We're getting close to the mouth of the river.

　That's what Mr. Byrne told us after we survived the demon's attack.

We were surprised by the sudden attack of the demon, but we must brace ourselves to find out if the demon or the big fish are waiting for us in the open sea.

Yes.

　Mr. Byrne also seems to be wary that the demons from earlier were the harbinger of another encounter with the Megalo Whale.

'Don't worry!　If Lex's brother was here, there wouldn't be any problems!

Huh, he trusts you, boy.

　Maybe it was Gyro-kun's energy that gave him courage, or maybe it was his innocent trust in me that made him smile, but Mr. Byrne smiled.
　It looks like it would be better to keep Jairo-kun near Mr. Byrne after all.
　Even though I'm saying something, my legs are still pulling and trembling right now.

　No, no, come to think of it, he's had a terrible experience on this ship twice, but this confident attitude is rather amazing, isn't it?
　Maybe he's rather mentally strong.

'Captain!　I'm picking up multiple ship's tracks about three kilometers ahead!

　A sailor on the lookout above the mast reports to Mr. Byrne in a loud voice.

'Do you know the ship's affiliation and number!

　The sailor stares into the distance as Mr. Byrne instructs.

It's a good idea to have someone who can use sight-enhancing magic to keep an eye on you. "We'll have someone who can use vision-enhancing magic to help you see beyond the needle's eye at 100 meters.

　Oh, it's rare to see a pinpoint body-enhancing magic user.
　Most of the time, these kind of pointed magic users are skilled in handling basic magic techniques.

　Could it be that many of the sailors on this ship are excellent body enhancement magic users?
　Maybe that's why I'm still alive and well even though I've had a terrible experience twice.
　He's good, as expected of a man of the sea.

''The number is three, and the emblem is a lion with wings spread!

"A lion with wings spread, a fleet of naval ships in Vertino!　But three ships?　That's a lot of hammers as an operational action. Do you have any other information?

What's your name, Liliella, Vertino?

Yeah, I'm sorry. I don't know much about it. I've been doing a lot of client work in the Hexenbiest Forest.

'Vertino is the name of a seaside country. The area near the mouth of the Inner Great Sea is Vertino's territory.

　It was Megri, the bandit, who answered my question.

'Wow, I didn't know there was such a country.

'Yes, Vertino is famous for its good fish and beautiful sandy beaches. I wanted to go there once.

　Oh, that sounds like fun.
　Do you think you could land in Vertino in a hurry?
　In fact, considering the investigation, Mr. Byrne and the others will have to discuss it with the big people in Vertino, so it seems likely that they will land.

'Captain!　There's something wrong with the Vertino fleet, sir.　All the ships are in tatters, and we're forcing them to accelerate by applying wind magic to their sails!

What?

　The sailor in the lookout post reports something strange.

Have we been attacked by pirates or...

　In this situation, the answer is probably the one with it.

'Captain!　Multiple black figures in the rear of the Vertino fleet!　Each one is four times the size of a Vertino ship!　But it's not a ship!　It's faster than a Vertino ship, and soon it will catch up with us!

　It's black and bigger than a ship.
　I guess that's a bite.

"Boy, what do you think it is?

'No, I think the answer is the same,'

So let's answer together. Ready?

"Megalo Whale.

　Yeah, you're right.
　The demons from earlier were right in running away from the Megalo Whale.

'And what are you going to do about it?　If we keep this up, though, we'll pass Vertino's ship and hit the Megalo Whale.

　The width of this seaway is only wide enough for three large ships to pass each other just barely.
　But that's just a matter of size, and considering the detailed maneuvering, two ships is probably the best we can do.

　I think we can pass Vertino's ship without a problem, but I honestly don't think we can avoid all the swarms of megalo whales that are ready to collide with us.

'Helmsman!　Can you turn around and run like a lunatic?

Yes, sir, but it's too late!　If you do it now, I'll turn my head to the side and send the Vertino ship through!

　If that happens, the Megalo Whale coming from behind will probably hit Vertino's whole ship and capsize it again.

....

　Mr. Byrne is silent and thoughtful.
　He has a serious look on his face. I thought he was a bit hot and bothered, but when the situation calls for it, he seems to be someone who can do his job seriously.
　Then Mr. Byrne, who seems to have made up his mind to do something, turns to us and says, "Do you have any good ideas?

I've got a great idea!

...What?

　He was a no-go when it came down to it.

'Well, isn't the captain supposed to come up with good ideas in these situations?

"Huh, don't let them underestimate me!　If we're dealing with ordinary pirates or demons, we can fight them without problems!　I'm not competent enough to come up with an idea for a reversal in a dire situation with an unusual opponent!

　Great!　You're awesome, man!
　I just confirmed the full extent of my incompetence!
　It's refreshing in a way!

In case you're wondering, does the XO have any good ideas?

''No, I don't have the means to fight an insane opponent either. Let's sincerely hope for the skills of the awesome adventurer recommended by the Adventurer's Guild here.

　It's great, these guys!　They put their fate in the hands of those of us who just met them!

After all, we've almost died twice. There's no pride in that if we're going to survive.

Mm, you're right.

　
　Does this mean that you've grown up enough to admit your own shortcomings?　Yeah, I'll assume so.

So, do you have any good ideas?　It would be very, very heartfelt and really, really helpful if you could answer promptly, if possible.

I sincerely hope I don't have to divulge any ideas.

　I glance at Gyro and his friends.

"I bet you've got some great ideas!

We're just regular adventurers, so I seriously don't want you to get your hopes up.

I'm sorry I can't help you.

"If it's necessary, we'll abandon ship and run. The river is wide enough for us to get ashore.

　For what it's worth, Megri's idea is harsh but true.
　Even if the ship is destroyed, as long as it's still alive, it can be built again.

　Now I look at Liliella and Mohammed.

I'm sorry, but I don't have any ideas either, so I'll go with Lex-san's choice whether to intercept or escape. Because we all believe that if Lex-san decides to do what he decides to do, we'll survive for sure.

　When Liliella said that, everyone nodded that they did too.
　Is this a good thing that they trust you?

''Gyuu!''

　And the only mofo who was trying to escape was secured with a stiff body strengthening magic.
　It's pretty well trained mentally, isn't it, Liliera-san?

''Well if the Megalo Whale is faster than Vertino's ship, then if we escape, Vertino's ship will eventually catch up with us and be destroyed.

　And with the Megalo Whale right behind Vertino's ship, the Megalo Whale would probably attack us before we could reach the shore, even if we abandoned the ship.
　And if that giant body gets close enough, they won't be able to swim properly with those waves.

''We can either abandon them and run away, or we can risk going to save them... I personally would like to go and save them.

　Here I dare to offer my personal opinion.
　I've thrown the issue to you, so this level of selfishness is good enough for you, right?

What do you have in mind, exactly?　I'm afraid there's no weapon on my ship that can beat him.

I learned all too well from the last battle.

XO, shut up for a second.

Yes, sir.

　They're so close, these two.
　But, I wonder if it's better for a man of authority to be this light-hearted so that his subordinates don't get nervous.

I've got a weapon.

What?

　I say, pointing to my feet.

'Here it is.'

　You're not going to be able to do that.

　I instruct the sailors to hitch themselves to the ship.

"What do you mean this ship is a weapon?

　While tying his own body to the mast with a rope, Mr. Byrne asks me to explain the plan.

"This ship is an S-ranked demon and is made of the material of the Ancient Plant, which is harder than iron. In other words, it's safe to say that this entire ship is a piece of iron.

　Yes, we've seen how sturdy this ship is in previous battles. Only sturdy.

"Don't tell me it's an impulse angle attack?

　The protrusion at the bottom of a ship's bow is called an impulse horn, and hitting the other ship with it is called an impulse attack.
　And I was thinking of using it to my advantage.

'But this ship is too light compared to the weight of the Megalo Whale. Wouldn't it be us who would be blown up if we collided with it?

　The XO is right.
　But that's only if you do a normal impulse angle attack.

Yes, I know. That's why I'm going to use my magic to accelerate the ship and then use granting magic to increase its defenses to the limit before I charge at the enemy.

Ship with a spell?　How is that even possible?

　The wizards on the ship's crew shouted in surprise.

"We'll be able to draw a special magic circle on the ship and cast a granting spell, so it will be fine.

"Granting magic to giant structures........such lost magic exists?

　Lost magic, I think it's a magic that was lost in this era.
　I'm sure there are a lot of people who can use it if they look for it.

''Then I'll write a magic circle, so wizards, please strap yourselves to the back of the ship and, on cue, accelerate the ship as fast as you can.

All right!　I'll take care of the acceleration!

I'm going to help you accelerate.

　Mina runs to the back of the ship with a rope.

'Hey brother!　The swarm of demons is here again!

　At Jairo's words, I looked forward and saw the aquatic demons coming towards me again at great speed.

It's the second wave of demons that have escaped from the Megalo Whale. If they come up on the ship, intercept them!　The rest of them can be ignored!

All right!　We'll take care of it!

Eat it!

You're not getting on the boat!

　Jairo-kun, Liliela-san, and Megri-san start attacking the demons coming up from the ship.
　In the meantime, I draw a magic circle on the ship's deck and prepare for the granting magic.

''Captain!　I've seen Vertino's ship with the naked eye!

　A sailor who had been working near the bow until the very last minute gives his report.

'All right!　You two, step back and steady yourselves!　Captain, pull over to the edge and clear a gap for the Vertino guys to get through!

Reekay!

　The boat approaches the riverbank as the helmsman turns the helm at Mr. Byrne's direction.

'Abandon the boat and run away!　There's an incredibly huge swarm of demons behind you!

　A warning can be heard from Vertino's ship with wind magic.

''Thank you for the advice!　But don't worry about us, just run!　　

　In response to this, we also reply with wind magic.

''This is not a joke!　He's really here!

　He must be worried about us, and I can hear the seriousness in his voice.

'I'm fine!　We have measures in place!

"Countermeasure?　"What the hell...

　While we're talking, our ship passes by.
　A battered ship passes right next to the Goodruiser.
　And from behind it, a pitch-black mountain was coming towards us.

''Activate the granting spell!　High Guard Castle!　High shock absorbs!　Full metal body!

　Multiple grants of magic strengthen the Goodruiser through the magic circle.

''Now!　Ladies and gentlemen, please accelerate!

"'Oh!　Stormbringer!　Air pressure!　Aeroburst!　Windboost!

　The ship accelerates at once with a multitude of wind magic.

''Liliera-san and the others, please stop the demon's opponents and fix their bodies!

All right!

　Liliera and the others drop down in a hurry and secure their bodies with ropes.
　The demons on the surface of the water are blown away by the accelerating ship and blown away.

　And the figure of the Megalo Whale towering in front of me is getting bigger.

''Hey, hey, are you sure you're okay?''

　Someone mutters that.

'We're going to bump into each other!　Everyone close your mouths!　I'm going to bite my tongue!

　Mr. Vern shouted, and everyone closed their mouths.
　And just before we collided, I activated a further granting spell, "Gravity Iron!

"Gravity Iron!

　Immediately after, the hull of the Goodruiser sinks unnaturally and collides with the Megalo Whale.

　Dohhhh!　A tremendous impact sound rang out, and vibrations like an earthquake echoed through the core of my body.

"?

　Everyone clings to the ship, gritting their teeth and struggling to hold on.
　Everyone scowled anxiously, wondering if they were really going to be okay.

　But still no sound of doom could be heard from the hull of the ship.

'Now!　High Boosted Axel!

　As a final touch here, I activated another grant magic.
　And then suddenly the shock that had been hitting us disappeared.

''...?''

　When everyone opened their eyes in horror, the black mountain from earlier was nowhere to be seen in front of them.

''Huh?''

　Everyone looked at each other with a scowl as if what they had just seen was an illusion.

'What about Megalo Whale?'

　Everyone scurried to look around, but Megalo Whale was nowhere to be seen.

'There it is,'

　I, the only one who knew what had happened to the Megalo Whale, pointed upwards.

'Up?'

　I pointed to the sky and saw a Megalo Whale that had flown over the Goodruiser and, incidentally, over to Vertino's ship to fly far ahead.

''Huh?　Why are they flying?

Can whales fly?　Because you're a demon?

What is this all about?

　Rielieliela and her friends want me to explain.

The answer is the ship's draft area.

"Draft area?

　What are you talking about, Liliella, Gyro and the rest of you?　But the sailors quickly looked out over the side of the ship.

What!　The ship is sinking more than usual!

"Is there a hole in the bottom of the ship?

What?　Huh?　What do you mean?

The draft area is the depth of the part of the ship that sinks below the surface of the water. And the sailors are right, this ship is sinking deeper than usual right now.

What do you mean?　So how come Megalo Whale is supposed to fly?

　All eyes are on me again.

'Then let's get to the answer. Actually, I cast a certain granting spell on this ship just before it collided with the Megalo Whale.

Granting magic?

Yes, it's a weight-increasing spell.

"'Fattening magic'?

　Liliera-san and the other women look heartily uncomfortable.
　No, no, that's not what I mean by magic.

''This is a magic that manipulates gravity, allowing you to temporarily make it many times heavier than its original weight.

　After saying that, I released the magic and the ship, which had recovered its weight, floated up and its hull wobbled.

"I see, so that's why you made this ship heavier than the Megalo Whale.

　The XO convinces me that's what he means by my words.

'Yes. The Goodrouzer will hit the Megalo Whale at high speed as it sinks, but it's magically added weight so it won't be blown up, and it has defensive magic so there's no danger of the ship breaking.

　I cross my right and left hands with my fingertips extended in front of my chest, then lower my right hand and tuck it under my left hand.
　Then I bend my left hand upward at an angle.

And then the Megalohoales, coming towards us at high speed, will slide up onto this ship through the impulse angle. And this is where I activated a further granting spell against the Megalo Whales.

"Megalo Whale granting spell?

Yes, it's also an acceleration spell that makes the opponent move faster. It's an acceleration spell that speeds up the opponent's movements, so that the Megalo Whales rise to the surface and finally soar into the sky.

　Everyone who heard my explanation looked stunned.

''Using granting magic on an enemy...''

Granting magic can be an offensive magic if you use it in the right way.

　'Ooh,' cheers from the people who can use magic.

'It's amazing. I never thought of using magic like that.

'Yeah, I don't know if it's applicable, but it's helpful,'

'I mean, I thought you were going to do an impulse angle attack?

　'That's not what you planned,' said Mr. Byrne, raising his voice.

'No, I never said I was going to do that,'

　Besides, even if you defeat one of them, there's always someone after you.

''Ha, but I'm surprised you managed to deal with the Megalo Whale in such a way. The simple ability is one thing, but the idea is also extraordinary.

　Liliera-san looks at me with a dumbfounded and interested look.

''Squeak!''

Fluffy Moffy slipped up on me with a face that said I believed you, but you were trying to get away with it as hard as you could earlier.

'No, congratulations on that!　My ship, which has been losing all this time, has finally won!

'Well, yes!'

That's our first win!

Mr. Byrne was delighted with his first victory and the sailors were excited about it.

　That's when it happened.

　There was a thumping sound and a shaking of the earth in the distance.
　There was a huge column of water rising in the distance.

'It looks like a megalo whale has fallen into the seaway.

　You guys are lucky to fall into the water.
　That one has a chance of surviving on a cushion of seawater....

Oh.

'What?　What?

　Liliera and her friends looked at me with scowling faces and asked me what was going on.
　The answer, however, came from the back of the ship without me needing to answer.

　It was a huge pile of waves generated by the Megalo Whales jumping into the water.

　◆

I still want to learn flying magic in a hurry.

　As I thought, or rather, Liliella, who was rescued from the capsized Goodruiser, told him so at the opening.

　I mean, shouldn't you change the name of your ship?