The Water Magician

Thud.

Ryo used the [Water Jet Thruster] to leap onto the bow of the pirate boss's ship.

There had been about fifty pirates on the deck of the boss ship, but most of them were sitting there in a daze, completely stunned.

And that was only natural.

More than fifty ships had come after a single vessel.

There was no contest.

They would surely surrender without a fight.

That was what everyone had thought, but...

One after another, the allied ships began to sink.

The target was still far away, beyond the range where even magic could hit.

And yet, without anyone even remembering having cast such magic...

Before anyone could understand what was happening, everything except the main ship had sunk.

Then the main ship, too, lost its rudder, its sails and mast were destroyed, and it became completely immobile.

All in just a short time.

It would be unreasonable to expect anyone to stay sane after that.

And then Ryo flew in.

"Excuse me, who's the pirate leader?"

Landing on the bow, Ryo called out loudly.

Most of the pirates sitting on the deck stared at him with unfocused eyes.

It was like they had heard some voice and were looking at Ryo in response... that sort of expression.

They didn't understand what he was saying.

"Who is the pirate leader?"

This time, he shouted from his belly, with a booming voice meant to carry all the way to the stern.

A few pairs of eyes came into focus.

But then, just at the edge of Ryo's vision, one man moved clearly.

He had a long knife drawn and was charging straight at Ryo.

Slip.

Ryo easily dodged with a light step.

The long-knife man ran past him, then turned around.

The next moment, the long knife in his hand was knocked away.

Ryo had swatted it aside with Murakumo.

"Mm, only you showed any real spirit. You're the leader, aren't you?"

Ryo nodded and chanted.

"[Downpour] [Ice Coffin]"

The long-knife man was frozen solid.

Seeing that spectacle unfold right before their eyes, the pirates trembled even more.

"Is this frozen man the leader?"

At Ryo's question, every conscious pirate nodded vigorously.

"I see. I'll borrow this man for a moment. Everyone else, please stay quiet and obedient."

Ryo said it with a smile.

It wasn't a scary expression or a frightening aura at all, but was instead filled with kindness... at least in his own mind.

The pirates nodded even more violently than before.

When a terrifying being smiles and makes a request, the resulting fear is beyond words.

Though Ryo himself didn't realize that.

In the end, Ryo concluded:

"Freezing them is more reliable. Then everyone will keep quiet whether they want to or not. [Permafrost]"

From the boss ship, now completely frozen over, an ice bridge was formed toward the Skizblaznil Vessel, and the frozen coffin Ryo was pushing slid across it.

On the deck of the Skizblaznil Vessel.

The ice covering the head and neck of the frozen man was thawed.

"I-I'm Skuelf, captain of the Black Brigade!"

The pirate leader introduced himself.

But what stood before them was only the image of someone putting up his utmost bravado.

((Mr. Phelps of the "white brigade" is insanely handsome, but Mr. Skuelf of the "black brigade" has a rough face.))

((Why are you telling me that now?))

Ryo voiced his thoughts through the Echo of the Soul, and Abel answered.

Abel sat on an ice chair in front of Skuelf, legs crossed.

Ryo stood beside him.

"We weren't pirates. You attacked us on your own."

Skuelf insisted.

"I see. Well, that doesn't matter."

"Doesn't matter?"

Abel shrugged, and Skuelf grimaced.

"You're wanted criminals pursued by both the Eastern Provinces and the Western Nations Federation, aren't you? We'll take your heads to one side or the other. That's all."

"What?"

Abel declared it with complete disinterest, and Skuelf's face twisted further.

At Abel's side stood Captain Paulina, holding up a wanted poster with the faces of Skuelf and the other Black Brigade officers drawn on it.

Incidentally, beside her was Vice-Captain Yaya, standing by with several more wanted posters in hand.

All of them were apparently related to the Black Brigade.

It seemed the Black Brigade really was a famous and vicious band of pirates.