Chapter 1-21 : The Girl Came Up With A Plan
Charlotte’s cabin was on the fourth floor. Without wasting time, Elle and Yoyo ran down the corridor, heading to the stairs.
However, when they got outside and were about to head for the stairs, they spotted a familiar person standing by the stairs.
「Hm!? Elle, stop! It’s him!」(Yoyo)
「ー!?」(Elle)
It was the arrogant officer who locked Elle up in a cabin.
「Elle, hide quickly!」(Yoyo)
「Ugh!」(Elle)
It would be bad if that officer found her there. Elle looked around, trying to find a place to hide.
She found a barrel filled with cloth sheets by the wall and quickly got into it.
「Dammit! What is he doing there?」(Yoyo)
「He didn’t seem to notice us, but…」(Elle)
「We can’t get upstairs as long as he’s standing right there…」(Yoyo)
The officer was talking to a few crew members by the stairs.
「Ugh… Yoyo, can you see the iceberg from here?」(Elle)
Yoyo stuck his head out of the barrel and looked in the forecastle direction.
「Uhh… It’s too dark. I can barely see it from here. I’m a fairy, not a cat, so I don’t have cat eyes.」(Yoyo)
It was a new moon that day, so it was pitch dark out there.
Even Yoyo could barely see it. It was impossible for normal humans to see the iceberg.
「That’s too bad…」(Elle)
「Well, I can’t see it, but they probably can.」(Yoyo)
「They?」(Elle)
「The fairies who made a contract with you at the village. Light fairies can probably see the iceberg.」(Yoyo)
「You’re right! The fairies!」(Elle)
As soon as Elle remembered about the fairies, they appeared in front of her.
「Did you call us?」
「Did you call us?」
「Did you call us?」(fairies)
「Yeah. Can you see the iceberg up ahead?」(Elle)
「Yes.」
「We see it.」
「It’s getting closer.」
「And it’s big.」
「It’s much bigger than this ship.」(fairies)
「This is bad… We don’t have much time.」(Elle)
「I think we should think of another plan. Even if you could go upstairs, you don’t know where Charlotte’s cabin is, right? I don’t think we have time to search all the cabins on the fourth floor one by one.」(Yoyo)
「You’re right, but… What should we do?」(Elle)
If it was daytime, the crew members might have been able to see the iceberg and slow down the ship, but God was merciless. He made them approach the iceberg in the middle of the moonless night.
「If only it was daytime… If only there was the sun…」(Elle)
「Sun…? That’s right! Elle, sun!」(Yoyo)
「Hm? What do you mean?」(Elle)
「If we don’t have sun right now, we can just make it!」(Yoyo)
「Make it? Make a… sun…? …Aa!」(Elle)
Elle opened her eyes wide. Thanks to Yoyo, she got a brilliant idea.
「Yes, that’s right! It might work! Alright, I might be able to convince that stubborn officer with this, but… Do you think he will listen to me? He will put me back into the cabin as soon as he sees me.」(Elle)
「Yeah, he will most likely do that, but Elle, you can use these cloth sheets.」(Yoyo)
「Ah, I see! I got your point, but I don’t think it will be enough.」(Elle)
「Yeah… Elle, let’s find the guy from before. He is the only crew member we can trust. I think he can help us.」(Yoyo)
「But I can’t get out of this barrel. That officer will see me.」(Elle)
「Don’t worry. I’ll make a distraction. We’ll run when he’s distracted.」(Yoyo)
「A, Alright.」(Elle)
「Are you ready?」(Yoyo)
Elle gave a signal to Yoyo by nodding.
Soon after, Yoyo used his telekinetic ability to make the officer’s hat fall off his head.
「Tsk. The wind is really strong lately.」(Hans)
「Elle, now!」(Yoyo)
When the officer turned around and bowed down, trying to grab his head on the floor, Elle and Yoyo came out of the barrel and ran toward the direction where they came from.
They gave up on going to Charlotte’s cabin upstairs and decided to look for the receptionist guy who freed Elle.
Before she came out of the barrel, Elle didn’t forget to take a sheet of cloth from the barrel with her. It was needed for her plan.
At the end of the hallway, she saw the guy talking with another crew member.
「A huge iceberg, you say? Nah, that can’t be.」(crew member)
「It’s hard to believe, but don’t you notice something off? There’s much more drift ice than usual. Don’t you think it’s weird?」(receptionist)
「You’re thinking too much, man. You need to get some rest. I gotta go.」(crew member)
「Wait! …Ah, dammit!」(receptionist)
Elle slowly approached him after his friend left.
「Umm… It doesn’t look so good…」(Elle)
「Hm? Ah, Little Lady, it’s you. Yeah, no luck at all. No one believes me. They said I was just thinking too much.」(receptionist)
「I see. Forget about convincing your friends. We don’t have much time left.」(Elle)
「Do you have a plan?」(receptionist)
「Yes, and I need your help.」(Elle)
「Alright. Of course, I will help. So, what’s the plan?」(receptionist)
Elle approached the receptionist guy closer and whispered to him, explaining her plan.
The young man opened his eyes wide in disbelief when he listened to her.
「Wha… What? Creating a sun? Can you even do that?」(receptionist)
「I can.」(Elle)
「Seriously…? First, you noticed the iceberg that no one could see, and now you said you could create a sun?」(receptionist)
「So… You don’t believe me?」(Elle)
「No. I didn’t say that, did I? It’s hard to believe, but I trust you. I don’t know why, but… I have a strong feeling that I should trust you.」(receptionist)
「Don’t worry. I won’t betray your trust.」(Elle)
「Alright. Tell me what I should do.」(receptionist)
「First, I need to talk to that stubborn officer, but he will definitely put me back into the cabin when he sees my face, so I will disguise myself as an old woman. Your job is to take me to him and tell him that I’m a witch who can see the future or something.」(Elle)
「A witch…?」(receptionist)
While explaining, Elle put the sheet of cloth she took from the barrel on her head and covered her face with it.
She disguised as an old woman just like she did in the village when she was curing the villagers of their black disease.
「How do I look?」(Elle)
「Ahh, I see. You do look like an old woman.」(receptionist)
「Alright, let’s get going now. Take me to the man.」(Elle)
「Got it.」(receptionist)
「And, Yoyo, you hide somewhere. We can’t let him see you with me.」(Elle)
「Nyaa!」(Yoyo)
Elle’s disguise would mean nothing if the officer saw Yoyo with her. Therefore, he went hiding somewhere that no one could see him while watching over Elle from the shadow.
The officer was talking with crew members by the stairs a while ago, but he was no longer there when Elle and the receptionist got to the stairs.
「Hm? He was here a moment ago.」(Elle)
「Is that so? He has probably returned to the bridge. Let’s go there.」(receptionist)
Elle nodded and followed the young receptionist climb the stairs to the top floor where the bridge was.
There were a few crew members in the bridge including Officer Hans.
There was also a man who wore a white coat and trousers just like him. However, unlike the officer, he had more decorations on his coat, and somehow Elle could feel a dignified aura surrounding him.
That man seemed to be the captain.
Elle didn’t expect she would see the captain that easily. What a great coincidence, she thought.
She prepared herself mentally so as not to make any mistakes. She didn’t want to miss this opportunity.
You can gain access to [Early Access] page and read up to ten chapters ahead by supporting me on [Patreon]