CH 104

Ch. 104: The Royal Navy

Did the King of Andestan use Appunto…? The thought crossed my mind, but I quickly put it out. It was just too unlikely.

I had Gonzo fly down very slowly and we stood on the surface of the water.

Luke: “I presume that you are the King of Andestan’s personal fleet. IーI am Lou Quain Tristan, a child of the former Marquis of Lonneberg. May I inquire why the King’s personal fleet is here?”

I introduced myself, but most of the sailors were shrieking and pointing at Gonzo.

Oh, hey, you there, can you put down that bow?

“Do not shoot!”

That’s when I heard a voice.

Parting the crowd, I saw a somewhat familiar middle-aged man.

Seeing the crown on his head, I remembered that it was the King of Andestan himself.

Luke: “YーYour Majesty?!”

Wait, wait, wait. What? Why is the King himself here?

Wait, why?

I hurriedly took a knee on Gonzo’s hand.

“That is not necessary. It is I who should be apologizing to you, Sir Lou Quain.”

…..so he didn’t send Appunto. Then Appunto probably escaped from the prison?

I looked up towards the King to see if he would share more details.

“Baron Lou Quain. You have my apologies. Appunto used his subordinates to escape from the prisons. Afterwards, he went to the mines and took back his daughter Angelina and grandson Endin….”

Luke: “He was able to retrieve them out of the mines that were deep in the mountains?” A Palace Mage, another familiar face, answered my question.

Angelina had bribed the miners.

That was easy enough to do. All who were there were prisoners doing forced labor.

Next, she bribed some of the guards.

Luke: “They still had enough money to bribe others?”

“That is my responsibility. That man, he hid half his wealth by distributing his funds among his most trusted merchants.”

Luke: “That’s pretty clever……”

If he was so adept in building relationships with merchants and pirates, could he not have used those skills for better purposes?

“IーIf I may, Baron Lou Quain.”

Luke: “Yes, your Majesty?” “That……..Dragon there…..”

Oh, yeah, they would be curious about that.

I looked up at Gonzo and introduced him.

Luke: “This is Gonzo, the Ice Dragon.” Gonzo: [Hmph]

Gonzo blew out air through his nostrils and knocked over a few sailors on deck.

The soldiers were shaking and raising their spears.

“That is enough.” Luke: “My apologies, your Majesty. Hey Gonzo, stop teasing them.”

“Oh, don’t misunderstand, Lou Quain, I was speaking to my subordinates. That, that most definitely not……was directed at Sir Dragon.”

The King was quite emphatic.

He coughed to clear his throat and turned his gaze towards the front of the ship.

There, the remains of the former pirates fleet were scattered and floated all around.

There were….no signs of the pirates anywhere.

The surface of the water was painted red, so I guess that happened.

“What became of Appunto, Angelina, and Endin?” Luke: “Appunto is on that ship. We……are not certain about the other two.”

The King turned to me and understood what I meant.

The King took out his binoculars to view where we last saw Angelina and Endin. Others also took out their binoculars to do the same.

“Hmmm, they are quite the tough bunch.”

“May be mother and child fell into the ocean? There seems to be others still swimming in the water.”

Ohhh, yeah….

Luke: “So the Monsters from the surrounding ocean are being drawn to here, but…what shall we do?”

“Being drawn here? …..do you mean that Kraken?!”

Luke: “Oh, you saw it?” The King, the Palace Mage, and the soldiers nodded with exaggerated motion.

Well, she is quite big, so you can see her from afar.

Luke: “Her name is Kumi.” Kumi: [Yes, Mr. Luke?]

And with a large splash, Kumi rose out of the ocean.

More screams arose from the King’s ship.

Luke: “Apologies, your Majesty…..she comes whenever she hears her name…”

Kumi: [Oh?! PーPardon me. I didn't mean to frighten everyone. Please forgive me.]

And Kumi began bubbling and foaming as she crept back into the ocean.

She’s such a polite and kind woman……that’s also a Kraken.

The King gazed upon the Kumi’s bubbles as he coughed to clear his throat yet again.

“*cough* yes, wellー....”

Luke: “Oh, I was not talking about Kumi before.” “ThーThen there are other Monsters?”

Luke: “Yes, that is what Kumi mentioned to me. She said there were quite a lot gathering.”

The Monsters are here to dine. The main course, of course, are the pirates.

“I see. Well, even if we were to rescue the pirates, we would execute them at a later date. Then it would be no different if we left them as they are.”

Luke: “And the Knights of the Navy who betrayed the country?” “They betrayed their country and threatened the lives of the citizens. They cannot escape capital punishment.

In other words, execution. So they would meet the same fate regardless.

“But we have a reputation to uphold. If possible, I would like to hand over judgment.”

Luke: “Understood. Kumi, sorry, but can you make sure no one escapes from that ship over there?”

Kumi: [As you wish.]

And with a short reply and another splash, she ducked down back into the water.

When she reappeared, it was right next to Appunto’s ship. She broke through the ice that Gonzo had made all around it.

Even from this distance, we could still hear the screams.

And for those trying to jump overboard, Kumi’s 10 arms blocked their way.

This ship sailed forward and turned next to Appunto’s ship, a gangway connected the 2 ships.

Appunto……..looked shocked and bewildered, but as soon as he saw the King of Andestan, he came back to himself.

“Now then, Appunto…”

Appunto: “Ergh…”

“Normally, we would have to perform the execution at the Royal Capital, but I will make an exception today. Today, you will be judged here.”

Appunto: “What?! PーPlease, your Majesty. Have you forgotten the many years I have served the Andestan Kingdom?! Even if I had a few pirates as subordinates, what harm have I caused to the Kingdom?!”

Wait, is he crazy? I’m really glad that we’re actually not blood related.

Without showing that he heard a single word, the King raised his hand and then threw it down.

One of the Knights had drawn his sword, and beheaded Appunto.

“Throw him into the ocean.”

“Yes, your Majesty.”

Just for that, the King called Appunto onto his ship.

But I’m sure it was important for him to do so.

“And as for the other two…..what shall we do….”

Luke: “They may have sunk to the bottom of the ocean….”

If that’s the case, they are now food for the Monsters in the water.

Kumi: [Would you like for me to confirm?]

Kumi peeked out of the ocean.

Luke: “Confirm?”

Kumi: [Yes, would you like me to ask the Monsters who are currently circling around the ship?]

Luke: “What? You can do that?” Kumi: [Yes.]

It seemed to be common knowledge for Kumi.

I glanced and made eye contact with the King, and he nodded in return.

Luke: “Then please do.” Kumi: [Yes.]

Bubbles surrounded Kumi again as she sank below the surface.

If you listened carefully, you could hear something like voices from the water.

Soon, Monsters began appearing around our ship.

They spoke in a language I didn’t understand, and Kumi turned around to ask me, “How would you describe them?”

Luke: “They’re like two humans who look like Orcs.” Gonzo: [Lou Quain, there are no Orcs in the ocean. They will not understand that way.]

Luke: “Ugh, I guess that makes sense. How else would I describe them…”

Gonzo: [Kumi, tell them to imagine a sunfish but puffed up like a blowfish. It would be a human that matches that description. Tell them that.]

Kumi: [A sunfish blown up like a blowfish. Okay.]

Gonzo, that was impressively specific.

After she was done talking, Kumi turned around and moved her squid body side to side.

Kumi: [UーUm…..it was quite fatty…….apparently….]

Luke: “As she said, your Majesty.”

“I see….” My stepmother who only focused on eating was eaten at the end…..

Must be karma.

Kumi: [But the report is only of one blowfish sunfish….]

What? Then one of them is still alive?!

The King ordered for a small rowboat to be dispatched to search the area whenーー

Endin: “I hate this….Mamaー and Grandaー I don’t want to do this anymoreーー”

When we heard a voice crying and whimpering from somewhere.

Gonzo: [Ah, he was pushed into the hole that Boss made. Impressive.]

Luke: “He’s got really lucky there.”

Endin had poked his face covered in tears and snot from the hole of the ship.