Chapter 533 - The Title of Savior
After Simon defeated Damian with his trump card, the matchlock, the exploration of the Ghost Ship began in earnest.
While the majority of the players began their search from inside the Ghost Ship, Parfait's group alone started from the deck near the bow. Originally, this was an area teeming with monsters, but since Benitsuru had wiped out most of them, it remained safe until they respawned. Thus, they could have afforded a short break, but Abel, Lion, and Luty were urging everyone to move forward, visibly excited.
"Let's get moving! We gotta find the treasure!"
"I want to defeat more monsters, so let us proceed!"
"Come now, shall we not make haste? To rest in a place filled with such romance is a profanity against life itself!"
While Benitsuru and Simon watched the three with fond smiles, Parfait and Wilnel felt it was rather strange, wondering what exactly was driving them to such an extent.
Parfait, in particular, wanted to recall the battle between Simon and Damian while the memory was still fresh. The Azuma-ryu Sword Style was primarily based on receiving attacks, but Damian's way of fighting went beyond that. Damian had undoubtedly been the one leading the flow of the battle; Simon had simply used a game-changing trump card at the very last moment. Without that, there was a possibility he would have lost.
Through her training, she had thought it impossible to beat Benitsuru or Simon, but a small spark of ambition flickered within her, thinking that if she could fight like Damian, she might stand a decent chance. Parfait resolved to ask Damian to teach her next time. She even went as far as hoping that if they encountered Damian in combat again, she would be the one to face him.
That aside, she couldn't just leave the excited Abel and the others alone, so they decided to move forward.
They hadn't decided where to go. To begin with, since it was a massive super-dreadnought class battleship, the deck alone was incredibly vast. Furthermore, Parfait, who didn't understand much about ship construction, asked everyone where they should head.
It was Wilnel who answered that question.
"I do not know its exact location, but I believe heading for the Captain's Quarters is the standard procedure."
"The Captain's Quarters?"
"A ship has various rooms. There will be an Armory, a Jail, and likely a Pantry as well. Among those, if there is something important, it would be in the Captain's Quarters. However, since this ship was treated as the Undead Research Institute to begin with, there might also be a Laboratory."
"Then wouldn't it be better to look for the Laboratory?"
"There is a possibility it is locked. And if we consider a suspicious place where a key might be kept—"
"Ah, I see. The Captain's Quarters."
"Yes. Furthermore, this is assuming it was a pirate ship, but there might be treasure in the Captain's Quarters."
"Oh, that's it! Treasure! It's common knowledge that ghost ships like this have cursed treasure! Let's go, we gotta be the first ones there!"
Abel, speaking with excitement, immediately began to move. Although it was unclear what was located where, Abel seemed unable to stay still; after advancing a short distance, he beckoned Parfait and the others, shouting, "Hurry up!" as he pressed on.
Lion and Luty followed him, and Parfait's group trailed after Abel with a "good grief" sort of attitude.
As they moved across the deck, Parfait looked at the surroundings shrouded in mist.
Though faint, several massive masts stood tall, rigged with tattered sails. On the deck, a large number of broken barrels, rotted ropes, and rusted cannons were left abandoned, truly giving off the feeling of a Ghost Ship. While some parts used metal, it was almost entirely a wooden ship, creaking and groaning as it swayed with the waves.
It wasn't that she felt afraid, but it was the kind of place where one wouldn't want to be alone. Even in such a place, Abel and Luty's eyes were sparkling, while Lion scanned the area with the eyes of a hunter.
"Luty-san, may I have a moment?"
Wilnel suddenly called out to Luty. Perhaps happy to be addressed by Wilnel, Luty turned around with a beaming smile.
"Oh, what is it?"
"Regarding this Ghost Ship—or the Undead Research Institute, if you prefer—do you know specifically what would constitute the treasure?"
"A good question. It's not something I need to hide, so I'll answer: I suspect there is information here for summoning Beelzebub the Fly King."
"Beelzebub the Fly King?"
"A giant fly monster. It has only been defeated once in the past, and that was about twenty years ago. It's said there have been no records of its appearance since then."
"So your true objective is that monster?"
"Exactly. Currently, there are three Quests that the Explorers' Guild is buzzing about: the discovery of the Undead Research Institute, the activation of the Colossus in the Ruined City Clear, and the investigation into the conditions for Beelzebub's appearance. Those three are all connected."
According to Luty's story, the Ruined City Clear was supposedly destroyed by Beelzebub, and the super-massive unfinished golem, the Colossus, exists as a countermeasure against it. And the one who fled before the city's destruction was the director of the Undead Research Institute at the time; the ship that director boarded was said to be this Ghost Ship.
"It's strictly a hypothesis, but I believe there's a possibility they angered Beelzebub during the process of their undead research, leading to the city's destruction. In other words, if we look at the research results or the process, we might find a way to make Beelzebub appear."
"I see. So, the treasure of this Ghost Ship is the contents of the undead research."
"It might be completely unrelated, but even so, just being able to board this Ghost Ship provides enough excitement to have change left over!"
After saying that, Luty asked Abel, "Don't you think it's full of romance!?" and Abel agreed, saying, "That definitely is romance!" as they hit it off.
Parfait, who had just been listening to the conversation and thinking "I see, I see," noticed Benitsuru and Simon making sour faces for some reason.
"Benny-shishou, Simon-sensei, is something wrong?"
"Beelzebub is a giant fly, so it's a bit... Besides, it's a Raid Boss I don't have good memories of, so I want to hit it with a secret technique...! Like a 'pardon my cutting you down' sort of thing!"
"I feel the same. I have no grudge against the monster itself, but there were issues with the situation when we fought it. Well, Rosalie and her lot probably hold the greatest grudge of all."
"Eh? Rosalie-san?"
She was the closest of Lunaria's retainers and also a director of the major brand "Black Rose." She was a person who dearly loved Gothic Lolita (Subculture) clothing, to the point where all the executives of Black Rose wore Gothic Lolita outfits they had each designed.
"Wait a second, Benitsuru-san, Simon-san, have you fought Beelzebub before?"
Luty, who had been hitting it off with Abel until a moment ago, looked back and forth between Benitsuru and Simon's faces repeatedly with a look of shock, having overheard the conversation.
"We have. Though, it was a long time ago. We did not summon it through the proper procedures, so we do not know the appearance conditions. How should I put it—ah yes, it was what they call a 'boss rush.' Games have systems where boss characters appear one after another, do they not?"
"How wonderful! Then the time it was defeated once twenty years ago was also then—what kind of battle was it?"
"Even if I told you of the battle, it would not serve as a reference. At that time, we were practically invincible. There was not a shred of a factor that would lead to our defeat."
"Just like Simon said! Back then, we didn't feel like we'd lose to any opponent!"
The two who had seemed to dislike Beelzebub were now reminiscing with smiles, as if it were a fond memory.
"What happened?"
"I cannot speak of the details, but shortly before we fought Beelzebub, we felt nothing but despair. However, a single Player appeared there, and even now when I remember it, my heart—no, my soul trembles. And they became the Savior, the hope of every Player present at the time, and fought Beelzebub alongside us."
"Savior... That is the title for which there is still only one person who has achieved it, right? The condition was, 'to save the Virtual Reality,' or something like that."
"That is correct. And likely, no one will ever appear who can satisfy that condition again. Well, it is something like a commemorative title—ah yes, I do not know if it will be of use, but if you intend to fight Beelzebub, you should prepare an Airship. You cannot win unless you first knock Beelzebub to the ground in an aerial battle. Furthermore, you should gather those with high Woodworking Skills so they can repair the Airship during combat."
"Oh, thank you for such great information!"
Luty said with a smile, jotting the details down in the notepad available in-game.
Parfait was thinking that she had heard this story somewhere before, or that her father used to be called a Savior, but when Simon smiled at her, she became certain.
"Parfait, you should be proud of your father."
"I've heard various things, but did that really happen?"
"It is the truth. That is why everyone who fought together back then relies on Hayato. Your father is the one who proved through his own actions that he can be counted on in a crisis."
Hearing that, Parfait felt rather pleased. Thinking she might give him a shoulder massage today, Parfait walked along the deck of the Ghost Ship in high spirits.
[Author's Note]
I apologize for mentioning a different work, but the first volume of the manga adaptation of the author's original work, "Slow Life of the Dead," was released today, 3/15. It is only available as an e-book, but please do pick up a copy!