Death March kara Hajimaru Isekai Kyusoukyoku

◇

"Ya’ guys! Captain Arisa-sama is departing yarr’~"

"Yessire~?"

"Aye aye~"

"Nn."

Arisa and the others are playing pirates cosplay on the bow. Arisa is wearing a captain-like elongated hat and a coat with long hem, with a shirt and trousers below. She’s got a rapier on her waist.

That’s some slightly retro pirate huh. I thought that she was going to cosplay the pirate king, but it seems to be different.

Pochi and Tama are wearing pirate underling-like clothes, that are shirts with stripped patterns, and cropped trousers. The two are equipped with eyepatches that I’ve made yesterday. Making normal eyepatches wouldn’t be interesting, so I made it in the shapes of a small deformed dog and cat.

Mia is wearing sailor-like clothes, or more like a white sailor uniform, and white trousers.

"Master, the tea is ready."

"Thank you, Lulu."

I get down to the area with steering wheel that’s on a bit higher plane, and sit on one of the simple tables that have been lined up on the deck. After Lulu told Arisa that it was the snack time, they stopped their pirates play and rushed here.

"Huh? The sunlight here is gentle."

"Fufuhn, I’ve put up the [<>] that can cut UV from the sunlight since it’ll be bad if Lulu and the others get sunburns."

It’s one of the thing I’ve ordered from the scroll workshop in the duchy capital.

Natalina-san was confused since she didn’t seem to understand the purpose of the magic.

"There’s no wind~?"

"It’s true nanodesu. Even though the wind blows on top, it’s mysterious nanodesu."

"It’s magic."

"Naruru~"

"I see, nanodesu."

I’ve used the normal Air control magic for the wind, calming the wind here while sending it to the sail at the same time.

When I didn’t use it, Lulu’s and Nana’s skirts got rolled up by the wind. Particularly for Lulu, since she was wearing a one piece, up to her navel could be seen. Of course, officially, I didn’t see it.

Our ship is currently sailing in the bay.

There are hardly any monsters in the bay.

"Dolphin! A dolphin just jumped now!"

Arisa has quickly found a dolphin that’s swimming side-by-side with the ship. Please don’t talk when you have something in your mouth. I create a tray sized <> and prevent the crumbs from falling.

Arisa rushes to the rear deck behind me. The young troupe aren’t the only ones lured there, Lulu and Nana also follow.

What about Liza? I look for her, it seems that she’s just taken a harpoon attached with rope from the storehouse below. Apparently for Liza, it’s like fishing a prey.

"It’s somersaulting nodesu!"

"Prey~?"

"What are you saying, it’s unthinkable to eat dolphin~ that’s something to adore you know."

I think I shouldn’t tell Arisa that I’ve eaten dolphins in a lodging at Wakayama prefecture before. Well, they’re certainly cute, so I guess adoring them is fine too.

I thought that Nana was going to react the most, but she didn’t seem to have much interest. Lulu is saying, "That’s really a big fish", but that’s an expression for when you’re talking about cuisine.

"However, it looks delicious."

Liza is trying to hide the harpoon behind her, but she can’t.

Everyone beside Arisa seems eager to eat the dolphin, but let’s overlook it for Arisa’s sake.

Even though I don’t think that the dolphin feels the danger for itself, it’s separating from the ship after a bit while.

◇

After the afternoon snack time is over, the ship safely gets out of the bay to the open sea.

"Uwah, it’s shaking."

"It’s shaking more than the airship."

"Nn."

Arisa, Lulu, and Mia seem uncomfortable with the ship shaking. It shouldn’t feel like it’s shaking so much for a ship this big, but I guess it can’t be helped that it’s shaking more than when it’s on the river.

"It’s alright, it’s just water below us. You can just swim if you fall."

Liza remonstrates calmly. It’s quite different than when she’s riding the airship.

"Nn, I can swim."

"Impossible, I can only swim for 10 meters by dog-paddling."

"I’ve never swum before since I was raised in mountains. Ara? Arisa shouldn’t have never swam before too right?"

I see, Arisa and Lulu can’t swim huh. I’ll teach them how to swim when we stop by on the shore next time. I guess they need swimsuits before that huh.

"Nyahahahaha~"

"Tama, it’s shaking too much, it’s terrible nanodesu! Master, I’m falling nodesu~"

I can hear excited voices of Tama on Pochi who have climbed on the watchtower on the main mast before we got out of the bay. Pochi’s voice seem somewhat like a scream, but since it subtly sounds like she’s having fun, it’s probably alright. If she really falls, I’ll catch her with [Magic Hand] so it’s fine.

I’m enjoying everyone’s reaction like that, but then a monster appears on the radar.

Since it’ll be dangerous if we meet enemies like this, let’s make the ship levitate.

I touch the board on the center of the steering wheel. I charge it with magic power to activate the aerodynamic engine. The ship comes out of the sea’s surface and continues to rise until the altitude where the wave crest don’t touch it.

"Ara? The shaking stops? Geh?!"

Arisa becomes speechless when she peers below from the ship’s deck.

Huh?

Didn’t I say that this sailing ship could fly?

Everyone beside Arisa is calm, and has no question about the flying ship. We were flying in an airship when we went to Boruenan forest after all. If one doesn’t understand the theory, they probably would think that a sailing ship can fly just like an airship.

"Don’t tell me, this ship is also an airship?"

"That’s right. It doesn’t have enough power to fly high though."

At most, it can only fly 100 meters above the ground. It also doesn’t have propellers, so it can only go to the direction the wind blows.

Arisa is muttering, "Gununu", and, "Cheater". How cruel, I’ve made this by applying things that various people have taught me.

After confirming that the shaking has stopped, Pochi smoothly descends with the rope hanging on the main mast. It seemed Tama had found something, she also descended after Pochi.

"A big shadow is coming closer~"

"Shadow nanodesu?"

The thing that Tama has found is the Long-Neck Dragon that’s chasing this ship. It has ’dragon’ in its name, but it’s not of the dragon race but monsters.

◇

A long neck breaks out of the water surface.

"Uwaah, it’s Nessie! It’s a real nessie isn’t it. I wonder if it’ll bark with ’Pyui’?"

Arisa’s tension is strange.

I understand her feeling since it’s a famous UMA. But, I wonder where did I hear that it barked [Pyui]?

"You grilled eel! I recommend that you prostrate yourself before my stomach!"

"HUROOOOUNN!"

Grilled eel she said. The Horn Snake from before was certainly delicious though.

The Long Neck snapped from Nana’s provocation, and roared. Behind me, Arisa says, "That’s not Pyukichi" while tearing a handkerchief. I understand that you’re having a little drama, but Liza and Lulu will scold you later you know.

"Shoot!"

Lulu, Pochi, and Tama pulled the triggers on the shotguns following my command. There’s the fact that the target is big, the magic power buckshots that spread in 30 meters round shape hit the Long-Neck Dragon.

"...■■ Water Hold"

Mia’s capture magic is invoked a bit later after the three, and the water ropes begins to coil around and bind the Long-Neck Dragon. The rope can’t quite bind it, probably because its high level.

"...■■■■■■ <>"

The space magic blade that Arisa’s fired makes a deep wound on the Long-Neck Dragon’s trunk.

Despite the wound, the giant tusk of the Long-Neck Dragon still approaches the big shield that Nana has set up.

Nana shoots arrows of nature magic that pierce through the Long-Neck Dragon’s eyes. The Long-Neck Dragon that has had its vision robbed keeps charging to Nana, but Nana evades it quickly.

I’d hate it if the ship breaks from the Long-Neck Dragon’s attack, so I use <> to protect the deck.

Liza who has amassed magic power into her spear drives it through the Long-Neck Dragon whose movements have stopped after being hindered by the Flexible Shield. Right then, Pochi and Tama assist with shotguns, shot from the deck.

Arisa pierces the Long-Neck Dragon which has stopped moving with Dimension Cutter, and Mia uses Water Burst on that wound to make it explode. Toward that torn long neck, Liza and Nana attack with magic edged spear and sharp edge invoked magic sword respectively, and it’s finally defeated.

Since the Long-Neck Dragon is as big as the ship, its dismantling is done by using [Magic Hand] and [Flexible Sword] from a distance.

The Long-Neck Dragon is quite lightly delicious, although not as good as the Horn Snake. There should be some dishes using fins inside the cooking books that I’ve bought in the duchy capital, let’s challenge myself to make it next time.