There was no longer any obstacle beyond the stone door in which I had placed the ring.

　As I walked with Anya through the cave that seemed to have been dug out of a rocky mountain, we eventually reached a hall.

　There was another passageway leading to the hall, through which Rio, Maifa, Iris, Marina, and Sahagin Baron appeared.

Oh, it's my brother. Hey! What a surprise, nothing happened.

"...... Wait. ...... Maybe this brother is an imposter. ...... No, I think I'm hallucinating.

I'll take care of it. There is a way to find out if he is a real teacher.

　Iris said and came running up to me.

　There have been many traps and devices up to this point, so it's probably not surprising that I have such suspicions. .......

　Iris is standing right in front of me, looking up at me.

"Sir. Let's see if it's real. First, pat me on the head, like you always do.

"Oh, yeah.

　I did as I was told and patted Iris on the head.
　The second of the three sisters slackened her cheeks and said, "Heh heh.

"Well, well, well. Now, doctor, try to hug me tightly to your chest.

"Hmm, like this: ......?

　I hugged Iris's body with both arms and held her tightly.
　The girl's face is buried in my chest.

　The girl's face is buried in my chest, while Iris wraps her arms around my waist and hugs me back.

　When I released Iris, the girl in the white swimsuit who had pulled away from me turned back to Rio and Maifa and said briskly.

It's real, I'm sure of it. I'm sure it's real. The gentle touch of your hand on my head, the strength of your arms hugging me, and most importantly, the smell of your teacher.

"Hmm...

　Both Rio and Maifa were looking at Iris with fierce eyes.
　I don't know what the hell I'm doing.

　But that's beside the point.

　The hall was a dead end.
　There was no other way to go.

　And there doesn't have to be.
　Because at the back of the hall lay the box I wanted.

　A treasure chest.
　It was a magnificent thing, almost big enough to carry in both arms.

　The first person to run up to it was Marina, the pirate girl.

　She was carefully examining the outside of the treasure chest and the surrounding area while my students and I were playing a short game.

There's no trap. It's not locked. Can I open it, Mr. Brett?

Yes, please.

　The others, including me, walk up to the treasure chest.

　As everyone in the room watched with bated breath, Marina opened the lid of the treasure chest with great care.

"Ooooh, ......!

　Everyone who looked into the treasure chest shouted in admiration.

　The treasure chest was filled with a huge amount of gold and silver treasures that did not disappoint.

　There were also various other items that seemed to be magical tools.
　There were vials of liquid, boots, bracelets, tiaras, scrolls, swords, spears, and more.

"Haha, that's quite a treasure ......!　You could live ten lifetimes with that much.　It would be a lot of money to split it with everyone on the ship!　I'm sure you'll agree.

　I'm sure you'll be happy to know that I'm not the only one who's had a bit of fun.

　I hope this ...... girl doesn't let the treasure ruin her life.

　But more than that...
　My eyes were fixed on a treasured sword that was inside the treasure chest.

　My [Connoisseurship] skill is telling me that this must be quite a work of art.

　I carelessly picked up the sword in its scabbard and pulled it out with ease.
　A shining silver blade, without a speck of dust, appeared.

　If you look at the length of the sword, it is a bastard sword.
　It seems a little too long for the small Rio to use.

"Heh, ....... I feel like that sword is perfect for you.

　Rio, who was looking at it from the side, said something like that.

　Iris and Maifa also agree.

I think so too, sir. I can't tell you what it is, but ...... something about it looks really good on you.

"...... I know. I'm not sure what to make of it, but I think it's a great idea. ...... I think that sword is for you too.

　I'm not sure what to make of this.

　It's a great way to make sure you're getting the most out of your money.
　If I'm not careful, I'll feel more comfortable with this sword than with the sword I've used all my life.

So maybe that sword is your destiny, Brett. That kind of good luck charm is very important to us pirates. You should use that sword, Brett. And Anya, this way.

　Marina then picked up the three-pronged spear (trident) that was in the treasure chest and threw it at Anya.



　Anya took it in a hurry.

"Oh, my God, is that me?

"Yes, it is. You are going to be a full-fledged hero, right?　It's a good idea to have at least one weapon of your own.

That's right. ....... Thank you very much .......

　I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to do it.

You're welcome. I'm not sure if I'm actually Anya's sister or not. You're welcome.

I think so. ...... Well, can I call you 'big sister'?　I don't know what that actually means.

I don't actually know." "Hmm, okay. I don't actually know.

"If Marina becomes a bad pirate who attacks the village, I will kill her no matter if she is my sister or not.

Oh, I see. That's a scary sister.

　It's a great way to make sure you're getting the most out of your vacation.


　I'm sorry.


　In the end, it was decided to carry the treasure chest back to the ship with the treasure inside.

　As expected, it was quite heavy, but with so many brave men, it was not impossible to carry it.

　There were some difficulties on the way back to the ship, specifically the suspension bridge, but we managed to overcome them somehow.

　When we finally arrived at the ship, we put the treasure chest on the ship, and we six heroes also boarded the ship.
　Also on board was the Sahagin Baron, wrapped up in a rope.

　Then we set sail from the sea cave where we had anchored the ship.

　By that time, it was already night time and the pirate ship sailed through the dark ocean.

　I'm sitting on the deck at night with the lights burning, staring at the sea and thinking, when the captain, Marina, comes to me.

But what are you going to do, Mr. Brett?　But what are you going to do, Brett? But even so, over a hundred and fifty Sahagin with a Sahagin Lord is a bit much, don't you think?

Well, you're right. ......

　I answer honestly.

　I'm not sure if I can say for sure what the power relationship is, but I think it's probably at the level where you can do it.

　The only thing is that in the last battle, we took on sixty or so of them and suffered minor injuries.

　It depends on how the battle will go, but it is doubtful that we will be able to win the next battle without losing anyone, and if something goes wrong, we might even be wiped out.

　I don't want to involve Rio and the three of us in such a situation, and of course the same goes for Marina and Anya.

　That's why I was thinking about it as I looked out at the sea at night.
I weighed the "two risks" and decided which one was greater.

　My mind was made up.
If we're talking about "might", then this one is clearly the lesser risk.

　I turned to the captain of the pirate ship and said.

Marina, there's a place I'd like you to go before we head for Sahagin's hideout.