Chapter 18

“Haah!!!”

Magellan rushed toward us.

Other than the fact that its movements were slower than before while wrapped in a magical barrier, there wasn’t much difference from earlier.

It seemed like there had been some discussion, but at a glance, it looked no different.

So, as if waiting for this moment, I swung my sword once more.

-Kwaaaaang!!!

With a shockwave rushing forth, the magical barrier shattered just as I had expected.

However, as I watched Magellan charging forward, I furrowed my brows slightly.

‘Could it be that this guy… is just rushing in thoughtlessly because I didn’t kill him?’

Of course, I didn’t plan on killing him right away, but there were plenty of ways to subdue him if I wanted.

I could easily crush his body with just magical power without even using the shockwave from my sword, or even knock him out completely with magic alone.

Yet, I was merely taking my time, allowing this as a form of “training.”

Seeing him act out of line like this, I gathered magical power into my unarmed hand.

Magical energy wrapped around my fingertips.

It required a finer adjustment rather than simply infusing magical power into my sword, but to me, even that felt as natural as flowing water.

Just as I was about to swing my mana-wrapped hand at the charging opponent…

“Uh?”

“!? Ah…”

In an unexpected moment, Magellan suddenly threw himself to the side, evading urgently.

I felt momentarily flustered by the unforeseen scene…

And before my eyes, I saw Franklin, who had deployed a barrier from behind Magellan, rushing toward us.

And then—

-Jjang!!!!!

*

What’s the method to block a two-time incoming attack with a shield that shatters?

It’s simple; you hold two shields.

When one breaks, you switch to the other, just like that.

Although it’s straightforward, it might just be the most reliable approach.

This was the tactic that these two had chosen against the Pirate King in this moment…

It’s called “Friend Shield”… although they’re not actually friends. It was aptly named meat shield tactics (?).

The one in front defends the first attack.

Then the one behind defends the subsequent attack and immediately strikes afterward.

In fact, this first step landed perfectly, and Magellan successfully defended against the Pirate King’s strike once more.

He stayed just a bit ahead, and after holding his ground, he passed the baton to Franklin, who had been trailing closely behind.

Rolling sideways to hold his ground, Franklin managed to approach the Pirate King while deploying the magical barrier.

Now, all she had to do was swing her sword and lightly cut the hem of his clothes to achieve victory.

Just as she thought this…

“…!?”

A powerful strike came flying toward her.

Honestly, I had anticipated a follow-up attack, but unfortunately, it far exceeded Franklin’s expectations.

This time, it was not a blade of energy; it was the hand of the Pirate King.

It was wrapped in golden magical power, nearly the size of a person, and it rushed straight toward Franklin.

An unexpected transformation took place.

The power, vastly different from the earlier shockwaves, easily tore apart Franklin’s barrier.

Like a glass window shattering, the barrier broke into pieces.

And then…

“Gyaah!?”

That golden hand caught her with precise movement.

There was no pain.

It actually wrapped around her body with a slightly soft sensation.

However, being captured by that golden grip, bound all over, signified a failure in the operation.

Her physical condition was already dire, and with Magellan also half-exhausted from having his barrier shattered twice in a row, there was no longer any strength left to continue fighting.

Yet again, the wall of the Pirate King was felt.

They had put everything into this, managing to barely succeed, but failing to consider the last variable was the mistake.

‘I could have evaded… if only I’d been a little more careful…’

In truth, the speed of that strike didn’t seem too fast, as it clearly wasn’t intended to be an attack but a means of subduing.

Even the angle was slightly skewed away from her and aimed more toward Magellan, indicating that if she hadn’t let her guard down, evasion was within her reach.

In fact, from the very beginning, she had an inkling of that notion.

It was an output that could easily be blocked with just one magical barrier.

The Pirate King had maintained his position without using anything else.

Through this, Franklin vaguely realized:

This wasn’t merely a duel; it was a kind of test being given to her and Magellan by the Pirate King.

Testing whether they could solve the problem presented to them.

Considering that the issue was well within their capabilities to resolve only solidified that belief.

Moreover, that peculiar last strike undoubtedly checked whether they could respond while considering every last variable, even when victory seemed within reach.

While it might seem like an excessive demand for an ordinary person, she understood.

She was no ordinary being; she was a key officer of the Pirate King.

Thus, it was only natural that a level of excellence beyond the ordinary was required.

In a way, this was also the Pirate King’s way of recognizing her to that extent, but ultimately, due to her shortcomings, she failed to meet the opportunity.

Feeling disappointed by that fact,

Franklin gazed at the Pirate King, who wore a slightly stiff expression while looking dejected.

“I-I’m… sorry… I lost…”

“…Hmm…”

The Pirate King cautiously set her down.

Surely, his heart was filled with disappointment, and Franklin bowed her head deeply.

Once again, she reproached herself for letting her guard down at the very end.

While Ambasha, showcasing the best version of herself, was doing well, she felt tormented by the fact that she had only brought disappointment.

At that moment…

“….!”

“You did well. Although you failed, you’ve grown a lot.”

“S-Skipper…”

The Pirate King gently praised her, stroking her head.

Seeing his oddly apologetic yet satisfied smile, Franklin felt a warm something budding inside her heart.

The words of apology and self-reproach that had filled her mind moments ago now faded.

All she wanted was to bask in this moment to its fullest.

In that warm, comforting touch…

The very thing she had wanted more than anything…

This man’s small affection.

‘I lost… but… my wish came true…!’

As a side note, Magellan, who was collapsed on the ground, lamenting that his position among the officers was lost, was no longer on her mind.

*

A city of glory shining brilliantly even in darkness.

For hundreds of years, it had held dominion over the Medirian Sea,

And while it might not be as powerful as before, it was still a formidable force overseeing this part of the ocean.

The place called the Queen of the Adriatic Sea.

Benessa.

Even from dozens of kilometers away, I gazed at this place sparkling brilliantly through the darkness.

My gaze then turned to the pirates gathered right before me.

“We are all gathered. O King of the Sea, please give your command.”

Remain, speaking in a serious tone unlike usual.

In response, I showed my inherent solemnity,

Lowering my voice as much as possible before speaking authoritatively.

“You’ve probably heard the stories along the way. Our target this time is that place over there. The Queen of the Adriatic Sea, Benessa.”

As soon as that name was mentioned, the pirates’ eyes began to sparkle.

Including the five key officers.

Among the thirty elite pirates assembled, a palpable excitement began to rise.

Given the nature of the mission, we had decided not to mobilize our subordinate crews, so these were all the forces I had for this operation.

In contrast, the population of Benessa before our eyes stood at about 120,000.

Their defensive forces numbered over 5,000,

And there were at least thirty ships always on standby for defense.

Considering that the naval power of the Britannia Empire, the continent’s strongest, had fewer than fifty vessels stationed nearby, this was quite considerable.

Furthermore, with the thought of ‘that guy’ about to be called to action, they were certainly no easy opponents.

Of course, this was all under the assumption of a fair, open confrontation.

For us, engaged in obtaining items and securing talents… which could be interpreted as pillaging, finding a mouse hole to breach these massive walls was not a difficult task.

Naturally, as Samir cautioned earlier, we would need to give something in return…

“Now then, I will issue the operation from here. Pay close attention and listen carefully.”

*

A small sailboat cautiously advanced through the darkness.

It appeared like an ordinary fishing boat, gliding leisurely across the sea.

Onboard were the former bounty hunter, current pirate Magellan, and Elkana.

Leading them was Franklin, along with Ambasha, who had joined for observations.

Tasked with a specific mission, they began to blend in among the nearby fishing boats while avoiding the eyes of the navy and slipping into Benessa.

“Ooh… this is intense! It’s much more thrilling than when we entered during the day! Now, we’re about to feast on the juicy clam meat of the Queen of the Adriatic Sea!”

“? Clam meat? Ah… So you mean you want clam grilled here?”

Seeing Elkana filled with excitement, Ambasha cautiously asked.

In response, Elkana fell into deep thoughts about whether she should enlighten this innocent child about the world’s sticky complexities but ultimately decided against it.

After all, they were in the midst of a covert infiltration operation, and it wasn’t the right time for adult education.

“Yeah?… Ah… Uhm… Well… Yeah, that’s right… Clams… they’re delicious… if you lick them a few times, the juices… um…”

“I got it! Since I lost the bet, I’ll treat you. I brought more than enough money from my father!”

“…Mmm…”

Ambasha, confidently proclaiming this, made Elkana feel a bit awkward as she stroked her cute head silently while now gazing at the dock of Benessa, just ahead.

At that moment.

“By the way… I wonder what tremendous treasure the Pirate King went to get first? We’re here for a reason, but the fact that he personally took action….”

Magellan’s quiet voice came from beside them.

After having been thoroughly beaten by Franklin and the Pirate King previously, he was showing considerable interest in him now.

And in response, Elkana smiled slightly.

“It can only be one thing, right? Given that it’s early autumn, it’s pretty obvious.”

“! You don’t mean that…”

Every autumn, one thing made Benessa lively.

Thinking of that, Elkana let a smile full of anticipation bloom.

“If it’s the Pirate King, he’d definitely aim for it. The… Great Auction.”