Chapter 57
Chapter 57
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: A Weapon is a Luxury for a Brawler (3)
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"Crown Prince Thymeus!"
I hurriedly changed course toward the cabin. The merman chased after me relentlessly, but I had no time to worry about it. I needed to summon the crown prince as quickly as possible.
This guy, staying silent amid all this chaos—did he drop dead on the ship or something?
Using Lagia like a cane, I raced over and pounded on the crown prince's cabin door.
"It's an emergency! Mermen have appeared, but we're short on manpower! Please help!"
It was a plea that scraped away at my pride.
"Domain... protect..."
Thud, thud...
The merman closed in right up to my nose. With no choice, I readjusted my grip on Lagia.
[I have no confidence in close-quarters combat... Anyone else, but you, Sierra, suck at hand-to-hand... No, let's give it a shot anyway! Let's die honorably!]
"Don't jinx it like that, Lagia."
The merman's gills rapidly contracted and expanded, then its body swelled up massively.
"Protect!"
Just as its body hurtled toward me.
Boom!
'Huh?'
A massive impact echoed out, but I felt no pain.
Did I die instantly? Did I, Daliya's big brother, just drop dead on this ship?
I cautiously opened my squeezed-shut eyes and scanned around. The crown prince's cabin door stood open. And at that moment, spotting his annoyingly familiar back of the head filled me with unexpected joy.
"Crown Prince Thymeus!"
The crown prince appeared like a ghost. He wore incredibly comfortable-looking clothes, relaxed in posture, and carried a light sword with minimal ornamentation.
He dashed forward nimbly and bashed the merman.
Clang! Blood flowed from the merman's gills where the blade struck.
"Such a... brutish method..."
Somehow, it felt out of place for the crown prince's noble image.
Clang, clang, clang!
The crown prince bashed the merman repeatedly. It seemed dazed after a few hits, then lowered its stance and lunged at him from all angles. The crown prince dodged it effortlessly, but with each sway of the ship, he slipped a bit more often.
"Our domain. No mercy for intruders."
"Is this your domain? If it becomes mine from now on, will you scram then?"
The crown prince raised his sword high and struck the merman again.
The advantage seemed to lie with the crown prince. But something felt off.
He could end it in one go, yet he kept giving the merman openings. More precisely, no matter how hard the crown prince struck, the merman kept getting back up, making the fight endless.
'What's the reason?'
He could handle it so much easier with his Subjugation trait.
Holding Lagia like a shield, I backed away while watching their fight. The crown prince bashed the merman, and it bled profusely but rose again.
"Something's weird..."
I thought the crown prince's movements were too cautious. He looked like someone biding his time, enduring for that one perfect moment.
"He's judged that he can't win with raw force alone."
My lips went dry. The crown prince who had crushed Desiderium in an instant was struggling against this foe.
Wait, Desiderium?
A sudden realization hit me, and I gripped Lagia tightly. It vibrated wildly in protest.
[Hey! Grip too hard and it gets hot! Metal's supposed to be cold by default, right? Human body heat is hotter than a merman's—it's burdensome!]
How had the crown prince originally subdued Desiderium?
He grabbed its horn and smashed it down.
In other words, direct contact was required for subjugation.
That's right. The crown prince's ability had the limitation of needing direct touch to activate.
That's why right now, he was just bashing the merman with his sword, waiting for an opening to use his trait.
'I didn't even know about this nitpicky detail...'
Against an opponent that rises no matter how much you bash it physically, if you can only strike, the crown prince is no different from seasick Pippin.
Subjugation ability. That's the real key. Stop the merman's movements, and the crown prince can use his technique.
That's how we win.
"Pippin!"
I urgently called for Pippin. Even with his yellowish face, he came rushing toward me. He'd apparently watched the prolonging fight between the crown prince and the merman before rushing over.
"Ugh, what should I do, Master? I'll do whatever you say. I just threw up, so my stomach feels a bit better."
"Thanks for sharing that fascinating detail."
Grabbing Pippin's shoulder, I pointed at the shark-like legs of the merman using Lagia's blade.
"Land combat favors us inevitably. We need even a brief moment where it stops moving. That's when the crown prince can subdue it, and we win."
"Understood."
I aimed to target the sturdy tail hidden beneath its thick legs. Using necromancy there wouldn't stand out much.
"Go, Pippin!"
I shoved Pippin toward the merman. He charged like he was off to till a field, pointing the pitchfork's tines downward.
"Uwaaaah!"
Pippin scraped at the merman's legs with the pitchfork wildly. It didn't tear the hide, but it was enough to restrict its movements.
Whenever the merman staggered, the crown prince raised his sword to bash its gills. What was the point of bringing a sword for attacks like that? Might as well have grabbed a baseball bat.
Anyway, victory is victory. The crown prince might be a pain, but I had zero intention of getting bashed by a merman at sea.
I flipped Lagia and lightly scraped the deck. Along the wooden planks, a slender Gate of Death opened. Through it, I summoned the Sugar Lord and its swarm.
"Tear off the tail. Move quietly. Don't get spotted."
The swarm obeyed silently but swiftly, darting out to gnaw at the merman's tail.
"Aaaaagh!"
The merman thrashed and toppled. Its tail balance shattered, legs assaulted by Pippin. This was the moment. The crown prince's eyes flashed, and he tossed his sword aside, grabbing the merman's gills with bare hands.
No—he plunged his hand deep into the gills.
"Kaaaagh!"
"You dragged this out longer than necessary."
The crown prince furrowed his brow in dissatisfaction, then murmured "Subjugate" softly. At that instant, a powerful wave of mana exploded outward from his position.
The gripped merman convulsed, foam bubbling from its mouth as it passed out. As it collapsed, it glared at the crown prince with dead-fish eyes, grinding its teeth.
"Brothers... coming..."
The fiercely resisting merman finally lost consciousness.
"Finally, one headache's gone."
The crown prince sighed in relief and called Pippin over. Our eyes met too, but his expression soured, like he was ignoring me or something.
Then he teamed up with Pippin to hurl the fallen merman overboard. It seemed quite the ordeal, as both were breathing heavily. Apparently, the crown prince didn't think I could lift and toss that hefty merman.
'Something feels off. Wait, not bad, exactly.'
My pride stung at feeling dismissed, but I was relieved not to touch that monstrous thing.
I'd hidden at a distance, so I hurriedly recalled our swarm. I worried the perceptive crown prince might notice.
[Sugar Lord's decree: Swift return]
Once the necromantic minions were all back, the crown prince strode toward me purposefully.
"W-Why, Your Highness?"
I responded with an awkward smile. He glared at me with a serious expression...
"Sierra, you..."
He muttered.
But the conversation couldn't continue. The ship started shaking and jolting again.
"So the brothers are coming."
The crown prince sighed. Soon, mermen matching or varying in size from the previous one swarmed aboard our ship. Bishop Orchid arrived late, trying to erect a seaweed barrier, but it was too little too late.
"The sea's too deep; I lack plants I can use."
The crown prince grabbed Bishop Orchid by the scruff and tossed him toward the engine room stairs.
"You, stay back."
Instead, he dragged me along.
"Me?"
"I need your brain."
"You're speaking metaphorically, right? When Your Highness says it... it feels a bit off."
The crown prince tossed me roughly onto a spot.
"Appointed as temporary strategist. Do what you can."
I nodded, scraping the deck with Lagia to open the Gate of Death and subtly summon the swarm again.
'Temporary strategist? What the hell?'
Scratching my head at the sudden appointment, the mermen's full assault began before I knew it.
The battle proceeded the same way. Pippin and I targeted legs, crown prince subjugating. This confirmed it: he could only subjugate one at a time. Immensely powerful, but disadvantageous against multiples.
Gotta remember that. It'll be a great tip for screwing him over later.
'Anyway, memory noted.'
The problem was now.
Too many foes meant Pippin and the crown prince often faced ambushes. The swarm could only pin feet so much. Me swinging a scythe in unprepared close combat would just hinder.
Had to use my head again.
'What to do? Was there this part in the game? Can't use necromancy openly. Wait... openly no, but subtly?'
After agonizing, I called out to the crown prince.
"Crown Prince Thymeus."
He turned, glaring as he readied his sword. Despite the awkward vibe, I pressed on steadfastly.
"I've learned a unique spell..."
"Get to the point."
"I'll summon crows."
"Crows?"
"Don't think it's weird. They're good boys."
With that, I slashed the air to open the Gate of Death. The crown prince looked flustered at the open gate, then glared at me sharply. What, you wanna all become fish food together?
From the open Gate of Death, I called forth the three crows I'd received from Tenerife.
"Caw, caw!"
The crows flew up, circling round overhead.
"Boys! Each of you cover one of us! Warn if an ambush comes!"
"Caw!"
The smart crows swirled around Pippin and the crown prince. They cried out to alert when stealth attacks approached.
Caw-caw!
Thanks to the crows' efforts, the fight grew easier. When no ambushes loomed, they pecked at mermen eyes, joining the fray.