kscans

Chapter 94 - The Priestess and the Alligator King

The back room was just like the first, a space cluttered with barrels and wooden crates. A green slime appeared, and I dispatched it quickly.

"Mash, you're so strong!"

After the fight, Ensha moved back behind me and grabbed my shirt again. It seemed to have become her designated spot.

"And I just said he was mine..."

Myra muttered under her breath, but she was holding hands with Yuris. I'd rather she kept her distance to stay ready for battle, but I told myself it was better than him panicking. Kirim followed along, clutching a dagger at his hip. He kept trying to fight the monsters, only to be stopped by Myra. It would be dangerous if he rushed forward, so I assigned him the role of protecting Ensha and Yuris. We climbed the stairs. A single corridor stretched ahead and behind us, with several doors lining either side. There were stairs at both ends leading to the upper levels.

"Is this the galley?"

"This side is full of sheets. All dirty."

Myra and Kirim were opening nearby doors and peeking inside.

"It's dangerous if there are monsters! You need to be more careful!"

Ensha voiced the exact thought that was on my mind. Myra and Yuris looked apologetic. She must have been the leader of the boys. Now, she was our leader. The scene was amusing, but Myra shot me a dissatisfied look. We followed Ensha's orders, preparing for a fight before cautiously opening each door. We found rooms lined with what appeared to be crew bunks, as well as rooms that looked like passenger cabins. We encountered a few more green slimes, but they were alone and easy to defeat. The search continued without finding anything out of the ordinary.

"There's nothing here."

"It'd be nice if there was some treasure, though."

I nodded in agreement with Myra. We had reached the aft of the ship. I opened the last unexplored door and entered a wide room. It looked like it had been a dining hall. Tables and chairs were scattered about. A large section of the wall was destroyed, leaving a hole big enough for a person to pass through. We could see outside.

"Monsters! Kids, get back!"

Green slimes that had been wandering the room charged at us. I cut one down with my blade and blasted another with a stone sphere from my Earth Magic. Myra protected the children while casting a magical defense blessing on them. After taking down about five of them, all the enemies were defeated. As I scanned the area to make sure, I noticed a man lying on the floor. He looked badly injured.

"Father!"

Yuris ran to the man's side. Myra followed him.

"It's okay. He's alive."

Myra began to cast a healing spell.

The man's eyes fluttered open. He stroked Yuris's head, who was looking down at him with worry, then carefully surveyed his surroundings. His expression softened when he saw Ensha clutching my clothes.

"My lady. You're safe."

Ensha gave a small nod.

"So you were the ones who protected the children."

He propped himself up with help from Myra and Yuris.

"Yeah. I'm Mash, and this is Myra. Are you alone?"

"My name is Sheil. My companions are..."

He trailed off, his gaze fixed on the hole in the wall. They must have been attacked by the alligators.

"We want to get out of this dungeon. Do you know where the exit is?"

"This is a dungeon?"

Sheil was surprised. It seemed he had no information. I filled him in on what I knew.

"Her ladyship's and Kirim's parents aren't here. I came with someone from her ladyship's estate."

"My father isn't here..."

Ensha was clearly disappointed by his words. I wondered who she was. She was definitely a young lady from a good family.

"We're looking for the exit. You can just follow us, but it would be a great help if you could protect the children."

"Of course, but I was attacked by the alligators. All my weapons are at the bottom of the river."

I took a one-handed sword and a shield from my storage and gave them to him. With him protecting the children, Myra would be able to participate more actively in combat.

"Alright, let's head up to the next floor."

With Yuris's father joining our party, we continued our exploration.

We stepped out onto the deck of the ship. We were at the very stern, with a full view of the entire vessel. I could see a small cabin that was likely the wheelhouse. The deck was littered with a broken mast, along with ropes and sails. The wooden planks of the deck were heavily decayed, with some sections missing entirely. It was in worse shape than the ship's interior. There was a lifeboat, but it didn't look to be in good condition.

"Shall we head toward the bow?"

At Myra's suggestion, I looked toward the front of the ship and saw a figure. It was wearing a blue tunic and an iron helmet with two horns.

"There's someone over there."

"You're right. Let's go!"

I nodded at Myra's words.

A man stood with his back to us at the very tip of the bow. A brown, reptilian tail extended from an opening in his clothes.

"I am the Alligator King!"

The man shouted toward the river, then slowly turned around. It was an alligator in human form. Its head featured a powerful, ferocious jaw with sharp teeth interlocking. A wire-like tongue flickered ominously. Its body was muscular and covered in tough hide. A round shield was strapped to one arm, and the scimitar in his other hand glinted in the sunlight.

"See, Myra? I told you there were monsters that could talk."

"...They say that clever birds can learn to speak a few human words. Perhaps it's something like that."

I wondered if parrots and parakeets existed in this world.

"I ain't no bird! You wanna get yourself killed?!"

the monster roared.

"You were planning to kill us from the start. You're just like a bird after all."

I readied my katana. I'd leave the children to Sheil. Myra was already holding her mace, and I stood beside her.

"Mash, look at the door behind the monster."

Behind the monster, at the ship's prow, a spar known as a bowsprit jutted out. A door had appeared at its tip. It looked just like the doors that appear in an Area Guardian's room.

"Let's just take this guy down."

We closed in, trying to flank him from both sides. Just as we were about to enter his range, the monster bared its fangs and opened its mouth. Flames erupted forth. It then swung its head, spraying fire everywhere. Myra and I leaped back in a hurry.

"This thing breathes fire. We can't get close carelessly."

I launched a stone sphere. It was easily deflected by his shield. I tried another, this time with a bit of a curve. It was deflected again, but it forced him to focus on dodging. Seizing the opening, Myra swung her mace and charged. The monster blocked with its scimitar but couldn't completely absorb the impact, and the mace struck its armored hand. I jumped in and slashed with my katana. The monster pulled back to dodge, but I managed to land a shallow cut. The monster bared its fangs and breathed fire. Myra and I retreated.

"You bastards! You're pissing me off!"

The monster pulled on a chain that was dangling into the river. An anchor, easily half the size of the monster's body, was attached to it. It effortlessly swung the chain and hurled the anchor at Sheil, who was protecting the children. Sheil awkwardly held up the shield, but it seemed like a futile gesture. Sheil and the children had squeezed their eyes shut in terror.

"No!"

Myra must have felt it too, because she twisted her body and dashed toward Sheil. She leaped, swung her mace, and knocked the anchor away. I used the opportunity to charge the monster, but it breathed fire and I couldn't get close. As I hesitated, the monster lunged at me. I parried two, three blows with my katana, then launched my own counterattack, leading to a fierce exchange of blows. In the middle of our clash, the monster bared its fangs and breathed fire. I thought I'd dodged it, but I smelled burning cloth. There was pain, too. I'd been burned. Just as the monster was about to press its attack, Myra cut in and struck its torso. The monster's body staggered, and it took a few steps back. I regained my footing and prepared to strike again, but it breathed fire, forcing me to keep my distance. The monster used the opening to pull on the chain and once again hurled the anchor at Sheil. A loud crash echoed as it smashed into the deck. This time, Myra couldn't get there in time, but they had been on alert and managed to dodge. Ensha gave me a thumbs-up to show they were okay, and I gave a slight nod in return.

"This fire is a pain."

But it didn't seem like it could breathe fire indefinitely. If I could just time it right, I could cut it down. I took a deep breath, relaxed my body, and gripped my katana again.

"Mash, let's take turns attacking. We'll aim for right after it breathes fire."

Myra, standing beside me, seemed to have had the same idea. She too re-gripped her mace, her lips set in a firm line as she stared down the monster. She was completely at ease as a frontline fighter. Utterly reliable. The way her breasts bounced with every movement was also magnificent. It was just a shame I didn't have the luxury of admiring them. I moved slightly ahead of her, slowly closing the distance.

"Wait. At this rate, I'll be overpowered. I wish to request an honorable one-on-one duel."

The monster held out a hand, halting our advance.

"Don't be ridiculous. We have no obligation to accept that. Just die quietly."

I rejected the monster's proposal.

"Are you sure about that? I could just spin around, breathing fire, and charge right for those brats. I'd probably be killed afterward, but I'd take those kids with me."

Hearing this, Sheil pushed the children behind him and raised his shield. Yuris, realizing his father was prepared to sacrifice himself, tried to approach him but was pushed back. Ensha gently took Yuris's hand. To me, they were just strangers I had met on this ship a few moments ago.

"...Go ahead and try it."

A surge of anger rose within me. The moment the monster made its move, I'd summon Laciel. I'd end this with a single strike from her spear.

"You have a way to stop that, don't you... In other words, you've been fighting while holding back your true power."

My unconcerned reaction seemed to make the monster give up. It relaxed its entire body, releasing the tension.

"I am the Alligator King. I wish to go down with pride, but if things continue like this, I'll die with regrets. I want a memory."

"A memory?"

Myra and I exchanged glances.

"I want to escort that woman and show her the view from the bow. It's sure to feel like you're flying."

"...If it's just that much."

Myra slowly lowered her guard.

"You're wrong, Myra. That guy plans to get you in a romantic mood, then beg for a kiss and try something lewd!"

"Is that so?"

It was a scene from a famous movie from my old world. I'd seen it, of course. Back then, I believed I'd have an encounter like that someday. But reality wasn't a world where such things happened. At my warning, Myra gripped her mace tightly and shot the monster an icy glare.

"Y-You! How did you know that?!"

"More importantly, I want to know how you know that!"

The monster fell silent.

"Give it up. Accept our blades."

I started to feel a little sorry for it, but I spoke as if admonishing a child.

"W-Wait! Please! I can't die like this! I need a chance! Baseball Fist! I demand a match of Baseball Fist with that woman! Win or lose, I'll accept my defeat afterward!"

the monster screamed.

"What?! Do you really think I would ever agree to something like that? Don't be ridiculous!"

Myra raised her mace high over her head. It seemed both she and the monster knew what Baseball Fist was. But I had yet to see anyone in this world actually playing baseball. It must have been another custom brought over by a transmigrator.

"W-Wait! I'll take off my helmet, I'll take off my clothes! I'll strip down to my underwear! You only need to win once against me! Please, accept!"

As he spoke, the monster threw down its weapons and actually started taking off its clothes. She paid no mind to its words and swung her mace down. I hastily jumped between her and the monster. The mace stopped just inches from my face.

"What are you doing, Mash? We must purge this scum from the world. I'll do it, so please step back and watch."

Her gaze was terrifyingly cold. All trace of emotion was gone, replaced by the sole mission of destroying the monster before her.

"P-Please... I-I'm asking you, too. I believe the monster is telling the truth. I want you to grant its final wish."

Myra's glare was terrifying. I couldn't stop shaking.

"Y... You..."

In contrast to Myra, the monster looked at me, overwhelmed with emotion. A passionate friendship was about to blossom.

"If you say so, Mash..."

Myra sighed and lowered her mace. I took it from her, just to be safe.

"Are you really okay with this, Mash? Even if it means someone else might see me naked?"

"Nah, you'll probably win before it gets to that. The point is just to satisfy the monster, right?"

She sighed again.

"...Very well. Just this once, okay?"

"Thanks, Myra. But please, go easy until at least a little cleavage shows."

Woohoo! I cheered silently.

"..."

As I was talking with her, the monster approached. It was already down to its underwear.

"Your name is Mash, right? I'll remember it."

It held out its scimitar.

"I want you to hold onto this for me. And I want you to witness this match."

"Of course, O King of Alligators. I wish you the best of luck. Strip that woman naked and knock that arrogant attitude right out of her."

I nodded and took his sword.

"...It seems I have no allies here,"

Myra muttered, having observed our exchange.

"Alright, let the match begin!"

I declared. Myra and the monster were already facing off.

"Rock, paper... scissors!"

As I called out, they both extended their fists. Myra had rock. The monster had paper.

"Grrr..."

Myra's fist trembled with frustration before she resignedly took off her necklace.

""That's cheating!""

The monster and I shouted in unison.

"Hmph!"

""...It's not cheating.""

Myra glared at us, and we fell silent. Still, the way she took off her necklace was rather alluring, so I decided to let it slide.

"A-Alright, next round! Rock, paper... scissors!"

I pulled myself together and called out again. Myra threw rock again. The monster threw paper. Myra silently took off one of her shoes. We could only stare, saying nothing. I thought it was against the rules, but the sight of her bending over to take off her shoe was quite sexy. As I was thinking that, my eyes met Myra's.

"R-Right, next! Rock, paper... scissors!"

Again, Myra had rock. The monster had paper. Myra took off her other shoe.

"Rock, paper... scissors!"

Myra, rock. Monster, paper. The monster threw its fist in the air with a dramatic roar, even breathing a little fire for effect. I threw a mental fist pump myself.

"..."

Myra looked at me as if for confirmation, then reached for her robes. As she pulled them off over her head, her chest bounced softly. She was now in a one-piece pure white slip. Her black underwear was visible through the fabric. Her large breasts pushed the slip up, failing to conceal her cleavage. The monster and I stared, breathless. Sheil and the children were also fixated on Myra. When he noticed my gaze, Sheil hurriedly covered the children's eyes. But his own eyes never left Myra. I swore I'd tell his wife. It was then that I realized what a terrible thing I was making her do. An intense wave of regret washed over me.

"M-Myra... I..."

"Mash, is it alright if I win the next one?"

"Eh?"

I looked at her, surprised. Was that even possible? I was skeptical, but she nodded with complete confidence.

"Then please, give the call."

"R-Right. Rock, paper... scissors!"

I didn't want to continue, but her words pushed me to call it out. Myra had scissors. The monster had paper. A victory, just as she'd declared.

"...So this is it."

The monster hung its head in defeat, then slowly reached for its underwear. Myra and I hastily stopped it from going any further.

"I think he was planning to keep throwing paper until the end,"

Myra said.

"Really?"

"It seems she saw right through me. I did it so she could stop whenever she wanted,"

the monster admitted with a nod when I asked. In that case, he should have just stopped when she gave him that icy glare, but since I was an accomplice who'd gotten carried away, I kept my mouth shut.

"I was also planning to keep throwing rock until you stopped me, Mash."

So everything had depended on my feelings.

"I believed you would stop it, Mash."

"Myra, I wasn't the man you thought I was. I was wholeheartedly rooting for the Alligator King."

"But you did realize,"

she said. I picked up her robes and handed them to her. She pulled them on over her head. I turned my gaze to the monster.

"I am prepared. Do it swiftly."

The monster stroked its own neck.

"King of Alligators. I don't see you as an enemy anymore. I want to save you."

The monster snorted at my words.

"Don't be a fool. I am the Area Guardian of this dungeon. The door behind me won't open unless you defeat me. And you'll never get out of here."

I glanced at Myra. I thought she might know a way to save him, but she just shook her head silently.

"I'll call Laciel. I'll see if she can just blast through that door."

"The opening of that door means my annihilation. So it's better if you're the one to strike me down."

"Don't be ridiculous! I absolutely refuse. You are my..."

Before I could finish, the monster shoved me. I stumbled, and Myra caught me from behind.

"Myra, was it? You're a strong woman. And a good woman. So I have two things to ask of you."

Myra nodded.

"You must destroy the Crystal Core beyond this point. I hate fighting as an Area Guardian. I don't want to fight in a constrained place like this."

"I understand. What is the second thing?"

"Take care of that softy. I know you like that about him, but you need to make him develop the resolve of an adventurer."

The monster confirmed Myra's nod, then pulled on the chain and hoisted the anchor above its own head.

"That softy... he's my... friend."

The monster smiled shyly. The anchor fell upon its head. The Alligator King vanished.

I stared for a long time at the spot where the monster had disappeared.

"Mash, I know I acted against your wishes."

She was still hugging me from behind, her face buried in my back.

"No, that's not it. I knew it had to be done. But because you were here, Myra, I was able to be selfish until the very end."

I could feel her soft touch and her breath through my clothes.

"Myra... I want to change the world."

"You can do it. First, let's remove the limit that's been placed on you."

Transmigrators could only stay in this world for ten years.

"That's right. First, I have to change my own world, huh."

I let out a bitter laugh. I didn't have a single clue how to do that yet.

"Mash, even if you give up, I won't."

The arms holding me loosened. I felt Myra's face lift from my back.

"It's a promise I made to him. I will destroy the Crystal Core."

She was probably trying to be considerate of me.

"No, let me do that. I'd like you to handle the second request."

She released me, and we faced each other. Myra smiled. It was the gentlest smile I had ever seen on her face.

"Yes. You can count on me."

She threw herself into my chest, and I held her tight.

Getting through the door was a challenge. The bowsprit was a log about sixty centimeters in diameter. The door was at the other end. One slip and you'd fall into the river. I looked down and saw alligators swimming about. A fall would be fatal. There were no walls, just the door standing there as if floating in mid-air.

"Sheil, you, Myra, and I will each carry one child across."

Hearing this, Ensha clung to me. That left Myra with Kirim and Sheil with Yuris. Myra shot me a resentful look.

"Protect me, okay, Mash?"

Ensha said, planting a kiss on my cheek. I could have sworn I heard the air around Myra crackle.