Published: July 5, 2025
A few days later.
The French Fleet, including the Skizblaznil Vessel, was descending further south along the western coast of the continent.
To the left, the port town of Dazuru came into view.
It was the town where Assault Explorer no. 3 had made his mark during the exploration of the ruins.
This time, they would not stop and continued south.
Ryo thought nostalgically of Assault Explorer no. 3, who must be diligently working on the deck of the Skizblaznil Vessel sailing offshore.
At that moment... a brief sense of weightlessness struck Ryo.
After that, the scenery before his eyes had drastically changed.
It seemed that Ryo, Abel, and all the crew members of the Skizblaznil Vessel had been transported, remaining in the same positions.
Where had they been transported to?
Somehow, it felt like a familiar place...
"Ryo, look at this,"
The Elder in Formal Attire called out as he stood on the railing of the Skizblaznil Vessel.
"Huh? Wait, is that... the Dragon King... no, Lord Blan?"
Indeed, the Elder in Formal Attire was someone Ryo recognized.
The Dragon King Blan.
"Ah, no wonder it looks familiar," Ryo thought.
Before him lay the depths of Dazuru, right in front of the ruins.
"What? You were planning to head south without even greeting me?"
"Huh? No way, did you purposely transport us because we intended to go south?"
"That's right. I knew you were approaching from the north, so I was waiting for you. To think you would ignore me like this."
"Well, it's not like we had made a promise..."
Ryo spoke with a perplexed voice.
They hadn’t brought any gifts either.
"I don’t need such things."
Ryo made a common-sense excuse, but Blan brushed it off immediately.
...Perhaps Ryo wasn’t being forgetful.
The Skizblaznil Vessel was still floating in the air.
The crew members were surprised, moving only their eyes to look around.
They weren’t panicking or losing their composure.
They were in a state before that.
Their instinctive self-defense was at work, only moving their eyes to gather information, fearing that raising their voices or moving clumsily might threaten their lives.
Not only the crew members but Ryo, Abel, and the three from Room 10 were in the same situation.
Aside from Blan, only the three of them could move normally.
Ryo, Abel, and Captain Paulina.
"Your Majesty, Your Grace, is this situation the result of your power?"
Abel suddenly asked Blan, who stood at the ship's railing.
Captain Paulina was also not entirely calm, but her sense of responsibility as a captain outweighed her surprise and fear, prompting her to inquire.
"Ah, yes. I believe it is the power of Lord Blan over here..."
Ryo nodded.
"Hmm? I didn't see that woman the other day. Is she the captain of this ship?"
"Yes, I am Captain Paulina."
"Hmph. She carries herself with dignity but is not arrogant. Quite a good captain."
Blan praised Paulina's demeanor.
"It's not good for the ship to be above the sea. I will return you."
As Blan said this, the Skizblaznil Vessel moved to the sea just outside Dazuru port.
"Thank you very much."
Paulina deeply bowed in gratitude.
In response, Blan nodded with satisfaction.
He must have found it surprising that the Skizblaznil Vessel suddenly disappeared from the fleet and reappeared off the coast of Dazuru.
They could see the French Fleet hastily changing its course to approach.
"Power that transcends human understanding confuses people."
"That can’t be helped. It’s power wielded by beings far beyond humans. It’s not something humans can comprehend."
Ryo and Abel exchanged such words while watching the approaching French Fleet.
It seemed that it would still take some time for the French Fleet to arrive.
Thinking this, Ryo looked toward Blan.
Somehow, it seemed like Blan wanted to talk.
However, he wasn’t trying to initiate a conversation; it felt like he was waiting to be addressed...
"I have a question for Lord Blan."
"Hmm, what is it? You may ask anything."
Ryo thought he saw a slight hint of happiness on Blan's face at his words.
As the Dragon King, there may not be many who could engage him in conversation.