Nice to meet you. I am Tigrevurmud

Nice to meet you. I am Tigrevurmud Vorn."

Visibly unintimidated by the man, Tigre put his bags on the ground and retrieved Sasha’s letter. Upon receiving it, Matvey broke its seal and quickly read its contents.

"Oh! Do you know the content of this letter, Lord Tigrevurmud?"

Matvey smiled as Tigre shook his head, though his frightful countenance twisted the expression to resemble that of a shark that had discovered its prey.

"It says to accompany you and help out as much as possible. I cannot refuse a favor from Alexandra-sama. Please step on my ship "The [Górdyj BelugaProud Beluga]"."

Bowing his head as thanks to his words, Tigre was impressed by his attitude. Despite knowing the current state of Asvarre, Matvey showed no fear. A most reliable man - as expected of someone Sasha had trust in.

"I hope to get along with you. By the way, when does this ship depart?"

When the answer “after a half koku” came back, Tigre’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

"The '[Górdyj BelugaProud Beluga]' was originally scheduled to head to Asvarre. You are lucky. If you had come here a little later, we would not have even been able to meet."

Matvey laughed as one revealing a trick as he continued to explain.

"Though the '[Górdyj BelugaProud Beluga]' is a merchant vessel, we often let other various customers aboard, so I don't think you will particularly stand out."

"I’m sorry, but I’ve yet to see that beluga thing......"

When Tigre answered so apologetically, Matvey turned around quickly. On the back of his crimson coat, there was a pretty design of a beluga[2] jumping. Though Tigre thought that it didn't look good at all[3], he wisely avoided putting those thoughts into words.

"With this picture as basis, I have put on a white mantle for the title '[Górdyj BelugaProud Beluga]'."

"......I understand."

"Though I should be here at about a quarter koku, what would you do? Will you come to my ship with me?" [4]

"Thank you for your kindness. If it's alright with you, I would like to go on ahead to the ship. I don't want to interfere with your work."

Bowing, Tigre answered so. As Matvey nodded with a smile, he took something out of his jacket pocket and presented it to Tigre.

At first glance it looked like a silver coin, but its design differed from those of Brune or Zchted: a beluga, like the one on display on Matvey’s back, was engraved upon it.

"Please take that. This is like a boarding permit, if you show that to the people in the ship, they will let you through with a smile."

Accepting the token with a word of thanks, Tigre left the place. As he walked while looking at an average ship on the wharf, he was wrapped with tension and excitement at the same time. He would be finally riding on a ship for the first time.

"Can I have a few moments of your time?"

He was suddenly called to from behind. As he looked at that place while thinking that he had been called out pretty often today, he saw a boy-like traveler with a small bag in his hand standing.

His body, short in stature, was wrapped in a slightly soiled mantle, and only a small part of his face was visible as he raised his face to look at Tigre, since it was being covered with a hood cast over his eyes.

"...I'm looking for a ship called The, Proud, Beluga, Do you know where it is?"

His voice had an accent that Tigre didn't know. There was a little interval between the words as he uttered the ship's name.

Since he seemed to have difficulty remembering the name.

Tigre looked down at the boy with a mystified look. The boy's height was only around his chest level.

Supposing he was a traveler, it seemed to be the age where one was still likely to be accompanied by parents.

"Since I am also boarding the same ship, would you like to go together? And, are you alone or are there still other-"

-companions? Those words were dispelled by a sudden snarl. When he looked there with a frown, three men who probably had not yet reached 20 years old walked forward with squared shoulders.

"You bastard, we said that we will show you the way around, what are you thinking by running away from us?"

One of the three stared angrily at the boy, and he shouted while pointing his finger at the boy. Whether it was his expression or his attitude, these were young people who seemed suited for the word hooligan.

The boy didn't show any signs of fear even though he was yelled at and calmly responded.

"Please don't continue to chase me. It's troublesome."

"D-Damn kid!"

The man became extremely enraged, and with a red face, he struck out with his fist. Tigre, with the bow still in his left hand, after placing his bag in his right onto the ground, came in between the boy and the man and caught the man's fist.

"He is my companion. Could you tell me what exactly is going on here?"

"These people agreed to guide me to the ship originally, but they then tried to take me out of the port."

Although Tigre tried to calm the mood for the time being, the boy was the one that answered back immediately. The man did not deny it, and moreover the two men who were watching the situation from behind held their tongues, then began to move. One of them went straight towards Tigre aggressively, and the other headed toward the boy.

However, Tigre's action was quicker. Others would have thought that he would first release the fist of the man who had struck out initially, however he promptly twisted it while gripping the arm without mercy and raised it. The man screamed in pain.

Then while using the man as a shield and checking the whereabouts of the second person, he pushed him away vigorously. The two thugs who collided collapsed together onto the ground.

---I need to hurry up and help that child...

When he looked back while thinking so, the battle was also already finished there. The hooligan only managed to pull off the boy's hood, while on the other hand the boy had jumped right in front of the thug's body, and he shot one sharp blow to his belly.

The man collapsed without a sound. Tigre, with a look of surprise and admiration, turned to the boy.

"Well then... What do you guys intend to do now?"

Looking back to the thugs that had fallen on their feet, Tigre used a cold voice to address them.

"We are not that free either. If you would just obediently allow us to leave, we will not pursue this matter any further."

Though the man growled in vexation and scowled at Tigre, he had to admit that he was no match for Tigre at all. Being challenged two against one, and despite Tigre only using one hand, they were still defeated.

As the men stood up unsteadily, they lent their shoulder to their friend who was holding his belly and then turned their backs on Tigre.

They disappeared into the crowd while cursing the onlookers. Thinking the uproar to be settled, the people who were looking at this situation from afar walked away.

The clamor of the port returned. As Tigre turned back to look at the boy, almost at the same time, the boy also looked at him.

---A girl...?

Tigre opened his eyes wide. He had thought all along that the traveler was a boy, but it turned out to be a girl.

Perhaps thirteen, or around fourteen years old, with disheveled light pink-coloured short hair and large eyes reminiscent of dull black pearls.

Her face was stained with dust, though the outline was slightly roundish, suitable to her age. Upon closer look, she was beautiful enough to arouse admiration. Although she gave an impression as though she were slightly absentminded with an expressionless face, she brought about an indescribable feeling and was extremely lovable.

"Thank you very much for helping me."

With a very monotonous voice, the girl quickly bowed her head.

"It was not a big deal. Though I think you are alright, did you get injured?"

When Tigre asked that while picking up his luggage, the girl looked up and issued a question while tilting her head in wonder.

"I'm not hurt. ---Why did you help me, a total stranger? Those people may have been in the right."

"More or less, because there are such people in every town, you will know who is right and wrong after you see such things happening several times. Even if it were not because of this, after seeing three large adults chasing after a child, if they were to strike you without even saying anything, it wouldn't be considered proper conduct now would it? In addition, you did not run away when I went in between you and those people."

At this answer, the girl narrowed her eyes while seeming to think about something. Her black eyes were, this time, directed to Tigre's black bow.

"What didn't you let go of your bow? Without even hesitating, you used one hand to-"

"Even if it looks like this, this thing is my family heirloom. Though it also depends on the situation, I don't want to treat it roughly if I can help it."

As he answered, Tigre thought that he couldn't understand this child very well. Although he didn't know about what she was always thinking about while being absent-minded, she was calm unlike a child. Her questions was clear too. After she seemed to have been convinced by this answer, she nodded and gave her name.

"Sorry for the late introduction. My name is Olga. So, Proud... U-Uh, Proud... Beluga..."

She stammered over her words. Opening her eyes, which were nearer to being half-opened, wider, Olga repeated the words desperately. Her blushing and flustered look made her seem a girl suitable of her age, and Tigre unknowingly gave a smile. He bent his knees, crouched and adjusted the height of his gaze to be level with hers.

"'[Górdyj BelugaProud Beluga]', right? Let's go together. I'm Tigrevurmud."

It was half for a precaution not to have given his family name, and the other half was for consideration to her. Giving only her name must mean that Olga was very likely to be a commoner and not a noble. He took care not to frighten her. Of course, he also considered the fact that Olga didn't give her family name for precautio