Chapter 125 – They came!!
"Hmmm. Hmm. I see that she's working very hard."
Elto muttered as she watched Rienna practice casting magic.
"Yes. It's not just with magic. She is very passionate about studying."
Everyone had been quite serious about learning magic when I was teaching them.
Aside from magic, Rienna was always challenging herself to make new clothes and recipes, and in spite of Baris's age, he was reading through so many books. They were all hard workers.
Elto sounded very impressed.
"I see. Still, this is all very surprising. You were surprising too, of course. But I did not expect to find so many people here who are gifted with magic."
She said as she looked towards Baris, who had the 'Magic King' crest, and Ril, who came from a family of Kobolds who could use magic.
These two were especially promising out of Sheorl's residents.
"Yes, Baris has the 'Magic King' crest. And Ril is a rare Kobold whose ancestors could use magic."
"I see. Those two women are impressive as well… But that one… There is something different about that one."
Elto said as she turned towards Mel.
Mel… Yes, Mel had been born with quite a lot of magic energy. And it had not taken Mel long to learn the transformation magic. She was definitely gifted.
But was Mel really so different from the others?
I asked her what she meant.
"Is Mel that amazing?"
"Yes. She is just a little sprout right now, but I can tell from the way that she gathers magic. It is not ordinary. Do you know what race she is?"
"No… We know that Mel isn't just some white bird. And that she's a monster. Do you know?"
"I do not. She is a creature that even I do not know. And that is why I also feel something like bottomless fear."
…Bottomless fear?
Elto was afraid of a little baby bird?
"I think you're overthinking it. Besides, Mel is a good child."
Elto was silent for a moment and then nodded wordlessly.
What did she mean by that…?
However, Mel could already transform and talk.
Perhaps I should ask her what she's capable of and what she thinks.
"In any case, thank you, Elto. It's because of you that everyone is able to learn new magic."
Aside from fire magic, Elto had also taught us magic that allowed us to transmit our will to someone, even if we didn't speak the language. And she also taught us transformation magic.
"You are very welcome! More importantly, something is coming from the sea. And I sense an abnormal amount of drive from it. Are they from here?"
"…The sea? Do you mean…"
I could also sense the gathering of magic towards the horizon.
And among the gathering, there was one that was especially great.
"Did Kamyu return? …Oh, thanks, Mappa."
As I squinted towards the sea, Mappa passed me a telescope.
It had a lens that was made from the scale of a Leviathan. Mappa was making them in bulk.
And so Mappa and I used them to look towards the magic energy.
"…That's…!?"
A great, wrecked ship was moving towards us at a tremendous speed.
It only had one mast left, but I could see that it had a flag.
A black field with a golden frame. And in the center, a brilliant golden sun.
"A Sanfaris ship…"
I knew that this day would come.
However, I had not expected it to be today.
For a second, I felt something like panic.
Still, knowing that this day would come, we had been making preparations.
As the lord of the island, I had to remain calm.
Rienna and the others must have sensed that something was wrong, as they stopped practicing and came over to us.
"Lord Heal. Has something happened?"
"Everyone, listen. A Sanfaris ship is approaching."
I replied to Rienna. And then the giant Mappa Golem seemed to have spotted the ship, as it started to wave to us.
At the same time, a bell was rung from the watchtower. It was the order for everyone to prepare to defend the island.
I had told them all what the Sanfaris flag would mean.
And so if a royal ship were ever to arrive, they should be ready to fight.
Those who could not fight would go to the caves, while the others grabbed their weapons and rushed towards the wharf.
Erevan came up to us while carrying axes in both hands.
"Chief! Have they finally come?"
"Yes. There's no doubt about it. It's the royal flag. However, something is strange."
"Strange?"
Erevan asked. And I looked through the telescope again and inspected the ship.
"It's in a terrible state. It would not be strange if it started to sink right now… Did they lose a sea battle earlier?"
However, if there was any battle at sea in these waters…it would either be a pirate or a monster.
But this was a battleship. The strongest ship in the royal navy.
How could it lose so badly…had they fought Kamyu?
No, Kamyu would not have allowed them to escape and get so close to us.
She would have chased them back to the north.
In any case, they were coming towards Sherol now.
I didn't know what they wanted, but judging by their condition, they would want to land as soon as possible. It was clear just by how fast they were going.
As for the person responsible for it, it was likely the person who stood in the front and was using wind magic.
It was so strong that Elto noticed it immediately.
"Apparently, someone with very powerful magic is aboard…"
Someone with the 'Sage' crest perhaps… It made it even more odd that they had been pushed to this point.
Erevan turned to me.
"Chief. What should we do?"
"In their current state…we cannot attack them. We'll let them anchor the ship close to the wharf, and I will go to them by boat."
Then I turned to the others.
"The rest of you should wait here and in the shape of humans. Of course, be read to attack the ship if necessary."
They nodded, and then I got into the boat.
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Chapter 126 – We Reunited!
Little by little, the sight of Sheorl became clearer to Balpas and the others.
It was something that none of them had ever seen before, and all of the crew were astonished.
"That tree…it's amazing. It's like a mountain…"
"Aye. I've never seen anything like it."
The giant tree was the first thing that caught their eye. It was impossible to miss.
It was taller and wider than any castle in Sanfaris.
And the next thing they saw after that, was the broad statue of a bearded man.
The statue was wielding an axe, and he was looking down at the ship with an eerie expression on his face.
"This place is insane… Aside from the walls and towers, I can see buildings that appear to be houses as well. There are even humans."
Balpas felt a cold sweat drip from his body as he looked at Sheorl.
According to the report by the captain who had brought Heal here, Sheorl Reef really had been a pile of rocks. And it had not yet been a full three months since then.
People had been talking about it at the palace. If there really were humans here, then it must mean that the captain had conspired with Heal and written a false report. Of course, until he came here, Balpas had believed this to be very likely.
However, the sight before him now required a better explanation than that. That giant tree had to have been planted before Heal's arrival. No, it would have had to be planted hundreds of years ago.
However, there had never been such a report…not once. How was this possible?
No, there was no time to think about that now. Balpas shook his head.
The reality was that such a scene was right in front of his eyes. Instead of thinking about how it was possible, he should prioritize finding out what the current situation on the island was like.
Still, how should he do that?
Finding out the secrets of the island through force would be very difficult. Their ship was in bad condition. They could not fight in their state.
That being said, it would have been difficult to attack this island even if the ship had been in perfect condition.
He could see ballistas and trebuchets on the walls and towers, and they were all directed at them. There were also armed soldiers who wielded bows and crossbows. Their defenses were strong.
The only one I can rely on is myself… Balpas thought.
And then one of the crew shouted.
"Prince Balpas! A single boat is headed our way!"
"I guess they mean to inspect us… All of you, pretend to be as wounded and hurt as possible."
They wanted it to look like they had come near to this island by accident.
If they went as tax collectors or investigators, Heal may not invite them in.
However, that's when it happened.
Suddenly, the crew towards the back of the ship began to scream.
Balpas turned around and saw someone fall as they bled.
There were others whose arms and legs had been severed.
One by one, the members of the crew began to fall.
It was so sudden that Balpas cried out.
"What!? What happened!? …Could it be?"
Balpas could hear the sharp noise of the wind, and his eyes settled on one man.
He saw that Oren's hand seemed to wave over the ship's crew.
"Oren! Stop this! Have you gone mad!?"
"Why are you so angry, Balpas? Isn't this what we need to do to gain Heal's sympathy?"
"Why do you have to hurt them!? And to cut off their arms and legs…!?"
Balpas moved his head to the side then.
The wind made a slight cut into his cheek and blood ran down his face. Had he not moved, his head would have been cut in half.
Oren replied with a cool expression.
"The people must give their lives for their king. It is just a small sacrifice. Has a war ever been won without bloodshed?"
Had the situation not been what it was, Balpas would have used his skills to fight Oren.
However, if they fought now, and Balpas was defeated, then there would be no one left to stop Oren. The crew would all be discarded as pawns if that happened.
And so he held back his anger and replied.
"…Indeed, except you forget one thing. We didn't come here to start a war."
"It's amazing you can still say such things. This ship is finished. Unless we take over that island, we may never be able to return. We have no choice but to fight."
"That's a last resort… Oren, I'm going to say this one more time. Obey me."
"Yes, yes. Well, I will observe your methods for a while. Father told me, after all."
Balpas clicked his tongue and then shouted to the crew.
"…Treat the wounded immediately! And prepare to receive the boat!"
The men looked worried, but obeyed his order.
Then Oren looked at the island and began to chuckle to himself.
"Oh, Heal. This is some impressive work. To think you've made so many friends… I wonder how many there are. How many…"
As he muttered to himself, Oren realized something.
He was now looking at the man in the boat that was moving towards their battleship.
Balpas turned to look as well.
"Heal…"
～～～～～
The battleship was in such a terrible state. It was already sinking. It would probably be completely submerged in just another hour.
"Hmm. Lord Heal. It is a rather impressive ship."
Aries's voice echoed from next to me.
I had decided to head to the battleship with just two other people.
One was Aries. Currently, she looked like a human that was about the same age as me.
While I didn't want to use it too much, Aries had poison that had the power to make others obey her. It would be a way to take over the ship without bloodshed.
The other person was Fule. I wanted another magic user nearby in case something happened.
Rienna and Baris could have come as well, but with consideration to their position, Fule had volunteered to come.
And then there were the rowers. While some looked like humans, others were goblins, orcs and kobolds.
I wanted to show that all monsters lived together on this island.
Of course, Shiel was also with us.
And I decided against arming myself. And I also kept my magic energy low, so it would be harder to detect. This was so they wouldn't think we were dangerous, and suddenly attack us.
I replied to Aries.
"It's the biggest ship in Sanfaris. But…it's strange."
"Indeed. While the ship is damaged, I see no arrows."
"Yes. Could it have been attacked by magic then…? Hmm?"
From the battleship, a single boat was now headed our way. A white flag and a Sanfaris flag were being waved above it. They were showing that they were not hostile.
As for the man who stood in the front, he was quite familiar to me.
"…Balpas."
He was my older brother, and the eleventh prince of Sanfaris.
He had always mocked me as a child, but it had never turned into violence. It seemed that he only ever thought of women and wine. He clung to gold and loved to gossip and make fools of others in the palace.
After a while, Balpas noticed me as well, and he waved both arms.
His face expressed both surprise and delight.
"Ahh, Heal! So you were alive, my little brother!? And in a place like this! Can it be!"
In other words, he had assumed that I would be dead. While it was not impossible, any sane person would have to assume that he was acting.
As the boats got closer, Balpas jumped into our boat and began to slap me on the shoulder.
"Ahh, what a surprise this is. We were attacked by pirates and hurt badly. We came here out of desperation and… Look at this place… And you are alive. Yes, it is a great surprise."
By saying he was surprised, he meant that he didn't care about my declaration of independence, or that he didn't know.
This too, was very likely an act.
As Balpas looked at me with relief, I answered in a measured voice.
"In other words, brother, you didn't plan to come here?"
"Of course, not. Why would I come out to sea without some great purpose? In fact, father has given me a secret order…"
"A secret order?"
"I can understand that you are curious, Heal. But a secret order is a secret order. And this is father we're talking about. And so I cannot tell you. But it's about money. I am going to make a lot of it! …Well, it will be difficult for us to reach our destination in this state."
He sighed and then squeezed my hand.
"Heal. I hate to ask this, but won't you let us on your island? We have many who are wounded that we wish to treat. As for this ship, we just need to make some emergency repairs, that is all. Of course, we will pay you."
I answered.
"And you will let me search the ship?"
"Aye, of course! But there is not much time, so let's hurry!"
Balpas agreed, and we were then led to the ship.
Once we were on deck, I saw that there were indeed many who were wounded. Some had even lost their limbs, and there were traces of blood everywhere.
Aries turned to Balpas.
"I see. It must have been a terrible battle. Who exactly did you fight?"
"Ah, isn't it obvious? A great battleship like this is now falling apart. Could it be anyone other than the infamous Kamyu and the terrible Korbas fleet? Ah, what a horror that was. To be chased by a hundred ships at once."
"I-I see…"
Kamyu's fleet had been annihilated. And she was currently headed to the city of Amolis on the west continent.
There was no way she was near these seas and engaging in acts of piracy.
In other words, Balpas was certainly lying to us now.
While I could just play along… No, there were orcs here as well. It was better to just say it.
"Brother. I would prefer it if you stopped lying to us."
"Wh-what? I am telling no lie…"
"I'm sure you've seen some on the boat earlier, but some of our island residents are of the Korbas. And they are no longer pirates."
"Y-you are the one who is lying! Well, I did find it odd that there were monsters. Heal, don't tell me you are now supporting the pirates…?"
It would be considered a grievous act of defiance against Sanfaris. However, after making this accusation, Balpas quickly bowed his head.
"S-sorry…I did lie to you… We didn't fight the Korbas. About that secret order that I told you earlier. It's that. We were chasing a certain person."
Balpas had a look that suggested he had no choice but to tell the truth. Then he continued.
"It's your former fiance. Remember Leila? The daughter of Duke Barleon?"
"Yes. Of course, I remember."
"She escaped Sanfaris as soon as the duke was arrested. And we've been chasing her… And just when we were close to catching her…we were unexpectedly intercepted by a powerful enemy, leading to this."
Balpas scratched his head with shame. But then he noticed my expression.
"…Uh, I thought you would have a bigger reaction."
"Leila has been on this island for a while. In fact, she has now gone to a different place by ship."
"Th-that can't be?"
"No…it's the truth."
I answered. 'Truly?' Balpas asked again, and I nodded silently.
"W-well, now that I think about it, she was once tied to you. So of course you would form an alliance…"
Balpas's eyes seemed to swim in one direction and then another. He knew that he had made a mistake.
However, he then bowed his head again.
"Sorry! That too was a lie!! Uh, umm…the thing is…"
He was desperately trying to think of another lie.
However, there were many strange things about this ship.
As Aries had mentioned, it did not look like there had been a real battle.
There were no arrows to be seen, and it did not not look like weapons had been prepared.
If they had been attacked, it was not by being boarded, but by long range magic attacks.
However, why wouldn't they just say that? It made sense that they wanted to hide their reason for coming here, but why hide the identity of those who did this to them?
No, it hardly mattered now.
"Brother, more importantly… Fule, will you help?"
I left Balpas and began to cast healing magic on a wounded man.
His arm had been severed at the shoulder, and his face was deathly pale. I needed to act quickly.
Fule also began to cast healing magic.
After healing the first man, he gripped my hand with his remaining one.
"Th-thank you…Your Highness."
"I stopped the bleeding and the pain for now. But these bandages might cause contamination, so we will have to change them on the island."
"Thank you so much. I have a child who is still young… I don't know how I can repay you."
Tears fell from his eyes as he bowed his head.
But there were many others I had to treat.
It was with such thoughts that I stood up. That's when I heard laughter echo from behind me.
That cold, high-pitched laughter filled me with dread.
It was the voice of the man who had taken so much from me in the past.
When I turned around, a handsome man with golden hair was standing there.
"Oren…"
"Ah, it's been a while, Heal. And I see that you can finally use healing magic now."
Oren grinned as he looked at me.
I disliked him…no, hated him. But I also feared him.
But more than anything, I was angry and annoyed.
"…Can't you use healing magic as well? Why haven't you done anything? Your men are all wounded."
"Huh? That's not my job. I just came here to guard Balpas. Why should I break a sweat to help common people who seem to sprout out of the ground like weeds?"
Oren's crest was 'Sage.' He had always said that he was the chosen one. And anyone who did not have a good crest was disposable.
I wanted to punch him in the face then.
However, that wasn't important right now.
"Aries! Have the island send more boats! We must carry out the wounded!"
"Yes!"
Aries answered, and then waved a flag towards Sheorl.
Then Oren muttered.
"Yes, do hurry up. Or else they might all die."
"Oren, help me. Treat the wounded."
"What? You think you have the right to order me? …What!?"
I stopped holding back my magic energy and then glared at Oren.
"Hurry. You're a part of the royal family, aren't you?"
"You… Are you really Heal? But then that magic… No, it's impossible!"
Suddenly, a waterfall of sweat was pouring from Oren's forehead. He had noticed the amount of my magic energy.
Sensing the atmosphere between us, Balpas suddenly grabbed Oren's arm and shouted.
"Oren, do as he says! And the rest of you who can move, help take the wounded to the boats! Now!"
And then Balpas dragged Oren over to the wounded and forced him to sit down.
The whole time that Oren muttered his chants, his eyes did not leave me.
Next Chapter
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