By the time we arrived at the Jugurin Branch School after nearly two hours of driving south, we were all exhausted. Sugiura was having a seafood barbecue, so we were grateful for the food. The way he prepared the fish and shellfish was quite a noble thing to do.
　When I asked her if the reason she had caught so many fish and shellfish was because of the activities of the fishermen, Sugiura shook her head and said, 'I caught them myself. Come to think of it, she was a Scylla. The bottom half of her body is an octopus, and it seems she is a good swimmer.

　Anyway, it's fresh seafood. The school trip schedule said that this kind of meal was supposed to be served on the night of the fourth day, but it was transferred to this world before I could get it. Okumura, Saruwatari and others are gobbling it up.
　Kyousuke is also eating, but behind him, Rin is looking at him with an eye on the tiger to eat off (........). He is a complete scavenger. He grabbed the shells that had gone down his throat before they fell off and got sandy, and when he beckoned Rin to join him, she happily crawled over and began to eat the shells.

''Hi, Himemizu-san...''

　Sakuma gave a drawn-out smile.

''Rin, dude, what happened to your dignity as a human being.......''
What?　Are you trying to tell me that I look like a dog?
No, I mean the dog.... It's a triangular corner.
I haven't heard you call me that in a long time!

　Well, I hope he's happy.

Or do you want some, Sacchan?　'Kyousuke-kun's Eating Out'
What? You're sure?
Sakuma, I don't want you to be in a triangle too, but...

　Saying so, Kyousuke hands the fish through his throat to Sakuma, since he looked too greedy for it.
　Even though Kyousuke doesn't have any saliva, as expected, it's awkward to hand her something that has been chewed. As for the shrimp and shellfish, which I want to enjoy the texture, I decided to actively release them to Rin.

''It kind of diminishes the flavor a bit, doesn't it?''
Hey. It's strange. Maybe tastes have a soul, too.

　Rin said as she digested the shrimp. The scene was watched by Hakuba as he pecked at the crab.

''What's this scene that I'm not quite sure if I'm envious or not...''
Adolescence.
'Spitting out your own food and making the girls eat it?　I would have liked to see a more innocent youth.

　It was said as if Kyousuke's youth was a dingy one, but there was no particular way to deny it.

''Hey guys, good luck on your quest.''

　At such a table, Ryuzaki walks over with Benii and Goubayashi. Walking around with a bundle of papers in one hand is now all over the board.

''Ryuzaki, how's the work on the heavy cruiser going?''
'Just in case. Kurumori and Tentahara have done most of the internal work, and it will be sunset in a little over two hours. We'll continue the work tomorrow.

　Once the internal refurbishment is complete, the outer caterpillar unit will be removed. This will be done in the sea by the Fishermen, but the sea is dark and unstable at night. They decided to concentrate on tomorrow's daytime.
　Goubayashi still has his arms crossed, and I don't know what he's thinking about, but Benii can't hide his frustration. Every once in a while, he would grind his teeth together.

'I read the report from Sakuma. I read the report from Sakuma, the human troopers, the fishermen called Sahagin, and then there's Kaoruko.

　Sakuma nodded.

'First of all, I'm going to talk about the tangents, but Serena's notes mentioned something about fishmen. There are three types of fishmen in this world, and the merman and sahagin live in the relatively shallow waters. Of these, the Sahagin is the one with the rough and aggressive nature.

　Earlier, Welkano, the leader of the caravan, had mentioned the term "merman nation."
　In other words, the merman are a fish race that can have friendly relations with humans. The Sahagin are the opposite.

'The fish dwellers are Gilman, right? Can't you communicate with them?
'I don't know. Gilman lives in the deep sea, so not much research has been done on them. The Sahagin and Merman are a direct descendant of the 'sea kings' who ruled this sea in the past, and the Sahagin and Merman are a close cousin of the 'sea kings', or perhaps a race whose blood has been diluted.
It's the same with Dragon Newt. I heard that a dragon faced species like you, Draco Face, is a direct descendant of the Dragon King that existed in the past.

　Sakuma put in a capture. They all nodded, 'Heh.

　"King of ***" is a name that comes up from time to time in the process of trying to learn more about this world. The Dragon King, the King of Beasts, and the King of Life are closely related to the countries and cultures on the continent, so we often hear about them, but this is the first time I've heard of the "King of the Sea".
　It sounds like a terrific existence, but it doesn't exist in this world anymore.

I'm sure the Sahagin's territory is probably in the waters around here. There's a possibility of an attack here too, but........ Well, I guess it's best not to stay here for too long.
'If you're a closely related species, you might want to bump a fish dwelling once.

　Ryuzaki flipped through one more document.

'As for Kaoruko, I need to explain the situation to him now. I'm going to ask Asuka and Sakuma to do that.

　Beni nodded with a grim face. It wouldn't simply be for the simple reason that he was in a bad mood.
　Koganei has been kidnapped, and Washio is dead. Kaoru doesn't know that yet. And that the reason for this is none other than Benii Asuka. It's probably because they are such good friends that they are hesitant to talk about it.

''It's okay, Asuka.''

　Sakuma smiled and told Benii so with a smile.

''I'll talk with you too. Right?
'Yeah..... Thanks.

　Only when she told him that did Beni stop snapping his teeth and made a slight smile.
　Hakuba, touched by the pure friendship between the two maidens, was sobbing with large tears running down his face. Sarutoyo also held her mouth and moistened her eyes as she muttered, ''It's youth.......'' They looked like they were having a pretty good time in life.

'So, Ryuzaki. What are you going to do about the troopers, fatty?
I'm going to go talk to him directly.

　To Okumura's question, Ryuzaki answered simply.

'I'll be taking Asuka, Goubayashi and Sakuma with me. I'll also take Nekomiya as an emergency recuperator.

　Nekomiya Miya's (Ket Shih) shadow magic, which uses the target's shadow as a resource, will be most effective in the time to come. It would be a reasonable choice.

''Can I go too?''
"Kyousuke-kun?

　Seeing Kyousuke raise his hand, Rin makes a surprised sound.

''I don't mind. What's wrong?
'No, I don't mean anything deep. Do you want to go too, Rin?
No. I'm training for saltwater. Go ahead.

　What's the special training to withstand seawater, Kyousuke thought, but he didn't go into it deeply.

'All right. Utsurogi is a skeleton staff member, you know. Certainly, it's better to have him get a first-hand account of the situation.
I didn't know that nickname was still valid...

　Ryuzaki said with a smile, and Kyousuke replied with mixed feelings.




　After that, they all once again went to the beach where the troop merchants were anchored. While many merchants are looking distantly at us with quizzical gazes, Ryuzaki greets Mr. Welkano. It's still good for Ryuzaki, but the intimidation of Goubayashi, who stands behind him with his arms crossed, is amazing.
　Although that Mr. Welcano is the one who organizes the troop business, that maritime caravan would not be a one-man system by Mr. Welcano. He should have talked with the young merchants in the past few hours to get their opinions together, but looking at their attitude, the attitude of the other side might not be so good after all.

　As for Ryuzaki's talk with Mr. Welkano, well, there will be a lot of things to talk about.
　The main thing will be his request to accompany the human caravan as they set off for Albadamba from now on, but if they are found to be merchants, the conversation will not be limited to that. There are a lot of things they would like to do with their help, such as transporting caterpillar units that currently have to be disposed of, or buying materials.
　Moreover, although this would be a difficult request, there is also what Benii calls "human blood".

　When it came to the stage of full-scale negotiations, Ryuzaki was to talk to Mr. Welcano one-on-one. Kyousuke and others accompanying him had to leave their seats.

'Then in the meantime, Benii and Sakuma should talk to Kaoruko.

　Goubayashi said as he crossed his arms on the sandy beach.

'You may find it hard to talk to us, or any of the other merchants for that matter, with their eyes on you. I'll pay the man off.'

　Compared to his size, he is a man with such attention to detail. It's not like he's an exorcist, or in the case of Goubayashi, he's just standing there with his arms crossed and a normal person wouldn't freak out and approach him, so, well, it's a good thing.
　As soon as Kyousuke and the others returned to this beach, they were going to talk to Mr. Welcano, so Benii and Goubayashi hadn't spoken to Kaoru yet. He seems to be keeping a vigilance as an escort himself, while having the Imps, Sahagin and the others that he followed using the 《Magical Eye of Enchantment (Temptation Eye)》 to keep an eye on the surroundings.

'Yeah, okay........ Thanks, Goubayashi-kun.

　Sakuma nodded at that and went to find Kaoru, pulling Benii's hand. Lately, one often sees Sakuma becoming aggressive towards Benii. Two-facedness, it's not so extreme as it sounds, but the sight of Sakuma Shoko, who was originally reclusive, pulling the hand of the class queen, is a bit amusing to watch.

'As I said, I'm going to keep an eye on Sakuma and the other merchants to keep them away from the other merchants while they're talking, but what about you two?　Do you want to stand guard with me?
I'll pass.

　Goubayashi's words are answered by Ket-Chi's Nekomiya in a theatrical tone.

''I feel like I'm suffocating beside you. Where's Utsurogi?
'I didn't come here for any other purpose. I don't mind staying with Goubayash.

　Kyousuke looked around the beach in a circle.
　The carcasses of the Sahagin from the earlier battle had been cleaned up. Perhaps the merchants are sleeping on a sailing ship. There are no facilities on the sandy beach where humans can stay. However, what looked like a cargo was packed up in one place and a small girl was seen inspecting it.
　A young girl with brown skin. I saw her earlier. Her name's Remy.

You mind if I do? Come on, hook up.

　Looking up at Kyousuke, Nekomiya Miya said.

'Do you mind?'
This caravan lifestyle. The way of life of this caravan, how people live in this fantasy world. If you're living in a normal life, you don't have many opportunities to find out how people live in this kind of fantasy world.

　Come to think of it, even when he was in the Knight's Kingdom, Kyousuke had a memory of the Nekomiya walking around all over the royal palace. Is it not because of the drama club? It's probably because he has a curious personality to begin with.

''........Curiosity kills the cat.''
Don't make such a funny joke. So, Goubayasi, I and Utsurogi are just hanging out in the area.
Hmm, okay.

　Before Kyousuke could show his approval, Nekomiya proceeded to talk about it aggressively. Well, there is no particular reason for Kyousuke to refuse, so I don't mind if I say I don't mind.

''Even so, Nekomiya, they're also wary of us, so I don't think we can do the interview.

　Kyousuke said as he looked off the back of Goubayashi. The thing is, from the side, in the form of Ouga following the back of the two beauties, so I'm wondering if it's not quite a suspicious sight.

Then you can look around on your own. Oh, you're wary of me asking you to go out with me?　I don't have the bad taste to sleep with someone else's lover, indeed.
'Well, I'm not alarmed or smug.... I do like cats, though.

　Nekomiya Miya is a black cat wearing boots. When he is in a good mood, he walks with his signature key tail pinned up.
　Kyousuke has lived in a relatively small world within the school. A small world, in other words, a world where there was only Kyousuke, Ei and Koganei. In some cases, he would talk to Sakuma in the space of the library, but even so, there were less than five people he needed for his school life.

　Since he was such a Kyousuke, it was quite a surprise to him that he had been exchanging words with various classmates for almost two months now. After talking to them, I found out that 'I'm not as neglected as I thought,' but I'm not good at one-on-one conversations because the type like Nekomiya subtly fumbles with the distance.

　The young merchants watch warily as Skelton and Ket Shi walk along the beach. However, it would have been more accurate to say that they are just about to pull up to the sailing ship before the sun goes down, too, and are slipping away rather quickly.

There are still people working on it, aren't there? And there are some very young girls too.
Yeah, her name is Remy. He said he met Kaoruko first.

　Remy was just checking out the tars and crates laid out on the beach, one by one, with papers in hand. Men exchanged words with Remy as they passed by, carrying the crates and tars into the sailing boat.
　A brown-skinned girl. She would be about thirteen or four years old. Her ears are popping out of her head. The shape reminds me of a Koganei (high elf), or maybe she's an elf too?

'Hi.'

　Nekomiya goes to talk to him, seemingly unafraid to speak to him. The man who was about to speak to Remy found himself jerkily distancing himself from him.
　Remy doesn't seem particularly frightened, and he just gives a small bail.

'You're getting worked up. What are you doing here?
I'm just checking the cargo.

　That's what Remy said, but he seemed to have a slightly different impression from when I saw him earlier. Just a few hours ago, she would have been wearing clothes that looked like a sack of shrapnel, but now she's looking a bit more stylish.

''That's Kaoruko's sense of style.''

　Nekomiya said in a whisper.

''(Yes, I guess I got eaten by a fashion check.)''

　Fashion checking is a hobby of Kaoruko's. His motto is "We Are On Stage," and with that as a premise, he is particularly strict with girls. In short, he tells them, "You were born a woman, so you should be prettier! So Kaoruko, who was creeped out at first, had become the fashion leader of the class by the end of two months.

　There was no way she could get beautiful clothes on this uninhabited beach, so I wonder if she got her hands on some of the merchandise.



　Apparently it was the right thing to do. His voice was a bit strained, perhaps embarrassed by his unfamiliar clothes.

'There's a load that gets thrown away. What a waste.
'I think it's due to the currents, but there are quite a few loads of other caravans that were sunk in the storm that come ashore. What I do is check them. I check to see which merchant association the cargo belongs to and what it contains. Some of the shipments are from merchant associations that have been wiped out, so if I want something from them, I have to auction it off. The rules are also complicated, such as checking properly and paying part of the proceeds to the guild and the bereaved families when they return.
You're a hard worker.

　Kyousuke also let out a voice as if he was impressed.

　It seems that this maritime caravan was formed by the investment of several merchant associations belonging to the Continental Southern Chamber of Commerce Guild. Remy was accompanied on this trip as a newcomer to the Welcano Chamber of Commerce. And since this was at the moment, it can only be described as really bad luck!

The other thing we need is the sahagin that you all killed. Sahagin stingers are popular in the towns by the sea as a talisman against evil, and their scales are traded for materials, so we divided up this area among the remaining trade associations.

　The natural softness has returned to the words, slightly, as if it's becoming more and more fun to explain. But then Remy suddenly spun his mouth and spun around and looked back at Kyousuke and the others. Even with Skeleton and Ket Shi in front of him, he didn't look too frightened.

''That skeleton person over there is the one who killed Sahagin earlier, right?
Uh-huh.
One question. Why did you decide to help us?

　That's a question Kyousuke isn't good at. ''Isn't it natural to help people in need?'' was something I couldn't say to myself. Kyousuke was unsure of how to answer it, but soon afterwards he realized that the answer itself was off the mark in the first place.

''It's true that the Sahagin are a ferocious and hard-to-communicate race. But I don't understand why you all attacked the Sahagins instead of us. I'm sure you'll find that if this area is the Sahagin's territory, then we are the ones who are destroying it.

　Indeed, it is. I didn't realize it until I was told.
　Kyousuke and the others think of themselves as humans. Even though their appearance has changed, they're still human at heart. These days, there are fewer and fewer students who utter the usual 'I'm not a person, though' extrapersonal joke. Well, like Rin, there are not a few odd people who claim to be human and yet act in ways that humans can never imitate, but still, the mentality of each of them has not changed much since they were human.

　I just knew that it would be extremely difficult to explain it in words. I wondered if it was appropriate to lightly talk about the ridiculous idea that we were originally human, but in fact, we were transmigrants (trippers).

''Well, I don't think we really care what part of our territory it is or whose territory it is,''

　Nekomiya utters the words that are just barely false.

'Really?　Kaoru-san is the same, but you all smell too human...
What about that Remy? His ears are so pointy.
Oh, yes. I'm half-elf. I just don't know who my parents are.

　Easily, he confessed the shocking truth.

''I was sold to a slave trader in the Zelga Gladiatorial Principality. There was also monster trading there, and many individuals were trained in the art of talking, so I wasn't too surprised when I saw you all.
You've had a pretty hard life.
'It's just that you all seem to have a distinctly different mindset than the monsters I saw there... Well, that's all.

　The Zelga Gladiatorial Duchy is a country located east across the Grand Canal from the Southern Kingdom of Pirika. Because it is protected by the steep peaks of the Beast King's mountain range to the north, it is a country where the rule of the empire does not reach directly. Against the backdrop of such circumstances, it is also the only country on the continent where slave trading is currently sanctioned.
　In a manner of speaking, since it was a place that would not be snatched by the currently assumed route of progress, I was never that deeply conscious of it.

'Oi, Remy, come over here for a minute!

　At that point, Remy was loudly called out to the other merchants.

'Ah, yes!　I'll be right there, sir!　Now, if you'll excuse me.

　Bowing his head, Remy ran down the beach. Left behind, Nekomiya asked Kyousuke as he looked at the crate Remy had been checking out earlier.

'What do you think?'
'There's quite a bit of information coming in, and I'm not sure which one you're asking about.
Well, that sums it up. What do you think?

　After being told, Kyousuke thinks about it.

I guess the thing that bothers me the most is that we're an amazingly bizarre group of people from a human perspective.
'Well, it was obvious. Serena said it too.

　A sense of discomfort that inevitably arises because they are monsters in form, but their mentality remains human. When you interact with humans, you can't help but feel this. Looking at the attitudes of those merchants, they are still 'monsters'.

So, Nekomiya. What did you think?
Me?　Me?　Hmmm, yeah.

　Nekomiya Mimi pondered with a theatrical gesture, waving her key tail like a metronome.

'She's half human, and besides, she's not afraid of monsters, so it occurred to me that if I asked, I could make Benii (the Queen) drink her blood.

　It's like a good idea, or a stray idea, or something like that. No, this is a bad one.

''I mean, is the story about Benii being bloodthirsty already that famous...''
I don't think everyone knows about it. I'm sure he doesn't want to hide it too much.

　We talk about it like it's a joke, but as a practical matter, I'm worried about Beni. From the looks of it, there are a lot of humans in this caravan, and it would be best if they would donate their blood, but it would be hard to demand that, even in a mental image sense.

''Beni, you don't attack people when you can't stand it anymore, do you?
The Queen?　You're right, she's not that unclassy, she is.

　That Beni should be talking to Sakuma and Kaoruko right now. Hopefully the conversation with his best friend will help him regain some composure.




'You're looking good, Kaoru.
You too, Asuka.

　A word of confirmation that he was safe was all that was needed. Beni wasn't the type to say more words than necessary, and for that matter, Kaoru, while chatty, wasn't the type to go on and on about foolish things. After exchanging the bare minimum of words, there was nothing in particular to be said by either of them, and Sakuma had no intention of saying anything unnecessary.

　There was a lot more to talk about than that.
　Sakuma gave Benii a look, and when she nodded, he began to speak to Kaoru, one by one, first in order.

　That Koganei had been taken away, that she had made her first contact with human forces, that she had converted a heavy cruiser into a mobile branch school.

　That Washio was dead.
　That Beni was a vampire before the transition.
　That this trip was orchestrated by Benii's blood family.

　Kaoru didn't interrupt in the middle, but listened carefully to each one of them, and then finally, quietly nodded.

'Yes, to Koganei-kun, Washio-kun...'
I'm sorry. I know it might be hard for you to take it all in at once, but...
It's okay, Sachi. You've done a great job so far.

　Kaoru smiled gently and gently stroked Sakuma's silver hair. Immediately after, she turns her gaze towards Benii.
　Benii's eyes narrowed slightly. With his arms crossed, he took a deep breath, uncrossed his arms, and slowly lowered his head to Kaoru.

''I'm sorry, too. I'm sorry, Kaoru. You and Sachi, if you could...
It's just,

　Kaoru pressed his index finger to Benii's mouth as he looked up.

''This isn't the right time to say that. Asuka, tacky?''
Yes.
Well, I'd be lying if I said I didn't care about it. But it was a chance to say goodbye to myself. Besides, if anyone has something to be angry about, it's not you. Do you?

　This is the kind of man Kaoru Okuma is. He's a man, though there may be a bit of a problem in deciding that he's a man. Deep down, Sakuma was glad to be Kaoru's friend, and that was probably true for Benii as well. Benii looked around a bit as if he was concerned about his surroundings, and then suddenly let out a breath.

''Haha...!
Asuka?

　He made sure that no one was there. As it is, Beni sits down on the beach. Needless to say, she is dressed in a sailor suit. She gets sand on her skirt, but she doesn't show any signs of being bothered.

'I'm tired of being uptight, I'm tired.... It's ridiculous to be so cool in front of you two...''
What?　Ears in the walls, ants in the shoji, eyes in the shoji?
It's not a good time...

　Beni gives a bitter smile.
　Right now, Goubayashi is in full throttle, exorcising people and being vigilant at the same time, so it's safe to say that there's no chance of actually seeing this scene from the outside.

It's a good thing that we are the only ones who can see it. I'm sure you're not the only one who's interested in this, but don't forget that we're not the only ones who are in your company. It's also the two cronies.
"Ah, Harui and Snake Hill...
Even those girls, from the bottom of their hearts, think of Asuka as a friend. They would be shocked if you are hiding things from them, so you should follow up on them properly.

　Kaoru's words are kind, but what he's saying is harsh. Indeed, after the one incident of Benii's confession, Harui and Snake Mound became just a little bit distant to her. Perhaps it's because everyone is good at mending the surface, but very few students are able to notice that trivial difference.
　Nothing is limited to Harui and Snakezuka, but what bothered Sakuma the most as he watched was still the slight rift that had developed between these two and Benii.

''Yeah, I'll do my best...''

　Beni nodded clearly after a slight hesitation.

'Hmm, good reply. And Asuka. I'm already curious about this one, can I ask you something?
I'll answer anything. What?
There was a brief mention of it. Phase Two and Three. Do you have one of those?
'Oh...'

　Benii looked at Kaoru, sitting in a gymnasium on the beach, and then at Sakuma.

'Right. This is a good time to tell you. From what I've heard, Kaoru has already awakened to his Phase 2 abilities.'
Oh, yeah.
'To begin with, I've concluded that a whore has only one Phase 2 ability, in theory.

　The fact that he deliberately refused to say, whore's, would still mean that Incubus and Succubus are the same species. In other words, that also involved Sakuma's Phase 2 ability. Up until now, Sakuma Shoko had been reading the various materials accumulated in the class, but she had hardly looked at anything written about whores.

　She knew why, even she knew why.

''《Brainwashing Enhancement》, I think it was. Someone who enhances the ability of mental interference in general. It's thanks to this that Kaoru was able to use the Incubus's "Enchantment" ability to make allies regardless of gender or race.
'Really. So that's what Sachi's Phase 2 ability is, then?

　''Yeah,'' said Benii, nodding, and then, a little hesitantly, he continued.

''But Sachi never used 《Saturation》 in the first place, so the issue is before that...''

　It's not that I'm pissed off. I'm not being stunned. Asuka Beni Asuka is simply stating the facts in a matter-of-fact manner.

　But it sticks deep into Sakuma's large chest.
　Since it's called a succubus, he should be able to use his race ability, 《Fascination》. But Sakuma had never used it.
　Everyone in the class is slowly waking up to the Phase 2 ability. In such a situation, I'm the only one who doesn't seem to be able to use Phase 2, and I've never used that prerequisite ability in the first place, Arisada.

'(It's better to use it, I guess...)

　As he listened to the conversation between Beni and Kaoru, Sakuma thought of a certain boy.