Chapter 106 - The End of One Battle, and the Beginning of the Next
The atmosphere in the square had completely changed, and the crowd was now booing Wake. His match with Mizuki had been declared void, and a commotion erupted over the refunds for the bets. As a palpable sense of disappointment spread through the audience, who felt they'd been cheated of a good show, I noticed Patricia quietly observing me. I wondered if she was going to challenge us next, but she quickly shifted her gaze to Marmie. Is she really just a handmaiden?
As the matches concluded, those remaining in the square began to disperse. Finally free from Marmie and her entourage, I let out a sigh of relief.
But that relief was short-lived. Joe and his group were approaching.
I tried to pretend I hadn't seen them and head for the food distribution, but Joe grabbed my shoulder.
"So, you're the one who summoned the goddess everyone's talking about."
"More or less."
I gave a noncommittal nod.
"Why did you keep it a secret?"
Joe made no effort to hide his distrust.
"As you've probably figured out, I was summoned by one of the Five Pillars of Genesis. I know that the other transferees have been told they can get a wish granted if they defeat us. I wanted to avoid any conflict."
He and Becky, who stood beside him, studied me, as if trying to size me up.
"I see. So who's the other one?"
I wasn't going to answer until I knew what they were thinking. I remained silent.
"Fine, whatever. Are you sure you have no intention of fighting us?"
"None."
When I nodded, Joe nodded back. How far could we really trust each other? I couldn't read their intentions. But then, the feeling was mutual.
"Do you know any other transferees?"
"...I do."
"What about the name Yuuki?"
"I've never met him personally, but I've heard he attacked some of our fellow transferees."
At my answer, the tension in Joe's shoulders seemed to ease just a little.
"I see. It's true, we were told to kill the transferees summoned by the Five Pillars of Genesis. They told us we'd get any wish we wanted if we did. But we have no intention of fighting our own countrymen. Besides, we're actually enjoying this world."
Joe's words echoed my own feelings, but I wondered if he knew about the ten-year survival limit imposed on transferees. I considered telling him for a moment but decided against it until I knew if we could truly cooperate.
"I agree that we shouldn't be fighting each other. But in that case, why were you looking for the person who summoned the goddess?"
"We weren't planning to fight. But if we were challenged, that's a different story. We just wanted to know why you guys were brought here first."
"We were told to defeat the Demon Lord. We weren't told to fight other transferees. So we have no reason to fight any of you."
I wondered if they would take that as the truth. Though he had relaxed slightly, both Joe and Becky continued to watch me with an unnervingly persistent gaze.
"We know that a transferee defeated the Demon Lord a hundred years ago."
"Yeah, that part's not clear to me either. I think we need to figure out what's really going on. We'll probably have to go to the Demon Kingdom eventually."
"And what happens if you defeat this Demon Lord?" Joe pressed.
"I haven't been told what happens after that. The other transferee who came with me was promised she'd be sent back to our original world."
"By the goddess who summoned you?"
"That's right. That's all the information we were given."
The objectives given to us by the Five Pillars of Genesis and the ones given by the other Fifty Gods were both incredibly vague. There seemed to be no pressing reason to follow a divine command to fight other transferees, nor to defeat the Demon Lord. And while I didn't know how many times people had been brought to this world before us, the cultural changes I'd seen were minor at best. Nothing significant. When I thought about it that way, it seemed that the gods' true purpose might be simply to periodically send people from another world here.
"So, are you planning to set sail for Heilong with that princess tomorrow?"
"That's the plan."
Joe stroked his chin, mulling over my reply.
"Good. I don't know about your payment, but the crew's pay doesn't change even if the trip takes longer. Sticking around here will just kill their morale. Besides, you and I both have special skills. I'm betting that if we work together, we can take on those pirates. Let's draw up a plan."
The next day, we set sail in the early morning, about two hours ahead of our usual departure.
There was no escort fleet. We were sailing alone.
The idea was to make the pirates think we were trying to steal a march on the other ships, slipping through the sandbar during the early hours.
Our ship cut through the morning mist. The surrounding landscape was a wash of white, and visibility from the deck was poor.
We moved at a more leisurely pace than usual, likely to watch for shoals and reefs.
I hoped we could just push through this fog and clear the pirate-infested waters, but I knew the mist would burn off as the sun rose and the temperature climbed.
Our ship was the decoy, meant to draw the enemy's attention.
The plan was to lure their fleet close and then use the goddess summoning.
If any slipped through, we would deal with them with close-quarters combat and the support of the backup fleet. That fleet was scheduled to depart two hours after us, on their normal schedule.
To bolster our forces for boarding actions, any adventurers and able-bodied fighters who had been on the passenger ship were now aboard ours. We had about a hundred and fifty people on this vessel. Still, the enemy reportedly had five galleys, each with a crew of two hundred. It was hardly a reassuring number.
We'd have to wait two hours for the main fleet to catch up, but Joe had claimed he could get them to us much faster. He seemed to have some kind of movement-related special skill, though he never elaborated on the details.
Even if we managed to get through the pirate territory safely, there was still the possibility of a fight with Joe and his group.
I would have to fight them without my special skill available. But they didn't know there was a third person on our side who could use one. And if Joe's group tried to attack me—the one who had summoned Racshell—they would surely become enemies of this world's inhabitants. When it came to that, I'd have to rely on Maira to win the crew over to our side.
My anxieties just kept piling up.
And to top it all off, there was my current outfit: nothing but the red boomerang briefs I'd gotten from Avea. It was utterly humiliating.
My scrawny physique only amplified my feelings of insecurity.
But as I inspected myself, I realized I might have started to build some muscle since coming to this world. I'd certainly been more active.
As I struck a pose to check, I realized Mizuki had appeared beside me.
"Pfft… what are you doing all by yourself?"
Mizuki was trying her best to stifle her laughter. I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks from embarrassment.
"Hey, you're wearing a swimsuit, too!"
She was in a navy blue racing swimsuit with a streamlined white pattern. It fit her body perfectly, clinging to her curves with a faint sheen.
"It feels so embarrassing wearing this after so long…"
Mizuki's cheeks were also flushed.
"Hey, could you lean forward a little, press your arms against your chest to emphasize it, and hold that pose?"
"Wha—?! I just said it's embarrassing…"
Despite her protests, Mizuki struck the exact pose I'd described.
I pulled out my phone and snapped a picture.
"Mizuki, this is like a dream. I never thought the day would come when a girl as beautiful as you would pose for me in a swimsuit…"
"Don't say things that are so hard to respond to!"
Mizuki puffed out her cheeks slightly, but she also looked pleased somehow.
"Well, what kind of compliment should I give you then?"
"Something normal is fine. Like calling me cute."
"You must be used to hearing that…"
As I said that, Mizuki's expression darkened.
"Mash, are you… okay?"
"No, this outfit is insanely embarrassing."
The crew members were staring at me like I was some kind of freak. I was pretty sure they'd already labeled me a pervert. I didn't think I could stand their gazes. I wanted to hide.
"That's not what I mean. What we're about to do… it's different from any battle we've had before. If we fight, a lot of people are going to die. I know it's cowardly to say this now, but… I don't want you to use the goddess summoning. I've already… taken a life. I don't want you to go through that…"
Her gaze fell to the deck at her feet. For a moment, I could almost see the bleeding form of the werewolf Task lying there.
I placed my hand over her clenched fist. It was trembling slightly.
"As long as we're living as adventurers in this world, I think it's something we have to overcome."
"Don't blame it on this world! Don't try to justify it!"
"I know. But I have my own resolve."
"And what's that? To defeat the Demon Lord?"
"That doesn't matter to me. My goals are to create a place where Fam can live in peace, and to get you back to our world, Mizuki."
"So you're saying what you're about to do is my fault? And Fam's?"
"No. It's for my sake. But… I admit I'm using it as a justification. If you say I'm running away, you're right."
She sighed at my words.
"Mash, let me ask you one thing. Have you lost your resistance to killing people?"
"I still have it. I don't want to kill anyone, either. I want to avoid it."
She lifted her gaze to meet mine, her eyes searching for the truth in my words.
"…Okay. Mash, no matter what you do from here on out, don't forget that I'm with you. Don't forget what you said—that we would carry this burden together."
Mizuki threw herself into my arms. I caught her, holding her tight. The smooth fabric of her swimsuit, the warmth of her body beneath it… I didn't want to lose this.
"Mash… I love you. Don't let me go."
"Mizuki. We'll always be together."
She looked up, her face so exquisitely beautiful. Her moist eyes stared into mine. I felt myself drawn in, leaning closer.
Just then, the sound of approaching footsteps reached us. We quickly broke apart.
It was Avea. She looked at our outfits and nodded with satisfaction. She was in her usual bikini armor. It was she who had given me permission to participate in the battle, on the condition I wore this swimsuit.
Mizuki had nothing to do with it, but since I didn't want to be the only one, I'd dragged her into it.
"Hey, this might be fine if we fall in the water, but what about when the arrows start flying? What are we supposed to do if we get hit?"
"Hmph. That's what you trained your muscles for. Besides, just dodge them and there's no problem. That swimsuit should have boosted your agility, right?"
She said it as if my boomerang briefs had some kind of agility-enhancing effect, but they just made me feel lighter.
"…That only works for you! Take a good look at my body!"
Avea grunted, "Hmm," and let her eyes roam over me from head to toe. Then she shifted her gaze to Mizuki.
"…Mizuki, are you really satisfied being held by this man?"
"Huh? Uhm… yes," Mizuki stammered, her face turning bright red as she whispered the last word.
"If you're not, I can introduce you to a man with a bit more meat on his bones. Just say the word."
"Hey! Cut it out! You heard her say 'yes.' Stop putting weird ideas in Mizuki's head!"
I threw a serious punch at Avea. I'd intended to stop it right before her face, but such consideration was unnecessary. She caught it effortlessly. What's more, she just laughed it off as if it were a joke, clearly thinking we were just playing around.
"Look, we're up against a band of professional pirates. Rather than waste arrows on some scrawny old guy in a ridiculous outfit, they'll target the real fighters to thin our ranks."
I just wish she'd remember she was the one who made me wear this ridiculous outfit in the first place.
Thank you for reading. To everyone who has liked, bookmarked, and rated this story, thank you so much. It encourages me to keep going. I'll do my best. And thank you for pointing out typos. It's a huge help.