Chapter 80: Surprise Attack and the Dragon King’s True Objective
“Eight, I captured one of Luresia’s soldiers and questioned him.”
“What happened?”
“It appears several dozen warships from the Principality of Zahaba launched a surprise attack on the harbor.”
Raphiel spoke in her usual expressionless tone, but there was an unmistakable gravity in her voice.
“For safety, Eight and everyone else should retreat to the camping tank. Eve and Grandpa Slime, please protect them.”
“What about you, Saint?”
“I’m going to find Hijiri. We can’t move the camping tank without him.”
“Hmm? Well, alright. Just be careful.”
With a casual shrug, Eve watched Raphiel disappear.
Following Raphiel’s instructions, the rest of us hurried to the camping tank parked near Luresia Castle. Once everyone was inside, I firmly locked the heavy door, effectively turning the vehicle into our makeshift fortress.
It sounded as though the Zahaba forces hadn’t landed yet…
But if things took a turn for the worse…
“Oniichan, Oniichan.”
“Whoa! W-What is it!? The enemy’s here!?”
“No, no. Saint told me to protect everyone, but the harbor sounds way more exciting. Is it okay if I go?”
“…Huh? W-Wait—”
“I’ll leave the guarding to Grandpa. See you later!!”
Before I could even think of stopping her, Eve leaped out of the camping tank and sped off toward the harbor.
Grandpa Slime lowered his head apologetically.
“Eve-sama has always been like that. I humbly ask for your forgiveness.”
“N-No… it’s alright. I’m… used to it by now.”
“Father! If anything happens, Amate will protect you!! So please don’t worry!!”
…My daughter really is the sweetest child in the world.
Unfortunately, because she was away from our home, Amate couldn’t draw upon her full strength.
There was absolutely no way I could let her fight.
I could only pray that Eve managed to handle whatever was happening.
No.
On second thought…
That was exactly what frightened me.
There was a very real possibility that Eve would end up causing even more catastrophic damage.
Just then—
“Hellooo! Could someone open up?”
A familiar voice called from outside.
I unlocked the door.
Standing there…
Completely soaked from head to toe…
Was Hijiri.
He even had a clump of seaweed draped over his head.
“…What happened to you?”
“Haha… it’s a long story. Let’s just say I ended up swimming through the ocean. More importantly, is Raphiel here? The bones in my leg are completely shattered, and I’d really appreciate some healing.”
“Huh? You didn’t run into her? She went looking for you.”
“Oh? Guess we just missed each other.”
Only now did I notice the state of his leg.
It had turned an ugly bluish-black color, swollen grotesquely from what was obviously a severe injury.
“W-What happened?”
“Oh, nothing that serious. I messed up a little and let a bandit get away. Anyway, things seem awfully noisy around here. Did something happen?”
“U-Um… come inside first!”
I quickly ushered Hijiri into the camping tank before explaining everything that had happened.
By the time I finished…
Hijiri was clutching his head.
“…To think Zahaba would launch a surprise attack at a time like this…”
“W-We should be alright… right?”
“…”
“Please don’t answer with silence!!”
As panic began bubbling up inside me, Hijiri quickly waved a hand.
“Ah, sorry, sorry.”
“The Luresian navy is extremely capable. I don’t think they’ll lose. Even if they were caught off guard initially, they should already be mounting a counterattack by now.”
“So… we don’t have to worry about the enemy landing?”
“I don’t think so. You can relax.”
He paused.
“…What does bother me, though, is the fact they attacked despite knowing they couldn’t win.”
“…Could it be some kind of suicidal charge?”
“This isn’t Imperial Japan during World War II.”
He had a point.
Still…
If Zahaba had no chance of victory…
Then what exactly did they stand to gain?
Suddenly, I remembered something my grandfather had once said.
It had been years ago while we were watching a television documentary about Imperial Japan during World War II.
“My old man always used to say things might’ve turned out differently if the Army and Navy had cooperated more closely.”
No.
Surely not.
Even so, I decided to voice the possibility that had just occurred to me.
“What if… the attack on the harbor is just a decoy? What if the real invasion force is coming over land?”
“…I see.”
Hijiri slowly nodded.
“While Luresia’s attention is focused entirely on the sea, the army attacks from land. Simple… but not a bad strategy.”
“Shouldn’t we warn someone immediately!?”
“Hold on, hold on.”
He smiled reassuringly.
“These people are professional soldiers. Something this obvious has almost certainly already occurred to them. I’d be surprised if they weren’t already taking precautions.”
…Right.
That made sense.
“What we should be doing is ensuring our own safety.”
He spoke matter-of-factly.
“In other words… getting as far away from the battlefield as possible. Once Raphiel and Eve return, we’ll leave immediately.”
“R-Right!!”
“That aside…”
Without saying another word, Hijiri quietly pointed across the room.
Following his finger…
I saw Ryu sitting together with Luka and the others.
She was happily playing Mario Kart with them.
I immediately looked away.
“…Eight-kun… would you mind explaining this situation?”
“E-Even if you ask me, I don’t know what to tell you!! Before I knew it she’d somehow joined the kids and started playing with them!!”
“Hmm?”
Hijiri looked at me with eyes full of suspicion.
At that exact moment…
Ryu slowly wandered over.
Without hesitation, she gently clasped my hand.
“…Come… play… with us…”
“You’ve become awfully attached to him, haven’t you?”
“…Mmm… because… he makes… lots of delicious food… I like him…”
“I-I can’t help it!! If a child looks hungry, of course I want to feed them until they’re full!! Do you have a problem with that!?”
“I didn’t say anything.”
As I desperately tried to justify myself in what amounted to little more than a panicked outburst, Hijiri simply sighed and shrugged in exasperation.
Then he turned toward Ryu.
“Well… while we’re here, may I ask you one thing?”
“…What…?”
“What exactly is your group’s goal? Why are you going around breaking the Dragon King’s seals one after another?”
“…Mmm… Orvier… said… she wants… to save the world…”
…Save the world?
“What’s she trying to save the world from?”
“…Mmm… from… ‘——’…”
“…Hm?”
I tilted my head.
For a moment, I wondered if something was wrong with my hearing.
The word Ryu had spoken…
Didn’t sound like a word at all.
It reached my ears as meaningless, incomprehensible noise—as though reality itself had swallowed whatever she had said.
Yet…
Hijiri’s face instantly lost all color.
Unlike me…
He had understood.
“Hijiri? What’s wrong?”
“…No. It’s nothing.”
“It really doesn’t look like nothing…”
“Don’t worry.”
His smile returned.
“It’s alright, Eight-kun. You don’t need to concern yourself with it.”
Then—
BOOOOOOM!!
An earth-shaking explosion erupted outside.
The entire camping tank lurched violently, the ground trembling so fiercely that it was difficult to remain standing.
“What now?!”
I hurried to the window.
Just outside…
Only a short distance from the camping tank…
A massive crater had been blasted into the earth.
At its center…
Lay Eve.
Her body was battered beyond recognition.
“W-Wait! Eve-san!! Are you alright!?”
“I’m fine, I’m fine. Pretty sure every bone in my body’s just been crushed into little pieces, that’s all.”
“That’s not fine!! Who did this to you!?”
“Leviathan.”
“…What?”
Leviathan…
Did she mean…
Levia?
The very same Levia who had been happily eating seafood ajillo with us only moments ago?
“…Did you make her angry again?”
“Why are you automatically assuming I did something wrong!? It looks like she’s being controlled by the people attacking the harbor!!”
“…Controlled?”
A chill ran down my spine.
No.
This was far beyond “bad.”
This was an absolute disaster waiting to happen.