kscans

Chapter 110 - The Battle on the Ship and Words of Love

I awoke to Famu's kiss. The soft sensation on my lips could only be hers. I wrapped an arm around her back, pulling her close as I sought her lips in return. Famu seemed to have grown bolder, as she wrapped her arms around my neck.

But our blissful moment was brought to an abrupt end by Cecily.

"How long are you two going to keep that up! Break it up!"

With that, she tore Famu away from me. I opened my eyes. I was sitting, propped up against a fixed shield, surrounded by the members of Levante. Slowly, I pushed myself to my feet. Pretending to stumble, I fell into Famu's arms, confirming her soft embrace and reassuring warmth. She hugged me back tightly.

"Master…"

I was tempted to resume our kiss, but sensing I’d just be pulled away again, I let her go.

"Famu, did you hear what Laciel said at the end?"

"That if it’s you, Master, you can defeat the Demon Lord."

Why was Laciel so fixated on a Demon Lord who died a hundred years ago? Was she trying to give me some kind of hint?

"Maybe Akitsuki Uta failed to kill him and the Demon Lord is actually still alive. Or maybe there's another Demon Lord, different from the one she defeated. Mizuki, what do you think?"

The smartphone containing Uta's diary-like notes was in her possession. I asked, hoping she might have noticed something. As my gaze fell on her, I realized for the first time that she was glaring at me with cold eyes. Was she angry that I’d embraced Famu?

"Don't mess with me. Who asked you to do that?!"

"Wh-what are you talking about?"

I flinched at her harsh tone.

"Mash, you think it's wrong for Famu to try and protect you by sacrificing herself. And yet, you're trying to save me, even if it means sacrificing yourself. Maybe that's one form of love for me. But I don't want any solution where we don't both make it out alive. Just like Famu, you're twisted!"

It seemed she was angry that I had asked Laciel to save her. I wished she hadn't said it in front of Famu, but I couldn't take back what had been unleashed. I'd have to talk to Famu later, but first, Mizuki.

"Of course I'll find a way for us both to survive. I'll save Hyakka and the other transmigrators, too. What I asked Laciel was for the worst-case scenario."

"And I'm telling you, I never asked for that!"

My attempt to explain myself only added fuel to the fire.

"Mizuki, just think about it. The next ten years of my life, and the next ten years of yours. Do you really think they pass with the same value, the same weight? No matter where you are, the future you hold has more potential than anyone else's."

"Shut up! That's what's wrong! If you get to decide my value, then I get to decide yours. And to me, you're the only one who matters!"

I couldn't keep up with Mizuki's intensity. But I knew that a simple apology to smooth things over would be seen as an insult by her.

"Mizuki, you said you wanted to get married in a chapel, right?"

"What about it?"

"When you get married, they make you swear an oath before God. There's a time limit built into it: 'till death do us part.' So you don't have to be so attached to me all the way to the end."

Mizuki's eyes widened.

"Do you seriously think I'd just say, 'Oh, okay, I see,' to that?"

Her voice dropped to a low, dangerous tone.

"No, I don't. But I want you to understand that you're an irreplaceable, precious person to me."

"You can't sweet-talk your way out of this. Don't think I'm still the same girl who's always scared of being attacked and just does whatever you say!"

"From the very beginning, you never listened to me. You were cheeky, rebellious, looked down on me, and… you were always adorable. I want to protect that."

"Me too! Me too… I do too… But if you won't understand, Mash, then I'm leaving the party."

The words were out. Mizuki bowed her head, covering her face with both hands. I wanted to prevent this exact thing, I wanted to be with her, and yet I'd made her cry.

"…Alright. But Levante is the name you chose. Even if you're gone, I want your permission to keep using it."

Mizuki looked up in surprise, her eyes wide.

"Why aren't you trying to stop me?! You care about me, don't you?!"

She gets angry when she says she's leaving, and she gets angry when I don't stop her. It felt completely unreasonable, but I couldn't say that. By offering to keep the name she'd chosen, I was trying to tell her she'd always have a place here. But it didn't get through. I wondered if Cecily could cast another sleep spell on her. I glanced at Cecily, but she just offered a half-smile and an 'I give up' pose. Apparently, she was enjoying this exchange.

"I want to be with you, Mizuki."

"Me too. But… it's different. I don't want to be protected. I want to see the same things, from the same perspective, together, just the two of us. From your point of view, I might be a child, an unreliable presence. But I hate that."

Was Mizuki getting desperate?

"Mizuki, if anything happens, I'll prioritize you. I don't see that as self-sacrifice, and I'm not looking down on you. You help me too, and you're my emotional support. But if it bothers you that much… then what should I do?"

The words caught in my throat. Sensing my confusion, Mizuki let out a deep sigh.

"…Never mind. I'm pretty similar, so I think I get how you feel, more or less."

"So we can stay together? Don't say you're leaving the party again."

Mizuki nodded.

"I got emotional and just blurted it out. I want to make up with you, Mash."

The heat of the battle just moments before was still lingering, leading our hearts astray. I put my arm around her shoulder.

"Mizuki, we'll stand out here. Why don't we go to the cabin and make up in private?"

"…Okay."

As I tried to lead her to the hold, Myra stepped in our way.

"What exactly do you two plan on doing now?"

When Myra asked, I glanced at Mizuki, who blushed and averted her gaze.

"There are still post-battle matters to attend to,"

Myra stated coldly.

I headed for the captain, with Myra and Aira in tow.

"Are we clear? You have summoned Laciel-sama. During this voyage, you must not, under any circumstances, show deference to anyone. You are an emissary of a god. An executor of the divine word."

"…Got it."

"Also, please puff out your chest more and adopt a dignified attitude. I will handle the rest."

I nodded again. I walked in the center, flanked by the two women in their priestly garments. This must have been Myra's idea of stage direction. It seemed to be highly effective; as I passed, the sailors cleared a path and bowed their heads deeply. It was better than the festival-like commotion in Nieren, but I really wished they'd just act normal.

"So, I need to know the situation after Laciel vanished. It looks like we're still not out of the sandbar waters…"

"Our sailors have boarded the enemy vessel and are capturing the pirates."

"So there are enemy survivors?"

Myra nodded. I let out a sigh of relief.

"Yes. Those who were waiting in the hold, and those who were hit by arrows but didn't lose their lives. It seems more than half of them survived."

A rough calculation told me there were about a hundred survivors on the enemy galley. Adding that to our forces meant we had nearly three hundred people left, almost double our own crew. That number included the injured, meaning their fighting strength had been cut by more than fifty percent. It was safe to call it a rout. They shouldn't have any capacity to continue the fight.

"And our casualties?"

"We lost five people. There are many injured. Doris and others with healing abilities are tending to them."

I clenched my fists. Despite being surrounded and showered with arrows, we'd escaped with only five deaths. It was a complete victory. But a heavy weight settled in my chest, and my spirits wouldn't lift. I took another look around. The deck was littered with arrows fired at the enemy. The mast was pincushioned with them, and the sail had several holes. The light damage to the sail was likely because the pirates had intended to capture the ship whole. We were moored alongside the enemy galley. Its deck was stained red, and our crewmen were striding across it. There was no resistance from the pirates; our sailors were tying up the survivors. The ship was drifting gently downstream, at the mercy of the river's current. I had thought Famu woke me up right after I'd collapsed from mana exhaustion, but it seemed a fair bit of time had passed. Still, it bothered me that we hadn't yet cleared the sandbar area.

"The pirates should have two undamaged ships left. Laciel isn't coming back. We have no way to beat two galleys. If they send out a scout and figure that out, we're finished. The battle is already decided. There's no need to continue fighting. We should cut the galley loose and get out of these waters as quickly as possible."

"About that, I thought it best not to tell our allies about the nature of your ability, Mash. It is unnecessary information."

So that's why we were in this situation.

Myra, who had been walking diagonally behind me, overtook me and stopped in front.

"What is it?"

"I was vague earlier, but what our sailors are doing right now is not combat. It is looting and capture."

The battle was decided. And now they were expanding the spoils of war.

"What are they going to do with them once they're captured?"

"Sell them as slaves."

"…"

There shouldn't be much worth looting. So they intended to profit by selling the pirates as slaves.

"I thought you'd make that face. Therefore, if you disapprove, please give the order to leave these waters not as your own will, but as the word of a god."

"Is it okay for me to falsely speak the word of a god?"

"Mash, you are an emissary sent by a god. Whatever is in your heart, your words will not defy the divine will."

"Speaking of which, Laciel was calling you an 'idiot, idiot'."

"…Mash, do you want to make me cry too?"

I reflected on my childish remark.

"And you were the one who didn't wake up this bearer of divine will right away, weren't you, Myra?"

"Yes. I thought it would be better for you to speak after assessing the situation."

"So you're saying my way of thinking is off, then?"

"I can't say for sure. I haven't heard what you think, after all."

"You're so sly! You already know, don't you?"

Myra met my words with a smile. Aira poked me in my boomerang briefs.

"Mash, don't worry about Myra. You really should just act as you see fit. We'll back you up,"

Aira said.

"Alright, I hate being the only one in boomerang briefs, so until we get to Heilon, everyone's in their underwear."

"If Cecily starts giving you the cold shoulder, I'm out of here too."

We made our way to the captain. Marmi, Wake, Claire, Mercedes, and Avea were already waiting.

"A great victory,"

the captain said, extending his hand. I shook it.

"It's not over yet. The enemy still has two undamaged ships."

"We have reinforcements coming up from behind. Besides…"

"If you're talking about the goddess, don't count on it. A miracle like that only happens once in this battle."

The captain nodded with a vague expression.

"We should leave these waters quickly."

"We can't just abandon the galley and the pirates. If they regroup, they'll remain a threat. As people who live on this river, we can't ignore it."

"So what's the plan?"

"First, I want you to see this."

The captain nodded at my words and signaled a crewman. The sailor brought forward ten demons bound in chains. They were all a head taller than humans and had horns growing from their foreheads or heads. Some had a single horn like an oni, while others had horns like sheep or deer. I was surprised to see a young woman among them. A single, oni-like horn grew from her forehead. From the leather breastplate she wore, she appeared to be a warrior. Her physique didn't quite match Avea's, but her muscles were still formidable.

"What's this?"

"Your share of the spoils."

I instinctively glanced at Myra, but she kept her gaze lowered and said nothing. What happened to her promise to 'handle things'? Had they already settled all this while I was asleep? If I had been part of the discussion from the start, I—not having even considered that captured pirates could be turned into money—would have insisted on fleeing these waters as quickly as possible. The captain would have been forced to follow the opinion of the man who brought him this victory, and the talk of prisoners would have vanished. The crew's chance for a reward would have disappeared too. There was a chance their dissatisfaction and criticism would have been directed at me. So, Myra had delayed my waking to eliminate the opportunity for me to voice my opinion first, leaving the post-battle cleanup to the crew. I understood that on the water, it was better to follow the sailors' customs to avoid friction. I didn't like the idea of turning people into money, but it seemed I had no choice but to go along with the situation Myra had created.

"…Alright. In that case…"

"Everyone here is Mash's share. The other members of Levante will each be allocated one prisoner as well."

Just as I was about to point to the demon woman, Myra spoke up.

"What?"

"This victory is thanks to you. We're grateful that casualties were low. If this isn't enough, tell me how many you want. The remaining prisoners will be divided among those present here."

I tried to question Myra again, but the captain, thinking I was complaining about my small share, cut in.

"…N-no. This share is fine for me. I'll leave the rest of the distribution to you, Captain. There are about three hundred prisoners, right?"

How did they plan on taking a number of prisoners greater than their own crew to the city?

"Actually, there are slaves chained in the hold as rowers. If they're citizens of the Empire captured by the pirates, we have to set them free,"

the captain answered. So there were slaves, too. Luckily, being chained up meant they hadn't participated in the battle and had been spared Laciel's arrows.

"So, what should we do with the captured galley?"

the captain asked for confirmation, but I didn't understand what he wanted me to confirm about it.

"What do you mean, 'what should we do'?"

"If you have no objections, we'll chain it up and tow it. We'll make the captured prisoners row. We plan to sell it off in Heilon or a town before it. You can make those prisoners your slaves, or if you leave them to me or the Mateo Trading Company, we'll convert them to cash for you."

My eyes met Mercedes's. He gave a quiet nod. Reluctantly, I nodded back.

Leaving the rest of the cleanup to the captain and his men, I returned to my companions in Levante. A murky feeling lingered. I couldn't shake it.

"Master, the enemy galleys,"

Famu said, pointing upriver as if to pile on to my gloomy mood. I followed her gaze. Just as she'd said, two galleys were floating on the water. Their countless oars, arranged in three tiers, were churning, pulling through the water. They had already begun their pursuit.

"Don't they have any fear of going through the same thing again?"

"Perhaps there is someone among them who knows that was the power of a Divine Grace… a special skill?"

Myra answered my question.

"They might have figured out that the more powerful the effect, the longer it takes to activate again…"

"That's possible. Demons cannot use special skills. Could a transmigrator have joined them?"

Myra stared at the enemy galleys with a grim expression.

"The possibility is high. Normally, they wouldn't think of chasing us with two galleys after we defeated three."

Just then, white smoke billowed from one of the galleys. A few seconds later, a loud boom, like a firework being launched, echoed across the water. Then, with a deafening crack, a massive pillar of water erupted from the river's surface nearby. The ship rocked violently, and a spray of droplets rained down like a shower.

"Cannon fire."

"Can-non fi-re?"

Myra repeated the unfamiliar word with a clumsy tone.

"The enemy ship fired a cannon. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"I'm sorry. I do not."

I looked around and saw that the sailors on deck were also staring in shock at where the water column had appeared. I saw Marmi rushing over, with Wake in tow.

"Then it's an attack using an enemy's special skill! Be on your guard!"

But being on guard wasn't going to change anything. The second act of the battle had begun.