Chapter 225: The Morning of Departure
「Are you already awake, Takeru?」
「Yeah, I slept well…」
The morning sun streamed in through the small porthole of the cabin.
Although it was a first-class cabin, it wasn’t particularly spacious since it had only become available by chance.
The room was simple, containing just a large single bed big enough to sleep comfortably.
For spending the night alone with Louise, the slightly narrow bed was perfect.
I slept soundly.
Waking up in the warmth of Louise beside me was a rare and comforting feeling.
Last night had been wonderful.
I almost wanted to pull her close and drift back to sleep, but I decided against it. Louise and her troops were setting sail for the continent across the sea this morning. As much as I wanted to keep her here, I couldn’t delay military operations just because of my feelings.
Getting out of bed first, Louise was already dressed and asked,
「Takeru, should I go fetch some water?」
「Sure… Actually, let’s go together.」
There was no rush to depart just yet, so we still had time to enjoy a cup of coffee and a leisurely breakfast together.
Walking through the ship with Louise, a thought crossed my mind: What if I had chosen a different path—marrying only Louise and building a home with just the two of us?
Given that Louise had been an adventurer and I was a merchant, we were never the type to settle down in one place for long. Perhaps we would have ended up traveling together, much like this.
Lost in this small daydream, a loud shriek suddenly echoed through the ship.
「Was that Suzanne and Claudia?」
「It came from my cabin.」
Following the scream, we heard the girls’ high-pitched cries of distress. Rushing back to the room, we found Queen Dareda pinning both girls down on the large bed.
「What are you doing……」
「I can’t breathe…」 「Master, help us!」
Queen Dareda, with her immense chest, had completely smothered the two girls. Despite Suzanne and Claudia’s impressive combat skills, they were still small-framed girls.
Considering Queen Dareda was likely the strongest martial artist alive, it wasn’t surprising they couldn’t budge under her grip.
「Your Majesty, what exactly are you doing?」
「I came to greet son-in-law, but I got the wrong room.」
She smiled mischievously, clearly having fun at the girls’ expense.
It was no joke for Suzanne and Claudia, having to deal with the most powerful creature alive first thing in the morning.
「Could you please stop tormenting my young slave girls?」
「But can’t you see that I can’t move anymore? Son-in-law should lift me, right?」
Ugh, this woman… By the way, both Queen Dareda and the girls were half-naked. Why is everyone always undressing?
And now I had to dive into this tangle of bare skin to try and pull them out. It was an almost impossible task.
「Takeru, let me move her.」
But as Louise tried to move Queen Dareda, she immediately got pulled into the mass of soft flesh as well.
「It can’t be done unless son-in-law lifts me up, okay?」
「Nuoooo?!」
Queen Dareda’s huge chest enveloped Louise, pulling her deeper under her weight.
Looks like I had no choice but to get involved…
It was a mysterious grappling technique.
Even though Suzanne, Claudia, and even Louise, the brave known as the ‘Dragon Slayer’, were all pinned down by this wrestling hold, it was something no mere human could possibly pull off…
But the opponent was not just any ordinary being. She was Queen Dareda, a half-dragon god. Hardly human at all. The difference in power between her and even a brave of Louise’s caliber was like that between an adult and a kitten.
「Takeru, help me…」
「Master, please hurry!」 「I can’t breathe!」
「Only son in law can move me, okay?」
「Ugh, fine, I’ll do it.」
Reluctantly, I reached out, carefully avoiding touching Queen Dareda’s chest, and wrapped my hands around her slim waist, trying to pull her off.
But the moment I tried to lift her, I found myself pulled into her soft flesh instead.
So much for being able to move her…
「Uwaaaah!」
「Now that son in law is here, I don’t need these girls anymore.」
With a soft popping sound, Suzanne and the others were suddenly freed from the hold of Queen Dareda’s chest.
Even though they’d been trapped, I still had no idea how that wrestling move even worked!
「That was exhausting…」 「Suzanne, we need to help Louise-sama and master!」
What followed was a bizarre chain of events: Suzanne and Claudia tried to intervene again, only to be effortlessly pulled into the queen’s embrace. Louise was suddenly ejected from the tangle, and when she tried to help, I ended up getting spat out instead. It was a never-ending, confusing cycle of wrestling that went on until all of us were utterly drained by morning.
I couldn’t believe this—Louise and the others were supposed to depart today, and they’d wasted all their energy on this nonsense.
These dragon maids were just too free-spirited to handle…
※※※
After finally catching a break with a good cup of coffee and a light breakfast, I headed up to the deck, where I found Drake sitting there, looking completely drained of life.
His face looked even more pitiful and defeated than when we fought the Castilia’s Invincible Armada and nearly lost our lives. He hadn’t shown up to last night’s banquet at all—yet another victim of these chaotic dragon maids.
There he sat, the weathered sailor with a face bronzed by the sun.
After years of fierce battles and suffering in prisons, Drake had become a shell of his former self.
With an eyepatch over his right eye, a prosthetic arm on the left, and an artificial leg on the right, even in this battered state, he still worked tirelessly once on board. Whether it was teaching navigation tricks to the crew or personally pulling ropes with his remaining arm, he took every opportunity to educate the men around him.
He never let up, always fulfilling his duties as the fleet admiral.
Yet here he was now, sitting weakly on top of a barrel, utterly defeated.
There was no need to ask what had happened.
It was obvious. He had been completely drained—of everything.
「Hey, you alright, Drake?」
「King General… we’ve come a long way, haven’t we?」
With his one remaining eye, the white-haired man once known as the Pirate King stared into the distance toward the horizon.
Uh-oh… this isn’t good.
「Uh, yeah…」
「In the prison of Brussel, I was certain my life was over. When you came along and told me, ‘Let’s take down the Invincible Armada together’, I didn’t believe it one bit.」
Drake gave me a weak smile, but he looked like he was about to fade away at any moment.
Great. Now he’s getting all nostalgic on me…
「Drake, are you really alright?」
「Y’know… I always thought I’d die at sea. It would’ve been fitting, a pirate like me, paying the price for a life of selfishness. I never wanted anything more than that. But you, King General, you made me the admiral who defeated the Invincible Armada. For that, I’m grateful… more than that, I’m happy. Like the tales I heard as a kid, about the far ends of the sea and what lies beyond… It was fun…」
No, this is bad. His eye has completely lost its light.
Just as I was about to suggest that he get some rest in his cabin, I heard the voice of a young Dragon Maid.
「Ojisama! There you are!」
I thought he might run, but no.
Even as the Dragon Maid came barreling toward him, Drake didn’t even flinch. He just smiled, a serene, almost saintly smile—one of someone who had given up on everything.
Despite being seized by the energetic and fierce young Dragon Maid’s powerful arms, Drake offered no resistance.
「Ojisama, I’m bearing your child!」
Ah, so it really happened, after all. Drake might claim he’s past his prime, but with a body as tough as his, it’s no surprise he still could. I mean, with that kind of relentless pressure, who could resist?
I quietly pressed my hands together in prayer, understanding full well what it’s like to be on the receiving end of a Dragon Maid’s passionate advances.
This is mostly my fault… If I hadn’t called for backup from the Dragon Maids, this never would’ve—
「Young girls can be cruel, huh, King General?」
「Y-Yeah…」
I didn’t know what to say. ‘My condolences’ was all that came to mind.
「Children, huh? Do you understand what you’re saying? I’m fifty-seven this year. How many more years do you think I’ve got left to raise a kid?」
「Don’t worry, ojisama! I’ll make sure you live long enough. Leave it to me!」
With that, she pulled out a familiar bottle—Dragon Maid’s secret vitality elixir.
That’s definitely not a medicine meant for longevity…
Drake hesitated for a moment, a troubled look on his face, but then gulped down the elixir the girl offered him and stood up.
The old admiral, with his white hair and beard, forced strength into his frail body, straightening his spine with all the dignity he could muster.
「Well, what’s done is done. Looks like I’ll have to push these old bones for another ten years or so.」
As Drake muttered this under his breath, the young Dragon Maid beside him blushed and smiled brightly, her eyes sparkling with joy. She walked alongside him as he resumed his usual rounds on the deck.
I thought everything had worked out in the end, but then I heard something that made me doubt my ears.
「Yay! Let’s have ten more kids, ojisama!」
I saw Drake nearly slip on his prosthetic leg, almost toppling over. But the young Dragon Maid caught him firmly in her dragon-strength grip, preventing even that.
Wait a minute, that’s not what he meant by ‘another ten years’! How much do you plan to work him?! These Dragon Maids are terrifying…
Apparently, the dragon maiden who managed to take— or rather, forcibly snatch— Drake’s heart is named Asatte-san.
According to Are, Asatte-san is known as the most gentle and dreamy maiden in the Dragon Maid village, though with a bit of an airheaded streak.
Of course, since Are was the one who called her ‘gentle’, it’s a Dragon Maid’s standard of gentleness we’re talking about here. In other words, Asatte-san is gentle enough not to accidentally destroy a locked doorknob when she tries to open it.
Given that Asatte-san is considered ‘gentle’, I can only imagine the conduct of the other Dragon Maids. The arrival of the Dragon Maid battalion has caused quite the commotion in the harbor of Avana.
On closer inspection, Asatte-san’s blue hair is longer than that of the other Dragon Maids. She’s smaller in stature, with more delicate wings and claws, and she used to make a living weaving on the island— definitely one of the more feminine types among them.
Considering the alternatives, Drake might’ve drawn the lucky card with Asatte-san. A small mercy amidst the chaos.
※※※
After taking a well-deserved rest, the Abysspania army finally set sail from the island’s shores toward the Abyss Continent. To avoid drawing too much attention, the fleet was split into several groups, with only small boats used for the landing.
I wondered how they would transport cavalry horses in such small boats, but it turned out they had specialized horse ships. The horses would be placed on straw beds with boards blocking their view, while soldiers would sleep beside them to ease their anxiety.
「Well, I’m off.」
「Be careful out there, Louise.」
「Master, we’re heading out too! Don’t forget our promise!」
「Good luck, Suzanne and Claudia!」
Wait, what promise was that again? Oh well, it’s probably for the best to forget. Promises before battle tend to be ominous flags.
「Then, I’m off.」
「Barland, I know it’s strange to say before heading into guerrilla warfare, but please, prioritize safety. Regaining our old lands can come after the mission is successful. You all—」
「Understood. We just need to act as a diversion, correct?」
「Exactly.」
「In a place where we know the terrain, we won’t be so easily beaten.」
「Let’s hope for that.」
「Please, look after Queen Amorette and… my wife as well.」
「You have my word. As long as we’re here, this island’s safety won’t be compromised.」
Barland trusted us enough to leave behind the Queen and his wife, knowing we would protect them. We had no intention of betraying that trust.
I entrusted Louise and the others to Barland, and he did the same with his people. With a mix of reluctance and determination, the fleet carrying the two thousand Abysspania soldiers set out toward the Abyss Continent.
「Alright, time for us to do our part.」
There are six months left until the operation begins. Kaara, Oracle, and the others are flying tirelessly across continents, using up their magic. Lyle-sensei is also steadily preparing his strategies.
Everyone is hard at work transforming Avana into a military port, while as for Are and Queen Dareda…
「Mother, you can’t just eat the island’s food whenever you want! Hero’s going to get mad!」
「But I got hungry after all that exercise, you know?」
As usual, they remain on the island, munching away on fish dishes. The food situation has improved, so I don’t mind them eating, but… when exactly are they planning to depart?
「Ojisama!」
「Please, just put me down already! I’ve got work to do!」
I glance up to see Admiral Drake being carried off somewhere by Asatte-san, her dragon wings flapping as she flies him through the air. I can’t tell if she’s trying to help or just being a nuisance.
The Dragon Maids continue to roam freely across the island at their own pace, causing mischief wherever they go. They really are a laid-back species.
「When are those girls actually planning to leave…?」
I can’t push them, especially since I begged them to come as reinforcements in the first place. But the sooner they set out, the better, while the chaos in this harbor is still somewhat manageable.
If they’re going to cause trouble, I’d much prefer they do it on enemy territory.