was even ready to do some night business with me. I never found the latter one out because Rin wanted to be sleep-hugging me even more than Elina, surely not because Rin had 3 more people to help her.

In the end, after 10 minutes of puppy-eyeing me, I allowed Elina to join using me as a hugging pillow…

[I don’t know if I will miss Elina after I sail into the unknown…]