Is It Bad That the Main Character's a Roleplayer?

Chapter 48: Pray and Pray Again (6)

“Seventeen ships were sunk overnight! Seventeen ships!”

“There was nothing we could do. Holes just appeared in the bottom of the boats.”

“Just tell me what's going on?!”

“Didn't we warn you, Lord? We said that if we let this continue, something bad would happen. It’s your Lordship who didn't listen.”

Windhand chuckled and admired how the Archmage pushed the Lord. The Lord glared at him, but that didn't matter.

He was granted temporary immunity after the Lord received a message from the Lord of Jacrati.

For as long as they were there, the Lord of Grü Teltz couldn't treat them carelessly. If he were more shameless, he might have been able to do it. However, considering he also enjoyed the protection of an archmage of the Magic Tower, he had to be even more careful.

“Please give us your troops now.”

“Tr-Troops?”

“The troops we will use to hunt the dragon. Oh, we will also need your support…”

Despite really wanting to kill the Archmage yesterday, he still wanted to live.

There truly was no better negotiator than him, at least when he was on your side. That’s why Windhand could comfortably watch this situation from the side. The Lord had obediently given the Archmage everything he asked for.

“He actually managed to turn this situation around, even though it was the worst. It went smoother than I thought. Honestly, I thought this would be the end for us.”

His vice-captain standing next to him whispered. He agreed. After hearing the details yesterday, he really thought that Jacrati would be doomed.

He had even considered just running away while pretending to cooperate. Wouldn't just stealing one of the ships docked at port be safer than going on a dragon hunt?

Of course, doing so would get him into a lot of trouble with the Adventurers’ Guild, but even that would probably have been better. If the Adventurers’ Guild sent people after them, he might be able to bait them into fighting the Vipurit.

Of course, there was a possibility they might capture the adventurers.

“Right. It would be nice if we could settle this matter within three days.”

He abandoned the idea because of the Spartoi that appeared yesterday. If he encountered those things that sank his ship, he would just end up buried. He absolutely couldn’t allow himself to die without having achieved anything.

Furthermore, he had another, slightly more calculated reason.

Since those things appeared near the city and sank many ships, there was no way the Lord wouldn’t move.

In that case, even if they didn’t slay the dragon in half a day, it wouldn’t take more than three at most. As time passed, more ships would be sunk, and the Lord would suffer even more damage.

“Three days? No way. Two days should be enough. We might be able to finish up here before the promised reinforcements arrive in Jacrati.”

So, when the Archmage interrupted their talk to assure them, he smiled, momentarily forgetting how unpleasant the situation had been.

“I wouldn’t mind such a breach of contract.”

Anyway, he would be glad just to survive this.

And if, by any chance, they succeeded…. He might return to Jacrati with more help than he had hoped for.

It was a literal gamble, after all.

His life, the companions he’d been with for half his life, and the fate of his city… A gamble risking the lives of his family. In return, he was offered salvation for his hometown.

Windhand lightly rubbed his face, feeling the weight of the burden on his shoulders.

Was it really for the best? A question he didn’t dare nor could he bear to say out loud tormented him constantly. He almost missed the days of weathering storms alone on his tiny boat. At that time, he only had to care about his own life.

“Rather, where did that Demon Knight go?”

“Demon Knight?”

“Now that I think of it, he didn’t introduce himself properly. It’s the nickname of the man you were trying to hire.”

“Aah. I see. He played so hard to reach this point that I’m only now hearing who he is.”

Demon Knight. As someone from Yabad who feared the Demons, it wasn’t a very pleasant nickname. However, for a nickname like that to stick, he had probably killed countless Demons, so it was all good.

“…I must admit that he is rather difficult to get close with, so don’t mind it too much. He has his circumstances, as well.”

“Huh? Puhaha. Did you think I cared about that? You have nothing to worry about. For a seafarer, being like that isn’t really a flaw.”

“That’s good, then.”

“Of course, if he lacks the skills to back it up, he’ll regret it.”

“Don’t worry. As far as his skills are concerned, you won’t be disappointed.”

How strong was he for even an archmage of the Magic Tower to vouch for him?

Windhand left the castle and looked around. Then, as if by coincidence, he saw part of the sea near the harbor split apart.

It seemed to be the result of some horrifying, pitch-black Arcane Power.

“Oh, he’s over there.”

“…That’s the Demon Knight’s doing?”

“You mean this?”

Damn. If this really was that man’s doing, it wouldn’t be so unreasonable for him to be that arrogant.

No one he had ever seen, not even a knight, could have done something like that.

* * *

Although we were delayed by a day from what we had promised Windhand, at least our progress, which had been rather sluggish, sped up a bit.

Wow, I never thought it possible to build a military camp in just a single day. I followed them to Gamak Bay to fight off the Spartoi and was surprised to see barracks being steadily raised from the ground.

Since I had no part in building the camp, I simply rested after dealing with the Spartoi. There was still enough time for the people on board to get to know each other.

Of course, since they had to cooperate to lure the dragon here, it might be natural for them to try learning more about each other’s strengths and weaknesses. It was just that I’d never done anything like that before.

“There are a lot of mages.”

“It can’t be helped, given that only a few fighters can perform long-distance [Slash] attacks.”

The wizard dispatched by the Magic Tower looked at me with passionate eyes as he said that. That look felt even more annoying because of the Archmage’s advice about dealing with those of the Magic Tower. I had no idea why they were looking at me like that.

Or was he pissed about me firing that [Slash] at the port the day before yesterday? Since I couldn’t stand doing nothing just because I was a close-range attacker, I figured I could just use my ranged attack at its maximum. I didn’t even damage the port.

“Ehem.”

However, the Archmage, who had just approached us, cleared his throat loudly, and the gaze on me disappeared immediately. I felt much better.

“Didn’t the mages tell you to wait inside?”

“But Mr. Archmage.”

“Your division…?”

“I’m going.”

I felt even more comfortable after the Archmage sent him to a lower deck. I had been feeling so pissed that I wondered if I should just let my temper loose.

“However, it’s not like we can’t do anything. We can assist by throwing harpoons at it.”

“I see. I’m not sure harpoons will work on a dragon, though.”

“Each of them has been strengthened with magic, so they should at least be a little effective.”

“Perhaps.”

…No, wait a second. Weren’t they just regular harpoons? I threw about three of them around for practice not too long ago.

Was that why the wizards looked at me with such fiery gazes??

“Everyone’s on board, right? Then let us leave.”

Anyway, the time had come.

We had about twenty wizards from the Magic Tower, five adventurers, sixteen people from the Temple, and thirty-three sailors. And then there were the four of us.

After checking that everyone was there, we left for the sea. “Urgh.”

Of course, I started feeling motion sick again within just a few minutes. It was the largest ship I had been on yet, so size didn’t seem to matter in that regard.

“Wait, what’s wrong with you?”

Still, there were quite a few people here, so I did my best to hide it… However, Windhand, as astute as ever, noticed. The others didn’t seem to notice anything; he was the only one who did, for whatever reason.

“Y-You?”

As such, Windhand looked betrayed for some reason. I could understand his feelings, but wasn’t that a bit unfair?

Did I want to get seasick? My character’s body is just like this, so what did he want me to do about it?!

“Don’t worry, he can fight just fine.”

After much deliberation on whether he should just stay on land, Deb decided to come along and answered on my behalf. I had no idea why he chose to follow us, but I was rather grateful he did the talking for me.

“Damn, are you really okay?”

Actually, no. So long as I was on a ship, my motion sickness would never improve. However, the ship had already sailed. There was no more turning back.

“I brought some tea.”

Suddenly, the Inquisitor burst in. After learning of the Inquisitor’s identity yesterday, Windhand’s face instantly hardened whenever he saw her. He stepped back from her. She just handed me the tea, regardless.

The unique smell of oriental medical herbs wafted up, more fragrant than bitter.

“If you drink this, you’ll feel better.”

Would it actually work?

I took it from her without any hesitation. As I drank it with closed eyes, I felt like I was getting both sicker and better simultaneously.

“The mainsail’s direction is changing!”

At that moment, a sailor shouted loudly. Windhand’s head turned toward him and took a deep breath.

“What are you doing? Lower the mainsail!”

“It’s a storm!”

However, in that brief moment, other reports poured in. The sound of the wind, which was unusual even to the ears of an ordinary person who knew little about the sea, filled our ears, and the sailors were moving around even more busily.

“Don’t panic. Just prepare as you usually do. We haven’t even reached the Dragon’s Gate yet!”

Windhand shouted and glanced at me.

“Hey, if you don’t manage to kill that dragon, I will kill you. Keep that in mind.”

If I failed to kill the dragon, we might drown first before he could kill me… Well, what could I say?

“I’ll only fail if this ship can’t even withstand this storm.”

However, I couldn’t say just anything, right? Windhand scoffed at that and left to do his job.

“…”

The Inquisitor, who usually got upset by the words of criminals, was quiet. Her gauntlets made creaking noises as they rubbed together.

“Ehem.”

At that moment, Deb cleared his throat. Our eyes moved toward him.

Since Windhand joined us, the fighting between those two had almost completely disappeared. Well, it was only the second day, though.

“Mister Knight, do you really think you can kill the dragon?”

Having a plan meant it could fall apart, especially because the future was always unpredictable. That was why I felt weird whenever someone asked this type of question.

“If you’re just here to spout such weak words, get lost.”

There were only a few phrases as belligerent as ‘get lost’, and there were only a few I used as often. Regardless of whether it was possible, we had to do it.

* * *

* * *

“It’s a tsunami!”

“Idiot! The ship won’t turn over because of that kind of tidal wave! Don’t make a fuss and stay still!”

“Hey, if you have that much energy left, come here and help me with this!”

As we were talking, the storm became stronger and the clouds already forming in the sky became even more numerous. We couldn’t even see the sun anymore.

Slosh, slosh. The big ship began leaning to one side. It was a good thing we sent the wizards below deck beforehand. If those weak sticks were up here, they would have just flown away.

“All of you up here, get down!”

The crew threw the people on deck—mostly adventurers—to the lower levels as rain began to fall since they would be in the way. To note, we were no exception to that.

“Don’t tell me what to do.”

But I didn’t have to follow their order, right?

I had to stay up here because I felt like I would really vomit. Also, the stench inside the ship was no joke, either. If I went in there now, I would 100% puke. Guaranteed.

“Not my problem if you fall into the sea!”

Well, weren’t you, someone constantly climbing up and down those net-like ropes hanging around the masts, in a more precarious situation than me?

I tightly held onto the railing and braced my legs.

“Uwaah, the wind is no joke!”

“You’re weak!”

“As I’ve said, I’m not a superhuman like you!”

“Then go in!”

“I feel like the safest place is around you, though!”

Since I didn’t go in, the Inquisitor and Deb also stayed behind. The Inquisitor managed to hold on without much trouble thanks to her heavy armor, while Deb wrapped his arms and legs around the mast behind me.

Whoosh, rumble.

To make matters worse, it began to rain. The anxious cries of sailors and the words of Windhand melted into the sound of the storm, mixing together.

Slam!

As I gripped the railing and tried to hold on with my eyes closed, something cold struck me. The waves that hit the side of the ship splattered water all over the plating.

Since the railing wasn’t very high where we were, I got covered in seawater.

It wasn’t a big deal since I was already wet from the rain. Rather, the cold water made me come back to my senses.

“…!”

So, considering what happened right after, this might be considered a benefit. Because of it, my eyes turned to look at the sea.

「A hostile existence has entered a radius of 30m.」

That damn system didn’t seem to work until I discovered the danger myself these days, didn’t it? How ridiculous.

“It’s coming.”

“What?”

Either way, I had to prepare myself. I drew my sword.

The Inquisitor, who had also been struck by the water a short distance from me, flicked her hair away, wearing a puzzled expression. There was no need to explain any further.

She would figure it out after I penetrated the sea with a [Slash].

“That’s!”

After sending out a [Slash], the Inquisitor found our target quite quickly. She urgently released her Divine Power to form a temporary shield.

Bam!

The Spartoi rammed into her shield.

“A battle already?”

“Th-There’s something like a shark in the sea!”

“Idiot, I heard they’re called Spartoi!”

“Captain! The protective devices!”

A sailor urgently turned to Windhand.

The Spartoi had a long track record of sinking ships, and this ship’s hull wasn’t any more durable than others before the onboard protective devices were activated.

The only minor problem was that these devices had a limited duration.

Therefore, despite having full authority over its use, Windhand wouldn't order its deployment that easily. He still had to consider the battle against the dragon later on. He was the captain, after all.

“…Is it necessary?!”

Instead, he asked whether its operation was truly essential right now.

“Don't turn it on.”

So, I gave him the answer he wanted to hear.

“It isn't necessary yet.”

I aimed for those things hiding within the sea. They temporarily became much easier to target while blocked by the Inquisitor's shield.

Boom!

My second sword strike, accompanied by a metallic sound, broke through the protective film and cut through one of the Spartoi, scattering something black and clumpy into the sea.

“You slowpoke! Get the harpoons!”

“Don't order me around!”

Although Deb expressed dissatisfaction with the Inquisitor's instructions, he didn't actually refuse to do as she said. The thief jumped to the middle of the deck and delivered the harpoons with precise and efficient movements.

“Demon Knight!”

I took the harpoon that the Inquisitor handed me and held it tightly.

Could I do it? However, the situation wasn't really favorable for me to insist on sending out [Slash] attacks.

Their underwater movements were so vicious and distant. The deck was also in the way, making it a lot more inconvenient to send out a [Slash].

So, I threw the harpoon at them, using the trick I had figured out earlier while practicing.

There was no need to calculate the curve of my throw to hit the target or consider the water resistance. If I applied some Arcane Power, it would simply fly in a straight line.

“Hup.”

I took a deep breath and held it, suppressing my nausea. I could see one of those things quickly making its way toward us.

Whoosh!

The harpoon, engulfed in my black energy, flew forward like a cannonball. It only took a split second to enter the murky water and pierce through the Spartoi's head.

Splash!

The Inquisitor's harpoon also managed to hit one. Although she didn't land a headshot like me, she pierced its body.

The monster with the harpoon stuck in its body struggled a bit before letting something that seemed like blood flow into the water.

“Here comes another one!”

At that moment, a sailor hanging in the net-like mesh of rope pointed in a different direction.

“Mister!”

Deb handed me a harpoon at exactly the right time. As soon as it reached my hands, I immediately threw it. It successfully pierced through the Spartoi's head by a narrow margin, killing it.

Slash!

I then released a [Slash] barrage to finish off the two remaining, barely alive bastards.

The heavy rain drenched my hair completely, water running down the bridge of my nose, cheeks, and jawline.

“L-Looks like everything's been taken care of!”

“Great!”

As soon as the battle ended, I briefly lowered my head as I started feeling nauseous again.

I felt like dying. It was alright when I kept my eyes closed, but when I opened my eyes for combat, it was like I was in hell.

“A few more Spartoi are heading here from up ahead!”

…I stood corrected. Hell was just about to begin.

The curtain to the Sea Dragon Raid had been raised.

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