Chapter 3: Flio Goes to the Calgosi Coast, Part 1

◇In a Forest Near Klyrode Castle◇

His delivery to Klyrode Castle concluded, Flio took his seat at the front of the wagon pulled by a reinless Sybe in psychobear form. There was no need for reins, a leash, or anything like that, as Sybe would follow verbal instructions. It would pull the wagon along until they were some distance from the castle, where Flio planned to cast Teleportation to take them back to Houghtow.

Wyne, sitting to Flio’s side, was busy devouring a chunk of meat. Since agreeing to work for the Fli-o’-Rys Company, Wyne had been living in Flio’s house and helping the company load and unload goods. Wyne was a hard worker. After all, she was being fed three full meals a day. And, of course, she got along well with everyone at Flio’s house.

Well, there was her habit of taking off her clothes the minute no one was watching, waltzing around dressed in nothing but a cloth. That always gave them all a bit of a headache.

She was here today, like always, to help Flio handle the goods meant for Klyrode Castle.

Flio glanced to his side, smirking at the dragonewt stuffing her face next to him. “I swear, Wyne, you spend every second you’re not at work eating, don’t you?”

Balirossa looked up from where she was organizing the goods in the wagon. “She deserves at least this much for her excellent work, does she not?” she said. “She is a very helpful girl.”

Every time Flio made deliveries to Klyrode Castle, the castle’s knights would make a point of requesting Balirossa by name. So, every time, he would bring Balirossa along with him. And every time, she would be surrounded by male knights calling out to her one after another, saying things like “Ser Balirossa, you look lovely today!” or “Ser Balirossa, shall we get lunch together after this?” Everywhere she went it was “Ser Balirossa!” this, “Ser Balirossa!” that.

◇Houghtow City—The Fli-o’-Rys Company◇

Uliminas turned to Ghozal, who was watching the shop with her. “What’s the matter, Ghozal? Something got you purrturbed?” Ghozal had been glancing around the store, clearly agitated.

“Hrm...” he said. “It’s nothing. I just had a feeling that Balirossa was being bothered by those suitors of hers again.”

Uliminas’s expression went sullen. “Oh, I see,” she said brusquely. “Well, if you’re that worried, why don’t mew go check on her?” She turned her back in a huff.

“What’s wrong, Uliminas?” asked Ghozal. He took a few steps closer.

“Meowthing at all,” Uliminas spat, her back still turned. “Just hurry up and go to her meowlready!”

Suddenly, Ghozal grabbed her by the shoulders. He pulled her into a hug and kissed her deeply. “Mmmh?!” Uliminas’s eyes went wide and her pupils contracted.

“I don’t know what I did to make you angry,” Ghozal said as their lips parted, “but I love you and Balirossa just as much as each other. Are you unhappy with that?” He held her close. Uliminas, her face red, pressed up against his body, wrapping her arms tightly around him.

Then Uliminas remembered that they were inside the Fli-o’-Rys Company building, where any number of her subordinates—the former Silent Listeners—might be watching. “M-Meowt are you doing?!” she shouted, flustered, and ran into the back room.

Ghozal watched her go, cocking his head in confusion. “Did I do something wrong?”

◇Back in the Forest Near Klyrode Castle◇

“I must say,” said Rys, “they’re all hot and bothered for you at that castle, aren’t they?” She gave Balirossa a teasing grin.

Balirossa’s cheeks flushed pink. She shook her head. “Oh, no, it’s nothing of the sort,” she said. “I am certain they are simply concerned for the well-being of their former comrade in arms. It has nothing to do with any sort of amorous feelings. Besides...”

“Besides?” Rys repeated, beckoning her to continue, but Balirossa cut her off.

“Ah, no, excuse me! It’s nothing!” Balirossa waved her arms, flustered. Why did Sir Ghozal’s face pop into my mind just now? It’s peculiar... She shook her head vigorously as if trying to dispel the thought.

Just then, Wyne, who was sitting between Flio and Rys and busy chowing down on her meat, suddenly looked up at the sky. “A birdie?” she said.

Flio and Rys followed Wyne’s gaze upward. It was hard to make out, but they could see a small black dot in the sky. It was fluttering unsteadily to the left and right, and sometimes it would drop suddenly, but it was gradually making its way towards them.

Rys watched the spot with suspicion. “My lord husband,” she asked, “what is that?” Flio was staring just as intently. Balirossa poked her upper body out of the wagon from behind them to look up at the sky. Even Sybe stopped pulling the wagon to take a look.

Suddenly the bird-like speck cried out. “I-I-I can’t go oooooooooon!” Its voice echoed through the forest as it plummeted straight down to earth.

“Watch out!” Without missing a beat, Flio extended his arm towards the plummeting dot. A magic circle appeared, and another larger magic circle materialized in the air right beneath it. It stopped in midair.

“It spoke, so it’s gonna be one of the avian people,” said Flio. “Anyway, we should go help. Sybe, can you take us right beneath those magic circles?”

“Gwoor!” Sybe exclaimed. It rushed ahead as it was told, pulling the wagon at top speed even as they left the cobblestone road to dart between the gaps in the trees. The wagon was shaking violently. Flio wrapped one arm around Rys to stabilize himself as he focused on sustaining the circles.

“Thanks for lending me your shoulder, Rys,” said Flio.

“For my lord husband, such a small favor is nothing!”

The wagon sped along with tremendous force.

◇Klyrode Castle—Throne Room◇

Flio and his companions stood in the throne room of Klyrode Castle. The avian man they had rescued had almost immediately fainted, only managing to get out the words: “Urgent message... Klyrode Castle...” They took him into the wagon to tend to his wounds before turning right around back towards the castle they had come from.

“Oh, well... Um... You see... Chirp...” The avian man—or perhaps, judging by his slight build it would be better to say boy—stood before the Maiden Queen in his short-sleeved shirt and short pants. His wonderment was perhaps to be expected. The trip from the Calgosi Coast to Klyrode Castle took one or two months even as the crow flies, but the boy had flown day and night and, after just a week, collapsed in a forest just a hair’s breadth away from the castle. He should have been in a state of exhaustion, but somehow his fatigue was completely gone. Flio, of course, had healed him with the high-level spell Super Heal, but the avian boy had yet to learn that. He was simply astonished.

The Maiden Queen looked down from her throne and spoke with a kindly voice. “Are you well enough to speak?” she asked.

The boy stood up sharply, snapping to attention. “I-I-I beg your forgiveness, Your Majesty!”

“Please, relax. You have done nothing wrong,” said the Queen. “I am told you are from the Calgosi Coast?”

“Ah, oh, yes!” he stammered. “I’m called—no,” he cut himself off. “I, uh, I doth serveth undereth the noble Junia Van Biel, the noble head of the Noble House Van Biel, who nobly govern the Calgosi Coast...eth. Your Majesty. My name is Loplanz.” Loplanz bowed very deeply. Then he looked up and took a step forward towards the Maiden Queen. “Look, Your Majesty...my wonderful master Junia Van Biel is in trouble! I came to get help!”

The Queen shot to her feet. “What did you say?!” she started. “The House Van Biel... The noble family that governs the Calgosi Coast in the south... Tell me, what has happened?”

“Y-Yes, Your Majesty... See, the pirates have been getting worse and worse for a while, and now they’ve all come to attack at once! Countess Van Biel and her other familiars were gonna do something to hold them off, but I think it’s a bit too much for them to handle...”

The Maiden Queen bit her lip. It hadn’t been long since she dispatched teams to every region in her domain to investigate the movements of bandits and pirates. It was some days prior that I sent the fast coach to the Calgosi Coast... she thought. It will still take them some time to arrive. I suppose we must count it as a blessing that young Mister Loplanz came to us seeking aid.

It would have taken the coach she sent two more weeks at the very least to reach the Coast, learn what they needed about conditions there, and return. The Queen was very grateful that Loplanz had come directly to them.

She looked to her side where Boralis was waiting. “Boralis, dispatch a company to assist them at once.”

“Y-Yes, Your Majesty,” Boralis started, “but...even if we were to assemble a company now, it would take a month for them to arrive.”

Loplanz’s eyes went wide. “Th-That won’t do at all! The pirates have almost a hundred ships, and they’ve been attacking day after day after day... We don’t have that kind of time!” He leaned forward and bit his lip. The Queen and Boralis both lowered their heads in thought.

“Um, excuse me?” Flio raised his hand. He had come here with Loplanz and brought the boy to the throne room. It seemed he was still in the room. The Maiden Queen looked his way, and he put on the calm smile he used for doing business. “If it would help, perhaps we could offer you the services of the mercenaries in the employ of the Fli-o’-Rys Company? The people I’m thinking of have a very fast means of transportation. They could reach the Calgosi Coast in a matter of days.”

The advisors and vassals in the throne room started to rumble. “That man is the owner of the Fli-o’-Rys General Store, isn’t he...?”

“Yeah,” someone replied. “The general store that can make deliveries even our own supply teams can’t manage. Been a lot of talk about them lately...”

“Mercenaries under their employ... Would that be the wolf mask team?”

“Oh, them!” another piped in. “I heard they crushed one of the Infernal Four’s elite divisions...”

The mercenaries Flio spoke of were himself, of course, and his friends—especially Ghozal, Hiya, and Damalynas—who formed the “wolf mask team” the vassals had mentioned.

Flio had been summoned to this world as a Hero Candidate, but at Level 1 his abilities were no higher than an average human’s, so he was deemed a failure. But the instant he hit Level 2, he awakened to powers far greater than those of the strongest Heroes in history. But despite the Maiden Queen’s frequent requests, he continued to refuse an official appointment as Hero. He had no desire for that kind of attention. As a compromise, however, he agreed to help her behind the scenes if there was ever something she needed.

He and his companions would wear wolf masks when they fought to prevent both the human armies and the Dark Army from learning their identities. So far, it had worked. The truth was not widely known. That was why, in front of the Queen’s vassals, he felt obligated to phrase his offer like that. The Queen, of course, understood.

“I am most sorry to trouble you with this, but may I request your assistance?” asked the Maiden Queen.

Flio nodded his head. “Of course,” he said, still smiling calmly. “Leave it to us.”

“Thank you!” Loplanz chirped. He had been listening to their conversation. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” He bowed again and again and again, thanking them over and over.

◇ ◇ ◇

Flio and Loplanz left Klyrode Castle in Sybe’s wagon. Next to them sat Rys and Wyne, who was stuffing her face like always. Now that Loplanz had succeeded in his task, the conviction that had been keeping him strung tight was gone, and he fell fast asleep with his head in Balirossa’s lap.

Balirossa gently stroked Loplanz’s hair. “For a boy of his years to come seeking aid... The Calgosi region must have truly fallen into chaos.”

Flio nodded. “Yeah,” he said. “We’ll get there as fast as we can...but I’ve never been to Calgosi before, so I can’t use Teleportation. I was thinking of casting Fly and going ahead of everyone.”

Rys suddenly leaned forward to speak, bringing her face inches away from Flio’s. “That won’t do, my lord husband!” she said. “As your wife, I cannot allow you to go into danger alone. I am coming along, even if I must cling on to you!”

“R-Rys,” said Flio, “I get how you feel, but we’re in a bit of a hurry this time.”

“And that’s why I will come with you!”

“I just feel like something bad might happen if you’re holding on to someone using Fly...”

“This is my decision,” said Rys, “please do not worry over me.”

Flio and Rys were in the middle of talking when Wyne, who was sitting at their feet, looked up from her meal. “Dada, mama... Can I go to Calgosi too?”

“Hm?” said Rys.

“Well, sure, I guess,” said Flio.

“Do you want me to fly us there? You can ride on my back.” Wyne spread her wings. She was so eager to help, she was practically bouncing. “I can fit lots of people if I turn into a wyvern!”

◇Houghtow City—Fli-o’-Rys General Store◇

Flio put Klyrode Castle behind him and left the town. He headed into the forest where he cast Teleportation, instantly arriving at the wagon station behind the Fli-o’-Rys Company. Greanyl, who had been working in the area, ran up to them as Flio stepped down from the wagon. “Lord Flio! Welcome back!”

“Thank you, Greanyl,” Flio responded. “Are the rest inside?”

“Yes sir. We closed up shop just a minute ago. Everyone else should be inside, cleaning up.”

“I see. Thanks.” Flio left the wagon in Greanyl’s care and headed inside. Sybe, who had been pulling the wagon, turned into a unicorn rabbit and followed behind him, along with Rys, Balirossa, Wyne, and Loplanz. Wyne was carrying her meal with her, munching as she walked.

Rys smirked at the sight. “Honestly, Wyne,” she said, “you spend every waking moment eating, don’t you?” Wyne, whose bulging cheeks were far too full to be able to speak, nodded her head.

Balirossa was staring at the wyvern from behind, thinking, Ah... I want to see what happens if I poke her cheeks now... Her hand started to shake. Part of her wanted to poke Wyne’s stuffed cheeks at any cost. She kept her desires in check with pure willpower. N-No! A human must not do such things! R-Restrain yourself, Balirossa!

◇ ◇ ◇

Just as Greanyl had said, Flio’s permanent houseguests (who were also his employees) were inside the shop, tidying up after the day’s work. The first person to notice them come in was Byleri. She stopped polishing the counter and greeted them with a smile on her face. “Oh, like, hey! Welcome back, Lord Flio!”

As if on cue, the rest of them stopped working and gathered around Flio. This included Uliminas, who was tallying the day’s sales, and Hiya and Damalynas, who had been replenishing their stock of magic items.

“Belano’s still at work, I believe...” said Flio. “Where’s Blossom? Mister Ghozal?”

“Oh, I’m right here!” came Blossom’s voice. Flio saw her hand waving in the doorway outside the shop. Sybe snuffled with excitement when it saw her and ran over, jumping up into her truly excellent bosom—Blossom’s chest was top tier among the women lodging at Flio’s house.

“Aha ha, good to see ya back, Sybe!” Blossom laughed. “And energetic as always, I see!” Sybe snuffled happily and nuzzled its bunny face in between her breasts.

Flio watched with that calm smile of his. “They’re quite a pair, Blossom and Sybe,” he said.

Hiya nodded, giving the matter some thought. “Blossom and Sybe...” they muttered to themself. “Hm. They have decent potential as a combination.”

Damalynas blinked. “I’m sorry... What was that, Your Divinity?”

Hiya leaned over to whisper something in Damalynas’s ear. “Psst psst...and therefore...psst psst...with Blossom...psst psst psst...and together they...psst...” Whatever they said, it made Damalynas turn a brilliant shade of red.

“Wha—?! Y-Your Divinity?! I admit she is in excellent shape, but you are aware that Blossom is a human, aren’t you? There’s no way...”

“Indeed,” said Hiya. “But imagine if it could be done.”

“A-Ah...” Damalynas gulped. “That would be...quite something...” She and Hiya stared fixedly at Blossom with Sybe in her arms.

Balirossa, meanwhile, was glancing around the shop. “Then...what of Sir Ghozal?” she said.

A second later, Ghozal appeared directly behind her. It was like he had come out of nowhere. “Did you need something?” he said.

“Aaah!” Balirossa, caught completely off guard, jumped into the air. She whipped around to face him.

“Hrm...” Ghozal marveled, nodding approvingly at Balirossa’s movements. “Even caught from behind unawares, you reflexively get on guard. And all while seeming to shake with fear to throw your enemy off. Excellent, Ser Balirossa.”

“Have mew ever considered that maybe it is just fear, you meowron?” Uliminas walked up beside him.

“Hm? Unlikely. I am confident in my ability to read a fighter.”

“I think Balirossa might be the meownly fighter mew can’t get a read on.” Ghozal and Uliminas had suddenly started arguing.

Balirossa was frozen in place as the two fought in front of her, but as stressed as she was, she managed to force some words out. “Oh, I... Would you please not fight over me?” she said. “I can’t take this...” Ghozal and Uliminas, however, seemed to not notice. They kept right on arguing.

Flio glanced wryly at the ongoing drama. “There’s something I’d like to talk about,” he said, “if you don’t mind...”

“Excuse me, my lord husband,” said Rys. “I will put a stop to this directly.” Rys began to walk towards Ghozal and Uliminas, her body changing into a great wolf’s. Flio was in enough of a hurry that he didn’t stop her.

Loplanz watched the proceedings with wide eyes, clutching his chest, sick with unspoken anxiety. “Can we really trust these people to help us?” he muttered to himself.

◇ ◇ ◇

It didn’t take too long to convince Ghozal and Uliminas to tone it down a notch. Flio gathered everyone together and explained the situation.

Ghozal folded his arms and nodded his head. “Hrm... Then the coast you call Calgosi is under attack, and you would have us come to their rescue?”

Flio nodded, “Exactly. And it sounds like the pirates are out in force. They have the region’s protectors—the Van Biels—outnumbered, so we should move fast.”

Loplanz stepped forward. “U-Um... Please, we really need your help...” He bowed deeply. Ghozal gave the boy a steady, appraising look.

“Well,” Ghozal said, “not often you see one of the rukh avians.” He seemed impressed.

Loplanz started in shock. “Chirp?!” he exclaimed. “S-Sorry, that surprised me... I didn’t think you could tell what I was from a single glance.”

Uliminas, who was standing to Ghozal’s side, snickered. “Well, no doubt an average human or demeown would have no idea,” she said. “Rukh avians are some of the strongest folk out there, but there just aren’t that meowny of them. Well, mew’re still a kid, though. It looks like you haven’t come into your full power yet.” She reached out to pat Loplanz’s head, but he swiped her hand away.

“Y-Yes, it’s true that I am a child,” he said, as boldly as he could. “And I can’t do as much for Countess Van Biel as her other three familiars... But... But...one day, I’ll become an adult, and then I’ll protect her from anything!”

Uliminas recovered from her disorientation at having her headpats rejected and laughed. “Quite the spirited young lad, aren’t mew?” she said. “If I was still with the Dark Army, I’d have to do something with mew.” She gave him a wicked, seductive smile. With her face at point-blank range, Loplanz was overwhelmed by Uliminas’s beauty and flushed bright red.

It took Loplanz a second to parse what Uliminas had said. “Wait,” he said. “Hold on... Did you say the Dark Army?”

“Purrcisely,” answered Uliminas. “I am Uliminas the hellcat. And as for the Dark Meown Gholl I served, or purrhaps I should say the ex-Dark Meown... Well, these days he’s going by Ghozal.” She thumped Ghozal demonstratively on the belly.

Ghozal openly scowled at Uliminas’s words. “Hey, Uliminas. I told you to stop tossing that name around.”

“Oh, what’s the big deal?” Uliminas gave Ghozal’s belly a few more thumps, giving him a mischievous look as he scowled in displeasure. “After all our bickering, this boy’s been wondering if he can rely on our purrformance. I’m letting him know he can relax.”

Loplanz, meanwhile, was staring at the two with big round eyes. “Then you’re...the former Dark One, and his servant...” He seemed utterly baffled.

“It’s going to be okay, Loplanz,” said Flio, smiling with the same calm smile as before. “We have the former Dark One and his confederate, along with a really amazing djinn, the incredible Grand Magus of Midnight, a stellar magic beast, and four knights who used to work for Klyrode Castle. And the greatest of all, of course, is my strong and beautiful wife!”

“Exalted One...” said Hiya. “To hear you call me an amazing djinn... I hardly deserve such praise. I am overjoyed.”

Damalynas laughed. “Of course Lord Flio recognizes my power!”

Sybe snuffled and puffed out its chest as well as its unicorn rabbit body would allow.

“I, Balirossa, swear here and now that you shall not find my prowess wanting!”

“And I, Blossom, promise to do whatever you need me to!”

“Um...” said Byleri. “Me and Belano will, like, do our best to back you up? Like, from the back.”

Everyone said their piece to Loplanz. At one point, Rys walked up beside the boy. “You see?” she said. “Our party members are all very dependable. And, hm... Let me see...” she cleared her throat. “And!” she shouted, projecting her voice as loud as she could and holding up her fist. “I, Rys! Am very strong! And very beautiful! I am very strong and beautiful! I am Rys! The wife of my lord husband! I will destroy every pirate! Single-handedly!” She was raring to go, her wolf ears and tail popping out inadvertently.

Loplanz seemed overwhelmed by Rys’s inexplicable intensity. “Th-Th-Thank you very much...” he stammered.

◇ ◇ ◇

The plan was for Flio, Rys, Ghozal, Hiya, and Damalynas, along with Loplanz, to set out ahead of the rest of the group. They would ride Wyne in her wyvern form and head off towards the Calgosi Coast. When they got there, either Flio, Ghozal, or Hiya—all who could create portals—would conjure one leading back to Houghtow City for the rest to follow.

They were standing in the area behind the Fli-o’-Rys General Store, making preparations when Loplanz said, “Uh... I-I can fly myself. I’m not tired at all anymore.”

“Oh, don’t worry,” said Flio. “Wyne is a wyvern. She won’t even notice the weight of one Loplanz, more or less.” Wyne nodded.

Loplanz looked between the two and said, “Ah, no, that’s not what I mean...” He thumped his chest. “I thought maybe I’d fly ahead and tell Countess Van Biel that you’re coming!”

“Are you sure?” asked Flio. “Wyne is pretty fast, you know.”

“I’m sure!” Loplanz puffed out his chest. “I may be a child, but I’m still a rukh avian. I’m not about to lose to a wyvern!” Wyne shot him an offended look.

Flio pat Wyne gently on the head. “All right. Then you go ahead and fly to Calgosi before us. Wyne, the rest of us are in your hands.”

While Flio was trying to soothe her, Wyne made an obscene gesture with her middle claw and fixed Loplanz with a defiant glare.

Loplanz looked back at her and blew a raspberry. “Oh whatever,” he said. “Like a girl could ever beat me.”

Flio continued to pet Wyne’s head for everything he was worth, as if he thought that would stop the childish squabble.

◇In the Sky—Half an Hour Later◇

Loplanz flew high in the sky in his rukh form, his eyes wide in disbelief. “N-No way...”

Half an hour prior, he had taken to the sky along with Wyne, who was carrying the rest on her back. Her body was bigger than his, but Loplanz was confident in his victory. Even a young rukh was capable of flying through the air with incredible speed. When I flew to the castle, I was already exhausted before I set out... Plus, I was flying without food or water, he thought. As long as I mind my pace, I can’t lose. He took flight full of confidence, but Wyne overtook him within seconds and vanished between the clouds ahead. “Wha—?” All Loplanz could do was stare.

He was pushing himself as fast as he could. He beat his wings furiously, any notion of pacing himself long abandoned. But no matter how hard he flew, he couldn’t catch any sight of Wyne up ahead of him.

“N-No... I really am going to lose to a girl!” He flew on desperately, a look of utter bafflement on his face. He could see nothing ahead of him but blue sky and white clouds.

◇The Following Morning◇

It was the very break of dawn. Wyne flew on through the vast dark sky as the first rays of sunlight peeked through the clouds. Time and time again she would say, “Dada, I’m hungry...” and each time Flio, Ghozal, or Hiya would use the spell Fly and descend to the ground, where they would capture some magic beast, roast its meat with fire magic, and bring it up for Wyne to eat in midair. Thanks to this arrangement, she could fly on and on without needing to rest.

Right now, Wyne was feasting on one of those fresh-cooked magic beasts that Flio had brought her from the surface. He was keeping the huge chunk of meat floating in midair with magic. Wyne took big bites and chewed happily with her mouth open.

“Quite the eater, isn’t she?” said Damalynas as she watched the huge roast beast vanish before her eyes. She sounded almost impressed. “I wish I could help, but there’s no way I could fly fast enough to keep up with Wyne. Sorry ’bout that.” She lowered her head apologetically.

Hiya, however, smiled. “There is nothing to apologize for, Damalynas. You understood the limits of your abilities and acted in such a way as to avoid causing difficulties for your companions. You did well, my beloved training partner.”

“I-I did?” Damalynas suddenly grew shy. “That’s v-very kind of you, Your Divinity.”

“On the other hand,” Hiya said, their warm, kind smile suddenly gone. They fixed Loplanz with an icy stare. “What punishment would be suitable for a fool who misjudges their abilities and, in their foolishness, causes trouble for the Exalted One?” Loplanz pulled his knees in close to his chest.

Loplanz had no hope whatsoever of keeping up with Wyne’s speed. He had flown on desperately, but the difference was like night and day. The gap between the two only widened, and Loplanz’s hopes for a comeback became slimmer and slimmer. In the end, he exhausted himself again. He fainted in midair and fell at an alarming velocity towards a forest. It was a life-threatening drop, even for a rukh.

Fortunately for Loplanz, Flio had been keeping an eye out with his magic, and cast Teleportation, appearing directly beneath Loplanz and catching him in midair. Since then, Hiya had been regarding him with an icy glare of barely concealed malice for “causing trouble for the Exalted One.”

Loplanz spoke in a faltering voice. “I-I-I’m so, so, SO sorry. P-P-Please forgive me...” He was shaking as he curled up into an ever smaller ball. But Hiya kept on glaring.

It was Rys who stepped between the two, a bright smile on her face. “Now, now, Hiya,” she said. “Loplanz is very sorry, and it won’t happen again. Perhaps we can leave it at that?”

“If such is the will of the wife of the Exalted One, I can only obey.” Hiya bowed deep and stood down.

Rys looked to make sure Hiya had stopped menacing the rukh avian boy and turned to face him with a kindly smile. “And Loplanz,” she said, “as long as we’re here, there is no need to put yourself in danger like that.”

Loplanz smiled back at her. There were tears in his eyes. “Y-Yes, ma’am! I’ll be careful!”

Rys put an arm on his shoulder. “Understand,” she said. “If you pull a stunt like that again and cause more trouble for my lord husband, you won’t hear the end of it.” She was smiling, but was surrounded by an undeniable aura of almost corporeal anger. She gripped Loplanz’s shoulder with frightening force.

“Yes!” Loplanz said, bowing unnaturally fast despite the smile on his face. “I understand very well, thank you! I won’t do it again!”

◇ ◇ ◇

“Should I do something about that?” Flio mused as he flew along, keeping an eye on the conversation while feeding Wyne her meat in midair.

“It might be a good lesson for the boy,” said Ghozal, sitting cross-legged on his perch atop Wyne’s head. “Teach him to be careful about misjudging his strength. But Mister Flio,” he added, squinting at the ground ahead, “we’ve almost reached Calgosi.”

Flio turned to look as well. “And not a moment too soon. Looks like a fight.” The two nodded, and began to scout ahead with their detection magic.

◇The Calgosi Coast◇

The Calgosi Coast was the long shoreline that ran along the Calgosi Bay in the Calgosi region, past the region’s capital, Calgosi City. The beach outside the capital was in tumult. There were countless ships in the bay that belonged to pirates. Day after day, they had been launching coordinated attacks at the city.

By the shoreline, a giant man stood strong, wielding a spear to swat cannonballs out of the sky. He refused to let them hit the city. Near his head was a girl dressed in the outfit of an aristocratic boy. She was flying in the air with magic, helping the giant blast away cannonballs. As strong as they were, however, these two had been fending off attacks like this alone for days. They heaved heavily for breath, their movements progressively growing more and more exhausted.

“Countess Van Biel,” said the giant, heroically brandishing his spear. “You must draw back to rest. I, Polseidon, shall hold them off while you are gone.” Polseidon’s long hair and beard were both white, but his body was built up to a point that would be utterly impossible for a normal old man. His exposed upper body looked like it was encased in a breastplate made of muscles. Polseidon was an elder sea dweller who had the power to take on the form of a giant. While he was in this form, he had tremendous strength and the ability to walk on the surface of the water.

“But... But Polseidon!” said Junia Van Biel, the woman wearing men’s clothes flying around near Polseidon’s head. “You’re tired too, aren’t you?!” Despite her words, Junia was growing paler by the moment. It was clear that her magic and stamina were both nearing their limits.

Countess Junia Van Biel, a human woman, was the current head of the Van Biel family, who governed the Calgosi region. She was known to many as the Sorceress in Her Tower as she had an exceptional talent for magic, with both boundless power and a keen aptitude for the art.

A man stepped out to the prow of the largest, most important looking of the pirate ships. He was a large and stout man with a big stomach, scruffy black hair, and a scruffy black beard. His sunburnt face was dark and ruddy. He laughed uproariously and fixed Junia with a keen glare.

“Well met, Junia Van Biel. Say...isn’t it time you surrendered? All you need to do is hand Calgosi over to us: the Blackbeard Corsairs! Let ol’ Captain Eddsarch come check in, and your people will have peace!” The big man—Captain Eddsarch—cast his head back and laughed a second time. “Gah ha ha ha ha!”

His men, too, started roaring with vulgar laughter, cheering on their captain. “Hooray for Captain Eddsarch!” said one.

“Let’s rob them blind!” shouted another.

“I hope the girls will let us check in, if ya know what I mean,” opined a third.

“Long live the captain!” The shouts spread like wildfire to the surrounding ships. Soon the whole bay was full of the raucous laughter of pirates.

Junia Van Biel knit her brow and glared back at Captain Eddsarch. Her shoulder-length red hair seemed to bristle up, blowing in the wind. “I hate you!” she cried, raising her voice so loudly that her face turned red as well. “I hate you so much! This city is under my protection, and I will never let you check in!” She bent over forwards, her hands pressed together at her hip level. With all the talk of checking in, she had unconsciously done some kind of half-bow. The pirates thought it was adorable.

“Bwah ha ha!” a pirate laughed. “Little Juni’s the best!”

“Lookit ’er! She’s adorable!” said another.

Suddenly the pirates were all joining in, calling out to Junia with mocking voices. “G-Ghh...” she sputtered. More than just her face, but her whole upper body went red.

Polseidon was every bit as red as his master. “You lowlife pirates! How dare you ridicule my master?! I’ll turn the lot of you into fish food!” He raised his spear and began to charge towards the amassed pirates.

Captain Eddsarch raised his hand. “The idiot is coming at us!” he bellowed. “Assume Formation C!”

“Roger!” the pirates responded as one. Their ships began to fall back—except for the left and right flanks, which kept their distance—and pointed their cannons at Polseidon as he ran into the gap in the middle. Polseidon was surrounded from three sides.

Junia noticed what was happening. “P-Polseidon!” she shouted, flying forward as fast as she could. “Watch out!”

“Gah ha ha!” laughed Captain Eddsarch. “Yer too late! Fill the geezer with lead, boys!”

“Aye aye, Captain!” The ships on the left and right opened fire on their captain’s signal as Captain Eddsarch’s own flagship fired with the cannon mounted on its bow.

“N-Ngh!” Polseidon realized he had been drawn into a trap and tried to beat a hasty retreat, but the storm of cannonballs was coming fast, all aimed directly at him. This was it. Or so they all thought.

“Honestly, you musclehead,” said Polseidon’s spear. “You don’t make yourself easy to look after, do you?” Just as the pirates were wondering if they really heard the spear speak, it transformed from a spear into an enormous shield and moved to cover Polseidon and Junia. The cannonballs impacted at once with a terrible, reverberating clamor, but they all bounced off the shield, leaving Polseidon and Junia unharmed.

“R-Rolindeim...” said Polseidon. “You saved me...”

The enormous shield, whom Polseidon had called Rolindeim, began to crumble, its essence coalescing atop one of Polseidon’s shoulders. Before long, it took the form of a young girl. She was small, had unkempt hair, and right now her whole body was covered in wounds. She giggled cheerfully despite her injuries.

“Honestly! If I wasn’t here, that attack woulda been the end of you, you old meat-brained dingbat.” Rolindeim was a black panther demihuman with the ability to transform her body into any shape she liked. She may have looked like a young girl, but the truth was that she was quite old. She was putting on a brave face, but was having evident difficulty staying on her feet. It was clear that stopping the cannonballs had caused her severe injuries.

Junia Van Biel looked at the pair. “You two stand back,” she said. “And I’ll—” She flew up high into the air, extending both her arms forward at the pirate armada. She began to chant, and a magic circle appeared around her hands. Suddenly there was a whoosh, and the circle began emitting smoke. It vanished, and Junia plummeted, her power exhausted.

“Countess Van Biel!” Polseidon rushed to catch her as she fell from the sky. Her small body collapsed on the palm of his hand.

Captain Eddsarch, who was watching the scene play out from the prow of his ship, let out another “gah ha ha!” He raised his voice and said, “And with that, they’re out of tricks! Get ’em!” The ships moved to carry out his instructions, surrounding Polseidon and once again opening fire.

“Hee hee,” said Rolindeim from her perch on Polseidon’s shoulder. “Looks like someone’s taking me lightly!” She took a deep breath and curled in on herself. As she did, her body began to transform back into the giant shield. She had taken too much damage stopping the last volley of cannonballs, however, and her transformation stopped halfway through.

The cannonballs were coming fast. “N-No...” gasped Rolindeim. “I... I failed...” The pirates’ attack tore through her half-transformed form, which crumbled again, turning back to her original form. Her tattered body fell towards the ocean.

“Rolindeim!” shouted Polseidon. He caught her in his hand, and pulled her in close. Then he curled up into a ball, clutching Junia Van Biel and Rolindeim tight and protecting them with his body. Another round of cannon fire was coming. “Damnation!” Polseidon closed his eyes tight.

Suddenly, he heard a man’s voice, one he didn’t recognize. “Hrm. Should I handle this?”

“I-I don’t know who you are, but yes!” Polseidon shouted, keeping his body rigid. He looked out of the corner of his eye in the direction the voice had come from. There was a man flying in the sky. He was a great muscular man wearing a black wolf mask, and he regarded the incoming cannonballs with a contemptuous glare.

“Hrm,” the man said. “Not enough for a proper warm-up...” He swung his arm, and a massive shock wave knocked every last cannonball aside.

“Wh-Whaaat?!” Captain Eddsarch’s eyes went wide. The cannonballs his ships had fired were being deflected right back at them. “D-Dodge!” he shouted. “Dooodge!” At their captain’s orders, the pirates began to pull back, but the cannonballs were faster. They rained down on their ships, smashing almost half of the Blackbeard Corsairs to splinters.

Captain Eddsarch looked every which way at the disastrous scene unfolding around him, then turned his gaze to the man in the black wolf mask floating in the sky. “Who are you?!”

“Hrm,” the man said. “Me?” He struck a pose, his right hand pointed skyward. “I am Ghozal Justice! This is just business. Nothing personal.” He struck another pose, and then another. He might have been getting a bit carried away with it.

“What is that bastard doing?!” Captain Eddsarch squinted up at the man who called himself Ghozal Justice, stamping his feet like a child throwing a tantrum. “Just throwing out those poses at random!”

A number of Captain Eddsarch’s subordinates came running up to him. “C-Captain Eddsarch!” said one. “What should we do?!”

“Our men are confused!” added another.

“What do you think?!” Captain Eddsarch bellowed. “That man! Aim at the man doing the cool poses!”

“A-Aye aye, captain!” His subordinates ran for the cannons, while others conveyed the captain’s orders to the surviving ships with flag signals. They moved to surround the man in the black wolf mask.

Just then, another man appeared, this one in a blue wolf mask. He flew up to the man posing in the sky and leaned in to whisper in his ear. “Mister Ghozal, I really don’t think you should call yourself ‘Ghozal Justice.’ Uliminas said so too, didn’t she?”

“Oh, that’s right.” The man in the black mask laughed. “It’s been so long since I’ve had an opportunity to go wild! I think I got a bit overexcited.”

The man in the black mask was Ghozal, and the man in the blue mask was Flio. The two of them sensed a battle in progress as they flew on Wyne’s back towards the Calgosi region, and had flown on ahead using the spell Super Acceleration. Super Acceleration took too much magic power to be useful for long distance travel, but with Wyne bringing them in close, it was well within range for the two of them.

They might not be fighting their usual opponents, but as these pirates were a significant force opposed to the army of Klyrode, Flio and his companions thought it would be best to hide their identities with the masks they wore when staving off the Dark Army.

Captain Eddsarch looked bitterly up at Ghozal and Flio. “And now there’s another of them! Well, no matter! Show them the full force of the Blackbeard Corsairs! Bombs away!” His deep voice carried all across the bay.

“Aye aye, Captain!” his men responded as the surviving ships fired at the two men.

“Oh,” said Flio, “would you hold on just a moment?” He extended one hand towards Eddsarch, and without even using an incantation conjured a magic circle. The cannonballs froze in midair.

“What?!” Captain Eddsarch was so surprised that he almost jumped. His men were shocked silent.

In the sudden calm, Flio floated gently down next to Polseidon. Polseidon stared blankly at the flying masked man. “Excuse me,” Flio said, his mask exposing his polite smile. “Am I correct in assuming that you represent House Van Biel, the governors of the Calgosi region?”

Polseidon was clearly taken aback by Flio’s words, but he answered properly. “I-Indeed! I am the sea dweller Polseidon, familiar of Countess Junia Van Biel, the current head of the house.”

Flio nodded, satisfied. That’s a relief... he thought, sighing. I was a little worried that Mister Ghozal might have been attacking Junia Van Biel’s fleet! Flio turned his attention back towards Polseidon and bowed. “We came here as fast as we could, at the request of your Mister Loplanz,” he said. “We are mercenaries in the employ of the Fli-o’-Rys General Store, currently under orders from Klyrode Castle.”

“Oho!” Polseidon’s face lit up. “Reinforcements from the castle!” But as he looked around, his face grew more and more anxious. “Er... Sorry to ask, but are there more reinforcements than just you two?”

“Ah!” said Flio. “The main force is on its way. You can leave this to myself and Gh— I mean, to the man in the black wolf mask.”

As they were speaking, Ghozal flew up to the two of them. He hung in midair with his arms folded, facing Flio. “Mister Flio,” he said. “No, I mean, Mister Wolf of Justice. Isn’t it time to finish this up?” He seemed impatient.

Flio nodded. “Yes, I don’t see why not. But do your best not to kill anyone.”

“Hrrrm...” Ghozal muttered. “Why not kill them? They’re pirates.”

Flio smirked. “Yes, I understand,” he said. “But I don’t think they’re bad people deep down. One day, they might come to understand why what they’re doing is wrong.”

Ghozal smirked right back. “I should have known you would see it that way.” He raised his arm above his head.

Captain Eddsarch was watching with an expression of fear and anger. Those two... One destroyed half my fleet with a single attack, and the other stopped our cannonballs in midair! What are they?! He grumbled and turned behind him to address one of his crew. “Are those obnoxious beast girls still standing by? Send ’em to attack!”

“Y-Yes, Captain!” said the man. He unholstered his magic gun and ran to the stern of the boat, where he fired once into the air. The bullet hit the surface of the sea behind the flagship and exploded, filling the area with white smoke. Something began to swell up under the waves, like three enormous underwater mountains.

Three colossal demonic beasts broke the water’s surface, each every bit as large as Polseidon. They began to walk towards the pirate ship. Captain Eddsarch faced them and pointed behind him at Flio and Ghozal. “Gah ha ha ha! It’s about time! Now, show ’em what you can do! Send ’em flying!”

The three walked past Captain Eddsarch’s ship, psyching themselves up in their own ways. They each looked like giant women, but they had body parts clearly resembling various sea creatures. Specifically, a squid, a turtle, and a shrimp.

“All right!” shouted the squid. “Tent-Tentacle time!”

“Let’s go, turt turt!” said the turtle.

“Shrimpy-py-py-py-py!” added the shrimp.

◇Meanwhile, in the Sky Near Calgosi◇

Hugi-Mugi the doppeladler coursed fast through the air in their true form as a two-headed monster bird, their golden scales glittering in the sunlight. Their two long necks stretched out, each ending in a head so big it could be a dragon’s. On their back sat the Dark One Yuigarde. He was plopped down in a chair he’d had his minion Phufun make for him patterned off of his throne, looking quite pleased with himself.

“Hey Phufun,” Yuigarde said. “Tell me about those demons in that Calgosi place.”

Phufun pressed her fake glasses up against the ridge of her nose and took a step forward. “Yes, Master. I have heard that there are three: the giant squid demon beast, Squidra; the giant turtle demon beast, Turtra; and the giant shrimp demon beast, Shrimpdra. It seems they can take human form as well as the forms of rampaging giants.”

Yuigarde nodded, satisfied, and laughed. “Rampaging giants... I like the sound of that! I think I like them!” A rare smile crossed his face. “But how come they’re taking orders from the likes of pirates?”

“Master, it seems that they joined the pirates for the promise of three square meals a day and a place to sleep.”

Yuigarde cackled evilly. “Well, that’s easy enough! If all they want is food, we’ll give them all they can eat! I’ll make sure they have their every whim catered to!”

“You have excellent judgment, Master.” Phufun gave a deep bow.

Yorminyt the Serpent Princess, one of the Infernal Four, was watching the two from some distance away. Didn’t that dragon desssert usss becaussse we couldn’t keep her fed? she thought and sighed deeply, sprawling out on Hugi-Mugi’s back. Yorminyt was a lamia, with the lower body of a snake, but right now she was using magic to take the form of a human. “Ever sssince we ssstarted working for him, there hasssn’t been enough of anything...” she muttered, and sighed again.

Yuigarde suddenly turned to look at her, his expression furious. “Hey Yorminyt!” he snapped. “What did you just say?! Huh?!”

Yorminyt turned her head to look at Yuigarde. “I sssimply sssaid, O Dark One, that I look forward to meeting thessse demons.”

“Oh? Well, that’s fine then.” Yuigarde sat back down in his seat.

Sharp earsss too... I believe I am ssstarting to hate that man. She sighed a third time.

They flew on, Hugi-Mugi carrying them closer and closer to the Calgosi Coast.

◇Back at the Calgosi Coast◇

The three demon beasts floated in the water in front of Captain Eddsarch’s ship: the giant squid Squidra, the giant turtle Turtra, and the giant shrimp Shrimpdra, charred black and unmoving.

“Tent-Tent-Tentacle...”

“Tuuuurt...”

“Shrimpy-py...”

In front of them stood Ghozal, his right hand pointed still upwards. “What,” he said, dumbfounded. “That’s it?”

It was no surprise he felt that way. When the three had come forward, full of fighting spirit, Ghozal had been pleased. “Hrm...” he said. “You look like you have some backbone. It’s been too long since I’ve had a good fight. Let’s start with this!” He raised his hand into the air, casting the spell Lightning. He had only intended the attack to be a lead-in to a proper fight, but it struck the three directly.

“Tent-Tentacle?!”

“Turt?!”

“Shrimpy-py!”

The three cried out and collapsed in the water, unable to move.

Ghozal slumped his shoulders in disappointment and looked down on the three now floating on the waves. “Well, I suppose they’re at least good at playing dead,” he said.

Polseidon couldn’t believe his eyes. “A-All three demon beasts in a single attack...” he said, staring at the fallen enemies. “Impossible...” As the only one of Junia Van Biel’s familiars capable of taking a giant form, Polseidon had clashed with the three demon beasts many times. As strong as he was, with three against one the odds were stacked against him. He had found himself at a disadvantage and had been forced to retreat time and time again. And now Ghozal had defeated them with a single spell. As you can imagine, he was stunned speechless.

Flio glanced at Polseidon and smirked knowingly. Well, it’s not exactly a surprise that the former Dark One could finish them so easily, but I suppose he doesn’t know that. Of course he’d be shocked. Those three weren’t exactly weak. He flew up next to Ghozal. “Well,” he said, “with those three defeated, we’re almost done here. Isn’t that right, Gho— I mean, Black Wolf Mask.”

“H-Hrm. I suppose.” Ghozal looked profoundly disappointed.

Flio placed a hand on the former Dark One’s shoulder. “We still need to take care of the rest of the pirates,” he said. “Okay?”

Ghozal nodded. “You’re right,” he said, turning to face Captain Eddsarch. “Maybe he’ll be at least a little fun.” He cracked his knuckles.

“A-Ahh!” Captain Eddsarch screamed. “Do something! Shoot ’im! Shoot ’im!” His ships obliged, but Flio stretched out his hand, once more stopping the cannonballs in midair. Captain Eddsarch looked around frantically, his face breaking out in a cold sweat.

Ghozal flew towards the captain slowly, taking his sweet time to approach. “Hey,” he said, “is that all you got?” His hands erupted into pale blue flames, ready to unleash some powerful magic. Captain Eddsarch’s whole body was shaking. All he could do was watch as Ghozal drew closer and closer.

◇A Few Minutes Later◇

“I’ll have my revenge!” Captain Eddsarch cried from his lifeboat. He was already far enough away that there was no way to be sure if Ghozal or Flio could even hear him. His ship of which he was so proud, the flagship of the Blackbeard Corsairs, had been scrapped in a second by Ghozal’s spell. He had only barely managed to reach the lifeboat in time to escape into the open sea with his life.

Ghozal had aimed a spell at Captain Eddsarch’s lifeboat, planning to end the menace for good, but Flio interposed himself, blocking the attack and purposefully letting Captain Eddsarch get away.

Ghozal cocked his head, watching as Captain Eddsarch’s boat got smaller and smaller in the distance. “Mister Flio, aren’t you being a bit too lenient? I understand not wanting to slaughter the pirates, but you mean to let them get away?”

Flio’s smile was calm as ever. “Well, we destroyed their pirate ships and captured the demon beasts. They aren’t really in a position to make trouble. I just thought it would be better to spare them.”

“Hrm,” Ghozal said, giving the matter some thought. “But Mister Flio,” he continued after a beat, “if I were him, I would have kept a portion of my ships hidden in one of my strongholds. If he did that, he could attack again after we leave.”

“Oh,” said Flio, “good point...” A second later, he smiled again. “I sent a telepathic message to Rys. They should be on their way...”

◇An Island off Calgosi Coast—Later◇

In the waters near the Calgosi Coast, there was a crescent-shaped island. At a glance it seemed to be uninhabited and unremarkable, but truthfully this was Captain Eddsarch’s base. In the inner part of the crescent, hidden in a thick forest, the Blackbeard Corsairs made their home. There were harbors, dry docks, even residential quarters, and a great number of pirate ships waiting and ready. Eddsarch planned to return to his base and set out again to attack Calgosi with the remaining ships.

What in all the devils’ names...? Captain Eddsarch had rowed and rowed like his life depended on it, and finally returned to his pirate fortress, but what he saw made his jaw go slack.

The island was on fire.

Two people, one in a yellow wolf mask and one in a purple wolf mask, flew in the sky above the burning island, firing spell after spell with both hands. Each time one of their spells struck the island, the area would erupt into flames. And in the fortress itself was an enormous wyvern smashing the buildings to smithereens, while a giant lupine demon and a massive rukh rampaged around the surrounding area, chasing away the remaining pirates and destroying their facilities.

Flio had found the Blackbeard Corsairs’ fortress to the north using a wide-range version of the spell Scan. He contacted Rys telepathically as she and the rest of the crew were on their way to Calgosi Coast and asked her to destroy the fortress. Captain Eddsarch had arrived just in time to see them do it. Hiya and Damalynas wore their masks to disguise their identities from the pirates, but Rys, Loplanz, and Wyne had taken the form of a wolf, rukh, and wyvern, and felt no need.

Captain Eddsarch could only watch from his tiny lifeboat as his fortress was totally and utterly obliterated. “My ships...” he moaned. “My island... My fortress! Ooohhh...” He started to laugh. Somehow, he couldn’t help himself.

Meanwhile, Wyne had located the pirates’ food stores. She thrust her head inside with surprising force. When she lifted her head out, she was holding an absurd amount of foodstuffs in her mouth. She crunched and crunched, eating the pirates’ supplies, wooden crates and all. Then she went in for another bite. Loplanz took to the sky and opened his beak. A beam of uncanny light issued forth from his mouth, destroying everything it touched. Rys was tossing the pirates around like rag dolls, while Hiya and Damalynas kept up their merciless barrage of spells.

“C-Captain Eddsarch,” said one of his crewmen who was with him on the lifeboat. “What... What do we do?” But Captain Eddsarch just laughed and laughed, unable to respond as his dreams went up in smoke.

◇Calgosi Coast◇

In the middle of the Calgosi Coast, where the curve of the bay reached furthest inland, was a small hill. On that hill was the mansion of the Van Biels, the seat of their government. Though called a mansion, it was actually a fairly plain and cozy two-story stone building. At a glance, it would be easy to mistake it for the headquarters of a private company.

Flio and Ghozal were in front of the mansion. Beside them was its current master, Countess Junia Van Biel. She was no longer wearing the boy’s outfit she had worn to fight off Captain Eddsarch and his men, but an elaborate flowing dress. She had a flat chest and didn’t seem to be wearing any make up—she almost looked like a boy wearing women’s clothes. She kept staring at the ground and fidgeting, evidently uncomfortable. Behind her were her familiars Polseidon and Rolindeim, both in human form. Flio had used magic to heal the injuries they had incurred in the fight. The three of them were in perfect condition, both physically and in terms of their magic power.

Junia opened and closed her mouth several times, trying in vain to find the words to say something like “I offer you my deepest gratitude for coming to our aid,” but she couldn’t. Ever since she was a small child, Junia had spent most of her time in her room reading books. Even after assuming the role of the family head, she stayed in her mansion and sent her familiars to handle any business that required her to go outside. Her life as an extreme shut-in had left her communication skills profoundly lacking, to the degree that now she found herself unable to say a single word.

Polseidon and Rolindeim knew their master’s difficulties too well. “You can do it, Countess!” they whispered, each holding one of her hands tight.

Polseidon had served House Van Biel as a familiar for generations, and had by now become quite old. He had long white hair and a long white beard, the same as his giant form, and his muscular chest was completely bare as well. Around his waist he wore a white cloth, and on his feet a simple pair of sandals.

Rolindeim, on the other hand, was small-bodied and looked young, but like Polseidon she had served the Van Biels for many long years and was actually quite old. Her skin was so dark it looked almost jet black, and she wore a tube top and denim pants, but her feet were bare.

With her familiars’ support, Junia forced herself to open her mouth, but before she could get a word in, Flio suddenly exclaimed, “Oh, they’re here!” He was looking into the sky above the sea, where Wyne was soaring towards them. It seemed like she spotted them—she sped up.

“Wh-What’s that?!” said Polseidon, his eyes going wide.

“A d-d-d-d-d-dragon!” said Rolindeim. “A big one!”

Junia, however, was still staring at the ground, trying to get herself to speak, and didn’t notice the wyvern at all.

Wyne reached them before long, flapping her wings and coming to land right in front of Flio, still in her wyvern form. Flio reached out and placed a hand on her draconic head. “Good job, Wyne,” he said, and petted her gently. Wyne cried happily.

Rys, Hiya, and Damalynas jumped off from Wyne’s back, and finally Loplanz climbed down her neck, reaching his legs out towards the ground. “Here goes...” he said. But Wyne lifted her neck up and shook it from left to right. “Wh-Wh-Wh-Wh-WHAAA?!” Loplanz shouted as he was sent flying, landing in the sea in front of the mansion with a tremendous splash.

Wyne turned back into her human form, making a big show of indifference to the rukh avian’s plight. “A bug got on my neck,” she said, scratching.

Loplanz came flying from the ocean where he had been tossed, furious and sopping wet. He landed next to Wyne. “What was that?!” he shouted, squaring up his shoulders. “That was mean!”

“Oh,” said Wyne, glaring reproachfully. “Is that the bug who was causing problems for dada?”

“I-I said I was sorry!” said Loplanz. “I won’t do it again!”

“Yeah?” rejoined Wyne. “Little brats lie all the time, though.”

“L-Little?! You’re not any bigger than I am!”

Wyne huffed. “I’m a bit bigger,” she said.

“As if!” shouted Loplanz. “Anyway, I’m still growing!”

“Hmph,” Wyne grumbled. “Brat’s getting on my nerves. You looking for a fight?”

The two were grinding their teeth, glaring daggers at each other. Flio walked up and placed a hand on each of their heads. “Okay you two, that’s enough,” he said. “Wyne, I know you threw Loplanz off on purpose. You shouldn’t do things like that.”

“But dada!”

“No excuses. Now tell Loplanz you’re sorry.”

Wyne puffed out her cheeks. “I’m sorry,” she said, plainly not meaning it. She bowed.

“H-Hey,” said Loplanz, “you don’t gotta apologize...” He looked at Wyne. Leaned over like that, her chest was completely visible. As small as her body was, Wyne was blessed with a voluptuous bosom. Loplanz went red, unable to look away from Wyne’s cleavage.

Wyne noticed, and quickly covered her breasts with her hands. “Dada,” she said, “Loplanz is being a pervert.”

“Huh?!” said Loplanz. “I, uh... I—” he stammered incoherently.

The rest of the party was overcome by laughter.

◇ ◇ ◇

“I-I-I... I o-offer you my d-d-d-d-deep... My deepest g-gratitude for c-coming to our aid...” Junia Van Biel bowed, finally managing to choke out some appropriate words. It took her an entire minute to say that one sentence.

Flio just gave her his usual smile. “It was no trouble at all,” he said. “I’m just glad we made it in time.”

Rys and Ghozal, who were standing behind him, looked exhausted. Polseidon, sensing a need to move things along, leaned out in front of Junia (who had finally managed to speak) and grinned, saying, “W-Well then! Since you’ve come all this way, why don’t you spend some time at the mansion? You can even go for a swim!”

“Swim?” asked Rys. “Can you swim in the sea here?”

“Yes! Lots of people go to the beach to swim! We had to evacuate because of Eddsarch’s crew, but, well, look!” Polseidon pointed towards the beach. Flio and his companions looked, and saw that the formerly deserted shoreline was now crowded with people. In one spot, they could see a number of stalls lined up, selling some kind of food. Flio watched with fascination.

“My lord husband,” asked Rys, stepping beside him, “is this your first time at the beach?”

“It is,” Flio answered, not taking his eyes off the sea. “The place I lived in my home world was quite a ways inland. We only had lakes and rivers to swim in.”

Rys took his arm in hers, grinning. “In that case, we should go swimming! We’ve done as the Maiden Queen asked. There’s no harm in taking a little break!”

Behind them, Ghozal crossed his arms and nodded emphatically. “Well, why not? It’s been a long time for me too. Might as well enjoy it!” he said, and started doing stretches.

Next to him, Hiya and Damalynas were already in their swimsuits, completely ready to get in the water. Wyne, of course, was Wyne, and was already running for the beach, lured by the delicious smells that had started wafting in from the food stalls.

Flio watched them fondly, and then turned to Junia Van Biel, smiling. “Well, it seems everyone is of one mind,” he said. “Perhaps I should spread my wings a bit as well!”