Book 15 Chapter 38
Chapter 68
May 17, 1104, Era Calendar.
Northeast side of Blade Peninsula, Mediterranean Sea.
“Attention, attention, attention.”
At that command, Taro, the sun parrot, dripped cold sweat and pressed his two wings tightly against his body.
“Stand straight, stand straight in front of Pipi, Taro.”
Pipi, whose body was about twice his size, circled around him with a stern, solemn, and serious expression.
“Crazy, that lunatic parrot Pipi is enforcing discipline…!”
“Kyukyukyut, kyukyukyukyut, kyukut (Evil sun parrot bastard)!”
Lin and Sval were appalled, while Frede burst out laughing with a proud demeanor.
“Kahahaha, our Pipi is the strongest sun parrot! He’s even bigger than a typical adult sun parrot! That much is obvious!”
“Ah, if he’s the strongest, is enforcing discipline obvious?”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
Just then, Lin felt a pain that made her mind go blank. Fists landed simultaneously on the crowns of Lin’s and Frede’s heads.
“What’s so obvious about it? The special affairs mage is getting fidgety. Stop it.”
Lin glared at Lysta, who was sighing, with eyes welling up with tears.
“No, what did I do? All I did was get surprised and ask a question?”
“Oh, you did? Sorry…”
“And why do you hit me with a gloved hand and Frede with a bare hand?”
“Huh, you’re right. Sorry…!”
“Isn’t it too unfair to solve with an apology? It seems like Frede needs two hits for the universe to be balanced.”
As Lysta, refuted by Lin, raised her fist and approached, Frede recoiled in fright.
“You bloodless, tearless trash! Do you have no loyalty as an accomplice?”
“The strongest is supreme throughout heaven and earth, unique in the universe; there are no accomplices, only oneself.”
“Argh! What can I say to this crazy kid! Wait, stop, Lysta! Don’t you know the phrase ‘ladies first’? No matter what, a woman only gets one hit.”
“That’s what it meant?”
“Imperial bumpkins use it differently, but in Republic high society, that’s how it is. Physical punishment for women should end with just one hit.”
If that’s the case… is there no choice?
As Lin and Lysta looked at each other and nodded in understanding, Frede breathed a sigh of relief.
Thanks to that commotion, Taro was able to escape from Pipi’s clutches and hide in his owner Cecil’s arms.
“Scared, scared, scared.”
“It’s okay, Taro. The Priestess’s sun parrot probably didn’t mean anything bad.”
“Bad, bad, bad.”
Kies was leaning against the ship’s rail, sipping a beer and watching the farce with a subtle smile.
As Cecil remembered, Kies was always drinking.
It was a mystery where the alcohol kept coming from.
‘By the way…’
Cecil turned her gaze from Kies and glanced sideways at Lin, who was squabbling between Lysta and Frede.
She was different…
It wasn’t that there was a big change in her appearance compared to the time of the Balag subjugation battle.
‘Back then, she had an expression that made everything in the world seem boring… but in fact, she was such a talkative person with such diverse expressions.’
She had thought that truly, those born with peak talent were destined to be lonely from birth.
‘Perhaps those lonely people, having gathered as one in times of turmoil, are enjoying each other’s company so much…’
Around that time, Frede’s expression changed as she gently put a long pipe into her mouth.
“So, how do we find the private individual in the Chulcheol Islands?”
What was coming, came.
It’s time to fulfill our duty.
“Yes, first, the strategy we established was through the Maritime Arena (海上決鬪狀).”
“Maritime Arena?”
“As you, Priestess, well know, the Chulcheol Islands embraced the arena culture of the Adrion Continent and developed it prosperously.”
The fruit of that development was the Maritime Arena.
The struggles unfolding on the sea had long since transcended the realm of culture.
What that means is that it was degenerating into a social ill, such as a gambling hotspot and a means for underworld money laundering.
“However, intelligence has been received that an individual presumed to be a privateer is abusing this arena culture to amass assets and recruit [Flesh Holders] to form a private army.”
Lysta nodded with a serious expression.
“Indeed, if left unchecked for just a little longer, it will spread into a serious problem. That’s why we have to infiltrate there as contestants.”
Frede exhaled black cigarette smoke and raised her head.
“But there’s a problem with this plan. By now, the [Flesh Holders] must have shared some information about Lysta, so if a beauty with water-colored hair suddenly appears and sweeps through the arena, wouldn’t they disappear for a while?”
“That’s… true.”
“Frede is right. What should we do? If I could move Frede’s or Lin’s body instead, things would be much easier…”
Lysta’s words were clearly expressing an impossible wish. Could it actually be possible?
But it was possible.
Frede, who had eagerly taken the bait, grabbed Lysta’s shoulder tightly, her eyes glinting menacingly and fiercely.
“Maybe it’s possible?”
“Huh?”
“Swapping bodies with you and Lin, it might be possible. Let’s do it, right now. Let’s try it immediately!”