Sevens (LN) - Volume 10 - Chapter 111

Chapter 111 – Sea Monster
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「Yaa, Vera-san, the weather today is also nice isn’t it.」

The ship’s deck was exposed to a strong sunlight.

I talked with a cheerful voice to Vera-san who was holding up a parasol there.

When Vera-san turned around, she looked slightly exasperated seeing my face. Her expression was saying 「You again」.

「Lyle too, you never learn and keep coming again. Too bad, but I reject your request for support. No matter how much you ask, pity has no place in business relationship.」

「That’s horrible~. I’m not coming to ask for aid again.」

Since that day, I never asked Vera-san about wanting her aid anymore. But, Vera-san was seeing through my objective in approaching her.

「Approaching me after their request for support is rejected. There has been a lot of that kind of person too until now. Too bad but, I have refused all the requests of such people. Besides, even if I actually accept, papa──Otou-sama absolutely won’t allow it. Otou-sama is merciless when it comes to business, even toward his daughter. He is someone who will prioritize profit even when facing family.」

「He didn’t look like that kind of person.」

「He shows his lenient side in front of his daughter, but he is a prominent merchant even in Beim. He isn’t lenient at all. Even the people around him often say that he will be a perfect merchant if only his daughters doesn’t affect him so much.」

Certainly, after all the way he doted on his daughter was like him exposing his weak point.

I continued talking with Vera-san even while being aware that my ulterior motive had been seen through.

「I have given up on asking for support. Right now I just want to become closer with Vera-san without any intention for that.」

Vera-san made a smile at my claim. Her manufactured smile was displaying her will of rejection.

「I’m happy to hear that. ──I might consider it for a bit if you said that from the start without any ulterior motive.」

She was already walling herself from me.

It felt like it was already impossible to try to seduce her. Even so I kept talking to her like this because of the instruction from Miranda and others.

「How harsh. Understood. But, please allow me to talk to you at least.」

「Only if I have free time. But, Lyle too, you should do your work properly.」

「Of course I’ll do so. After I’m a skilled adventurer even though I look like this.」

「I wonder about that. Do you think I don’t know that some of your companions has been lying down all this time since the first day?」

We must look unreliable because there were some members of our team who were suffering from seasickness.

「I myself is also quite skilled.]

「I’ll recognize it if you can obtain achievement. But, you might not have any chance for that.」

「No chance?」

Vera-san and the sailors weren’t showing any anxiety even though we were passing through a sea route that was rumored as getting dangerous. It weighed in my mind.

「Is there a reason why you are so confident? I heard before the departure that we are going to pass through a dangerous place though?」

「You mean the story of several ships sinking? Certainly that’s worrying, but we have preparation for that.」

I obtained a topic for conversing with Vera-san like this and asked her further about that.

「Preparation? Is it alright if I hear about it in more detail? I want to know more as a guard of this ship.」

「I don’t mind. This ship──」

Vera-san thought that it was alright to disclose it and just as she was about to talk──.

「What are you doing over there!」

Roland came as a hindrance. He approached with a large stride and stood in front of Vera-san with an anxious face while glaring at me.

I couldn’t be irritated at Roland because his action was based on good will.

「Yaa, Roland.」

「I told you before to not approach Vera-ojousama didn’t I?」

Vera-san looked slightly happy when Roland said that. It seemed that she had a feeling for Roland.

「You are overreacting. I’m just having a small talk with Lyle.」

「Vera-ojousama yourself should also think about your own standing. I have warned you several times already.」

I gave up continuing my conversation with Vera-san with this. I shrugged and waved my hand to them while showing my back.

「I’ll be careful from here on.」

「Listen to what I’m saying more seriously!」

Even though I was leaving from that place, Roland followed after me and matched my pace. And then he began lecturing me from my side.

「Listen to me, your standing with Ojou-sama is too different. Besides, you better stop if your intention in approaching Ojou-sama is to obtain support. ──The master of Tres family is merciless to the man who approach his daughters.」

Roland was remonstrating me, but he was losing his intensity at the latter half. It seemed that his feeling was turning gloomy by his own words.

I stopped walking and asked him.

「Do you have some kind of relationship with Vera-san?」

Roland made a surprised face for a moment, but then he immediately shook his head.

「Me? There isn’t anything like that. Besides, I’m Gina-ojousama’s assistant. I’m only allowed to board this ship this time because of Vera-ojousama’s kindness.」

Roland wasn’t harboring any special feeling toward Vera-san. It seemed he had some kind of circumstance. I continued talking with Roland to hear about it in more detail.

「Gina-ojousama? If I remember right──she is the second daughter of Tres family isn’t she?」

「I was just a gopher in Tres family until Gina-ojousama picked me up. Sometimes I’m also working under Vera-ojousama.」

Roland spoke while looking down. He spoke about his encounter with Gina-san.

「When I was doing chores at the harbor, Gina-ojousama took a liking to me and placed me at her side as her assistant. Thanks to that my salary also increased.」

The Sixth who was listening to this story from inside the Jewel spoke in delight.

『So it’s love between different social position huh.』

The reaction of the other ancestors was cold. The Seventh was especially striking.

『This boy doesn’t know his position. That girl called Gina too, she should search for someone who suit her position.』

It seemed the Seventh was unable to understand Roland and Gina-san who were putting importance to love. Even so, despite his reaction the Seventh was also in a loving marriage with grandmother. The two of them had suitable social status for each other, but it seemed there was also various problems that accompanied the marriage.

『You are saying that? You yourself were in a loving marriage with Zenoa weren’t you?』

『──T-that was because the marriage was beneficial to both of us.』

『You are always like this. You criticize me persistently while ignoring your own shortcoming.』

『I don’t want to be told that by you!』

The Sixth and the Seventh began quarreling, so I ignored the voices from inside the Jewel.

This Roland was a hindrance in my effort to seduce Vera-san. But──wasn’t it possible that we might be able to get along with each other?

Roland let out a long sigh.

「Anyway, don’t approach Vera-ojousama again.」

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Several days ago.

Miranda told me to tell everyone how Vera-san refused to give us support.

Inside the room of my companions──I was getting surrounded by everyone.

Aria was holding her spear on her shoulder.

「Obtaining fund by seducing the daughter of a rich family? Lyle, you thought up a really dirty method there.」

Aria had a lively personality, so she disliked this kind of story. Something like seducing a rich woman to get money from her was a scummy action that couldn’t be excused at all.

Sophia was gripping her battle axe with both hands. Her cheeks were twitching.

「I thought it was strange that you were moving around by yourself, but to think you was doing something so shameless──it’s the worst.」

I couldn’t argue back at all.

However, if I didn’t tell everyone that I was also reluctant doing it, I would get treated as a complete trash by my companions.

「No, I also thought that method was really low. But, there was no other way, so I thought that perhaps I would give it a try.」

Clara was sending a cold gaze toward me, but she judged my action calmly.

「Certainly, our financial problem will be solved if we can obtain the support of Tres family.」

I wanted to resolve the financial problem in consideration of the even further future too.

Eva was listening to the story with a smile. She made a snide remarks to me without any change in expression.

「Seducing a woman that you don’t even like just to obtain money, that’s completely the villain role in the story.」

V-villain. Certain I was told to become a villain, but I didn’t want to become that kind of villain.

The inside of the Jewel had been quiet since some time ago.

『Uh oh~? Isn’t everyone really scary right now?』

『Of course things will become like this if the plan to seduce Vera get found out.』

『This is why I wanted to carry out the plan secretly. Well, this is something that will surely get found out sooner or later.』

The Third until the Fifth were speaking, and yet the Sixth was the only one staying quiet.

And then the Seventh concluded.

『The talk is getting complicated because of Miranda’s approval.』

While there were those who were showing disgust at this seducing plan, there were also those who were telling me to do the seduction seriously just like Miranda.

May who was sitting on the wooden box at the corner of the room was watching me being interrogated like this with amusement.

「Ee~, it’s not really a problem isn’t it? There are also animals where the strong male is surrounded by a lot of females.」

May was a kirin despite her human appearance, so her sense of values was different.

「Besides, there are already this many even now so there won’t be any difference even if the number increase by one.」

The four who were surrounding me were exasperated at the cackling May.

Thelma-san, Shannon, and Gastone-san who were also at the corner were also watching me with exasperation.

Thelma-san was looking at me with disbelief.

「To exchange love with money, I cannot accept something like that. The relationship between man and woman has to be purer.」

Gastone-san sighed at that statement of Thelma-san.

「This world is overflowing with political marriages and marriages that ignore love though.」

Why was Shannon at the side of those two?

「As I thought Lyle is just the worst. Thelma-san, do you want to eat sweets? Monica has prepared some for us.」

「Eh? Ah, yes. Thank you.」

Shannon looked like she was being considerate to Thelma-san, she looked like she wanted to spoil her.

Thelma-san’s feeling looked like it had also stabilized a little, so I guess it would be alright to leave her to Shannon just like this.

Miranda clapped her hands to gather everyone’s attention because it didn’t look like the talk wouldn’t end like this.

「Come on everyone, don’t blame Lyle like that. He had given up that plan midway because he realized his fault by himself after all.」

She was giving me a backup, but unfortunately Miranda was in agreement with this plan.

「We want to obtain support from Tres family right? It’s fine even if it’s just once. If we can at least retake Zayin, we will be able to choose another way to obtain money next time.」

And then unexpectedly──no, perhaps it wasn’t that unexpected? Even Novem who was usually in disagreement with Miranda was also in agreement with this plan. Even though I completely thought that she would oppose it.

「I have investigated, and it seems Vera-san is a smart and also courageous woman. She has the qualification to be Lyle-sama’s wife, so there isn’t any problem with seducing her.」

──As I thought Novem was really off the mark.

The qualification to become my wife──it was the 「conditions for taking a wife」 that had been followed in Walt House for generations. She was still trying to follow that rule.

「No, I think this isn’t really related with the matter of taking a wife though?」

When I muttered that weakly, Novem strongly insisted with her way of thinking.

「It’s related! In the first place, it’s only natural to take responsibility once you lay your hand on a woman. Simply laying your hand on a woman just to get her money before discarding her is simply something that cannot be done. Even if Lyle-sama really has to abandon her, I won’t allow it unless it’s done in a way that won’t leave any grudge in the future.」

「──Y-yes.」

Novem’s ardor pushed me back. The ancestors inside the Jewel reacted to Novem’s words. However their words weren’t directed toward me, but toward the Sixth who had been staying quiet since some time ago.

『That’s what she said.』

『Responsibility is really important.』

『You were really horrible at that time. You are already dead, but you still should reflect on yourself.』

『It’s the Sixth who should be lectured like this instead of Lyle.』

The Sixth looked frustrated, but he had done something that he couldn’t defend in the past so he couldn’t argue back.

『E-even you guys had done a lot of bad things.』

I ignored the talk inside the Jewel and turned my eyes toward the problem in reality.

「But still, the plan has failed already. Vera-san saw through my intention, and the surrounding was also watching me closely, so I won’t be able to approach her.」

I spoke about giving up on this plan, but then Monica who was listening quietly tilted her head.

「Oh, you are going to give up?」

「Rather than giving up, it’s already impossible to make it succeed isn’t it?」

「Is that so? But Miranda is determined to do it though? She gathered us here and asking for our cooperation for that isn’t it?」

Everyone’s gaze gathered at Miranda. The person herself was smiling.

「Naturally. If you’re going to do it then do it seriously to seduce Vera. Lyle, make her fall in love with you. We will back you up. Besides we also have to gather information.」

Novem also agreed.

「Tres family’s support will be a very big help if we consider the future. I also agree with this plan, so I won’t spare any effort to help. Let’s do our best together, Lyle-sama.」

How should I react here when Novem was turning a smile at me in this situation?

「O-ou.」

──I could only give a flustered reply like that.

Everyone was questioning whether it was fine like this, but Miranda──and even Novem had agreed. It seemed everyone else lost their will to complain because of that.

Miranda told everyone.

「If we’re going to do it then do it seriously.」

.

That was what happened several days ago.

After parting from Roland, I returned to the room and informed the result to everyone who was waiting for me.

I placed my hand on the back of my head and said with a smile.

「it was no good.」

When I said that, Aria who was remaining inside the room let out a deep sigh.

「Just what are you doing.」

「No, this is impossible. It might still be possible at the beginning, but Vera-san has already noticed just why I’m approaching her.」

I’m aiming at your fortune!──Vera-san had noticed that intention of mine.

Wasn’t it impossible to make a comeback from this stage?

Right now inside the room were Aria──and then Shannon, May, Thelma-san, and Gastone-san. The others were out to gather information.

Aria had seasickness and couldn’t move like she wanted. Her complexion was bad. She made a face that said it couldn’t be helped after hearing my report.

「The result might be different if only you told us right from the start.」

She regretted why I didn’t tell everyone about this plan faster.

But, I wanted her to imagine it.

「Are you telling me to tell everyone this, 『I’m going to seduce Vera-san for her money, so help me!』?」

Aria thought for a bit, then she shook her head.

「I was definitely going to punch you flying if you said something like that. Also I’ll hold you in contempt.」

「Right!? This was impossible from the start.」

「I myself am fine even if you give up on this plan. But Lyle, behind you.」

「Eh?」

When I turned around, I found Miranda behind me. Her gaze toward me was cold.

「Lyle, I told you to do it seriously didn’t I?」

「Miranda!? No, you see. In this world there are things that are impossible to do. In the first place, it’s difficult for me to seduce a girl.」

In the first place, I had never done something like seducing a woman. Perhaps Miranda herself had also considered that. She didn’t like she really had high expectation toward me.

「At the very least you should have the feeling. But, now that it become like this it will be troublesome if there isn’t any commotion occurring. Won’t any monster just come out already?」

Miranda was speaking out something dangerous. Aria shrugged.

「What do you want to do by encountering monster? Do you want Lyle to defeat it to make him look like someone reliable? Will she fall in love by doing such thing?」

「It’s possible isn’t it? In the worst case, even if we fail to make her fall in love we should at least make her recognize Lyle’s strength. It will be the best if she falls in love though.」

Why was she going that far to make Vera-san fell in love with me?

「There is no need to seduce Vera-san if just showing my strength is enough isn’t it?」

「There is no guarantee that monster will really come out. If that happen then you won’t have any chance to show off and appeal at her. We need to do everything we can right now with all our effort.」

If we couldn’t show any achievement even though we were gathered here to guard this ship, we wouldn’t be able to receive any more requests next time. We would receive the lowest evaluation.

「I’m worried about fighting on a ship though.」

I spoke my honest feeling. But it seemed Miranda was also worried about the same thing.

「Even I have no experience of that. But, taking back Zayin will only be a farfetched dream if we don’t overcome this.」

Miranda lowered her voice and looked at Thelma-san who was talking with Shannon.

It seemed that she had gotten a bit more energetic, but she still didn’t feel like becoming a saintess again to retake Zayin.

Let’s wait a bit more for this problem.

Aria looked toward Thelma-san. She looked like she was about to give up on this problem too.

「Won’t it be better to just let her be free?」

Miranda looked like she could understand Aria’s feeling, but she shook her head.

「That’s no good. She is someone who is being pursued. Do you want to leave her alone in a situation where she can be killed anytime? ──She doesn’t has anywhere to escape. Just like us.」

I recalled Celes’s face from Miranda’s words.

Celes would move one day. In order to fight her, I planned to gather strength right now.

「I’ll try thinking one more time if──」

I was going to think whether there was another way than seducing Vera-san. But before I could finish saying that, the sound of bell echoed painfully inside the ship.

Voice could be heard from the speaking tube.

『Enemy attack! Enemy attack! All adventurers, hurry to the deck with your weapon! The monsters are attacking!』

Aria’s eyes blinked repeatedly. The monster attack that we had just been hoping suddenly occurred. It seemed that she thought of it as being too convenient.

「Is this what the saying of speak of the devil meant?」

We hurriedly checked our equipments before rushing out of the room.

.

What we saw when we got out to the ship’s deck was the scene of the adventurers and sailors moving around busily. Everyone was carrying weapon.

Crawling up from the hand railing was something humanoid with blue or green skin that was glistening slimily. Its hands had flipper. It even had dorsal fin like a fish. Its figure was like the combination of human and fish.

Its body was hunched at the waist, so it looked as big as human, but its height must be more than two meters.

It had body and limbs that were thicker than adult man.

It looked really strong physically.

Its hand was carrying a weapon that looked like harpoon.

The sailors were carrying gun with knife attached at the tip. They yelled when seeing the monsters.

「It’s a pack of sahagin! You guys, fight from distance!」

The Seventh inside the Jewel was excited seeing that the sailors were using gun.

『Oooo!! So they’re using gun! What’s more there is knife attached at the tip? I see, they can use it as spear if they run of bullet!』

It was a weapon that didn’t exist at the Seventh’s era.

I also unsheathed my saber to fight, but then Miranda yelled in surprise.

「Wait a second, even that lady is also coming out!」

Aria was still looking pale, even so she was about to rush forward in order to save Vera-san.

「Anyway I’ll──!」

But, it seemed that she was still not used to the ship. Her footing was unsteady on the shaky deck. The terrain was too different from being on ground.

During that time, Vera-san folded the parasol she was carrying and handed it to a nearby sailor.

「It’s my favorite parasol, so protect it carefully.」

「Aye!」

Even though their own captain──a weak lady on top of that was coming out to the battlefield, the sailors didn’t look panicked at all.

The Third noticed that.

『The movement of the sailors is better than the adventurers. Besides──Vera-chan is strong you know?』

After Vera-san handed away her parasol, she pulled out golden handgun from the holster on her back waist.

The handgun was decorated with ornamentation and looked really heavy. She aimed it toward the monster called sahagin.

She aimed at the head and pulled the trigger.

The sahagin’s head was immediately blown away. It collapsed face up.

The one who saw Vera-san’s gun and gave explanation was the Seventh who was still really excited even now.

『A revolver! What’s more it’s a magic tool, so it’s power is also great. Nice. Really nice! As expected gun is the weapon that will shoulder the future!』

He was really noisy.

But, our existence here as guard would be meaningless if we left it all to Vera-san and the sailors.

「Miranda, Aria, let’s fight for now.」

Miranda nodded, then she looked at Aria. Her movement was bad because of the seasickness too, so Miranda was being considerate with her.

「Aria, don’t force yourself.」

「S-sorry.」

We who were forced to fight on top of the unstable ship targeted the approaching sahagins and fought them.

The ship shook at the same time when I stepped forward. I couldn’t move like I wanted.

「Tsk!」

When I swung my saber, the sahagin blocked it with the harpoon it carried. The saber’s blade was chipped.

「Another one turned useless.」

I actually wanted to slash the sahagin, but it was difficult to do it above the shaking ship.

Miranda produced string from her hand using her Arts and bound the sahagin’s body.

「Now!」

「Thanks!」

I stabbed the immobilized sahagin with my saber, and then I immediately moved away. Just when I thought that I was finally able to defeat one, an amazing sight spread out around us.

The adventurers were having a hard fight.

Compared to that, the sailors were fighting bravely.

They fired their gun, and sometimes they would stab with it, and then the one who was fighting the best was Vera-san.

She moved around freely above the ship and freely aimed her handgun.

She was shooting at the vitals of the sahagins accurately but──.

「No good!」

She ran out of bullet. I was about to rush out to help her, but a sailor called out to me to stop.

「It’s alright. Worry about your own safety rather than the captain.」

「Eh?」

The sailors didn’t try to save Vera-san. They weren’t abandoning her, they simply believed that Vera-san would be alright if it was her.

The sahagins rushed toward Vera-san who ran out of bullet. Some were raising their harpoon to swing down, while some were taking a stance to stab.

In that moment, Vera-san dodged all the attacks with light footstep and slid between a sahagin’s legs to slip out.

Aria was surprised at Vera-san who was easily performing such acrobatic above this unsteady ship.

「No way!?」

Miranda and I were as surprised as Aria.

Vera-san immediately stood up and ejected the empty cartridge with practiced movement and put in the new bullets.

And then when she finished reloading──she shot at the swarming sahagins once more.

It was Vera-san who defeated the last one.

She held up the handgun with her right hand while she moved her left hand to order the surrounding.

「They are still coming. Push them back!」

「Got it! Oi, adventurers! Watch this!」

What were they going to do now?

While I was thinking that, the adventurers who were holding at the hand railing started making a commotion.

When we looked that way wondering what it was about, a large cannot came out from the side of the ship. It was longer and narrower than the cannon in our memory.

『Even the cannon has been improved? A mere merchant is able to obtain this kind of thing?』

The Seventh was surprised. The Third asked him.

『Eh? Is there anything different from it?』

I also didn’t know what was the difference of this cannon with the cannon that we knew, but Vera-san was approaching us. She had taken back her parasol without us noticing.

She talked to us.

「You three, cover your ears.」

Vera-san who was holding up her parasol was looking down on the sahagins that were observing the situation here from the sea surface.

「There are a lot of them today.」

The sahagins were still trying to climb up the ship but──a thunderous sound roared at the next moment.

Sounds like *DON* or *GON*, many explosive sounds could be heard.

The sounds came from the cannon that was at the side of the ship.

A water pillar splashed up at the far away.

『It reached until that far?』

The Seventh kept being surprised.

The thunderous roar of the cannons and the water pillar scared the sahagins and they ran away.

Aria sat down on the floor and covered her ears with her hands.

「Uuu, my ears hurt.」

Miranda was also covering her ears, but she was focusing on counting the number of cannons.

「That’s a lot of cannons in this ship.」

Then Vera-san glanced toward me. Unlike us who were covering our ears, Vera-san was used to this loud sound.

「This is what I was about to tell you before Lyle. There is a lot of danger in the sea, so we are carrying means to protect ourselves like this. After all other than monsters there are also pirates.」

Vera-san spoke while laughing. It made me questioned.

「Eh? Then, you don’t need any guards don’t you?」

「Certainly we don’t need guards, but it’s pitiful for the sailors to burden them completely with his. Also, there is no harm in having a lot of hands on deck.」

Were we really needed here?

「Your group is also amazing Lyle. If you can already fight like that while still not used to the ship, you will be able to fight as good as when on land immediately.」

After saying that, Vera-san walked away from us while waving her hand.

Novem and others who were fighting at a different location came while the three of us were in a daze.

「Lyle-sama, you are safe!」

Novem ran toward me in worry, but behind her──Eva and Clara looked like they were at the point of death.

「We are fine but, how about your side?」

Novem made a troubled smile.

「We aren’t injured. But, that’s──it looks like their seasickness has worsened.」

Eva and Clara became tearful.

Clara seemed like she was at her limit. She looked like she was going to cry. It was an expression that she usually would never show.

「I-I want to return to land already. ──I missed the land.」

Eva was also the same. She was covering her mouth with both hands.

「I-I’ll never got on ship any──upuh!」

We nursed after these complaining two.

Vera-san who was giving instruction on the deck didn’t look tired at all.

I put back my saber into the sheath while giving up the method of showing off my strength by defeating monster.

「Just being somewhat stronger won’t be any use as an appeal like this.」

Novem heard my mutter and asked back.

「Lyle-sama, what do you mean?」

「No, we were thinking to show Vera-san our strength as adventurer, but both Vera-san and the sailors are too strong for it to be effective.」

We wouldn’t be acknowledged just by making some achievement.

This was troublesome. I couldn’t think any other idea. Was this──a checkmate?