Chapter 74
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ED: LonelyMatter
Chapter 74 – The Difference Between Species and What’s to Come
It was the monster trainer, hired by Sage, who first noticed the unusual situation.
Of all the trainers that Sage had hired, he was the one who had taken special care of the Krakens. He had worked with monsters for many years, so he knew not only about the rarity of the Krakens but also its strength.
But because he had worked with monsters for so many years, his knowledge about monsters was not limited to just Krakens. In front of the noisy Sage, he thought about the other monster’s ident.i.ty.
“…There aren’t many monsters that can control water.”
A monster that could manipulate and control water. They were just a few, compared to the many water monsters that existed. Among them, only one could manipulate it from a great distance.
Only “a certain monster”, also known as the King of the Sea, could do it.
He suddenly realized this and turned his head back to look at Sage.
“Viscount!”
“What is it? Will you shut up and just give your instructions?”
“Please wait! I have something important to tell you…!”
“Did you not hear what I said?”
Sage’s temper was out of control. When Sage got frustrated, he didn’t listen to the words of those around him. This was not only the case this time, but had been the case in the past.
The trainer noticed this, but Sage didn’t pay attention to him at all. Since it was a serious matter, as a trainer, should he have forced his way into telling him? Such thoughts crossed his mind. But as a human being, Sage was also a troublesome master, and he was a bit evil, so he thought…maybe he didn’t have to tell him what he had noticed.
＊＊＊
The twins continued to rejoice as they saw that the Krakens were unable to move. Looking at the Kraken, they could see that it was desperately trying to move its body by extending its legs.
But it was never allowed to do so, and its outstretched legs moved back closer to its body as if it was being turned back in time.
The surface of the water remained the same, with the same intricate patterns created by the Sea Dragon.
Ain watched the scene intently. Were the twins hunting slowly? He thought so. He wondered if they were like absolute predators, completely immobilized and then slowly nibbling away.
While Ain was thinking this, his eyes began to see a single thick streak. It seemed to be coming from El’s body, and the streak was heading straight for the Kraken.
“Something thick is coming out of her… What is it?”
“It’s an ocean current, but I’m not sure what she’s doing…”
This must have been the first time for Chris to see the twins fight, so she could only make a guess.
It looked different from the abilities that had been reported.
So Ain watched the situation carefully. The thick streak continues to advance towards the Kraken. After a while, it reached one of the Kraken’s legs.
It was as if it was tapping softly. And then, undulating as if to see what was going on, it stuck to the Kraken’s leg.
“I wonder what it’s going to do,” Ain blinked for a moment while he thought about it. At that moment, El disappeared from Al’s side.
“E-El!”
“Ain-sama! She is near the Kraken! Follow the thick streak!”
Chris’ biggest strength was her agility. Hence, she could follow El’s movements with her eyes.
“When did she get there…?”
El was at the Kraken’s side before he knew it. She moved with great speed, and above her head, another multi-layered pattern appeared.
Then, the pattern swung like a pair of scissors, and the surprise ending was revealed.
The Kraken’s inaudible scream echoed through the air. It’s questionable how it was able to make itself heard underwater, but let’s put that aside for the moment.
“Perhaps that was the ability created by Katima-sama.”
“…That’s a lie, isn’t it? What is that?”
Then El came back with something in her mouth. Apparently, the thick streak seemed to be a stream of moving water created by El, who soon arrived at Al’s side along with it.
“Kyuukyuuu!”
“Kyuururuaa!”
The twins displayed their joy outwardly. They were so happy, that they spun around and wrapped their bodies around each other.
“She brought back something pretty big, but…”
“It’s amazing how strong her jaws are, too. I didn’t think it was possible to carry something that big with El’s mouth.”
El did bring something. It was a sample of magnificent length and thickness… of a Kraken’s leg. Rather than being torn off, it looked as if it had been severed by something.
“The name does not seem to have been decided upon. The principle is that it is a combination of a well-crafted ocean current and wind magic.”
“I don’t understand why a sea monster would use wind magic…”
“It seems they mastered it thanks to the bait… and Katima-sama was pleased.”
It seemed that Katima’s desire to study had borne fruit. What in the world could she have given them to learn it? Ain was curious.
“…What in the world did she give them?”
“I heard that she spent a lot of her own allowance to collect Gryphon’s magic stones. I heard that she also fed it to them regularly.”
The Gryphons that exist in Ishtalika used wind magic to fly high and accelerate, just as the Sea Dragons use ocean currents to move.
They were born adept at using wind magic and are monsters that use wind magic to unleash sharp attacks from their claws.
“Aren’t they already like a new species?”
“There’s a part of it that can’t be denied…”
The weapon was a sharp wind magic covered with a kneaded ocean current. But that made it sound like…
“And finally, they eat it deliciously. It’s like Ain-sama’s dark straw.”
“…So it means that we were parent and child after all?”
The romantic technique of using Katima’s special claws to absorb the magic stone. That was the Dark Straw.
The technique used by El was similar in principle, and it was clear that Katima was involved in the development of both.
For a Sea Dragon, it was a technique used for hunting, so it was similar in terms of use.
“They look like they’re eating very well.”
“It’s their favorite food, after all.”
The foot brought by El was chewed at a furious pace. The foot was so big that it was surprising that it was almost gone.
Then, this time, it was Al’s turn. A thick streak stretched out from Al’s side, and it advanced toward the Kraken in the same way as before.
Being an underwater monster, the Kraken must have known what Al was doing. It was dangerous, it thought, and its body was covered with a pattern of spots, a warning signal. This was another means of resistance for a creature that could not move its body.
Normally, the other monster would see this and run away. This time, however, there was no sign of that at all, and the opponent was simply chewing on its leg. It didn’t seem to care about the precautions it took.
“Chris-san, what about that pattern? It’s a little strange…”
“It’s the warning color of a Kraken. It is said that if you see this pattern in the water, you should be prepared to die.”
“I see…”
He was convinced but not convinced. The twins just bit into its remaining legs.
Al took his mouth off the Kraken leg that El brought. Then he narrowed his eyes and turned toward the Kraken. As if looking for something, he turned his eyes to the Kraken’s body. A line of ocean currents stretched out from the thick streaks. It began to suck the body of the Kraken, which was unable to move, little by little. What in the world was he doing?
“He’s trying to do something.”
“Can’t you tell, Chris-san?”
“Yeah, but I don’t really understand…”
They stared at Al, wondering what he’s going to do this time, but he still didn’t move. The most active person in the place was probably Viscount Sage. “What are you doing? Don’t be stupid!” He kept shouting words that have no meaning.
They ignored him and looked at Al. The pattern of outstretched currents gradually gathered around the Kraken’s face. Then it stopped near its forehead, and as soon as it stopped, Al let out a cry of joy.
“Kyuruu!”
His voice was cute, but what he was doing was anything but cute. The pattern of the ocean currents was gathered into two streaks that were pressed against the Kraken’s forehead.
As he was pressed against it, a thick streak extended close to it, and Al began to move with it.
“(One-sided or not, it’s just being eaten, right?)”
The absolute sea predator was here. The Kraken could not do anything, as the absolute difference between the two species was shown.
Al stared at the Kraken after he finished moving in front of the Kraken, which was unable to move.
“—…! —…!?”
The Kraken threatened Al as it continued to emit an inaudible scream. But Al was not afraid or anything, just annoyed.
It must have been convinced of something. Al, nodding his head slightly, prepared two kneaded ocean currents. A small whirlpool began to form on the water with Al in the center, probably because he could use wind magic as well as El.
“What have you been doing? Hey! You, make sure you give the right orders!”
“Y-yes!”
While Sage pointed to the side, Al started to move. Ain felt a little sorry for the trainer. Then, two prepared ocean currents were plunged into the Kraken’s forehead using wind magic.
“…A…!”
The Kraken’s body began to convulse as if its heart stopped beating inside its body. As Al confirmed this, he moved the ocean current in a circle around “something.”
“Could that be…?”
Ain saw the movement and was able to predict the result that would happen. The opponent was like a squid… and attacked around the forehead. The answer was simple.
After that, it was just as Ain had predicted. The color of the Kraken’s body changed rapidly, creating a disturbing aspect. Then, gradually, while stopping its movement, the color of its body changed to a stark, almost transparent white.
“In the monster world, more than in our world, there is an absolute difference between species. That’s the same thing we just witnessed… but this is really just a meal.”
“Hey, Chris-san. He’s strangling it, isn’t he? It’s just like strangling a squid, right?”
“Y-yes. I guess the area around the magic stone was cut off, so it’s the same as strangling…”
Proof that it was not their enemy, to begin with. While picking at the opponent’s body, he slowly probed the body’s weak points. Even though it was inside his body, once the magic stone was removed, all he had to do was wait for it to die out.
“For the twins, it was just a big, tasty squid. I thought that was all there was to it.”
“What a pity.”
Perhaps even Ain would be horrified if such a thing were done to his own monster. The scene was so full of surprises.
It was not a spectacular battle, but that meant that the opponent was not that great. It was rather questionable whether the Sea Dragon, the King of the Sea, had an opponent who could fight on the same level underwater.
El approached the side of the strangled Kraken. The chewing would probably begin at a furious pace, just as it did a few moments ago. Was the magic stone the main course? Ain thought, ‘It must be delicious,’ but as expected, he has no desire to take away the food the children have caught. He would like them to enjoy their food.
She might have seen what Al did. With one inch of movement, El strangled the other Kraken. The Kraken was not happy because it was being strangled with one hand as it gnawed at the leg. The Krakens, who had pretended to be the gangsters of the area, had an uneventful end.
＊＊＊
While the twins were still underwater, feasting on the remains of the Kraken, Ain and Sage were talking. Now that victory was a.s.sured, they had to talk about the future.
“It looks like I won.”
“You. Where did you get such a monster? I’ve never seen anything like it; I didn’t know it existed!”
Had he never heard of the Sea Dragon? They were famous twins near the royal capital, so hadn’t he at least heard of them? Or rather, as a n.o.bleman, why didn’t he know about them at all? Ain thought about it.
“They are Sea Dragons. Haven’t you heard of them? They’re quite famous in the royal capital.”
Sage was surprised to hear that. It seemed that he had heard about it. But all that came out of his mouth were incomprehensible words.
“Th-there is no way that you are… the Crown Prince, and…”
Right, he finally realized it… but what’s with the “and”? He wondered, but Sage answered for him.
“You must be in contact with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, aren’t you? And you borrowed the Sea Dragon… Isn’t that cowardly! This is invalid! I want a rematch!”
A side note about Sage Oink: The previous generation of Viscount Oink was a very capable man. He fell ill when Sage was a young child and pa.s.sed away, but the Oink family developed largely because of the competence of his predecessor.
It was not that Sage was talented, or that he had contacts with many n.o.bles, or that he had much power. The previous head must have been rolling in his grave.
The land he had cultivated with his own hands and care had been so polluted by his own son. Had he not fallen ill, Sage might have taken a different path. The future was uncertain when you think about it.
“Y-you said I have a connection… Uh… I’m not sure if that’s what you’re getting here.”
It was true that the magic tool he received from Majolica made it difficult to recognize Ain. However, it was impossible for anyone other than Crown Prince Ain to bring the Sea Dragons with them. And today’s clothes were also an easily understandable clue, as it was actually one of the clothes worn only by royalty.
“Today’s duel is null and void! Let’s start over again! This time with a land monster!”
His face turned red! He turned his back on Ain and insisted that the duel was invalid. Maybe he wanted to run away from the situation, or maybe he just wanted to make it go away and pretend that the conversation never happened.
And when he proudly said, “This time it’s a land monster,” there’s a sense of pettiness about him.
“Viscount Sage.”
“I’m done for the day! You, too, go home… W-who are you people?”
“I’m sorry, but I need to talk to you. It’s too much trouble; you can declare the duel null and void. My twins seem to be satisfied with that. I’d like to thank you for that. But this is a different story, so I can’t nullify it.”
But it was time to move on. The knights who had been hiding suppressed the guards and servants brought by Sage, and the carriage began to be suppressed as well.
“Chris-san. Read the charges.”
“Yes… Sage Oink. I list the crimes you have acc.u.mulated.”
Numerous frauds and violations. The many injustices and violations were made public here by Chris. Sage’s face constantly turned blue and red as each one was mentioned.
“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about! N-Now… get the h.e.l.l out of my way! Enough of this! I don’t care about that woman, I don’t care about compensation, I’m tired, and I’m leaving!”
Sage continued to keep his distance, his bloated belly wobbling without pause. The knights came up on either side of him.
“Come with us.”
The knight’s words enraged Sage. He finally pushed the knights away with his arms.
“Chris-san. Should I have a word?”
“…Sorry about that.”
“Fine. Now… then, let’s declare it. I will confiscate the t.i.tle of the Oink family and declare this in the name of Ain von Ishtalika… take him into custody.”
He didn’t have to declare the confiscation of his t.i.tle, but it was so ugly that he didn’t want to treat him like a n.o.ble. Chris was momentarily taken aback by the words but was grateful that the knights were now in a situation that made it easier for them to take him into custody.
Hearing Ain’s words, the knights, unlike before, took Sage’s arms and put on the iron restraints.
“I-Ishtalika…?”
“I see what you mean by hereditary. Maybe I should think about it a little more.”
“I think you’re right.”
The only people who bear the name Ishtalika were the royal family. The name Ain was the name of the Crown Prince. He finally realized it. He treated Ain like he always treated other people, although he would have known it right away if he had thought carefully instead of randomly. Therefore, he did not realize that Ain was the crown prince.
…However, there were a number of things that a n.o.bleman should have noticed. Sage might not be suitable not only as a n.o.bleman but also as a citizen of Ishtalika.
“Your Highness… this is my own way of offering you hospitality! I would like to offer Your Highness a fine Kraken for your Sea Dragon!”
This is the first template so far. Ain had never thought that such an offer was really possible. Whether Ain would accept it or not was another matter.
“Wow, some people really say that… Enough already. Don’t talk to me.”
“Your Highness! Please, please, let me talk to you…!”
“Gag him.”
“Yes!”
At Chris’ command, a gag was put on Sage. Ain wondered why the knights would bring such a thing; on the contrary, he was afraid.
However, it was helpful that Sage became quiet.
“Well, now the trouble is over… Hmm?”
Finally, the trouble was over. While he was thinking that, El brought a jar of something. She seemed to have found it at the bottom of the river and showed it to Ain.
“Kyuuu!”
“What’s wrong, El? Did you find it on the bottom of the river?”
The jar had some kind of poisonous color, but Ain did not care and stepped to the side.
“Mmh! Mnh…!”
Seeing this, Sage raised his voice loudly, but the meaning was not conveyed because it was not in words. Ain approached the jar without stopping. After confirming that she had handed the jar to Ain, El returned to her meal.
“I wonder what’s inside… Hmm? What is this?”
“Ain-sama, what is it…? Could it be…”
It smelled a bit like fish, but the aroma was quite appetizing. Such a liquid filled the inside. After confirming this, Chris pulled out her rapier from her waist.
“Chris-san. Do you know what this is?”
“It’s a poison. It is a highly lethal poison that is said to have the sweetest taste in the world. The smell is unique, so I recognized it easily.”
“P-poison…?”
“Just a moment, please. …Sorry, I know it’s early, but remove the gag.”
Chris turned and gave the order to the knight who was holding Sage. After confirming that the gag had been removed, she asked Sage.
“Sage. What the h.e.l.l is this?”
“I-I don’t know anything…”
“If you don’t want to explain, that’s fine. If I peel off your skin and put salt on it, you’ll want to talk even if you don’t. Bring me the salt, and I’ll peel his skin off.”
“Y-yes! Understood!”
Even the ordered knight was surprised to see a different side compared to the usual Chris.
“Hyii… hyiii!”
Something happened for a moment, and a red scar formed on Sage’s cheek.
“I’m good at wind magic. It’s not hard to peel off a thin layer of skin.”
Good grief. Thinking that, Ain stepped to Sage’s side. Of course, she held the pressure point in her hand. She would seriously peel off Sage’s skin, but Ain didn’t want Chris to do that.
“Sage. You know this is what you wanted to use in case something went wrong with the duel, right?”
“Y-yes…”
“I knew it. Chris-san, I really don’t want to see you skinning him, and I don’t want to make you do it. So please wait a minute.”
“B-but.”
“That’s okay. Just be a good girl.”
Chris could only say ‘yes’ when spoken to. She moved quickly to stand beside Ain.
“What kind of poison is that?”
“I-it’s called a balloon fish… a highly poisonous fish! Like the octopus, if you don’t have a tolerance to the poison, you will die instantly…”
“I see; I understand that this is the kind of poison”, Ain said. But since the Sea Dragon was also immune against poison, it would not have mattered if he had ordered the Kraken to use it on them.
“What do you mean, the sweetest thing in the world?”
“This poison is very delicious. People who are sick or injured, who are thought to be beyond saving. It is a poison that is often used as a last resort for such people.”
They wanted to die peacefully with something tasty at the end. Balloonfish poison is the perfect poison to fulfill this wish. It was mainly used in the medical field, but in the past, a gourmet n.o.bleman who chose it for his last meal left this world with a single word.
“It would be worth dying for.”
Since then, it has since become known as the sweetest poison in the world.
“That’s another great story. Is it true?”
“He is not lying. In fact, it is considered such a poison.”
He checked with Chris, who was standing next to him, to be sure, but there seemed to be no mistake. Hmm… Ain started to think so.
“Hey. Do you want to eat this?”
And so Ain offered the jar to Sage. It was nothing but a death sentence.
“P-please forgive me… Your Highness the Crown Prince!”
“Hmm. you don’t want it?”
“I’m sorry! Please… please forgive me!”
That’s right. After all, if you ate it, you would die, so why would anyone want to eat it? While watching Sage like this, Ain’s mischievous spirit began to grow.
“Then I’ll eat it. Sage doesn’t want to eat it, does he?”
“Eh… huh…!”
Sage’s face was full of a look that said, “What are you talking about?” Besides Ain, Chris had been worrying a lot lately. Of course, she also held her head in the same way this time.
“Uh… yes. This is certainly delicious. I think it’s a combination of all kinds of fish flavors. I can certainly understand why people would want to eat it. But… it’s still not as good as Dullahan’s or the Sea Dragon’s magic stone.”
“Your Highness, what in the world are you doing?”
If Ain died from this, he would surely be tortured and killed. Sage thought so and expressed his concern for Ain. But Ain was completely unperturbed and just looked unconcerned.
On the contrary, he continued to eat more and more. The knights could only smile bitterly.
“It’s too dangerous to take it home. Chris, should we take care of this poison?”
“I think so. It is indeed dangerous…”
“Too bad. Let’s save the rest for another time.”
The poison was dangerous for everyone except Ain. Just in case, it was not a good idea to take it home.
“Sage. Poison doesn’t work on me; well, I don’t think there’s any point in telling you… I’ll hear your confession in the royal capital for now.”
The stunned Sage was easily led away by the knights. He would now be tried for all his crimes one by one in the royal capital.
“I know that poison is meaningless to you, Ain-sama, but it still makes me nervous.”
“But you were angry for me, weren’t you, Chris-san? Thank you.”
“Ah… ugh… of course, it’s only natural.”
Regardless of the outcome, Sage tried to use poison in the duel against Ain. There was no denying that it upset Chris.
But was it right to call it a duel? Ain wondered about this case. Anyway, he felt that his sea dragons had just come to eat their favorite food. Well, he wanted to give the twins a good meal once in a while. It was natural to have such parental feelings, but since it was a duel in name, he felt indescribable.
“Well then. I guess that settles it?”
Let’s stop the twins soon. Otherwise, they would have eaten the huge Kraken in one sitting.
“El, Al! You’ve already eaten too much; it’s time to finish.”
Even though they were underwater, the twins who heard Ain’s voice came to the surface. The twins changed from the serious atmosphere they were in before and show such expressions that even Chris can’t help but smile.
“No need to look like it’s the end of the world…”
It was as if they had been deprived of everything. The twins were the ones who give Ain that look. However, the fact that they still listened to Ain’s words confirmed that the training itself was going well.
“I’ll tie them to the ship and bring them back. You can eat it later, okay.”
“!?”
“Kyuruua!”
“Goodness… Ain-sama. How does it feel to be a father of twins at your age?”
Chris laughed as she put her hand over her mouth. In this situation, it was quite understandable to want to make fun of Ain. The twins were delighted by Ain’s words and went to carry the Kraken near the ship.
“Not bad. It’s just that I’m a little surprised that the kid is bigger than me.”
After a month or two, the twin Sea Dragons overtook Ain’s height. They were cute, but he couldn’t help but wonder as to how he would pet them when they grew even bigger. That’s what he thought.
“Well, that’s okay. Let’s go home then; we can finally relax at the castle.”
“Yes… thank you for your hard work, Ain-sama. But thanks to Sage being restrained, there are many who will be saved. And all the hard work will be worth it.”
“That’s for sure. I’m tired, but when I think about it, I’m glad that I got into trouble with that guy… Oh, by the way, do they need a report or something about this duel as well?”
“As expected from you, Ain-sama. That’s right. Let’s go home on the carriage, shall we?”
Ain didn’t like to do a lot of paperwork. But that’s no excuse not to write a report… After arriving at the castle, he would definitely take his time. This was what he decided to do.
＊＊＊
“Thank you for your hard work. Ain.”
“Thank you. It’s been a really intense month.”
Leaving the smaller tasks to the knights, Ain rode in a carriage on the way to the royal capital. After Sage was arrested, he was put on a ship and then locked up so that he could not escape. Even if he planned to escape into the water, he would not do such a foolish thing if he thought about the two Sea Dragons.
Krone had also seen the battle the Sea Dragons had shown. But as Chris said, she was surprised by the content of the fight, which was not really a fight. Even though they were only one year old, the Sea Dragons easily won the battle, confirming that they were the kings of the sea after all.
“But that’s not so bad, considering that we can finally relax.”
Even though his next destination has been decided, Ain would not be going there right away. He had to adjust his itinerary accordingly… before he could go to Baltic or Magna.
“…Slowly?”
Seeming to have some thoughts, Krone tilted her head and looked at Ain.
“Hmm. I don’t think there will be any more plans for a while.”
Chris was in the back room right now, putting together some paperwork. The two of them were alone in the lounge.
“…Um. Unfortunately, you can’t relax yet.”
The words of the talented a.s.sistant reached Ain, who was sitting on the sofa and relaxing.
“…Was there anything to do?”
“The Royal Kingsland Academy has exams coming up soon.”
Krone informed Ain, smiling in a way that was hard to describe. He had completely forgotten that there was such a thing as an exam. After all, Ain was still a student. It was quite natural for him to have an exam.
“I completely forgot… Haa, it can’t be helped… I’ll do my best again.”
As expected, the level of study was gradually increasing compared to the lower grades, so Ain had to make an effort. If he didn’t, it’s quite possible that he would fail.
“Um… are you okay, I wonder?”
“I don’t know if I’ll be okay if I don’t work hard…”
She knew that he had been bedridden for six months and that he had been on a.s.signments and official duties like this. Ain was a person who never forgot to work hard, but of course, there were times like this when there was no time to work hard. Thinking about it, Krone wanted to do something about it. Such thoughts came to her mind.
“I’m going to study with you, so… hey? Don’t worry, okay?”
“Eh? I-I’m grateful for that, but… but, Krone, are you okay? I mean, our field is pretty tough.”
The school that Krone attended was also one of the highest-ranked schools in Academy District. However, the Royal Kingsland Academy was a more advanced school. The difficulty of the schools could be well understood when you considered that Ain was a member of the same group.
However, she opened her mouth after a short pause at Ain’s words.
“You know… I’m the Crown Prince’s personal a.s.sistant, you know? I’m sure you know that much.”
“Indeed… Now that you mention it… that’s it.”
Krone had pa.s.sed a test that was so difficult that it could be called h.e.l.l and thus was able to become Ain’s personal a.s.sistant. Therefore, what Ain is worried about is not so difficult for Krone.
However, when they said, “that’s about all” about what Ain was trying so hard to achieve, it made him feel a little disappointed.
“Let’s work together, shall we?”
But Ain was simple. Krone said let’s work hard together. When she said that, he felt that he could honestly do his best… In fact, he should praise Krone because her exquisite carrot and stick worked well for Ain.
“…My goodness. I’m glad that Krone is my a.s.sistant.”
Another year begins. How much could he chew after six months of hiatus against a pair of uppercla.s.smen like Batz and Leonard? …It seemed like Ain was far from having the time to relax.
——And after that, sandwiched between Krone and Chris, on the way there, Ain worked frantically to finish the report. Maybe that helped strengthen his mentality, but that’s another story.