第８６０堀：激闘の果てに (Part2)
Everyone was exhausted, and they only gave a brief reply to my words before returning to the cottage.
"To be exhausted by something like that, they still have a long way to go. Even worse, they're expecting rewards, they're completely underestimating this."
"No, well, it was sudden, so I think it's fine, isn't it?"
"That's right. It's their first time, so it would be good if Kirika could train them properly with that in mind. As for the rewards, I'll think about them."
I had also forced Kagura and the others to participate because I wanted them to know more about sea battles.
I need to make up for that.
And then, Kirika, who heard my words...
"Haa, Master is so kind. However, if Master wishes it so, I shall obey. But, as the training is a matter of life and death for Kagura-sama and the others, I shall personally guide them with strictness and train them to be of service to Master."
"I'm asking you, but please ensure that Kagura's diplomatic work doesn't get delayed, alright?"
"Yes. I understand that perfectly."
Although I'm a little worried, Kirika is good at this kind of work.
I'll trust her. Well, she'll probably hear various things from Kagura and the others, so she won't do anything too unreasonable.
"So, Kirika. About the person with the Magic Gear intentionally boarding the Gusdo Kingdom's transport ship, right?"
"Yes. Well, as I said earlier, transport ships do carry people. Although it's more expensive than regular passenger ships, it's not impossible for those with urgent matters to board, so the possibility of it being a coincidence isn't zero..."
"Even if it was a coincidence that they boarded the transport ship, it means they were planning to escape to the Gusdo Kingdom anyway, right?"
"If they were planning to escape. It's also possible they sold only the Magic Gear and were hidden among the cargo. The value of the jewels alone is considerable."
...I understand what Taiki-kun is saying, and I understand what Kirika is saying.
Intentional or coincidental, with the current information, it's impossible to tell.
"Speaking of which, do you have a crew list for that ship?"
"Ah, that's right. To avoid stowaways, they should have records of passengers included."
"I see. So, now that we know the ship's name, we can check the records at the port of Seasyphon."
"That's right. Kirika, can I ask you to do it?"
"Understood. I will investigate immediately."
As soon as Kirika said that, she immediately contacted her subordinates and gave instructions.
In the meantime, Taiki-kun and I read through the report from Shira-chan.
"Besides the ferry, there are wreckage of many small ships and numerous human bones discovered..."
"Small ships and human bones... were they attacked?"
"Probably. However, the absence of warships is concerning."
"Perhaps the attack happened in a different location? You know, we were attacked by Shira-chan's kin in this vicinity too."
"So the soldiers were taken back as bait."
"That's a grim thought."
Still, Shira-chan's kin were just eating to survive.
"Well, at least let's search for wreckage of a warship and salvage the personal effects. If we bring that back, we can say the anomaly in this sea area has been resolved."
"That's true. After all, there haven't been any monster attacks other than those by Shira-chan's kin, was that all?"
"If it only originated from the Magic Gear we discovered, then that number would be the limit. We defeated about 200, and the Seasyphon Navy defeated about 50."
Still, it's amazing that 14 Magic Gears could summon nearly 300 of Shira-chan's kin... But, why did such monsters appear in the first place?
"...Well, there are still many mysteries, but we can consider it resolved for now. However, we will need to monitor this sea area for a while."
"Indeed. Also, Comet-san and Agil will surely discover something."
So, the remaining tasks are for the research team and their diligent field investigations.
For this, I'll use one of the warships as bait, remove it from the magic barrier range, and leave it exposed for a certain period.
If it's not attacked, and the people of Seasyphon can rest assured, it will be easier for us.
Then, all that's left is to investigate the origin of the Magic Gear...
As I thought this, I looked out at the sea from the beach of Weed.
"It's hot..."
"Shall we go back?"
"Yeah."
It was incredibly difficult to be on the beach in the summer wearing too many clothes...
Surprisingly.
Kagura and the others achieved victory.
Well, their experience in various situations was demonstrated against Sea-chan this time.
Even though I thought they were weak, they have become considerably stronger.
Thus, Yuki's expectations were slightly off, but he grasped the strength of his allies and identified the ship carrying the Magic Gear.
He faces further problems, but first, there is the task of concluding the Seasyphon issue.
Also, going to the summer beach without swimming makes one wonder what they are doing there.