Chapter 54

"Look alive, mateys! The great Captain Arisa is setting sail!"

Arisa was in a good mood today as she posed by the mast. Dressed as a pirate, Arisa's eye that wasn't hidden behind an eyepatch sparkled as her violet fluttered from under her pirate hate. She wore a long-sleeve jacket, white trousers, a poofy blouse, and a fake harmless rapier sheathed in her belt.

"Aye-aye, sir!"

"Yes, sir, sir!"

The cat-eared girl Tama and her partner in crime, the dog-eared girl Pochi, both hopped up eagerly in response to Arisa's declaration. They were dressed like pirate lackeys, wearing striped half-sleeve shirts and three-quarter-length pants. Both were equipped with pirate short swords, although, like Arisa's, they were dull replicas for costume purposes only. They wore eye patches, but while Arisa's was realistic, Tama's and Pochi's were cutely shaped like a cat and dog head, respectively.

"Master, I brought you a drink,"

The beauty that was Lulu was the type of young lady who would look good in any outfit. Her bright, summery maid outfit with smooth, straight, dark hair looked great.

"Hero Kura, we have brought accompanying snacks as well, I report,"

Nana accompanied Lulu, carrying a basket full of potato chips in one hand, her eyes sparkling despite her usual expressionless face. She had recently been upgrading during our time in the elf village, and for some reason, her upgrades caused her cup size to have been enhanced as well. She was now an F-cup despite not yet being a year old. I am so jealous since my has barely grown at all.

"Shall I place the table here, master?"

"Yeah, that's perfect. Thank you, Liza,"

Liza of the orangescale tribe stepped onto the ship's deck carrying a heavy-looking table with ease. Aside from the orange scales on her neck and limbs and her reptilian tail, she looked like an ordinary human.

"Master,"

Pearl, a strong rabbitfolk warrior I had fought beside before becoming a hero, nodded at me as she took the chairs out of her fairy pack. Her rabbit ears look like they are not handling the wind as they are being blown around as much as our hair.

"Kura,"

Mia, who'd been standing on the observation deck looking at the view of the nearby harbour, jumped down toward me with her arms spread wide as I stood next to Satou, who was at the helm. Her pale blue pigtails flew back in the wind, revealing her slightly pointed elf ears. She was lucky I had such good reactions, or she could have gotten hurt.

"Be careful, Mia. You could've gotten hurt,"

"Mm. Trust,"

She wrapped her arms around my neck, nuzzling my face like a cat. Behind us, all that we can see is the World Tree. The harbour and finfolk who were swimming beside us have all vanished from sight. The tree is so large that it still seems so close despite being so far away.

"Arisa's turn!"

It didn't take long for Arisa to jump into Satou's arms and start to nuzzle his face.

"What are you two doing?"

The last member of our group finally stepped on deck. Sara, an oracle priestess of Tenion Temple and a person I helped bring back from the dead. Despite the smile on her lips, I can't help but feel a shiver go up my spine.

"Guilty!"

"They're guilty, sir!"

Tama and Pochi looked at each other and imitated Mia's usual ruling of choice, then ran over to Sara's side. Tama and Pochi seemed to be having fun as they giggled and laughed.

"Mm. Spouse,"

"That's true, and Satou is my hubby,"

"You two shouldn't make jokes like that,"

I know where Mia can get the idea that we are engaged. It is a fact that I had given Mia a kiss on the forehead, not knowing that this was an elf custom of betrothal. But that didn't count. Mia just refuses to accept that.

"Forget your forehead nonsense. I've kissed Satou here right on the mouth!"

"Mrrr,"

I don't remember anything like that happening, but since Satou gives me a look saying, "Don't ask," I'm guessing it was true. Mia meanwhile puckered her lips and leaned her face toward mine.

"Kura, kiss,"

"Kiiiss?"

"Mwah, sir!"

"H… hey, you two, stop that!"

Mia's actions set off an unexpected chain of events. Starting with Pochi and Tama climbing onto Satou, planting kisses on his cheeks and forehead, and ending with Arisa struggling to not be thrown off Satou. Mia, meanwhile, wasn't free from that chain of events as Sara rushed over, pulling her from me.

"Hero Kura, a kiss to affirm your affection, I request,"

"Th… then I want one, too, please,"

Nana and Lulu came over, wanting to join in for some reason. But while Nana was expressionless as she kissed my cheek, Lulu was bright red when she did the same for Satou. To be safe, I moved closer, afraid she would faint like Aialize had. Fortunately, it didn't come to that. Everyone must be excited as even Liza comes over and kisses Satou's cheek.

We have all certainly gotten stronger during our stay in Bolenan Forest. We all gained plenty of new battle skills, and there isn't one of us who isn't under level twenty.

"So, master, how long will it take to get to Labyrinth City?"

"Good question. It would probably take a normal ship about a month,"

Satou answered, but it wouldn't take our ship that long. This ship is far from normal. The figurehead golem at the front of the ship, called a "Scarecrow," took care of the steering and sails so we could relax and enjoy the trip. Instead of the usual statue of a woman, our figurehead was in the shape of a penguin, per Mia's request.

"Hero Kura! The colour of the sea is different up ahead, I report." Nana called out from the prow.

"The sky, toooo?"

"It's true, sir!"

Tama and Pochi must have climbed up the mast at some point as they called down from the crow's nest.

"So it is,"

"I wonder why?"

Lulu and Arisa stared at the water between the foremast and the main mast. It was nothing unexpected. This was the end of the Bolenan Forest area.

"Don't worry. We're just entering open water,"

Satou assured them as he pressed a button. A magic circle of blue light surrounded the ship as the monster-repellent feature of the ship activated. There was also a stealth mode that didn't emit light, but it had half the range, so we only planned to use it when passing villages and other ships.

"It's very pretty,"

While Lulu and the others were mesmerised by the light, the ship reached the line where the colour of the sea changed.

"Barrier,"

Mia commented. As the ship approached the line, the barrier above the water opened like a gate. We passed through the magical wall surrounding Bolenan Forest and the adjacent area without issue. It was transparent, so it was only possible to see it faintly with the help of the ship's blue light, but it wasn't a problem for us. Once we passed through the barrier, it closed soundlessly behind us.

"Hero Kura, the ocean on the other side appears stormy, I report,"

"The elves told me they deliberately keep the currents strong here to protect Bolenan Forest,"

I tell her as the first wave starts to rock the ship. It was pretty bad and way worse than when I was caught in storms when taking a ferry. But Satou did an excellent job making this ship. It rocks, sways and jumps, but never once have I feared we might capsize.

"Steady as she goooes?"

"I believe 'full speed ahead' would be more accurate, I correct,"

Despite the distance between them, Nana could still speak with Tama up in the crow's nest thanks to a series of speaking tubes.

"Whoooa! Wheeee!"

"S… so shaky, sir! W-we're going to fall into the ocean, sir…"

"D… don't move, you two! It's dangerous!"

Pochi panicked as the mast started to swing back and forth, causing Liza to panic as well. Tama, meanwhile, was having the time of her life. Those two should be fine. They had lifelines tied around their waists, and Satou and I could use magic to save them if something went wrong. Lulu was holding onto Satou, looking as pale as a ghost. Sara and Mia looked pale as well as they latched onto me. Arisa was hanging on to the handrail in front of the seats and wasn't looking too good.

"Maybe we shouldn't have tried sailing the ocean in such a small ship?"

"It'll be fine,"

The ship was a small galleon with a displacement of about a hundred tons, but it had plenty of features that made sailing in stormy seas like this a simple feat. Besides, we were told these stormy waters won't last long. Still, Satou pressed a button to help speed things up.

"Huh? Part of the deck opened up,"

"There's a window on the side, toooo?"

A second later, a cover opened with a steady clacking sound, followed by the hum of an engine. This was quickly followed by weightlessness and the waves seemingly losing their ability to affect us. Tama and Pochi used this moment to escape from the crow's nest.

"Floaty,"

"Hero Kura, the ship is floating in the sky, I report,"

"Wait, what? The sky?"

Surprised, Arisa led the charge over to the side of the ship. Leaning over the railing, she realised the best feature of our ship.

"W… we're flying!"

Arisa was right. We were flying. Our ship could travel by sea and by air. Satou tried to explain how it worked, by it was too technical to understand. All I could get out of his speech was a hidden skypower engine and a powerful magic furnace that allowed this ship to fly. Still, despite no one really understanding Satou, they were glad that the waves stopped rocking the ship.

"Are we gonna go higher?"

"We can go up to two hundred feet above the water,"

"Go figure… Wait, you didn't load it with a jet engine or anything, did you?"

"No, of course not,"

I wouldn't be surprised if Satou did make a jet engine or something to add to the ship. But he wanted to make this ship look as much like a regular ship as possible. But before Satou could stay more, Liza called out a warning.

"Master, it looks like the fog is rolling in,"

"Meowww?"

Sitting nearby Liza and dangling her legs off the ship's side, Tama sensed the same change I did. The sea and wind were suddenly calmer, and the smell slightly changed. Her ears flicked back and forth as the fog cleared and bright light shone on us. It was so warm. The temperature suddenly increased. Despite being warned this would happen, I didn't think the change would be so dramatic.

"Master, what happened?"

"Don't worry. The Bolenan elves' magic sent us somewhere far away, that's all,"

"Forced teleportation? That's pretty rough. Do you know where we are now?"

"Yes, it's fine. We seem to be in the Seadragon Islands, so if we go north from here, we'll reach the Shiga Kingdom,"

Satou confirmed what had happened with that cheat map skill of his. The Seadragon Islands was a curved archipelago spanning nearly two hundred miles and containing over a hundred islands of all shapes and sizes. All the islands were uninhabited, so there wasn't a single resident. That didn't include monsters, though.

There was a considerable amount of monsters called "sea serpents". Satou said there were almost two thousand, with levels between thirty and forty. There were also a few called "deep sea serpents" over level fifty. Finally, plenty of weaker monsters around the islands were around level twenty.

"It's pretty hot, huh?"

"Yes, it really is,"

"It isn't usually this hot this time of year,"

Now that they had calmed down since the ship stopped violently rocking back and forth, Lulu, Sara, and Arisa noticed the heat and started to fan themselves.

"Why don't I improve the ventilation a bit, then?"

Satou operated the device controlling the ship's barrier. He changed the setting to allow some wind to pass through the barrier.

"Nice smell," Mia murmured.

"Now that's refreshing!"

"What a nice breeze,"

Sara, Arisa and Mia let the breeze cool them off.

"Saltyyyy?"

"The breeze is shorey now, sir,"

Tama and Pochi licked their lips, tasting the ocean spray carried by the wind. "Shorey" was probably Pochi's take on the word seashore, which she heard before we left.

"Hero Kura, the sunlight has become softer, I report,"

Nana tugged on my arm, but I quickly told her it was a feature of the ship's barrier. I had no idea how it worked, but I understood that much from the time Satou tried to tell me how it worked. At that point, Liza, squinting into the breeze, looked back with her eyes wide.

"Master, perhaps we should take more precautions to monitor our surroundings,"

"Good idea. I'll leave it to you," Satou nodded at Liza's proposal.

On Liza's command, Tama and Pochi clambered back up the rope ladder to the lookout post. They kept watch from above while Liza looked ahead with a longscope, and Nana volunteered to keep an eye out from the ship's rear.

<0>

"A boat in the water?"

"She's right, sir! There's a big boat underwater, sir!"

As we advanced toward the Ougoch Duchy, Tama and Pochi called down to us from the lookout post.

 "A sunken ship! We'll be rich!"

Arisa's eyes turned into dollar signs as she rushed to the ship's side, nearly falling overboard in her excitement.

"Panicking is unsafe, I warn,"

"Mm. Danger,"

Nana and Mia quickly grabbed Arisa before she fell and tried to calm her down.

"Master, it appears to be a large bluish ship,"

Pearl and I, who had been practising with our swords on the ship's deck, peered over the side. I could see the ship beneath the sparkling sunlight bouncing off the waves. It was far larger than I expected, at least ten times the size of our own ship. Its hull was a metallic blue, noticeable even through the blue of the water as it caught the light.

"Hmm. Looks like it's pretty deep down there," Satou commited.

It felt like a waste to leave behind when I thought about what we could find on board. I guess I have something in common with Arisa regarding sunken ships. Luckily, there weren't any monsters nearby that posed a threat to us, so we could have fun exploring the sunken ship.

"All right! Let's explore the sunken ship!" Everyone cheered in agreement with Arisa's declaration.

We changed into void suits instead of swimsuits. The area had poisonous monsters like scorpion fish, jellyfish and biting fish. The void suits would offer more protection against them.

"Scarecrow, activate Dimension Anchor,"

On Satou's command, the ship came to a halt with a mechanical clank.

"The sexy Arisa is ready for her close-up!"

"Mm. Sexy,"

Our sunken ship outfits resembled futuristic leotards. They were modified void suits with the helmets replaced by goggles that clung tightly to our skin. They are a bit embarrassing to wear. Arisa and Mia couldn't help but strike a pose the moment we returned to the deck after changing.

"So smooth, sir,"

"Hero Kura, submit your appraisal, I request,"

It's a dangerous look. Nana's void suit looks like it might burst as her chest stretches the material. I make a mental note to never let Nana wear it in public. And I need to ask Satou to modify it. He refused to stop staring until Arisa forced a waterfeather cloth t-shirt onto her. I felt like wearing one, too, but we only had three, and Lulu and Sara are wearing the other two already.

"Mia, once everyone's gathered together, please cast Aqua Walk over the area,"

"Mm,"

Since it was getting a little embarrassing standing here like this, I felt we should get started. Mia nodded and started chanting as we all moved closer together. The Aqua Walk spell was a Spirit Magic spell that fortified the target against water pressure and allowed them to breathe underwater. A combination of Water Magic spells like Water Breathing and Resist Water Pressure. As Mia finished her chant, Satou used Enchant: Physical Protection on the group.

"The flag's flappiiing?"

"Is there wind underwater, sir?"

While we wrapped up our preparations, Tama and Pochi gazed at the sunken ship. As unlikely as it sounds, the flag was flapping despite being under the sea. I almost didn't believe it at first, but there is no denying what I am seeing. But there is a straightforward explanation for this.

"Nana, can you cast Mana Light on this coin?"

"Yes, Hero Kura,"

I took out a large copper coin, had Nana light it up with magic and dropped it into the sea. At first, the coin sank slowly, but then, partway down, it was suddenly whisked away. The current looks bad down there. It was good that Tama and Pochi spotted the flag because we forgot to check for currents.

"Huh, so the current gets faster in that area,"

Watching the coin vanish, Arisa sounded impressed. That could've been pretty dangerous if Tama and Pochi hadn't noticed.

"Guess we had better attach lifelines," Satou pulled out some rope as he suggested that and showed everyone how to tie a proper lifeline. "Here we go."

A few of us jumped. Pearl, Nana, Liza, and Tama had no problems diving into it. As for the others, Satou and I used 'Magic Hand' to gently lower them into the water. Once we were all gathered together, we dived under the water.

Thanks to Mia's Spirit Magic spell, 'Aqua Walk', we were able to breathe underwater. The ocean water made everything taste a little salty, but that was a small price to pay. The current did get faster partway down, but we found ways of dealing with that. We kept sinking past the thirty-foot mark, and my ears didn't pop. Finally, we reached the mast, which was broken in the middle. It must have encountered a powerful monster because the mast was made out of some tough-looking metal.

"Maaast?"

It was hard to hear speech when it was mingled with the sound of bubbles, but it wasn't impossible.

"Let's use this mast to get down to the deck,"

There was no rope attached to the mast, but there were grooves where there seemed to have been speaking tubes attached, which worked just fine for handholds.

"Maaade iiit?"

"We're here, sir,"

One by one, everyone made it down to the deck of the sunken ship. The deck looked cleaner than I'd imagined. It was like the ship only sank yesterday.

"Everyone, I have found a potential entry point, I report,"

"Let's go in that way, then,"

We entered through the crack that Nana had located near the front of the ship. I would hate to come across what caused that damage. The hull is made of the same tough metal as the mast and is twice as thick. Yet it looked like something had sliced through the hull of the ship with little difficulty.

"It's darker than I expected,"

Lulu sounded nervous, but Satou handed her a pocket Mana Light made of light stone. Meanwhile, I asked Nana to put Mana Light on each person's head. By the time Nana was done, it looked like we were all wearing headlamps.

"Let's explore the ship's hold first!"

"Aye-aaaye!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Mm. Onward,"

Arisa led the charge with the younger kids. They should be fine by themselves since Arisa and Mia could still use their magic while Pochi and Tama are armed with harpoons. Liza and Pearl were also armed with them.

"Arisa, try not to touch the floors and walls too much. The sediment will get everywhere,"

"That's a pretty tall order…"

We followed after the kids, seeing the mess Arisa was making while Pochi and Tama appeared to have no problems. Satou and I took turns using the Practical Magic spell 'Pure Water' to clear away the dirt that was floating in the hallway, but that unexpectedly caused some surprise among our group.

"Hmm? Did the seawater just turn into fresh water?"

"You're right. Visibility appears to be higher, too,"

Arisa and Liza looked around in surprise, but Satou and I cleared it up and admitted to what we had done.

"Little fiiish?"

"Weird creatures, too, sir,"

"Are those seahorses?"

"Mm, pretty,"

We avoided the floating matter and small fish as we proceeded down the passage. There were patches of exposed hull scattered about and occasional places where rusted metal pipes ran along the walls and ceiling. Most broke off partway through, leaving a mountain of rust fragments. I didn't see a single thing made of wood. It looked completely different to the clean outer hull.

"A jaaar?"

"It's sparkly and gold, sir,"

"What do you suppose it is?"

"Vase?"

The younger group had found something in the corner of the hallway, leading them to fall victim to a sneak attack.

"Octopuuus?"

"The octopus is attacking, sir!"

"Eek, don't wave that harpoon around!"

"Mm, danger,"

An octopus was living in the golden vase they had found, and it came out and attacked Pochi.

"Pochi! Drop the harpoon and use your short sword!"

"A… aye!"

Pochi was in panic mode, but Liza's instructions brought her back to her senses, and she freed herself from the octopus's tentacles with her short sword.

"Gotchaaa?"

The octopus sprayed a cloud of ink and attempted to flee, but Tama ran it through with her harpoon. Satou cleaned up the ink, but it wouldn't be the last time. Every once in a while, we would disturb some creature's home and get attacked for it. The attacks slowed us down, but not by much, and it wasn't long until we reached the ship's hold.

By then, the net attached to Liza's belt contained several different kinds of fish, while Tama's net was full of shells she'd picked up on the way. Pochi was carrying a rolled-up octopus. Nana and Lulu were in charge of transporting the valuables.

"Gold coooins?"

"Lots of shells, sir,"

Just as the hallway had been buried in pieces of rusted metal, the ship's hold was full of rusty gold coins and other riches. As Pochi said, cockscomb-like shellfish stuck to many of the coins.

"Why are they sticking to the coins and not the walls or the floor?"

"That's a good question,"

"Hero Kura, I have located a treasury over here, I report,"

"There's an armoury inside, too, master,"

Nana and Pearl returned from scouting ahead as I had no idea why they stuck to the coins, not the walls or the floor. Since the treasury was closer, we headed there first.

"Ooh, look at all the gold, silver, and pearls!"

"So sparklyyy?"

Arisa and Tama exclaimed with glee. Nana had placed Mana Lights throughout the room, which reflected off the treasure to create a beautiful effect. Farther inside, there was artwork like sculptures and even paintings.

"It's too bright, sir,"

"It is quite dazzling, isn't it?" Lulu giggled.

Pochi tried to rub her eyes over her goggles, but Lulu stopped her with a hug. Something wasn't right here. Everything looked too good to be treasure lost in a sunken ship. I could understand the gold and pearls, but there were also paintings that didn't look damaged by the water.

"Fixed?" Mia murmured thoughtfully.

She might be right. I have seen nobles using the 'Fixify' spell to protect their expensive pieces of art and family heirlooms. 'Fixify' was a Practical Magic spell that put things in a 'Fixed' state by covering them with a transparent shell. It created a magical vacuum used to protect the items. The spell protected even our ship during our time in Bolenan Forest.

"Fixed? …I wonder if the ship's power source is still functioning, then?" Arisa commented.

She is probably right. Something must power this spell to keep it going for so long.

"Everyone, gather around!"

Satou gathered us all to him to prevent anyone from breaking the spell. Just touching something under the effect of 'Fixify' could be enough to cancel out the spell. The money and gold weren't a big deal, but there were pieces of art that would be destroyed the moment the spell was gone.

"…So, don't move anything, okay? I'll collect it all later,"

"Master Satou, I have already moved something. I apologise,"

"I'm sorry, sir,"

Pochi and Nana had already moved a few things around. None of it was stuff that would suffer significant damage from the sea, fortunately.

"Just a little bit isn't a big deal. We can fix it up on the ship,"

Satou smiled reassuringly to ease their worries before we moved onto the armoury. It was located deeper in the hold and protected by a sturdy-looking door, but it was no problem for us to get through. There were some thick, disposable berserker-style weapons, tons of Small Magic Cannons, and ten or so bigger cannons on wheels inside, preserved by the 'Fixify' spell.

"This is a lot more than I expected,"

"Yes, and I believe this weapon resembles the one we saw in the fort in the Muno Barony,"

Liza was talking about the one we found at the fort, which has now become Satou's property in the Muno Barony. But I can't remember much about the cannon, only the battle we fought against the undead who previously occupied the place.

"Aren't there any staves or armour?"

"Maybe they're in those boxes?"

Lulu suggested. She was pointing at several boxes in one corner of the room. Opening them would break the Fixify spell, so we'd have to see what was inside later. After looking around the ship's hold, we moved to the captain's quarters. There were a few minor incidents along the way, but we arrived without severe injuries. Although Satou seemed to enjoy the times, Nana and Lulu slipped and pressed against him.

"It's a door!"

"Gaaap?"

"Pochi can fit through this, sir,"

"Owwwiiie?"

The captain's door was warped on its hinges, but Pochi could push herself through. Tama was starting to follow after her when Pochi returned in alarm, so their heads smacked into each other. Tama rubbed her head, but since Satou and I cast 'Enchant: Physical Protection' on everyone, there shouldn't have been any pain.

"This is bad! This is super, super bad, sir!"

Pochi flailed her arms around in a panic, her eyes darting wildly.

"Calm down, Pochi,"

"I'm totally calm, sir! Listen to this, sir!"

"Hero Kura, I have located a ghost in the captain's quarters, I report."

Nana, who had found another entrance, called out calmly.

"Exactly, sir! That's what I was trying to say, sir!"

Peaking my head into the room, I saw it. There was a semitransparent man clad in a flashy military uniform. There was a massive hole in the ceiling above him, and the windows had been left open. But something seems different about him. This man is not like any of the ghosts I have seen before. Stepping into the room and calling out to me is pointless. He doesn't even notice me.

"…"

The ghost started speaking strangely, but I picked up the "Ancient Language" skill and put a few points into it to understand what he was saying.

"They've already caught up to us?!"

The ghost ignored me, talking to himself like an actor giving a soliloquy.

"Damn them… those wicked skyfolk…!"

The ghost looked up at the sky and cried out resentfully.

"So even the high-speed battleship we stole from them can't outmatch the mobility of their floating ships…"

The ghost stepped toward the window.

"Impossible! Nunulie?! They're even using the floating castles to chase us down!"

The ghost was looking out the window, but all I could see outside was the vastness of the sea.

"Do they plan to use the floating castle's Divine Wrath Cannon?! You fools! What if the Coffin you're looking for is on this very ship?!"

As the ghost gave this final cry of despair, he vanished, leaving a faint misty effect behind. I don't remember seeing anything that could be this "Coffin", the ghost mentioned in the hold, so it probably wasn't on this ship.

"The key to Lalakie… Stolen. Now Lalakie…can no longer fly. All that remains is to bring the Coffin to His Majesty the Emperor in the Room of Reality…"

The ghost had returned. Standing exactly where he was the moment I first saw him.

"They've already caught up to us?!"

It looks like he is trapped here. A poor soul doomed to repeat the moment of his death for who knows how long.

"Sounds like he's stuck haunting this place,"

"Yeah, it does,"

Satou and Arisa were right behind me. I was so focused on the ghost that I didn't even notice them enter.

"Please give me a moment," Sara was with them, standing in the background, but now she steps forward as an elegant golden light shines around her body. "I'll free this soul and help him reach the afterlife."

The whole room seems to feel lighter. Sara softly chants with the voice of an angel. The golden light covers the room and wraps around the ghost. For the first time, the ghost man reacts. His body relaxes, and he appears more at ease by the second. The ghost stops talking and moving altogether and slowly starts to fade. But as he finally disappears, I hear one last thing from the ghost.

"Aaah… Finally, freedom is within our grasp…"

The pile of white bones where he had appeared crumbled and was carried out into the ocean by the current. Hopefully, we put an end to his suffering. We waited a moment to ensure he didn't reappear, then went back to exploring the sunken ship.

"Hero Kura, the back of this painting is suspicious. I report,"

"I bet there's a room full of treasure behind it!"

Pochi's eyes sparkled, and she reached out for the painting. However, Tama grabbed her tail and stopped her.

"It's a traaap?"

Tama's good. She stopped Pochi just as my 'Trap Discovery' skill reacted. A few seconds later, Pochi could have been killed.

"Can you disarm it?" Arisa asked her master.

"I think so, but…" Satou nodded. "…I'd better not. There's an easier solution, so I'll get everything out that way."

Satou's a cheat. He took everything out of the trapped chest with his 'Storage' skill. Why can't mine do that? Satou even showed off that trick several more times before we returned to our own ship. And then he took it a step further by putting the entire ship into his 'Storage'. Arisa sometimes calls me a cheat, but I feel pretty average compared to Satou.