Chapter 112 - Battle on the Galley, and Belowdecks
We were aboard the galley. The flames had subsided thanks to Marmie's water magic, but I had a feeling it was only temporary. It was a wooden ship, after all; there was no way to stop the fire from spreading completely.
The water-slicked deck was treacherous, and I had no intention of meeting a pathetic end by slipping and tumbling into the flames.
Cannonballs had blasted holes through the deck, and the water Marmie had unleashed was now pouring through them into the levels below.
Shattered planks jutted upward. The cannonballs had been too powerful for the wooden hull to simply absorb; they must have torn through the deck before exploding below, which would explain the shockwave. If that was the case, the damage inside was likely even worse.
The bodies of those struck down by Racshell’s arrows were being washed toward the gunwales by the currents of Marmie’s spell.
Fam, Mizuki, Maira, and Aira followed me onto the ship. I wished Avea was with us, but I had no right to ask her to come.
The rowing benches—the seats used by the oarsmen on a galley—were arranged from bow to stern. On the upper deck, an overhanging row of these benches had been built out from the hull. Parts of it had been destroyed by the explosions and fire, collapsing into the river below. The remaining benches were empty; there were no rowers in sight.
"I'm heading to the lower decks," I said. "Maira, Aira, can you check the men on deck? See if any of them are still alive."
My waterlogged clothes clung to me, heavy and restrictive.
"You're going to help them?" Aira asked.
"You have a problem with that?"
She shook her head.
"If things get dangerous, don't wait for us," I added. "Just get back to the sailing ship."
I handed them some mana recovery potions just in case. The door leading below was busted open. A blast of hot air rushed out, and I instinctively shielded my face. But water was pouring down here too, so it looked like the stairs and corridors would be passable. I led Fam and Mizuki down the steps.
"You're having regrets, Master," Fam said.
"You bet I am," I replied, trying to sound jovial. "Here I am, fresh off of beating some pirates and becoming a multi-millionaire, only to find myself having to flee with practically nothing. Getting mixed up with people who have a whole country on their shoulders never leads to anything good."
"That's not what you're regretting, is it?"
Her fur and ears were soaked, robbing them of their usual fluffiness, but she was as sharp as ever.
"From your perspective, Fam, am I acting strange?"
"I don't know. But the people you truly want to save are the ones lying on the deck."
"You... are you a mind reader or something?"
This went way beyond simply being perceptive. Was she psychic? If she was this sharp, I couldn't even indulge in any dirty daydreams around her.
"I cannot read your thoughts, Master. But you left our healers, Maira and Aira, on the deck. That's not like you. You're usually so much more cautious."
"Are you against helping them, Fam?"
"I… am against it," she said. "They tried to kill you with a crossbow, Master. I can't forgive that. They're pirates. They attack and kill innocent people. The very people you're trying to save now are their victims."
"You're right," I nodded. She looked like she had more to say, so I waited.
"While you're trying to forgive them, you told Racshell-sama that you would never forgive the ones who attacked my village. It's inconsistent."
"...You've got me there. But it's not like that."
I'd hoped Fam, of all people, wouldn't find out what I'd told Racshell. But she must have overheard.
"I understand," Fam said. "I don't like letting one feeling erase all the others, either."
With that, she turned to leave.
"I will ensure your wish is granted, Master. I am going back to help Maira and Aira."
"Fam…"
Her words brought a warmth to my eyes. I forced a smile, not wanting anyone to see. I watched her go, then descended to the lower deck.
The floor was damp, and thankfully not engulfed in flames, but stray oars were scattered about, some of them burning. The walls and pillars were also on fire. We navigated around them, searching the interior. The cannonballs had punched through this level as well. This middle deck, where the mid-level rowing benches were, was sectioned into fore, mid, and aft compartments. I had heard the slaves were chained on the lowest deck, but we checked for anyone left behind just in case. And we found no one.
"So the ones in chains are on the lowest deck," I said.
Mizuki nodded. The intense heat was already starting to dry our clothes, so I used a bit of water magic to douse us again. I opened the hatch to the deck below. A blast of superheated steam rolled over us.
"It's so hot," Mizuki grimaced.
I reflexively shielded my face with my arm. It felt like the steam blast in a sauna. Now that I thought about it, it had been a long time since I'd been in one. It wasn't exactly a hobby of mine, but the memory made me nostalgic.
"I wonder if they have saunas in this world," Mizuki mumbled, as if she'd read my mind.
"I bet one of the other transferred people has built one by now," I replied. "A sauna seems like it would be pretty easy to make."
We started down the stairs. This level had to be where the lowest rowing benches were. The layout was similar to the deck above. Just as we were about to start walking, the ship lurched violently. They must have fired another cannonball from the enemy ship. Since we could still stand, it probably hit somewhere farther away. Mizuki shot me a worried look.
"It's okay," I said. "Cecily will get that defensive spell working to block the cannonballs."
"Yeah," Mizuki nodded. "I believe in her, too."
We searched the forward rowing section, but found no one.
When we moved to the central section, we found another cannonball hole blasted through the ceiling and floor. Peering through the opening in the floor, I saw water had already risen to about half a person's height. Even as I watched, the level was climbing. The hull must be breached; the ship was flooding.
"Mizuki, we're on a sinking ship," I said. "Feels like we're living out a movie plot."
And if this follows the story, she's the only one who survives.
"I don't want an ending like that!"
"Mizuki, when this battle is over, let's get—"
"I told you to stop setting up those weird flags!" she snapped, cutting me off.
Mizuki left me behind and started checking the central rowing benches. She headed to the port side, so I checked starboard. No one.
"Mizuki, anything on your side?"
"No, nothing here," she said, shaking her head. Only the aft section remained.
We pushed on, avoiding the flames as we made our way to the aft. The heat was unbearable; it felt like we were being steamed and roasted at the same time. Mizuki was wiping her face, but I couldn't tell if it was sweat or condensation.
We opened the door to the aft section.
Inside, the fire hadn't spread, likely because this area had been sealed off. But a hot, dense vapor, thick as fog, filled the air. I didn't know where it was coming from. The oar ports had been closed, probably in preparation for battle. Whether it was the heat or the lack of oxygen, it was becoming difficult to breathe.
There were twenty rowing benches in the aft compartment. And chained to them were men branded with slave crests. The oppressive heat had left them completely limp.
We rushed over to one of them. His legs were shackled, restricting his movement from the bench. A slave crest should have been enough to control them without these restraints. Their master probably wasn't even on this ship. Mizuki placed her fingers on the listless man's neck to check his pulse.
"He's okay."
"You're good at that," I noted, impressed by her practiced movements.
"Yeah, we learned first aid as part of our swim club activities."
"D-don't tell me you practiced mouth-to-mouth with hundreds of guys, telling them it doesn't count as a kiss…"
"I did not! And where did you even get the number a hundred from?!"
"Good. Anyway, let's get these oar ports open. We're going to pass out from the heat. Now, about the key for these chains…"
As I was talking and opening a port, the man Mizuki had checked on started to stir. I spoke to him.
"I'm an adventurer. We're here to rescue you. Do you know where the key to your shackles is? One of the crewmen said they left it where it belongs…"
"The deck below," the man rasped. "In the room directly under this one."
Mizuki and I exchanged a look. That was the deck that was flooding. Getting there wouldn't be easy.
"I'll go," Mizuki declared.
"Wait! That's too dangerous. I'll go."
"I'm a more confident swimmer than you are, Mash. Leave it to me."
With that, Mizuki started taking off her clothes, revealing the swimsuit she wore underneath.
"You open the rest of the ports, Mash. Get some air in here."
"Mizuki…"
Ignoring my concern, she threw her arms around me. Then, her lips pressed against mine.
"That's for resuscitation practice," she said. "The real one is for when I get back."
And then she was gone.
After I'd opened all the ports, it felt like an eternity had passed. I checked the time on my phone, but not much had gone by. Still, the floor had begun to tilt. This ship was going down. We'd have to cut it loose so it didn't take the others with it, which meant she had to be back soon. I waited, a prayer on my lips. But the fact that I felt the need to pray just meant I didn't truly trust her. I should have just run away, I thought. I'd dragged her into this mess because of my own stupid pride—something I couldn't even explain properly to anyone, not even myself. I'd said we'd do this as a team of six, and now I was alone. A tremor ran through the ship—another cannonball. It missed. I pictured Cecily's confident face. All I could do was believe in them and wait.
"Hey, you with the Empire?" one of the slaves asked.
I nodded. Thanks to the ventilation, the temperature in the room had dropped. The stagnant air was gone, replaced by fresh air from outside. All the slaves were awake and seemed to be lucid. I was relieved I wouldn't have to carry them out.
"Whereabouts are we?"
"Between Flucht and Heilong."
"That's a pretty wide range. But we're on the Empire's side of the river, right?"
I didn't have the geographical knowledge to explain it well. I decided to fill them in on our current situation while we waited.
Just as I was explaining things, Mizuki burst back into the room.
"The deck below is already flooded up to my head. I had to dive to get there, it was tough…"
She bent over, hands on her knees, gasping for breath. A ring of keys was clutched in her hand. I wanted to hug her, but with all the slaves watching, I held back and just took the keys.
"You rest, Mizuki."
I went around and unlocked the slaves' shackles. As soon as one was free, I sent him toward the deck. Their legs were unsteady after being forced to sit for so long, but it seemed they could walk. After freeing the last man and sending him on his way, I noticed the water was already seeping into this level, pooling around our ankles. The tilt of the ship was getting worse. We had to hurry.
"Ready to go?" I asked Mizuki.
She responded by throwing her arms around my neck.
We held each other close and shared a kiss.
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