Book 8 Chapter 13

Episode 187

“Smooth sailing with a tailwind! As expected, my lucky hunch has never been wrong.”

Hirpien Diall smiled brightly, pointing to the figurehead.

Her long, braided hair, swaying in the sea breeze, was blue like the color of the ocean.

Even if this hadn't been the sea, I would have been able to smell the ocean from this fellow. Just as I always had.

“At this rate, we should start seeing the archipelago by tonight.”

“You saved us, Hirpien.”

“That’s what I should have said first.”

Just over a day after Aki and I were stranded on a deserted island, this ship appeared on the horizon!

We couldn't use water-attribute magic, and we were on the verge of having problems with drinking water, so it was truly the gods' help.

And to top it off, the captain and owner of that ship was none other than Hirpien Diall.

“You risked your life to save us from the ant nest back then. Compared to that, this is nothing.”

Hirpien tapped the figurehead.

It was in the shape of a woman holding a music box, and she said it was a galleass gifted by her grandfather to commemorate her achievement back then.

“The ‘Echo of the Music Box.’ It has three sails on the second deck. The finest ship, crafted with only the best materials by the leading artisans of the Chamcheol Archipelago. There’s probably no faster ship on the continent right now.”

Hirpien’s grandfather, she said, had passed away peacefully in his eternal slumber, to the sound of his great-grandmother’s music box.

Hirpien had arrived, and he passed away a month later, so if they hadn't found this music box back then…

Hirpien looked at me, a smile mixing joy and sorrow on his face. I said,

“Yes, it seems to have worked out well.”

“Thanks to whom. How about you? Was the problem you were pursuing back then resolved?”

“The problem I was pursuing?”

“Back then, it seemed like obtaining Touraina’s book wasn’t your only goal.”

“This side… is pretty similar to yours.”

I couldn't see my own expression, but I was probably wearing the same smile Hirpien had just worn.

Touraina also fell into eternal slumber.

After 300 years of long waiting.

Though her spirit is said to reside in a dragon's egg, there would be no sharing memories from 300 years ago. Touraina was dead.

“It’s all thanks to you buying me that book back then.”

And now, I also owe him for taking me to the Terrsh Archipelago.

Hirpien’s ‘Echo of the Music Box’ was originally intended to depart from <Aristafo>, pass through <Terbenople>, and return to the Chamcheol Archipelago.

But when I asked if he could take me directly to the archipelago, he readily agreed without a moment’s hesitation.

– Our Diall family always repays its debts. We have the spirit of a merchant deep in our bones.

He said that since he was going to the city anyway, he would load up on specialty lemons and tangerines to make a profit, so it wasn't much of a loss.

Whether that was true or just a way to lighten the burden on my conscience, I didn't know…

With the danger of the Slayers now a reality, there was no time to attend to everyone's circumstances.

Of course, I planned to defeat any sea monsters that appeared during the voyage, but perhaps due to Aki’s absolute presence, not even a trace of them was seen.

“Hmph, maybe I should get married soon and have kids too. I never knew a child could be this cute. Over a hundred men are lined up to marry me, you know? If you’re interested, hurry up and get in line.”

Hirpien held Aki by both armpits and lifted him high into the sky, and Aki giggled.

“Aki is cute!”

“Yes, yes~ You’re so cute!”

Hirpien’s unique friendliness worked its magic again, and he quickly became close with Aki.

“Well, I don't know. It’s not that kids are cute; it’s Aki who’s cute.”

I shook my head.

How long a journey had it been for this fellow to grow so much? Remembering the pain of that day, I hesitated to recommend it to others.

Hirpien’s voice, with Aki piggybacking on his shoulders, softened slightly.

“I’m getting a whiff of bad luck from you and Aki. Going to the archipelago in such a hurry isn't for a pleasant reason, is it?”

“I can't explain in detail. I don't know the full details myself yet.”

“Hmm… Now that you mention it, the archipelago has become quite, what should I say, a bit unpleasant lately. Recently, there was even someone making strange proposals.”

“Strange proposals?”

“They offered to rent out mercenaries at a fair price, Slayers, that is. Saying there’s no need to hire unverified individuals every time you embark on a dangerous voyage.”

Mercenaries, huh?

Was he talking about the descendants of Link, trained like slave soldiers, as Corra had mentioned?

“Old Slayers used to feel strongly like descendants of heroes, but modern Slayers have completely turned into a mercenary business. Well, it's not for a merchant like me to say.”

“It’s probably because the ruling class changed.”

“Is that so? But it's just so… peculiar. Do you know islands like Linkland in the archipelago? It was once a place with highly developed tourism, originally.”

As the birthplace and burial site of Link, Linkland was an indispensable travel destination when talking about the Terrsh Archipelago.

“But now, hmm, they say there's something wrong with the island, and the city has completely blocked access.”

“……”

“So as a merchant, I couldn't understand it. Why abandon such a thriving tourism industry and switch to a mercenary business? Why, specifically?”

However, the skill, obedience, and pugnacity of these mercenaries, who fought without fear of death, soon attracted significant attention from employers.

While their influence wasn't large on the Akhrad Continent, Slayer mercenaries were said to be making enormous contributions on the Adrion Continent.

From combat mercenaries used on various battlefields to subjugation mercenaries fighting monsters.

“In this situation, you, who were known to be dead, are rushing to such a place… It seems like something is going on. More than anything, the scent of bad luck is too strong on you.”

“Don’t dig too deep. It’ll get dangerous.”

“Are you sure you don’t need help?”

“You’ve already helped more than enough.”

“Even so…”

It was too dangerous a mission for Hirpien.

He almost died at the hands of Reveni, and now the opponent was a group rated as the strongest mercenary force in history.

Just protecting Aki and fighting would be overwhelming.

“Are you sure all you need is to borrow one ship?”

“Yes, if what you say is true, surveillance is so tight in the Green City that we can't get passage to Linkland. So, we have to go directly by sea.”

I had told Valensidis to meet me in <Karsiko>, but being a smart fellow, he would quickly take other action if I didn’t join him.

“It’s not just the city. It feels like the entire sea area is blocked off by a barrier and the navy.”

“I’ll handle the barrier.”

“The navy, my best crew and I will handle.”

I’m not a smuggler, but I’ve done smuggler-like things a few times, it’s fun… Hirpien grinned.

“Alright, then, before we arrive, shall we give Aki the most delicious food again?”

“Aki, wanna eat!”

“Yeah, yeah! It’s sturgeon roe! You won't be able to get enough once you try it~ If you want more, be sure to visit the Chamcheol Archipelago later!”

I watched Aki and Hirpien head to the cabin dining room with a smile, then turned my gaze back to the bow of the ship.

The sea, settling into twilight, felt ominous not only in its colors but also in the sound of the crashing waves. As if foreshadowing the fate we would soon face.

What on earth was happening on Link’s island? The Slayers and Zernix, what was their true objective?

I could tell without looking that they wouldn't be satisfied with just an ordinary mercenary business.

“I’ll find out soon enough… whether I like it or not.”

As the twilight on the water deepened into darkness, a chilling light flashed at the edge of the horizon.

At first, there was one, then it slowly split into two.

As its form became clear, a gasp escaped me, along with a pain like a knife carving into one side of my chest.

“Long time no see…”

The Green City <Karsiko> was built inside a lagoon.

And right at the entrance of that lagoon, a colossal hero’s statue, said to be carved from a single rock, rose majestically.

The figure of a giant, wielding attacking chains in both hands and letting out a mighty roar… it was the Demon Slayer, Cassel Linkan.

* * *

Lemon Tree Plaza is the city hall square located in the central district of the Green City <Karsiko>.

When the sea breeze blows, the leaves gently sway, exhaling a fragrant lemon scent.

Even the sun, famous for its heat in the Southern Sea, can be enjoyed like a warm sunbath thanks to the shade of the lemon trees.

But now, there was no sign of tourists or passersby.

“Attention, platoon!”

Instead, in front of the green fountain, the only place where no shade fell, about 30 lightly armed boy soldiers lined up.

No expression could be found in their eyes, and they maintained an immobile stance even under the scorching sun.

The man leading these boy soldiers had a corpulent body that made him waddle to move, and he sported a strange beard.

“Dur-Moris, Trickster Slayer. Death to all swindlers. Haha! You’ve come from the far north to buy mercenaries, you’re most welcome!”

The man introduced himself this way to Valensidis at their first meeting.

Beside Valensidis, a Slime Slayer, dressed in silk and with her face hidden by a noble veil, was seated on a pony.

She felt her heart pounding furiously with an almost bursting tension and sense of crisis.

– I need to get onto the island and gather information. About the main facilities, power distribution, and their true objective.

As the man named Rain Ludwig was late to join, Valensidis suddenly said that last night.

– The island? You can't get onto the island. Those Slayers have it completely locked down. Unless we break through by force.

– If he were here, we could simply break through by force, but I can't do it alone. In times like these, I need to use my head.

Valensidis spread several pieces of clothing on the bed. Corra watched it with wary eyes.

– What are you planning to do?

It was silk clothing and jewelry that fit Corra’s small stature but not her status. To buy one of these, she would have had to catch hundreds of slimes.

– For example, imagine a farmer is growing illegal crops. If you came to report the illegal crops and asked, ‘Would you open the door for us?’ would the farmer open it?

– ……?

– But what if you said you came to buy the illegal crops? And that too, from someone famous for immense wealth?

Valensidis flicked a forged identification card.

Beatrice Duren.

It was the name of the third daughter of the Grand Duke Duren family, a Prince-Elector who dominated the northern Holy Human Empire.

– You, don’t underestimate the Slayers. Do you think a single forged ID will work?

– It's not just a single ID. The Duren Grand Duke family has a significant emblem that proves one is a member of their family.

Valensidis's finger pointed to Pipi, who was perched on Corra’s shoulder.

– The Duren family is the only one that breeds Sun Parrots and distributes them to family members. That one will reliably falsify your identity.

She had her doubts… but it really worked.

The Trickster Slayer (the bastard), who had looked more intently at Pipi than the ID, was very pleased and had set up an appointment, bringing the Slayer soldiers with him.

Was he hoping to extend his reach to the Empire through this opportunity?

“You said you needed them for a family succession civil war? Then these ones are perfect. They are Kin Slayer troops.”

“Kin Slayers, huh.”

“Their escort capabilities are beyond mention, and their assassinations will also be executed flawlessly. They never talk back. That’s how they’ve been educated.”

“Hmm, even so, they’re so young that I can't quite trust them.”

Valensidis was impersonating the Duren family's chamberlain, naturally taking on the role of speaking for Corra.

“Oh dear, you’ll be in big trouble if you underestimate them because of their age, that you will. We train them until they become human weapons. Without compassion or mercy. They kill various living creatures every week. From their third year, we even make them kill infants.”

“Infants?”

“Haha, don't worry too much. It's just through an illusion spell that makes piglets appear as infants.”

The Trickster Slayer grandly explained the boy soldiers' skills, but Corra couldn't concentrate due to dizziness.

“……”

It was because of the Arch-rank Slayer, the Knight Slayer, who was watching them from the shade.

Tap, tap, tap, tap.

He was rhythmically tapping the green marble floor with his sheathed sword, as if uncomfortable or suspicious.

“That Knight Slayer also trained these ones how to kill knights. No matter how troublesome the Empire’s knights are, they stand no chance against these ones.”

“Even so, the Empire’s knights use mana chains. How can these children contend with that?”

The Trickster Slayer suddenly called out one of the boy soldiers, then struck his shin with a hammer.

With a crunch of bone and a spatter of blood, the boy soldier collapsed. Even Valensidis, who had seen all sorts of gruesome sights, was momentarily silenced.

But that was only for a moment; something bubbled up from inside the shin, and the bone instantly reconnected.

“Don’t pretend to be weak in front of our clients, get up, you rascal.”

“Yes.”

“These ones are descendants of the Demon Slayer. Meaning they inherited that monstrous regenerative ability. What are you doing, get back in formation!”

The boy soldier limped for a moment, then calmly walked back under the sun and resumed his immobile stance.

“Knights might cut down two or three of them. Then others will stab their swords into that knight’s neck. Two or three of them will resurrect as long as their heart or neck isn’t severed.”

Valensidis's eyes narrowed.

What was going on? It was the first time she had heard of the Slayer clan having such abilities.

As if she knew something, Corra had very sad eyes behind her veil.

“I understand the regenerative ability is good, but what about their actual skill? As it is a high-value transaction, I must be cautious.”

“What else would you like to see?”

“Lady Beatrice wishes to see how these soldiers are trained.”

A moment of silence fell.

The Trickster Slayer hesitated, and the tapping sound of the sheathed sword against the marble pavement grew louder and louder.

“Is there a problem?”

The Trickster Slayer wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead, then approached the Knight Slayer and whispered something heatedly.

“The Duren are great nobles of the north, Captain. If these perform well in this deal, word will spread quickly through the Empire.”

“Something about the Duren’s sudden arrival feels unsettling…”

“Just show them the training facilities casually. As long as we don’t take them to the holy site or the birth facilities, isn’t that enough? And the Commander-in-Chief is also there right now, we can just brainwash them into buying.”

“What if they are identity swindlers?”

“Well, the Commander-in-Chief will handle that too.”

Finally, the Trickster Slayer came over, licking his thick lips.

“The training facilities are on the island, so would you care to follow?”

* * *

On the northeast pier of Linkland Island #3, there is a gravel path leading into a lemon tree forest.

Following this gravel path deep into the forest, a gray pyramid reveals its sinister form from within the deep shadows of the woods.

This pyramid was a kind of detention center built not for ‘honored guests’ but for ‘failures’.

“Dur-Moris, Runaway Slayer. Death to all runaways. Have you arrived, Commander-in-Chief?”

The Runaway Slayer guarding the main gate of the pyramid saluted the Dragon Slayer respectfully.

And seeing Miria who followed behind, he wore a malicious smile.

“You’ve come to this shithole again. If you like me that much, why don’t you come to my bed instead of this stinky place. I’ll send you to heaven.”

Then the Witch Slayer, standing next to the Dragon Slayer, let out a kick-like laugh.

“Who are you sending to heaven? You’re tiny, you know.”

“I can proudly say I’m bigger than a goblin.”

“Hah, you’re killing me, really. Shut up and open the gate.”

As soon as they stepped inside the pyramid, groans of pain and despair could be heard.

“Ah, ahh, ah…”

“Ugh, ah…”

The 'failures' were those who failed to receive the Demon Slayer’s power; lacking the qualities of a Slayer, they were utilized differently.

Men and women without any aptitude were mobilized as breeding stock to bear children carrying the Demon Slayer’s blood.

Those born with innate magical power but with physical or mental defects were used to forcefully extract that magic and contain it within Spirit Orbs.

Chained to sickbeds, they were raised like animals until their dying day, slowly withering away.

Those who failed transplantation but had no problem moving their bodies were used for other forms of labor.

Arthur and Spiella left Miria on the lower floors and proceeded to the upper floors, accessible only to ‘true’ executives.

“Miria…”

When someone recognized Miria, the 'failures' one by one turned their heads in their direction.

No one pleaded to be saved or helped. Everyone knew such pleas were meaningless.

The only two meager things Miria could offer them were:

To tell them stories of the outside world, and to hold their hands and listen to their stories.

“I had a dream again today… our ancestor came, swept away all those bad guys… and brought us back our freedom…”

“That’s good.”

“My dream is a little different… our ancestor’s friends come… Rista, Pride, Kies, Rin…”

The reason they could only cling to impossible hope was that the despair before them was too overwhelming.

What human would make the legendary mercenary group an enemy? What would they gain?

Even the gods who could answer prayers no longer existed in this land. The Age of Dragons was also drawing to a close.

‘Help us.’

At their sorrowful murmurs, the cry that had been suppressed for 11 years almost burst forth from my lips again.

‘Someone, please, help us.’

Even though I thought it had already solidified into a lump, making it impossible to express in words…

【The boy in the straw hat smiles shyly.】

In that fleeting moment, a subtle scene flashed before her eyes, and Miria held her breath.

He was wearing a straw hat, but it wasn’t ‘that guy’. Then who could it be?

It was a sight she had never seen before, yet strangely, why did it feel so incredibly nostalgic?

“How’s the yield?”

“Yield, yield, yield.”

On the 6th floor of the pyramid, there was a birthing room, which, unlike floors 1-5, had quite comfortable facilities, and the permanent staff were different from the idlers on the lower floors.

“Another bountiful year. Why do you ask, knowing how perfect the system I’ve built is?”

Engineer Slayer Herman, looking at the babies densely packed in incubators through a glass window, answered the Commander-in-Chief’s question.

“Bountiful, bountiful, bountiful.”

The Sun Parrot, Beast Slayer, chattered, rubbing its head against Arthur’s face.

“This operation has been going on for 10 years now. Starting next year, the number of deployable boy soldiers will increase fivefold.”

Witch Slayer, Spiella, said, tilting a wine glass with telekinesis.

“Eightfold the year after next, and thirteenfold three years from now. If the calculations are correct.”

The two, early members of the Slayers, were the only executives in the organization who could speak casually to the Commander-in-Chief.

“It’s good that we have more subordinates, but what exactly do you plan to do with so many of them? In a few decades, you’ll have an entire army.”

Spiella’s question was the exact same one Arthur had asked his master exactly 10 years ago.

– What are you planning to do with this?

– Do you know what dragons have that humans don’t?

– Wings, a yeouiju, dragon scales, what else?

– You always had a habit of not wanting to think.

– Because I’m stupid.

– It’s a mission. Dragons are born with a purpose in life. But humans lack that, so they live as they please.

If there existed an ultimate peak in swordsmanship, his master would be the one who reached it.

Whenever Arthur saw the True Holy Sword Yonioran strapped to his master’s back, he would involuntarily drool.

Of course, it ended with just drooling. Even if he obtained the True Holy Sword from somewhere, could he awaken it?

– I thought your purpose was to awaken the abyss.

– The abyss is merely a means to make this world bleed. The gods and the Three Dragon Gods are too soft.

– Hmm?

– Someday, I will bestow a mission upon all humanity, in the sense of ‘Slayer.’ Not just shifting responsibility to the strong, but for a world where all humanity unites under the order of a mission.

– You know better than anyone that I’m a thickhead, so why speak in such complicated terms? Just give me easy commands on who to kill.

– It's simple. Kill those who target that ‘vessel.’ The rest is your freedom.

Arthur’s gaze turned to the topmost floor. To where a girl was constrained by seven layers of magic circles and fifty layers of chains.

‘Hmph, a Demon Slayer.’

Zernix, who had revived the Slayers on his master's orders, said he would present them with a junior.

– This is strange?

But unlike the Slayers, the Demon Slayer wouldn’t revive no matter what was done, would he?

However, luckily, someone had transplanted the power that the Demon Slayer wielded in his lifetime into his relic.

That child was chosen as the vessel to receive that power. It had been 11 years since then, so was she a lady now?

“By the way, Arthur, can you afford to be so relaxed?”

“Hmm?”

“I told you that Aaron and Adon's presence disappeared. And the Special Affairs Department is poking around all over the island.”

Was it really a coincidence that the Half-Dragon and the Special Affairs Department came to this island at the same time? Zernix, that bastard, must have played some despicable trick.

‘Heh, I don’t know what he’s planning, but he certainly made it interesting.’

How many strong opponents would there be?

And how enjoyable it was to grow through battles, killing such foes.

“Spiella, you go to that Slime bitch’s village and teach them what happens if they betray us.”

“Betrayal, betrayal, betrayal.”

“Are you sure about that? What about that Goblin bitch? It’s her village.”

“Herman, when Miria is about to chase Spiella, tell her I’ve reconvened the executives on Island #3.”

“What are you planning?”

To Spiella and Herman’s question, Arthur smiled meaningfully.

“Just follow orders. It’s always best to sweep away rats in one go to prevent future troubles.”

* * *

At the same time Valensidis was struggling to infiltrate the island, Rain Ludwig was—

“Ahh, ahhhhhhhk!”

“A So, Soldier Slayer in one hit… Aaaah!”

At the pier of Island #14, three Master-rank Slayers who met the intruder that broke through the barrier were successively engulfed in fire and obliterated.

There was no time to react to the three consecutive lightning strikes.

They could only try to avoid it, then get caught in another strike and die.

“Wh-what… wha-who are you…?”

“Who do you think I am?”

“How dare you, how dare you do such a thing! You audacious fool! Dragon Slayer Commander-in-Chief will surely hold you accountable for this!”

To the last survivor, whose face was trembling with fear, Rain Ludwig pressed his hands together in a gesture of prayer. Just as Slayers do.

“Dur-Moris, Dragon Slayer Slayer. Death to the Dragon Slayer. Perfect, because I came to beat up that bastard. Where is he?”

Then, from behind his shoulder, a cute little creature peeked its face out and shook its fist!

“Aki has arrived!”