The sound of rushing waves and the smell of the tide.
　I was riding on the back of a sea god in the dawn.

　The five of us were still the same: me, Rio, Iris, Maifa, and Anya.

　We have been on the sea for quite some time since we left the Sea God's abode, the Sea Cave.

　It must have been a little past dinner time when we left, so we have been riding on the back of the sea god for about half a day.

　We must have already gone far out to sea.
　When I look back, I can't even see the land, we're in the middle of the ocean.

"Huh~......

　On such a dawn sea, I yawn widely.

　I took a short nap last night and slept very little.

　Partly because I thought it would be too brazen for all of us to fall asleep while being carried by the sea gods, and partly because I needed to stay alert in case we were attacked by marine monsters at any moment.

　Incidentally, the children are all leaning against me, breathing soundly.
　The sea god's back is too rough to sleep on, so I have no choice.

　By the way, Anya tried her best to stay awake at first, but as it was getting late at night, she started to feel depressed, and when I told her several times to go back to sleep, she finally fell asleep with the other three.

　I've gotten used to having beautiful girls in swimsuits hugging me from all sides.
　You can get used to anything, I guess.

　But even though I took a nap, I was getting sleepy.
　When the kids wake up, I'll get a decent amount of sleep.

　As I was thinking about this, the sea god said in a relaxed voice.

"The waters where the fishermen are often seen are about to become...

　Well, it looks like I won't have much time to sleep.

　I think I failed, but even if I am sleepy, it's not enough to hinder me from fighting if I want to.
　If that doesn't work, I can cast an Awaken spell on myself, and I'll be refreshed.

　I'll go wake up the kids.

　As soon as Rio woke up, he made a strangely s*xy sound and leaned on me, but when I lightly dropped a fist on him, he stuck out his tongue and showed me his naughty face.

　It's okay that she's as cute as ever, but I really don't want her to do that, because it's going to blow my sleepy mind.

　On the other hand, as soon as Iris wakes up, she starts caring about me.

I'm not sure if you've been asleep for a long time, ......?

"No, I took a quick nap. I took a quick nap. I'm a little sleepy, but it's not enough to interfere with combat.

No, no, no!　You need to get some rest, doctor!　We'll take care of the perimeter.

No, but, ......

No, you need to sleep!

　Iris was unusually stubborn and refused to budge.

　Then Iris changed her posture, sat upright, and patted her knee with her cheek.

"Well, Iris, what is that ......?

"It's a lap pillow. The doctor needs to rest as comfortably as possible.

...... Are you kidding me?

Why?　Or do you ...... not want me to be your lap pillow?

　I'm sure you're not the only one.

　No, no, no, no, of course not. .......

　In the event that you're not sure what you're looking for, there are a number of things you can do.
　It's not that I don't like what's going on, but it's that the danger seems dangerous.

　But as I was puzzling over this, Iris eventually began to tear up in her eyes.

I'm sure you're not going to like my lap pillow, are you ......?　I'm sure you'll agree that it's a shame that I can't be there to support you,.......

No, no, no, no. Iris ......?　It's not like that,.......

　In the event that you have any questions regarding where and the best way to get in touch with us, please do not hesitate to contact us.

I'm sure you're not the only one.

...... big brother, you're terrible. ...... brother doesn't care about Iris's feelings.

　Wait, wait, wait.
　I'm not sure what to make of that.

　I'm not sure what to do.

"All right, all right, all right. I'll just sleep on Iris' lap, right?

　When I raised the white flag, Rio and Maifa said, "Yeah! and high-five each other.
　You guys. .......

　But I'm sure they're worried about me.
　I'll let you sleep for a while.

I'll borrow your lap, Iris. And if you get tired, just tell me, okay?

"No problem at all. I've been trained by you. You can use me however you like.

"Oh, yeah.

　I lay down with my head in Iris's lap, though I could sense some danger in her words.

　Iris's knees, which I used as a pillow, had a softness and receptiveness that made me feel somewhat maternal and comfortable.

　Incidentally, the sea god is so large that its shell alone is as wide as a small ship, so lying down is no problem at all.

Please take a good night's rest, doctor.

　Iris gently stroked my hair with her hand.
　It felt so good that it made me feel sleepy.

If anything happens ...... wake me up right away ...... Iris .......

"Yes, sir. Good night.

　I did so, and slowly closed my eyelids.




　*****


"Dr. ......, Dr. ......, wake up, Dr. ......!

***** "......

　I wonder how long I've been asleep.
　I wake up to the sound of Iris' voice.

What time is it, ......?

　Judging by the rising sun, it's about breakfast time.
　I must have slept for about three hours.

　I could hear the sound of waves crashing and crashing, superimposed on the sound of weapons clashing somewhere in the distance.

　That's when I panicked and sat up.
　Shaking my head, I look around.

　I'm relieved to see that the situation around me hasn't changed much.

　Not only me, but also Rio, Iris, Maifa and Anya are on the back of the sea god, and there are no enemies in the immediate vicinity.

　But...

"Brother, that's ......!

　I look in the direction Rio pointed to.
　Ahead of them, there was a medium-sized ship.

　At that size, it probably had a crew of twenty to thirty people.
　There are several large ballistae mounted on the side of the ship, and with that structure, it looks like it has a ram on the bow.

　Is it a warship of some country ......?
　If so, it seems unnatural that it is sailing alone in these waters.

　So it could be a pirate ship or something like that.

　But it's not like the ship was attacking us.
　Rather, it seems to be the ship that is being attacked.

　The ship being attacked is a swarm of sahagin.

　The sahagin, attacking the ship from the sea in groups of dozens, seem to be using their numbers to get to the ship and then to the deck, and are starting a battle with the humans on board.

　In the event you're not sure what you're looking for, there are a few things you can do.

I'm not sure what to do. ......?

If you don't get involved in ......, you may be able to get through. ...... too.

　Rio and Maifa are asking me to make a decision.

　I look around at everyone, including them, and tell them.

"Let's go save that ship. I'm going to save that ship." "Excuse me, Sea God, but can you get us closer to that ship?

"Yes, sir.

　The sea god responds to my request and begins to move towards the ship.

　I don't know what's going on, but it's the evil Sahagin on one side and a human ship on the other.

　Besides, we've come here in search of Sahagin's hideout, and those Sahagins could be an important clue.

　I instructed the children to prepare for battle, and picked up my beloved sword myself.