Chapter 76

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The one who first noticed the anomaly was the trainer. He was a monster trainer employed by Sage. Among the trainers hired by Sage, he was the one who particularly took care of the Kraken. Due to his long involvement with monsters, he was well aware not only of the Kraken's rarity but also its strength.

However, being long involved with monsters also meant he was knowledgeable about many other types. In front of the agitated Sage, he pondered about the other monster.

"There aren't many monsters that can control water."

Monsters that can manipulate and control water are few, even among the numerous aquatic monsters. Among them, only one can control water over long distances.

It is the "certain monster" known as the King of the Sea.

Realizing this, he turned around to look at Sage.

"Viscount!"

"What! Why aren't you giving orders too!"

"Please wait! There's something important I need to tell you... something I must convey!"

"Didn't you hear me tell you to give orders!"

His short temper was excessive. But when Sage got irritated, he stopped listening to others. This wasn't just a one-time thing; it had always been the same.

Sage completely ignored what the trainer had noticed. ...Given the situation, should he have forced it upon him? This thought crossed his mind. But he was also human, and the troublesome Sage made him think that maybe he didn't need to tell him after all.

*

The twins continued to rejoice, seeing the Kraken unable to move. Looking at the Kraken, one could see it desperately trying to extend its tentacles to move its body. However, it was never allowed to do so, and like rewinding time, the extended tentacles would return to its body.

The complex patterns created by the sea dragon remained on the water's surface.

Ain was closely observing this, thinking the twins might be hunting slowly. He imagined they would completely immobilize their prey and then feast on it like an absolute predator.

As he thought this, a thick line began to appear in his field of vision. It seemed to come from El's body and headed straight for the Kraken.

"What's that thick thing... What is it?"

"That's also a current, but I'm not sure what it's doing..."

Of course, that made sense. After all, this was the first time Chris had witnessed the twins' battle. It was different from the reports he had received about their skills.

So, Ain carefully observed. The thick line continued to advance toward the Kraken. After a while, it reached one of the Kraken's tentacles.

It gently knocked, as if tapping, and then, like a snake, it coiled around the Kraken's tentacle.

'What is it doing?' While Ain was thinking, he blinked for just a moment. In that instant, El disappeared from Al's side.

"El!?"

"Ain-sama! Near the Kraken! Follow the thick line!"

Chris, who was quick, could follow El's movements with her eyes.

"How did she get there so fast..."

El was suddenly next to the Kraken. Moving at an incredible speed, El's head was now surrounded by the same complex patterns that had appeared earlier. These patterns moved like scissors, revealing a surprising conclusion.

A soundless scream echoed from the Kraken. Although it was underwater, how it managed to make a sound was a mystery, but let's put that aside for now.

"Probably that's a skill created by Lady Katima."

"...Are you kidding? What is that?"

Then, El, holding something in her mouth, returned as smoothly as she had gone. It seemed the thick line was a water current created by El for movement, allowing her to quickly return to Al's side.

"Kyukyu!"

"Kyururua!"

The twins showed their joy, twirling and wrapping around each other.

"Even though she brought back such a large thing..."

"Her jaw strength is impressive. I didn't think she could carry something so large in her mouth."

What El brought back was a magnificent length and thickness... a tentacle of the Kraken. It looked more like it had been cut by something rather than torn off.

"Apparently, she hasn't named it yet. But the principle is a combination of a refined current and 'wind magic.'"

"I don't understand why a sea monster would use wind magic..."

"Thanks to the food, it seems she learned it... Lady Katima was delighted."

Katima's research efforts had finally borne fruit. What she had fed El to learn this was a matter of curiosity for Ain.

"...What did she feed her?"

"It seems she used a considerable amount of her allowance to collect griffin magic stones. She fed them to her regularly."

The griffins in Ishtalika, like the sea dragon, use wind magic to move and accelerate in the air.

They are adept at using wind magic from birth and can launch sharp attacks with their claws using wind magic.

"It's almost a new species now."

"There's a part of that I can't deny..."

The principle wasn't difficult. By overlaying sharp wind magic on a refined current, it becomes a weapon. But it was almost like...

"And finally, they eat it deliciously. It's like Ain-sama's Dark Straw."

"Perhaps it's because they are related."

Using Katima's custom-made claws to absorb magic stones, the romantic technique was the Dark Straw. The technique El used had a similar principle, and it was clear that Katima was involved in both.

For the sea dragon, it was a hunting technique, so the meaning was the same.

"That's a pretty delicious meal."

"It's her favorite, after all."

El's brought-back tentacle was being chewed up rapidly. It was surprising how quickly such a large tentacle was almost gone.

This time, it was Al. A thick line extended from Al's side, heading for the Kraken just like before.

As a fellow aquatic monster, the Kraken probably understood what was happening. Thinking it was dangerous, it displayed warning spots all over its body. This was one of its resistance methods, unable to move.

Usually, the opposing monster would flee upon seeing this. But this time, there was no such reaction; the opponent was just chewing on its tentacle. It seemed to ignore the Kraken's warnings.

"Chris, what are those patterns? They're a bit creepy..."

"Those are the Kraken's warning colors. In the water, seeing those patterns means you should prepare for death."

"I see..."

It was a mix of understanding and not understanding. Looking at the twins, they were just biting into the remaining tentacles.

Al let go of the tentacle El had brought. Then, she turned her gaze to the Kraken. She looked at the Kraken's body, as if observing something. A separate current line extended from the thick line, gradually attaching to the immobilized Kraken's body. What was she doing?

"She's trying to do something."

"Chris, you don't know either?"

"No, I'm not sure either..."

What would she do next? Watching Al closely, she didn't move. Probably, the most active one here was Viscount Sage, shouting meaningless words like "What are you doing! Don't joke around!" continuously.

Ignoring his behavior, Ain focused on Al. The current patterns gradually gathered around her face. They stopped near her forehead, and at that moment, Al let out a joyful sound.

"Kyururu!"

Her voice was cute, but her actions were far from it. The current patterns were bundled into two, and they were pressed against the Kraken's forehead.

As they were pressed, a thick line extended nearby, and Al rode it, starting to move.

"(It's just being eaten, unilaterally.)"

There was the absolute form of a sea predator. The Kraken, showing the absolute difference in species, was powerless.

Al, in front of the immobilized Kraken, stopped moving and stared at it.

"—...!—...!?"

The Kraken, unable to make a sound, tried to intimidate Al. But for Al, it was just annoying, not scary.

Seeming to have come to a conclusion, Al nodded slightly and prepared the two refined currents. Like El, she could use wind magic, and a small whirlpool began to form on the water's surface around her.

"What are you doing... Hey! You, give proper orders!"

"H...H!"

Ignoring Sage's misguided comments, Al began to move. The trainer looked a bit pitiful. The two prepared currents, enhanced by wind magic, pierced the Kraken's forehead.

"...A...!?"

The Kraken's body began to convulse, as if its heart was moving inside. Confirming this, Al moved the currents in a circular motion around a "center."

"Could it be..."

Seeing this movement, Ain could predict the outcome. The opponent was a squid... and the attack was around the forehead. The answer was simple.

After that, as Ain had predicted, the Kraken's body color changed rapidly, creating an ominous atmosphere. Gradually, its movements stopped, and its body turned a pale, almost transparent white.

"In the world of monsters, there is a more absolute difference in species than in our world. As you saw, it's just a meal."

"Hey, Chris. Did she strangle it? Just like strangling a squid?"

"Yes, yes. By cutting around the magic stone, it's the same as strangling..."

Proof that it wasn't an enemy from the start. While nibbling on the opponent's body, she slowly searched for its weak point. Even if it was inside the body, once the magic stone was cut off, it was just a matter of waiting for it to die.

"For the twins, it was just a large, delicious squid. That's all it was."

"...How pitiful."

If his own monster were treated like this, Ain might feel fear. It was a scene filled with surprise.

It wasn't a flashy battle, but it showed that the opponent wasn't on the same level. Or rather, it was questionable whether there was an equal opponent to the "sea dragon," the king of the sea, in the water.

El also approached the strangled Kraken. She would probably start chewing it up at a rapid pace. The magic stone was probably the main dish. 'It must be delicious,' Ain thought, but he didn't want to take the food the children had caught. He hoped they would enjoy it.

Seeing what Al had done, El strangled another Kraken with the same precise movements. While gnawing on a tentacle, she strangled it with one hand. For the Kraken, it was a hopeless situation. The Kraken, which had been the gang leader of this area, met a rather anticlimactic end.

*

Underwater, the twins were still feasting on the Kraken's remains, but Ain was having a conversation with Sage. The battle was already over, and they needed to discuss what would happen next.

"It seems we won."

"...You. Where did you get such monsters! I've never seen anything like that...!"

Doesn't he know about the sea dragons? They are quite famous in the capital. Has he never even heard of them? As a noble, not knowing at all is a bit questionable. This is what Ain thought.

"Sea dragons. Have you heard of them? They are quite famous in the capital."

Hearing this, Sage was taken aback. He seemed to have heard of them, but his words were off the mark.

"Y-You... and the Crown Prince...?"

Finally, he realized... but what does the "and" mean? Ain was curious, but Sage explained.

"You have connections with the Crown Prince! ? That's why you borrowed the sea dragons... That's unfair! This is invalid! A rematch!"

To add, Sage Oink. The previous head of the Oink family was a very capable man. He fell ill when Sage was young and passed away, but the Oink family's development was largely due to his capabilities.

Sage was not particularly capable, nor did he have many connections with other nobles or significant power. The previous head would be frustrated to see his carefully cultivated territory so tainted by his son. But if he hadn't fallen ill, Sage might have taken a different path. The future is unpredictable.

"Connections... ehh... to this extent?"

Indeed, the magical tool received from Majolica made it hard to recognize Ain. But bringing sea dragons was something only Crown Prince Ain could do. And today's attire, which was actually one of the royal family's, was a clear hint.

"Anyway, today's duel is invalid! We'll start over! This time with land monsters!"

His face turning red, he insisted it was invalid and turned his back on Ain. He probably intended to escape, to make the matter ambiguous and pretend it never happened.

And by boldly saying, "This time with land monsters," he showed his small-mindedness.

"Viscount Sage"

"It's over for today! You should go home... Who are you people!?"

"Sorry, but I have something to talk about. To save trouble, I can make the duel invalid. My twins seem satisfied, so I'm almost grateful. But this is a different matter, so I can't make it invalid."

Still, it was time to wrap things up. The hidden knights restrained Sage's guards and servants, and the carriage was also held back.

"Chris, please read the charges."

"Y-Yes... Then, Sage Oink. I will state the crimes you have accumulated."

Numerous injustices and violations were publicly announced by Chris. With each charge, Sage's face alternated between red and blue.

"W-What are you talking about! Just... just get out of the way! I don't care about the woman or the compensation, I'm tired, I'm going home!"

Continuing to move away, his fat belly jiggling, Sage was flanked by knights.

"Please accompany us."

Enraged by the knight's words, Sage finally pushed them away with his arms.

"Chris, should I say something?"

"...I apologize."

"It's fine. Well... let's declare it. The title of the Oink family is revoked, declared by Ain von Ishtalika. ...Restrain him."

Revoking the title was unnecessary, but he was so ugly that Ain no longer wanted to treat him as a noble. Chris was momentarily surprised by the words, but the knights found it easier to restrain him.

Hearing Ain's words, the knights forcibly took Sage's arms and fitted him with iron restraints.

"I-Ish... Ishtalika...?"

"Inheritance is understandable, but you should have thought more about it."

"...You are right."

Only the royal family could bear the name Ishtalika. And "Ain" was the name of the Crown Prince. Finally, he realized. If he had thought more carefully, he would have understood immediately, but he had treated Ain casually, which is why he didn't realize he was the Crown Prince.

...However, there were several points that a noble should have noticed. Sage might not be suitable as a noble or even as a citizen of Ishtalika.

"Your Highness... This is my offering! I will give a magnificent Kraken to your sea dragons!"

This was the first time Ain had encountered such a cliché. He never thought such an excuse would exist. Whether Ain would accept it was another matter.

"Wow, there really are people who say that. ...It's fine. Don't talk to me."

"Your Highness! Please, please listen to me...!"

"Gag him."

"H-H!"

Following Chris's order, a gag was placed on Sage. Why the knights had such things, Ain found it a bit scary. But it was a relief that Sage was quiet.

"Well, with this, the trouble is... huh?"

Just as he thought the trouble was over, El brought a jar. It seemed she found it at the bottom of the river and showed it to Ain.

"Kyukyu!"

"What's wrong, El? Did you find it at the bottom?"

It was a jar with a poisonous color, but Ain didn't mind and approached.

"Unh! Unh...!"

Seeing this, Sage let out a loud cry, but it was incoherent. Ain ignored it and approached the jar. After confirming that Ain had the jar, El returned to her meal.

"What's inside... huh? What's this?"

"Your Highness, what... Could this be...?"

It had a somewhat fishy smell, but it was quite appetizing. The jar was filled with such a liquid. Confirming this, Chris drew her rapier from her waist.

"Chris, do you know what this is?"

"...It's poison. The most lethal poison, known for its sweet taste. I recognized it by its distinctive smell."

"P-Poison...?"

"Please wait. ...I apologize. I'll have the gag removed."

Turning around, Chris gave an order to the knight restraining Sage. After confirming the gag was removed, she questioned Sage.

"Sage, what is this? Explain."

"I-I don't know what you're talking about