King Of The Blue Sky (Ghost Ship 3)

In order to use the Jewel Orbs to grow Rāna and charge into the subspace, we were trying to go to the Luktia Holy Papal State, where the Jewel Orbs were.

There, we had been caught by an eerie ghost ship, so we boarded the ship and captured Sylph, the fairy behind it.

In the lowest hold, overgrown with trees, I was gripping Sylph tightly.

Sylph twisted her body as she tried to escape the restraints of my fingers, and told us every last thing about the evil deeds she had committed.

Sylph had been traveling as the wind took her, and when she found this ship, where wind magic power had gathered, she apparently tried to make it her territory.

She manipulated the magic power to maintain the ship while creating a forest. Apparently, creating forests was a fairy’s mission.

On top of that, she controlled the sailors who had already died, and whenever she found a ship carrying strong people, mainly pirates, she used Temptation to make them her subordinates and had them steer the ship.

The fact that she had done it without any malice made her even worse.

“I mean, once you die and your soul leaves, what’s left is just material, right? What I do with it is up to me, isn’t it? Besides, they were originally pirates who did nothing but bad things anyway.”

“Well, you could say that, but… playing with the dead isn’t good. Don’t do it again.”

“What? Then I won’t be able to steer the ship!”

I put strength into my hand, gripping Sylph with a creaking sound as I said,

“Do. Not. Do. It. Again.”

“O-okay! I get it! Ow, ow!”

While loosening my grip, I also asked,

“But your magic power can’t maintain this ship, right? How are you doing it?”

“Heh-heh! That’s thanks to my friend, Dragon-chan!”

Sylph thrust out her hand sharply and pointed at the light-blue dragon.

The dragon had its eyes closed and was sleeping.

“…It looks like it’s asleep, though?”

“That’s right. It’s been asleep the whole time since I came to this ship. I still don’t even know its name.”

“That’s not your friend.”

“Well, you could put it that way. But listen, it’s amazing! Look, it’s about to happen!”

“Hmm?”

As I watched the dragon, its belly swelled greatly. Then it breathed out with a whoosh. Wind blew through the poor forest.

I felt pressure from it. It was a breath filled with magic power.

Sylph rejoiced with a smile.

“This kid releases wind magic power just by breathing! I used that magic power to do all kinds of things. Well, I’m kind of like its guardian?”

Liricia nodded while shaking her silver hair and said,

“Wind magic power… It may be the power of a Sky Dragon.”

“I see… Wait a minute.”

“What is it, Master?”

I put a hand to my mouth and sank into thought.

—When I had her search for the locations of the Jewel Orbs before, she said there was one moving across the sea.

Could it be?

“Liricia, use your monocle to search around the dragon. There may be a Jewel Orb.”

“Surely not! —I will try, Master!”

Liricia looked at the dragon through her monocle. She also looked around it. She thoroughly checked the inside of the hold.

Then she shouted in a clear, ringing voice.

“There it is, Master! It is beneath the dragon-san’s stomach!”

“I knew it.”

“But unless we move the dragon-san, it seems we cannot take it…”

“Then let’s wake it up. Liricia, check whether there is something keeping the dragon asleep.”

It was unlikely that it had been sleeping this whole time of its own will.

I wondered whether it had been put to sleep by magic or a magic tool.

“Yes, Master! —Ah, I understand! It is the shackles! The shackles are a magic tool with the effect of ‘status abnormality: sleep’!”

Metal black shackles were fastened around the dragon’s legs. Chains extended from them and connected to a large iron ball.

The shackles had a large keyhole.

—And speaking of a key that fit that keyhole.

I casually tossed away the Sylph I had been holding. Then I took out the golden key with the black gemstone inlaid in it, which I had obtained from the skeleton captain.

Sylph, who had been slammed into the ground, shouted with her face covered in mud.

“What are you doing! To a noble great fairy like me!”

I was irritated.

But I suppressed the urge to crush Sylph underfoot and approached the dragon’s hind leg.

Then I removed the shackles with the key. I took two or three steps back and watched the dragon.

The key and shackles would be dangerous if left alone, so I put them into my magic bag.

As I watched, the dragon’s breathing grew faster.

Then it slowly opened its large eyes. They were clear eyes like the blue sky.

It stretched its long neck upward and looked down at us as if gazing over us. In those blue eyes, lights of anger and indignation flickered.

“Gaaaaaaaaaah—!”

The dragon roared at an ear-splitting volume. The walls of the wide hold and the trees of the forest trembled violently.

It had enough force that an ordinary person or animal might have fainted from that alone.

Well, if it had been forcibly kept asleep for decades, it was only natural for it to be angry.

It seemed it was on this ship because humans had captured it and were in the middle of transporting it as merchandise.

I had no intention of defeating it, nor did I intend to be hostile.

It would be enough if it just moved one step to the side.

As I was thinking about what to do, Sylph fluttered her wings and moved in front of the dragon’s face.

“Finally awake? Honestly, what a sleepyhead. While you were sleeping, I was the one taking care of you, you know? Well, I’d like you to think of me as your mother and listen to—”

Chomp!

She was eaten in an instant.

The dragon chewed Sylph over and over.

Then it spat her out with a “ptoo.”

Sylph rolled on the ground, covered in dirt and leaves.

—Apparently, fairies tasted bad. I was glad I hadn’t eaten her.

Sylph, covered in grime and drool, shouted with tears in her eyes.

“What are you doing!”

“Gaaaaaaaaaah—!”

The dragon grew even more furious. It looked up at the ceiling and roared.

—Then.

“Kyaa?”

The dragon girl Rāna, who had been on my back this whole time, raised her head while rubbing her eyes.

It seemed the dragon’s roar had woken her.

Rāna looked at the blue dragon and opened her eyes wide, then hopped down from my back. The hem of her white dress fluttered.

Then she began walking toward the dragon.

“Hey, it’s dangerous, Rāna!”

I reached out and tried to stop her.

But Rāna turned back while shaking her white hair and smiled.

“It’s okaaay. Leave it to me!”

Rāna had the form of a girl, but she was a dragon. And a very powerful Sacred White Dragon at that.

While staying on guard so I could move immediately if anything happened, I watched as Rāna approached the dragon step by step with a smile.

“It’s okay, it’s okay. It’s not scary anymore, okay?”

The dragon turned its gaze toward Rāna as she approached.

It growled threateningly, but it did not try to attack Rāna.

Rāna came beside the dragon and spread both arms. She gave it a bright smile and said,

“It’s okay. So, come here?”

“Grrr.”

The dragon lowered its head. It stretched out its long neck and brought its head close to Rāna.

Then Rāna hugged the dragon’s head with both hands and pressed her forehead to the dragon’s forehead.

With a gentle smile, she said,

“See? It’s okay now, right?”

“Grr.”

The dragon closed its eyes and entrusted itself to Rāna. It was purring pleasantly in its throat.

Apparently, they were talking by pressing their foreheads together.

After a while, Rāna pulled away.

She made a large, bright smile.

“Good boy, good boy.”

The dragon lowered its head and placed it on the floor.

Rāna stroked the dragon’s head.

While looking at the dragon that had calmed down, I asked,

“How did the discussion between dragons go?”

“Yeah. I told him we came to save him. That he’s free now. That he can go home. He understood.”

“I see. That’s good. Also, the ones who captured you were humans like me, right? I’m sorry humans caused you trouble. I’ll apologize on their behalf. I’m sorry.”

When I apologized, the dragon nodded, its blue eyes holding an intelligent light.

It seemed to understand words. What a good kid.

“Also, could you move one step to the side? There’s something I want.”

“Grr.”

It growled once as if to say it understood, then moved its huge body.

From beneath where its stomach had been, a clear blue orb like the autumn sky appeared.

Rāna let out a cheer and ran over.

“Orb!”

“Don’t get it stuck in your throat.”

“Kyaa!”

Rāna happily picked up the Jewel Orb, rubbed it against the fabric of her white dress, and polished it until it shone.

Then she put it into her mouth in one go and ate it.

As her slender throat bobbed up and down, her entire body began to glow pale blue.

Gradually, her body grew larger.

By the time the light faded, she had grown into a girl around eleven years old, with long, slender limbs.

One orb made her grow about two years older. There were three left, so would she ultimately look about seventeen?

She started running with her long white hair bouncing energetically, as if checking her body.

“Alec, Liricia! Thank you! Thank you too, Facies. You did well all this time.”

“Gao!”

The dragon also wagged its tail happily.

Apparently, its name was Facies.

Rāna’s pronunciation had also improved considerably.

Also, since I was concerned, I asked just in case.

“Facies, are you hurt or sick anywhere? I have potions. Also, if you’re hungry after waking up, I’m pretty sure I have boar meat.”

“Gaa♪”

Facies happily opened his mouth wide. It seemed he wanted meat.

I took a lump of boar meat out of my magic bag and placed it in front of Facies.

He bit into it heartily while happily rumbling in his throat.

Facies, who finished eating in no time, had a satisfied expression. His magic power also seemed to have recovered, and his whole body became covered in a gentle breeze. Perhaps it was just my imagination, but his light-blue scales also looked glossy.

His mood seemed completely restored, so I made a suggestion.

“Then, Facies, you can go wherever you like. The sky, the mountains, above the clouds, anywhere.”

Then Sylph raised a protesting voice, shouting, “Wait a minute!” and flew over. She said while pressing down on Facies’s head.

“Huh? Why are you deciding things on your own! Without this kid, my grand forest ship plan will be ruined! I won’t allow that! Secret technique, Tempte—”

“Facies, you can eat her again.”

Chomp!

Facies ate Sylph with incredible speed.

After chewing her thoroughly, he spat her onto the floor.

Sylph, once again spat out like filth, shouted with tears in her eyes.

“Why!”

“It’s your fault for not waking him up when you could have. The key was held by the dead captain, after all. As a result, he was kept asleep for decades, so you’re basically the same as someone who aided the evil humans.”

“No way. I just thought maybe he was hibernating. There’s no way I’d care about a dragon’s circumstances.”

“So, winged insect. Release the magic power on this ship. The dragon is leaving anyway, so you can’t maintain it.”

“Ehh, but…”

“Re-lease it!”

When I glared at her strongly, Sylph finally gave up.

She wobbled her wings and floated about two meters up, then stretched both hands forward and began gathering magic power. Blue light gathered in a sphere between her palms.

“Honestly, fine. —Aah, and things were going so well.”

“While causing trouble for others.”

“Honestly, I don’t care what happens to other people.”

“You really are the worst.”

“Hmph. As long as the great fairy Sylph-sama has fun, that’s all that matters! —Ah! Hehehe.”

Sylph, who had been gathering magic power, noticed something and laughed fearlessly.

A bad feeling ran through me.

—Wait, I see!

“Liricia, Facies, fly!”

“Yes!” “Graah!”

Liricia spread her white wings with a rustle and kicked off the ground. Facies also stretched out his large folded wings.

“Rāna, come here! Flight mode!”

“Kyaa! Docking sensor! Ero Marker Two!”

Rāna sprouted dragon wings from her back and jumped onto mine.

I heard some awful words, but I ignored them.

Sylph’s mocking voice echoed through the hold.

“You’re already too late. Sink together with the ship—Fairy Tale End!”

Blue light surged from Sylph’s hands. It spread out radially with enough force to blow the ship away.

Then the magic power vanished from the ship.

The ship, already falling apart, lost the support of magic power, and in that instant, it began to creak grandly with a giiigiiigii—gogogogo sound.

Rāna was clinging to me, so she could not lend a hand or mouth.

Liricia’s cannon-like magic took time to activate.

In that case, I would use Holy Strike! …No, something felt different.

Who was the most irritated by this ship? Who wanted to direct their anger at it the most?

It was not me.

I looked up at the ceiling and shouted.

“Facies, blow away the ceiling!”

“Graaaaaah!”

Facies roared with joy seeping through as he slowly flapped his wings. Blue magic power gathered in his wide-open mouth.

The next moment, a cannon-like Dragon Breath was fired.

Dooogooon!

It blew the ceiling to pieces.

The dim cloudy sky opened up above us.

While it was at it, a piece of decayed wood fell and struck Sylph’s head directly as she tried to fly away.

“Gyaaah! That hurts! W-wait, I can’t move!”

Sylph was pinned under the fallen wood. On top of that, as if aiming right at Sylph, more wood piled up like a mountain.

It was as if the grudges accumulated over all those years had taken shape.

I ignored her and called out to everyone.

“All right, no particular problem here! —Let’s go!”

“Yes!” “Kyaa!” “Gaa!”

“No, there are tons of problems here! Do you really think it’s okay to leave such a fabulous great fairy behind—aaah! You’re serious!? No way, please, don’t go!”

Ignoring Sylph’s desperate racket, we passed through the hole in the ceiling and flew out of the ship.

Along the way, I glanced at the skeletons who had been inside the ship and on the deck, but each of them had already turned into piles of white bones where they had been.

—I hope you walk a proper life next time. Ah, their souls had already passed on, hadn’t they?

We watched the ship from the sky. Its three masts broke. The hull caved in, and it sank with a thunderous roar.

Together with the innocent and wicked fairy.

As large ripples spread across the ocean, the white fog cleared away.

I muttered while looking down.

“And so, innocent evil vanished. Happily ever after.”

Liricia looked through her monocle and said,

“The magic power that had fixed the small boat in place has also been released.”

“Good. From here, it looks like we can arrive in about half a day.”

I looked up into the sky. A winged dragon glided through the blue.

Facies, worthy of the name Sky Dragon, spread his large wings and leisurely circled through the blue sky.

“Facies, this is goodbye.”

“Gaa!”

“Don’t get caught by humans again, okay? If you’re in trouble, flee to my mansion—ah, the location is…”

Then Rāna, who was clinging to my back, said,

“I told him earlier! It’s already okay!”

“I see. —See you, Facies.”

“Gaaaaaaaaaah!”

After letting out an especially loud roar, Facies increased his speed and flew away into the far reaches of the sky.

We descended to the small boat drifting on the still-rippling surface of the sea.

I called out to Rāna on my back.

“Rāna, can you do it?”

“I powered up, so I’m okay!”

She put strength into the hands clinging tightly to me. Quite a strong power came through her slender arms.

While my chest was being squeezed and it became hard to breathe, I laughed.

“At this rate, I’m counting on you until Luktia.”

“I’ll do my best!”

“My, Rāna-chan. How reliable.”

Liricia laughed softly. Her innocent smile was as dazzling as the morning sun.

After that, once we had a light breakfast, we had Rāna push the small boat with a “Keen!” and headed toward Luktia at high speed.

—In order to charge into the subspace, we needed Jewel Orbs to grow Rāna the Sacred White Dragon, but we had obtained one in an unexpected place.

Three remained. If we could receive them in the Luktia Holy Papal State, thirteen-year-old Rāna should be able to charge into the subspace!

While riding the small boat gliding over the water, I clenched my fist and resolved to do my best.