CH 89.1

Chapter 89.1: Aspidochelone Island

◆Dark Knight; Kuroki

The Nosoi kingdom was an orc kingdom which was located at the coastline, northwest of the demon king’s palace.

I was currently visiting that country.

Orcs were a tribe that were created by Modes’ mother, Nargol.

The Orc tribe was split into two factions once Modes betrayed Nargol.

Those who pledged their loyalty to Modes lived in Nargol. Those who didn’t pledge their loyalty to Modes mostly chose to leave Nargol and scattered around the world.

The orcs who didn’t pledge their loyalty to Modes lost their divine protection and became weaker as a result. While on the other hand, the orcs who pledged their loyalty to Modes grew into prosperity in Nargol.

For that reason the orcs who lived outside of Nargol were living a primitive lifestyle of human from stone age while the level of civilization in the Nosoi kingdom rivaled that of humans.

Orcs had a caste system with the king standing at the summit. The upper-echelons of their tribe were the warriors or priests, the middle-class were workers or peasants, and the lower-class were the slave.

Workers and peasants were free people and had the right to own weapon.

And though the slaves didn’t have the right to live freely, depending on their achievements, they could buy their freedom.

The orc lord’s castle was built facing the sea with numerous ships moored at the harbour that could be seen from the watchout of the castle.

We’re going to depart to the sea inhabited by the kraken from this city.

Nargol was a land of everlasting darkness and this coast was also enveloped in the darkness all year long. Thus, sun-bathing on the beach was literally impossible.

「Uhm, Master Kuroki. Are we really going to go? The ship won’t sink right?」

Polen, who stood by my side, asked with an anxious voice.

Polen didn’t seem to want to go.

I thought that I had failed when I saw that reluctant look on her face. I mean, it was my idea to catch a kraken to make Polen and Modes get along again after all.

After some investigation, I found out that both of them didn’t actually hate each other. Thus, I wanted to use the kraken to break the ice.

But then, taking Polen out of her room might be a bad idea after all.

It seems the pressure was too much for her.

I didn’t consider her feelings and just pushed my idea on her.

That’s why things had became harder for her when we reached this point.

「Don’t worry, Your Highness. The ship won’t sink that easily. And even if it does, I can still fly in the air.」

I muttered the most optimistic answer I could think off.

The truth is, the kraken might sink the ship but there was no need to make her anxious right now.

「Uhm… I… I can’t use flight magic nor can I swim.」

Polen replied again with anxious voice.

She was already on the verge of tears.

「In that case, I’ll hold you. That’s why, everything will be okay, Your Highness.」

I tried to reassure her to clear her anxiety-filled heart.

Now, she would definitely replying with something along 「What, are you talking about?」.

「H-HOLDING ONTO ME?!! REALLY?!!!」

But contrary to what I expected, Polen suddenly shouted joyfully.

That face, it was as if she was looking forward to something.

「Uhm… Your Highness.」

「YAAAY!! I’M SUDDENLY ALL FIRED UP! WITH THIS, I WON’T LOSE TO THE SHIP!!」

Polen’s state was now the exact opposite of her pessimistic state from a moment ago.

I don’t know the reason but it was a good thing that she’d become fired up like this.

That moment, I felt some presence approaching us.

「There you are. Your Highness, Your Excellency.」

The one who’d come was the queen of Nosoi, Nef.

Nef bowed to to us.

「Thank you very much for lending the harbor to us, Nef-dono.」

I expressed my gratitude to Nef.

「It’s not big deal. This is a simple request after all. By the way, this one is my daughter, Ezasa. Please take her along as your attendant for this journey.」

「I’m Ezasa. It’s an honor to meet you, Your Highness, Your Excellency.」

Ezasa bowed to us.

「It’s pleasure to meet you too, Princess Ezasa.」

The one I called princess was the daughter of the queen. But, since she was an orc, her physique was much larger than mine. I felt that calling someone with such physique a “princess” was strange.

In the first place, the female orcs was much stronger than the male orcs. Even the famous orc, Grendel, was no match for his mother.

In addition, female orcs seems to have a special pheromone which prevented the male orcs from going against them.

To be honest I felt really glad that I wasn’t born as an orc but let’s not say this to Nef and co.

「Ezasa~ The big one is coming.」

Four more orcs joined us while we’re shared pleasantries.

One of those who approached was a really huge orc.

「You!! You’re in the presence of Her Highness and His Excellency!! Greet them properly first! My apologies, Your Excellency!! This one is Ozma, my husband. Though no one can beat him in our country, his head is a little bit…」

Ozma bowed to us.

That huge orc was completely submissive to Ezasa.

I looked at Polen. She didn’t seem to mind this. Or rather, she didn’t even looking at Nef and co.

She had been talking about something with Petina since a while ago.

I guess it wouldn’t be a problem since Polen had no problem with it too.

「Don’t worry about it, Ezasa-dono. Rather than that, the ‘big one’ that you mentioned before? Could it be?」

I inquired about the matter that was mentioned by Ozma when he came in.

「Yes. It seems it has arrived, Aspidochelone.」

I followed Ezasa’s line of sight as soon as I heard her remark.

Thus, my eyes caught the figure of something like an island approaching toward the harbor.

I called it an island since it was the most appropriate word for it.

In fact, that so-called island was moving on its own toward Nosoi.

The thing that I saw as an island was in fact a giant marine mammal; Aspidochelone.

The giant, turtle-like marine monster always had its shell out of the surface of the water.

Before long, soil had gathered on its shell, forming vegetation and making it look like a moving island.

In addition, Aspidochelone was an extremely docile creature.

Modes had tamed this Aspidochelone and built his holiday villa on its shell.

We were going to ride on this Aspidochelone to the frozen sea.

Something came flying from Aspidochelone.

The one who came was a small sized dragon the size of a human.

「Sorry to kept you waiting, Your Highness, Your Excellency.」

Yes, it was the dragon demon general, Liburm.

He was the one who managed the villa on Aspidochelone.

Liburm belonged to the winged lizardman tribe.

Winged lizardmen were the superior species of normal lizardmen.

Though they lost their mimicry ability, they instead gained even more powerful combat capabilities and the ability to fly.

And since they’re worshipper of dragon, they held me, who has features of a dragon which made me similar to one, in high regard.

「Don’t worry, it wasn’t that long, General Liburm. Anyhow, it’s time to go, Your Highness.」

「Yes, Master Kuroki!!」