Chapter 108 - The Battle on the Ship and the Opening Salvo
The sun was high in the sky. I pulled out my phone to check the time; it was nine o'clock. The morning haze had burned away, leaving a sky of deep, clear blue where clouds were beginning to form from the west.
The sail swelled with the western wind, and we steered toward the left fork of the river to avoid the large island in the middle. From the top of the mountain on that island, I could clearly make out human figures. The pirates had undoubtedly spotted our ship's movements and were likely preparing for battle.
On deck, a group of us had assembled: me, Fam, Maira, Avea, Wake, Marmie, Claire, Mercedes, and the captain of the ship.
"Time to prepare for a fight. We'll line the gunwales with shields," the captain said. He was a man with sun-scorched, brown skin, a barrel-chested build, and a receding hairline.
"We've got a good wind today. Can't we just push through at full speed and break past this area before the pirates are ready?"
The captain shook his head at my question.
"Impossible. This stretch of water is full of reefs. We have to slow down. They're using galley ships, which are faster than this vessel. They'll catch us for sure."
"I see."
I nodded. It seemed a fight was unavoidable.
"The pirates are using that island as a fortress. They have a clear view of our deck from there. If you want to lull them into a false sense of security, we can hold off on battle preparations, but…"
"No, please proceed with the preparations. I want to minimize casualties as much as possible."
The captain nodded, then looked at me with a suspicious gaze.
"You're… really sure about this?"
"I can vouch for him on that matter," Mercedes answered in my stead. "I personally witnessed Master Mash wipe out the swarm of Big Hoppers that was menacing the city of Nielen." This ship was carrying cargo for the Mateo Trading Company, so their word carried significant weight.
"Well, no point in getting cold feet now," the captain conceded with a nod. He turned to his crew. "Alright, you dogs, prepare for battle!"
The crew's answering shouts echoed in response to the captain's roar.
The war council was over. While the captain returned to command his crew, the rest of us remained on deck, watching the island. The other members of Levante and Altair joined us. I wanted to help with the preparations, but I knew that we'd only get in the way of the seasoned sailors.
The island was massive. I had imagined a simple, flat sandbar, but it was more like a proper island. It was covered in trees, making it difficult to see clearly, but there seemed to be an inlet. From it, three galley ships emerged.
Their oars moved like the legs of a centipede, closing the distance between us. We were picking up speed too, but their maneuverability was clearly superior. Just as the captain had said, outrunning them seemed impossible.
"I heard there were five of them…"
"The rest are likely being held in reserve," Wake replied. "A single merchant ship traveling down the river like this is unusual. They're being cautious." This was a grim development. Even if we dealt with these three, we'd still have the other two on our tail. We had to hold out until our own reinforcements arrived. But will Joe and the others really come? There was a chance they'd use our ship as a decoy and sail down the right side of the island to slip past this whole area.
"We should just burn their ships," Cecily said. It was the fourth day of our river journey, and she seemed to have finally gotten her sea legs. There were no signs of seasickness. Next to her, Marmie nodded in satisfied agreement. The two had become fast friends, like sisters with a wide age gap. Initially, Cecily had disliked Fam for being a demi-human, but she seemed to have no such issues with Marmie.
Fam and Aira were shooting daggers at the two of them.
"Looks like the mages are getting along. Aira, why don't you try to be friendly with Maira? You're both priestesses, after all."
I directed the comment at Aira.
"Maira's not a priestess. She's a shrine maiden. Besides, Maira's always so loud."
Aira pouted.
"Hmph! Don't you speak ill of my big sister. Aira is just embarrassed, that's all."
Maira puffed out her cheeks. Seeing their reactions, I regretted stirring the pot. My own sister and I used to fight constantly. I guess that's just how siblings are. But for all their bickering, the two of them wore matching outfits and carried the same weapons. And when Aira got worked up, she'd call Maira "Onee-chan." She had her cute side. Still, I didn't quite understand the difference between Maira's profession as a high-level shrine maiden and a regular priestess. I was about to ask her when the crew started hauling up river water and dousing the ship. A countermeasure against fire, most likely. The enemy ships were probably doing the same.
"…"
Cecily and Marmie watched this with indescribable expressions.
"See? Earth magic is the future," I declared triumphantly to the two of them.
"I've never met a cool person who uses earth magic."
"…Right. Earth magic is lame."
What was so wrong with earth magic? It was a mystery how those two were so perfectly in sync.
"You could just create a giant stone sphere and smash it into their ships to sink them, right?"
"This is why I can't stand earth magic supporters. Sailors aren't stupid. Their ships are magically reinforced as a countermeasure. They've already planned for anything you could think of, Mash."
Cecily's response was met with another satisfied nod from Marmie. By that logic, countermeasures should exist for every type of magic. A fire attack would be the first thing anyone would think of.
"Hey, Marmie. Don't forget you were pathetically defeated by my earth magic."
"…Hmph."
Marmie puffed her cheeks and fell silent at my words.
"I'll teach you about the greatness of earth magic too, Cecily."
I activated my earth magic, creating an object shaped after my manhood. Out of vanity, I made it a little bigger.
"Wh-What is that?! What kind of idiotic thing are you making at a time like this?!"
Cecily recoiled, taking a step back. Marmie, on the other hand, was staring at it with wide eyes.
"You should try fighting with this inserted. Then you'll understand the wonders of earth magic."
Patricia strode forward until she was right in front of me. Then, she punched me with her fist. It hurt.
"What are you doing in front of Lady Marmie? Throw that into the river. Now."
"But…"
"Throw it away."
Patricia smiled sweetly.
"…Yes, ma'am."
I reluctantly tossed it into the river.
The sailing ship slowed to maneuver around the reef. All the while, the enemy galleys closed in. They would be within arrow range soon. The crewmen were loading their crossbows, the kind you had to wind with a crank. We were given some as well; Avea had taught us how to use them during training the day before.
"Claire, Mercedes, that's enough. Please take shelter in the cabin."
Claire shook her head. "No, I will remain here."
Avea and I exchanged a look, and he shrugged.
"No good. The rest of Altair will be your guards. Take them to the cabin."
At Avea's words, Claire finally nodded in resignation.
"I'm staying," Fang told Avea, watching as his companion, a man named Byards, led Claire and Mercedes below deck.
Just then, a sharp whistle cut through the air as an arrow flew straight for me. Avea drew his sword and casually deflected it. The enemy ships were now within a hundred meters. They were splitting up to surround us from three sides. That was the only arrow fired; neither side had begun a full exchange yet.
I could hear the rowers' chants, the slap of oars against the water, and the creaking of the ships. The tension mounted as the enemy vessels drew closer.
"Marmie, you should also take shelter in the cabin."
"…I will not. I am aware that I created this situation. I will fulfill my duty as a noble."
This time, I looked to Wake.
"I will protect Lady Marmie with my life. Patricia, you should go to the cabin."
Wake glanced at Patricia. I had thought she might possess some combat abilities to protect Marmie, but it seemed that wasn't the case. If so, then what explained the pain from her punch?
"Yes, I would only be in the way. I will retreat."
"In that case, you should stay with Claire and the others."
She nodded at my words and followed after them.
I observed the enemy galleys. The number of soldiers on deck didn't seem particularly large; they must have been dedicating most of their manpower to propulsion. I saw figures with horns lined up—they must be the demons. Among them, I could also make out some humans.
"There are humans, too."
"Humans are the most populous race, so you'll find them everywhere. And the Demon Kingdom is relatively tolerant of other races. As a result, many different peoples live within their sphere of influence. In fact, it's said that half the population of the Demon Kingdom's capital is human. Though they do have to pay higher taxes than the demons."
Maira explained. She and Aira weren't equipped with crossbows; they were to focus on magical defense and healing.
"Hearing that, the Demon Kingdom sounds better than the Empire."
Conflicts between nations are clashes of ideology. There's no absolute right or wrong. A man who looked like the commander raised his hand. The enemy soldiers raised their crossbows in unison. We ducked behind the fixed shields lining the gunwale. Our captain raised his hand as well. I readied my crossbow.
""Fire!""
The shouts echoed across the water. A volley of arrows was unleashed, filling the air with a chorus of slicing sounds, followed by the thudding of bolts striking the shields and deck.
The battle had begun. The exchange of crossbow fire commenced. Several of our crewmen fell. Did my arrow hit anyone? I wondered as I crouched behind a shield, cranking the handle of my crossbow. Once the next bolt was set, I peeked through a gap to aim. I was shocked to see how much closer the enemy ships had gotten. I could clearly see the pirates' faces. I took aim at one of them and fired. But my bolt struck the fixed shield in front of me instead of its target.
"Hey! Once you fire, get your head down immediately!"
Avea yanked me down by the shoulder.
"S-Sorry!"
I started cranking the handle again to load the next bolt. I glanced around and saw that the operator of the ballista on the forecastle had been hit. He must have been their first target. Mizuki and Fam were also fighting with crossbows. Mizuki's movements were fluid, from loading to releasing. Fam, however, seemed to be having trouble with the crank. Cecily and Marmie had cast magical barriers around themselves and were observing the battle. It was a powerful barrier that deflected arrows. I'd never seen Cecily deploy a barrier this strong before; perhaps Marmie had taught her. Given their competitive natures, I thought they would be on the offensive with attack spells, but they made no such attempt. It was probably too difficult to cast a spell with this many arrows flying around. You'd be shot down before you could finish.
"We're surrounded on three sides. They're closing in."
Cecily reported the situation.
"How far?"
"I don't know, maybe thirty meters?"
Cecily answered my question. I poked my head out from behind the shield and fired. The bolt hit a demon. The man's face twisted in pain as he disappeared behind his own shield. As I stared, dumbfounded, an enemy arrow grazed my cheek. Again, Avea yanked me down with forceful strength.
"Don't make me say it again. You want to die?!"
Avea roared.
"I shot an enemy. It hit."
"You idiot! Then don't look so pathetic. You should be happy!"
I was thrown to the floor. Looking around, I saw several crewmen lying on the deck, blood pooling beneath them. I had done that. Avea shook my body, then peered into my face and clicked his tongue.
"Fam! Your job is to rally this man. Take care of him!"
Avea shouted to Fam, who was still struggling with her crank. She immediately obeyed and sat down beside me.
"Master…"
"Fam, what have I done…"
The rocking of the ship, which hadn't bothered me until now, felt nauseating. I wanted to drop everything and run. I felt sick.
"Master, the two of us are one."
She squeezed my hand. I realized her hand was trembling slightly. Just a little over a month ago, she had been crying after being beaten by goblins. And I had brought that same girl into a battlefield like this. I looked at Fam, and she smiled. It was the best she could manage. Another hand came to rest upon our joined ones.
"Mash, I'm here too. Don't forget."
It was Mizuki. She was probably just as scared as I was, but she was hiding it, fighting by my side. I started to calm down. The atmosphere of the battlefield had disoriented me, made me lose sight of my purpose. No matter what, I had to protect them.
"Mash, let's take a deep breath."
Following Mizuki's lead, the three of us inhaled deeply, filling our lungs with fresh air. Then, we slowly exhaled the stagnant air.
"Alright. Let's get through this, no matter what it takes!"
They both nodded at my words.
Thank you for reading. To everyone who has liked, bookmarked, and rated this story, thank you very much. Your support is a great encouragement. I will keep doing my best.