Oukoku e Tsuzuku Michi

od.
After a one second delay, another pillar cracks dryly and falls over, further tilting the ship.

I hold my longsword in both hands, then let out a bestial roar as I charge at the pirates.

「A-amazing…… he’s just like a monster.」

The captain of the Surov says something.
I am pumped up right now but I can still hear him.

「So this is Lord Hardlett…… this is beyond what I heard.
He’s literally a demon of war.」

Arbakin has also come out before I knew it.
If so many people are watching, I’ll get embarrassed.

The pirates are making faces like they have no clue what to do as I cut them down one by one.

I slash diagonally at the man who charges straight at me, then kick and crush the face of the man who dives at my leg.
I deflect the attack of the man who swings from a hanging rope then drop him into the river, next I stab through the man who’s being used as a shield and the coward hiding behind him, killing both at the same time.

I cut in half those who run at me, stab through the backs of those who run away, and smash those in hiding along with their cover.
Pirate corpses start piling up and panic spreads across the ship’s deck.
This has become a strange fight where I single handedly chased around double digit enemies.

「Boss, what should we do!? That guy’s a monster! We don’t stand a chance!」
「E-enough, just go in front! Do whatever you can and fight!」

The instructions of the clean pirate leader has already lost its meaning.
When I hurl the man I skewered earlier, he lets out a cute squeak.

「Y-you’re mine!」

Because I was thinking of something unnecessary, I created an opening for a small man to thrust at me with his short sword.

「I didn’t give you anything.」

Before the short sword could reach my side, I stretch out my hand and grab his head.
If you were holding a short spear instead, it might have stabbed me.
It was close.

「Gugagh…… gugh!!」

I tighten my grip and squeeze his head, then throw him in the direction of the river.
The corpse flies through the fence installed on the side of the boat and into the depths of the river.

The corpse must have knocked over a torch.
Flames spread all over the deck.
This is convenient.

「This bastard, he set the boat on fire!」
「Hurry and extinguish it!」

I cut down the two men who try to put out the flames.

「You’ll get cut if you come at me.
If you don’t do anything, the boat will burn……now what will you do?」

I rest my sword on my shoulder and smile as I admire the spreading fire.

「I don’t know who the pirate is at this point……」

Who said that.
I’ll interrogate that person later.

The unextinguished flames quickly grow bigger and the pirates run about trying to escape.
Nobody points their blade at me anymore.
The only one repeatedly calling out for them to fight is the leader.

「I just need to kill you and I win.」

I run at the pirate leader.
The boss tries to run away desperately, but I’m not going to allow that.
I instantly close the distance and grab the leader’s collar, then push the person to the deck.

「Kyaa!!」

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I’ll be done with this fight if I take this boss’s head, then I can move on to the remaining ship……

「D-don’t kill me…… I’m begging you……」

A fragile voice unbecoming of a pirate leaks out from the mouth of the person and tears well up in both eyes.
The hat falls off, causing the beautiful flaxen hair hidden underneath to spill onto the deck.

「Mu?」

I lower my raised sword and touch the individual’s chest area through the clean clothes.

「Ow! S-stop……」
「Muu」

A soft feeling.
Then I stick my hand in the crotch area of the tight-fitting capri style pants.
My finger slips into the cave in between the person’s legs.

「Agh!」
「You have a hole there…… so you were a woman!?」

It’s a different story now that I know.
Killing her is out of the question.
I have to take her with me.

「T-this ship is done for!」
「We’re escaping!!」

The fire eventually engulfs the entire ship.
With the mast broken and the ship tilted to the side, it can’t really be used anymore.
It’s clear this ship will sink.

The pirates all begin to jump off the ship and into the cold water of the river.
Because I made a mess of things, large pieces of wood and debris are floating on the surface for them to hang onto, but I don’t know if they’ll last too long.

「L-let me escape…… please.」

The frightened female pirate mutters in my arms.

「No.
You won’t last long if you jump in the icy river.
You’re coming with me.」
「No, no! Don’t you know what happens to pirates when they get captured!? Let go! Let me go!」

I deliver a light chop to the neck of the wildly flailing girl with my hand and knock her out.

「Aegir-sama! Come this way, quickly!」

Celia throws a rope in my direction.
Time to make my escape.

I hold the female pirate under my arm and grab the rope, then jump off the deck.
For a moment, I was mentally prepared to fall into the cold water――

「What a troublesome brat you are.」

I can feel my body being pulled with tremendous force, then I roll onto the deck of the Surov.

「What happened!?」

I was planning to jump down but I flew up instead.

「I don’t know.
I’m going to sleep.」

Brynhildr briskly makes her way back inside the ship.
Oh, so she pulled me up.
I was able to avoid getting wet thanks to her.

「That was a fine display…… rather that was some outrageous fighting.
Anyways, who is that?」

The captain asks without hiding his cautious attitude.

「This one’s a prisoner.
It’s a woman despite looking like this.
Treat her hospitably.」
「A prisoner!? But it’s basic knowledge to kill all pirates.
Making an exception for a woman is――」

Arbakin puts a hand on the captain’s shoulder to stop him from continuing.

「No, it’s fine.
I’m sure Lord Hardlett has something special in mind.」

I’m glad you understand, but stop making that face like you’re about to burst out laughing.

「The other ship is heading towards us along with the small boats!」

「Kuh, it’s one problem after the other.」
「The net has been removed! But we won’t be able to make it in time even if we increase speed now.
They’ll catch up to us.」

It becomes rowdy in the ship again.

「Lord Hardlett, I’m sorry to ask this of you after that earlier scuffle, but could you please prepare for battle again?」
「No, I think it’ll be fine.」

That’s because I spoke to Mirumi after she took off the net.

「Hm? The enemy ship has stopped…… what is going on…… hiiih――――!!」

The scream from the lookout made Arbakin, the captain and the other crew members look over the side of the boat.
Ooh, what a sight.

The pirate ship supposedly heading towards us was halted abruptly.
The reason for that was clear even from here.

「H-hands…… countless hands are…… aah, water god! Spirit of Water! Please protect us!」

Numerous hands stuck out from the water and grabbed the pirate ship.
I told them not to show their faces because it would create a complicated situation if people found out about a large group of mermaids, but it still seems really creepy for me if they only show their hands despite knowing what’s going on.

「A-are they ghosts of the dead who sunk in the river…… there are hundreds of them.」

If I remember correctly, there are a total of 555.
Ah, I guess it would be 556 including Mirumi.

「I’ve heard stories about that before…… they’re jealous of the living and would try to drag you down into the water to make you one of them!」

You won’t become a mermaid by getting pulled into the water though.

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Everyone on the pirate ship is making a fuss.
The surrounding small boats also abandon the mothership and scatter away in different directions.
The crew on the main pirate ship scream while desperately rowing the oars, but they don’t make any progress at all.

Then, arrows start to fire at the water from one of the small boats.
Not good, Mirumi and the others will get hit.

Which is what I thought until I saw how quickly they move in the water.
It didn’t take long for several dozens of hands to grab the small boat and start rocking it.
In no time, the pirates in the boat get thrown into the water―― then disappear immediately after sinking below the surface.

「Hey…… don’t yout have any protection charms or something?」

Arbakin mutters.

「I only have charms praying for safe childbirth.」

One of the crew members replies.

「……it might be better to have than not have.
Hang it on the mast.」

The hands sticking out of the water eventually begin to pound at the bottom of the pirate ship.
The rhythmical sound can be heard on our side too.

One of the pirates standing at the tip of the boat shouts at us loudly.

「I’ll surrender or do anything you want, so please save me!! Let me get on your boat!!」

The enemy surrendered, so I don’t understand why the captain and the crew have such long faces.

「We were able to get by without fighting.
With how things look, they shouldn’t resist.
Ride out on small boats and get them to disarm.」

Arbakin looks to the captain after I give out the instructions.

「Ahem, the duty obviously falls to the ship’s captain.」

The captain slumps his shoulders.

「We will now go and disarm the pirates! ……I will be staying here to get an understanding of the big picture.
The ones who are going will be Doris and Agra!」

The two crew members turn pale and start to cry.
There’s really nothing for those big men to cry about though.

「It’s fine, I’ll go.」

I feel like I’m forgetting something.

Mixed with the constant pounding of Mirumi and the others, I hear a familiar neighing.
Schwartz is crying on the deck of the burning ship.

「What are you still doing over there? Hurry up and come back or you’ll die.」

Schwartz neighs again.
Is he telling me he’s had enough of me?

「Go on, jump.」

I extend a hand towards the deck.
As soon as he saw that, Schwartz leaps without hesitation.
His ability to be decisive really shows his experience on the battlefield.
Schwartz soars toward me――

「No, that’s impossible for me.」

I take back my hand when I see the airborne Schwartz.
There’s no way I can carry him when he easily ways at least 1 ton.
I’m not stupid.

Schwartz makes a huge splash as he falls into the river.
There is a net prepared and we can somehow manage to pull him up if everybody cooperates.
It’ll be a good thing for that perverted horse to cool his head and dick.
A fire will be ready to warm him back up.

None of our allies died, the enemy is cleaned up, and I was even able to get my hands on a new girl.
The point total for this fight is close to full.

After that, Schwartz was pulled up from the water with an indignant look on his face, repeatedly huffing in discontent as a blanket is wrapped around his body.
Hey, don’t be so mad.
I’ll treat you to something tasty.

「Prepare as many bottomed out ladles as you can.
When those hands come out, throw them in the water.1 After that, bow down and pray to the water god.
Got it?」

I wonder what the captain is talking about.

Protagonist: Aegir Hardlett.
24 years old.
Winter.
Status: Goldonia Kingdom Margrave.
Great Feudal Lord of Eastern Area.
Mountain Legend.
Friend of the Dwarves.
Friend of the King of Aless.
Dragon Slayer Hero.
Elf Mediator.

Accompanying: Celia (escort, assistant), Marta (aide, bedmaker), Natia (stowaway elf)
Pipi (archer), Messerschmitt (worthless dog), Brynhildr (vampire), Schwartz (enraged)
Arbakin (Federation ambassador)

Family:
Nonna (legal wife), Carla (concubine), Mel (concubine), Miti (concubine, expecting), Maria (concubine, expecting), Catherine (concubine, expecting)
Melissa (lover), Kuu (lover), Ruu (lover), Mireille (lover), Leah (???)
Casie (ghost), Rita (head maid), Yoguri (playwright), Alice (fainting in agony magical girl)
Marceline (pregnant lover), Daughters – Stephanie (lover), Bridget (lover), Felicie (lover)
Sebastian (butler), Dorothea (capital mansion supervisor), Claudia (giant meatball), Clara (female attendant)
Felteris (virgin eating, moving to the next one)

Non-humans:
Lammy (plant caretaker), Mirumi (mermaid), Alraune (can move), Petit Roper (enlarging)
Pet:
Pochi (sulking in bed)

Subordinates:
Irijina (commander), Luna (commander), Ruby, Myla (security officer, in pursuit)
Gido (escort unit), Polte (refugee case worker), Gretel (wife-dog-to-be)
Leopolt (staff officer), Adolph (domestic affairs official), Tristan (domestic affairs assistant, escaping)
Claire & Laurie (official merchant), Lilian (actress), Kroll (servant), Alma (servant)

Assets: 13,600 gold
Sexual Partners: 438, children who have been born: 55 + 555 fish