“What did you eat and drink?” I asked.

“...I borrowed some fruits and water from the cargo. I intend to pay for them later.”

“Sheesh. If it was so bad in there, you could have come out and shown yourself, you know?”

“I could never! I found myself on the ship before I knew it! A total stowaway! I’ve heard that stowaways are usually fed to large sea creatures. I was pretty sure you people were aboard the ship, too, but I couldn’t be certain. I couldn’t come out until I was positive that it was safe... Though, that meant I ended up half-delirious with seasickness.” Yuriga shuddered as she remembered her time aboard.

Well, if she was stuck in a tiny space that smelled of raw fish, fighting her fear of being caught, as well as seasickness, I couldn’t blame her for feeling unwell.

The tanuki guy looked down at Yuriga. “You’re right. Anyone nervy enough to stowaway aboard a ship deserves to be megalodon chow.”

His tone was threatening. I’ll bet that the reason Yuriga just got even paler wasn’t just because of seasickness. Oh, but she was, technically, a princess from another country, so I didn’t want him frightening her too much. If anything happened to Yuriga, Fuuga would be an absolute nightmare to deal with.

Kishun bopped the tanuki man on the head with his sheathed katana.

“You’re a grown man. Don’t intimidate a child like that.”

“Oww...! No, boss. I’m telling you, you’ve gotta teach brats like this a good lesson.”

“This is my ship, so it is not your place to get angry. She is a friend of my guests, so I will not do anything to punish her.”

“G-Guests, you say?”

The tanuki guy looked at me. I tipped my conical hat to him.

“I’m a merchant who trades in the ports of the Kingdom of Friedonia. I helped with the purchase of the fish, and Sir Kishun invited me to come stay on this island as thanks.”

“The Kingdom of Friedonia? You’re not a Yaeda Islander?”

“I am by blood. I’m told my great grandfather came to the Kingdom from there.”

That was a lie, of course, but I couldn’t let who I really was come out, so I needed a backstory. I grabbed Yuriga by the head and forced her to bow, then lowered my own head, too.

“I’m sorry. I should have kept a closer eye on her. I’ll be sure to give my little sister an earful later.”

“Wait, little sis—”

“Yuriga! When you apologize, do it properly!”

“I-I’m sorry.”

Once we had both apologized, the tanuki man awkwardly scratched his cheek. “Oh, no, if she knows she did wrong, it’s fine. I wasn’t being as mature as I should have, either.”

“It helps a lot to hear you say that,” I said.

“Still, for siblings, you don’t look much alike.”

“We’re half celestials. My little sister takes after our mother.”

“...You’ve got a complicated family, huh? Well, be a good brother and take care of your little sister.”

“Yeah. I will,” I replied with a small wave.

...Whew, it looks like I managed to get through that. Once the tanuki guy had returned to work, I crouched down in front of Yuriga and looked her in the eye.

“Yuriga,” I whispered.

When she heard her name, her shoulders tensed. It seemed she was trying to defend her actions, but she couldn’t find the words, and ultimately just deflated.

“Um... I’m sorry,” she replied, also whispering, then let out a sigh. I might not have been very good at this sort of thing, but I needed to tell her off.

“...If even one thing had gone wrong, this could have turned into something major. That risked an international incident, obviously, but it put you in danger, too. I hear seamen can be a rowdy bunch. If they’d caught you when we weren’t around or you’d been loaded onto a different ship... there’s no telling what they might have done to you.”

Yuriga hung her head in defeat. Part of that had to come from the way the tanuki man had intimidated her. She could act tough, but she was still just fourteen years old—or in my world, she’d only be in her second year of middle school.

I rested a hand on her discouraged head. “Well, I can see you’re reflecting on your actions, so I won’t press the issue any further, but don’t ever do this again. Also, report what happened to Fuuga yourself.”

“Yes...”

Giving Yuriga a pat on the head when she nodded, I turned to Kishun and said, “Sorry for the trouble. Could you show us to the mansion now?”

“Very well.”

And so, we followed Kishun.

◇ ◇ ◇

“Whoa, the alleys really are narrow, Ichiha.”

Tomoe and Ichiha, who were following Souma and the others through the alleyways of the Twin Islands, were surprised how close together the houses were. They were packed so tightly that, even in the middle of the day, the alleys were a bit dark.

“The gaps are so small that two adults couldn’t stand side-by-side. There’s nothing like this in the Duchy of Chima or the Kingdom of Friedonia.” Ichiha gulped at what he was seeing.

“It’d be real bad if there was a fire, huh? The walls look like they’re made of wood, too.”

“Maybe they’re made of wood so they can be rebuilt quickly when there is a fire? The houses are rather simple... But that makes me worry about burglars instead. Even the doors are wooden.”

“I think they’ll be fine on a small island like this, right? They all must know each other here.”

“That makes sense. With the houses so densely packed, it’s easy to notice something’s wrong in the neighbor’s house.”

Seeing the new surroundings of the island, Tomoe and Ichiha discussed what life must be like here. This was something instilled into them by their teacher, Hakuya.

“When you look at the scenery of another country, you can see how the people of that land live. Things and culture are born of necessity. The way people build their houses, for example, tells us quite faithfully how they live. If you wish to expand your perspective of the outside world, you can start by closely observing those details.”

They did as they were taught, and imagined the lives of the islanders as they looked around. Whenever the things the islanders did matched their imaginations, Tomoe and Ichiha felt giddy, like they had solved a puzzle.

“This is like one of those games where you find the matching pictures, huh, Ichiha?”

“You’re right. Though, I’m not sure we should be having so much fun when we’re here on official business.”

“Hey, what do you think, Yuriga?” Tomoe asked, turning to the silent Yuriga.

“......”

“Yuriga?”

But Yuriga was present in body only. Her mind had clearly wandered off someplace else.

“Is she still feeling bothered by the way Big Brother and the old tanuki man got angry at her?” Now worried, Tomoe leaned in and looked at Yuriga’s face. “You okay, Yuriga?”

“Huh?! Uh, what?”

Yuriga’s head snapped up as she suddenly returned to reality. It looked like she hadn’t been listening.

Tomoe looked at her with concern. “You were quiet all this time, so I got worried. Is what happened earlier still bothering you?”

“Not really... I was thinking about it, though.”

“About what?”

“Is your brother, um... always like that when he scolds someone?” Yuriga asked Tomoe awkwardly. “You know, the way he spoke to me and then bowed his head to the people I inconvenienced together with me. Like that, I mean.”

“Hrm... He has scolded me before. I’ve never done anything that would require bowing my head and apologizing, but I think if I did, Big Brother would bow his head with me just like he did for you.”

“I see...” Yuriga replied, before lapsing back into thought.

Seeing this, Tomoe cocked her head to the side and asked, “Hasn’t Fuuga ever scolded you?”

“Of course he has! You’ve even seen him drop a fist on my head, haven’t you?”

“Ah, I do remember that...” Tomoe said, recalling a similar event from when they were in the Union of Eastern States.

“If it were my brother, I would have gotten hit, I’m sure.” Yuriga sighed. “And I doubt he’d have bowed his head to a common laborer, either. I’d have received ample punishment, so the other side would leave it at that... That’s how it would probably go.”

“Ah...”

I can see it, thought Tomoe. That was definitely what Fuuga would do—punish her then insist she be forgiven. The other side would be forced to accept it. In exchange for a headache, Yuriga would gain forgiveness.

Yuriga sighed again. “My head always hurts after my brother drops his fist on it. But when Sir Souma scolded me, and I bowed my head with him... there was no physical pain, but...”

She seemed to be struggling for the words, but Tomoe understood.

“Your heart hurt?”

“...Something like that. This is actually harder on me.”

Because of what she’d done, someone who had nothing to do with it was forced to apologize with her. That ‘hit’ pretty hard. Even if someone didn’t feel bad about what they’d done, they’d still feel a sense of guilt. Because, at her core, Yuriga was a serious person, which only amplified the result.

“Is this what Sir Souma means by a difference in values?” Yuriga asked, rubbing her head in the spot Souma had touched earlier during the apology.

“Murgh...” Tomoe got a little grumpy and pinched Yuriga’s cheeks.

“Hey... Shtop it! What are you doing?!” Yuriga exclaimed, batting her hands away.

Tomoe snorted angrily, “Big Brother is my big brother. I won’t let you have him.”

“He’s only your honorary brother! Besides, it’s not like I want him anyway! The strong and cool Fuuga is the only big brother for me!”

“My big brother is cool, too!”

The two glared at the other. Hesitantly, Ichiha put himself in the middle between them.

“Hey now, you two, don’t fight here. If we’re separated from the others and get lost, we’ll be scolded again, you know?”

““Ah!””

The mention of being scolded by Souma snapped both Tomoe and Yuriga back to their senses.

“Uh, oh! They’ve already gotten away from us a little.”

“Because you’re a slowpoke, Yuriga.”

“Don’t make this my fault, you little kid! You were talking, too!”

“Come on, you two! I said this isn’t the time to fight!”

“Oh, right, you did. Anyway, let’s run!” Yuriga said, looking at Tomoe and Ichiha.

““Roger!”” Tomoe and Ichiha snapped a salute, and then the three took off running.

They ran as hard as they could and managed to catch up before the adults noticed they had been lagging behind.

Souma turned around, only to see the exhausted looks on their faces. “Hm? What’s up, you three? You’re out of breath.”

“I-It’s nothing, Big Brother.”

“Eh?” Souma cocked his head to the side in confusion, then turned to face forward. The three quietly sighed in relief.

“Whew... I’m glad we made it,” Tomoe said.

“I-It was tough with the incline here, huh? Even though it’s winter, I still worked up a sweat.”

“Geez, and whose fault is that, Yuriga?”

“Yours, too, I’d say, Tomoe.”

“Huff... Huff...” Ichiha was too winded to mediate in their squabbling.

Tomoe smiled wryly, then glanced at Yuriga. We just got to the Twin Islands, and things already feel hectic... she thought.

“...What? What’re you staring for?”

“No reason.”

But if Yuriga’s got her spirit back... Well, I guess that’s okay. Tomoe chuckled as she thought about it.

“That is a lion-dog cannon,” Kishun said. “As Madam Juna explained, it is a gunpowder weapon used in naval battles. Because they are not very heavy, we can load them onto even our smallest boats, and then take advantage of their speed to target the enemy’s weak points.”

“I see... Expect a maritime nation to have interesting weapons.” Souma crossed his arms and groaned with approval.

It’s somewhere between a cannon and a rifle, I guess. We couldn’t use rifles because the low mass of the bullets meant they couldn’t be enchanted, but this sort of hand cannon might be usable... It’d be heavy, and difficult to maneuver with, but maybe I’ll have the military research it when I get back to the Kingdom.

While Souma was thinking about that...

“Souma... Er, I mean, sire! I’m finished drawing!”

Ichiha came over and spread out his drawing on the table. Everyone crowded in to look, then gulped.

“Is this Ooyamizuchi?” Tomoe murmured despite herself.

This was still only an imaginative sketch, but it had the power to convince all of us that this must be what the creature looked like.

◇ ◇ ◇

With the sun setting in the evening, you could see a faint red line along the mountain ridge. We were in the garden with a campfire and a massive pot that made me think of an imoni-kai hot pot party in Yamagata.

“Now, dig in everyone.” The tanuki guy standing in front of the pot said, offering a bowl with one hand while the other held a ladle.

I was told that the locals used the excess bits that were left over when they prepared the fish from the kingdom for preservation, and combined those with local vegetables to make soup, which was being offered right now. With warm food in hand, we went up onto the veranda to eat.

“Whew... That really warms you up.”

“Hee hee, it certainly does. It’s such a comforting flavor.”

Juna and I smacked our lips with satisfaction.

Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago cuisine was apparently quite close to that of the world I came from, including its use of miso. The root vegetables steeped in fish broth and miso were really delicious. Close to the pot, Aisha and Naden were indulging themselves with delight.

“This feels similar to His Majesty’s cooking. Oh! I’d like another bowl, please!”

“The taste of our husband’s cooking, huh? I’ll have another bowl of that, too!”

So, it’s not the taste of their mother’s cooking, huh? Well, not having any memories of my own mom, it tasted like my grandma’s cooking to me. Tomoe, Ichiha, and Yuriga seemed desperate to show they could eat just as much as the other two gluttons.

“This familiar miso flavor is delicious. It goes well with the umami of the fish.”

“Oh, that’s right. You’re also from the north, aren’t you? We have similar dishes in Malmkhitan.”

“Same as in the Duchy of Chima. It’s fascinating to learn that the Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago Union has a culture around food that’s similar to the Union of Eastern Nations. Did a group with that culture migrate from one to the other, maybe...?”

As Ichiha pondered that, Tomoe smiled and poked him in the cheek.

“Come on, Ichiha. If you keep thinking about it, Aisha and Naden will eat it all, you know?”

“Oh! Time to eat, then... Ow! That’s hot!”

It looked like the food had been too hot for his hurried attempts to eat it. Ichiha stuck his tongue out and fanned it with his hand. Tomoe watched with concern.

“A-Are you okay, Ichiha? I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have rushed you.”

“N-No, I just wasn’t careful enough...”

“What are you two doing?” Yuriga asked with a sigh. “Geez. Here, have some water.”

“S-Sorry...” Ichiha accepted a ladle full of water and gulped it down.

Things seemed to be fine, so there wasn’t any need for the adults to get involved. As we watched the three kids being adorable, there were voices somewhere off in the distance. I perked up my ears to listen, and it turned out to be a song.

We take our boat on the mother sea.

To the waves rich with fish and life.

Under the seabird’s eye there treasure be.

If we’re too slow, the big’un will strike.

Pull in the nets! Heave, ho! Heave, ho!

Let the port hear our song of triumph.

“This is...”

“A sea shanty. The islanders must be singing it,” Kishun replied in response to my murmuring. “I am sure they must be celebrating in port today for the first time in far too long.”

Kishun had come by holding a bottle of sake in his hands; behind him was Shabon with cups. Kishun sat next to me and Shabon took a seat next to Juna, putting themselves between the two of us before passing out the cups.

“This is dragon sake, made with Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago rice,” Kishun explained, pouring the drink into my cup. It smelled exactly like Japanese sake.

“For you, too, ma’am.” Shabon tried to offer Juna the dragon wine, too, but...

“I’m sorry. Could I ask for tea instead?” she politely refused it. Juna could hold her liquor pretty well, but she must have thought it best that we didn’t both end up inebriated at the same time.

I clinked my cup against Kishun’s and took a drink... Yeah, this really does seem like sake.

I had left Japan before I reached the drinking age, so the only Japanese alcohol I had experienced was the cooking alcohol mirin, but I felt like this had to be the same as Japanese sake.

“How do you like it? Does our country’s sake suit your tastes?” Kishun asked and I nodded in response.

“Yeah, I think it’s good. It pairs well with the rich flavors of the soup.”

“I’m glad to hear it.”

And so we drank, listening to our noisy companions and the sea shanties from port. From what I could see here, it was hard to imagine there was a monster called Ooyamizuchi out in the waters, and we were about to fight an intense battle against it. In more peaceful times... I might have been able to enjoy drinking with Shabon and Kishun more—together with Liscia and Roroa, who we’d left behind in the Kingdom.

“This really is good booze.”

I swallowed the drink along with those bitter feelings.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Halfway through that night, an alarm bell began ringing.

“It’s here! It’s here!”

“Men, hurry to the island chief! Women and children, don’t go outside!”

Hearing the hubbub, we rushed to our feet in the large room where we had been taking a nap.

Looking at Souma, Kishun said, “Sir Souma. Head to the watchtower. You will be able to see it from there.”

“Got it.”

Following his suggestion, we hurried to the mansion’s watchtower. I squinted at the sea and could make out a massive object moving near the Twin Islands at a relaxed pace.

“Use this, Your Majesty,” Aisha said, offering me a telescope.

“Thanks.”

I brought it up to my eye and peered into the distance. Fortunately, the moon was bright that night, and the moonlight reflecting off the surface of the sea gave me a full picture of the creature.

Looking away from the telescope, I asked Shabon, “Is that Ooyamizuchi?”

“Most likely. It is difficult to imagine any other creature being so massive,” she confirmed with a nod.

I passed the telescope to Ichiha. “I knew we could count on you,” I told him. “It looks exactly like your drawing.”

Based on the fragmentary witness reports, Ichiha had come up with a sketch. It looked similar to a sea dragon from its head down to its neck, with a bivalve shell on its back, and thick, octopus-like tentacles for arms with crustacean-like pincers on the end. The key point here was the theory that the reports of a “many-headed snake” came from misidentification of the tentacles and pincers. The accounts of victims being cut in two didn’t indicate being bitten by something with the head of a snake, but rather were the result of being snipped in half by pincers the witnesses mistook for heads.

In addition, the supposition that, “It might be releasing mist to keep its body moist,” led to the idea that some part of its body might be a mollusk. The reports of it being “like a little island,” and me telling him, “there’s a legend that mirages are created by a bivalve-like monster,” led him to depict it as having a bivalve shell on its back. There were some parts that only matched by pure chance, but to be able to draw it so accurately based on what little info we had showed what a genius Ichiha was. They say innocent children always see the truth, after all...

“I’m glad you’re here, Ichiha.”

“Y-You flatter me,” Ichiha said humbly as he looked through the telescope.

I plopped my hand down on top of his head.

“Take pride in it. Thanks to you, we can prepare countermeasures.”

“Huh?! Okay!” Ichiha responded enthusiastically.

I hope repeated successes like this can help the shy kid develop a sense of confidence, I thought. If it did, he would grow into the sort of person who could help lead our country in the future.

The other members of the group took turns with the telescope, each of them gulping when they saw it.

“It doesn’t seem to be putting out mist now,” Aisha muttered.

“That’s likely because it doesn’t plan to attack,” Ichiha replied. “Maybe we should think of the mist as something it emits right before it goes ashore to catch prey?”

I asked him the most important question: “It won’t come ashore on the Twin Islands, then?”

“That’s right. Considering how unalert it appears, I think it’s ‘just passing through.’ Though, if any small island or boat were to cross its path, I’m sure it would still be a disaster.”

“It’s big, after all. Bigger than even the largest ships the Kingdom has.”

“Even in my ryuu form, I’m nothing next to that.”

Juna and Naden let out sighs of awe. You could tell, even from a distance, that it was massive. Like something out of a kaiju movie. It just had to be what we’re up against, eh?

~~~~~~~~!

There was a sound like the wind rushing between the buildings, only amplified several times. Was this Ooyamizuchi’s cry?

I backed away a little, then whispered in Tomoe’s ear, “Can you tell what Ooyamizuchi is thinking, Tomoe?”

“I could only pick up a little, but...” Tomoe whispered back. “It’s looking for an ‘enemy’ and ‘food’... is what it sounded like.”

“An ‘enemy,’ and ‘food’?” I whispered back, and Tomoe nodded.

“It seems like they’re one and the same to Ooyamizuchi. Big enemies are big food, and will make it even bigger... It’s a little different from the feeling of starvation the lizardmen from the Kingdom of Lastania had. It’s like this is what Ooyamizuchi lives for... Or so I understand.”

Devouring enemies to grow... Was that what it did every day? This was definitely different from the lizardmen and their starvation. If anything, it made me think of a battle junkie, obsessed with proving their existence by defeating powerful rivals.

When I passed what she’d told me on to Ichiha, he got a pensive look on his face. “Maybe... This is a monster that grew up in a closed space like a dungeon, eating other monsters to survive? Normally, once it grew to a certain degree, it would leave the dungeon on its own, but for some reason... like perhaps because the dungeon was underwater, it was forced to keep feeding on other monsters...”

“So the monsters fed on each other, and this Ooyamizuchi was the last one left? I could see why that would make it see enemies and food as the same thing... I guess.”

Though this was just speculation from Ichiha, it was just like the ancient Chinese practice of creating gu: they stuffed a bunch of disgusting creatures in a pot, and the last survivor was used as a tool in black magic. If that was how Ooyamizuchi came to be, that meant it was a voracious eater, emerging as the most powerful thing inside the dungeon it came from.

Ichiha frowned and said, “If the creature was born inside a dungeon it couldn’t escape from, then normally it would have died inside it. But if the dungeon was destroyed, or maybe Ooyamizuchi happened to gain an ability that let it escape... Whatever it was, I believe this is an incredibly rare case of such a monster appearing on the surface.”

“...That makes sense, yeah.”

I had witnessed first-hand what sort of mess an undiscovered dungeon can cause back in the Republic of Turgis, but there was no telling when a monster like this might appear.

~~~~~~~~!

Feeling Ooyamizuchi’s cry resound deep in my gut, I became newly aware of the dangers lurking in this world.

Hearing the grave tones in the ruler of the rowdy Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago’s voice, the island chiefs fell very quiet. King Shana looked to each of them before speaking.

“Our spies report that the Kingdom’s fleet has already set sail. They’ll be arriving within the week to invade us.”

“What do you think their goal is? To take some island or another?” a young island chief asked, but King Shana shook his head.

“Hardly. They can’t possibly want to hold land where Ooyamizuchi resides. It would be difficult for them to rule this region when we’re so far from the Kingdom, and so different culturally. Their more likely objective is to deal a blow to our fleet. We have been using it to support our fishermen in waters near the Kingdom, after all. Without escorts, it will be impossible for them to go out that far.”

“Damn it! They mean to trap our fishermen here—where that monster is running rampant?”

A swarthy island chief who was a mountain of muscle punched the floor. The other island chiefs nodded.

“If only Ooyamizuchi would move into the Kingdom’s waters.”

“You said it. Why does it stay here?”

“Why don’t we ask the Kingdom for help slaying Ooyamizuchi? If we could just get rid of it, the fish would return, and then we wouldn’t have to squabble over who can fish where, you know?” one of the young island chiefs said, but an elderly island chief shook his head.

“Not possible. We’re not even united on what should be done about Ooyamizuchi ourselves. If not for this ‘foreign threat,’ there wouldn’t even be this many island chiefs gathered here.”

The independent spirit of each of the islands in the Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago was the result of a long history of conflict over who would rule the waves. Because of that, without any sort of impending foreign invasion, the islands would never fight as one. Though Ooyamizuchi was a threat, it was not an invader, so each island prepared for it independently, leading to none of them joining forces to resolve the issue. That was one of the reasons Shabon had gone to plead for the Kingdom to slay it.

“We can come together against the Kingdom, but not against a single beast. Could you ask someone to fight with us when we act like this?”

“We’ve already provoked the Kingdom’s ire, too...”

“That doesn’t mean we can just let them invade us!”

“Indeed. If they come, then we must crush them. We’ll show them the power of our maritime nation.”

That earned an enthusiastic, “Yeah!” from the militaristic island chiefs, but then a one-eyed island chief with an impressive physique and magnificent black beard spoke, “Hmm, I respect your enthusiasm, at least.”

His name was Shima Katsunaga. He was chief of Yaezu Island, the second or third largest of the islands in the Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago. He was also the mononofu warrior who was renowned as the greatest military man in the archipelago’s history.

“However, we are the defenders. Not knowing where the enemy will strike, we are forced to move second. Don’t you think you’re all underestimating the Kingdom a little?”

“I would not have expected to hear such words from ‘the greatest military man in the Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago,’” one chief scoffed. “Do you suggest we would lose a battle at sea?”

“The Kingdom’s navy has the masterful Excel Walter. They even say she leads their entire military now. I can’t imagine she would start a fight she had no chance of winning. If she’s coming despite knowing our advantage at sea... does that not mean that the Kingdom has a chance?”

The island chiefs gulped at what Katsunaga said, but one young island chief dispelled their fears with his energetic voice.

“Their new king has fought a land war before, but he shouldn’t have any experience with fighting at sea. Doesn’t this just mean that Excel couldn’t stop the callow hothead?”

“...Entirely possible. But that may not be the case. In war, you always have to consider the worst-case scenario,” Katsunaga replied gravely.

The young island chief had no counter to his words.

King Shana spoke once more, “We know the course the Kingdom will take,” he said, pointing to the map with his fan. “Their fleet will almost certainly pass between the Parent and Child Islands and Nine-Headed Dragon Island, attempting to take the port on the west side of Nine-Headed Dragon Island.”

He had declared this so confidently that Katsunaga furrowed his brow.

“How can you be so certain?”

“The currents of our archipelago are swift and complicated, easily sweeping iron ships away. There are many reefs, too. We can navigate them with our many years of experience living here, but outsiders from the Kingdom can’t possibly do the same. That forces them to take a known course.”

“Known? You’re saying that the Kingdom knows a safe course?” Katsunaga asked, and King Shana gave him a big nod.

“Yes. The course I just mentioned was one I intentionally leaked to them, after all.”

“What?!” Katsunaga exclaimed, and then all of the other island chiefs began grumbling. King Shana had leaked what might be called the greatest of the Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago’s secrets, its sea routes, to the Kingdom.

King Shana raised a hand to silence them. “I’ve only taught them a course here, to Nine-Headed Dragon Island. Not to any of the other islands. I’m sure they believe an insider leaked this information to them.”

“...I see. And you’re suggesting we could ambush them in an area that works to our advantage?” Katsunaga pointed out.

“That’s right,” King Shana declared, slapping his knee. “The battle will be joined over the rocky reefs between Nine-Headed Dragon Island and Child Island. It will be hard for them to deploy many large ships because of the many small islands there, and our more maneuverable fleet will have an advantage. We’ll aim to pull the Kingdom’s fleet in and eliminate them in a decisive battle.”

“““Ohhh!”””

The island chiefs let out a cry of admiration, having heard King Shana’s careful plans for the coming battle.

“If we know the enemy’s course, then how about we lay mines in the area around the reefs?” a young island chief suggested, but King Shana shook his head.

“Our mines can destroy wooden ships like the ones we use, but they lack the power to have any real effect on iron ships pulled by sea dragons. Even setting that aside, I expect they’ll send out scouts. We risk them changing course if they learn we’re ready and waiting.”

“I see... You’ve got a point there.”

“If we can lure them in, they’re as good as ours. If we send in fire ships (unmanned ships loaded with a large quantity of gunpowder that collides with, and explodes against, enemy vessels) from upstream to kill their sea dragons, their fleet will be stranded.”

“Hmm... It could work,” Katsunaga gave an approving grunt. With the greatest mononofu in the Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago satisfied, the rest were convinced of victory.

King Shana stood up and said to them, “We have the terrain on our side! Now let’s teach them a lesson for underestimating us!”

“““Yeah!”””

The island chiefs rose, crossing their arms in front of them.

They each left separately to prepare for war, leaving only King Shana and Katsunaga in the room. Now that they were alone, Katsunaga let out a sigh.

“I didn’t say it in front of the others, but isn’t this uncharacteristically rushed for you?”

“...I am confident of the Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago’s victory.”

“Well, I’ve known you for a long time. I know quite well you’re a hard man to fight, and a reliable ally.” Katsunaga put a hand on his shoulder, then spun his arm around. “I know you don’t fight battles you can’t win, too. You have some other plan in the works, don’t you?”

“Do I now?”

“Ha ha ha, I knew you wouldn’t tell me. I’m a warrior, not a diplomat, after all. I can only trust in you, my king, and fight my hardest.”

“...I’ll be counting on the strength of Yaezu Island’s mononofu.”

“And you’ll have it,” Katsunaga said, then left.

Now that King Shana was left on his own, a servant came in to deliver a message.

“Lord Shana. Word has come in that everything has been prepared on Ikatsuru Island.”

“Yes. Very good, then.”

“Um, shouldn’t you have told the other island chiefs?”

King Shana smirked. “They say that to fool your enemies, you must fool your friends first. The ultimate victory will belong to us.”

“Yes, sire... and what would you have us do about Lady Shabon?”

The servant’s question wiped King Shana’s smile from his face, and he turned away from the man and replied, “Let her go. She’s a grown woman now. She takes responsibility for her own decisions.”

“...Yes, sire!”

The moment of confrontation drew closer by the hour.

◇ ◇ ◇

The weather was fine and the waves calm as thirty Friedonian warships sailed across the sea. The sunlight reflecting off the water onto the steel ships gave them a dull shine. Of this fleet, one was markedly larger than the others. The Albert II, a similar model to the ship used against Red Dragon City, would serve as the flagship carrying Excel and me in the coming battle.

Naden had carried us back to the Kingdom. After dropping off the three kids in Lagoon City, we changed into our uniforms and met up with the ships. Excel, Castor, and the marines greeted us as Naden set down the gondola on the deck of the Albert II.

Folding up her fan, Excel smiled and said, “Welcome to your fleet, Your Majesty.”

“Yeah. It’s quite a sight seeing so many ships together like this,” I responded, looking around and taking it all in. It appealed to my masculine soul seeing them all sailing aside the Albert II. The group even included the island-type carrier Hiryuu.

I turned to the Hiryuu’s captain, Castor, and asked, “I thought I put you in charge of the Hiryuu? Is it all right for you to be here?”

Castor stood up straight and replied, “My XO is handling it now. I wanted to be here to see you.”

“Oh, yeah? The Hiryuu is going to be the star of this battle. I’m looking forward to seeing your work.”

“Yes, sir. I will give my all to meet your expectations, Your Majesty.” With that said, Castor saluted me, then returned to the Hiryuu.

It felt a bit stiff, but formalities were important. Turning to Excel, I asked, “Have you explained the reasons for this deployment to the marines?”

“I’ve handed written commands to each captain. They’re under strict orders to open them when you give the command to go into battle, sire. The marines will hear the details from them, I’m sure,” Excel said then gave me an elegant bow. “However, before we go into battle, I would like you to make a speech yourself. It would help to reconfirm our objectives, and to improve morale.”

“...Got it.”

A speech, huh...? I thought. I’ve given so many now, but I still can’t get used to it. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that Shabon and Kishun, who we had brought with us, were staring at something in wide-eyed disbelief.

“What is that, Kishun? That ship, the size of an island...”

“...I do not know. But Sir Souma seems to have absolute confidence in his fleet. If that island-like ship is not the product of mere playfulness and whimsy, then what secret power does it harbor...?”

“I find it startling that it moves without sea dragons to pull it, too. How...?”

They were apparently surprised by the Hiryuu. Not having any concept of what an aircraft carrier was, they couldn’t hope to understand why it was shaped the way that it was. It ought to scare the Nine-Headed Dragon King’s fleet senseless.

Next, they pointed to another ship.

“That ship is big, too. Though it does not appear to be armed.”

“A transport ship, perhaps? It looks like it could carry tens of thousands of men.”

They were pointing at a ship that looked like a massive tanker. Like Kishun had guessed, that was a newly constructed transport ship. It was dubbed the King Souma.

Yep... It was named after me. I’d said before, “I don’t want my name on a warship. If you have to name a ship after me, make it a transport vessel.” And so the engineers had done just that—slapping my name on a new model of transport ship. From now on, transport ships of that model would be referred to as Souma-class transport ships. Seriously? Well, there was no fixing it now... Incidentally, the King Souma used a Little Susumu Mark V, and could sail without sea dragons to pull it. A transport ship had plenty of value even during peacetime, so we had prioritized funding and equipment for the project.

As I was thinking about that, the jewel for the Jewel Voice Broadcast was brought up on deck. Excel raised her hands up high and began gathering a great amount of water from the sea to create a massive ball above the Albert II.

“It’s a little different from using freshwater, but... it’ll do.”

This was the same sort of ball of water as she had shown off at Altomura during the war with the Principality. Once she had finished creating it, Excel, who was sweating profusely, said, “Go on, sire. This takes a lot out of me, so please keep it brief.”

“Got it.”

I stood in front of the broadcast jewel, swishing my cape, and thrusting my fist into the air.

“This is an announcement for the soldiers of the National Naval Defense Force. We will now head to the Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago.”

My voice emanated from the ball of water above so that the entire fleet could hear it.

“We have but one mission—to bring stability to the seas. That is because safe waters are required for the people who live on the coast to be able to fish, and for stable trade with other countries. This must be done to protect the nation’s development and the people’s livelihoods. To that end, there are two targets we must deal with.”

Raising my arm, I gestured my hand up with my index raised.

“The first is the Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago’s fleet. We will subjugate this fleet which has aided and abetted illegal fishing in our country’s waters, and secure safety for our country’s merchant vessels,” I said before raising my second finger. “The other target is Ooyamizuchi, said to be rampaging around the archipelago. The creature has been strictly their problem up until now, but we have no guarantee that it will not appear in our own waters as well.”

Curling my fingers into a fist, I then thrust it forward.

“I have shared the information we have on this Ooyamizuchi with you. It’s a creature far more massive than any rhinosaurus or dragon. I’d like to designate it not as a ‘monster’... but as a ‘kaiju.’ If a kaiju like this ever attacked our kingdom, there’s no telling how much damage it might cause. In fact, there are even islands in the Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago that saw their population completely wiped out by the creature.”

There were murmurs from the marines as my words reached them. Though they had been given information on Ooyamizuchi, this report of the actual damage it could cause must have made them tense. I kept speaking.

“Ooyamizuchi is more dangerous than the archipelago’s fleet. In some ways, we ought to prioritize slaying the beast over defeating them. Hear me now! The goal of this expedition is not to invade the Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago! Our mission is to eliminate the threat of Ooyamizuchi, make the illegal fishing ships leave the Kingdom’s waters, and bring stability to the sea! Who can call our actions unjust?! I call upon all of you to lend me your power, and serve our country!”

As I raised my fist into the air, a war cry went up from the marines on each ship. I gave Excel the signal, and she dispelled the ball of water. The image of me projected in it vanished, and the light shining through the mist it left behind made a rainbow.

“I think that was a good speech, Your Majesty,” Juna said as she came over to me. I just shook my head quietly.

“...No matter how many I give, I can never get used to it.”

“Hee hee, that’s not true at all.”

As we were talking and smiling, Shabon and Kishun came over.

“Um... Sir Souma...”

“What is it, Madam Shabon?” I asked.

Shabon looked at me with eyes full of resolve. “Was it true what you said just now, that ‘invading the Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago’ is not your goal here?”

She had broken ties with the Nine-Headed Dragon King and came to work with me in order to bring down Ooyamizuchi. Slaying Ooyamizuchi was in line with her hopes, but she must not have known what to make of my denial to invade the islands. Our targets were Ooyamizuchi and the fleet led by the Nine-Headed Dragon King, and we wouldn’t be laying a hand on the people of the archipelago, which is exactly what she was hoping for. Though, it must have made her uneasy, wondering if such a thing were really possible.

With a serious look on my face, I told her, “There was no lie in what I said. I’d like for you to believe that.”

“...Understood,” Shabon said, then quietly withdrew.

Well, that was my preparation complete. Now... it’s just a matter of timing.

I glared at the sea ahead of us.

◇ ◇ ◇

If you were to ask future historians what naval battle had left the greatest impression on them, the Battle of the Parent and Child Islands fought by King Souma and King Shana was guaranteed to come up. This battle, which went by many other names, was anything but normal.

◇ ◇ ◇

Meanwhile, at that same time, Souma and Naden were busily working to turn the capsized ships upright. Naden wrapped herself around the ones that were sinking, like a scene in an old kaiju movie (though, twice around was all she could manage at her length), letting out a psychic, “Hahhhhhh!” as she forced them back into the correct position.

As the ships gushed water from everywhere, sailors who had failed to escape came crawling out. It was hard to know if everyone was all right, but Naden was feeling relieved to see that she had been able to be of at least some help.

Emerging from the water once more, Naden heard a sputtering from her back. She hurriedly turned her head around to look. “A-Are you okay, Souma?”

“S-Somehow...”

He had been riding on her back as she worked both above and below water to rescue the ships. His pact with her as a dragon knight protected him from the cold of the winter sea, and he wouldn’t be thrown from her back, but he still couldn’t breathe underwater. It didn’t change the fact that the water that got into his mouth was unpleasantly salty, either.

“At times like this, I wish I had gills like Princess Shabon...”

“Sorry to put you through that, but I don’t think wishing for things that you’ll never have is going to help,” she replied, raising her head to look around. “...Though, I think I’ve got all the ships flipped back over now.”

“W-Well, anyway, as long as the ships are floating, it should be easier for people to escape... and to rescue the ones who fell into the sea, too...”

“But what if the section of the ship they’re trapped in is filled with water and they can’t get out...?”

“This is all we can do from outside. We have to trust in them to handle the rest,” Souma said, looking down below. The soldiers on the deck of the ships that had been set upright were shouting words of gratitude and waving their hats. The two were relieved to think they had at least been able to save some small number of lives.

Naden asked Souma, “What now? Do you want to go back to the Albert II?”

“Yeah, I think that... Hm?”

An image flashed through Souma’s mind.

“What’s wrong?” Naden asked, tilting her head to the side.

Souma closed his eyes and covered both his ears with his hands, trying to focus his mind. He was trying to get a grasp of the situation using the consciousness he had left inside that thing using Living Poltergeists.

After some time, Souma slowly opened his eyes.

“It really is moving... Did Juna move the transport ship? ...Does that mean Ooyamizuchi is on the move?”

“On the move...? Ah! Ooyamizuchi is moving! It might be trying to escape from the island!” Naden shouted, having spotted it in the distance. Souma clicked his tongue in displeasure.

“It’s trying to escape out to sea, huh? As if we’d let it get away.” Souma adjusted his sitting posture on Naden’s back. “Naden, get me into the airspace above Ooyamizuchi!”

“Roger that!”

Souma and Naden danced up into the sky together.

◇ ◇ ◇

The Kingdom’s wyvern cavalry team and the Archipelago Union’s fleet were still fighting hard in the area around Ooyamizuchi where Souma and Naden were headed. For its part, Ooyamizuchi was using its tentacles to slap down wyvern riders or wrap around and break warships. Each swing let out a low whistling sound, and at this very moment, another wyvern rider was about to be smacked down.

“Wahhhh!”

About to be hit with the force of a truck, the wyvern rider sensed his coming death, letting go of the reins, and covering his head. There was a loud slapping sound, but for some reason, the anticipated impact hadn’t arrived. Hesitantly opening his eyes, the wyvern rider saw a red dragon interposed between him and Ooyamizuchi, blocking the tentacle.

From the dragon’s back, Halbert shouted at the dazed wyvern rider, “Use this chance to recover!”

“C-Captain?! Thank you!”

Once he saw the man had gotten himself back together and withdrawn, Halbert asked, “Ruby, you okay?”

“Th-This is no big deal!” Ruby replied, squeezing the tentacle with both of her front legs, and throwing in a bite for good measure. “One of these tentacles is about the size of Naden! After all the times I’ve tussled with her, a hit like that is nothing to me!”

“You sound confident, but don’t be reckless! There’s only one of Young Miss Naden, but there’s more tentacles where that one came from.”

“Oh, I know that quite... well!”

Ruby let go of the tentacle she had seized as another one came at them from behind. Just after she did, the new tentacle slammed into the spot she had been holding. The sound of two carapaces striking each other was incredible. It was a hard enough impact that some of it was stripped away, so if Ruby had been caught between them, it might well have broken some bones. As for Halbert, he’d have been crushed flat as a pancake.

A cold sweat ran down both their backs.

“Damn it! Those tentacles are way too much trouble!” Halbert complained.

“But if we don’t do something about them, that thing is going to keep fleeing!”

Even now, Ooyamizuchi was sliding along on its tentacles. It moved slowly for its gargantuan size, but was still making steady progress towards the deep sea. The Kingdom’s fleet was laying down suppressive fire along its path, but it didn’t seem to be terribly effective. At this rate, Ooyamizuchi was going to get away.

Halbert slapped his own thigh. “Damn it all! Isn’t there some way to stop it?!”

“...Huh?! Hal! Look at that!”

Halbert looked up in response, and saw one ship, larger than the others, closing in on Ooyamizuchi.

“That’s... the Souma-class transport ship? Don’t tell me they’re planning to ram it?!”

“It’s certainly big enough to have an impact, but I doubt it would slow it down much. Do you suppose they would really throw away a new ship just for that?”

“What is that thing transporting, anyway? I thought it would be a unit from the army to fight on the island, or supplies, but maybe it’s not.”

“Explosives, perhaps? Like the fire ships the Archipelago Union was using.”

“Nah, gunpowder has the power to blow up a barrel or wooden ship, but not an iron ship. All it would do is start a fire on board.”

As they were talking about it, the King Souma stopped a few hundred meters in front of Ooyamizuchi, then a hatch on the deck slowly opened. Once it was finished, something jumped out and landed in the sea with a big splash. Everyone stopped for a moment, unsure of what had just happened.

As Halbert, Ruby, the wyvern cavalry team, and the soldiers of the Archipelago Union’s fleet turned in the direction of the splash, a massive object rose from the sea, scattering water everywhere.

“Wh-What the hell is that?!”

“Another monster?! Nobody told us there’d be something like that!”

The soldiers of the Archipelago Union’s fleet went into a panic at the appearance of a second monster. The soldiers of the Kingdom, on the other hand, stared in disbelief, unable to accept the reality of what they were witnessing. The massive object stood in Ooyamizuchi’s way, its surface shining silver in the sun. It had the silhouette of a dragon, the mightiest creature on land, yet its body was entirely made of machinery.

“M-Mechadraaa?!” Halbert, the first to come to his senses, shouted incredulously.

It was Silvan’s massive mechanical dragon partner that appeared in the Kingdom’s broadcast program Overman Silvan. Standing on its hind legs, Mechadra let out a roar, then raced towards Ooyamizuchi, kicking up waves behind it.

~~~~~~~~~!!

It howled as it twisted around. Is Ooyamizuchi in pain?

“Wh-What was that noise just now?!”

“Here, have another! Take thiiiis!”

Souma shouted without stopping to answer Halbert’s question, and Mechadra reached out with its left arm (front leg) this time, and placed its hand on the same spot. Then, after it held its left arm with its right hand, and did something to manipulate it, there was another explosion. Ooyamizuchi groaned as it writhed about, swinging its long, thick neck to hammer Mechadra, causing it to stumble backwards from the impact.

Noticing something sharp protruding from Mechadra’s arms, Halbert asked, “What are those iron stake things?”

“They’re the first piece of extra equipment we devised specifically for fighting Ooyamizuchi—a gunpowder-fired pile driver,” Souma responded.

Allow me to explain...

Because dragon bones were used in its construction, for diplomatic reasons, there had been limits placed on the military use of Mechadra, but thinking that the mechanical dragon would be an effective tool against a giant monster, Souma had enlisted Genia, the Overscientist, and Trill, the Drill Princess of the Empire, to produce some powered-up parts for it.

However, while Souma’s ability, Living Poltergeists, allowed him to move dolls or puppets as if they were the living creatures, he wasn’t able to manipulate the internal parts separately. To give a human analogy, it was like how you can move your body, but you can’t freely control your internal organs. Even if they put a cannon on Mechadra, he wouldn’t be able to fire it, or load it internally. Those sorts of armaments had to be attached externally, so that Mechadra could manipulate them itself.

One of the pieces of extra equipment they had come up with was the pile driver. The explosive force of gunpowder was used to fire a massive metal stake, creating a close-range weapon that could be used for single penetrating attacks. They were installed in both Mechadra’s arms, and required the opposite arm to push a button to fire them. Also, because Mechadra couldn’t rearm the pile driver itself, it was a weapon that could only be used once per sortie, for a total of two times, counting both arms.

It was a tough weapon to use, but it was like firing a cannon at point-blank range, so it was incredibly powerful. From the look of it, the small rupture had expanded after taking two shots from the pile drivers. A little more, and it would break through to the inside.

“Just a little more! If she’s sent out Mechadra, that means...” Souma turned to look at the sea behind him.

There was a boat coming towards Mechadra, cutting through the water like a knife, yet there was no sea creature pulling it. Instead, two conical objects were attached to the front, spinning as they parted the waves. That’s Juna for you. Her timing is impeccable.

“What is that?” Halbert asked Souma, blinking.

“It’s an icebreaker—a ship that breaks the ice in front of it as it moves forward. The product of Kuu’s wishes, and Trill’s tenacity.”

The Kingdom, Empire, and Republic had been working together to develop a drill. By applying its rotational mechanism in two places, they were able to devise a prototype for an icebreaker with drills attached to the front to smash through ice, and a propeller on the back to provide thrust. It was like the Garinko from Souma’s old world, only with the drills sticking out of the front.

“Hal, I just need a moment, so draw Ooyamizuchi’s attention!”

“R-Right. Got it. Okay, you louts, let’s do this!”

Halbert led the wyvern cavalry team to attack Ooyamizuchi.

During that time, Souma had Mechadra retreat and head towards the icebreaker. Once it got close, Mechadra lowered itself to the point it was hidden beneath the surface of the water, then the icebreaker rode on top of it. The crew rushed out of the ship and quickly moved to get it fixed in place, as Souma and Naden watched from afar.

“I never would have guessed we’d be installing a drill on it...”

“I know that dragon is dead, but I’m sure they never thought they’d end up like that, either...”

We both had to take our hats off to Trill’s tenacity. When she had first seen Mechadra in the dungeon workshop, she had been excited by the size of it.

Then, because Mechadra was created by Genia, who she loved and respected, Trill decided she wanted to add her own creation—the drill—to it. Naturally, because there were limits to what we could do to Mechadra in light of our relationship with the Star Dragon Mountain Range, Genia had been hesitant, but Trill kept on asking. In the end, Genia apparently got on board with the idea, too, and they started thinking of ways to load it with a drill.

When Souma asked them for additional equipment to fight Ooyamizuchi with, they had already come up with the plan of attaching the icebreaker to it. Because the icebreaker was still a prototype, it couldn’t travel far, but the duo of deviant scientists went and redesigned it as a piece of add-on equipment for Mechadra.

Once the crew had installed the icebreaker on Mechadra’s back, they turned the drills on and abandoned ship, then they gave the all-clear signal to Souma and the others. When he saw it, Souma raised his right hand to the heavens and made Mechadra stand up.

“Okay, this is the piece of equipment that Trill’s willfulness got us! Let’s see it put a hole in that big old shell!”

Mechadra walked towards Ooyamizuchi with heavy steps, carrying the drills on its back. Then, circling around to Ooyamizuchi’s side as the beast was distracted by the wyvern cavalry team, the mechanical dragon lowered its head and stuck its shoulder out like a rugby player, then slammed the spinning drills into the rupture in Ooyamizuchi’s shell.

An instant later, there was a mechanical whine, and a chipping sound that was like nothing before.

~~~~~~~~~!!

Ooyamizuchi thrashed around, crying out in anguish. Shards of its broken shell fell into the sea with loud splashes. Its shell was steadily being chipped away.

“...Is this going to work?” Souma whispered to himself.

Soon enough, the spinning of the drill gradually slowed and then came to a complete stop. Because it was a weapon that had been thrown together in a hurry with no time for a field test, it must have broken down due to the hardness of Ooyamizuchi’s shell.

Then Ooyamizuchi bit onto Mechadra’s head, and pulled. That threw Mechadra off-balance, and it tumbled into the sea with a huge splash.

“Damn it! We were almost there!” Souma slapped his knee in frustration.

“Look, Souma! There’s a big break in its shell, and you can see the meat inside!” Naden said, pointing to the rupture with her snout.

Looking, Souma could see there was a large hole in the shell, and the creature’s flesh was visible through it. It wasn’t a fatal wound, but Mechadra’s attack had come just short of finishing Ooyamizuchi.

Halbert brought Ruby up alongside Souma and Naden.

“You were saying its most vital parts are inside the shell, right? Let’s focus our attack there and finish it for good this time!”

“...Yeah, that makes sense, Hal.” Souma decided to change gears. “Let’s focus our firepower. I’ll bring Mechadra around to Ooyamizuchi’s left side and keep the beast from moving, so you lead the wyvern cavalry team to attack that exposed section. As for Excel... if she’s been watching this through a telescope, she should focus her attacks on that spot, too.”

“Gotcha. What are the two of you going to do? Head back to the Albert II?” Halbert asked, but Souma shook his head.

“Nah. From here, it’ll be faster to head straight to the Dragon King rather than back to the Albert II. Naden and I will go to the Nine-Headed Dragon King and ask him to attack that exposed section as well. Give us some of your wyvern cavalry as an escort.”

“All right... Be careful, you hear? Your kids are still young.”

“Right back at you. You don’t want to die before seeing your own kid’s face, right?”

Having blown off some of the tension with that lighthearted banter, Souma and Halbert each flew off in their own direction to carry out their next tasks.

◇ ◇ ◇

The battle with Ooyamizuchi was finally entering its final stages.

Mechadra held Ooyamizuchi in place while the Kingdom’s fleet fired their cannons; the Archipelago Union shot their lion-dog cannons, bows, and magic; and the wyvern cavalry team unleashed their fire attacks at the rupture in the shell, all of them opening the wound further. It was a general offensive.

The rupture was bleeding constantly. Its once thrashing tentacles had lost their vigor, proof that Ooyamizuchi was steadily weakening.

“Hmm. This must be our chance.”

With the tentacles’ strength gone, it was now possible for the soldiers to climb Ooyamizuchi. Shima Katsunaga, the fierce commander of the Archipelago Union’s forces, held his odachi up high and gave orders.

“Enough with the tentacles! Now we strike at the main body! After me!”

“““Yeahhhhh!”””

On Shima’s orders, the men of the sea jumped onto Ooyamizuchi’s body. Those with a high level of jumping ability bounded up the shell, while those without used grappling hooks to climb. This style of fighting was a specialty of the Archipelago Union’s soldiers, who had used these sorts of pirate-like tactics when boarding enemy ships.

The ferocious warriors of the Archipelago Union climbed over one another, like besiegers competing to be the first over the wall as they scaled Ooyamizuchi’s back. Seeing this, the Kingdom’s fleet stopped firing, and sent out the Marine Corps. The wyvern cavalry team supported the climbing team while also launching their own attacks against the rupture.

Having reached the top first, Shima headed for the rupture and swung his odachi. It caused a slight wound, but was deflected with a clang.

“A blade won’t do the job, then...? Hey. You brought a metal rod, right?”

“...Yes, sir! Here it is.”

Shima took the metal rod that it had taken two of his subordinates to carry all this way, and wound up before swinging it into the shell with all his might.

“Hahhhhhh!”

There was a resounding crack. Ooyamizuchi’s shell gave way under the force of an attack that left his hands numb. A huge chunk came off and fell into the sea. Shima wiped the sweat from his brow as he watched it drop.

“Whew... Ga, ha, ha! I knew this would be more effective,” he said with a laugh.

Then a spear of fire flew down from the sky to strike the center of the rupture some tens of meters away. The moment it hit, the spear of fire burst, gouging the flesh, and causing a spurt of bodily fluids. That one attack made Ooyamizuchi writhe in anguish once more, and it felt like an earthquake to Shima and his men. When the shaking subsided, they looked up into the sky and saw a young man with red hair who was riding a red dragon with a spear in his hands.

“...That looks even more effective,” Shima mumbled to himself, his jaw hanging open.

Meanwhile, Halbert was holding a standard throwing spear with a sour look on his face.

“Fuuga could’ve finished it in one blow...”

“Don’t whine!” Ruby chided him. “Finishing this thing off comes first right now!”

After telling Halbert off, she launched an extra-large fireball at Ooyamizuchi’s open wound. The flames scorched flesh, deepening the injury.

The fierce assault continued from there, and the rupture was expanded until it was a fatal wound. The deeper they went, the less it felt like they were slaying a monster, and the more it was like they were digging holes in a cave made of flesh, but their efforts were finally about to be rewarded.

◇ ◇ ◇

~~~~~~~~~!!

When the soldiers of the Archipelago Union set off the explosive barrels placed inside its body, there was a gout of blood larger than any before, and Ooyamizuchi’s head fell into the sea. The beast was still twitching, but it no longer had the strength left to resist. It was only a matter of time until it died.

I was with Naden, who had returned to her human form, watching from the flagship of the Archipelago Union’s fleet, the Dragon King.

“It’s done now, right?”

“Yeah... It’s over.” I nodded. Then, letting out a big sigh, I said, “I dunno, this feels sadder than I expected it to.”

I was talking to Nine-Headed Dragon King Shana, who was standing next to me.

“I know that countless civilians were lost to that kaiju, and there were casualties in this battle, too, but... I just don’t know how to describe how it makes me feel watching it die like this. Though, I do have a sense of accomplishment, and relief, now that this incident is finally resolved.”

“...That must be what it’s like to watch as a living being dies. That thing was eating people to live. We destroyed it to live. It was for the sake of survival. There’s no good or evil in that.”

King Shana pulled what looked like a set of prayer beads from his pocket and rubbed them between his hands as he faced Ooyamizuchi. Is he praying for the creature as it dies?

The Archipelago Union was like a mix of Japan in the Edo Period and China under the Tang Dynasty, so maybe it had a similar religious perspective to the country I used to live in. This was my first time meeting King Shana in person, but despite the stern face, he seemed to understand sentimentality.

“...I’ll pray, too. Wouldn’t want to get cursed by that thing.”

I put my hands together, and Shana chuckled.

“You have a point. Let’s build a small shrine on that island and perform rites there once every year. With that, we can quell Ooyamizuchi’s violent spirit, and give comfort to the souls of those who died in battle.”

“...I’ll put up the funds to build it, so could you erect a monument to the people from the Kingdom who died, too?”

“Of course.”

A shrine... huh? When I heard the word, a thought occurred to me about the name “Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago.” It came from a creature like a sea serpent that had nine heads and lived in these islands long ago, which people had come to worship as a god. Ooyamizuchi had a head like a sea dragon, as well as eight tentacles with crab-like pincers on the end. Those tentacles with crab pincers on them had looked like great serpents through the fog. Basically, depending on how you looked at it, it might have appeared to have nine heads. If Ooyamizuchi had appeared in the distant past, and the people mistook it for a sea serpent with nine heads, then this country’s name could’ve come from...

Once I thought that far, I shook my head to dispel the idea. This was just a supposition on my part, and trying to connect Ooyamizuchi to the Nine-Headed Dragon they worshiped as a god would not be taken well by the people in this country. If it had existed before, could there be a second, or a third... It wouldn’t be funny if there was.

“...It looks like it’s over.” King Shana said.

The collapsed Ooyamizuchi had finally stopped moving. Having confirmed the death of the target, the men who had climbed up onto its back cheered, and linked arms to sing the fishing song. The sun was starting to go down. Hearing the fishing song at the end of the long day we had just been through left me feeling lonely, somehow.

In the middle of all that, I clapped my hands against my cheeks.

“...It’s too early to relax. We haven’t finished cleaning up yet.”

“We can’t very well just leave that thing there, after all,” King Shana said, crossing his arms.

“Yeah,” I nodded. “If you leave something that big to rot, there’s no telling what effect it might have on the surrounding area. We need to dismantle it quickly.”

Back in my old world, when I was watching a program that showed shocking videos, one of them was of a dead whale on the beach that had been left for too long, allowing gas to build up inside it, that exploded when they tried to dismantle it. If we left a massive pile of meat like that to decompose, who knew what kind of gasses it might produce? It could sicken people, and pollute the sea. It needed to be rendered harmless as soon as possible, and preferably in a way that it could be put to good use.

“I have a specialist on this stuff.”

“Souma!” Naden shouted, pointing towards the Kingdom’s fleet.

I looked in the direction she was pointing, and there was a massive ball of water above the Albert II again. Excel must have made it for a broadcast. The image of a paunchy man was reflected in the aqueous sphere.

Coughing to clear his throat, the man said, “Erm... C-Can everyone hear me...? Th-This is the Kingdom of Friedonia’s Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Poncho Ishizuka Panacotta, yes.”

“Let me start by asking how you want to resolve this, Sir Shana.”

“I will take all the blame, and give Shabon all the credit.”

Shabon’s eyes widened. I asked a direct question, and Shana gave me a straight answer.

“Father?! What are you...?”

“You are saying you will take responsibility for creating tension with the Kingdom, and bringing us to the brink of war, while Madam Shabon gets the credit for our successful joint front against Ooyamizuchi?” I asked.

Shana nodded silently. So, that basically meant...

“By taking responsibility, do you mean to abdicate yourself and have Madam Shabon assume the throne, then?”

“No! Father should not have to abdicate! Not when I was unable to accomplish anything!” Shabon covered her face with her hands.

“That’s not it. This was the plan all along,” Shana explained in a calm voice, placing his hands on Shabon’s shoulders. “I meant to finish this without you knowing anything, but you acted on your own ideas, for the good of the country, and made contact with Sir Souma. That made it easier for Sir Souma to bring the Kingdom’s fleet to our land, which enabled us to fight as one. Our people will have a more positive attitude towards the Kingdom now than what my own script would have produced. I’ve put you through a lot.”

“Father...” Shabon raised her face, only to see Shana smiling at her.

It was true that the original reason for me sending out the Kingdom’s fleet was going to be “to slap down the Archipelago Union’s fleet for constantly defending illegal fishing vessels.” Even if we used the Law of the Sea to force us into a joint front, that justification was going to leave behind hard feelings. Because Shabon came to me, though, we could rewrite the script to say that “the King of Friedonia came at the request of Princess Shabon.”

Excel snapped her folding fan shut.

“Then how does this sound for our shared script? ‘In order to save the people of the Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago, Princess Shabon risked life and limb to beg King Souma to dispatch his fleet. Inspired by her resolve, King Souma happily agreed to send troops. However, when the Kingdom’s fleet arrived upon the archipelago islands, they were mistaken for invaders. They nearly ended up fighting the Archipelago Union’s fleet, but after a coincidental distress signal, both fleets followed the Law of the Sea and fought together to eliminate Ooyamizuchi.’ ...I think that should be about right.”

“Yeah...”

If we made this a tale that glorified Shabon, the people would have an easier time accepting it, and it would help to justify her reign later. Some of the soldiers who took part in the operation might think there was something fishy about the story, but while we had massaged the timeline, more than half of what we would be telling them was true. Since this version of events didn’t humiliate the Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago, no one was likely to object to it.

Seeing the way Excel came up with a satisfying answer so quickly, you could really see that with age comes wisdom.

“Sire, were you thinking something strange just now?”

“...Perish the thought.” I averted my eyes from the intense smile on Excel’s face.

“Me, ascend the Nine-Headed Dragon throne...? Am I even qualified to do that?” Shabon said, hanging her head.

Having been in a similar situation, it hurt how bad I knew how she felt.

“Madam Shabon, you came to the kingdom to stop Sir Shana and to fight against Ooyamizuchi, correct? Weren’t you prepared to shoulder the Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago in his place in doing that?”

“I was then, but... I failed to see Father’s true intentions...”

“I had my throne handed off to me by the former king, too, so I can understand how you feel. Even if it feels like a burden, if you don’t keep walking, the things left behind by the people before you will all go to waste. You must inherit all of that, and carry it forward.”

“Inherit, and carry it forward... That is what I must do, then.” Shabon raised her face, seeming to have found her resolve. Shana regarded her with satisfaction.

For now, at least, we had a common story we could tell. Now it was time to negotiate.

“Now then, the Kingdom worked with your country to fight Ooyamizuchi. With the exception of research samples, Ooyamizuchi’s components are to be considered property of the Archipelago Union, and used to aid in the reconstruction. That makes it look like the Kingdom is running a charity here. I know there’s the argument that if we left Ooyamizuchi to rot, it would cause harm to our country, too, but we took casualties. I’m at risk of looking like I stuck our necks out just to do a good deed. I’d like to avoid that.”

I came straight out and explained it to Shabon, who had a dubious look on her face.

“...Is there something you are trying to say?”

“I’m saying I want some kind of profit for the Kingdom. If I can show there was good cause for helping the Archipelago Union, it will be easier to persuade the soldiers and my people, and in turn aid in building friendly relations between our two countries.”

“Profit, is it? My country doesn’t have much in the way of financial leeway, though...”

“I won’t ask for money, of course, that would only harm people’s opinions of the Kingdom here. Instead, I want you to accept a few of our requests. Though, I do believe I already brought one of them up with you before, didn’t I, Sir Shana?”

I looked at him, and Shana nodded.

“You wanted to formalize the Law of the Sea and form a maritime alliance based on it, correct?”

“That’s right,” I said with a big nod. “When we were resolving this matter, we brought up the Law of the Sea to force the two fleets to work together. Right now, however, what we call the ‘Law of the Sea’ is just an oral contract. It may seem ironclad to the men of the sea, but for everyone else, it’s easily broken. I’d like it formalized as an international treaty.”

The Law of the Sea was merely customary. If someone didn’t care about their reputation, they could break it easily. I wanted to make it a formal treaty between the Kingdom and the Archipelago Union in order to prevent that. Once we had concluded one such agreement, we could use it as a precedent to convince other countries to recognize it as international law. The Empire and Republic would join in, at least.

“The other reason that both fleets were able to form a joint front was that you and I, the heads of both countries, were present. How would it have played out if it was just our commanders? They would have had to contact us to confirm what to do, and it would have taken even longer. We have to assume that ships from both countries will run into incidents we won’t know about, and I want to have agreements in place for how to handle them.”

“I see. I understand that now, but what do you mean by a ‘maritime alliance’?”

When Shabon asked that, I weaved my fingers together and leaned in a bit closer.

“I intend to expand the maritime trade between our countries in future. Obviously, the Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago will want to take advantage of this improvement in relations to trade, too. Sir Shana, based on your development of the lion-dog cannon and other gunpowder weapons for use at sea, does your country produce a large amount of saltpeter, perhaps?”

“Indeed. The southern islands can produce high-quality saltpeter.”

“From my country’s perspective, that saltpeter, as well as your high-quality rice and local specialties such as swords, are appealing. Is there anything from the continent you would want to trade them for?”

“There is. In particular, I’ve heard there are some impressive advances in medical technologies on the continent. Having been self-sufficient with our islands all this time, things from the continent all seem stunning to us.”

Because this country was founded by those driven off the mainland, xenophobia had deep roots here—much like in the dark elves’ society around the time I took the throne. Glancing at Aisha beside me, I thought, Now, those dark elves are reliable comrades.

In order to expand our maritime trade, I was going to have to build a similar relationship with the Archipelago Union.

“If there is anything you want from the continent, let my country act as your go-between. We will need to work out the details of tariffs and such later, but if merchant fleets can travel freely between our two countries, I think we can expect not only major economic advances, but cultural ones, too.”

I pointed towards the beach where Ooyamizuchi’s bones still lay.

“However, one thing this incident brought to light is that creatures like that can appear in this world. I hear that Ooyamizuchi prevented the Archipelago Union from sending their ships out. That’s a deathblow for commerce. It’s not just creatures, though. I imagine major storms, piracy, or interference and sabotage by other countries could also harm trade.”

Everyone nodded in agreement. I continued.

“If we’re going to promote maritime trade, we need to secure safety along the trade routes. That’s what the maritime alliance is for. In the event that a ship from a member country encounters one of the threats I just named, the navies of each member country would move quickly to assist them... No, in the case of human-caused interference, the maritime alliance would secure the trade routes so that it doesn’t happen in the first place.”

The ideal would be trade that doesn’t require escort ships, but it was a little early for that in this world. There were giant creatures other than Ooyamizuchi on the high seas, after all. It would be one thing if they had something like a sonar that could detect hazardous creatures approaching, but they didn’t. Still, if we could eliminate human interference, that had to make trading easier than it was now.

“If the Archipelago Union will participate in this alliance, I would like to bring the Republic of Turgis into it as well. Their blacksmiths are top rate. Looking at the Nine-Headed Dragon Katana, I can see that the archipelago’s smithies are highly advanced, too. Wouldn’t bringing two nations with a dedication to craftsmanship together help make new techniques bloom?”

“Hmm. That would be wonderful, but... my country has no diplomatic relations with the Republic. That place becomes inaccessible when the seas freeze in winter, after all. Would they really agree to it?”

“The Kingdom will act as your intermediary, of course. We have connections there, you see.”

I hadn’t told Kuu anything about this strategy because of how much had to be kept secret about it, but if I explained the situation, knowing him, he’d bite at anything that looked interesting. Well, even if he’s hesitant, I’ll just have to show him the profit in it, and then persuade him...

Shana crossed his arms and arched his back. “I can see the profit in it for my country, but here in the Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago, each island chief has their own territory they control at sea. We would need to get them all to agree.”

“I have to leave it to you to handle that, but don’t you think you can use the current situation?”

I turned towards the beach. You could hear the raucous good time they were having from here.

“Having just fought together to overcome a powerful enemy, the soldiers probably feel a stronger sense of common purpose than ever before. Furthermore, the appearance of Ooyamizuchi must have demonstrated the importance of overcoming the boundaries between the islands in order to fight together.”

“Indeed, if we take advantage of the current climate, we likely can find the will to unify, but if that is to happen, it’s all the more reason I should step down now. Shabon is beloved by the people of the islands and has worked on their behalf; she will make a more fitting sovereign for the Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago.”

“Father... I understand,” Shabon said, clasping both hands together in front of her chest. “I will protect the Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago’s islands and their bond to the Kingdom with my life.”

It looked like Shabon had made up her mind.

She turned to look straight at me and said, “With that decided, I have something to ask of you, Sir Souma.”

“Hm? What’s that?”

“For one as young as myself to rule the Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago, I am sure I will require more than just my father’s assistance. In order to make this alliance a reality, I would like to have your support, as well, Sir Souma.”

“Hmm... What exactly do you want from me?”

“To form familial relations by means of a marriage.”

My eyes widened at her words. Marriage... Are we back to the beginning again?

“Won’t you be assuming the role of Nine-Headed Dragon Queen?”

“Yes. I will not be the one marrying, of course.”

With that, Shabon smiled.

“Once I become the Nine-Headed Dragon Queen, I intend to have a child. It is my hope to deepen the ties between our countries by having that child marry one of yours, Sir Souma. I believe you had a son and a daughter. If my child is a girl, I wish to send her to you as a bride for your prince, and if my child is a boy, I would like to welcome your princess into our family as his wife.”

Marriages for Cian and Kazuha?! I mentally exclaimed. They’re still just infants!

We weren’t the only ones taken aback by this, Shana and Kishun seemed dumbstruck, too. Excel was the only one who seemed to be thinking, Oh, my, now this is interesting, as she hid a smile behind her fan.

It took me a while to recover, but once I did, I told Shabon, “...It’s clearly a bit early for that. I can’t just decide on my own.”

Whoops, in my confusion, I just blurted out what I was thinking. Still, even though I had dodged giving her an immediate answer, Shabon said, “Yes,” still smiling as she nodded. “For now, that is fine. The child has not even been born yet. However, just the knowledge that the two of us have discussed the matter will provide me with support.”

“...Ha ha ha, you’re really something, you know that?” I was honestly impressed.

When she was down on her luck, I had seen her as a tragic princess, but she had this tough and nervy side to her, too. No, maybe she grew through coming into contact with all the different people and intentions involved in this incident. Whichever it was, she might make a surprisingly good ruler.

I cleared my throat loudly, trying to change gears. “Now, Sir Shana, may I assume you will seriously consider the maritime alliance?”

“Yes. You may.”

“Now, as for the Kingdom’s other request, we would like an island.”

“An island... you say?” Shana furrowed his brow. “I may be the king of the archipelago, but I am only free to do what I please with Nine-Headed Dragon Island and the small islands around it. I do not have any authority to cede another island chief’s island.”

“Yes, of course. The island I am requesting does not belong to you, yet, but it is one of the islands close to yours. I believe that we should be able to negotiate the matter here.”

“...What island is it?” Shana asked, and I looked at Kishun, who was standing behind them.

“I would like to have Little Island, of the Twin Islands, which Sir Kishun rules.”

Little Twin Island was the island opposite Big Twin Island where we had stayed.

During our stay on Big Island, I had heard rumors that there were military ships moored on Little Island, and that in the event that the islands were attacked by a force too big to defend Big Island against, they could still hold out on Little Island. They said that because it was smaller, fewer troops could land there, making it easier to defend.

Shana had a dubious look on his face. “Little Twin Island? You want that tiny thing?”

“Yes. It’s close to Nine-Headed Dragon Island, and along the route to Lagoon City, so I couldn’t ask for a better place to put a supply depot. In the interest of securing the sea lanes, and encouraging trade, I’d like to establish a base and permanently station a portion of the Kingdom’s fleet there.”

“A permanent station for the Kingdom’s fleet? That would be...”

Just as Shana started to frown, Shabon slammed her hands on the table and rose to her feet.

“Hold on a moment! The Twin Islands’ chief is Kishun. Even if you are the Nine-Headed Dragon King, it is unacceptable for you to make a deal involving someone else’s island! Can you not take one of the islands attached to Nine-Headed Dragon Island instead?!”

“...Please, calm down, Madam Shabon,” I said to pacify Shabon, who was getting a little worked up. “That would be fine as far as the Kingdom is concerned. Our goal is stable sea lanes and trade.”

“In that case...”

“But what are you planning to do after this, Kishun?” I asked.

Kishun got a difficult expression on his face. Shabon turned around, and then blinked when she saw it.

“Kishun?”

“.........”

Kishun didn’t answer her, just looked down, clenching his fists. That had to be because he knew what was coming. Shabon, meanwhile, seemed unaware.

With a sigh, I said, “Madam Shabon, you will become the Nine-Headed Dragon Queen. Once you are, you will be based out of Nine-Headed Dragon Island, limiting your ability to move around as freely as you did before. You understand that, right?”

“...Yes. I am prepared for that.”

“If Kishun carries on as the island chief of the Twin Islands, he won’t be able to meet with you as easily or as frequently as before. Kishun’s job is to rule the Twin Islands, and to protect the people who live on them, but he is also the man who accompanied you on what anyone would have had to conclude was a reckless journey to the Kingdom. He must have strong feelings for you indeed, wouldn’t you say?”

I didn’t know whether those feelings were of loyalty or love, but when Shabon angered me before, it was Kishun who came and did a sit-in at the castle in an attempt to fix things. You know, now that I think about it, he could have been cut down by the guards for that, huh? Everything he did, he did for Shabon.

Blinking at what I had just said, Shabon looked at Kishun again.

“I was just thinking that when Kishun sees you struggling as the Nine-Headed Dragon Queen, he wouldn’t be able to leave you alone... and that maybe, he might leave his island unattended. Or am I wrong?”

“Well... I do want to support Lady Shabon, but the islanders rely on me as their chief. I couldn’t abandon them...” he replied, a pained expression on his face.

“Then why not appoint a relative as a magistrate? That is what the chiefs of many of the small islands do when they come to Nine-Headed Dragon Island,” Shana suggested, but Kishun shook his head weakly.

“I have no relatives... and I couldn’t leave the job to an outsider...”

“Hm... In that case, would I do?”

“Huh? You, sire?”

Shana rose and put a hand on Kishun’s shoulder.

“I know very well how dedicated you are to Shabon. If a mononofu like you were at her side to support her, as her father, that would bring me unexpected happiness. I am sure you would make a fine husband.”

“F-Father!”

“No... I am undeserving of such kind words.”

“If possible, I would like for you to keep supporting Shabon. As I will be abdicating my throne, I would be in the way if I were to stay too close to her. Why not entrust your people to me as your magistrate? Though, from your point of view, we would be trading where we rule.”

When Shana said that, Kishun took a knee and placed his hands together above his head.

“Yes. You, I could trust, Lord Shana. I intend to give everything I have for Princess Shabon from now on.”

“Father... Kishun...” Shabon’s eyes were watering. It looked like the group from the Archipelago Union had come to a decision.

Once they had all returned to their original positions, I coughed politely to try and get back to the discussion at hand.

“Now then, about Little Twin Island...”

“I will leave the decision to His Majesty,” Kishun said, and Shana nodded.

“Very well. In light of the great assistance that your country has provided us on this occasion, I do believe we can accept your request,” Shana spoke. “However, were the people to see this as one of the islands of the Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago being ‘taken,’ the other island chiefs will likely resist it. Our people detest outside interference, you see. That is the problem here.”

It was true. The people of this country were like the samurai of long ago who would fight to protect a single piece of land that they relied on for their livelihood. Even if it was just a small island, they wouldn’t be able to accept any of the land they had fought to protect falling into the hands of an outsider. ...But, well, I had anticipated this reaction.

“Then why don’t we set it up so that we’ve exchanged bases?”

“...Exchanged them?”

“Yes. Juna, get us a map.”

“Here, sire.”

Juna unfurled the map we’d prepared before on the table in front of us. Then, as everyone looked at it, I pointed to a spot a little east of Venetinova along the coast.

“It’s small, but there’s a military port here. How about we ‘loan’ it to you as compensation for you ‘loaning’ the base on Little Twin Island to us? Basically, it’s an exchange of naval bases. Naturally, the same terms would apply here, and we would allow you to permanently station a fleet under the flag of the Nine-Headed Dragon King or Queen at the port. I’m sure you’ll be wanting supply depots for your trading goods, too.”

“Hmm, I think that would satisfy the island chiefs, but... Is this what you want? You realize we would be stationing our warships inside the Kingdom.”

“If it’s just at this one port, then this sort of exchange of bases will require a certain degree of friendly relations between the two countries. If either side betrays the others’ trust, these bases will have to be abandoned immediately, I’m sure. If you truly understand the importance of maritime trade, you will see why we must never betray one another. I intend to make this same proposal to the Republic.”

“...I see. This is tied into the maritime alliance and strengthening of relations you were talking about before, then.”

Shana crossed his arms, grunting, and then looked at me.

“It’s an easy plan to buy into, with no losses for us. I appreciate that you take our situation into consideration, but... it also lets me see just how carefully this has all been planned out. If we set aside the matter of exactly which island you chose, the general outline isn’t something you came up with yesterday. Have you been planning to ask me for this as payment ever since I first came to you about fighting together?”

“...I’ll leave that to your imagination.”

Well, it was actually something else that led me to think of this maritime alliance, but I didn’t need to bring that up here.

Sighing, Shana said, “Your country makes for a more fearsome opponent than I had imagined.”

“I don’t think that’s true, though? We honor our alliances.”

“That’s what makes the idea of making an enemy of you frightening,” Shana said, then looked to Shabon. “What do you say, Shabon? This is a man you will have to deal with from now on.”

“I would like to trust him... I doubt Sir Souma will betray us as long as we do not betray him.”

“Hmm... Then join hands with him.”

“Yes.”

With that, Shabon stood up. I rose, too, and we each extended our right hands.

“In the interest of my own country’s development, I will take this alliance under serious consideration, King Souma.”

“I will be waiting for a positive response, Queen Shabon.”

We exchanged a firm handshake.

The details still need to be ironed out, so the alliance couldn’t be concluded here and now, but it was good enough for the interim that we had shared our intentions to strengthen ties in future.

Addressing everyone, I said, “And with that... I think it’s time for some long overdue celebration. With all due apologies to the soldiers on the beach, we’ll be serving something other than offal dishes here on this ship.”

“Ga ha ha! Good. I was getting tired of offal soup, you know,” Shana said with a hearty laugh.

...Yeah, I am seriously sick of offal soup.

“I could eat endless amounts of anything His Majesty makes,” Aisha beamed.

“I’m sure you could, Aisha, but I want fish.”

“I miss raw fruits and vegetables.”

Aisha, Naden, and even Shabon were chatting about that. Meanwhile...

“For me, I think it’s all about liquor,” Excel said. “I’d like to try all sorts of dishes to see what pairs better with the Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago’s sake, and what is better with the Kingdom’s wine.”

“Allow me to prepare the archipelago’s finest sake for you.”

“Ga ha ha! Nine-Headed Dragon sake goes well with meat or fish!”

Excel, Kishun, and Shana were talking about that. They were cleanly split into the food team and liquor team. I decided to strike up a conversation with Juna, who was watching from the sidelines.

“Which are you looking forward to more, the liquor or the food?”

“Well... considering I can’t drink right now, I suppose I’d have to say the food.”

“Hm? Now that I think of it, you weren’t drinking when we were at the Twin Islands, either, right? There’s no need to be on edge now, so why not relax with the rest of us?”

Juna hurriedly shook her head. “Oh, no, that’s not it! I’m abstaining right now.”

“Huh? I thought you could hold your liquor, though.”

“I can, but... Dr. Hilde has told me to stop right now.” As she said that, Juna covered her belly in embarrassment.

The mention of Dr. Hilde, covering her belly, and Juna’s bashful expression all told me the reason she couldn’t drink right now.

“Eh...? Erm, when did you find out?”

“I guess it was a little before we came to the Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago.”

“Wh-Why did you keep quiet all this time...?”

“Because if I told you, you would never have let me come, right?” Juna chuckled to herself as she explained. “My condition was stable, and I didn’t want to pass up a chance to be of use.”

I clutched my head, not even sure what to say. There were so many emotions swirling through my mind, and I didn’t know where to begin. So, for now, I decided to express the biggest of them...

“Aww, yeahhhhhh!”

Everyone was shocked by my sudden outburst, but I paid them no mind as I cried out in glee and scooped Juna up into my arms.

Oh, Cian and Kazuha, waiting back in the Kingdom. You’re going to be a big brother and sister soon.

Midword

Thank you for purchasing the thirteenth volume of The Great Kaiju Sea War: Ooyamizuchi vs. Mechadra... erm, I mean Realist Hero. This is Dojyomaru whose favorite Mothra song is the Cosmos version from VS Series.

This volume features the island carrier Hiryuu’s first deployment, and a fleet battle... or not, because we immediately shift to kaiju slaying. I think the tastes of the author, who has watched every Godzilla and Gamera movie, both Showa and Heisei, are on full display here. No, but seriously, out of all the volumes so far, this was the one I had the most fun putting together.

In writing this volume, I tried to evoke the feeling of the first film in a kaiju movie series. Because it’s the first one, the characters have no idea what attacks the enemy is going to use.

For instance, in Gamera, the Giant Monster, when Gamera flips over, the scientists say that a turtle can’t get up off its back, but then it takes flight by spinning around, and they’re shocked. That’s why even though Souma and the gang could predict Ooyamizuchi couldn’t spit fire, they were caught by surprise by it firing blasts of compressed air and pressurized water.

People also talk about the importance of building up to the kaiju’s appearance. First, you show just a part of its body, then the aftermath of destruction, and let the characters discuss their theories about the creature to stir up expectations about what kind of creature it is. Though, since the audience has seen the movie poster, or the trailers, they already know... (Except in cases like VS Mecha Godzilla, where the design changed between the poster and the film.)

I love how they wreck famous tourist destinations to show off the kaiju’s power without showing off its true form. In the case of this novel, that was the stone bridge. I put in a number of other elements reminiscent of kaiju movies, too. If you’re a fan of them, maybe you’ll read it with a smile.

Now then, I give my thanks to the artist Fuyuyuki, to Mr. Satoshi Ueda of the manga adaptation, to my editor, to the designers, to the proofreaders, to the people involved with the anime version, and to all of you who now hold this book in your hands.

This has been Dojyomaru.

They say women are noisy, and this is why. Ichiha, who, being a man, felt he couldn’t keep up with the conversation, was gazing out towards the sea. He saw something rise above the horizon and pointed it out.

Yuriga squinted in its direction. “Is that a mountain? No, an island?”

“Heheh, that’s the island-type carrier Hiryuu. Souma and the others are back,” Liscia told Yuriga.

Once the thing that rose above the horizon approached, Yuriga was able to tell it was a ship shaped like an island. This was her first time seeing the Hiryuu, and she was dumbfounded by the shape of it. The other warships surrounding the Hiryuu came into view, too. The splendor of the ships gave off a feeling of a “grand fleet.” Some of them were iron ships pulled by sea dragons, while others were wood reinforced with iron and pulled by horned doldons. They varied in size, so it was like a trade fair for nautical vessels. Looking at the flags, some flew the standard of the Kingdom of Friedonia, while others carried that of the Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago Union. Based on the number of ships, almost all of both countries’ fleets must have been gathered here.

Yuriga stared intently at the sight before her. Her mind was a whirling vortex of question marks right now.

The grand fleet she was seeing in front of her was something that Yuriga, as the only one who hadn’t been told about the series of events that unfolded in the Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago, could not understand. First of all, it had been her understanding that relations between the two countries had been stormy. She had witnessed the threat known as Ooyamizuchi, but believed the diplomatic situation was a powder keg. That was why she assumed the reason Souma had sent in the fleet was not just to slay Ooyamizuchi, but to destroy the Archipelago Union’s fleet, and gain control of the sea. But now, before her very eyes, the Kingdom and Archipelago Union’s fleets were sailing together like they were long-standing allies. Yuriga was confused.

What? How did things end up like this? she thought. It was like being presented with a math problem, and then shown just the solution. The answer was one she didn’t expect, too. Yuriga had no idea what kind of arithmetic could lead to the result she was seeing. And... What in the world is that?

Yuriga looked at the island-type carrier Hiryuu in the middle of the group leading the fleet. This was her first time seeing it. Why did they build a giant battleship shaped like an island? How is it moving without any creatures pulling it? As questions that Liscia and everyone else had long since learned the answers to popped into her head, the biggest thing was...

“What’s with those bones?”

There was a massive skull occupying the very front of the Hiryuu. The carrier looked strange enough already with its island-like shape, but this only made it seem weirder.

“I don’t know what to say... It looks like some new kind of monster.”

“It’s like the Great Island-type Kaiju, Hiryuu.”

Even Liscia and Tomoe, who knew Souma well, were a bit dumbfounded by the gargantuan skull on top of the Hiryuu. Ichiha, a specialist in the monster identification system, however, knew exactly what Souma’s intentions were.

“That’s Ooyamizuchi’s skull,” he said. “It’s massive, but its shape is a match with the type sea dragons have. He likely mounted it there to show Ooyamizuchi was slain successfully.”

“I knew that, but... it’s bound to spark weird rumors,” Liscia slumped her shoulders in exasperation.

There had been plenty of strange rumors, like “the kigurumi adventurer” (Little Musashibo), and “the great black shadow that descends on the castle at night” (Naden), thanks to Souma and those involved with him. Liscia always gave Souma a lecture when it happened, but this great island-type kaiju might give rise to another one. It had kaiju-like fins on it, too.

“Your father just can’t help himself, can he...?” Liscia smiled wryly and said to Kazuha, who was reaching out and cooing happily. Looking beside her, she noticed Yuriga was clutching her head. “What’s wrong, Yuriga?”

“...I don’t know how I’m supposed to report what I’m seeing to my brother.”

“Hm? We haven’t put any limits on your ability to send letters, have we?” Liscia said, giving her a blank look.

No one had forbidden Yuriga from contacting Fuuga. They kept her away from places with classified information, and had decided that letting Fuuga see the Kingdom through her eyes would act as a check against him without making him feel threatened. The reason she was being allowed to see the Hiryuu, which had been concealed from her until now, was because it stopped being a secret when it was deployed into battle in the Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago. Even if they didn’t show it to Yuriga here, Fuuga would eventually hear rumors, so they decided it was better to let her see it properly and give an accurate report. That way things wouldn’t get unduly exaggerated.

Yuriga let out a little sigh. “I know that, but... I don’t feel like I can explain this...”

Would Fuuga be able to properly understand it when the person who was standing right here couldn’t? The same could be asked about the two fleets moving together. It seemed likely that there was some kind of complex negotiation beyond Souma and his people just fighting and winning that led to this situation. Would Fuuga and the steppe state Malmkhitan, who had repeatedly subjugated their enemies, be able to fight and defeat an opponent who had other options?

I can’t imagine my brother losing to King Souma, but... I feel like it would be better not to fight this country. I don’t know if I can convey that, but I need to caution him...

That was what Yuriga, who was a wiser, more flexible thinker than Fuuga, resolved to do.

Bonus Short Stories

In Lagoon City, Before the Dispatch of Troops

With the Kingdom of Friedonia about to dispatch their fleet to the Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago Union, Juna departed to Lagoon City, ruled by her grandmother and Commander-in-Chief of the fleet, Excel, to assist her and represent King Souma. It was the first major fleet mobilization in a decade, and Excel had a mountain of related paperwork to handle.

“Ugh, this is such a drag... I got all excited when I heard it was going to be an operation unlike any before it, but I’m sick of all this red tape.”

As Excel grumbled at her desk, Juna, who was standing next to her said, “Stow the complaints and stamp those forms, Grandmother.”

With that, she dramatically dropped a fresh bundle of papers in front of Excel, who picked up the top page and held it up to inspect it.

“Sealed orders for each captain... Do I really need to sign off on all of this? Isn’t stamping them enough? If we both work on this paperwork, then...”

“That’s obviously not allowed. These are important documents which carry a heavy penalty for unsealing them before the designated time.”

For this operation, captains had public orders that they were to give their crew until just before arriving, and then real orders which would be unsealed upon reaching the site. Right now, only the higher-ups knew the true outline of the mission.

“The real reason for this dispatch can’t get out.” Juna laid her hand on top of the documents. “Not to the Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago Union, and not to our own troops, either. That’s why we’re having you sign these here, where you’re the only one present.”

“...I know,” Excel grumbled before signing the paper she was holding, then stamped it. Juna took the completed document and carefully sealed it. They kept doing this over and over for the next hour or so. Eventually, with the last orders signed, Excel let out a big yawn.

“...Whew, that’s all of them.”

“Good work.”

“You, too. Let’s take a little break.”

Excel and Juna sat down on the office couch for tea. After relaxing with a cup of sweet black tea with milk, Excel broached the issue.

“So, have you told His Majesty yet?”

“Hm? About what?”

“The baby in your belly. What else?”

“Bwuh!” Juna spewed her tea. “G-Grandmother?! How did you know?! I only found out myself the other day.”

“Hee hee, you shouldn’t underestimate the Commander-in-Chief of the National Defense Force’s ability to gather intelligence,” Excel said with a smile. “You told your parents as soon as you found out, didn’t you? By then, I already knew.”

“Wow, you’re fast...”

“I expected to get a message of my own, but... nothing. You haven’t shown any indication of bringing up the subject since you came here to help me, either. Am I being snubbed? I’m sad my own granddaughter would keep this a secret from me.” Excel rubbed her eyes with her sleeve in an exaggerated display of grief. Blatant crocodile tears.

Juna pressed on her temples, shook her head, then sighed. “I didn’t tell you because I knew you’d play around like this.”

“Oh, play around? I’m genuinely concerned for you,” Excel replied, turning her frown into a smile.

“I can’t trust you when you say that with a grin.”

Excel chuckled as Juna’s shoulders slumped.

“So? Have you informed His Majesty? He must have been delighted.”

Souma was more emotionally attached to his family than most people. If he heard that a new member was on the way, he was sure to be absolutely giddy. Excel assumed that to be the case, but Juna turned and averted her eyes. Excel was nonplussed.

“Huh? Don’t tell me you haven’t told him?”

“...Yeah.”

“Why not? His Majesty will be thrilled.”

“I know... But now isn’t the time,” Juna said, her face darkening a little. “The mission to the Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago Union is drawing closer. This is going to be his first battle at sea. I expect he’ll be relying on me having trained in the Navy and being your granddaughter. He should ask me to join him. I know the sea better than any of his other queens. I’m confident of that.”

“Yes... I’m sure you do.”

Liscia was trained in the Army, Aisha had only just recently left the God-Protected Forest, and Naden was strong individually, but lacked a military background. There was no question that Juna was the one Souma would turn to for help in naval combat.

“If he knew that I’m with child, he could never ask me to come to the battlefield with him. Fortunately, I’ve been told my condition is stable. If I have the opportunity to help him, I don’t want to let it slip away.”

“I understand how you feel, but...” Excel looked at her granddaughter’s face which was filled with determination. “...You’re not going to listen. Maybe you get that from me.”

“Grandmother.”

“I know. I’ll keep quiet about it for now.” Excel shifted in her seat, putting a gentle arm around Juna’s shoulders. “But you mustn’t strain yourself. His Majesty would be devastated if anything were to happen.”

“...Of course.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll always protect my grandchildren and great-grandchildren.” Excel gave Juna a soft smile, placing a hand on her belly. “So, when the child is born, let me hold it.”

“Huh? Erm...”

“Wait, why do you seem so troubled by that?”

“Oh, no... Um...”

I hope the baby doesn’t take after her too much... Juna thought. When she imagined how her father, Excel’s son, must have felt the same way when she was born, Juna couldn’t help but smile wryly.

A Certain Father and Daughter’s Reunion

“Father! It’s been too long!”

“Carla! It has!”

On this day, Castor and Carla were seeing each other again for the first time since the day they were tried for treason. With the decision to dispatch the fleet to the Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago Union made, Castor would be departing for the archipelago. He had been called to Parnam to prepare, and been allowed to visit his daughter Carla, who worked as a servant in the palace.

Overcome with emotion, Carla threw herself into her father’s arms.

“I’m just... so glad to see you alive and well.”

“I’m the one who should be saying that,” Castor said as he hugged Carla. “I’d heard from Accela that you were doing well, but I’m still relieved now that I can see so for myself. I got you caught up in my stubborn foolishness... I’m so sorry.”

“No... I was also blinded by my own stubbornness.”

Carla drew away from Castor, taking a close look at him. Today he was dressed in his naval officer’s uniform.

“That Navy uniform really suits you.”

“Ha ha ha, thanks. That, um... servant outfit looks surprisingly good on you, too.”

“Ah ha ha... Thanks.”

Carla, meanwhile, was wearing her usual frilly maid dress. She had gotten pretty used to it by this point, but wearing it in front of her own father was still embarrassing. Blushing, she squirmed and fidgeted with the hem of her skirt.

Castor smiled at his daughter, then, suddenly shook his head.

“But why was I suddenly allowed to see you, I wonder?”

“His Majesty and Liscia must have arranged it,” Carla said with a wry smile. “Now that Duke Carmine’s daughter Mio returned and the truth behind his rebellion was made public, it’s created sympathy for you since you only participated out of loyalty to your friendship with him. In fact, His Majesty even told me, ‘Taking the circumstances into consideration, there’s room for me to liberate you from your status as a slave now.’”

“He did? Then you can come back to the House of Vargas?”

“No, I refused.”

“Huh?! Why?!”

“I know he said he’d liberate me, but I’m not being treated like a slave to begin with, and what I did hasn’t changed. In order to repay his kindness, I want to continue serving the royal family a little longer. I’ve gotten quite used to my duties as a servant, too.”

“...I see. Well, if that’s what you want, then the decision is yours to make.”

“Right!”

Sensing his daughter’s determination, Castor decided to respect her choice.

“Besides, the twins Liscia gave birth to—that’s Prince Cian and Princess Kazuha—they’re absolutely adorable. They look at me with cherubic smiles, and reach out with their little hands...”

“Uh... huh?”

“I could just stare at the little darlings all day.”

Seeing the goofy grin on his daughter’s face, Castor wondered, Could it be that she rejected freedom because she doesn’t want to be separated from the royal twins? But, well, if she was happy with her situation, he wasn’t going to press the issue.

“Anyway, that’s enough about me,” Carla said, coming back to her senses. “You’re going to the Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago, right?”

“Yeah, as Captain of the carrier Hiryuu.”

“...I’m a servant now, so I don’t get told about military things, but I can tell from the looks on everyone’s faces that it’s going to be a difficult battle.”

“Yeah. I’d say so...”

Castor could feel it in the air as well. The island-type carrier Hiryuu with its ability to deploy Dratroopers was a revolutionary new weapon that would change everything people thought they knew about naval warfare. If the conflict were limited to battles at sea, Castor believed the Kingdom’s fleet was now stronger than any other country’s. And yet, for this engagement, Souma and the higher-ups were being beyond cautious with how they prepared. That likely meant they anticipated a difficult battle.

“But... we won’t lose.”

“Father?”

“I believe in my ship and in my crew. I’ve seen the shipbuilders who worked on the Hiryuu, the crew that mans her, and the Dratroopers training to deploy from the ship. Effort doesn’t always pay off, I know, but if there’s one thing that helps bring victory at the end of the day, I believe it’s that.”

“...Yes, sir!” Carla gave Castor a military-style salute. “Good luck out there.”

Castor returned the salute.

“I’ll be back.”

Harmony in the House of Magna

The fleet would soon be dispatched to the Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago Union. Hal and Ruby weren’t at the Magna’s domain, but at their mansion in the capital, Parnam.

“...Have I made myself clear, Hal? Ruby?”

“Y-Yeah. I get it, I think...”

“I do, too. Somewhat.”

In the living room, Kaede, her belly swollen with child, was sitting across from her husband, Halbert; and his second wife, Ruby. She was teaching them about the history of the Archipelago Union, and points of note about that country’s fleet. There was a pile of relevant books and maps on the table.

They were a part of the air force that would be boarding the island-carrier Hiryuu as it headed to the Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago Union. Kaede was on maternity leave and couldn’t join them, but she was at least going to drill into them the information they’d need to minimize the risk to themselves.

“Sigh... Anyway, you need to remember that the place you’re fighting is effectively the enemy’s backyard,” Kaede explained to the two, who didn’t really seem to get it. “The currents and terrain will be their ally. They’re experts at naval combat, too. There’s no telling what islands they may have troops lurking on, where they may be hiding ships, and how quickly they could close in. It’s true, the Hiryuu overturns all established logic when it comes to battles at sea, but you still can’t afford to underestimate the Archipelago Union’s fleet.”

“So, basically, don’t let our guards down, right? I get it.”

“I’ll stop Hal if he decides to do anything too crazy. Count on it.”

Kaede nodded with satisfaction as the two finally seemed to clue in. Meanwhile, she had a sneaking suspicion that just not letting their guards down wasn’t going to help a lot on this mission. There’s just so much about all of this that feels off to me...

Being on maternity leave, Kaede didn’t know the outline of the Kingdom’s operation. However, for someone as skilled as she, who had been the right hand of Ludwin, the National Defense Force’s second-in-command, it was easy to sense something was unnatural about the way the military forces were acting.

Though Souma is more of a bureaucrat, depending on the situation, he can make decisions involving war, too, she contemplated. He’s incredibly averse to conflict, but the Kingdom’s forces seem excessively bellicose this time. It’s as if they have no intention of avoiding war. There’s something to it... Something big that’s not been made public at work here... That’s what it feels like.

“What’s wrong, Kaede? You seem lost in thought.”

“...Oh. It’s nothing, you know, Hal.”

However, she didn’t tell Halbert and Ruby about her misgivings. They were no more than speculation, and if something was going on behind the scenes, and Halbert’s tongue slipped, it could jeopardize the plan. I’ll have to keep it to myself for now. Knowing His Majesty, it’s nothing to worry about.

While Kaede was thinking this, there was a knock at the door.

“You can come in, you know,” Kaede responded.

“Excuse me,” Velza, the dark elf girl, said as she entered with the servants. They were carrying a tea tray.

“Lord Hal, Lady Kaede, Lady Ruby, why don’t you take a short break?”

“Oh! Nice. I was just thinking we could use a rest.”

“Agreed. I’ve been thinking too much, and I’m all tired out.”

“Good grief, you two...”

Kaede took a teacup with a wry smile at her husband and fellow wife.

“Here, Lady Kaede.”

“Thank you, Velza,” Kaede said as Velza poured her a cup of tea.

Velza was staying in the dorms at the Royal Academy, but made frequent visits to the Magnas’ mansion. They adored her like a little sister, and she had been learning to cook from the servants. Halbert was about the only one who hadn’t figured out that it was so she could serve him better when she became his wife one day.

Once everyone had relaxed a bit, Velza joined them at the table.

“I won’t be seeing you for a while, will I? I’m sad.”

Halbert certainly minded hearing that from a girl he thought of like a little sister, and he gave her a pat on the head.

“I’ll go distinguish myself and come back. Look after Kaede and the baby she’s carrying while we’re away, will you, Velza?”

“Lord Hal... Yes! Leave it to me!”

Velza’s reply was brimming with energy. Kaede and Ruby smiled as they imagined a dog’s tail wagging furiously on her butt.

Kaede turned to Ruby and said, “Ruby, you take care of Hal for me.”

“I give you my word. I’ll do it even if it kills me,” Ruby said, thumping her chest with one hand, but Kaede shook her head.

“No, you’re not allowed to let it kill you. Come home safe. I’m sure the baby will want to see you, too.”

Kaede placed a hand over her belly. Ruby was shocked for a moment, then nodded.

“You’re right! I want to meet the baby, too!”

“Hee hee, I’ll be waiting, you know. With this child.”

They smiled at each other. It was another harmonious day in the House of Magna.

Testing the Lion-Dog Cannon

While we were at Kishun’s mansion on reconnaissance...

Feeling a little tired from the constant work, we decided to take a little break to enjoy a spot of tea with biscuits. The tea in question was a bit like roasted green tea, and it brought back memories for me. It would have been great to drink it on the veranda in summer, but sadly it was winter now, so we enjoyed it while looking out into the garden from a room with a brazier.

During that break, we got talking about the lion-dog cannon—which consisted of a small, iron cannon modeled on a crouching animal that looked kind of like a wolf on top of a slanted platform—that Tomoe and her friends had found.

“That lion-dog cannon is fascinating. Are they commonly used in the archipelago?” I asked Kishun, who groaned as he thought about it.

“If you are asking whether every island has them, that might be the case. However, if we consider their range and power, they do not have an advantage over magical attacks, so they are not our primary weapons of war. I suppose they see sporadic use at sea, where it is difficult to use magic.”

“Hrm... I’d think they’d be pretty powerful if you fired a bunch of them in a synchronized volley.”

I had considered in the past that the wealth of options for magical attacks and the ability to reinforce armor with enchantment magic had made the development of the gun largely irrelevant in this world. However, cannons, which could fire much greater mass, saw use even on land. This lion-dog cannon was a little under halfway between the two, so I thought maybe an attack in unison would be powerful, but Kishun shook his head.

“It would be cheaper and more powerful to gather a number of mages to attack instead.”

“But at sea? Magic is weaker there, right?”

“It is a matter of how many you can load on a ship. One large cannon is more likely to sink an enemy vessel than even ten lion-dog cannons.

“Is that so...”

It didn’t change the fact that there had to be certain circumstances at play before they could be used, but... on the other hand, if those circumstances could be arranged, it seemed like they could be a viable weapon.

“...Kishun, why not fire it for them?” Shabon, who had been listening to us, suggested while I was staring intently at the lion-dog cannon. “Sir Souma seems quite interested in it,” she added with a chuckle.

Was I that obvious?

“They’re going to fire the iron wolf? I want to see it, too, Big Brother!”

“I’d be interested as well.”

Tomoe and Yuriga, who had also been listening, leaned in enthusiastically. Behind them, Ichiha was watching apologetically, but seemed just as intrigued. If the kids’ eyes were sparkling like that, I wasn’t about to disappoint them.

“Kishun, would you mind giving us a demonstration? Just one shot is fine.”

“Of course. It will be done.”

Kishun stepped out into the yard and set to work. He placed straw training dummies in front of a white wall, then planted the lion-dog cannon across from them.

“The cannon is placed at an angle to extend its range, but I worry that a stray shot might leave the mansion’s grounds, so I will put rocks under it for support instead, and fire it horizontally. The aim can be quite erratic.”

“Hmm...”

“I should mention, sometimes it fires a projectile a little smaller than a child’s fist, while other times we load it with small marbles that scatter over a wider range.”

“I see.”

Armor-piercing rounds or grapeshot, huh? In the case of the latter, if the enemy was wearing enchanted armor, it seemed unlikely to cause a fatal wound, but might be useful to intimidate them. As I was considering the possibilities, Kishun loaded gunpowder into the lion-dog cannon, put in a bead the size of Tomoe’s fist, and prepared a fuse.

“Okay... Here goes.”

With that declaration, he placed the fuse in the back of the lion-dog cannon, and...

Pom!

...It made a kind of silly noise, followed by a much louder crash. Looking over, the projectile had torn through a straw doll and buried itself in the wall behind it. The louder noise must have been the impact. The children were staring, wide-eyed.

“That surprised me! It seems pretty strong.”

“The sound when it fired was goofy, though.”

Once Tomoe and Yuriga each gave their opinions, Kishun smiled wryly.

“It gets its other name, the Pom-Pom, from that sound.”

“Huh?! The Pom-Pom?!” I cried out in surprise, and Shabon cocked her head at me in confusion.

“Is something the matter?”

“Uh...! Um, nah... Forget it.”

The Pom-Pom. I know there was a British autocannon that was called that, but as a Japanese person, the Pom-Pom I immediately thought of the 24 Twin Rocket Car from Godzilla Raids Again.

“Do you think this weapon could be useful in the battle against Ooyamizuchi?”

“...I did until I heard its nickname.”

The 24 Twin Rocket Car in Toho’s kaiju movies was a combat vehicle that shot fireworks at the kaiju to minimal effect. If this thing had the same name... I couldn’t help but feel uneasy about using it.