Chapter 42
Chapter 42
Saint, You’re So Vulgar! – Chapter 42
No matter how much he thought about it, this prank had gone too far.
Asher just couldn't forgive Versia when he imagined himself strutting down the main street in that vulgar outfit she might have made him wear.
Wasn't that right? No matter how he sliced it, Versia's prank always boiled down to stripping him down and parading his body around outside.
What if some creep with shady intentions had shown up? Sure, he had the strength to handle it, but just picturing the scenario gave Asher chills.
That was why he felt even more hurt than usual.
Asher couldn't sense any respect for him in her actions.
She'd wounded his dignity just because his reactions were amusing.
And then she'd slyly wrapped her arm around his waist and told him to cool off.
It made him feel petty, like some narrow-minded guy who got offended at every little thing. Asher's mood soured completely.
He poured out his feelings in earnest.
And Versia apologized.
It was unusual for her.
"I'm sorry. I'll think it over again."
"Pardon? That easily?"
"Should I not apologize, then?"
"N-No, that's not it...!"
It felt a bit fishy, but she'd apologized, so maybe that settled it.
Asher grudgingly accepted it.
After that, they headed out to the streets.
No matter what, they had to see the sea, right?
Whitten's sandy beach was divided into a swimming area and a port district, split by a massive rock wall cutting across it.
Asher headed for the swimming area.
"Whoa...!"
The sea up close was even more special.
Especially as the sun set, the sunset melting into the ocean stirred a deep, resonant emotion.
It was worlds apart from watching the sun dip behind the mountains. Asher lost himself completely in the sight of the red light reflecting and dissolving into the waves.
Then he murmured absently,
"Isn't it truly beautiful?"
"Yeah, I suppose..."
Versia was gazing at Asher amid the world dyed red, though he had no idea.
He simply kicked off his shoes as if entranced and stepped onto the sand barefoot.
The soft, ticklish sensation brought a smile to his face for no reason.
"May I go a bit further in?"
"Of course."
With her permission, he drew closer to the water's edge.
Finally reaching the foaming surf, the wave's edge tickled over his feet.
Asher's toes curled up.
That was the moment.
Whoosh!
"Eek...!"
A gust of wind whipped up his skirt hem.
Asher startled and grabbed the fluttering fabric.
Versia said,
"But that seems even lewder."
"Be quiet...!"
"You know everyone's staring at you, right, Sir Knight?"
"......"
She wouldn't even let him savor the moment.
Asher shot Versia a bratty glare.
He knew she was just trying to tease him.
He wouldn't fall for it anymore.
"I-It's fine. I've got a swimsuit on underneath."
He'd only just learned how this barely-there swimsuit differed from underwear.
That's right. It was just clothing for self-rationalization.
Wearing a swimsuit at the beach made the same amount of exposed skin feel less embarrassing mentally than underwear would.
Because everyone else was doing it!
Of course, that didn't mean he planned to fling off his dress and go full swimsuit mode.
Even he thought it was a pretty bold comeback.
Feeling smug for no reason, Asher added one more jab.
"And even if it shows, it's not my body on display, is it? I won't put up with this forever... Ah, w-wait! Why are you undressing...!"
"Can't just let me take all the hits, can I?"
"No! I mean, stop! I was wrong!!!"
Asher swiftly rebuttoned Versia's shirt, which she'd started undoing.
Somehow, it ended up looking like he was grabbing her collar.
He bowed his head, ears red as he trembled with mortification.
Then he glared at Versia with fresh bratty eyes.
Versia had one corner of her mouth quirked up.
"Why bother resisting when you haven't even gotten your money's worth?"
"......"
"You started it this time, Sir Knight."
"...I know."
Such a mishap occurred.
But they finished enjoying the sea without further incident.
They ate fresh fish caught right there on the shore, and Asher brushed off the flirtatious glances from strangerssomething he was getting used to now.
Before heading back, they watched the night sea under a cascade of stars.
By then, Asher was definitely in higher spirits than during the day, chattering nonstop to Versia.
About how he'd never known the sea could be this beautiful, how it held a different beauty for every hour, utterly mystical.
Then it hit him belatedly that he'd been talking too much alone, so he asked Versia,
"Is there nothing you want to see, Saintess?"
At that, Versia cast her gaze toward the sea.
Her answer came only after the sound of waves swept between them.
"...A whale."
"Pardon?"
"I'd like to see a whale, just once."
A faint smile played on her lips.
It looked somehow sad.
For a moment, Asher was at a loss for words.
But that mood passed quickly.
"Well, there are only serpents around here anyway."
"...Huh."
"It's serpent territory. Small fish, maybe, but anything as big as a whale would've ended up as their chow."
"Th-That's not true. Surely somewhere out there, there's a massive whale..."
"Even if there were, pirates would've caught it. Dalin told me once. Pirates hunt whales to eat. Their size makes them perfect for rations."
"Do you have to ruin the mood like that...?"
"It's just the truth."
The sentimental mood he'd built up crumbled again.
But it had been fun, so that was fine.
The first day ended like that.
The next morning, after washing up, Asher grew serious.
Now it was time for the mission.
* * *
In truth, there wasn't much prep needed before entering the archipelago.
Just get a rough sense of the city's vibe and collect any rumors floating around. That was it.
But few items didn't mean it was easy.
Asher hit a few snags during the investigation.
Snags called shame.
"What if pirates show up? I'm... s-scared..."
As a tourist, in a frail girl's body.
To pry open the locals' mouths using that, he had to act like a worried girl (very important).
The sensation of his masculinity eroding bit by bit made his teeth chatter.
It didn't help that Versia was stifling laughs behind him.
But unexpectedly, the shame proved useful.
Blushing and bowing his head sharply definitely stirred the locals' protective instincts.
"Aw, don't you worry about that, miss! Pirates haven't been showing up much lately!"
"Been a couple months now? Even the ones hitting trade caravans have thinned out. Business is booming thanks to it!"
Fishermen on coastal boats and merchants all mentioned how quiet the pirates had been.
It sparked a small curiosity and a big sense of wrongness in Asher.
This had to tie into the heretics somehow, but how to interpret it?
Maybe the heretics were capturing pirates for experiments like before, or maybe pirates were kidnapping hostages to offer as test subjects.
Either way, he'd find out once he got there.
What remained was intel on the pirates' main haunts in the archipelago and their power dynamics.
The locals were happy to share that too.
And it was pretty fascinating.
"Must've been twenty years ago... The Pirate King vanished one day, and it's been a free-for-all since. His forces splintered, and they started warring among themselves. Now each island flies its own pirate flag. The biggest faction is..."
Asher's eyes sparkled at the tale of the man called Pirate King, who once united the pirates, and the wars surrounding him.
Didn't it feel just like an old fairy tale?
Versia gave his sentiment a dubious look but said nothing.
Anyway, with intel gathered, that night the group reconvened to prep for departure.
They were heading into the archipelago.
"I've secured a boat. The church had one here."
"It's... small."
"What, you thought they'd hand us a massive galleon?"
At the harbor, Judith let out a dry chuckle at Asher's disappointed tone.
It was a small caravel that two people could easily handle.
Asher had been secretly excited about sailing, but the modest vessel brought a faint disappointment that didn't last.
Caravels were fine ships too.
As he climbed aboard, he felt the deck sway beneath him.
It really drove home how far they were from land.
He felt a bit thrilled.
Forcing himself to calm down, he headed to the bow.
From behind came a voice on the sea breeze.
"Then we're off!"
Two priests from the church who knew how to sail had come as support.
Judith waved, and the boat glided forward.
Splashhh
The wind felt refreshingly cool.
Sailing the open sea under starlight was special in its own intense way.
They crossed the ocean endlessly like that.
On deck, under lantern light, Judith sat reading with Marvin serving as her chair.
Human chair. Rumors she used Marvin as a test subject.
Was that eerie aura around her imagined?
As he smiled awkwardly, Versia approached.
"No seasickness?"
"Ah, no! Better than I thought. And you, Saintess...?"
"I've got a sturdy build."
Versia shrugged and turned her eyes to the sea.
Her gaze narrowed.
"Hope we don't run into pirates at sea."
"Sea battles are risky for sure. No experience, and who knows what surprises."
Asher added,
"But don't worry. We've heard multiple times how quiet the pirates have been lately. And at this hour, they probably aren't sailing either."
His nerves had sharpened since starting the mission; he'd said it to reassure her.
But maybe he shouldn't have.
Woooosh!
"P-Pirates!"
"Huh...?"
Asher encountered pirates less than ten minutes after reassuring Versia.