Isekai Nonbiri Sozai Saishu Seikatsu - Chapter 98

“Why are Saffy-san and Lumia-san here?”

“Well, you see, we got along well with Lord Lucas at a party. And when we heard he had some business to attend to at the Exior family, we offered to accompany him.”

Come to think of it, they did mention being invited to a party when we met in town.

Could it be they only attended to hear about the sunken ship and got friendly with him?

I subtly shifted my gaze towards Lumia, who was giving a wry smile.

I can only marvel at Saffy’s boundless energy.

“Is it alright to regard Lord Lucas’s visit as a progress update for the request?”

“That’s correct. I apologize for the sudden intrusion.”

Dealing with Lucas being swept along must be tough, but Saffy is a Master-class alchemist. It’s a win-win situation to get along with her, I suppose.

“No, it’s no problem at all. I also had something I wanted to discuss regarding the request.”

“What would that be?”

As Lucas asked eagerly, Klaus directed his gaze towards Saffy and Lumia, who were sitting on the nearby sofa.

He must be asking if it’s okay for them to listen.

Even though Klaus directed a sharp gaze at them, Saffy only wore an amused expression. She had no intention of leaving.

“Oh, Saffy-san and the others are aware of the request, so it’s fine.”

“I see. In that case, please proceed.”

With that, Klaus nodded to me, prompting me to explain.

I thought Klaus should just speak up since he had already gone that far, but it’s probably best for me, who had seen the situation firsthand, to relay it directly.

“Today, near the island, I confirmed the presence of a sunken ship.”

“Wow, despite being unfamiliar with the sea, you’ve already made it there.”

Lucas seemed pleased with the relatively swift progress.

However, despite his apparent satisfaction, it’s still difficult to talk about the skeleton, but it’s a topic that can’t be avoided.

“I conducted a brief investigation of the sunken ship and found a skeleton. Upon appraisal, it was confirmed to be Lord Lucas’s grandfather, Barbaroi-san.”

“My deceased grandfather turned into a monster…”

Lucas’s eyes widened in surprise as he let out a gasp.

It seemed he was shocked by the revelation that his deceased relative had turned into a monster and had been existing for a long time.

I’m not sure how to address the shocked Lucas.

How does one feel when their deceased relative turns into a monster?

Amidst the heavy atmosphere in the parlor, Lucas spoke up.

“…What was my grandfather like inside the ship?”

“He seemed very protective of the items.”

In reality, even if we say he was alive, Barbaroi-san no longer retains consciousness as himself. He’s just a monster acting on strong emotions from when he was alive.

“To retrieve the items, I need to neutralize Barbaroi-san. What shall we do?”

“…It’s pitiful for him to remain a monster at the bottom of the sea forever. If possible, could you retrieve the remains without causing much harm? I’ll increase the reward.”

Lucas, despite being a noble, earnestly bowed his head and pleaded.

Since Klaus had mentioned that this might be requested beforehand, I was already mentally prepared.

“Understood. I’ll retrieve the remains with as little harm as possible. But what about the risk of him turning into a skeleton again?”

“In that case, I’ll make holy water. Sprinkling it should prevent any evil magic from gathering.”

“Then, there should be no problem.”

Saffy, with a serious expression, made a proposal.

It seems that with an item like holy water, there won’t be a risk of Barbaroi-san turning into a skeleton again.

“Thank you both.”

After informing Lucas that Saffy and I would cooperate, he bowed deeply.

After discussing Barbaroi-san’s situation and reporting the progress, the meeting came to an end.

After exchanging some trivial conversation with Saffy and Lumia, Lucas and the others left.

“I came for a casual visit, but it seems I mistimed it a bit.”

Certainly, with the matter of Barbaroi-san, it was probably difficult to joke around as usual or inquire about the state of the sea.

Saffy scratched her head awkwardly.

“That’s why I said it’s not good to force yourself to come along, Master.”

“Don’t get mad at me just because I’m reflecting on it.”

Even Lumia, seeing Saffy unusually straightforward, didn’t say anything further.

Saffy offering the holy water for free was probably her way of apologizing for insisting on coming along.

There’s no one particularly at fault here; it was just an unfortunate timing.

Neither Lucas nor Saffy probably anticipated such a discussion arising.

“After Lord Lucas’s request is settled, I’ll reach out again.”

“Understood.”

There probably was some other reason for their visit.

However, considering the current situation, it would be best to handle Lucas’s request first.

“Thank you for having us despite your busy schedule.”

With a light bow from Lumia, she followed after Lucas.

♦ ♦ ♦

It’s the morning of the fourth day after arriving in Lindblum.

I decided to handle Lucas’s request.

Actually, I tried to start on the third day yesterday, but my body felt unusually heavy probably due to the long hours spent at sea, so I decided to take a break.

Probably, it was a combination of travel fatigue and such that caught up with me.

Thanks to spending a whole day at the mansion yesterday, I’m in perfect shape today.

My body feels light, and my magic is fully restored.

So, after finishing breakfast, I’m heading into the sea again today using the Sea Guardian’s Bracelet.

I conduct reconnaissance during the investigation, occasionally collecting materials as I progress.

Lately, I’ve been able to grasp the terrain under the sea.

I’ve also learned about hidden rocky areas and places where monsters inhabit, so encounters with dangerous monsters and chilling moments have decreased.

Still, unlike the forest, the sea, where you have to be alert in all directions, is not to be underestimated.

Using water magic for propulsion, I make my way through the shortest route, arriving near the small island to the west.

The sunken ship is still standing unchanged on the seabed.

I confirm through investigation that there are no monsters around and enter the sunken ship.

Fortunately, since I’m here to confirm the skeleton, I have a little understanding of the ship’s structure.

“…Barbaroi-san seems to be still in the cabin as usual.”

Activating detection, I saw the silhouette of what seemed to be Barbaroi-san’s skeleton.

It seems to be sitting quietly in the cabin, just like on the second day.

The only other thing that catches my attention is that the number and types of monsters inhabiting the ship seem to have subtly changed due to the passage of time.

The hole is so big that going in and out is easy. It’s inevitable that monsters change or increase.

I proceed through the dark interior of the ship while illuminating it with a light ball.

Passing through a room with a broken door and reaching a corridor, I see fish swimming as silhouettes of monsters.

They are unusually elongated fish with pointed mouths. At first glance, they look like ordinary fish, but are they dangerous?

【Archerfish – Danger Level C】

It inhales seawater with its sharp mouth and forcefully spits it out to attack. The ejected water is very fast, piercing even iron plates.

When appraised, such information is displayed.

Ah, it’s more dangerous than I thought. Despite its small and slender appearance, it’s rated C in danger level.

If I underestimate it, I’ll be shot through in no time. However, the place I’m in is a narrow corridor inside the ship. Although there are other rooms, it’s basically a one-way path, making it difficult to avoid being hit by water from a distance.

It seems safer to hide and wait rather than trying to force my way through.

Thinking so, I wait in a room, but the Archerfish doesn’t seem to go anywhere.

It swims aimlessly in the corridor without doing anything.

There are no interesting creatures around here, and it doesn’t seem to be eating any bait.

I wish it would go somewhere else soon.

There’s also the option to ignore it and punch through the wall above, but I don’t want to attract other monsters by making noise.

Looking at that guy with a face like a Hyottoko, I’m starting to get annoyed.

It seems like it’s just spacing out and looking around, so maybe I can move from room to room now?

I sneak out of the room and walk along the edge of the corridor while bending down.

Then, the Archerfish reacts in an unexpected way from its spaced-out expression, puffing up its mouth.

Uh-oh, water is coming.

I roll as if throwing myself, and something like a bullet passes overhead.

Watching the Archerfish’s mouth puff up again, I take refuge in a nearby room.

Then, I notice a small hole pierced through the wall at the entrance.

“Detection.”

Since it’s scary to show my face, I activate the skill through the wall and see the silhouette of the Archerfish.

It seems to be slowly approaching while facing this way.

Being at a distance is the most troublesome, but if it’s coming closer, that’s convenient.

I wait patiently for the Archerfish to approach without leaving the room.

And then, as the Archerfish comes up to the front of the room and sees me, it sucks in seawater and puffs up its mouth.

I activate water magic and pour seawater into the Archerfish’s mouth.

The Archerfish’s eyes widen greatly from the seawater that it can’t store in its body, and it swells up and bursts.

The sight of it bursting in front of me was a bit grotesque, but I was able to easily collect the magic stone.