The sailors shouted in unison.
　Their cries were similar to screams.

　'I', who had taken up a position at the top of the main mast at the top of the thing, picked up the sword that was propped up in response to the voice.

　And then, without caution, he looked around and gathered information.

　However, what I see in my eyes is the same scene.
　As usual, the fleet was in a beautiful formation, floating in the sea. And in the distance, there is one large ship of superior quality. It's just the prey ship that's floating in the water. I've just fired a shell into that ship as a greeting.
　It is understandable if they are screaming in front of their prey, but I don't understand why they are screaming.

　I kept looking around from the top of the thing and finally noticed something unusual. I didn't notice it because I was only looking away from the high ground.
　The sea in which seven fleets of ships swim. The sea near it--.

　--freezing.

　The flotilla hadn't moved in the slightest.
　All seven ships were large enough to pack enough food to cover a town. All those super-heavy ships stopped at the same time. No matter how much wind was blowing, not one of them was moving. Anyone would have panicked. Neither did I.

　The crew underneath the masts are running around trying to figure out why.
　And, fortunately or unfortunately, I was the only one who could figure it out at a glance.

　This time I knew because I was high up.
　I found "him" ahead of the ship's direction of travel.

　The color of the sea had changed only in part. The sea had become pure white, just like a snowfield. With my good eyesight, I could see that it was frozen.

　On the white sea, a young boy was standing on top of it.

　A black-haired, dark-eyed boy standing with a beautiful crystal sword in hand.
　His face was innocent, and he appeared to be of age of adulthood or not. However, even from a distance, I could tell that the boy was not just any man.
　First of all, the magic power that he wears is so thick that it can be seen. That's where it gets crazy. And the pale blue magic power is swirling around the boy like a whirlwind. The magic power continues to be converted into ice underneath his feet, and as if the earth cracks are spreading, the magic circle is eroding the sea.

　A black-haired, dark-eyed boy handling the cold air.
　I had heard of that existence.
　It was a new gossip in my ears.

　The story of the 'hero' who appeared in the northeastern confederacy--
　And it's not just a "hero" either.
　This is the story of an inhuman "hero" who has achieved an unbelievable feat, like something out of a myth.

　They say - "The strongest". They say - "The Sage of Swords".

　The titles of this "hero" are many.
　I've got a lot of titles, starting with 'Dragon Slayer', 'Guardian Killer', 'Dungeon Holder', 'Leader of the Mirage Guildmaster', 'Swordsmanship Successor', 'Snow Knight', 'Swordsmanship Successor', 'Snow Knight' and 'Hero'. 'Natural Hero', 'Saint's Bridegroom', 'Strongest of All Time', 'Winner of the Dancing Competition' - there were more.
　Two names were too many for him. Hence, people only call him 'Hero'.

　When you say 'hero' now, the boy is the only one that comes to mind, so there is nothing wrong with that.
　I'm not sure how good he is, but I'm sure he's not the only one.

　Are you saying that the boy in the corner of your eye is that 'hero'?
　If that's the case, then there's no way he's going to win.

　Just when I was about to lose the will to fight, the boy ran and leapt out of the water.
　At the same time, the sailors below noticed him and called out to me, "Hey, Philo!

'Hey, Firo!　Enemies, and they use magic!　You fight, too!

　Of course.
　That's why I'm on this boat. I'm what you might call a hired gun.

　After being driven from my country, I'm no longer a knight, and I'm helping bandits to eat. I'm not going to be able to get my hands on any of them. I'm sure you'll be able to find a lot of good reasons for this.

　It's a good thing.
　That means that the boy is mine. I'm not going to be the only one to have a problem with the ship.
　If I don't move now, I'm in violation of the contract.
　If this fugitive escapes, he'll have no business being a mercenary in these waters.
　I understand that.

　But my body won't move.
　I'm afraid of the boy who approaches.

　I can tell at a glance.
　My body shakes because I can tell.

　That thing is strange.

　The magic is too strange.
　I can still understand standing in the sea with my feet frozen.
　I'm sure a wizard who is good at freezing magic could do it. But there's no way to stop the ship. I know how much propulsion (energy) the ship has to move forward. I know how much of that enormous energy the boy used freezing magic to reduce it to zero. I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about this.

　I'm not going to be able to get a good idea of what to expect. I'm sure you'll be able to get a good idea of what to expect.
　Without a doubt, the boy who is standing on the sea right now is a 'monster'.

　And that boy will land on the deck of the ship.

　The power of his leap is enough to make me laugh dryly.
　His magic power is strange, but so is his physical ability. It's clear that he's not a pure wizard.
　His eyes are also thin on reversals in close combat.

　There are no gaps anywhere. The chances of victory are close to zero.
　How am I supposed to fight?
　There's no way I can win.

　Unfortunately, I was the only one who could figure that out. There was no wizard in the crew that could understand the boy's capabilities.

　When the boy got on deck, the sailors' arrows and magic flew at him.
　But they did not reach him. Not a single attack, like rain, could reach him.
　The moment they touch the boy's magic, the arrows slow down and the magic dampens.
　He lightly paid off the crystal sword and played off all the attacks that came flying in.

　Without a moment's notice, the sailors attacked.
　Our captain takes the lead in slashing at them. The sailors then attacked the boy with a wide variety of blades.
　But they are unable to reach him.
　The boy swings his sword leisurely and flicks all the weapons that come his way. At first glance, the swordsmanship appears blunt, but it's a terrifyingly lean 'technique'. I know this thanks to the experience I learned in the knight's house. It's the swordsmanship of the Alais family that produces the "Sword Saints".
　The sword is quieter and more beautiful than any knight I've ever seen.
　More than the state's swordsmen, more than the winners of the famous swordsmanship tournament, more than any of the noble knights of the House of Ares.

　As if painting the world with color, the boy destroyed all his enemies' weapons, leaving ice particles in his wake. Then, with his soft movements, he breaks the posture of the sailors and rolls them onto the deck.
　At the same time, he restrains them one by one by means of an ice magic lock.

　The boy's fight was an art form. It was even as if he was looking at tens of thousands of masterpieces in a row.
　But it was too far removed from reality.

　That's why it feels more horrible than it feels beautiful.
　I'll be 30 years old. I've fought big monsters many times. Of course, I've almost died many times. I've been through a lot of tough times. I'm confident that I wouldn't raise an eyebrow at an ordinary event.
　And yet, I was so scared that I still couldn't move my body.

　The battle on the deck is slowly subsiding.

　Our captain is not a good man, but he's good at what he does. Otherwise, he could not lead seven ships of these ruffians. And yet, the boy has robbed him of his captain's consciousness, as if he were knocking down a bunch of mooks.

　The same is true of the sailors. There are few bandits in this sea that can match this fleet. Otherwise, they would not be able to repeat their lawless imitations in the waters near the mainland. Those strong sailors are being rolled over one by one.

　Oh, I don't feel like I'm fighting a man.
　I can only think that I am suffering from a natural disaster, or perhaps even divine d*mnation.

　Even more frightening, the boy is out of touch. He's so worried about the enemy's injuries that he's conquering them without a scratch.
　His arrogant and unreasonable charity is now blasphemous.

　Blasphemous, but--

　But when you see that the boy doesn't kill his enemies, you can see the fear subside a bit.
　It's a cash thing. Finally, my body was starting to move a bit.
　I finally manage to take a step forward.

　I whip my trembling body and get off the mast in a desperate effort.
　But when I got down, it was all over.

　Only a shimmering white snow was left, and no one was standing except the boy.
　It was a fantastic, unreal sight.

　The boy turned his eyes to me as he came down.
　His unfathomable black eyes catch me.

　I took my love sword and held it at the ready.
　If I'm not killed, there's still a way to fight. I want to believe there is.

"- You seem to be very good at it. Probably the best in the ship.

　The boy looked at me and said so.
　With one glance, he could see through my position on the ship.
　His dark eyes were creepy, as if he could see through everything.

''Well, I may not be able to go easy on you if you resist ....... So would you please drop the sword?

　Kindly, the boy recommends surrender.

'Don't lick it. ......'

　But I couldn't retreat to someone who wouldn't even kill my enemies. My silly willpower and calculation made my feet move forward.

''He's good at ...... fire magic and sacred magic. And he's the type who fights with skill rather than strength. Apparently, you're a knight in disguise.

　But I can see through it.
　Those eyes are a deep black that looks as if it could swallow me up at any moment. I felt like I was seeing the color jet black for the first time.

　The boy threatens to tell me that he knows everything about me and tells me in a distant way that it's useless to fight him.

　My fears swell and I almost stop in my tracks.
　The boy sees this and smiles kindly. But the gentle smile looks as if God has pity on the fool. It's a blasphemous charity.

'Are you afraid of me?　There was a bit of elation, but now the fear seems to be winning out. As it is, it would help if you were frightened: ....... No, if you are as good as you are, you can overcome this level of fear.

　The boy assesses me nonchalantly.
　I feel like I can see beneath the skin, in the flesh, in the marrow of my bones.
　I can't take it anymore.

"You bastard!

　As the boy says, I pay off my fears and scream.
　I rekindle the will to fight and run.
　With a scream, I attack.

'Ugh, what a shame. If only you and I had met in a different way, maybe we could have been friends. ...... but I'm sorry. I'm in a hurry. --I'll see you when I get a chance to meet you again.

　The battle was instantaneous.
　As the boy finished his lines, a terrible amount of cold air enveloped the ship.
　Thankfully, the boy seemed to have done everything he could to keep his guard up against me, the highest fighting force on board.

　And then my whole sword was shattered and all my magic dissipated.
　It was a vicious, ruthless, ruthless force.

　I lose the will to fight and am knocked unconscious.
　At the edge of the abyss, I think to myself.

　--I'm not going to be able to get out of it.

　These are the words that come to mind.

　--'Monster', 'monster', 'monster', 'monster', 'monster', 'monster', 'monster'!

　This is a hero?　Bullshit, this guy is a monster.　
　This can't be the same person.
　There's no way they can be allowed to be the same species.

　The ominous black hair, black eyes like the depths of the abyss. The magical power that chills your spine and the insight to see through everything. An inhuman sword technique and a fearless smile.
　The image of a black serpent crawling through a body of ice and devouring everything alive comes to mind.

　-- not a person.
　This is a "monster" that freezes everything it touches.

　That's why I...
　To the end of falling consciousness.

　I kept calling "Kanami the hero" a "monster" until I fell unconscious.


◆◆◆◆◆


Yes! Mission accomplished!

　I'm pleased that I was able to completely neutralize the enemy fleet.
　The attention to detail was well worth it.

　There was one pirate of quite high caliber, so I was a bit nervous, but I managed to get it done.
　I thought about bringing him back later to join us, but now is not the right time. I had to abandon it because I would be on the mainland tomorrow, so I didn't have much time to persuade him.

　--Ah, 'Firo Albert'. Next time I see you, please stop being a pirate. I'm sure I'll invite you to the party then: .......

　I'm not going to be able to get a good idea of what I'm talking about.

　For now, I broke the ship's rudder and took all the supplies and let them drift away.
　It won't be possible to raid again so easily.

　By the way, the information gathering of the example was completed early. We questioned several pirates and they easily informed us of our position. Perhaps because they were frightened by my attack, they didn't make any attempt to hide it.
　As I had expected, the pirates had heard about our route. On top of that, I also heard that there was a bounty on the table in the Allies.
　After consulting with the Reaper, we decided to make some adjustments to our route and take the long way around.
　Since we had taken the enemy's supplies, there was no question of food.

　We would put the captives aboard the seventh enemy ship we had taken.
　All of the slaves held by the pirates were unharmed. The operation was so perfect that I wanted to pat myself on the back.

　The number of people held captive was close to twenty. If they joined forces, they would be able to sail to the nearby continent in the ships they took.

　And while explaining the route to the continent to the freed former slaves, they find a child hiding behind an adult.

　A person who appears to be a parent urges the child to thank me, but he doesn't move forward.
　Maybe they are afraid of me.

　At any rate, all of the slaves are watching me in battle. There's a lot of shouting and shouting going on, and I'm fighting a bunch of sea ruffians. Even though I tried to keep blood from flowing, it was still a horrible sight from a child's point of view.

　It's easy to imagine what kind of eyes the kids must have looked at me when they saw it.
　For example, it's no wonder they think I'm a 'monster' when they see me.

'Or, it's fine ....... There's no need to force me to do anything, so .......

　I know it can't be helped, but my voice was trembling. After all, since I was born a human being, I don't want to be called a 'monster'.

　The girl, seeing me trembling, timidly stepped forward.
　And then she looked down in shame and let out a thin voice.

''Thank you ...... for that, brother.''

　It makes my heart feel lighter to hear those words.

　Thank goodness for .......
　It still seems to be (...) okay.

'Yeah, you're welcome. Take care of yourself.

　She waved and smiled back.
　The girl's face lights up and she smiles too.

　Seeing the harmonious interaction between me and the girl, the others thanked me one by one.

　I wasn't in a bad mood.
　I know it's just self-satisfaction. But I was simply happy to be able to add to someone's happiness, even if it was just a little bit.

　And we were just about to say goodbye in a big roundabout way, without anyone getting hurt.
　A trembling voice rang out.

'Si, Sis-sama ......?'

　One of the men among the former slaves said this to Dia, who was watching in the distance.
　The man looked uncommon and walked past me and crowded up to Dia.
　It was too sudden, and I couldn't stop it.

'Ah, Sith-sama!　Your face is a Sith-sama!

　The man begins to worship as if he were about to rub his head against the deck.

'No, no. I'm not a Sith, I'm Dia. ......!

　Dia takes a step back at his crazy behavior. And he insists that he is not an apostle.
　But the man doesn't care and continues to speak.

'I remember when the kind-hearted Sith Master saved our village!　Not once have I forgotten that beautiful face!　If Master Sith hadn't visited us then, many villagers would have died!
I'm telling you, it's not. It was all different.
I can't thank you enough for your help again. Oh, you are a Sith after all! You are the second coming of the legendary Apostle!　Thus, I thank God for seeing the beauty of Sis-sama again--!

　I know that the man is a devout believer in the Levantine faith.
　I know that if you're a deeply religious one, you'll be grateful for your great faith when you encounter a miracle. I can also see that the man has no ill will.
　But the way the man looked at Dia was too sad.

　It's definitely not the way he looks at people. It's the eyes that look at a being beyond humans, a far higher god.
　It doesn't look much different from being treated as a 'monster'.

'That girl is the Apostle Sith-sama ......?
'Surely ......, that figure is the apostle who came to my village ......!
Oh, I'm sure of that beauty!

　Following the man, a group of people who appear to be members of the Levantine congregation approach Dia.

　Dia was puzzled and his face contorted. Then she looked at the pure white clothes she was wearing.
　Since the incident the day before yesterday, Dia began to wear women's clothing. Sera's coordinated, clean clothes adorned her medieval beauty like an angel.
　Like a beautiful apostle in mythology.

'...... I'm going to get dressed, Kanami. I'll wear men's clothes again.

　Deere tries to escape through the siege of the congregation and into the ship.
　Deer seems to have decided that she was noticed because of the way she was dressed.

　Even though she was starting to feel like a girl, she had to change her clothes after only a few days. However, I know that Dia doesn't want to be an apostle, and I can't stop her from doing so.

'Also, I don't think I'm going to be able to join you in your quest this afternoon. I'm a bit tired, I'm going to get some more sleep.

　Dear said before fleeing into the ship.
　She must be in a mood to sleep unfaithfully because she remembered something unpleasant. From the discomfort leaking out of her body, I thought so.

　The congregation continued to worship in the wake of Dia's departure.
　It was painful to force them to stop and pack them into the ship.

　And by the time the former slaves were ready to leave the ship, the sun had risen.
　Thus, they said goodbye to the people they had helped and saw the last of the ships off to the far side of the sea. We have used the Dimension to confirm that there is no danger in its course.

　The noisy people leave and we take a break on deck.
　It's been a big day's work, but it's not over yet. The reaper confirms the day's plans.

I changed the course, so you won't have to worry about it. It's a little bit of a detour, but I think we'll get to the 'mainland' around tomorrow.　So, after lunch, we'll start exploring the labyrinth at noon. Who's going today?

　First, Rastiala raises his hand and appeals for participation.
　There is no reason to refuse, so I allow her to join.
　The rest of the members are selected according to the labyrinth.

''Can you ask for a Reaper as well?''
Okay. It's just that I don't want someone who can't swim to go through those underwater levels.
Thank you. The rest can be found at .......

　I spread the Dimension to the entire ship and look for the dragonborn (Dragonito) who didn't come out after the ship was attacked (Dragonito) or the dragonborn who won't work (Dragonito).

　They are forced to waste their MP before the search, but Snow's help is essential.
　We then worked with the Reapers to catch Snow on the run, and headed off to explore the labyrinth.