Return.

Shino: “Bet you’re glad you came, now.”

Heathcliff: “I’d planned on getting up early regardless, Shino.”

Heathcliff: “But I’m sorry to have gotten you caught up in all this, Master Sage…”

Akira: “Don’t worry! I’d been too excited to go back to sleep, anyway.”

As I shook my head, Sakitty — the Sacrificium riding my shoulder — stretched itself out in the early morning air.

Akira: “It’s exhilarating just getting to board such a big ship, right?”

Akira: “Especially one with a name as grand as the ‘Ship of Knowledge’…”

We were walking through one of Eastern Country’s port towns, bathed in the light of the morning sun.

Amidst the crisp, quiet morning air, the port workers laboured silently.

Some cleaned the ship's decks and hull, while others carried cargo aboard.

The mood in the air — distinct from the bustle of midday — was almost tense as it hung over the still-murky morning streets.

I’d heard that the seas in this world had fierce tides, making long journeys almost impossible.

But I had occasionally seen ships travelling along the coast, too.

On this particular occasion, the Sage’s Wizards had been invited to witness the first voyage of a vessel commonly known as the Ship of Knowledge.

Its departure was apparently one of Eastern Country’s major projects, to the point where they were staking a great deal of their prestige on its success.

Shino: “It’s that one there, yeah?”

Heathcliff: “Hm…? Oh, yes.”

Shino was pointing at a massive wooden ship floating some distance away in the harbour.

Sailors bustled about on its deck, cleaning efficiently and hoisting the large masts.

Amongst them was an outstandingly handsome man wearing a hat almost as impressive as he was. As we watched, he turned suddenly to look in our direction.

Then he removed his hat and bowed, low and respectful. Though his composed demeanour suggested he might’ve been somewhere in his forties, his well-toned physique made him seem rather youthful.

His short, dark brown hair fluttered in the refreshing morning breeze.

Shino: “That’s gotta be the captain. He’s saluting you, Heath.”

Heathcliff: “Maybe, but…”

Heathcliff was the only son of the Blanchetts, one of Eastern Country’s leading aristocratic families.

It wasn’t particularly surprising that the crew of a ship representing the East as a whole would know of him.

I bowed from where I stood at Heathcliff’s side. The sailor in the splendid hat gave me a sincere, courteous bow in response.

Just then, I heard a bell begin to ring. It must’ve been a signal for something.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

Chloe: “Oh, I’m so excited for the ceremony later! My heart’s been pounding ever since we arrived in town!”

Rustica: “Indeed… Yawn…”

Rutile: “Ehehe. You’re still half-asleep, aren’t you, Mister Rustica?”

Rutile: “This is lovely though, isn’t it? I’m glad the innkeeper was kind enough to let us use the terrace and kitchen as we pleased.”

Chloe: “It sure feels great to spend the morning sitting on a terrace in an unfamiliar town like this. And we get to eat Nero’s delicious cooking for breakfast, to boot!”

Rustica: “Yawn… Indeed…”

Chloe: “Ack, Rustica…! You’ll spill your tea if you aren’t careful!”

Bradley: “Guess it’s still a li’l too early for Mister Bridegroom, huh.”

Mithra: “He should try being more like myself. I, for example, have not slept a wink.”

Chloe: “You’ve got it pretty rough, huh. You were so bored from not being able to sleep that you even helped me while I was making everyone’s outfits…”

Rutile: “Wait, he did?”

Bradley: “Y’serious? This guy?”

Chloe: “Yup! He made a belt, so I used it in Rutile’s outfit.”

Rutile: “That’s incredible!”

Bradley: “Y’actually know how t’sew?!”

Mithra: “I do, yes.”

Nero: “Order up. Here’s yer fried chicken.”

Rutile: “You can eat that first thing in the morning, Mister Bradley?”

Bradley: “Yeah. ‘Cause I’m a Northern wizard.”

Nero: “And venison steak for you.”

Mithra: “Thank you.”

Chloe: “While you’re having steak for breakfast, huh?”

Mithra: “I am a Northern wizard, after all.”

Bradley: “Hey, did’ja hear this Ship o’ Knowledge has some kinda restaurant onboard?”

Nero: “It does, huh…”

Mithra: “Interesting. What kind of restaurant, exactly?”

Bradley: "Apparently it’sa seafood place called the ‘Spoon of Knowledge’.”

Bradley: “Kinda like another restaurant I heard about in a town like this — the Town ‘o Blue Scales or somethin’. That one’s long gone, though.”

Nero: “…”

Rustica: “Yawn… Interesting…”

Mithra: “Hm. Yes, interesting indeed.”

Rutile: “Haven’t you been to that exact town, Mister Mithra?”

Mithra: “Not that I recall.”

Nero: “‘Kay, but… If it was as good as all that, you’d have wanted to go someday, yeah?”

Bradley: “Nah, not really.”

Bradley: “Persistence is power. Somethin’ gone is somethin’ that was destined to go.”

Bradley: “And anyway, even though the place was by a river, their specialty was pork or somethin’ instead‘a fish. Weird.”

Nero: “…”

Bradley: “That’s what makes this restaurant on the Ship ‘o Knowledge top tier, yanno? There’s nothin’ like eatin’ seafood on the sea. ‘Course, it ain’t gonna beat this fried chicken…”

Nero: “Issat so.”

Bradley: “Oi, where’re ya goin’?”

Bradley: “The hell’s up with him…”

Mithra: “Ah, I remember now. I did go to a town much like this, once.”

Rutile: “So I was right!”

Mithra: “Nero opened his first ever restaurant there, and they served fried pork as their specialty. A place called Schnitchen or some such.”

Rustica: “Schnitzel. Yawn…”

Mithra: “Ah, yes. Exactly.”

Bradley: “Yer kiddin’ me… Y’should’a said somethin’ sooner, man…”

Chloe: “Wait, so… Did you just make him really mad, Bradley?”

Rutile: “Mm, I’m not sure if Mister Nero’s angry so much as he is hurt…”

Bradley: “…”

Mithra: “The food there was delicious, was it not?”

Rustica: “It certainly was.”

Bradley: “Would’ja shut the fuck up already? Tell me this shit in advance!”

Bradley: “…Ah, dammit…”

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

Riquet: “Faust, Shylock, tell me — what sort of place is this Ship of Knowledge?”

Mitile: “Major projects and national prestige… It all sounds so cool!”

Faust & Shylock: “…”

Faust: “Why ask us, exactly?”

Shylock: “I should think Murr would know far more about the subject than we.”

Murr: “Hey hey, what’cha talking about?”

Riquet: “Well, it’s just… Whenever we ask Murr questions…”

Mitile: “Sometimes he gives really long answers, and sometimes he doesn’t answer at all.”

Riquet: “It makes it hard to feel like I’ve gained any sort of knowledge.”

Mitile: “Yeah… If there was more of a middle ground, maybe then I’d feel like I’d actually learned something, but…”

Faust: “You should both work harder on your studies so you’re able to keep up even when he does use complex language.”

Mitile & Riquet: “But…”

Shylock: “It can be disappointing when the knowledge you’re being given is presented in a clinical manner — or, worse yet, when you’re not receiving knowledge at all.”

Shylock: “I’m rather familiar with that feeling. Both situations can result in a person feeling as if they haven’t quite gained the understanding they were hoping for.”

Shylock: “Expanding one’s knowledge often means expanding one’s understanding of the self, as well.”

Shylock: “You begin to notice a little more about the world than you had in the past.”

Riquet: “Yes… Yes, exactly. That feeling is what I enjoy about learning.”

Mitile: “Oh, I get it… So it makes an idea that felt like it was far away seem a little closer than before.”

Riquet: “I know Murr is quite smart, but…”

Mitile: “When someone says things I don’t understand, it makes me want to know more about it, but— if they don't really explain, it’s…”

Riquet: “It’s like they’re not facing me head-on.”

Mitile: “Yeah. Like I’m being ignored.”

Murr: “That’s not true! Bah!”

Murr: “See~? I’m looking at you right now!”

Riquet: “That’s not really what we meant…”

Mitile: “You’re ignoring us again…”

Faust: “Children these days sure are strict.”

Shylock: “While I do loathe to defend Murr, I highly doubt he does such things maliciously.”

Shylock: “The act of teaching — of passing knowledge down to another — relies primarily on communication.”

Shylock: “Thus, a person cannot be taught unless both they and their teacher are willing to connect with one another through that knowledge.”

Riquet: “What do you mean?”

Shylock: “Murr is an intellectual genius. The breadth of his knowledge is vast, and encompasses many subjects.”

Shylock: “However, whether he chooses to teach others in terms that are easily-understood by the common layman is, to him, a form of service.”

Shylock: “Incidentally… ‘Service’, as it were, is my personal field of expertise. I’m sociable, you see, and dedicated to my work.”

Shylock: “Well? How does it feel, having me serve two adorable little boys such as yourselves?”

Mitile: “I-I can feel my heart racing…”

Riquet: “I think I might like service more than knowledge, after all…”

Faust: “Would you knock it off? It’s too early for this.”

Shylock: “Ah, while we’re on the subject — Faust, too, excels at service.”

Faust: “Wh— Me? I’m not even a little bit good at it, actually.”

Riquet: “I understand what Shylock means. Whenever you teach me something, Faust, I find myself feeling a little more at-ease than before.”

Riquet: “In comparison, whenever Oz tries to teach me anything, I just end up with more questions than answers.”

Mitile: “But… Lord Oz isn’t doing it to be cruel, is he?”

Faust: “Oh, I see. So that’s where the disconnect between communication and service happens.”

Shylock: “Precisely. I don’t doubt Oz’s intent is to teach, he merely isn’t accustomed to doing so.”

Faust: “I was once part of… An organisation, you could say. Being taught and teaching others was just another part of my everyday life.”

Faust: “I suppose I would be more accustomed to teaching than Oz, thinking about it that way.”

Mitile: “So… Was it a place sort of like my old school?”

Faust: “Not a school, no, but— I did have an excellent mentor… Though he wasn’t always very enthusiastic about actually teaching me.”

Faust: “At risk of sounding disrespectful, it took a lot of physical strain, endurance and desperate begging before I eventually managed to coax something out of him.”

Shylock: “Dear me. Such provocative language, so early in the day.”

Riquet: “Knowledge and education certainly seem thrilling when you put it like that…”

Mitile: “Thrilling… So then, should it always be the student who pushes for that, um, connection?”

Shylock: “Not necessarily. Desire, too, plays an important part, after all.”

Mitile: “Desire? For knowledge, you mean?”

Shylock: “Indeed I do. Wanting to learn and wanting to teach are both forms of desire.”

Shylock: “When the teacher's desire to teach is stronger than the student's desire to learn, for example, it should be the teacher who strives to make that connection happen.”