Chapter 65
Chapter 65
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 65
Chapter Title: Setting Sail
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The day the raid began.
I woke up from a deep sleep, stretching as I got up to eat breakfast.
"Kiyaaaaaaah—! Ahh... so refreshing."
I hadn't done much yesterday, just ate and went to bed, so I couldn't have felt more refreshed.
"You seem refreshed, Sir Luke..."
Luna, who woke up naked beside me, shot me a resentful look.
"A healthy man needs his daily workout for the hips."
"I feel like I'm about to die, though."
A creature like man needs to relieve himself periodically, and with pretty slaves like Luna and Yui around, I couldn't just take care of it myself, could I?
You have to get one out before a big day. It's the only way to perform at your peak the next day.
As if to prove her body was being honest despite her words, her face glowed with a healthy sheen.
"You liked it, don't pretend you didn't."
"Today's the raid. What would you have done if my back had given out?"
"If your back gives out, shouldn't I just pound it until it straightens?"
"...Do you really think that would work?"
"You never know until you try. Of course, I'm on the longer side."
I got up first and stripped down in ten seconds.
"Hurry up and get Yui so we can go eat."
"Yes..."
The inn only had double rooms at most, so I had no choice but to abandon Yui in the room across the hall.
We could have enjoyed a wild threesome even in a double room, but I was saving Yui's virginity for when I needed it later.
I'm the type who saves the best for last.
I left the room and knocked on the opposite door. A still-sleepy Yui stumbled out.
"Yaaawn~ Good morning..."
Judging by the state she was in, she must have been eavesdropping on us again.
"Is eavesdropping your hobby?"
"Hic!"
She must have known she'd obviously be caught, but did she think she hadn't been?
She was so startled she started hiccuping.
"H-how, hic! did you know...?"
"Hey. What time did we get back to the inn yesterday? If you'd slept since then, there's no way you'd be tired."
We came in right after dinner in the early evening. Even if she went to bed after ten, she would have gotten a good ten hours of sleep. It would be weirder if she *was* tired.
It's not like we did any intense hunting yesterday, or carried heavy luggage like other adventurers.
What reason could there be for her to be tired after a good night's sleep with no physical fatigue?
It's not like there was a computer here for her to game into the wee hours, or a phone to get sucked into the YouTube algorithm, telling herself "just one more video before bed."
If she was up late, what else could it be but eavesdropping?
"I'm not going to say anything, so just get ready so we can go eat."
It's your future anyway, kid.
***
Once Luna and Yui were ready, I led them to the dining hall.
I just picked a place that was crowded.
Usually, the crowded places are the best.
As we entered the restaurant and looked for an empty table, the woman we met yesterday called out to us.
"Hey! Luke! Over here for a second!"
It was Hazel, the A-rank adventurer and the overall commander of this raid.
She was calling us over to the empty table where she sat alone.
She might not care about others, but she must feel some kinship with Luna, a fellow beastkin.
"Good morning."
"Yeah. You guys came for breakfast too, I see?"
"Got to eat well to raid well."
"Heh heh. Truer words were never spoken."
Suddenly, Hazel's gaze shifted to Luna.
"Looks like you had a hot night."
"......!"
Luna's shoulders flinched.
"Oh. How'd you know?"
No need to make pathetic excuses when we're already caught.
Not that I was planning to.
"The scent of night blossoms."
Hazel pointed to her own nose as she spoke.
"You can smell that? You're a real pro."
"Even the girl who spent a hot night with you should know that beastkin have a good sense of smell, right?"
"But Luna washed up this morning."
"She may have washed this morning, but it seems she just went to sleep after last night's activities? Don't you know that once a scent sets in, it's hard to get out? Especially in places like the tail, it's even worse."
"Wow... So, Luna, you knew and just went to sleep?"
"I didn't expect to run into you this morning, Ms. Hazel..."
Her tail drooped and her ears folded back. She must be embarrassed.
"Hahaha. Who am I to say anything when young people are burning with the passion of youth? Let's just eat together."
"Food is more important."
We were about to go hunting; we couldn't go with our bodies' batteries drained.
I ordered a ton of food, planning to stuff my stomach full.
But then.
"Is a man like you going to be full with just that? Double everything he just ordered!"
"Are you buying?"
"You bet!"
"Woohoo!"
Free food is the best!
From this day forward, any attack on Hazel will be considered an attack on me.
"Ms. Hazel, are you a lion beastkin?"
"You can tell right away, huh? And you're a wolf beastkin?"
"Yes."
Lion beastkin?
What the hell is that, you geek? Explain it to me, too.
Seeing the look in my eyes, Luna explained everything.
"Different beastkin have different traits. Wolf beastkin like me excel in agility, while lion beastkin like Ms. Hazel excel in strength. Their appetites are also twice as large as other beastkin's."
"Oh..."
The author completely botched the lore for things like giants and ants, but he actually bothered to properly flesh out the different races.
The morning restaurant was moving quickly, and though not all our food came at once, a few dishes started to trickle out.
Munching on the first piece of bread that arrived, I asked something I'd been curious about.
"Oh, right. Could you tell me a bit about the monster?"
I only knew the monster's name and nothing else.
"Ah. I'll do that all at once later when everyone's gathered."
"I see."
Then it was time to focus on what was in front of me.
"Hurry up with the meat!"
***
After the meal, all the adventurers gathered at the port.
Before us stood a large ship we would ride for the raid and a crowd of adventurers.
And at the very front, standing on a crate, was Hazel, who had just been eating with us.
"Looks like everyone's here, so let's start the briefing!"
She began the briefing with a voice as powerful as a lion's roar.
"As you all know, the monster we're hunting today is the A-rank monster, the Sea Serpent!"
"Think of it as a sea snake that looks like a dragon without arms or wings! According to eyewitness reports, it's roughly forty meters long. The vanguards will defend against the Sea Serpent's attacks while the mages provide fire support from the rear!"
"Since this is a battle at sea, protecting the ship is our top priority! During the fire support phase, the vanguards will help load the cannons!"
"Further commands will be given in real-time depending on the situation, so everyone keep your ears open and be ready for battle! That's all! Briefing's over!"
With that, the briefing ended, and the adventurers began to board the waiting ship.
We followed them onto the deck.
"Forty meters... That's bigger than I thought."
"Phew... I'm nervous..."
"Don't be such a wuss."
Scared of a mere forty meters?
Not that forty meters is small.
But compared to the S-rank monsters that will appear later, forty meters is nothing.
"Come to think of it, Sir Luke, didn't you know the future? Don't you know anything about this monster?"
"Nope."
You've never even heard of a Sea Serpent?
The novel's main stage is the land; there's no room for a sea monster to squeeze in.
In this novel, sea monsters probably wouldn't appear until after the empire is submerged.
'By then, it'll already be after the apocalypse, though.'
"So you have no information right when it's most important..."
"Do you think a transmigrator is some kind of god?"
Transmigrators are people too!
As we chatted, the scenery began to move.
The ship had set sail.
The area where the monster resided was known, so the ship headed straight along the designated sea route.
"Vanguards, don't just stand there, move the cannonballs! Get ready so we can get the first strike when the monster appears!"
Hazel issued the command.
"Aren't they just picking on the vanguards? Why only us?"
"It can't be helped. Each cannonball weighs dozens of kilos."
"Tsk. This is why these damn mages are useless. They lack physical training!"
"...You're just too strong, Sir Luke."
Just in case, I had Yui try. Even using mana, she could lift it easily, but with just her slender arms, she couldn't even budge it, her arms trembling.
Luna managed to carry one, but even she struggled without using mana to enhance her physical strength.
Indeed, all the mages were on watch, while only the vanguards from other parties were carrying cannonballs.
Since performing well meant a bigger reward, I had no choice but to lift a cannonball with one hand.
For me, I could just put it in my inventory and carry it at zero weight, but since I was bored, I picked up three cannonballs and started juggling them as I walked.
For someone who already swung a greatsword that weighed as much as a cannonball, carrying them was a piece of cake.
"S-Sir Luke, what are you doing!?"
"Juggling."
"Sir Luke... are you trying to sink the entire ship...?"
"Hey, last time was a mistake. Watch carefully this time. I'm good at this, I tell you."
Besides, if the ship was fragile enough to sink from one dropped cannonball, it wouldn't have been used for a raid in the first place.
***
Hazel had been commanding the scene since they set sail.
She had a feeling things were going smoothly.
Even with an A-rank adventurer as commander, there were always plenty of belligerent adventurers.
She thought it was a relief that there was no one disobeying orders and acting on their own.
'If they don't listen, I can just crush them with force, but...'
The target monster would appear soon. There was no need to waste stamina fighting amongst allies instead of the monster.
But even she was puzzled by one thing.
A man, juggling cannonballs.
Watching him, she thought.
'Jeez... is that kid really going to be helpful...?'