We live in the foothills of Dragon Peak.
A monster from the deep sea.
I’m going to kill Alice-san?!
No, no, no, what is Michelle-san saying!
Confused by the lack of understanding, Michelle-san relentlessly pressed me.
“Alice-sama… Mother is in despair after losing Father! Are you going to mercilessly kill your grieving mother?”
What did Michelle-san just say?
Father, meaning Alice-san’s husband, died?
That means he’s dead, right?
Alice-san said.
During an attack by the Evil Race, a certain Miko betrayed them. To save her beloved husband, she made a deal with the Evil Race.
However, due to her previous achievements, her sin was forgiven by everyone.
Everyone, except Alice-san.
Only Alice-san did not forgive the Miko’s sin.
She believed that a great sin should be atoned for with death.
Therefore, Alice-san visited me to kill the Miko.
She said that the Miko had gone to a small island beyond the North Sea, the hometown of her husband, who was a Shinkan.
But…
Michelle-san grabbed the scruff of my collar and shook me violently.
“Why! Why are you going to kill Mother!? Don’t take Mother away from me!! Otherwise, I… I…”
Tears streamed endlessly from Michelle-san’s large eyes.
She shook me fiercely, accusing me, pleading with me.
However, I have no memory of vowing to kill Alice-san.
But…!
What if the Miko that Alice-san wanted to kill was Alice-san herself?
Those who dedicate themselves to the clergy cannot treat their lives carelessly.
It is unthinkable to end a life bestowed by the Goddess of Creation by one’s own hand.
This applies to Alice-san, who holds the special status of Miko Knight.
“N-no way, could Alice-san be…!?”
Alice-san, who is forbidden to commit suicide.
But what if, having lost the one she loved, she couldn’t forgive her own sins more than anyone else?
And what if she wanted to meet her final moments in the hometown of the husband she loved?
“So, the Miko that Alice-san wanted to kill was yourself!”
“Don’t kill Mother! Please!!”
“Michelle-san, calm down.”
I wanted to persuade her, telling her that I wouldn’t kill Alice-san, nor any other Miko. But the half-crazed Michelle-san, who was rushing towards me, wasn’t listening.
She just desperately pleaded not to kill her mother, Alice-san.
How can I calm Michelle-san down and make her listen to me?
However, I didn’t have time to worry about that.
“Oh dear, oh dear.”
“Ares-chan?”
Ares-chan, whose spot was taken by Michelle-chan, who was crying hysterically, grabbing my clothes and pulling my arm, pointed to the dark sea from the side.
I had a bad feeling.
We were still entangled in a golden whip and being dragged into the deep sea.
In that situation, Ares-chan raised a warning voice.
This means that something terrible must surely be approaching.
I temporarily put aside the half-maddened Michelle-san, who was desperately appealing to me, and stared into the depths of the dark sea that Ares-chan pointed to.
I imbued my pupils with Dragon Energy and peered through the darkness that dominated the deep sea.
“…!”
And then, I inhaled sharply.
“Wh-wh-wh-what is that!!”
In the dark depths of the sea.
Far beyond, illuminated by the golden, shining whip.
Rather, it was there, at the end of the golden whip’s reach!
A sea monster, with a mouth so huge it could easily swallow not only a Dragon Race, but even an Ancient Dragon Species whole!
A colossal sea monster with beard-like teeth, lined up densely, was waiting at the end of the golden whip that had wrapped around our entire bodies.
“We’re going to be eaten!?”
And the golden whip was pulling us into the mouth of that colossal monster.
“M-Michelle-san! Please calm down. Right now, before worrying about Alice-san, you need to worry about your own safety!”
Michelle-san fell from a black Pegasus in the sky. I instinctively leaped into the sky to save her.
However, I can’t fly in the sky either, so I wouldn’t survive without someone’s help.
So, I called out to Charlotte, who was filling the surface of the sea with golden magic power and wielding a giant whip.
I should have called out to her!?
But, but!
If this continues, we’ll be swallowed whole by the colossal monster lurking in the deep sea!?
“N-no way. Was the magic similar to Charlotte’s and the golden whip all a trap to lure us?”
I’ve heard it in old fairy tales.
Some monsters and magic beasts lure and prey on their victims using bait made from parts of their own bodies.
I, too, once encountered a monster in the borderlands of the Yorttenitos Kingdom that used a beautiful flower as bait.
So, that colossal monster is…!
And who do you think of when you mention monsters living in the North Sea?
“Th-this is terrible! We’re going to be eaten by the Ruler of the North Sea!?”
Ah, I see!
It was all a trap!
It’s not strange for the Ruler of the North Sea to know Charlotte, the closest aide to the Giant Demon Lord. In fact, since she’s sent her own child, Ruilala, to serve, she must know her, right?
So, the Ruler of the North Sea imitated Charlotte’s presence to deceive me…!
No, wait, why would the Ruler of the North Sea know about the relationship between me and Charlotte!?
Did they hear it from Ruilala?
I don’t know!
But, what I know for sure right now is!
“W-we’re going to be eaten!”
“Kyaaaaaaaa!!”
“Prey, prey.”
The colossal mouth of the sea monster loomed, and its existence, illuminated by the glow of the golden whip, reflected in Michelle-san’s eyes. At that moment, Michelle-san finally snapped out of her frenzy and understood the situation.
But as soon as she realized they were about to be swallowed by an unknown monster, she shrieked.
I also screamed!
If this continues, we will be eaten by the Ruler of the North Sea!
However, I cannot break free from the golden whip wrapped around my body.
Moreover, as if to prevent us from escaping, it tightened its grip on our bodies more than ever before.
Furthermore, immediately after being dragged into the colossal monster’s oral cavity at the bottom of the sea, the ocean currents began to rage violently!
Intending to swallow us along with a large amount of seawater, it flushed us into its body after taking us into its oral cavity.
The rapids attacked us.
Even though the golden whip was wrapped around our entire bodies, we couldn’t resist the rapids.
We were violently tossed back and forth by the raging currents, our heads spinning.
“Aaaagh…”
And then, unintentionally, I lost consciousness…
“…”
Feeling a cold water droplet on my cheek, I dimly regained consciousness.
“You’re awake, you’re awake.”
Next, feeling the warmth of a small, warm girl’s hand on my forehead, I finally awoke.
“Ares-chan!”
With a jolt, I sat up abruptly.
Then, while trying to organize my thoughts and figure out what had happened, I surveyed my surroundings…
“…Ares-chan. I’m going to lose consciousness again for a while, so wake me up when it’s a good time, okay?”
This time, I’ll lose consciousness by my own will!
“Fufufufu. Elnea-kun, I will wake you up when we arrive before His Majesty?”
“Refuse! Absolutely refuse!”
With a reluctant “No no,” I forced myself to get up.
However, I immediately regretted it, thinking that perhaps it would have been more peaceful to remain unconscious.
“Fufu. Why do you regret it? After all, I saved you.”
“Hmm… Did we really get saved?”
I looked around again.
The first thing that caught my eye was, of course, Ares-chan!
“Good job, good job.”
Next, a woman with sideways rolled blonde hair and narrowed eyes appeared.
“…Was that whip Charlotte’s hair?”
“More precisely, I am extending and manipulating magic as an extension of my hair.”
“I-I see.”
When Charlotte uses magic with all her might, the world is dyed gold. Even though she is currently sealing her power, with such immense magic power, it must be easy for her to transform her hair into a whip and unleash it as magic.
“So, it was Charlotte who saved us after all!”
Ares-chan clapped her hands adorably.
Charlotte, as usual, further narrowed her eyes and smiled.
“…You saved us, right?”
“Fufufu.”
Eh!?
Is that not the case?
…Is it wrong after all?
Because…
Ares-chan, clapping for me.
Charlotte, smiling beside me.
And in the distance, the walls of flesh that looked like the innards of the monster that should have swallowed us whole…
“Wh-why is there a castle inside the monster’s belly!?”
That’s right!
The reason I wanted to lose consciousness.
The reality that I wanted to avert my eyes from was there, more than the fact that we had been swallowed by a colossal monster, or the confirmation that Charlotte had saved us!
A beautiful castle wall of milky white, like the material of pearls. Gorgeous decorations adorned every part, from the windows to the outer walls.
The floor, shimmering with seven colors, faintly illuminated the castle from within the monster’s belly, casting a fantastic glow.
I have never seen such a beautiful castle.
The royal castles of the Human Race pale in comparison.
In terms of solemnity, the Demon Lord’s Castle is far more magnificent, but in terms of beauty, it surpasses even the detached palace newly built by the Giant Demon Lord.
“What does this mean?”
I don’t understand.
We should have been swallowed whole by a colossal monster and be inside its belly, right?
Yet, my surroundings are not filled with seawater, and a castle of unprecedented beauty stands tall.
“And, Michelle-san is gone!”
Michelle-san, who should have been swallowed along with us, was the only one missing from this place.
“Charlotte?”
With a strong premonition, I asked Charlotte, who should have understood the entire situation.
As expected, or rather, naturally, Charlotte replied.
“Well then, Elnea-kun. Shall we head to the castle to rescue our princess? Fufufu. Please entertain me?”
“No way, you intend to imprison Michelle-san inside the castle and toy with us!”
“Fufufu. We have captured not only the Miko we rescued with Elnea-kun, but also others and wyverns? Now, please do your best to rescue everyone.”
“Wh-what is this situation!!”
I screamed inside the monster’s belly.
I don’t understand anymore!
I got caught up in Alice-san’s circumstances and came to the North Sea as if fleeing from pursuers. Then, the pursuers were attacked by the Dragon Race, and I fell into the sea trying to save them. I thought I was saved by Charlotte, but now I have to save everyone!
“Charlotte, let me confirm just one thing?”
“Yes, please?”
“Are everyone who is imprisoned safe?”
“For now?”
“Why are you asking a question there?”
“Fufufu. Depending on Elnea-kun’s motivation, sacrifices may be necessary? If you’d like, would you like to fill your stomach with wyvern meat before we depart?”
“Ah! You’re going to make me eat the sacrificed wyvern meat!? That wyvern…”
“It’s still alive? It might be possible to save it with the secret medicine of the Guardian Dragon of the Dragon Forest.”
“Then, don’t make it into meat!”
“Fufufufufu.”
“Why are you laughing there?”
I winced at Charlotte’s ominous smile.
If I were to reject Charlotte’s game by saying “It’s not my problem,” surely a wyvern meat dish would be brought from the castle.
Even though they were attacked, I felt bad for the wyverns.
Besides, it’s a fact that I have to rescue Alice-san and Michelle-san.
If I don’t, who knows what will happen later…
“Ah. Can I ask just one more question?”
“Yes, anything.”
“Is the identity of this monster that swallowed us whole and has a castle inside its belly, still the Ruler of the North Sea?”
To my question, Charlotte smiled and replied.
“No, it is not?”
“Then, what is this monster—!”
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