Just A Reincarnation Story (Summoning Japan Edition)

Chapter 22: Cold Morning

Day 6 of Month 12, 1614 Central Calendar

"Mmmnngh..."

A soft groan echoed in a quiet cabin that was dimly lit by a faint glow rising from beyond the horizon, entering through a single circular window that was bolted shut on the wall. The source of that voice, a young boy, was sleeping on one of the bunks within the room, his body twisting and turning under the thick blanket until his sleeping form finally faced the window.

"Uhh...?"

The sleeping boy jolted awake, bringing his right hand to his face in order to shield the morning glow that suddenly assaulted his closed eyelids.

"Ah... it's already morning," he murmured, glancing around the cabin to find that the bunk next to him was already empty.

There was no clock inside the cabin, no way for the boy to tell accurately tell the time, but judging from the light outside, he guessed it must be around 6 to 7 o'clock in the morning. The boy can clearly feel the gentle motion of up and down of the cabin now that he was fully awake. He was on board a ship, and from the circular window—a porthole, he can see the dim, but slowly brightening light blue of the slightly cloudy sky that meets the dark blue color of the ocean. It's a beautiful sight of differing shades of the same color, separated by a line in the distance known as the horizon.

The boy stifled a yawn and rubbed his sleepy eyes with the long sleeve of his dull white shirt. After sitting for a while, he then got out of the bunk in order to get dressed. And when all is done, he took a deep breath and pulled out a locket from his jacket's pocket. It opened to reveal a portrait of a woman.

After placing the locket gently on a table, the boy crossed his arms and muttered in his heart.

'Mother, today is the second day since I went on another voyage with father to the east... I wonder, how are you today? Are you being always treated well in there? I hope good fortune to always be with you, just like I hope good fortune to be always with us... Anyway, I have to go. Mother, once again, please continue to watch us from above..."

He finished the rite that he had always done in the morning after a while and put the locket back in his pocket. With a satisfied hum, he stood up and finally headed outside.

As soon as he opened the door that connected the cabin to the outside deck, a surge of bone-chilling wind suddenly rushed past him, a stark contrast to the cabin's warm interior which was heated by a magical device containing red magic stones. Fortunately for him, he was prepared and already braced himself for this kind of weather. After all, it is already early in Etherischemaan (Month 12), the winter season in this part of the world. And so, the boy, a merchant's son named Kaios, stepped to the deck to start a new day on board the ship.

"Brrr...!"

Even with the thick coat that he is wearing, Kaios still shivered at the sudden drop in the temperature the moment he stepped outside. It was so cold that he can see his own breath, prompting Kaios to bring his gloved hands to cover the cheeks of his face, the only part of his body that was exposed to the sea breeze. He walked towards the railing to gaze at the sky and water that spread out as far as he could see in front of him.

The ship that Kaios was boarding is one of the clippers in his father's merchant fleet, currently heading south from her homeport of Esthirant in the Parpaldia Empire towards the first destination of their voyage, carrying merchant goods to foreign countries.

Just like several months ago, he had requested his father's permission to accompany him on another voyage to spend the Winter Vacation for schools in Parpaldia. He argued to his father that it is a good opportunity for him to learn more about navigation and matters related to their business if he were to succeed the Meyer Trading Company's leadership in the future. Besides, it won't hurt for Kaios to spend some time with his only immediate family that he knows of in a way that both of them can enjoy rather than toiling away in boredom at his house alone. His father, Meyer, had his feelings struck by his last argument and finally relented to bringing him in, although he was concerned due to the nature of this time's voyage route.