A boy raised by a demon king and a dragon king seems to be peerless in his school life.

Volume 10 Chapter 26 The source of the inviting voice

“Oh my, quite a late awakening, isn’t it?”

Looking at Ruisha, who appeared after the sun had risen high, the pirate captain Cindy called out with a grin.

The other pirates had similar expressions. Ruisha answered, his face turning red with embarrassment.

“I, I’m sorry…”

“It’s fine. It’s good to be energetic.”

With that, Cindy said, and then switched to a serious expression.

Immediately, the surrounding pirates stopped chatting and switched to work mode.

(They’re so organized, like an army. Totally different from the pirates we fought yesterday!)

When you think of pirates, you imagine a gathering of rogues, but Cindy and her crew are specialists of the seas from around the world. They’re completely different from the Drake pirate crew, mere plunderers.

“We’ve gained reliable allies, so today, I plan to charge into that barrier. We don’t know what’s inside, but I’m sure it’ll be a tough battle. Anyone who charges in knowing that… is a fool. So, if anyone wants to step down from this adventure, tell me. I won’t stop you. I won’t blame you, and I won’t let others blame you.”

Cindy looked around at her comrades and spoke.

Silence fell.

Her more than a hundred comrades… no one stepped forward, no matter how long she waited.

“I see, it seems my pirate crew is made up of nothing but fools. But I love those fools! If you’re so eager to die, then come along, you damn fools!”

In response to the captain’s spirited speech, the crew shouted, “Wooohoooo!!” and cheered.

The overwhelming spirit and passion left Ruisha in awe.

“Cindy’s charisma is amazing, it’s kind of invigorating even for us.”

“The captain is no less, I think. I and the other two followed the captain all the way here because we were impressed by your personality and capacity. You can have confidence in that, I believe.”

“R-really? I’d be happy if that’s true.”

Ruisha responded to Wolf’s words, looking shy and happy.

◇　◇　◇

“A little later, the pirate ship ‘Glowblue’ slowly began to approach the barrier.

At the forefront of the ship were Captain Cindy, as well as the vice-captain, Mac Evans, and the group with Ruisha.

“Well, we’re almost at the barrier. Can I count on you?”

“…Yes.”

In response to Cindy’s words, Sharo, who was standing near the bow of the ship, walked forward.

“It’s okay, just extend your hand.” She knew that, but her hand still trembled.

Following in the footsteps of the hero held great significance for her. No matter how prepared she was, when the moment arrived, anxiety would overwhelm her.

“Are you okay? Should I come with you?”

Sensing her anxiety, Ruisha approached her and said, but Sharo shook her head.

“Thank you, Ru. But I’ll be fine. This is something I have to do on my own, surely.”

“I see… understood. Do your best.”

The two briefly held hands and then parted.

Although the time they touched was brief, it was enough to stop her trembling.

“Well then, I’ll do it.”

She stood at the bow of the ship, extending her right hand.

She couldn’t see the barrier with her eyes, but she definitely felt that something was there.

Something connected to her blood.

Something hidden for many years touched her fingertips.

“――――!”

There was no pain.

In fact, she didn’t even feel the sensation of touching something.

But Sharo definitely felt that something had touched her and then disappeared.

“Did it… work?”

“Yeah, the barrier certainly disappeared.”

Ruisha, who had approached, spoke.

The ‘Magic Eye’ dwelling in his left eye had indeed captured that moment.

The moment Sharo touched it, and the disappearing form of the barrier.

“You’ve worked hard. Want to rest for a bit?”

“No… I’m fine. The busy part comes after this, right?”

In response to Sharo’s words, Ruisha nodded in agreement.

They had only just stepped into the beginning of this journey, and the truly difficult part lay ahead.

“Alright, full speed ahead! Get to work, you guys!”

“Aye, aye!”

Following Cindy’s command, the crew members who had been observing the situation returned to their duties.

The Glowblue gained speed rapidly, cutting through the region concealed by the barrier.

“…But this is troublesome.”

They had finally managed to enter the coveted barrier, but Cindy’s expression remained grim.

“I looked around, but there’s nothing here. Are you sure there’s an island?”

As she said, there was nothing within the barrier.

Nothing, just a peaceful sea. The group began to feel anxious, wondering if there was a need to conceal this.

“No, this is the place.”

It was Viness, the vampire, who spoke with certainty.

Despite having fully recovered by now, his complexion had worsened.

“A-Are you alright!?”

“Yeah, don’t worry, brother. My head feels like it’s about to split, and my vision is unstable, but that’s about it.”

“No, you should rest for a bit, shouldn’t you!?”

Ruisha tried to convince him to rest, but Viness refused.

“…Indeed, there’s nothing on the ‘sea surface.’ But this… it’s definitely nearby, calling me.”

“What do you mean? An island floating in the sky or something?”

In response to Viness’s cryptic words, Cindy reacted.

“The legend of the ‘Floating City Mu’ is certainly famous, but I didn’t think it had anything to do with the Pirate King…”

“No, it’s there… he’s there… in that place.”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

Perplexed by Viness’s unclear words, Cindy tilted her head.

Sensing her confusion, Viness struggled to articulate his thoughts while holding his aching head.

“No, by ‘there’… I mean right here.”

He pointed downwards.

An endlessly vast sea. He pointed at it without hesitation.

“The bottom. It’s down there. Something is at the bottom of this sea…!”

Reacting to Viness’s words, Ruisha used his Magic Eye to see the seabed.

There, an incredibly dense and malevolent magic, unlike anything they had ever seen, swirled.

“There’s something there, something immensely powerful and malevolent…!”

Finally, they reached their destination for this journey.

◇

Volume 10 Chapter 27 Guidance of the stars

Ruisha and the others, having calmed down the agitated Viness, temporarily moved away from the Dead Sea Point. They didn’t think staying there would lead to any progress.

“Still, the destination being the seabed, huh. After crossing the Seven Seas, I thought I had seen it all, but this is truly uncharted territory,” Cindy remarked.

It was a destination that would normally make one want to give up. But Cindy, the daring female pirate leading the ship at a young age, smiled with enthusiasm.

Standing alone on the deck, gazing at the sea, Ruisha asked her, “Do you have a plan to reach the seabed? Even if we dive at high speed, I don’t think we can hold our breath for long.”

“Indeed, even I, no matter how skilled, can only hold my breath for about two hours. It would be impossible to go and come back without breathing,” Cindy replied.

“It’s already surprising that you can hold your breath for two hours…”

“It’s a skill natural for those who live in the sea. Well, no matter how long you can hold your breath, you’d be flattened by the water pressure if you went all the way to the seabed.”

“Water pressure… I’ve heard of it. It’s the force that increases the deeper you dive into the sea, right? So, it’s not just about being able to hold your breath.”

“You’re quite knowledgeable for someone from the land. Exactly, the power of the sea is far beyond human comprehension. There are countless tales of fools who overestimated their own abilities and became part of the sea.”

“That’s frightening…”

While looking at the vast open sea in front of him, Ruisha felt fear at its depth and unknown aspects.

“Indeed, the depths of the sea are a frightening and terrifying place. But that doesn’t mean there’s no way to go. It will take time because we need to acquire various things, but there are methods.”

“I see, that’s a relief. It’s reassuring to have you, Cindy.”

Ruisha let out a sigh of relief. In the field of the sea, they were too much of amateurs. Even ordinary navigation was challenging, let alone the deep sea. Meeting Cindy and being able to act together without hostility was incredibly fortunate.

“We really were lucky.”

“…Among sea folk, there’s a term known as ‘Guidance of the Stars,'” Cindy said, suddenly uttering an unfamiliar phrase with a solemn expression.

“The guidance of the stars?”

“Yeah. Sometimes, during significant events, a series of inexplicable occurrences, almost miraculous, tend to happen. Like a brave hero appearing at the same time as the birth of an evil king. The people of the sea attribute these events to the heavens and call it ‘Guidance of the Stars.'”

“I see. It’s a romantic story. Do you believe in that tale too, Cindy?”

When Ruisha asked, surprisingly, Cindy scoffed at the notion.

“Absolutely not. Fate is always something you carve out for yourself. At least, that’s how I’ve always done it. That’s how I’ve done it in the past and will continue to do so in the future.”

She said this dismissively, turning her back as if signaling the end of the conversation. Her back displayed a strong resolve and determination.

“I’m going to an island to gather the necessary supplies for our journey. It’ll take about three days, so take it easy.”

“…Understood.”

Ruisha responded this way to Cindy as she walked away.

◇　◇　◇

At first, the sea voyage was enjoyable, but after a while, it lost its charm. The young ones, with too much free time on their hands, put effort into spending their time meaningfully in the confined space of the ship.

“Seven… eight… nine, ten!”

With that, Ruisha completed the push-ups he had been doing in a handstand position. Not just any push-ups—these were Dragon King’s Hell Training, done with only a thumb and additional weights. This time, he was doing it at the bow of the ship, where the rocking was particularly intense.

“Wow, Captain, you’re amazing! You seem used to the rocking by now!”

“That’s right. Initially, it was confusing, but now I feel like I could handle a battle on deck.”

Even during the sea voyage, Ruisha continued his training without getting bored, adapting to the peculiar environment on the ship. Last time, when they were attacked by Drake and his pirates, he hadn’t quite adjusted and couldn’t move effectively. But now, he had the confidence to handle such situations.

“I’m still not quite used to it. Is there some trick or tip to it?”

“Yeah, your upper body should be rigid and stable, while your lower body should sway with the motion. If you try to maintain an unnatural balance, your whole body will waver.”

“I see. I’m learning something useful here. Is it like this…?”

Wolf immediately tried to balance himself as Ruisha suggested. Surprisingly, the shaking of his body reduced significantly compared to before.

“Good, good! Well done, Wolf. You catch on quickly!”

“Hehe, thanks to the Captain’s guidance.”

The two of them trained jovially.

Then, a person approached them.

“You both seem to have become quite accustomed to the ship. Impressive.”

Saying this was a man wearing glasses. He appeared to be in his mid-twenties, radiating a gentle smile and giving off a calm impression.

His name was Mac Evans, the Vice Captain of the Sindbad Pirates.

“Hello, Mac-san. What’s going on?”

“The waves are calm today, so I had nothing to do and was a bit bored.”

“I see, even the Vice Captain has free time, huh?”

“Hey, Wolf! That’s rude!”

Ruisha scolded Wolf for his impolite comment. However, Mac remained unfazed, still wearing a smile.

“The Vice Captain having free time is a sign of peace, indicating that everyone is performing their roles properly.”

Saying so, Mac took an apple from his pocket and placed it on the palm of his left hand.

“Since I have some free time, let me show you something interesting.”

“Interesting?”

Ruisha and Wolf simultaneously raised their eyebrows in surprise.

Then, Mac placed the palm of his other empty hand against the side of the apple. And…

“Ha!”

He shouted loudly.

At that moment, the apple, which should have just been resting against the palm, suddenly shattered into tiny pieces, as if it had exploded from the inside. Watching the apple disintegrate as if it had exploded from within, Ruisha was astonished.

(I didn’t feel any use of magic or Qi! How did he do it!?)

Seeing the astonished expressions of the two, Mac smiled cheerfully.

“Just as there are different ways of fighting on land, there are different ways of fighting at sea. For you eager learners, I’ll teach you this technique as a representative of the sea people, a token of friendship.”

In response to Mac’s words, the two vigorously nodded in agreement.