Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Queen of the Adriatic Sea
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“Haaah!!!”
Mazelan charging straight toward me.
His movements were much the same as before, wrapped in a mana barrier as he rushed in—the only difference being that his speed had slowed a bit.
He seemed to have discussed something with his partner, but judging purely by appearances, nothing had really changed.
In response, I swung my sword once more, as if I'd been waiting for this.
-Kwarung!!!
A shockwave whipped up in an instant, and just as expected, the mana barrier shattered pitifully.
Even so, watching Mazelan continue to charge forward, I furrowed my brow slightly.
'No way... Since I didn't kill him last time, is this guy just blindly rushing in without thinking?'
Of course, I had no intention of killing him right now, but I had plenty of ways to subdue him without that.
I could crush his body with raw mana alone without using a shockwave from my sword swing, or knock him out purely with mana.
The fact that I was going easy on him like this was solely for the sake of 'training' him.
Watching him act in a way that strayed from that purpose, I gathered mana in the hand not holding my sword.
Mana coiled around my fingertips.
This wasn't just infusing mana into my sword and swinging—it required far more precise control, but to me, even this was as natural as breathing.
The moment I prepared to swing not my sword, but my mana-wreathed hand at the oncoming fool...
“Huh?”
“!? Ah...”
In that instant, Mazelan suddenly threw himself sideways, dodging urgently.
Caught off guard by the unexpected sight, I felt a flicker of bewilderment...
And right before my eyes,
Frankling came rushing in from behind Mazelan, her own barrier deployed.
And then.
-Jjang!!!!!
How do you block two incoming attacks with a shield that shatters after one?
Simple: hold two shields.
Replace the broken one and keep defending.
A straightforward method, but arguably the most reliable.
That was the tactic these two had chosen against the Pirate King at this moment...
So-called 'Friend Shield'... though they weren't actually friends, it was more fitting to call it a 'meat shield' tactic.
The front person blocks the first attack.
Then the one behind defends against the follow-up and immediately strikes.
In fact, the first phase worked perfectly—Mazelan succeeded in blocking the Pirate King's strike once more.
He lingered just a bit ahead to buy time, then passed the baton to Frankling, who was right on his tail.
Replacing him as he rolled sideways to safety, Frankling deployed her mana barrier and successfully closed in on the Pirate King.
Now, if she just swung her sword and nicked his clothes, it would be victory.
Or so she thought...
“...!?”
The very next moment, a powerful strike flew right at her face.
She'd anticipated a follow-up attack to some degree, but unfortunately, this exceeded Frankling's predictions by far.
This time, it wasn't sword energy—it was the Pirate King's hand.
Enveloped in golden mana and taking the form of something nearly human-sized, it hurtled straight toward her position.
An unexpected change in the offensive pattern.
The force was on another level entirely from the casual shockwaves he'd sent earlier, easily shredding Frankling's barrier.
The barrier shattered like a windowpane.
And then...
“Kyaa!?”
That golden hand seized her body with precise movements.
There was no pain, really.
On the contrary, it wrapped around her with a somewhat gentle sensation.
However, being captured in the golden grip with her entire body restrained meant the operation had failed.
Her condition was already dire,
and with Mazelan half-exhausted from having his mana barrier shattered twice in a row, they had no strength left to fight.
Once again, she felt the impenetrable wall that was the Pirate King.
They'd given it their all and teetered on the edge of success, but failing to account for that final variable was the mistake.
'I could have dodged it... If I'd just paid a little more attention...'
It seemed intended for subduing rather than killing, so it wasn't all that fast.
Moreover, the angle was slightly off toward Mazelan's position rather than hers—if she hadn't let her guard down, she could have evaded it.
In truth, she'd sensed it from the start.
Strikes at a power level she could block once with her mana barrier.
The Pirate King holding position without using anything else.
Through this, Frankling vaguely realized.
This wasn't just sparring—it was a test from the Pirate King for her and Mazelan.
Giving them a problem to see if they could solve it.
Considering the problem was well within their capabilities, it only reinforced that.
And this irregular final strike,
even with victory in sight, was clearly meant to check if they could account for the last variable.
It might seem excessive for ordinary people, but she knew she was no longer ordinary.
She was one of the Pirate King's core executives,
so demanding a level beyond the norm was only natural.
In a way, it meant the Pirate King acknowledged her to that extent, but in the end, her own shortcomings had failed to rise to the occasion.
Feeling regret over that fact,
Frankling looked up at the Pirate King, who wore a slightly stiffened expression, and said,
“S-Sorry... We lost...”
“...Hmm...”
In response, the Pirate King carefully set her down.
Assuming his heart must be filled with disappointment, Frankling bowed her head deeply.
Self-recriminating for letting her guard down at the very end once more.
Unlike Ambasha, who had shown her absolute best, she had only brought disappointment.
At that moment...
“...!”
“Good work. You failed, but you've grown a lot.”
“C-Captain...”
The Pirate King stroked her head with kind words of praise.
Seeing the subtle smile on his face—somehow apologetic yet satisfied—Frankling felt a poignant warmth bloom in her heart.
The apologies and self-recriminations that had filled her mind moments ago no longer surfaced.
Right now, she just wanted to savor this moment as much as possible.
This touch that made her feel so warm...
The small affection from this man that she desired more than anything...
'I lost... but my wish came true...!'
Incidentally, Mazelan—sprawled on the ground lamenting the loss of his executive position—was completely out of her mind now.
A city of glory that shone brilliantly even in the darkness.
It had dominated the Mediterranean Sea for centuries,
and though not as dominant as before, it still held a powerful position in these waters.
The place called the Queen of the Adriatic Sea.
Bennetsa.
After gazing at the spot twinkling brilliantly through the darkness even from dozens of kilometers away,
my eyes shifted to the pirates assembled before me.
“Everyone's here, King of the Seas. Please give your orders.”
Lemain spoke in a serious tone, unlike her usual self.
In response, I exuded the sternness now ingrained in me,
lowering my voice to deliver my words with dignified authority.
“You've heard the outline on the way here. Our target this time is that place over there: Bennetsa, the Queen of the Adriatic Sea.”
The moment the name dropped, the pirates' eyes sparkled.
Including the five core executives.
Intense excitement began to ripple through these 30 elite pirates.
Due to the mission's nature, we weren't deploying subordinate crews, so this was my full available force.
In contrast, Bennetsa before our eyes had a population of about 120,000.
Defensive troops alone numbered 5,000,
and there were over 30 warships on constant standby for defense.
Considering the Britannian Empire—continent's strongest naval power—had fewer than 50 in their nearshore defense fleet, it was impressive.
Plus, factoring in 'that bastard' waiting there made it no pushover.
Of course, this was only if we clashed head-on in a fair fight.
Item acquisition and talent scouting—which we read as 'plundering'—was our goal now, so finding a rat hole through those massive walls was no challenge.
Though, as Samir warned, we'd have to make a scene at the end...
“Alright, time to issue the operation orders. Listen up and stay sharp.”
A small sailboat crept forward cautiously through the darkness.
Looking like an ordinary fishing vessel, it leisurely crossed the sea.
Aboard were former bounty hunter turned pirate Mazelan and Elkana.
The leader guiding them, Frankling, and Ambasha tagging along for observation.
Assigned a specific mission, they slipped in among the nearby fishing boats now coming into view, evading the navy and heading into Bennetsa.
“Ooh... This feels intense, huh? Way different from docking in broad daylight before—thrilling from the start! Now we're gonna devour the juicy clam flesh of the Queen of the Adriatic Sea herself!”
“? Clam flesh? Oh... You mean... you want to eat clams here?”
Ambasha cautiously asked Elkana, who spoke with thick excitement amid her pounding heart.
Elkana pondered whether to teach this innocent girl about the world's sticky depths but decided to let it slide for now.
After all, it was a stealth infiltration—not the time for adult sex ed.
“Yeah?... Oh... Uh... Yeah, right. Clams... Tasty... Lick 'em a few times and the juices... Mmm...”
“Got it. Since I lost the bet, this senpai will treat you. Dad gave me plenty of money too.”
“...Mm-hmm...”
Ambasha spoke confidently.
Elkana silently patted her cute head,
feeling awkwardly embarrassed as she eyed Bennetsa's docks, now right in front of them.
At that moment.
“Come to think of it... How amazing a treasure do you suppose the Pirate King went after by going ahead? We're here on duty, but for the Pirate King to step up personally...”
Mazelan's quiet voice came from the side.
Ever since getting thoroughly trounced by Frankling and the Pirate King before, he'd shown even more interest in him.
On that note, Elkana smiled faintly and replied.
“Has to be that, right? Think about it—it's early autumn now. Obvious.”
“! No way, that...”
One thing that stirred up Bennetsa at this time of year.
Recalling it, Elkana flashed an expectant smile.
“The Pirate King would totally go for it. That... grand auction.”