Chapter 69

A refreshing morning sun descended upon the port town.

I was in a port town on the eastern coast of the continent with Lillisha.

There were many buildings with triangular roofs, and the colors were bold, with red roofs and walls.

Last night, I loved Lillisha so much that her wings turned from gray to pure white.

Then, we entrusted the dungeon to Tetti, Sophisia, and the dragon girl and came here to help Edgar, who was risking his life to fulfill his mission.

We quickly passed through the streets filled with exotic charm and headed for the port.

It was a place that would normally be enjoyable to visit as a tourist.

However, the expressions on Lillisha and my face were stiff.

First, we went to the port and asked the ticket booth attendant about the appearance of the passengers on the ship bound for Yamata.

"Hey, is this the dock for the ship to Yamata?"

"Yeah, that's right. Are you going to board? -- But the morning ship just left. It'll be the afternoon ship."

"Just missed it... I didn't consider the time difference."

I grimaced.

Lillisha asked seriously.

"Excuse me, did a tall man with messy hair and a small girl with a bob pass by?"

"They were on the morning ship. ...What's up, do you know them?"

"Yes, they're friends. I came to deliver something they forgot, but I was a bit late."

Lillisha shook her head in disappointment, her silver hair swaying.

I ordered a ticket from the man.

"Then, I'll take the afternoon ship. Can I get a ticket?"

"Sure thing! -- But first, are you not a hero or an elf? Especially you, miss, you're prettier than an elf."

"No, I'm not. She's not an elf either."

I answered honestly.

--I'm no longer a hero, and Lillisha is not an elf but a fallen angel.

The man at the counter nodded deeply.

"You don't look like a hero, and the lady doesn't have pointed ears, so it should be fine. -- Just fill out this form. It's an entry application."

"Got it."

I took the paper and pen and filled out the form with Lillisha's linguistic assistance.

After completing it, I submitted it to the man at the counter.

"Is this okay?"

"Hmm, let's see. ...Yeah, C-rank adventurer, that's good! No problem."

"By the way, I'm curious."

"What about?"

"I understand why heroes are banned from entering, but it's unusual to ban elves, isn't it?"

--Calling a hero to defeat monsters is, in a way, admitting to the world, "We can't handle monsters with our own military power, we're a weak country, please help us!"

That's why strong countries keep heroes even in peacetime to show they can handle monsters on their own.

However, I had never heard of a ban on elves entering.

Despite their often insufferable personalities, there's no reason to reject the beautiful elves.

The attendant smiled and explained the reason.

"Well, it's simple. Elves are all handsome and beautiful, right?"

"Yeah, that's true."

"An Emi princess from Yamata, one of the eight tribes that used to fight for dominance in Yamata, ran away with an elf. Since then, elves have been banned from entering."

"I see. That makes sense."

--To think someone had the nerve to run away with a princess from another country.

Then, I bought a ticket from the attendant.

There were first-class private cabins, second-class cabins with eight bunk beds, and third-class large cabins.

As I hesitated, the man looked at Lillisha and me.

"You're adventurers, right? Then, I recommend the first-class cabin."

"Why?"

"If you help with monster control, I'll give you a discount. It's better to rest without worrying during non-combat times. Recently, sea monsters have been causing trouble."

"I see. Then, I'll take it."

I chose to help with monster control and bought a first-class cabin at almost half price.

After that, we passed the time and boarded the ship to Yamata.

◇ ◇ ◇

In the twilight, the afternoon ship slowly set sail from the pier.

It was a large wooden ship with two masts, and the white sails were fully inflated by the wind.

A one-night, two-day journey. It was shorter than expected.

In the past, it took three days to avoid battle zones, but with the unification of Yamata by the wise ruler Mikoto, the shortest route could now be taken.

Lillisha and I were in the first-class cabin.

The ship, exposed to the open sea, rolled and swayed.

I sighed.

Lillisha tilted her head, her silver hair swaying.

"Is something wrong, Master?"

"I'm not good with ships... I forgot because it's been a while."

"Huh? Do you get seasick badly? I can heal it with a recovery spell..."

"No, it's not that. Ever since I was a child, my body aches when I'm on a ship. I can only stay in the cabin and do nothing. That's why I dislike them."

"Oh, you can't move, so your joints hurt, right?"

Lillisha nodded in understanding.

I felt it was different, but I couldn't explain, so I kept quiet.

The ship continued to sail through the sea even after the sun set.

Dinner time arrived.

Since we were in a first-class cabin, dinner and breakfast were included.

The tray was filled with many small dishes, including sashimi, tempura, steamed egg in a bowl, sushi, grated yam soba, salty seaweed soup, and mountain vegetable rice.

It was introduced as a mountain and sea delicacy set, and all the flavors were new and delicious.

I took a bite of the shrimp tempura with a solemn face. The batter crunched in my mouth.

"…I mean, is it okay to enjoy ourselves so much when we're trying to help Edgar?"

"On the ship, there's nothing we can do... Let's forget about it until we reach the port town of Kove in Yamata tomorrow morning."

"You're right... This sushi is delicious! The sour rice and sliced fish melt in your mouth!"

"Exactly! I'm surprised it's not at all fishy! The bamboo rice here is also delicious!"

Lillisha and I savored the luxurious meal, enjoying the exotic cuisine.

◇ ◇ ◇

After dinner, at night.

Lillisha and I were on the deck.

The sea at night glowed under the moonlight, and the waves were large, causing the ship to sway.

We came to the bow and looked around from the ship's prow, which cut through the sea.

"They said monsters would attack, but none have come yet?"

"Crabs and flying fish are said to attack in swarms... I've heard that many ships have been sunk already..."

"Could it be that my holy wave has already taken care of them?"

"Maybe, Master is truly amazing!"

Lillisha smiled with her eyes closed.

I scratched my head.

"No, I don't think that's possible in such a vast sea. Let's just stay alert."

"Yes, Master!"

We gazed at the rolling sea for a while.

Technically, we were on watch, but the time passed peacefully.

Then, Lillisha narrowed her eyes, her silver hair swaying in the night breeze.

"The moonlit sea, with white waves as far as the eye can see... I've never seen anything like it."

"Me too... I'm glad I could see it with Lillisha."

"Master..."

Lillisha leaned against me with a sweet voice.

The night breeze was a bit chilly, so her warmth was even more comforting.

After that, we finished our night watch and returned to our private cabin.

We sat on the bed, leaning on each other.

In silence, the ship's rolling motion was felt.

"...It feels like we're in a cradle."

"Yes, with the sound of the sea, it feels like we're enveloped by the ocean... What a wonderful journey... How happy I am."

I wrapped my arm around Lillisha and gently hugged her.

"Then, I'll make you even happier."

"Fe... Master! If I get any happier, I might melt into the sea..."

"But Lillisha in the moonlit sea is even more beautiful."

I pulled her closer and kissed her delicate, petal-like lips.

"Mm... Master..."

The sound of our tongues intertwining echoed in the cabin.

As we kissed, we undressed each other.

Our smooth curves and skin pressed together, and Lillisha blushed and moaned.

In the midst of the distant sound of the sea, I loved Lillisha passionately, wondering why it felt so intense in a different place.

But it was a happy feeling.

◇ ◇ ◇

Meanwhile, at the bottom of the sea.

In the base set up on the continental shelf, there were the Dark Boring Crab (Deep Drill Shell) and the Evil Sword Flying Fish.

The two were larger than the crabs and fish guarding the area.

The crab had a particularly impressive drill on one claw, and the fish had long, sword-like fins.

The two grinned cruelly.

"Hehe, they should be passing by soon."

"Definitely the ship with supplies."

"Since we teamed up, we've been unstoppable. Today will be a feast!"

"Plus, we get to eat humans too! It's the best!"

"The sight of them being cut to pieces, drowning, and screaming is the best show!"

The two monsters laughed maniacally.

Suddenly, a subordinate swam up in a panic.

It stopped in front of the two and pleaded desperately.

"B-Boss, it's bad!"

"What's wrong?"

"The ship, the ship is coming!"

"Right, the night raid is as planned. Did you make the hole in the ship's bottom and steal all the supplies?"

"No, it's bad! -- Run, run!"

"What? What do you mean?"

The crab and flying fish looked at each other.

The subordinate fish jumped around in agitation.

"I said, it's bad! Run -- Gyaah!"

Suddenly, the subordinate fish shattered in front of the two.

"Wh-What!?"

"What the -- Gwoah!"

As the boss flying fish approached where the subordinate had been, half of its head disappeared.

The crab, shocked, trembled and shouted.

"W-What is this! -- Is this a holy wave?! Gwaah!"

The night sea was hard to see.

But the crab, squinting, saw a vast holy wave approaching like a bluish-white wall.

Panicking, it tried to run.

But the crab could only move sideways.

It cried out with tears in its eyes as the bluish-white wall approached.

"Wh-What! -- Gyaah!"

The boss crab evaporated.

From there, the bottom of the sea turned into a hellish scene.

Crabs, fish, and other monsters tried to escape but were obliterated one after another.

"Fgyah! Help -- Igah! Hoge!"

The night made it hard to see, and the fact that they were all stationed along the route to attack the ship was their downfall.

"Something's coming, something's coming! -- Gyaah!"

"Run! Everyone run -- Fgyah!"

The moment the sea monsters touched the circular holy wave released by Alec, they were obliterated.

Alec, due to the vast amount of holy wave he released, continued to unconsciously defeat monsters while moving on the ship.

This was the reason his body ached on the ship.

It was the growth pain from rapid level-ups while sleeping.

Of course, Alec was unaware.

He had gone on many hero journeys in the past, traveling down large rivers and to distant islands by ship, defeating a large number of aquatic monsters.

Thanks to this, his human status and hero status were already maxed out, so he no longer experienced growth pain.

But his level continued to rise.

His status couldn't increase further, but his magic power continued to grow without limit.

While the sea monsters were experiencing hell, Alec was in the ship's private cabin, enjoying his time with Lillisha and increasing the density of his holy wave even more.

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The next chapter will be updated tomorrow

→ 70. Mikoto's Invention