Volume 4 Chapter 7 If You See A Hero, Run Away.txt
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Whoa!! What the—?!”
Klock shot up with a tremendous shock. The bed tilted sharply, and before he could react, his upper body was thrown forward, slamming his face into the wooden floor.
”Wha… what’s happening…?”
He scrambled to steady himself and stood up quickly. It was a huge tremor—if this had been on land, it’d be an earthquake, but out here on the sea… The shock was strong enough to toss him out of bed. Could it be a shipwreck? Or maybe—
”Hey, wake up, Suzette! It might be an attack from sea monsters!” Klock shouted, shaking the demon maid lying beside him.
Despite the cabin tilting, she was out cold, probably dead tired.
”Wake up! Hey, wake up!” He yanked the blanket off, revealing her bare skin. Impulsively, his hands reached out and grabbed her breasts, kneading and shaking them.
”Mmm… huh? Ah, Sir Klock… a bit… gentler…” she mumbled groggily.
”No! That’s not the point!” He blurted out, instantly realizing his mistake.
He hurriedly let go and shook her shoulders instead, trying to wake her, while gathering the scattered clothes nearby.
”What is it… already…” she mumbled, half awake.
”It might be an attack! Get up fast!” Klock urged.
Despite the emergency, he started dressing—both of them were naked, and he didn’t want to run around like that if monsters burst in.
”Huh… why didn’t you say so sooner… ouch!”
”What happened?!”
”My back… it just gave out…”
Suzette tried to get up immediately but collapsed back onto the bed, trembling and clutching her lower back like she’d pulled a muscle.
”Ugh… Why now? It’s obvious…” Klock muttered.
There was only one solution.
”Use healing magic! Heal yourself fast! I’ll check outside!”
Taking charge for once, Klock finished dressing quickly and reached for the door.
A gust of cold wind hit him as he opened the door just a crack and peeked out. The dark sky stretched above, and deck lights twinkled, but no strange figures were in sight. A fire burned atop the mast’s bonfire platform—maybe Adelina?
Klock opened the door wider and stepped out.
”Damn, it’s cold—huh? What?!”
His face lit by a distant glow, Klock’s eyes widened. Around the ship, dozens—no, maybe thirty—bonfires and torches flickered, scattered across the sea behind them.
”Pursuers,” the word popped into his head with a sick feeling.
Why did this have to happen again? The questions swirled, and all Klock wanted was to escape this nightmare.
Was this a cruel joke? Were they really being chased at sea?
If they encountered them again, it’d be a trap—waiting at the port, when they finally docked.
Both Suzette and Klock agreed: the journey’s end, at landfall, would be the real danger.
But now, they were surrounded. Could that really be happening?
Or maybe those lights were patrol boats? That’d still be bad—they’d need more than a week to leave Empire waters.
No matter what, those lights belonged to an imperial ship.
And then—
”…Huh?”
They noticed too late.
Right beside Klock’s ship loomed something huge—like an island.
They recalled the earlier shock, the massive sway like a collision.
Now they understood—it was the cause.
Too late to react.
Not time for distant lights.
That huge green mass stood in the sea like a mountain, blocking them and the fleet, an island-like presence.
And that green something—
”…Huh? Huh?! Haaaah?!!”
Klock slammed back against the mast, eyes bulging in terror.
The green, grotesque patterned mass had eyes—the size of the ship Klock was on.
”────Sea Dragon Belgerona!!”
A massive shape surfaced.
Not a fish, but a reptilian beast.
They quickly named it—the legendary sea dragon.
A colossal creature so vast it looked like a mountain had risen from the ocean.
Its huge eyes scanned the surrounding ships.
It was a monster—its enormous fins alone made anyone look up in awe.
Its bright yellow-green color and mysterious patterns matched the sea dragon legends perfectly.
”Why is a sea dragon—”
”──Huh?! Uwaaaah?!”
As Tiet opened her mouth, her voice was drowned out by others’ screams.
The sailors around were frantic.
”Wha—what’s that monster?!”
The giant eye focused on them, stripping their sanity away.
No magic—just pure terror at facing something so huge.
*
”Hii, hiiiii?! Y-Your Highness, aaaah?!”
One screamed; others cried out in panic.
Fear spread fast, soldiers losing control.
Chaos reigned—just the presence of that beast shook everyone.
”W-wait! Calm down?!”
Hermine tried to steady them but began to panic herself.
Her duty as command tower weighed heavily as she watched the frightened soldiers.
She’d seen this many times before, even experienced it herself.
Determined, she raised her magic book and focused.
”──! Thunder!”
She thrust her hand forward, unleashing a lightning strike.
But—
”Hermine! Electricity doesn’t work in the sea!”
The lightning scattered in every direction instead of striking straight ahead.
Saltwater was a conductor; the current dispersed instantly.
A sharp clap echoed near her ear.
”Calm down, Hermine. Panicking won’t help.”
Anna’s calm voice took charge.
”Hermine, forget the attack for now. Set up a defense to protect the ship.”
”──Understood!”
Anna led the party, steadying Hermine.
Though a great mage, Hermine was only eighteen, inexperienced in sea battles.
She quickly followed Anna’s lead and began deploying the protective barrier.
”…What now? Attack?”
Tiet asked Anna, serious but composed.
Both had drawn swords instinctively, but neither moved to strike.
They watched the dragon carefully.
”…Whether it’s here to help or attack depends.”
”Well, yeah.”
Tiet admitted, lacking info to decide.
Ahead, the mountain-like dragon glared at them.
The waves whispered gently, “swoosh.”
Suddenly, a standoff unfolded between dragon and heroes.
Would it attack?
They waited, watching for a sign.
The dragon blocking their path showed no aggression.
They hadn’t attacked outright—that’s why the heroes hesitated.
If it were a mere monster, they’d have cut it down.
But a dragon—colossal and powerful—was different.
Even heroes protecting soldiers wanted to avoid battle if possible.
”──Do you have some business with us? You’re kinda blocking our way,” Anna called out, eyes fixed on the dragon.
The sea dragon, massive and imposing, had surfaced between them and Klock’s ship, pushing them apart.
Was it coincidence?
To Anna and the others, it looked like trouble.
”…Hermine, tell everyone to take a detour.”
The dragon didn’t respond, maybe didn’t hear.
Waiting wasn’t wise.
Anna ordered the pursuit to continue.
Hermine relayed her commands, and the soldiers immediately began turning around. Her protective barrier gave them a sense of security, helping them steady their nerves.
”…Anna,” Hermine called quietly.
”Yeah,” Anna replied.
As the ship started to turn, Tiet stepped onto the bow with a casual grace. A surge of magical energy rippled through the air—the torrent inside the creature before them was accelerating. The massive sea dragon’s body was beginning to move.
A deadly intent radiated from the beast.
”What now? Are you planning to kill us after all?” Hermine asked, tension tightening her voice.
Without hesitation, Tiet lightly sprang into the air. Anna swiftly sheathed her sub-weapon and drew her main sword with a smooth motion. Noticing their movement, the sea dragon submerged back into the sea.
”Kyah!” came a startled shout.
”HeHer!” another voice shouted in alarm.
The ship rocked violently as the massive body sank into the ocean. Oriana quickly caught Hermine, who had lost her balance, and grabbed the mast tightly.
”You did well…!” Oriana praised with a grimace.
The Third Princess clenched her teeth, focusing her magic all at once into her slightly raised foot and the book she held. “Trenta Quattro,” she intoned.
The tip of her custom-made leather boots touched the ship’s deck. At that moment, thick, sharp needles burst out from the ship—sprouting in large quantities like bamboo shoots, wooden pillars like stalactites extended in all directions.
”The ship’s turned… into a pufferfish,” Hermine muttered.
”Hmph! Try biting if you can!” Oriana taunted with a smirk.
The hull was now covered with spikes, needles thicker than a human torso. Even if made of wood, biting into them would hurt any sea dragon. Though its hide was tough, the inside of its mouth was probably vulnerable.
”Where’s Tiet?” Hermine asked.
”She’s chasing after it. Looks like that one’s faster,” Anna answered, having extended her sensing magic.
Tiet had jumped into the sea, pursuing the sea dragon even underwater.
I wish I could fight in the sea too, Hermine thought, watching.
”No, that’d be weird—breathing underwater like that. Tiet’s just special. Anyway, Oriana—”
”Yeah. I’m going to check on the soldiers,” Oriana interrupted, waving to the two before jumping lightly to the neighboring ship.
She ran over to a soldier leaning against the wall. Damage had already occurred, even though no attack had hit yet.
”Hermine… please handle this,” Oriana said.
”Alright. But what will you do? You’re not good with flowing water, right?” Hermine asked.
Anna approached the bow and sheathed her sword back into the void. The ship drifted away as she flicked her hair back.
”I’ll leave that to Tiet. I’m going to get Klock,” she said, bending her knees for a high jump.
In an instant, her form vanished like dust scattering in the wind, blending into the air.
”Be careful! If something feels off, retreat immediately!” Hermine called after her.
Anna prioritized her mission. Hermine knew this wasn’t the time to argue. Until now, she had been the one chasing, but now she was on defense. Protecting the soldiers was the priority.
Honestly, dealing with the sea dragon seems easier than dragging along one idiot, Hermine thought bitterly. Catch the culprit fast, then handle the monster at leisure.
A strange feeling crept over Hermine—as if she was forgetting something—while she stayed on the flagship.
Suddenly, the ocean before them erupted in a splash, water shooting up tens of meters high.
”Ah!?” she gasped.
The waves crashed violently against the ship. Hermine lost her balance but quickly recovered, leaping up and then flying straight at the ship’s hull.
What happened? The sea dragon had resurfaced.
Since it hadn’t come from beneath, the ship took no direct damage. Probably Tiet had handled it well. Now that it was above water, it was their target.
Hermine raised her book and moved through the air, ready to fight on the sea.
”──Huh?”
She left the flagship, swimming through the air toward the sea dragon. As she closed the distance, she realized something—the spot where the dragon resurfaced was where Klock and the others’ ship should have been.
So… what happened to Klock and the others?
”…Huh? Wait, wait, what?!” she stammered.
The battlefield shifted rapidly. With no time to think, the sea dragon thrashed violently on the surface.
A huge splash rose, raining down chunks of water onto the imperial fleet behind.
These weren’t small drops—massive buckets of water poured down like rain. Even water in huge amounts was dangerous.
Recognizing the threat, Hermine dove down to the surface and raised the water, forming a wall of ice.
She pushed her magic to the limit, pulling up all the surrounding water to quickly create a wide defensive barrier.
”Hermine!”
”Anna! Over here!”
Outside the barrier—or rather, from the sea—Anna appeared, wet and shaken. She had been knocked down by the water. Being weak to water, her divine body disintegrated when soaked, making flight impossible.
”Anna, maybe their ship got sunk by the sea dragon!” Hermine said urgently.
She descended, picked Anna up from the water, and flew back to the flagship.
At that moment, Hermine realized bringing soldiers was a mistake. Against a monster like this, they were just in the way.
She hadn’t planned to be this slow but never expected to be crushed right in front of her target.
Saint? Klock? She grimaced, thinking the person she wanted to confront might be gone.
”Hermine. We have to kill that sea dragon. It’s working with Saint Cynthia,” Anna said firmly.
”──What?” Hermine blinked.
”I don’t know how, but if it’s swimming with a ship on its back, then that’s what’s happening,” Anna explained.
What was she saying? Saint Cynthia had aphasia. And what did it mean for a ship to be on its back?
Hermine glanced at Anna’s face and froze—her right eye was missing. The eyeball was somewhere else.
”We should send the soldiers back and pursue it ourselves… Hermine?”
”Huh? Oh, yeah, right! I’ll send them back immediately!” Hermine snapped out of her shock and quickly gave orders.
Sending the soldiers away, she picked up Tiet on the way and started chasing the sea dragon at full speed.
”That damn dragon looked like it was about to attack, but now it’s suddenly running away!” Hermine muttered.
But once the sea dragon began swimming, it wasn’t going to let them catch up easily.
About half an hour later, Anna, feeling disconnected from her severed body, told her companions she had managed to escape.
Notes:
• Suzette – The older maid from Viscount Fennec. The head maid at the Viscount Fennec’s villa. She is confident, clear-spoken, and professional.
• Adelina – The slave girl.
• Tiet – A companion and friend of Anna. A holy knight from the royal capital. She wears light armor and carries a shield adorned with a dragon holding a sword, indicating her affiliation with the National Military Police. She is concerned about Anna’s well-being and tries to support her emotionally.
• Hermine – A companion and friend of Anna. The mage. She is pragmatic and encourages Anna to focus on her duties as a hero rather than her personal revenge.
• Anna – The legendary Hero, chosen to defeat the Demon Lord. Her past life is Sylvia Croce. She is described as a heavenly being with overwhelming skill and a merciless attitude.
• Oriana – A Princess. A companion who assists in explaining the situation to the kingdom. She is supportive and helps Anna navigate her responsibilities. Her appearance is slender, with dark hair and sharp features.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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