Welkano returns to the sailing ship after finishing his business meeting with the dragoneut, who calls himself Ryuzaki. The survivors of the caravan crowd him with a difficult look on their faces.
　The maritime caravan of eight sailing ships now has only one ship left. Most of the survivors are young merchants, most of them inexperienced. They looked at Welkano and asked him verbally.

'Captain, what's going on?'
So you've taken their offer after all?

　Welcano nodded silently with his staff in hand.

　By Renchu, of course, I mean the monster army supposedly led by that Drago Newt. The incubus named Okama, who stayed in this caravan for a while and took on the task of escorting me from Sahagin and the others, is also apparently a member of that legion.
　Welkano, as president of the Welkano Chamber of Commerce, has also traveled across various countries in the southern part of the continent. The southern part of the continent has more countries, especially compared to other regions, and it has such a diverse culture. In particular, the Dragon King Worship Culture in the southwest and the Beast King Worship Culture in the southeast were very tolerant of non-human species, and there were often countries and regions that had developed friendships with monsters.

　But even so, it was still an extraordinary situation to have such a diverse group of monster species speaking human language and being led by a single army. It can be said that the reason why many merchants are wary of them is because of their unknowability.

''What the hell are those guys.......what the hell are they?
I don't know.

　He quietly shook his head at the words of one of the merchants.

　Naturally, Welkano also asked Ryuzaki about it. He wondered what kind of gathering you guys are and what your purpose is.
　According to Ryuzaki's words, they are a group of monsters who have had to move as one because of the way things happened, and they are aiming for the eastern forest to achieve the goal of all of them. It's a dense forest that stretches further east of the eastern end of the continent and the Duchy of Soleil.

　Probably, he wasn't lying. Welkano had a gut feeling when he heard those words. But he wouldn't be telling the truth, either. There are some circumstances that cannot be told here.
　But even if those circumstances were discounted, the offer of Ryuzaki and the others was something for which the maritime caravan was grateful. With all the adventurers hired as guards having been swept away, it's not a good idea to have a single hand to fight a dangerous voyage. The distance from this sandy beach, derived from the position of the moon and stars, to the United Maritime State of Albadamba is quite long. There are sahagins in the surrounding waters, and even if not, the sea is full of dangers. Kraken, Sea Serpents, and pirates. In order to protect your ship and your goods from these things, you need to have a fighting force.

'Captain, I understand your feelings, but it's still dangerous.

　The young merchant said this with an open air of frustration.

'Even the chairman knows about it. 'You know the stories of those people who call themselves Red Moons or something like that, who have been raiding the continent.'
And what does that have to do with Ryuzaki-dono?
Are you sure it's not there?

　When asked like that, Welkano couldn't argue with that.

''Even though the Chamber of Commerce Guild is given relatively free rein, its headquarters are in the Imperial territory of Alcarg. If we get stared at by the Empire poorly, it's a matter of...''

　We are well aware of the risks. If we were to play it safe, the best thing to do after this would be to advance the ship along the seafront and head north to get protection from the Furnand Dragon Knight Kingdom.
　But once we've formed a caravan, moved our ships and hired adventurers, there's a lot of money in play. If we turn back here, we won't be able to make a single penny of sales while paying that much money, and we will have a huge deficit. The young merchants here will eventually hang themselves.

　They have no choice but to move forward. And as they move forward, they will have to hire guards.

　Most importantly, they don't ask for money as compensation.

If you say you know how it feels, then I know what you're talking about.

　Welkano sat down on the crate and said, "But we are already in a jam.

But we are in a dead-end situation. If we don't move forward, even if it means taking a few risks, we won't be able to connect our necks.

　In the end, those words are all that matters. The safety measures that can be taken at the moment do not open up prospects.
　These merchants would not be so stupid as to fail to understand that. The emotional side, or the instinctive side that controls the sense of danger. It is the influence of these aspects that is so strong that they want to deny Ryuzaki and his men.
　Probably, even without Welcano here, someone would have arrived at the same conclusion, and would have been choked up like this.

　By the looks of it, it seems better not to talk about the other stories that Ryuzaki has told, though.

　There were three things he demanded in return for his escort.
　One was that he would guarantee their custody against the other side when they entered the port of Albadamba.
　The first was that they would be required to prepare the necessary materials and transport them to the southeastern part of the continent designated by Ryuzaki.
　And lastly, they would be asked to donate a non-lethal amount of human blood.

　The first suggestion was drunk. As for the second proposal, I told him that it would not be impossible if money were to be exchanged again.
　As for the third proposal, I declined it.

"Besides, captain, that storm we were in...

　Welkano's eyes narrowed as he was told that.

You remember. That storm he caused. Wasn't he part of the Red Moon?

　The memory of a few days before had flashed through my mind.

　The sky had been clear and sunny, but suddenly dark clouds had rolled in and rain and wind had swept over the caravan. The sea was raging incessantly, and the tidal waves were hitting the ships from the side. As a result, a number of merchant ships capsized, with only Welkano's ship barely surviving.
　Welkano and the others saw the demon floating in the air during the storm. A muscular physique with its entire body covered in black armor. The sallow skin and cropped hair. Blood-colored twin eyes and sharp canine teeth peeking out of his mouth. It was indeed similar to the Redmoon's gang that was reported to have a very similar appearance.

'Whatever it is,'

　Welcano opened his mouth again.

'We must move forward, the story remains the same. Even if they are part of the Redmoon crew, and by extension, that man in armor who plunged our maritime caravan into destruction.

　Ultimately, the conclusion remains the same.

'We will not accept any further discussion on this matter. Their ship will be finished repairing itself the day after tomorrow. We will finish repairing our ship as well, and then we will leave for Albadamba.

　If there were at least two ships, only those who wanted to could be sent back through the Dragon Knight Kingdom.
　The words they uttered, Welkano is talking with all of them factored in. We have no choice but to take the risk and take it on now.

　If they are treating us with some kind of harmful intent, then there is nothing we can do about it.

　But if that was the case, Welcano thought, he would die with the young merchants on board the ship resenting him.




'Well, then, I'm going with those maritime caravans to the island nation of the example.
Yeah. At least I'm getting a sense that we're negotiating.

　After returning to the Heavy Duty Branch School, Kyousuke had such a conversation with Rin.

　After that, Ryuzaki gave a thumbs up and came back to Kyousuke and the others. The whole group was a little relieved. After that, they heard the details of the negotiations from Ryuzaki's mouth, and after reuniting for a while with Kaoruko, they returned to the heavy duty branch school.
　It was already dark around us, and there were fires burning everywhere on the beach. Listening to the sound of rippling waves, students are taking a moment to relax. Some of the students are planning to sleep on the beach for the night instead of at the branch school.

''However, it seems that they have refused to donate blood to Benii after all.
Yeah, that's true.

　Rin nodded.

'But were you okay, Beni-san?　It's like, you know, a thing, right?　I'm frustrated, I mean....
Do I sound like a drunk or a drunkard?
''f*ck it!　Kyousuke, even though I was the one who chose the words for you!

　Rin Himemizu bounces with her whole body while pouting. Slime motion is also on the board.

'Benii has calmed down since talking to Sakuma and Kaoruko.
'Oh, I see. Good.

　Rin said, sounding truly relieved. The slime doesn't have an expression, but lately, Kyousuke had been able to read her emotions, which are pretty much her emotions. Is it a guy who is used to it? You can somehow understand the minute nuances that are put into every word and the rhythm of the way the body bounces around.
　As I watched the scene, I suddenly asked, "Hey, Rin, can you ask me something like this?

"Hey Rin, I don't know if I should ask this kind of question.
What is it?　What do you say?
No..... I just thought it was rude.

　He wondered if Rin had any close friends, like himself, Ei and Koganei, or Benii, Sakuma and Kaoruko. But it seemed somewhat delirious to ask that out loud.
　That's what I said, but Rin's lips were blatantly pointed. To be precise, she took a gesture that made them pointed.

I'm not sure if that's a good idea, but I think it's a bad idea. Well, what do you say?
No, I'm just wondering who Rin is, that kind of friend that you feel comfortable talking to.
Uh, me?　There aren't too many in my class. It's a good idea to have a few of them. I'm not too worried about my own mental instability.
''I see. Rin is so strong........

　As I sit on the sandy beach, I look at the bonfire in front of me. It's a curious sight, since the skeleton and the slime, lit by the flames, are just talking on the beach at night. Kyousuke has gotten used to it, but this is also a sight that would probably make his brow wrinkle if he showed it to Welkano or Remy.
　What Remy had said to him also bothered him a bit. At times like this, it's comforting to know that I can confide in someone, even if it's a trivial matter, and talk to them about it. Rin is strong because she says she's fine with having very little of that.

''........Hey, Kyousuke-kun.

　Rin vaguely called out Kyousuke's name.

''Hmm, what's up?''
...or nothing.
What's that? Tell me what you have to say.

　It's not like her to stammer out something.

It's not like her to be stagnant about something. On the beach at night, watching a bonfire and talking with each other....it should be romantic....
'Uh....'

　Apparently, he was thinking the same thing.

"(Romantic, huh?)

　Skeletons and slime don't have the same mood, but I still think that Rin thinks about those things too.

　Before I knew it, myself and Rin had become friends, calling each other by name. No, it's not since that time when we did the EX Combine; some wanted to say something about their relationship, others didn't seem interested in it at all.

　Kyousuke had been born for 17 years now. He had never had a lover.
　There were always a certain number of people who would say, as if it were a joke, that Ei Hino is the same, but well, let's put that aside.

　It's something I've never had before, so I don't know how to make a lover.

　To put it bluntly, I think Rin likes, I think she likes herself.
　But she didn't say 'I like you' or 'please go out with me'. She is just showing an attitude of favoritism, somehow. Since he didn't have her say it clearly, Kyousuke is left feeling quite, quite uneasy.

　Himemizu Rin was originally a girl who was cheerful and kind to everyone.
　Because it was such a Rin, that's why Koganei had taken a liking to her in the beginning.

　As Kyousuke, who has a bitter experience from his junior high school days, he has developed a habit of always suspecting that this kind of thing is a 'creepy misunderstanding of a nekkid bastard'.

''Ah, it's okay. Kyousuke-kun.

　As Kyousuke was thinking in agony, Rin said something like that.

''I'm just too embarrassed to say it either.
Oh, yeah?

　Still, ''So, is Rin my girlfriend now?'' It was Kyousuke who couldn't ask.




'Hola, go, Sachi!
'Ew, ew. Wait, wait a minute...

　There is a shadow watching over Kyousuke and his friends from a little distance.

　It's Sakuma Shoko and Okuma Kaoru. A succubus and an incubus, a truly lewd combination, but the sight of the incubus pushing the succubus back makes them look like a brother and sister (or sisters) who are just as close. The actual situation was similar, too.
　There was naturally a reason why Kaoru was pushing Sakuma's back from earlier.

　Sakuma is now behind the wheel. To put it bluntly, it's about love.

　It's not clear if it's as certain as "love interest", but Sakuma Shoko has been aware of Soraki Kyousuke since her human days. She had been, but since Kyousuke had come here, he had been hanging out with Himemizu Rin more and more, and the distance between them had decreased dramatically.
　To be honest, it was probably one of those things that caught him off guard. In the human era, there were no girls who had feelings for Kyousuke, and in that sense, it was completely Sakuma's exclusive market. After coming here, Sakuma became a succubus and Rin became a slime, but in the end, that did not work to Sakuma's advantage at all. It was Sakuma's own fault for not taking advantage during his human days.

　Is my feelings that aren't that dull, or is it due to my poor and juvenile attitude towards the romantic side of things? Nevertheless, I felt 'jealous' of Rin, and felt frustrated that I couldn't do anything about it.

　Kaoru is pushing Sakuma back because if he doesn't do it quickly, he'll lose even the chance to recover.

'You know, Sachi, from the looks of it, Rin isn't even confessing her love for you.

　Kaoru said.

'Not that I do, I guess.... But those two are definitely already lovers.........

　And before you know it, we've even gotten to the point where we're calling each other by name. Probably not a win-win situation if I get on board now. I'm jealous of them, and if I could, I'd want to be in that kind of relationship myself, but.
　On the day we left the old castle, I told Kyousuke 'I'll do my best,' but I don't know how to do my best.

　But Kaoru said.

''But those two are in high school, you know?
...Kaoru-chan isn't?
'High school students don't understand the difference between the bewildering atmosphere of being in a relationship or not being in a relationship. Okay?　If you don't verbalize 'I'm going out with you' or 'I love you,' you won't be able to recognize the fact that you are in a relationship. In other words, Sachi, if you say 'I love you' from the side, you can regain the advantage at once.
'And if you say no to me, I'm not going to get over it for a minute...'

　Incubus and succubus, by the way, have a race ability called "Temptation". It's the ability to turn an opponent's favor toward you and make them do what you say. Kaoru seemed to have mastered it completely, and had even gone so far as to accompany Imps, Sahagin and others. Even now, he's even showing up over here, leaving the caravan's guards to the monsters that accompany them.
　But Sakuma hasn't used any of those abilities for nearly two months since he was reincarnated as a succubus.

''No, Sachi, haven't you [charmed] it yet?　You've become a succubus now, so we have to get this over with.'

　How far did you go with the boy you're dating?　With a flirtation like that, Kaoru accused me of giggling.

　He hadn't been able to fully exercise the succubus' abilities, which meant that there was still room for him to contribute to the class. In addition, the whore's Phase 2 ability was related to 《Satisfaction》, and as long as she couldn't use 《Satisfaction》, she couldn't even reach Phase 2.
　Even now, Sakuma was still able to contribute to the class as a combatant. However, Kaoru Okuma can probably contribute more than Sakuma does. In addition to the same magical abilities as Sakuma, these monsters were accompanied by the use of "Enchantment". If he could give free direction to Imps, Sahagin, and others, the class's performance would greatly improve.
　If he was thinking about the class, Sakuma should also quickly master the "Charm". However, using "Charm" on an opponent he doesn't particularly like is somehow different, and he has been unable to use it until now.

　But, however.

　However, isn't it kind of unfair to use "charm" on the person you want to attract? That thought is certainly in Sakuma's mind. Additionally, Kyousuke is on good terms with Rin. Forcing her to use the succubus' ability to turn it into an interest in him is, how can I say it, still not a good thing.
　Of course, the effect of 《Enchantment》 is only temporary, and the degree of the effect can be adjusted. Even after hearing that, Sakuma still couldn't bring himself to use his power on Kyousuke.

　And so, Sakuma Shoko is now goofing off like this.

''........I guess I should use 《Saturation》 after all.

　When Sakuma said that, Kaoru shrugged his shoulders.

'Well?　I've never used it to drop someone I'm interested in. And even if you do use it, the effect is only temporary.
But I don't like the idea of "charming" someone I don't like...
Well, that's a matter of personal preference. A confession of love like "I love you" is not so different from "attraction" after all. If you confess your love, the other person will look at you temporarily, but whether they like you too is up to you.

　'Hmm,' said Kaoru, stretching widely.

'I'll go back to the caravan and take over the watch, but you'll have to work hard too, okay?
Uh, yeah...
Bye.

　Kaoru Okama spread his wings and disappeared into the darkness of the night. Sakuma clenched his fists and looked at Kyousuke and the others again.
　Beside Kyousuke is Himemizu Rin. Being a skeleton and a slime, there didn't seem to be any expression on her face, but the way she was talking to him looked like she was having a lot of fun. I'm not sure if there's really room for me to get in there.

　No, you can't just wonder if there is. You have to screw it up hard.

''Yo, alright........''

　Sakuma clenched his fists and walked towards Kyousuke and the others.

　I'm already far behind. If I can use 《Saturation》 to gain even a small advantage....... The feeling that this was the case was slowly winning. After all, when I saw Kyousuke and Rin talking so well together, I was envious.
　It's not that I'm going to make them fall in love with me permanently. I'm just going to turn my interest to myself, just a little bit. It's not that I don't have a bad aftertaste, I don't have to do it anymore, and I'm not thinking of turning the favor of Rin to myself from the root. That's right, just a little bit, narrowing down the effect of the 《Enchantment》.......

''Huh...?''

　Suddenly, Sakuma stopped and tilted his head.

''I wonder how they're going to squeeze the power out of it...''

　At that timing, Sakuma Shoko finally remembered that she had no idea how to use 《Enchantment》.

''........Should I ask Kaoru-chan to teach me how to use it and practice?




　A few days passed. The refurbishment of the Heavy Duty Branch went smoothly and the caterpillar unit was finally submerged into the sea. The engine motor was once again connected to the screw, and the Heavy Duty Vehicle Annex was floated out to sea. Kurumori, who built the caterpillar unit, looked a bit sentimental.
　With the fact that they were about to run over the sea, the flower garden, concerned about the salt damage, was impelled around the field. He also lowered a rope ladder from the tip of the boat to allow the fish-dwelling siblings to climb up and down.

　As we all boarded the branch school and waited for a while, a marine caravan of sailing boats drove over the sea from the north. As expected, they seemed surprised at the size of the heavy duty branch school here, as the scale of the ship was much different.

''Or rather, a sailing ship?''

　Kyousuke put a hand to his chin, as if remembering now.

'We can't sail without the wind, can we? What are we going to do?
If there's no wind, we'll wake him up.

　In the direction that Ryuzaki had pointed in, several students were talking face to face with each other.
　Harui Yuka (Harpy), Kannari Toriba (Thunderbird), Sarutoufuuta (Hanuman), and Karasumaru Yoshitsune (Karasuteng). At first glance, these four seem to have little in common, but all three except Kannari can use wind-attribute magic. Since Kannari can generate wind with his large wings, these four must be the ones who send the wind into the sails of the merchant ships.

''If there's such a difference in the size of the ships, it would have been nice to take care of some of the caravan's cargo.
I made that suggestion myself, but I guess they don't really trust me.

　The communication between the Heavy Duty Branch School and the merchant ships was to be done by Imps and other equipment that Kaoruko had in tow. Other than that, the aforementioned windbreakers and other flyable groups will also serve as liaison between the two ships, since they can travel freely between them.
　Of course, the majority of the caravan members are very wary of this one. It would not be wise to provoke them by allowing monsters to come and go as they please. It would be better to have a minimum number of liaison personnel waiting on the other side of the river, and have them change regularly.

　With the merchant ships leading the way, the heavy duty branch would continue onward through the sea. There are only a few hours left until we leave.

Oh, Ryuzaki. I'd like to talk to this Welkano guy about the passage soon.

　From the cabin, Gokubunigawara, who had recently been completely on board in the helmsman position, appeared. Ryuzaki nodded.

''Oh, is it that time already? I'll be on my way, just wait on deck for a moment.
Oh.

　The goblins walked out towards the deck with a flutter. Seeing a goblin who spoke as fluently as he did, Kyousuke thought that Welkano and the others would be surprised again, after all.

'Well then, Utsurogi. I'll see you later.'
Oh.

　Ryuzaki, too, was completely untouched as he headed toward the deck.

　Let's go to Rin, Kyousuke thought.
　After all, the distance between himself and her remained vague. Even over the past few days, it had been almost impossible to close it down. Partly because the work area was separate, and partly because of that.

　But Rin is now continuing the dubious act of 'training to get used to seawater' that she's been doing for a few days now. It's not good to interfere too much with that, so after all, should I go and see how Ei, who is about to sail, is completely groggy?
　That's when I turned my attention to the crew's room.

''Utsurogi-kun!
Hmm, Sakuma?

　When Kyousuke turned around, the owner of the familiar voice was standing there.

　Even though Sakuma was not preparing for battle right now, he was wearing the excessively low cloth area of the example, a bone-like outfit. It wasn't the usual neat and tidy dress that she had purchased at the Knight Kingdom's bazaar.
　It was unusual, and at the same time, this outfit of Sakuma's was a little bit difficult to see from the front. The way she shows a slightly squirming gesture reminds me of her right after the transition.

　Hakuba's words, "Big burst," flashed through my mind.

'Hey, hey, Utsurugi-kun.'
Oh, yeah?

　Sakuma Sachiko said this, her white skin slightly upturned.

'Can you look me in the eyes, my dear?