The next day at dawn.
After Oscar spent a brief moment breathing in the cold air outside the inn, Tesila and her party emerged one by one.
“Hwaaam! Good morning, Oscar. You're up early?”
“I don't need much sleep. Are we leaving right away?”
“Let's do that. Move out!”
The six men and women began to walk down the quiet rural street.
Looking around, Oscar muttered.
“It's quiet. If it's a fishing village, this should be the busiest time of day.”
“Oh, you know it well? You're right. In fact, after Demon King Belpher's aura disappeared, Pilap received quite a bit of attention. Among the western cities, there aren't many places with a wide beach like this. Right?”
As Tesila asked while tilting her head slightly back, Tristan, who was in the back, nodded.
“Yeah. It was quite lively back when I came here to gather information. At this time of day, it used to be bustling with people selling freshly caught fish.”
“When was that again?”
“I think it's been about a hundred days.”
Shrugging her shoulders, Tesila opened her mouth.
“It's all the aftermath of the attacks. Since going out on a boat means a high probability of being attacked and killed, everyone has become afraid to go out to sea. Did you see the rotten expression on the owner of the inn we stayed at? With the city's economy collapsing, his insides must be burning.”
“But wasn't it a city that couldn't use the sea up until a few months ago anyway? Thinking about it that way, there shouldn't be much difference from just returning to how things were.”
“That's not it. Because everyone thought the sea had normalized, they repaired their boats, bought related equipment, and made massive preparations to do business at sea. A huge number of people flowed in from the outside, too. But since all of that vanished like bubbles overnight, the fallout is bound to be severe.”
Indeed, thinking about it that way made sense.
Because giving something and then taking it away was inherently more irritating.
“Then, have there been no significant measures taken since the Imperial Family's investigation?”
“About a fortnight ago, the villagers pooled their money and hired mercenaries. They were called the Brihen Mercenaries; the leader was Level 5 and the rest were around Levels 3 to 4, so they weren't too bad, but...”
Seeing her trail off, he could pretty much guess the ending.
“It seems it didn't end well.”
“Right. After they went out to sea, they never returned.”
“If so, there's either an enemy so strong that a Level 5 wouldn't even dare face it, or...”
“Or their numbers are overwhelmingly vast. It must be one of the two. Maybe even both.”
Personally, he hoped it was the former.
Because dealing with a single strong enemy was at least less bothersome.
“And while staying in this city over the past month, we did various investigations, but...”
“Was there any progress?”
“Nope?”
Smiling brightly, Tesila shook her head.
“Even the elderly who were born and raised in Pilap since birth didn't know much about mermaids or their kingdom.”
“That's to be expected. Didn't they say they didn't know 800 years ago either?”
“Yeah. In the first place, there were a few records of mermaid sightings around the Azure Sea, but they were literally just that—sightings.”
In other words, even the people from 800 years ago didn't know there was a mermaid kingdom here.
The fact that mermaids are such a closed-off group is likely a major reason for that.
Like Marin Maria's father, those who like humans are merely an extreme minority among mermaids.
‘No need to look far, just looking at humans... intermarriage with other races is rare.’
At that moment, the cleric, Eddie Barton, opened his mouth.
“I'm not sure if it's meaningful information, but while doing volunteer work in the city, I did hear some talk related to mermaids.”
“Oh, what was it?”
“It was a survivor who had drifted after their ship was attacked and sunk, and luckily got rescued by another boat and returned alive. According to him, he saw mermaids fighting among themselves.”
“...Mermaids fighting among themselves?”
Oscar tilted his head in confusion.
Of course, just because they were mermaids didn't mean they all got along.
Even looking at dwarves, if they lived in different places, they considered each other competitors.
Just then, Maureen let out a faint sigh.
“Mr. Eddie, I told you not to listen too closely to what that man says. He's a lunatic and a drunkard.”
“The Mother Earth Goddess has stated that there is no one who deserves to be discriminated against. El Sia.”
“Phew.”
Sighing, Maureen looked this way.
“Don't think too deeply about it. I also went to see him just in case, but his head is completely...”
Circling her index finger against her head, she said.
“Gone. He just giggles, 'hehe'.”
“In that case, the claim that the mermaids fought each other would be the only testimony.”
“How can we believe the words of a madman? He probably saw the fishermen and mermaids fighting and is just spouting nonsense.”
“Sorry to Eddie, but I don't really believe it either.”
Listening to the conversation, Tesila chimed in.
“If mermaids really were fighting among themselves, wouldn't the most likely scenario be that the mermaids of the Southern Sea came all the way here?”
“I suppose. But it doesn't seem entirely implausible. For instance... in a case where there's an immense treasure in the mermaid kingdom here.”
“Fufufu.”
At that moment, Tesila laughed unpleasantly and stopped walking.
As the naturally walking party stopped in turn and looked back at her, Tesila's nose shot up as if it didn't know how high the sky was.
“Who am I? One of the only four Special-Class Adventurers officially recognized by the Imperial Family!”
“There she goes again.”
“What's wrong? She's just cool. You're so cool, sis!”
Finally putting on a satisfied expression at the various responses, Tesila opened her mouth.
“I tried contacting them.”
“Where do you mean?”
“The mermaids.”
“...Don't tell me, you can even contact the mermaids of the Southern Sea?”
“Hah, Oscar. Do you think I'm Special-Class for nothing? If I couldn't do this much, I wouldn't even be able to brag about being Special-Class anywhere!”
Her chin wasn't just lifted; she was practically staring right up at the sky.
She soon lowered her head and said.
“Right. While adventuring, I formed a good connection with a high-ranking mermaid over there, so I asked them once. They said they have absolutely no idea what's going on.”
“If so...”
“It means, just like Maureen said, it's highly likely to be the nonsense of a lunatic drunkard. About 99%?”
As they shared murmuring conversations, they had reached the seaside before they knew it.
Something like a hastily made fence was wrapped all the way around between the sidewalk and the beach.
“Would something like this even have any meaning?”
“They probably think it's better than doing nothing. Isn't it human psychology to want to do something?”
It was a relief that, at the very least, cases of mermaids coming all the way up to land to attack were rare.
Looking at the beautiful sea, Oscar felt a sense of pity.
“It's so pretty, but there are no people.”
“I don't think it's bad, though? Thanks to that, we get to monopolize this scenery.”
“That is true, but.”
It felt as if they had come to hang out at the beach after the world had ended.
These days, there were so many tourists everywhere you went, you rarely had the luxury of soaking in the sentiment at such beautiful places.
“Is the boat ready?”
“Of course. Follow me.”
As they went to the place Tesila guided them to, a single fishing boat was sitting there.
It was of an ambiguous size that looked like it would be completely full with exactly 7 people on board.
“Are we seriously taking this to go?”
“Yeah, is there a problem? If it's too cramped, I'll sit Maureen on my lap.”
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
“Gasp! Sis, I'd love that!”
“It's not that kind of problem...”
No matter how he looked at it, this didn't seem like a ship suited for combat, did it?
Above all, this didn't even have a magitech motor attached.
It didn't even have sails attached, so pushing it with the wind seemed like it would be inefficient too.
‘Could it be?’
At the end of his naturally shifting gaze, Tristan nodded his head.
“I'll handle the boat's operations, so don't worry.”
“But it feels like we'll helplessly sink if we get attacked.”
“The gunslinger will take care of that part. We've even gone on a few preliminary surveys riding this, so trust us.”
Nodding reluctantly, Oscar asked.
“Then what is the outline of the operation?”
“First, we'll take this and head to these points.”
Tesila unfurled a map and pointed at the spots marked with red circles.
“These four locations are estimated to be the likely places where the mermaid kingdom could be.”
“And when we arrive there?”
“We dive right in. Just make it so we can breathe underwater. We'll handle all the rest.”
This kind of thing was the operation of an adventuring party containing a Special-Class Adventurer?
He was certain of one thing.
The operation of that Brihen or whatever mercenary group they had heard about in passing earlier must have been far more specific.
“...Are there any alternatives?”
“Alternatives? Like in case we fail?”
“Yes, like in the event the boat sinks, for example.”
“We'll have to guard it well so that doesn't happen.”
“Or if more enemies appear than we can handle at that point.”
“We'll have to fight well so we don't die.”
As soon as he returned, he would file an inquiry.
Asking if it was truly right for this person to have received the title of Special-Class Adventurer.
Tap tap.
Tesila patted Oscar's shoulder.
“Of course, it might be a little tough to keep up with our tempo, but don't worry.”
“...Huu, it's fine.”
If push came to shove, he could just use spatial magic to run away.
Tesila must have taken that part into consideration when she recruited him anyway.
Swoooosh!
The boat quickly cut through the current and pushed forward.
‘Is it because he's definitely from the Blue Tower?’
Tristan leisurely moved the water to operate the boat.
It seemed their claim of having gone out for preliminary surveys in this boat wasn't a lie either.
For one, he naturally suppressed the waves before they even crashed, making it so comfortable and stable that it created the illusion they were on a lake rather than the sea.
“No one is getting seasick, right?”
At Tesila's question, Oscar looked around.
Maureen was sitting on the bow humming a tune, and Eddie was reading scripture.
‘Tristan is piloting the boat next to Maureen... and where is Mary Jane?’
The gunslinger was standing on top of the captain's cabin with a cigarette in her mouth, keeping watch over the surroundings.
Both her hands were resting on the gunbelt at her waist, and a revolver was holstered on each side.
“Hmm.”
Watching the boat advance for quite a while cutting through the blue sea, it felt deeply refreshing and new.
In his past life, this sea had been dyed black, and he was the one who had changed it.
He had even seen the color of the sea changing in real-time as he returned on an airship.
Because he was now riding a boat down directly in the very same place, it felt a little strange.
“Boat.”
At that moment, Mary Jane's rarely heard voice rang out from above.
At the same time, a half-destroyed ship floating on the sea like a buoy came into view.
The name ‘Daisy’ was written on the side of the ship.
Upon confirming that, the smile vanished from Tesila's face.
“That is...”
“Is it a ship you know?”
“It's the ship the Brihen Mercenaries took when they set out.”
The mercenary group that had failed to return.
Tesila, who had discovered their traces, spoke.
“Tristan, bring the boat a little closer.”
“Understood.”
As the boat approached, Tesila jumped onto the half-destroyed ship without hesitation.
Maureen asked with a worried face.
“Sis! Is there anything there?”
“No, there's nothing at all.”
Tesila, who had inspected everywhere she could move around on the ship, returned and said.
“There were no corpses, no bloodstains, and not even any weapons or signs of a battle.”
“That's even stranger.”
The ship was smashed up, no matter who looked at it.
Even if they were just unlucky and swept up by a tidal wave, it was strange for there to not even be any weapons left behind.
“They're coming.”
At that moment, Mary Jane spoke as she spat the cigarette she was holding into the sea.
In a flash, a revolver was drawn from her waist.
Bang!
The magic-imbued muzzle spewed fire as the bullet was instantaneously sucked into the ocean.
A moment later, red blood rose from beneath the sea, spreading out like paint.
“What was it? I only felt a faint trace of magic.”
“Humanoid shape.”
Thump!
Right then, the boat the party was riding shook violently.
As the hull heaved heavily, Maureen's body was launched into the air.
The moment Tesila swiftly snatched her waist and pulled her in.
Booom!
This time, an even stronger impact shook the boat.
“It won't move! These bastards...”
Tristan muttered, grimacing.
“They're planning to destroy the boat from underwater first.”
“Were the Brihen Mercenaries taken down this way, too?”
“I'll try to block them as much as I can for now.”
The moment Tristan kicked up water spray and enveloped the bottom of the boat in a defensive barrier.
“We've practically arrived at the point anyway, haven't we?”
Oscar asked as he lightly cracked his neck.
At this, Tesila nodded and pointed to one side.
“Right. Just about 200 meters more in that direction was the first point... but why?”
“That's great. From here on, let's walk.”
“...Walk? But we're in the middle of the ocean?”
The moment Tesila tilted her head in confusion.
Oscar, activating seven strands of his magic circuits, snapped his fingers.
“Part the Sea.”
Rumble-rumble-rumble!
At the same time, using the boat they were riding as the center, the vast ocean began to part.
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]

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