Reincarnated Devil's Strongest Hero Training Plan ~The baby he picked up has grown up so well that his father is confused~ - Chapter 90

Reincarnated Devil’s Strongest Hero Training Plan ~The baby he picked up has grown up so well that his father is confused~

Chapter 90   Dream-like ocean

As Saintess Isha and Sword Saint Ein sailed towards the southern continent after departing from the Holy Kingdom, they were traveling on a large sailing ship loaned to them by former Marquis Galeria Frankel, who managed the port town.

In a secluded corner of this ship, a little girl wearing sunglasses had secretly boarded.

“The ocean is vast and wide, just like my dreams…”

Gazing at the expansive, blue sea from a hidden spot, this confident and contemplative little girl was none other than Mermel, the recently recognized elite angel.

A few months ago, Mermel received a gold medal and chocolate marshmallows from Preanis, the Archangel. After that, she traveled to the Holy Kingdom, accumulating various achievements. Recently, sensing a change in the nature of these achievements, she boarded this ship.

Her achievements ranged from minor to major, the most notable being her involvement in burning down the mansion of a viscount who had been abducting demihumans and illegally trading them as slaves.

Mermel initially intended to help free the captured demihumans. However, it seems that a campfire she had set up before the operation caught fire and spread to the viscount’s mansion as she and the demihumans were escaping.

Despite having learned fire control, leaving a fire unattended naturally led to it spreading, a predictable outcome. By the time the mansion was engulfed in flames, all the captured demihumans had been rescued, and the remaining inhabitants were the slave traders and the viscount who had strayed from the righteous path.

The mansion, along with its wealth and slave contracts, was reduced to ashes. The viscount, watching his property burn, was later punished by Saintess Isha, who had been investigating evidence of his wrongdoing, thanks to the testimonies of the escaped slaves.

Nice, Mermel.

As expected of an elite.

The little angel truly proved she could do great things when she set her mind to it.

“I’m really exceptional, aren’t I~?”

Muttering to herself, she adjusted her cool sunglasses that reflected the moonlight and sighed, “Phew…”

Indeed, her performance in the recent events was outstanding.

Having watched the mansion burn, Mermel had thought to herself, “So, this is another way to do things,” gaining a bit of wisdom from the experience. This little angel was terrifyingly clever.

Today, as always, the little angel was in her usual routine. As she gazed out over the vast sea, she remembered something.

“Come to think of it, I wonder how the heroes are doing? The Brave Engine can go out of control if used recklessly or if one becomes drunk with power, so I’m a bit worried.”

Frowning, the little angel felt a wave of concern, thinking she might need to check on them soon.

Often overlooked even in her heavenly homeland, Mermel’s greatness lay not only in her luck. Her extraordinary intuition was her true weapon, the very quality that had enabled her to report financial documents with perfect accuracy time and again.

Therefore, Mermel feeling uneasy at this moment was a credible indication based on her proven track record.

“This isn’t the time to be idling. If the Brave Engine goes out of control, it won’t be good for the hero. I need to fly there immediately or it might be too late.”

With the saying “strike while the iron is hot” in mind, Mermel quickly took off from her corner of the large sailing ship.

Spreading her angelic wings, she fluttered away, silently bidding farewell to everyone on the ship who had helped her, and resumed her solo journey.

As a side note, her farewell wasn’t verbal. She simply expressed her gratitude in her heart with, “Thanks for letting me hitch a ride~.”

Of course, since Mermel had boarded the ship from the sky, stowed away without permission, and left just as quietly, no one noticed her presence. Thus, nothing particularly eventful happened due to her departure…

◇

“Huh? Just now, it felt like a pure magical presence flew into the sky…”

“Huh? Into the sky? Perhaps you’re just tired, my lady. It must be your imagination.”

“Yes, you’re probably right. After all, it wouldn’t make sense for anyone to leave the ship in the middle of this vast ocean.”

Nodding to herself, Saintess Isha dismissed the odd sensation. Her companion, Sword Saint Ein, smiled wryly at his master’s sudden, outlandish remark.

On this ship, the agents of Marquis Frankel were always vigilant against monster attacks, particularly from the sea. Even though it was night and visibility of the sky was low, they would surely notice a large flying monster.

Thus, there was reasonable doubt about Isha’s hypothesis that the magical presence had passed over the ship.

“Well, if it was something as small as a child, we might have missed it. However, in that case, it wouldn’t pose any threat.”

“That’s true~.”

Even if a small bird-like monster appeared on deck, it wouldn’t be a significant threat. The crew of the large sailing ship, carrying Princess Saintess Isha, wouldn’t consider such a minor creature a danger.

In any scenario, it was a trivial matter not worth worrying about.

Thus, their journey continued, with or without the presence of the little angel nearby. Their first destination was the capital of the magical nation Rulans, where they had heard from an informant about the exploits of a blond, blue-eyed boy named Ars.

Given that they were advised to gather information on him, the logical first step was to head to Rulans and start their investigation there. Informant Chukyu had mentioned that by doing so, they could obtain valuable information from Elga the Dark Elf, who had recently resumed his role as the kingdom’s most formidable assassin.

“Still, who exactly is that informant Chukyu? Every time I try to thank him for saving my life, he disappears if I show up with too many people,” mused Isha.

This mysterious mid-level merchant, or rather, informant, had been elusive, despite having significantly aided the Holy Kingdom. Isha had attempted to visit his makeshift shelter with a squad of knights, only to find it empty. Even when she visited alone and offered to grant him a noble title in recognition of his deeds, he had brusquely refused.

A truly enigmatic individual.

“Haha, well, he must have his own goals and convictions. I can somewhat understand that feeling,” said Ein.

“Really? Men are strange. If it were me, I’d take whatever I could get,” Isha replied.

As they chatted lightheartedly about the informant, a smile of trust played on both their faces.

But suddenly…

── What’s that…?

── The sky is glowing red…!

Voices of alarmed crew members reached them from the deck. Startled, the Saintess and the Sword Saint rushed outside.

“My lady, what is this…!?”

“What… what is that dreadful magical presence…?”

As they looked up at the ominously glowing sky, the two felt a foreboding sense of impending disaster.