Chapter 93 - The Stranded Ship and the Vanished Children
We got back into the boat.
"Um, I'm starting to feel bad about this. Should I row?"
"No, it's fine. Boats are a guy's adventure."
I bluffed, saying something I didn't even understand myself. Maira gave me a troubled look, probably thinking I was just being stubborn.
"It seems we don't have to return the boat to the other side; we can just leave it at the boat landing here. Let's take the ferry back."
Her words were a profound relief, but just as I started rowing again, my hands froze.
"Where's the stranded ship?"
I looked around, but the stranded ship we'd seen from the shore was gone.
"...Could it have been something like a mirage?"
We were only about twenty meters from the shore, at most. Could a mirage really appear that close?
"Can't be helped. Let's just try to get closer to where we saw it."
Curiosity won out over caution. I started rowing again. I could see a crowd of people on the bank. They didn't seem to be an illusion. Someone was pointing at us and saying something. It seemed they could see us, too. For a moment, a sudden gust of wind blew past. The instant after I blinked, the stranded ship materialized right before my eyes.
"Whoa!"
We collided with it. The boat rocked violently, but we hadn't been going very fast, so it didn't capsize or break. After checking that Maira was okay, I studied the ship, looking for a place to board. There was a large hole in the hull; it looked like we could get in through there without having to climb to the deck.
"Mash, look at the shore."
"Hm?"
I shifted my gaze to the bank. The scenery was the same, but the crowd that had been there just a moment ago had vanished.
"They probably got tired of all the commotion and went home."
I muttered something noncommittal, but I recognized we were in a dangerous situation.
I hurriedly turned the bow toward the boat landing and started rowing to get back. But a jolt ran through the boat, as if we'd hit a wall. Even though we could see the boat landing, we couldn't get any closer.
"It seems we've been trapped. We're already inside a dungeon," Maira said.
"A dungeon like this exists?"
"This is a first for me as well, but since we seem to be trapped in a different dimensional space, I believe it must be a dungeon."
"...I see. Let's circle around the outside and look for an escape route."
"Let's find the children first."
Maira took out her weapon and began preparing for a fight.
"And what's the plan after we find them? You intend to have them charge into the Area Guardian's room?"
"Mmph…"
She furrowed her brow at my sarcasm.
"I'm kidding. You decide, Maira."
Just as she was about to say something, I thought I saw the water's surface near the boat swell slightly.
"Maira, there's something in the water. Be careful!"
At the same moment as my warning, a crocodile burst from the water and snapped at Maira. She leaped to her feet and struck the crocodile's snout with her mace. The beast thrashed, sending up a spray of water, and retreated below the surface. The impact rocked the boat, and I hurriedly caught her as she nearly lost her balance. Peering into the water, I could see the crocodile swimming beneath us. It was huge—at least twice my height. And it wasn't alone; there seemed to be several of them. A crocodile shot up toward my face. I yanked my head back just as its fangs sliced through the air where I'd been. The boat rocked again.
"There were crocodiles in this river?"
And I was just casually rowing a boat in such a dangerous place.
"They're most likely monsters. We're at a disadvantage here. Our footing is unstable, and we're easy targets. We should move into the stranded ship."
We couldn't fight off crocodiles on this unstable boat. If we fell into the river, we'd have no way to counter their mobility. We'd be perfect prey. I rowed for dear life toward the hole in the ship's hull. Maira held her mace at the ready, but I had no idea if it was doing anything to deter the enemies in the water. Just before we reached it, a crocodile lunged at us from behind. Maira fought back with her mace again. Refusing to give up its attack, the crocodile heaved itself onto the boat. The boat pitched violently.
"It's no use! We're going to capsize! Jump for the ship!"
Maira got inside the stranded ship, and I tried to follow. But the boat lurched, and I lost my balance. The crocodile was closing in from behind, baring its fangs.
"Mash, take my hand!"
I grabbed the hand Maira offered. She pulled with all her might, and I managed to scramble into the ship in the nick of time. Looking back, I saw our boat floating upside down. The crocodile was perched on top of it, glaring at us and baring its teeth.
We watched the crocodile for a while until, as if giving up, it disappeared back into the water. There was no sign of it trying to enter the ship.
"…Isn't this thing bugged? Aren't you supposed to face weak enemies at the start? Who could possibly beat something like that?"
It was a terrifying ordeal. I took a deep breath to stop my trembling. Could the children and the adults who came to help have been attacked by the crocodiles? The thought was sickening.
"This is a newly formed dungeon. It's likely unstable in some ways. Shall we look for the exit?"
Maira asked in a calm voice. I shook my head. To do that, we'd first have to flip the boat back over. I couldn't imagine that being possible while fending off crocodile attacks in the water.
"I'd rather fight an Area Guardian than face those crocodiles in the water. Let's explore the ship. We might find the kids or their parents."
"Mash, my judgment was wrong. We should have gone to the knight order or the guild first."
"No, my tone was too harsh. It's only natural you'd push back. I'm sorry. Besides, I was your hero, wasn't I?"
I took my katana out of my storage.
"This turned into one hell of a date."
I chuckled jokingly and surveyed our surroundings. The floor was slanted, and barrels were scattered about. It looked like a storeroom. It was dim, but not so dark we couldn't see. Like other dungeons, it seemed we wouldn't need to provide our own light. I spotted a door. It looked like we could move deeper into the ship. For now, I stepped in front of her and started walking.
"I will be the vanguard. You can use your bow, Mash. I am not some woman who just trembles in the rear."
Maira said, her expression tense. She seemed to be feeling responsible.
"Quiet. Just leave it to me. Shut up and tremble behind me."
I said, flashing a grin. Maira's hand reached out and grabbed my back.
"Very well. In that case, please use your strength to stop my trembling."
Maira smiled back and replied in a somewhat theatrical tone. I turned and pulled her into an embrace. Of course, she wasn't trembling at all. She gazed at me for a moment, then closed her eyes. I pressed my lips to hers.
"Let's go through the door and check out the rest of the ship."
Maira nodded. I opened the door cautiously and peered into the next room. There was no sign of monsters. A carriage stood in the center of the room—just the body, no horses. I could also see another door leading deeper in and a staircase going up to the next floor. I approached the carriage. It was different from the type we rode in with the caravan; this one was smaller, but it was a luxurious vehicle with a glossy finish.
"Why is there a carriage in the ship's hold...? Is it something a noble would use?"
Instead of being the type you board from the front or back, it had a step and a door on the side for getting in and out. Maira moved closer to peek inside, but she froze.
"...There's something inside."
She raised her mace.
"There are more around us, too."
As if seeping out from the cracks in the floorboards, four green slimes materialized. They're just slimes, we should be fine. The moment I raised my katana to strike, the slimes' bodies began to glow.
"They're about to cast magic!" Maira shouted.
An arrowhead made of ice appeared in front of one of the slimes and shot toward me. I barely dodged the attack, but the other slimes began to glow one after another. Maira moved quickly and smashed one with her mace. The monster vanished. I tried to cut down the closest slime, but its magic activated too fast.
"Gah!"
Of the three arrowheads aimed at me, one sliced into my arm. Enduring the pain, I cut down one of them. In that time, Maira took down a second. The last one escaped, melting into the cracks of the floorboards.
"Damned slimes, casting magic..."
I grumbled. Maira began healing my arm.
"So there's one in the carriage, too?"
Maira nodded. If only Cecily were here, she could just blast the carriage with a fireball, I thought, as I prepared to launch an earth-magic stone sphere as a deterrent.
"W-Wait!"
A voice came from inside the carriage. The door opened, and children emerged. Two boys dressed like common townsfolk, and a girl dressed somewhat better than them. All three looked to be about seven or eight years old. Maira rushed over to the three of them.
"Are you all right?"
"Y-Yeah."
One of the boys nodded, and Maira patted his head. The other boy burst into tears and hugged Maira. As she rubbed his back, the first boy hugged her too.
"…"
I wish I were a kid right now. As I was thinking that, my eyes met the girl's.
"I'm Ensha. Those two are Kirim and Yuris."
Ensha pointed to the two boys clinging to Maira. It seemed the one who had started crying was Yuris.
"I'm Mash. And that's Maira."
"Mash, I'm hungry."
"Haven't you eaten anything?"
The girl nodded.
"We were exploring, and then monsters showed up, and we couldn't get back."
So they hid in the carriage.
"Were there no crocodiles when you came here?"
The girl shook her head.
"Monsters appeared while we were exploring. We tried to escape outside, but the way back was gone, and there were crocodiles swimming around."
I took some snacks from my storage, poured water into a cup using water magic, and handed them over. These were sweets I'd bought at a stall to eat with Maira. They were made from a dough mixed with honey, ginger, cinnamon, and other spices. Apparently, they're called gingerbread. The boys stared intently as Ensha ate.
"Want some?"
The two of them nodded. I gave the rest of the gingerbread to the boys.
"Before you eat, there's one thing I have to tell you. That lady over there is mine, so don't you forget it."
The boys, their cheeks stuffed with gingerbread, just stared at me with blank expressions.
"What should we do now?" Maira said.
"Let's head up to the deck. There might be a lifeboat. These kids hiding here haven't seen their parents. They might have entered from a different place."
"Is my father here too?" Ensha asked.
"Yeah, you'll probably see him soon."
I nodded. We have to find the dungeon's exit somehow, but it's probably outside the ship. It looks like defeating the Area Guardian is our best bet for getting out. The problem is whether we can defeat it with the children in tow.
"Before we go up, shouldn't we check the room further in?"
"Good point."
So Maira's the type to search every nook and cranny. I walked in the lead. The children followed behind me, and Maira brought up the rear, guarding our backs. Ensha gripped the hem of my clothes tightly.
"I have something to tell you all, too," Maira said. "That big brother is mine."
Thank you for reading. Thank you to everyone who has liked, bookmarked, and rated this story. It's very encouraging. I'll do my best. Thank you for pointing out typos. It's a huge help.