[Serialized Novel] Night 1: "The Sultan's Otogizōshi"
Night 1
The Sultan's Return
"If there is such a thing as fate.
It changed drastically when I met that man with the gentle black eyes."
＿＿He who was bestowed the name Basara.
The Ramadan fast has ended, and here in the port town of Chandra, many people are bustling about.
Business negotiations, the handling of unloaded marine products, and various other things. There is no end to the list of spices, gold, silver, minerals, silk fabrics, folk crafts, and industrial arts brought in from various regions.
The lush Malay Peninsula in the southeast of the continent.
Facing the vast ocean, there lies a country prospering through maritime trade called the
"Pundarika Kingdom."
The country is ruled by the Sultan, Abdullah Malik Shah.
He has a magnanimous nature, and though his tongue is sharp, he is full of human kindness and is popular among the commoners.
Today, people have gathered at the port, waiting for something. It is not that a festival is about to begin.
In fact, it is the day the Sultan's sailing ship returns after a long voyage.
The sea and sky of the eternal summer stretched on forever, thick and heavy as if pressing down from above.
White clouds float in the spotless blue sky.
The dazzling sunlight is overflowing.
Drifting clouds flow from here to there, far above our heads, toward the dense forest spreading out behind us.
The commotion of the people in the port town swallows even the cries of the seagulls.
The sound of the lapping waves was washing up from beneath our feet.
"They're back!!"
Someone said, and the welcoming gong rang out.
Clang!
The large white triangular sail stretched from the deck billows out wide, catching the sea breeze blowing over the ocean.
At the top of the thicker main mast, one of two tilted forward, is the royal crest: two facing Malayan tigers with a white lotus flower blooming in the center.
It is also a flag that serves as proof of having been influenced by diverse cultures throughout a long tradition continuing from the distant ancient past.
It was fluttering proudly.
The pointed, curved bow at the tip of the golden sailing ship cuts through the white waves roaring in the blue sea.
Eventually, the ship slows down, enters the port, and drops anchor at the wharf.
A gangplank is lowered from the deck where sailors are coming and going, and one man walks down with bold, long strides.
Abdullah Malik Shah. That is the man.
Sun-tanned, copper-colored skin. His salt-and-pepper hair and beard are slightly brownish at the ends, perhaps from being bathed in the sea spray.
He is around fifty years old. But his vitality is overflowing in both mind and body, and he does not have a withered appearance.
Around his neck is a necklace of unknown origin, rumored to be a family heirloom, edged with ink-like jet black and cinnabar lacquer.
He wears luxurious gold earrings and rings on his ears and fingers, and a flashy orange turban on his head. The pattern is an arabesque.
He wears a bright yellow tank top, a thick black leather belt around his waist, and carries a beautiful kris dagger made of black pearl and lapis lazuli.
The crank-shaped blade made of meteoric iron is a distinctive feature unique to this region.
It is not for ritual use.
Although it is ornately decorated because it is a royal possession, it is a dagger that the Sultan actually uses, possessing sufficient practicality.
"Welcome back, Your Majesty the Sultan."
The attendant who came to meet him bowed his head and said. But the Sultan is suspicious.
"Alright. So, what's your real opinion?"
"Tch, he's back."
"You get twenty lashes."
"...Once again. Welcome back, Your Majesty the Sultan."
The Sultan responds by raising his right hand.
"Was there anything unusual? Nizam."
"Nothing at all. Everything is going smoothly."
"Except for you."
"I have a horse waiting for you, Your Majesty."
Nizam said as if nothing had happened. And he bows once more.
"Well, wait. I have a souvenir."
"--A souvenir?"The Sultan smiles faintly, "Heh heh heh."
To be continued
<Next time, Night 2: Port Town of Chandra>