Chapter 127-128

Chapter 127 – I took control!

"Alright, the ship is about to enter the dock!"

Erevan shouted. And the monsters started to pull the ropes at once. And like that, the ship that Balpas came in was carried into the dock.

At the same time, the wounded ship's crew were being treated in a storage house near the shore.

Thanks to the efforts of Rienna and the others who could use magic, no one died.

They were now resting soundly on mattresses.

The men who weren't wounded were also in the storage house. We could not have them wandering around the island.

Baris stood next to me and said,

"Well, it looks like the storage house and walls turned out to be very useful after all."

"Yes. This place was going to be made open to the public as a merchant district anyway."

According to Baris's city plans, buildings were supposed to be made near the docks so that visitors had places to sleep.

On the other side of the island that had the cave, shops and inns were being constructed to face the sea.

Well, since we didn't know the true purpose of these men, this storage house should be good enough for them for now.

We kept armed monsters and Golems in the area surrounding the building.

About half appeared to be human and the other half were monsters.

It was as I thought about this that Balpas came running from the storage house.

"Heal! You saved us! Aye, my opinion about you has really changed!"

Balpas came up next to me and slapped my shoulder in a familiar manner.

It was then that Erevan finished bringing the ship into the dock, and he came over to us with an angry expression on his face.

"You!! How dare you touch the Chief so casually!!"

"Wh-what? But we are brothers? I haven't seen him in a long time. I don't see what the problem is. Don't you agree, Heal?"

I didn't mind being touched in a friendly manner.

However, I was not friends with Balpas, and I knew what his personality was like.

He was plotting something.

As I did not react, Balpas pursed his lips.

"Wh-what is wrong with you? And I was so happy to see you…"

"Brother… We haven't finished our conversation earlier. Why was the ship in that state?"

I asked, and Balpas sighed as if accepting his fate.

"Haa… Look, Heal. I won't hide the truth any more. That explosion… I don't know how, but you people are responsible for it, aren't you?"

"Explosion… So you were watching us…"

"So, it's your fault after all. You wrecked our ship."

When Elto was teaching us magic, Baris and I had caused great waves and explosive winds.

If they were nearby, even a great battleship would be wrecked.

However, that didn't explain the wounds of the crew.

Those wounds were not from explosive winds and broken wood. They were inflicted by something sharp. In fact, I hadn't seen a single person with burns or with wooden splinters in them.

"Regarding that, yes, we did cause that explosion. But why did you lie to us then? Besides, those wounds…"

"Who cares about any of that? We can decide who and how we fight as we wish. More importantly, you are going to fix our ship, aren't you?"

Balpas demanded.

I would have expected him to blame us for wounding the crew as well.

Perhaps he didn't because that would be too provocative. Or perhaps he realized that it was not very believable.

I nodded.

"Of course, we will repair your ship. However, I do have one question, brother. You two really didn't come here because of some business?"

"That again. Why should we care to come to some godforsaken island for criminals? Well, perhaps some people might come here if they knew it was like this…"

Balpas's eyes went towards the World Tree as he continued.

"No one in Sanfaris believes that Sheorl has any worth at all. However, people do talk. Even if I remain quiet, the crew will likely open their mouths as soon as we return."

"No… I am quite sure it will be you two who open your mouths first."

"Do-do I really look like a blabber?"

This was the man who constantly sniffed about for rumors in the palace, and was the first to spread them. There was no better description for him.

I nodded without hesitation, and Balpas chuckled.

"Well, one does like to talk…and when it's a place like this. After all, you are living with monsters."

And then Balpas's face became serious.

"What do you intend to do? Who knows what the people in the palace will say?"

"I believe that father already knows… In fact, you all knew, didn't you?"

I asked, but Balpas tilted his head with a puzzled expression.

This wasn't going anywhere.

And so I decided to be completely direct.

"Brother…as you can see, this is an island where humans and monsters coexist. And I am the leader of this island."

"Well, of course you are. You were made the lord, after all."

Balpas nodded as if this was the most obvious thing.

He was acting like he didn't know that I had declared myself emperor.

Well, it wasn't as if I wanted to declare this place an empire and that we were now enemies of Sanfaris. However, I had to tell him what was important.

"Yes. And I have no intention of changing anything, regardless of what our father says. That being said, we also do not wish to go to war."

"Hoho. Well, what's wrong with that? Father is not likely to care at all for a remote place like this. I'm sure he will allow it. I doubt he even expects to be paid taxes."

"In that case, will you relate my words to our father?"

"I'm sure I will talk to him about it when we return. However, I am going to tell him exactly what I experienced."

"I don't mind that. However, if he is against it, he should know that we are prepared to fight."

"I see… Very well. I will tell him of your resolve."

"Thank you. I am counting on you."

I said, and Balpas bowed.

"Well, leave it to me. …So, now that the misunderstanding is out of the way, why don't you give me a tour of the island! I bet you have many beautiful women here! What about that dark haired one who had been looking at you with a worried expression?"

Balpas leered at Rienna and then waved his hand.

Rienna looked a little relieved as she waved back. She probably thought that we had made peace.

However, I continued to look at Balpas with a serious expression.

"Brother. I'm sorry, but you will have to stay by the storage house until the ship is ready to sail."

"Wh-what! Why won't you let me see the rest of the island?"

"Indeed. Since you have refrained from telling me the truth…"

"…Fine. Well, I'm sure you have your reasons. I won't force you."

"Thank you. I'll have some food prepared for you all, and treatment of the crew will continue."

"Aye, thank you. However, we'll want someone to pass messages between us. How about that dark haired girl…"

Balpas turned his head in order to catch another glimpse of Rienna.

However, that's when it happened. Someone was trying to jump onto Balpas.

It was the bearded and heavy Mappa… No, it was the Golem that looked like a female Mappa that had been made of Ryukin.

From what I remembered, everyone called it Macha…

Macha was known to be incredibly restless, as if she were Mappa's twin.

Furthermore, she would try to kiss every man she laid eyes on, and was feared by all the men on the island.

More and more people were starting to lock their doors in the caves. And some said it was because of Macha. Something about her trying to sneak into your room at night…

Of course, Mappa was furious.

However, Macha had a strong personality, and would slap Mappa's bottom to drive him away when he got too close. She was not the kind of woman who could be controlled by the likes of Mappa.

As Macha held on tight to Balpas's arm, she rubbed up against him.

The lecherous expression fell right off of his face and was replaced by a pale one.

"What is this hairy creature!?"

Balpas howled. Baris replied.

"I see. Miss Macha. You will be our messenger?"

Macha reddened and then nodded.

"Oh, uh, nevermind. We don't need a messenger… If something happens, I'll ask a random…he-hey…"

With a happy expression, Macha began to lead Balpas by the arm towards the storage house.

Perhaps Balpas had sensed danger. Still, Macha was not the kind of person to actually do anything by force.

…Well, maybe it was still dangerous. Perhaps I should station guards there, just in case.

Baris watched Balpas being dragged away and then turned to me.

"Hmm. It seems like he won't speak the truth."

"Indeed. I suspect he'll try to gather as much information as possible about this island before he leaves."

"You are going to allow them to leave?"

"I want my father to know what my will is. I'll give Balpas a letter when they leave. If it's a matter of money, I am willing to negotiate."

"I see. In that case, while we'll keep guards on them, we should also be hospitable. Especially with food."

"I'll leave that to you. I have work to do with reclaiming more land. So I'll be on the surface for a while. At least until the ship is repaired."

"You can leave it to us, you know? We will watch them."

"No. You never know what might happen. Besides, Oren is dangerous."

I stared at the storage house.

While he clearly hated it, Oren had obeyed my order to help with the wounded.

However, ever since landing, he had stayed in the storage house quietly.

Baris must have sensed Oren's magic as well, as he said to me,

"Hmm. Yes, he does have immense energy… However, I still think I or even Rienna could handle him."

"That's true. But he's too unpredictable…"

His emotions changed so violently. You never knew when he would lose his temper. You couldn't let your guard down.

Baris saw how serious my expression was, and he nodded reassuringly.

"I understand. I will tell everyone to stay on their guard. We'll repair the ship as quickly as possible and send them on their way."

"Yes, thank you."

In any case, I was able to put them all in the same spot where we could keep our eyes on them. We just had to keep them there until they could leave.

I looked at the magic energy sitting there in a corner in the storage house, and braced myself for what might come.

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Chapter 128 – Sniffed out!?

"So, Balpas and the others really did come to this island to investigate?"

I asked Aries on top of the watchtower.

"Yes. It seems like they received the order directly from the king."

"I see…"

Aries bowed. She was still in the form of a human.

"I'm sorry for acting on my own. But I didn't do anything aside from that."

"I know. And you did it for this island. I am grateful."

When giving medicine to the wounded crew of the battleship, Aries had slipped in some of her poison. And like this, she had asked them what their purpose was.

And then I asked her,

"Are Oren and Balpas the only royals on the ship?"

"Yes. They were the ones who were sent in order to investigate. They are the highest in command."

"I see. And Oren is likely the strongest… Erevan, what do you think?"

I asked, and Erevan answered.

"That blonde kid? The Princess is currently keeping an eye on him, but it seems like he has not made a move so far. He just sits there and mutters."

"He has the 'Sage' crest. That means he can see how much magic energy we have. That is what is likely keeping him in check."

"Ah. It seems like the people of Sanfaris are not much after all."

Erevan said with a bored expression. But Aries continued in a serious voice.

"He…this Oren… Uh, well…"

"Huh? What is it, Aries?"

"No…I don't know the details. But the crew have been saying curious things."

"What?"

"That they…are afraid of him. They all seemed like they were scared."

"I see… That does sound like him."

"So it's no surprise to you?"

"Yes. I know him well. But I won't allow him to do anything while he's on this island. All of you, continue to watch them carefully."

I said without revealing much.

But Aries and Erevan just bowed their heads with a 'yes.'

I really did not like Oren. Not only would I prevent him from doing anything here, but I wanted him gone as soon as possible.

Yes…I would not let him do anything again.

And so I continued to watch his magic energy within the storage house.

～～～～～

"Goodbye! I had a good time!"

Balpas said untruthfully as he waved by the door of one of the storage house rooms.

He was waving at a woman called Macha, who resembled a short old man.

Macha winked at him and left. Balpas let out a sigh.

…Hmm. I do not want to look at a woman for a long time.

Macha had been quite aggressive in the bedroom, and Balpas was close to losing heart.

He had been willing to do what was necessary in order to gain information from her, knowing quite well what she wanted.

However, Macha had not given Balpas much time to talk at all. The whole thing had been some kind of mad, silent dance.

And though he would occasionally ask that she be more gentle, Macha's hands never loosened their grip.

Of course, Balpas didn't allow it to become completely one-sided. He stabbed Macha with his secret poison needle in an attempt to control her.

It was a powerful poison that he had used many times in order to make people spill the truth. And yet, the poison was not effective on Macha.

With this attempt ending in failure, he was promptly defeated. And so he had to go along with Macha for the next hour.

…Tsk. To think I could be toyed with like some young lad.

Balpas thought angrily to himself. The sensation of Macha's furry lips was resurrected in his mind, and he quickly turned his thoughts towards his work.

Calm down…Balpas. She must have used magic to stop the poison.

In any case, he had underestimated this island.

He immediately knew that they had proper defensive walls, armor and weapons. However, it seemed like they were also good at counterintelligence.

What should he do now…

It was clear that this island would not fall easily. He could tell by the food and water that they were given, that this island was self-sufficient.

And Heal had declared that he would not obey any demands made by Sanfaris. However, he said that he would repair their ship and return them to the continent. If they sat here and did nothing, they would be able to return safely.

Those who don't provoke the dragon will survive. If Balpas were king, he would try and reconcile with Heal.

However, he didn't know if his father would agree.

His father had demanded that all of the island's secrets be revealed. If Balpas returned without doing this, he would be accused of abandoning his duty.

Balpas let out another great sigh.

…This would be his hardest job yet.

Even Oren had backed off with a word from Heal. And judging by how easily the men's wounds were treated, Heal and the others must be very powerful.

Well, it was evident from the explosions that they had first seen.

If force, threats and poison would not work, then he had to do something on his own two feet.

With a look of determination, Balpas tapped his foot on the floor several times.

And just like that, a hooded man suddenly approached him.

Balpas pulled a hood over his own head, and the two moved to a dark corner of the storage house.

Here, the man took off his hood.

The other man looked exactly the same as Balpas.

In fact, the face only appeared to look like Balpas. This man had the crest, 'Illusionist' and he was one of Balpas's subordinates. He was able to make others see him in different forms.

And Balpas had asked this man to be his double.

The man then whispered.

"Your Highness…should I go and investigate?"

Of course, he could have this man blend in with the island residents.

However, considering the risks if he were to get caught, Balpas had decided against this.

"No, it's fine. This time, it is for me to go all out."

The best way for him to gain information was for him to use his crest, 'Twilight.' This was what Balpas believed.

'Twilight' could do more than just make him invisible. It was a powerful crest that allowed him to erase the sound of his breathing and his footsteps, as well as making his magic energy undetectable.

Balpas made himself invisible and then took out a small vial. It was filled with a white powder which he then sprinkled over himself.

This created a false magic aura, which would prevent anyone from getting suspicious about the sudden disappearance of his own magic.

"…Well, then. I am going. Do not leave this place under any circumstances. As for him…if Oren does anything suspicious, stop him immediately. He might get everyone killed."

Balpas was also worried about his allies. This was because of Oren.

There was something that he noticed now that the entire crew were together in this storage house. There were some young, delicate-looking people who were clearly not sailors or in the military.

Balpas immediately realized that they were Oren's men that he had brought from the Magic University.

What would they and Oren do… It was possible that one word from Oren could send Heal and the others into a rage.

The man asked Balpas,

"Do you mean…I can kill him if I have to?"

"Yes. I give you my permission."

"However, surely your father would not allow it?"

"If my father asks, I will explain the situation to him. We both have secrets that cannot be made public. Besides, it seems a little late for him to suddenly mourn the loss of one prince."

"I understand…"

"I'm counting on you."

And then Balpas brushed off the powder and crept out of the storage house.

As expected, none of the guards noticed him.

Once he was certain of this, Balpas decided to look around the island.

The port was very well built…

There was a long, stone pier, docks, and even a shipyard. Balpas couldn't help but be impressed by these facilities.

The walls, towers, and storage houses were impressive as well. And they seemed to have more than enough when it came to weapons and other supplies.

How had they been able to make all of this?

The only explanation that he could think of was that Leila, the duke's daughter, had been supporting Heal by sending him money.

They were the descendants of a once great emperor. It would not be surprising if they had some hidden fortune at their disposal.

However, money would not be enough to build all of this in such a short amount of time.

Perhaps the old empire had some secret method that he used… It was possible that even that giant tree was a result of their secrets.

With such thoughts in his mind, Balpas decided to move away from the port district and to the World Tree.

When he walked through the gate, he saw that constructions on different buildings were underway all over the place.

They were carrying giant stone materials, including pillars made of carved marble.

…There are so many monsters. Slimes, goblins, orcs, and kobolds.

The monsters that worked here were well known on the continent.

However, it seemed like the person that commanded the workers was human. He was wearing a square-shaped hat.

However… Why would monsters obey the orders of a human so willingly? In the first place, shouldn't the goblins, orcs, and kobolds be fighting each other?

It didn't look like they were under the influence of magic. If anything, they were all smiling and seemed to be enjoying themselves.

This was very mysterious. He needed to dig deeper and…what!?

Balpas was stunned when a giant creature suddenly moved past him.

The front half was that of a lion, but it had a sheep's head coming out of its back, and the tail was a snake. It was currently pulling a wagon that was loaded with rocks.

Wa-was it…a Chimera? Huh? What the hell!?

Behind it, Balpas saw that a giant, black spider was moving, and he nearly shouted in alarm. However, he had not seen anything yet.

A dog…with the face of an old man?

His eyes fell on another creature. This one was the same size as the Chimera, but it had the face of an old man.

Uhh. It groaned as it walked. It made Balpas feel that the world was coming to an end.

And on top of it rode the bearded man who looked a lot like Macha.

Wh-what is happening here…no, what is that in the sky now…a dragon?

When he looked up, he saw the wyverns from ancient history books.

They were chasing a large red dragon and a small red dragon. Elto was teaching Fal and the wyverns how to fly.

"See! A good dragon must strengthen its wings!"

It-it was talking…the dragon was talking?

Balpas could feel his knees shaking beneath him. He knew now that he had stepped into a most terrible place.

He should return right now and concentrate fully on monitoring Oren, so that they could leave in peace. That was what was on his mind now.

However, as someone who had uncovered all kinds of information in the past, Balpas also felt a sense of elation at this impossible sight in front of him.

Heal…what power had he used? What had he done?

Before he knew it, Balpas was walking towards the World Tree. He could not beat his own desire to know everything.

As Balpas walked, he noticed a small rocky mountain.

While most structures on Sheorl looked very new, this was the one place that seemed old and natural.

And he had to pass through here in order to reach the World Tree.

It was obvious to him at a glance. Balpas walked into the tunnel as if he was being sucked in.

He immediately came upon a flight of steps that were so long that he couldn't see the bottom.

There were also two lines of iron bars that went down this slope, and the stairs went down on either side of it.

However, there were also glowing stones in the walls, and it was not too dark.

There are a lot of monsters coming and going… Where did it lead to?

Some monsters were carrying pickaxes while others carried food. The Chimera had come out of this place. Perhaps it was where the stone materials came from.

While he was curious, it was just a mine. Thinking this, Balpas decided to continue his journey towards the World Tree.

However, then he realized something.

Heal…wasn't his crest…

'Cave King'…

Balpas's face lit up when the words came to him.

Did his crest…create this island?

That useless crest that everyone made fun of. However, what if it showed its true worth here?

He and the other royals tended to have very flashy crests. And Heal was a royal.

Balpas was sure of it now. The true power behind this island was Heal, and there was something to be found in this cave.

Alright, I'll descend…

It was just as he thought this.

Suddenly, a hand landed on his shoulder.

…What?

"Mister. Sorry to tell you this, but you are not allowed to go any further."

Balpas turned around and saw someone with the head of a dog. It was a kobold who glared at him.

It was Haines. Ashton was standing behind him and he had his sword drawn.

Balpas said to Haines,

"…Why? How did you know I was here?"

"Even if you can conceal yourself, you cannot fool my nose. Not when I have the 'Hunter' crest."

Haines nodded at Ashton's words.

"Mm. In the first place, kobolds can easily detect a human by their scent."

"Tsk…"

Usually, Balpas would have thrown a smoke bomb and fled.

However, this was an island. He had nowhere to run.

And so he showed himself and dropped his sword before raising his hands in the air.

"I surrender…"

"Ah, at least you understand your situation."

Haines began to handcuff Balpas.

"Well… Do you really think anyone would resist after seeing what is on this island?"

"Of course, not."

Haines said with a chuckle. Balpas nodded.

"Hey, uh… I'm not actually dead, am I?"

Balpas asked. And then Haines slapped his cheek with his paw.

"Don't worry. This isn't heaven."

"I see… Well, you might as well be an angel after what I saw."

With the soft dog paws in front of him, Balpas looked very relieved.