75話 船酔いしました
雨妹たちが乗っているのは漁のための舟、つまりは大きなものではない。
漁船に集ろうとしていた連中は水飛沫を上げて海へ逆戻りし、立勇の刃をくらった者からは血が流れているのが見て取れる。
「なんだ、強ぇぞコイツ!?」
海へ落とされた男が、もがきながらそう漏らす。
「今、港にはろくな戦力がいないんじゃあなかったのかよ!?」
また別の男がそう喚く。
――うん?
なんだか連中が聞き捨てならないことを言っている気がするのだが。
雨妹が立勇をちらりと見れば、あちらも厳しい視線を海に突き落とした賊たちに向けている。
「余裕があれば捕らえたいが......」
立勇がそう呟きながら、舟を見る。
引き揚げた人たちで満員なので、残念ながら賊を確保する隙間はない。
「まあいい、目的は救助だ。多くを望むべきではないな」
立勇はすぐに意識を切り替えて、舟の主にこの海域から脱出するように伝え、自らも船の櫂を手に取る。
こうして雨妹たちを乗せた舟がゆっくり港に向かっていると、逆に港から出た大きな船が襲われた商船へ近づいている。
「お、利民様の船だ!
舟の主が嬉しそうにそう言う。
利民は雨妹たちと同じくらいに港に着いたはず。
それを考えると、早く現場に到着した方だと言えるだろう。
「これから荒れるぞ、早く港へ戻った方がいい」
「おぉ、そうだな」
立勇の言葉に、舟の主が頷いて力強く櫂を漕ぐ。
雨妹が商船の方を見ると、海賊の船は利民の船を見たとたんに退却を始めている。
ずいぶんあっさりと逃げる様子に首を傾げつつ、雨妹は自身に起きた異変を察知する。
「......酔った」
青い顔をする雨妹に、立勇が冷静に告げた。
こうして怪我人と船酔いの雨妹を乗せた舟は、無事港へ到着した。
――うぅ、世界がぐるぐる回ってるぅ......。
怪我人と一緒に引き上げられた雨妹が、ぐったりとしていると。
「飲め、船酔いにいいらしいぞ」
誰かと会話をしていた立勇が、そう言って飲み物の入った器を差し出してきた。
「どうも、ありがとうございますぅ......」
雨妹はヨロヨロとその器を受け取る。
生姜湯に蜂蜜を混ぜたもののようで、その香りでちょっと気分がよくなる気がする。
そしてチビチビと舐めるように飲むと、生姜のすっきりとした風味がムカムカを流し、さらに蜂蜜の甘味が雨妹に元気を注入してくれる。
「美味しいぃ」
弱った身体に甘味が嬉しい。
ちょっと涙ぐみながら生姜湯を飲む雨妹に、立勇がホッとした顔をする。
「それが飲めるなら、大丈夫だな。
船の揺れはそれらとはまた別次元だと、初めて知ったのだった。
「車と舟は、揺れ方が違うからな。
私も川の舟しか乗ったことがなかったが、存外揺れるので驚いた」
驚いたが酔わなかったのだから、立勇は相当に三半規管が強いのだろう。
そういえば近衛は馬に乗るのだから、あれこそ激しく揺れる乗り物だ。
乗馬で揺れに強くなったのかもしれない。
ともあれ、こうして生姜湯のおかげで復活した雨妹は、すぐに怪我人の手当てに取り掛かる。
すると「利民様が戻られたぞ!」という声が港に響いた。
――戻るのが早くない?
雨妹が首を捻りつつ海の方を見ると、襲われた商船と利民の船が港に接岸しようとしている。
隣で立勇が同じように、目を凝らして二隻の船を眺めていた。
「遠目だが、商船自体には被害がないようだな」
立勇がそんな感想を言う。
「そう言えばそうですね、特に壊れているように見えません」
海賊被害というと、船も乗組員も大打撃を受けるとばかり思っていたのだが。
そう不思議にしていると。
近くにいた漁師らしき男が、そう口を挟んだ。
Chapter 75
Yui Mei and the other people were on a fishing boat, which wasn't huge in the first place.
There's not much room to move around, but that didn't deter Li Yong. He whirled around like a deadly dancer, and the guys who gathered to climb up the boat were all sent flying back to the sea with a splash, while blood flowed from the others who were struck by his blade.
"What's with this bastard!? He's strong!!"
One of the men who were thrown into the sea shouted as he struggled to stay afloat.
"I thought there are no fighters in the port right now!?"
Another guy shrieked.
'Hm?'
It sounded like the guy was spouting inexcusable words right now.
Yui Mei peeked at Li Yong, but he was also glaring at the robbers who were thrown into the sea.
"I wanted to capture them if we had leeway, but..."
Li Yong directed his gaze to the boat as he muttered.
Unfortunately, they could no longer afford to bring the 'pirates' with them because they already reached the boat's full capacity.
"Oh well, it's fine. Our aim was to aid the rescue. I shouldn't hope for more."
Li Yong immediately changed his mindset. He told the owner that they should leave this area of the sea immediately, and he also helped row the boat.
And so, they slowly headed towards the harbor, when they met a huge ship coming from the port.
"Oh, it's Lord Li Min! Those guys are gonna retreat for sure now."
The boat's owner gleefully said.
Li Min probably arrived at the harbor at the same time as Yui Mei and Li Yong, but getting a ship as huge as that to start probably took some time.
In that case, then they were really the first one to arrive at the crime scene.
"It'll get rough from here on, so we better hurry and return to the harbor."
"Yeah, you're right."
The owner agreed with Li Yong's words, then he energetically pulled the oar.
Yui Mei was staring at the merchant's ship, so she saw how the sea robbers hastily started to retreat the moment they saw Li Min's ship.
Yui Mei was really perplexed at how quick they were to flee. Suddenly, a strange feeling surged within her.
"...I feel sick."
Li Yong calmly replied to the pale-faced Yui Mei.'
Finally, the boat carrying the wounded people and the seasick Yui Mei safely arrived at the harbor.
'Ugh, the world is spinning.......'
Yui Mei was also lifted up along with the injured, and she collapsed to the ground.
"Drink this, it's good for seasickness, they said."
Li Yong had been talking to somebody earlier. He returned to Yui Mei's side, then he offered a cup to her.
"Thank you so much...."
Yui Mei dizzily took the cup.
It was a ginger tea mixed with honey, and the fragrance somehow soothed her.
She slowly sipped it, and the refreshing taste of ginger calmed her queasiness, and the honey revived her spirit.
"So tasty..."
She was glad she got something sweet for her weakened body.
Yui Mei was moved to tears while drinking the ginger tea, and relief was written all over Li Yong's face.
"If you can drink that, then you're fine, I guess. Sorry, I don't understand how you feel, since swaying and such doesn't really affect me."
Well, the shaking of the boat earlier was on a different level, nevertheless, it was the first time she learned about this.
"That's because the swaying movement of a carriage is different from that of a ship.
I had only boarded a river boat before, so I was also surprised that it would shake more than I thought."
He was surprised and yet he didn't get nauseous -- the semicircular canals* in his ears must be strong, quite suited for him.
Now that she thought about it, imperial guards rode on horseback, which was also a very shaky mode of transportation.
Horseback riding may have made him more resilient.
Anyway, Yui Mei immediately started to treat the wounded after being revived by the ginger tea.
Suddenly, someone shouted "Lord Li Min returned!"
'Isn't it too fast?'
Yui Mei whipped her head to look at the sea, and she saw the merchant ship side by side with Li Min's ship headed towards the harbor.
Li Yong was beside her, straining to look at the ships, too.
"It's a bit far, but the ship's body doesn't seem to be damaged."
Li Yong commented.
"Oh, now that you mention it, it doesn't seem to be broken anywhere."
She thought that the ship and crew would suffer heavy blows when assaulted by pirates.
It was actually strange.
A fisherman nearby interjected.
Housekeeper of the Hundred Blossom Palace
百花宮のお掃除係～転生した新米宮女、後宮のお悩み解決します。
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/housekeeper-of-the-hundred-blossom-palace/
Fantasy Romance Shoujo Slice of Life
Adapted to Manga Ancient China Complex Family Relationships Different Social Status Female Protagonist Imperial Harem Love Interest Falls in Love First Reincarnated in Another World Royalty
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n4104ev/
黒辺あゆみ