Nido Tensei Shita Shounen wa S-rank Boukensha Toshite Heion ni Sugosu ~ Zense ga Kenja de Eiyūdatta Boku wa Raisede wa Jimi ni Ikiru ~

Episode 52: The Lion’s Ship and Whale Hunting

“The river mouth is getting closer.”

Barn-san tells us this after we have overcome the monster attack.

“I was surprised by the sudden attack of the monsters, but I wonder if what awaits us in the open sea is monsters or giant fish.
We need to be prepared.”

“Yes, you’re right.”

It seems that Barn-san is wary, thinking that the monsters we encountered earlier were a sign of encountering the Megalo Whales again.

“Don’t worry! As long as Rex’s big brother is here, there won’t be any problems!”

“Hmph, you trust me, young man.”

Whether he was encouraged by Gyro-kun’s energy or found my innocent trust amusing, Barn-san smiles.
It seems that Gyro-kun should stay close to Barn-san.
He’s still trembling.

Well, when I think about it, despite experiencing such a terrible ordeal twice on this ship, isn’t this person amazing for having such confidence? Maybe he’s mentally strong.

“Captain! Multiple ships spotted about 3km ahead!”

A crew member on the lookout platform on the mast reports to Barn-san in a loud voice.

“Do you know the affiliation and number of the ships?”

Following Barn-san’s instructions, the crew member gazes into the distance.

“Our lookout has someone who can enhance their vision.
Thanks to that, they can see even the scene at the tip of a needle 100m away.”

Oh, it’s rare to have someone who specializes in pinpoint body enhancement magic.
Usually, people who excel in specialized magic like this are also skilled in basic magic techniques.

Maybe the crew members on this ship are skilled in body enhancement magic, which is why they are still energetic even after experiencing such a terrible ordeal.
They’re impressive, true sailors.

“There are three! The emblem is a lion with its wings spread!”

“A fleet from Vertino with lions spreading their wings! But only three ships? That’s not a significant number for a strategic operation.
Do you have any other information?”

“Liliera-san, what is Vertino?”

“Um, sorry.
I don’t know much either.
I’ve only been completing requests in the Beast Forest.”

“Vertino is the name of a coastal country.
The area near the mouth of the Great Inner Sea belongs to Vertino.”

Meguri-san, the thief, answered my question.

“Oh, I didn’t know there was such a country.”

“Yes, Vertino is known for its delicious fish and beautiful sandy beaches.
I’ve always wanted to go there.”

Ah, it sounds fun.
Maybe they’re considering landing in Vertino? Considering the investigation, Barn-san and the others will probably have discussions with important people from Vertino, so the possibility of landing seems high.

“Captain! Something is strange about the Vertino fleet! All the ships are in bad shape, and they are forcefully accelerating using wind magic on their sails!”

“What!?”

The report from the lookout platform crew member seems suspicious.

“Were they attacked by pirates, or…”

In this situation, the answer is probably “or.”

“Captain! Multiple black figures spotted behind the Vertino fleet! Each one is four times the size of a Vertino ship! But they’re not ships! They’re faster than the Vertino ships and will catch up to us soon!”

Black and larger than ships, huh? It’s probably the Megalo Whales after all.

“What do you think, young man?”

“Well, I think the answer is the same.”

“Then let’s answer together.
Ready?”

“Megalo Whales.”

Yeah, that’s right.
It’s probably correct to say that the monsters we encountered earlier were escaping from the Megalo Whales.

“What do we do then? If we continue like this, we’ll pass by the Vertino ships and collide with the Megalo Whales.”

The width of this sea route is only wide enough for three large ships to pass each other.
But that’s just a matter of size, and when it comes to precise maneuvering, two ships would be the maximum.

We can pass by the Vertino ships without any problems, but it’s probably impossible to avoid all the Megalo Whales that are determined to collide with us.
Honestly, I don’t think we can.

“Helmsman! Can we turn around and reverse our course!?”

“It’s not impossible, but we won’t make it in time! If we do it now, we’ll end up blocking the way for the Vertino ships by facing sideways!”

If that happens, the Megalo Whales coming from behind will collide with the Vertino ships, causing them to capsize again.

“…”

Barn-san falls silent and ponders.
He has a serious expression.
I thought he was a bit hot-headed and troublesome, but when it comes down to it, he seems like someone who can do his job seriously.
Barn-san, who seems to have made a decision, turns to us.

“Does anyone have any good ideas?”

“…Huh?”

I take back what I said earlier.
He’s useless even in critical situations.

“Well, in situations like this, isn’t it the captain’s job to come up with good ideas?”

“Hmph, I don’t want to be underestimated! I can handle normal pirates or monsters without any problems! But I’m not capable enough to come up with a reversal plan against an abnormal opponent in a desperate situation!”

Amazing! This person is amazing! He fully affirms his own incompetence! In a way, it’s refreshing!

“Just to make sure, do you have any good ideas, Vice Captain?”

“No, I don’t have any means to counter an unconventional opponent either.
Let’s put our trust in the skills of the highly recommended adventurers from the Adventurer’s Guild.”

These people are amazing! They completely entrust their fate to us, who they just met!

“After all, we almost died twice.
If we can survive, we have no pride left.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Oh… The words of those who almost died twice carry a heavy weight.
Maybe it means they have grown enough to acknowledge their own shortcomings? Yeah, let’s think that way.

“So, does anyone have any good ideas? It would really, truly, and sincerely help if you could answer quickly.”

“I also sincerely hope for an idea that won’t leak.”

I glance at Gyro-kun and the others.

“If it’s my big brother, he can come up with an amazing idea for sure!”

“We’re just ordinary adventurers, so even if you expect something from us, it’s really troubling.”

“I’m sorry for not being of any help.”

“When it comes to it, we abandon the ship and escape.
With this river width, we can reach the land.”

Meguri-san’s idea is harsh but true.
Even if the ship is destroyed, as long as we survive, we can build another ship.

Now I look at Liliera-san and Mofumofu.

“Unfortunately, I don’t have any ideas either, so I’ll follow whatever Rex-san decides.
Because everyone believes that whatever Rex-san decides, we will definitely survive.”

Liliera-san says that, and everyone nods.
Is this what it means to be trusted?

“Gyuuu!”

And Liliera-san firmly holds Mofumofu, who was trying to escape.
She’s been trained mentally as well.

“Well, if we escape, the Vertino ships will eventually be caught up and destroyed by the Megalo Whales.
What do you plan to do?”

Moreover, if the Megalo Whales are right behind the Vertino ships, they will probably be attacked by the Megalo Whales before they can reach the shore after abandoning the ship.
With that massive body approaching, we won’t be able to swim properly.

“Personally, I want to go and help, even if it means risking danger.”

I propose my personal opinion at this point.
Since they’ve thrown all the problems at us, it should be fine to be a little selfish, right?

“What exactly do you plan to do? Unfortunately, our ship doesn’t have any weapons that can defeat them.”

“I realized that painfully in the previous battle.”

“Vice Captain, please be quiet for a moment.”

“Understood.”

They get along well.
But well, it’s probably easier for subordinates when their superiors are light-hearted.

“We do have a weapon.”

“What?”

I point to the ground.

“It’s right here.”

 

I instruct the crew members to tie me to the ship with ropes.

“How is this ship a weapon!?”

While tying myself to the mast with ropes, Barn-san asks for an explanation of the plan.

“This ship is an S-rank monster, made of Ancient Plant material that is harder than iron.
In other words, you can say that this entire ship is a mass of iron.”

Yes, the sturdiness of this ship has been confirmed in previous battles.
It’s just the sturdiness.

“Could it be a ramming attack!?”

The protrusion at the lower part of the ship’s bow is called a ram, and ramming it into the enemy’s ship is called a ramming attack.
And I was thinking of using that.

“However, this ship is too light compared to the weight of the Megalo Whales.
If we collide, we will be blown away instead, won’t we?”

The Vice Captain’s words are correct.
But that’s if we do a normal ramming attack.

“Yes, I understand.
That’s why we will use magic to accelerate the ship and further enhance its defense to the maximum, then charge at the enemy.”

“Magic on the ship!? Is that even possible!?”

 

The ship’s crew of magicians exclaimed in surprise.

“We will draw a special magic circle on the ship and cast an enchantment spell, so it’ll be fine.”

“Enchantment magic on a giant structure… Does such a lost magic exist!?”

Lost magic, I think that refers to magic that has been lost in this era.
I’m sure there are quite a few people who can use it if you search for them.

“Then I will draw the magic circle, so all the magicians should secure themselves at the stern of the ship and when the signal comes, accelerate the ship with all your might.”

“Understood! Leave the acceleration to us!”

“I’ll also help with the acceleration.”

Mina-san ran towards the back of the ship, holding a rope.

“Hey, boss! Another horde of monsters is coming!”

When I looked ahead at Gyro-kun’s words, I could see the aquatic monsters coming towards us again at an incredible speed.

“It’s the second wave of monsters that escaped from the Megalo Whale.
Intercept them when they come up on the ship! Ignore the others!”

“Understood! Leave it to us!”

“Take this!”

“Don’t let them get on the ship!”

Gyro-kun, Liliera-san, and Meguri-san began attacking the monsters that climbed up onto the ship.
Meanwhile, I drew a magic circle on the deck of the ship and prepared the enchantment spell.

“Captain! I have confirmed Veltino’s ship with my own eyes!”

A crew member who had been working near the bow of the ship reported.

“Understood! You guys also move back and secure yourselves at the back! Helmsman, move to the side and create a gap for Veltino’s group to pass through!”

“Roger that!”

When the helmsman followed Burn-san’s instructions and turned the rudder, the ship approached the riverbank.

“Abandon the ship and run! There’s an incredibly huge horde of monsters behind us!”

A warning came from Veltino’s ship through the wind magic.

“Thank you for the warning! But please don’t worry about us and run!”

In response to that, we replied with wind magic.

“It’s not a joke! They’re really there!”

They must be worried about us, as I could hear a serious voice.

“It’s alright! We have a plan!”

“A plan!? What kind of plan…”

While we were talking, our ship passed by.
The tattered ship passed by right next to the Good Luther.
And from behind it, a pitch-black mountain was approaching.

“I will activate the enchantment spell! High Guard Castle! High Shock Absorb! Full Metal Body!”

Multiple enchantment spells strengthened the Good Luther through the magic circle.

“Now! Everyone, accelerate!”

“Alright! Storm Bringer! Air Pressure! Aero Burst! Wind Boost!”

The ship accelerated rapidly with various wind magic.

“Liliera-san and the others, please stop the monsters and secure yourselves!”

“Understood!”

Liliera-san and the others hurriedly moved back and secured themselves with ropes.
The water monsters were blown away by the accelerating ship and flew off.

And before us, the figure of the Megalo Whale towering in front of us grew larger.

“Hey, is this really going to be okay?”

Someone muttered.

“We’re going to collide! Everyone, close your mouths! You’ll bite your tongues!”

Burn-san shouted and everyone closed their mouths.
And just before the collision, I activated another enchantment spell.

“Gravity Iron!”

Immediately, the hull of the Good Luther sank unnaturally and collided with the Megalo Whale.

Dooooon!! A tremendous sound of impact echoed, and vibrations like an earthquake reverberated through our bodies.

“……!?”

Everyone gritted their teeth and desperately held onto the ship.
Everyone was worried, wondering if it would really be okay.

However, there was no sound of destruction coming from the ship.

“Now! High Boosted Acceleration!”

As the final touch, I activated another enchantment spell.
And suddenly, the impact that was attacking us disappeared.

“……?”

Everyone opened their eyes in astonishment, and there was no sign of the black mountain that was there just a moment ago.

“Huh?”

Everyone had a dumbfounded expression, as if what they had seen before was an illusion.

“What about the Megalo Whale?”

Everyone looked around anxiously, but there was no sign of the Megalo Whale anywhere.

“It’s over there.”

I, the only one who knew what happened to the Megalo Whale, pointed upwards.

“Up there?”

I pointed to the sky, where the Megalo Whale had flown over the Good Luther and even Veltino’s ship, flying far away.

“Huh? Why is it flying!?”

“Can whales fly? Is it because it’s a monster?”

“What’s going on!?”

Liliera-san and the others asked me for an explanation.

“The answer lies in the draft area of this ship.”

“Draft area?”

Liliera-san and Gyro-kun tilted their heads, wondering what I meant.
But the crew members immediately looked at the sea surface from the side of the ship.

“What’s this!? The ship is sinking deeper than usual!”

“Could there be a hole in the bottom of the ship!?”

“Huh? What? What does that mean?”

“The draft area refers to the depth of the part of the ship that is submerged below the water surface.
And as the crew members said, this ship is sinking deeper than usual.”

“What does that mean? And why does it make the Megalo Whale fly?”

Everyone’s gaze turned back to me.

“Then let’s check the answer.
Actually, just before the collision with the Megalo Whale, I cast a certain enchantment spell on this ship.”

“An enchantment spell?”

“Yes, it’s a magic that increases weight.”

“Weight gain magic!?”

The women, including Liliera-san, made disgusted faces.
No, no, it’s not that kind of magic.

“This is a magic that manipulates gravity and can temporarily make something several times heavier than its original weight.”

I said as I released the magic, and the ship returned to its normal weight, causing the ship’s hull to rise and sway.

“I see, so you made this ship heavier than the Megalo Whale.”

The vice captain understood my words and nodded.

“That’s right.
The Good Luther is sinking while colliding with the Megalo Whale at high speed, but because we increased the weight with magic, we won’t be blown away, and we have also cast defensive magic, so there’s no need to worry about the ship breaking.”

I extended my right and left hands in front of my chest, crossing them, then lowered my right hand and passed it under my left hand.
Finally, I raised my left hand diagonally.

“And as the Megalo Whale approached us at high speed, they climbed onto this ship through their horns.
And at this point, I cast another enchantment spell on the Megalo Whale.”

“An enchantment spell on the Megalo Whale!?”

“Yes, it’s an acceleration magic that makes the opponent move faster.
By receiving this, the Megalo Whale accelerated and floated up, eventually flying into the sky.”

Everyone looked at me with astonished faces after hearing my explanation.

“Using an enchantment spell on the enemy…?”

“Depending on how you use it, an enchantment spell can become an offensive magic.”

Cheers rose from those who could use magic.

“I’m surprised.
I’ve never thought of using magic like that.”

“Yeah, I don’t know if it can be applied, but it’s a good reference.”

“By the way, weren’t we supposed to use the horn attack?”

Burn-san raised his voice, saying that it was different from the plan.

“No, I never said we were going to do that.”

Besides, even if we defeat one, there are more coming.

“Well, it’s amazing that we managed to deal with the Megalo Whale in such a way.
Not only the simple ability, but also the idea is incredible.”

Liliera-san looked at me with a mixture of amazement and exasperation.

“Kyukyukyu!”

Mofumofu approached me with a face that seemed to say, “I believed in you,” but weren’t you trying to run away earlier?

“Well, it’s a celebration! Our ship, which has been losing all the time, has finally achieved victory!”

“That’s right! I forgot about that!”

“Our first victory!”

Burn-san rejoiced at the first victory, and the crew members were also excited.

At that moment.

A booming sound and a rumbling came from afar.
When I looked, I saw a large column of water rising into the sky.

“It seems like the Megalo Whale fell into the sea route.”

They’re lucky to fall on the water.
There’s a possibility of surviving if the seawater cushions the fall…

“Ah.”

“Huh? What?”

Liliera-san and the others looked at me with puzzled faces, asking what happened.
However, before I could answer, it came from the back of the ship.

It was a huge wave generated by the Megalo Whales diving into the water.

 

 

“I really want to learn flight magic quickly.”

Liliera, who had been rescued from the capsized Good Luther ship, said so as soon as she opened her mouth, as expected.

Or rather, wouldn’t it be better to change the name of the ship?