The guest room where I was staying.
There, I had been lying in bed feeling wretched since morning. I'm sure I looked pale. Moving was painful, and I felt terrible.
A bucket had been placed nearby, and Novem was taking care of me in the room.
"Lyairel-sama, are you all right? Would you like some water?"
Pre-growth illness.
Someone like me, whom it affected so prominently, was simultaneously plagued by seasickness. I had been throwing up repeatedly since last night, causing trouble for Novem and Monica.
Shannon came to the room to check on how I was doing.
"Ugh, you look awful..."
Shannon gazed at my weakened state with a strangely cheerful expression. Behind her stood Monica, carrying a bundle of laundry.
"This brat. It's almost Chicken's Fever Time. Keep it down."
Monica looked down at Shannon with a displeased expression, but when I turned my gaze toward her, she broke into a smile —
"Chicken, I've washed the sheets and the clothes are all perfect! Now, let's get you changed. You can't welcome Fever Time wearing clothes all soggy with sweat!"
She urged me to change with an almost too-happy expression. Novem rose with a wry smile and reached out her hand to help me stand.
Too lethargic to even take her hand, I —
"Just leave me alone. And this time, I absolutely will not fail. Listen, absolutely not! I've failed four times already. The fifth time... from the fifth time on, I won't fail anymore."
I pulled the blanket over my head. Shannon was laughing.
"No way. Absolutely no way. Go ahead and embarrass yourself again — I'd love to see it."
Then Novem hugged me and slowly helped me sit up. She must have seen my ghastly face, because she gently smiled, sat me down, and began undressing me.
"You'll feel better once I wipe you down. Come now, Lyairel-sama."
Seeing Novem dilligently nursing me, a voice rang out from the Jewel. The Fourth Generation's voice.
"You really haven't grown at all in this area. It reminds me of the early days. Back then you were at that inn having someone wash your hair for you, acting like it was only natural for people to go out of their way for you."
The one stepping in to back her up was the Seventh Generation.
"Still under the weather on the road to growth. It can't be helped right now. But when I think back to how you were at the start, Lyairel, you've grown tremendously."
The Fifth Generation spoke, her voice a shade lower than usual.
"...It's a lot lonelier than it was back in the early days, though."
The Third Generation, as nonchalant as ever.
"But isn't it nice that things are lively around Lyairel? Look, we wouldn't really even be here in the first place. You should at least consider it lucky that we get to witness his growth."
She seemed to be saying something nice, but I couldn't help but feel malice in the word "growth."
(Are they talking about the way the successive heads keep calling me "Lyairel-san"? Damn it — the reason I can't take anything at face value anymore is entirely these people's fault!)
Since leaving home, I think I've gotten quite a bit meaner too.
——Aria called out to Miranda, who was reading in their room.
Clara had gotten somewhat used to the ship by now, but reading made her feel queasy, so she'd gone outside to get some fresh air.
Aria had just finished her daily training on deck and had returned to the room with a towel draped over her shoulder.
"Where's Shannon?"
Without looking up from her book, Miranda sat on the bed and turned a page.
"With Lyairel. That girl's probably worried sick, isn't she?"
Aria, her cheeks slightly flushed, raised a hand to her face to hide her embarrassment.
"Yeah, he'll probably be like that for a few days. He'll be in high spirits once he gets back on his feet, though."
Miranda continued reading as she spoke to Aria.
"In a way, he's the absolute strongest, isn't he? Since he doesn't feel any shame or embarrassment at all, that's probably the only time he can show his full ability. He hasn't actually been in any fights yet, but I wonder who'd win in a fight—him or the everyday Laiel."
Aria hung the towel on the bed's railing and stripped off her clothes. After peeling away the sweat-soaked fabric, she reached into her bag to find something to change into.
"After he grows, he tends to make a lot of mistakes, so isn't avoiding combat basically the rule?"
"…That's true, but it got me curious. Honestly, don't you wonder just how much power Laiel holds back?"
Aria dried her body and changed, then sat down on the bed.
"Holds back? He's still not giving it his all?"
Miranda seemed to have finished reading, closing the book and placing it on the bed.
"That's not what I mean. I'm talking about what would happen if he used his Skills at full power. Laiel has eight Skills, you know. Even if you only count the support-type ones, that number is astonishing, isn't it? He's inherited the Jewel through every generation, and because there's no overlap between his Skills, it's even more incredible."
When Aria didn't seem to grasp the meaning and tilted her head, Miranda explained with a mix of exasperation and patience.
"Listen. Normally, when it comes to Skills, the ones that tend to manifest first are obvious ones like physical enhancement. But if you already have one from the start, a different type of Skill is more likely to manifest."
Aria nodded slowly.
"I think I get it. My Jewel has a physical enhancement Skill too. Well, I can't really tell how Laiel's Skills differ from mine, though."
Both were enhancement-type Skills.
The Jewel manifested enhancement Skills geared toward frontline combat.
The Jewel manifested enhancement Skills geared toward support.
However, even if there were subtle differences, they were fundamentally the same type of enhancement Skill. Miranda raised both hands in a gesture of surrender.
"There's no way I can explain the finer points—I'm no expert. There are subtle differences, apparently. Anyway, tonight it's my turn to take over looking after Laiel from Novem. I'm going to sleep now, so don't wake me up."
Miranda placed the book on the small desk in the room, lay down, pulled the blanket over herself, and closed her eyes.
Aria—
"Wait, nobody told me about that… and she's already asleep!"
Seeing Miranda fall asleep so quickly, Aria began contemplating how she would spend the rest of her evening——
——Baim, Rael's manor.
At the sprawling manor, Maxim was in the garden, swinging his spear and refining his technique.
Automaton No. 2 was tidying up the lawn, and across the vast estate, only the two of them could be seen.
As Maxim repeated his basic movements, he wiped the sweat from his brow and took a break——that was when a scream rang out from inside the manor.
It was Adele.
"What is the meaning of this?!!"
"Miss Adele!!"
Maxim tossed his towel aside, grabbed his spear, and burst into the manor, heading straight for Adele's room.
Automaton No. 2 collected Maxim's towel and muttered a single line.
"If this belongs to the master, I should put it away... Sigh, shall I get back to work?"
That was what she murmured.
When Maxim burst into Adele's room, he found her slumped over her desk and cried out.
"Are you all right, Miss?!"
Slowly raising her head, Adele looked at Maxim through tear-filled eyes, pleading for help.
"I am not all right! What is this mountain of documents?! Why are documents from Zayin and Rolfis arriving here at Baim's Rael's manor?!"
Maxim gazed at the mountain of documents.
"...Because he's a hero who made great contributions in both countries, perhaps this kind of paperwork comes with the territory? Uh... does it?"
Adele slapped her palms down on the desk several times.
"How could it possibly?! Why are reports being sent here?! Why are proposals being sent here?! What on earth did that man do?! And on top of that, this document from Her Highness the Princess of Rolfis... is this not a love letter?! What is this?! What did you do, Rael?!"
Maxim hung his head in frustration.
"I'm sorry, milady. There's nothing I can do to help..."
Adele let out a long sigh.
"Then could I trouble you for another drink, Maxim? They say she's coming by this evening, so I need to finish this before then."
He took the empty cup from the thoroughly exhausted Adele. Tucking his spear under one arm and cradling the cup carefully, Maxim left the room.
"I'll have it ready right away!"
As Maxim went sprinting down the corridor, Automaton Unit No. 1 — who had been busy cleaning —
"You mustn't run in the hallways."
chided him—
—Around the sixth day of the sea voyage.
Rael was still bedridden.
Now even speaking seemed to be painful for him. Whenever someone addressed him, all he could manage in return were groans like "ahh" or "umm."
Vera, who had come out to the bridge as they were about to enter dangerous waters, also stopped by Rael's cabin, only to confirm that his condition was still terrible.
The captain approached Vera and asked about Rael and the others who served as her guards.
"How are the adventurers doing, milady? A few of them seem to be up and moving around just fine, but the men haven't shown their faces at all, and the crew has been getting worried."
More than worried, they were really wondering whether these guards would be of any use at all.
Vera reported what she had honestly seen.
"Pre-ascension, so it's no good. The timing couldn't be worse. You know how there are always those unlucky ones? I thought every top-tier adventurer would have at least some of that luck, but these ones don't seem to."
The captain pulled his hat down low and gave a wry smile.
"Well, that's... anyway, we have you here, milady, so there's nothing to worry about."
Vera's expression stiffened for a moment, but she quickly put on a smile.
"Goddess of fortune? Give me a break. I'm having trouble enough keeping men away as it is."
The captain burst out laughing.
"The men just don't have an eye for these things, miss. You're a beautiful woman — before long, they'll be swarming around you whether you like it or not."
Vera tossed off a breezy "I wish" and the like, but inside, she wasn't feeling it at all.
"The only ones who come crawling are after money. And how exactly am I supposed to meet anyone out here on the sea? Honestly..."
Vera thought of the young servant boy who had been close with her sister. They were about the same age, but he'd been a hand around the manor — and he was Vera's first love.
She was still hung up on him, but once she'd gone off to sea on a ship, he had started dating her sister. The sisters' relationship wasn't bad, and Vera had told her sister she'd cheer them on.
"...He called my sister by her name, but every time he saw me, it was 'miss this' and 'miss that.' There was never any hope there, but honestly, it hurts."
She knew that the red parasol — the gift from the boy — had actually been paid for by her sister.
The thought that she'd made her sister worry on her behalf made Vera feel pathetic.
"If Father approves, he'll be the heir for certain. And if that happens, am I going to be stuck on ships forever..."
The relationship between her sister and the boy still hadn't been acknowledged. But Vera felt it was only a matter of time. The servant boy was talented and earnest.
That was exactly the kind of person Vera had been drawn to.
"Sigh... maybe I should have sat down and properly talked it out with them. When I get back, the three of us should have a conversation..."
Lost in thought, she suddenly heard a voice coming from one of the metal tubes on the bridge. They were connected to the lookout posts.
"S-something's out there! And the sky just went dark all of a sudden—"
The captain roared at the panicking sailor to give a proper report.
Vera looked out the bridge window, then dashed outside.
"What's going on? There was no wind at all, and now... this..."
The surroundings had been perfectly clear just moments ago. Birds had been circling the ship, but now there was not a single one in sight. Swirling rain clouds were spreading outward, and as the rain began to fall, Vera pushed her black hair back and looked ahead.
She grabbed the nearest railing as the ship began to rock violently.
A sailor came up behind Vera, urging her to turn back.
"My lady, please get inside quickly! You'll get drenched!"
Vera was staring straight ahead, fixed on the ship's heading. She raised a hand toward the sailor and issued her order immediately.
"I said we're heading back! Port or starboard, I don't care—just change course right now!"
But the captain shouldered past the sailor and thrust his face out.
"My lady! The rudder isn't responding! It's like we're being pulled forward—sucked in, just like that!"
Vera glared ahead with a frustrated expression.
There it was—a colossal monster rising from the surface of the sea—no, an entity said to be the god of the sea: the Trident Sea Serpent, staring right at them.
It had three heads, and the central one bore something like a trident—sharp protrusions on either side of its jaw that could have been claws or fangs or something metallic altogether.
She noticed that six crimson eyes from the three-forked head were watching them—eyes that none of the other heads possessed.
Despair was all that remained. The creature was many times larger than even the Vera Trace, and for sailors, one look at a monster like this meant survival was next to impossible. A monster—and not just any monster, but one called the god of the sea—was regarding them as prey.
Just below the point where the neck split into three, a massive fin was visible. It floated on the water's surface, seemingly waiting for them to come to it.
On the deck, the sailors had collapsed to the ground, clutching their heads.
The captain, too, after catching sight of the Trident Sea Serpent, pulled his hat down low.
"...Please get off the ship, my lady. If we take to the boats, we might still be overlooked."
Vera slowly turned to look at the captain.
"There's no way we can escape. This ship is being pulled in too."
Vera looked at the sea slowly swirling in a vortex centered on the Trident Sea Serpent, and then slammed her fist against the railing.
"...What Goddess of Fortune. To think it would be here."
Vera had thought she would never see her family again, but even so, she had briefly entertained the thought of escaping this situation.
Then, she shook her head.
(What am I thinking about! If I sink in this state, I'll really be at the bottom of the ocean... the bottom of the ocean? Could it be, that was some kind of precognitive dream?)
Vera looked up sharply, grinding her teeth in frustration.
"...Battle stations. Prepare the cannons. We can't just leave it to the Sea God or whatever forever!"
However, the crew members wore expressions of despair.
"But, Miss... our opponent is a god."
"That's terrifying. Pointing guns at the Sea God..."
"You can't possibly defeat the Sea God with just cannons..."
The captain also seemed to have given up. After all, the enemy was that overwhelmingly powerful. The central head seemed to wear a crown. A golden crown, and sharp golden blades extending from the sides of its mouth.
Together with the mouth, it resembled a three-pronged spear.
Lightning fell from the rain clouds, and a pale light illuminated the black shadow of the Trident Sea Serpent. Its blue scales reflected a beautiful, seven-colored shimmer, and it looked as if it was simply waiting for its prey to come.
Vera raised her voice once more.
"Battle stations! Are we just going to let ourselves be trampled like this! This is the most advanced ship there is!"
But one of the crew members...
"...Still, against the Sea God..."
Wearing an expression of despair, the other crew members made no move to act. Once again, Vera slammed her fist against the railing.
As the rain began to fall heavily, Vera glared at the Trident Sea Serpent waiting before her—and then she noticed it.
The figure of a boy with blue hair walking across the deck.
The boy, who should have been sleeping due to feeling unwell, walked toward the bow of the ship, completely ignoring the crew members sitting there in a daze.
Taking in the rain, yet still aiming for the front of the rocking ship, he looked upon his enemy—and spoke.
"PERFECT!! What a magnificent sight, those colossal proportions, that bravery, that divinity!! You are the perfect opponent for me!"
Vera, hearing that cheerful voice, leaned forward.
"What is he doing over there—"
Ryael spread both arms wide in the rain, then shouted at the top of his lungs.
"A fitting first opponent to commemorate my growth! You... become fodder for my funding drive!! Fu-haha, fuhahahaha... *cough!* I swallowed a bit of seawater. The sea spray is brutal."
Facing the colossal enemy, Ryael let out a hearty laugh as the ship collided with a wave, sending seawater flying up, which he drank in and began coughing from—