Volume 2 - CH 5

They were so close to the sea that they could tell it was there by smell alone. It was the damp smell of a shore.

One had the undeniable feeling as they stood there that there was something out there across the vast ocean - it was something like nostalgia, or maybe something from a dream. Even so, the only thing they could really tell was there from afar was the salt carried by the breeze… 

Ryner wrinkled his nose. “Ugh, the air’s so salty… It’s like it’s stuck to my face and I can’t get it off. I hate it.” He had his usual messy hair and tired eyes, and his usual slouch and air of laziness. He faced Ferris with his usual exhausted expression. “So how are we gonna do this? We don’t have permission to cross the border, and there aren’t any regular ships going from Runa to Iyet. We’ll have to get on one of those smuggler’s ships, right?”

Ferris’ fair skin didn’t look sticky from the salt at all. Instead, her lustrous blonde hair seemed to flutter in the sea breeze. “Mm. True,” she said in her usual monotone. “In any case, we have a responsibility to eat the most delicious dango in town.”

“…Were you even listening to me? I was talking about getting on a ship, not about dango…”

“They say that food - including dango - is more important than frivolous things, after all…”   

“That’s not what that phrase is supposed to mean! I know you hate ships, but I need you to cooperate with me here… If you don’t, I’ll be forced to say things like, ‘Alright, let’s go smuggle ourselves in!’ or ‘How should we approach this problem?’ even though I hate that optimistic shit…”

So they said as they stood in the port town that acted as the sole hub between the Runa Empire and Iyet Republic. 

Ferris reluctantly nodded. “What information do we have on this town?”

Ryner searched his memory. “Um… It’s called Karlal. It’s the only place where you can enter the Iyet Republic from Runa… Or maybe it’d be more accurate if I said that it’s the only place that it’s possible to reach Iyet from.”

Ferris cast a sharp glance at Ryner. “The only place? Don’t sprout such lies. It’s also possible to reach Iyet through Bethlude Mountain.”

“…Look, the entire reason that I’ve managed to brave my chronic motivationlessness is because we gave up on that. Bethlude Mountain is just too tall. It’s taller than the clouds. The clouds! There’s no way in hell that a normal guy could climb that monster of a mountain.”

“However, we aren’t—”

Ryner raised his hand and interrupted. “Stop there. I already know what you’re gonna say, because we literally already had this conversation on the way here. Several times. Sure, we tried to climb it earlier… but we knew we’d die if we fell, right? So then the conversation turned into how we’re tired of climbing and should take a boat instead. Just give it up. I don’t care how much you hate boats - we are not climbing that mountain!”

Ferris averted her pretty eyes. “…Tch.”

“Don’t ‘tch’ me!”

So went their conversation as they made their way towards a tavern where they might be able to gather information on smuggling rinks.

“Huh? The hell?” Ryner said, having found something strange.

“Mm? What is it, Ryner?”

Ryner pointed. “Um… It’s just, y’know, that…”

A building that one could hardly call large stood on the other side of his finger. It’d been bleached from many years of exposure to the salty air. It certainly looked like it’d seen better days. There was a huge, blaring sign right outside that said ‘Smugglers, please enquire inside!’

It was very casual. It was definitely breaking the law, but it was so casual that it was like, ‘Oh, I forgot something while I was out. I’ll just go next door to grab some green onions.’ 

Ryner just stared.

“…I hadn’t realized that smuggling was something one could display so boldly,” Ferris said.

“Is it even smuggling anymore if they’re so bold about it…? I thought that smuggling goods from one country to another was a punishable offense…” 

“So what will we do? Ask them for help?”

“Hmm… Well, it’s not like we have any other leads…”

“Then there’s no problem. Let’s go,” Ferris said as she quickly walked towards the small building. 

Ryner watched her go. “It’s like she’s not suspicious in the slightest,” he mumbled, then reluctantly followed.

The inside was surprisingly lively. It was filled with fiery-eyed, strong-armed men. Everything about them screamed that they were sailors. They were pouring drinks even though it was still early afternoon. A middle aged man who appeared to be the owner was getting drinks out when Ferris and Ryner caught his eye. He smiled.

“Welcome, newcomers. You here for a drink? Or do you need a sailor?”

“No, it’s just, we saw that sign about smuggling outside,” Ryner said as casually as he could manage.

“Ahh, so that’s what you’re after,” the owner said with ease. So he acknowledged it… with a smile, of all things. “We’re a long-established smuggling company.”

“At least try to hide it!” 

“Mm,” Ferris nodded beside him. “He’s an underhanded serial rapist who proudly proclaims himself a master degenerate. Please do something about it.”

“…First of all, that’s not true, and second of all, I wouldn’t be proud about it if it were.” 

“Hm? Really? But the rumors that say such follow us wherever we go…”

“That’s because you’re spreading them!” Ryner yelled, then covered his face, tired. “Anyway, be quite for a sec. Otherwise, this conversation’s not gonna get us anywhere… If I don’t put some effort in just this one time, we’re gonna regress to the wild times of trying to climb that stupid mountain… Alright, Ryner, do your best, yaaay,” he said, his energetic words accompanied by a dead tone.

Then Ryner raised his face. “Okay, so if you’re cool with being so open about it, then I am too,” he said to the owner. “So about the smuggling thing…” 

“I see. You aren’t from around here,” the owner said. “The Iyet Republic turns a blind eye to smuggling and illegal entry.”

“Huh? They just let it happen?”

“Yeah. I guess there are some economists in Iyet that say it’s good for the economy, so they let it happen. I’m no expert in it, though. It’s a weird country. All they care about is money. It’s a man-eat-man world out there. That’s why criminals are always escaping there.”

Ryner nodded. “So that’s how it is. Looks like we’ll be able to get in pretty easily, Ferris. Lucky!”

“Mm-hm. A high-level criminal like you won’t be able to disembark so easily, however. I will make you suffer for your crimes if they don’t.”

“Yeah, yeah. I decided that I’m gonna be positive today, no matter what you say to me, ‘cause I absolutely refuse to climb that mountain again. Ships are great. I could even take a nap while we’re cruising along the sea. Alright, old man. We’re gonna go to Iyet, so do you think we could get on one of your ships for the trip?”

“Well, to tell you the truth, ships aren’t sailing right now…”

“Huh? Why not?”

“‘Cause of the pirates.”

“You can definitely still sail even if there’s pirates. Like, this is a large-scale, public but illegal business that you’re running. How are you even different from pirates?” Ryner asked. He pointed at the flustered sailors for emphasis. 

The owner grimaced. “Of course our proud business of sixteen years wouldn’t be afraid of normal pirates. But these pirates are different. They have a dragon, you see…”

“A dragon?” Ryner repeated. “The hell?”

“It’s the truth. Countless people have seen it. It’s a fire-breathing dragon. The pirates use it to loot ships with. It’s as if the Goddess of the Sea herself blessed these pirates and bestowed upon them a dragon. No sailor wants to risk his life to go to Iyet without any guarantee that they’ll be safe, so they aren’t sailing until things calm down.”

“You see? The sea is dangerous,” Ferris said. “We’d be better off returning to the mountain—”

“Dismissed. Absolutely not happening. Besides, pirates are nothing compared to you. You could take them all by yourself without batting an eyelash, and the dragon’s hogwash. No problem, right?”

“What are you saying? A pitiful maiden such as myself could never exterminate a band of pirates.”

“…Where on earth are you getting the ‘pitiful’ part from? I would have gone with ‘invincible.’”

“Hmph. How naive of you. My seasickness is so strong that I become unconscious.”

Ryner’s eyes widened. “Seriously? You’re that bad with boats?”

“We have already been over this. If I weren’t, I wouldn’t hate them so much. Once, I was on a boat on my family’s lake, and when I next regained consciousness I was on my bed. I lost consciousness entirely with no recollection of what had happened. Those around me were pale and said that I was never to get on a boat again. Do you truly believe that I could defeat pirates?”

“I’m ready to lose consciousness at the thought of having a lake big enough to sail on, personally… Guess I shouldn’t be surprised, though, since you’re a noble and all… But still. For the sake of argument… even though I’m tired and it’s a major pain in the ass, I could fight them while you’re unconscious. Should be easier for these guys who make their living off the sea to get us into a position to do it.”

Then Ryner turned back to the shop’s owner. “Alright. Will you take us if we take care of those pirates and the dragon?”

The owner stared at them blankly. “Huh? You can take care of them?” He asked, then suddenly exploded. “Give me a break! There’s no way in hell that guys like you could—”

Ryner picked up a nearby iron pot and tossed it up. “Ferris, cut it.”

“Mm.”

Ferris moved so fast that it was impossible to see her hands go to her sword, and in an instant—

Chiiiiing!

The sharp sound of metal-on-metal rang out through the shop as the pot was cut into halves, fourths, eighths… Before long, it was cut so small that the shards were nigh on invisible as they fell onto the floor.

Then Ferris sheathed her sword like nothing happened.

The owner just stared in blank amazement.

“Do you still think it’s impossible?” Ryner asked. 

“N-no… But the dragon…”

“Ahh, don’t worry about that. So this is normally a secret, but the truth is that she’s not human. Don’t be fooled by that pretty face - she’s a demon through and through. The proof? Her personality’s terrible, and she’s violent, but listen. I can guarantee that power will be yours. All it takes is some dango ingredients…”

Ferris disappeared again. This time her target was Ryner. 

Wham!

Then she reappeared in front of the owner. “Don’t listen to the lies of a sex maniac like this. He’s traveled far and wide just to commit crimes. You see, he’s an evil magician who has stolen spells and kidnapped the princesses of many countries.”

So went their mutual praising.

The friends (?) stared the owner down, waiting for his answer.

“T-true, you may just be able to take the pirates and dragon… Alright! We’ll do it!”

With that, the room was filled with the sailors’ battle cries.

---

Their ship departed the following day.

Its sail caught the wind with ease, and it traveled smoothly across the ocean.

Ryner stood on the deck, where the sun warmed him and the wind cooled him.

“This is nice,” he said. “The sun feels good, and so does the breeze. I’m ready for a nap.”

It was the best weather possible to set sail.

In contrast, Ferris was pale, on the verge of blue. “It’s moving, it feels disgusting, I want to die… This is it, Ryner.”

“Huh? This is it? What do you mean?”

When he turned to look at her, she’d already passed out. Ryner stared for a second before his face broke out in a smile.

“Seriously? You’re seriously bad with ships… But this is good. It’s good. I’d been thinking of you as an unrivaled monster this whole time…”

The ship’s coordinator was a little more worried. “A-are you okay?” He asked her.

“Yeah, she’s fine. She’s just seasick. I’ll take her to the cabin, so don’t worry about it. I am so writing on her face as revenge for everything she’s done to me, though… heheh.”

The coordinator shook his head. “No, that’s not… I mean, the pirates. The dragon. Will we really be alright on our own?”

“Who knows.”

“‘Who knows!?’ Take some responsibility here! We’re returning to the port—”

“Ah, no, I was joking. I’ll do it. Pirates and dragons are a piece of cake for me. It’s a pain in the ass, though… Anyway, I have to conserve energy, so I’m gonna take a quick nap. Wake me up if there’s any pirates or anything, alright?”

With that, Ryner laid down next to Ferris, and before long started to snore lightly.

The sailors’ eyes widened, doubtful for what was to come.

---

The sun turned through the sky… and then, screams filled the deck.

“It’s here! I knew it!”

“The dragon! It’s real!”

And there Ryner was, completely unconcerned, as he’d chosen to pass his time by fulfilling his insatiable need for sleep… 

“Ryner, it’s time for your debut! Please wake up!”

“Mmh… Five more minutes… Five more minutes, Kiefer… After that, I’ll go to class…”

“What are you saying!? Our ship will have already sunken by the time five minutes go by!”

“Huh? Ship? What…”

Ryner, still half asleep, rubbed his eyes and forced himself up.

The surroundings had gone foggy while he was out. The poor visibility meant that the only thing he could see was the sailors screaming and running around the deck.

“Man… All of you guys look super busy, so I’m just gonna go back to sleep…”

“Give us a break! The only reason we sailed all the way out here is because you said that you’d get rid of the pirates for us! Here, the dragon is here, so do something about it!” The coordinator screamed, tears forming at the corners of his eyes as he pointed up towards the dragon.

Ryner’s eyes followed, but his expression stayed rude. 

A strange sight awaited him.

It was difficult to see because of the fog, but there was unquestionably a very large lifeform moving above them. It had a squid-like head and sharp fangs and ferocious eyes, and its whole body was covered in scales. 

Yeah, that was definitely one of those legendary dragons. 

“Ohh, amazing. It really is a dragon,” Ryner said, but contrary to his words, his tone proved that he wasn’t all that amazed.

“A-as expected of a dragon-slaying magician! You’re not flustered in the slightest!”

“Everyone, hide behind him! Our bro will definitely exterminate this dragon!”

“We’re counting on you, bro!”

Ryner stood, even though it was a total pain. “Who’re you callin’ ‘bro’… I feel like the leader of a bunch of delinquents now. Oh well. Guess I gotta do something about this.”

He took a step forward.

The massive dragon was glaring at him, as if specifically intending to intimidate him out of a fight. 

Ryner stared through its intimidation. “It’s gonna be a fake, so I’ll go ahead and rip its disguise off.”

The dragon opened its massive jaws. Blazing red fire began to gather inside of its mouth.

“It’s fire! It breathes fire! Our whole ship will burn!?”

Ryner turned a backwards glance at the sailors as they screamed in fear. Then he looked back at the dragon. “Hmm. So it breathes fire, too.” His hands danced through the air. “I wish for rain clouds - Leveling Rain!”

Condensed liquid gathered at the center of his magic circle and shot towards the dragon to extinguish its flames.

The water and fire slammed into each other, the force of them both just strong enough to annihilate the other. 

The sailors began to cheer, but Ryner didn’t have time to listen. Instead, he broke out in a run. He closed his eyes, and when they opened, a red pentagram had settled in their depths. It was a special characteristic of his eyes, the Alpha Stigma, that allowed him to see through and copy all magic.

“Ha-haah! So that’s the trick…”

He could see everything about the dragon down to its numerical values and place on the plane of existence. Its trick was simple. It was a dragon model not unlike paper mache that moved with magic wires. Familiar wires.

“These things again? Ugh. That means whoever’s doing this knows Iyet’s magic… I guess there are a lot of people who like little tricks like this in Iyet. Anyway, all I have to do now is figure out who’s controlling it…”

All he had to do for that was to follow the wires with his Alpha Stigma.

“Found you.”

Ryner leapt up off the deck. His fingers glided through the air with ease.

“I wish for a spark of light - Cursed Tether!”

A rope made of light shot out from his magic circle and wrapped around the dragon’s neck. He spun it and then, in contrast to his graceful movements in the air, took a lethargic stance once he landed. He didn’t land back on his ship, though - he landed on another one. The pirates’ ship.

“Hey. How’re you doing?” Ryner asked.

The mean-looking pirates were all gripping their scimitars. They’d been preparing for an attack on Ryner’s ship, but now that they were standing face to face with Ryner, their expressions were more shocked than anything.

“Wh-wh-what? Who are you? You evaded the Dragon God’s attacks…”

“Huh? Oh, right. That. I’m on the side of justice, see,” Ryner said. “I’m just a nice guy who’s out here trying to discipline rowdy pirates like you. That’s what I look like, right? An ally of justice?” 

So he said, but between his exhausted tone, sleepy eyes, and slouch, he looked more lazy than anything. Where was the ‘ally of justice’ in all of that…? Even so, the fact that he was so calm given the circumstances was enough to win his mental battle with the pirates.

Ryner ignored the pirates, then looked back to a throne-like chair as someone sat on it.

“…Wow…”

Ryner was at a loss for words. His eyes went wide and he grimaced. “Are you kidding me…? You again?”

An absolute beauty on the same level of Ferris sat delicately atop the throne. She had glossy black hair and a perfect face. She looked to be about sixteen or seventeen, and she spoke with a voice that was far bolder than what one would expect. “Mm-hm. You did well to see the reality within my illusion. You dare to stand before me, Estella, the divine and otherworldly beautiful daughter of the God of the Ocean, vulgar as you are? Are you aware that the only ones who may live are those who bow before me?”

“Goddess!” The pirates cheered.

“Please, get him!!”

“Give him your divine punishment!”

Ryner, meanwhile, was straight up done with all of this. “You’re running the same scam again? Like, goddess? Daughter of the ocean god? Forget divine beauty, I’m pretty sure you mean eccentric beauty. We both know that you’re not a god.”

‘Oh shit,’ was written all over Estella’s face. “Mrgh… You have some nerve, you bastard!”

“No, half of that was a compliment,” Ryner said, then sighed. 

This was still the same Estella who’d swindled the mountain men into giving her easy cash by convincing them that she was a goddess. Seemed like this time she was the daughter of the ocean god. 

“Geez, you never learn your lesson,” Ryner said. “What’s next, the plains goddess or the river goddess or something?”

Estella was alarmed. “I-I cannot allow you to leave here alive if you already know that much…!”

“Bullseye!?” Ryner said, shocked. “But anyway, don’t you remember me? We just met recently.”

“Mh? Dear me. I would never have a mere human as an acquaintance…” 

She stared and stared for a moment before it finally clicked. “Ah! Y-you’re the lackey of that dead fish woman!”

“Who’re you calling a lackey!” Ryner yelled, but as usual, he was ignored.

Estella was tense now that she remembered. “So where is that woman? It is time to settle our competition of whose beauty is more divine than a god’s. I will show that mistaken, antisocial dango woman just who is best!”

The pirates cheered for her.

Ryner had passed the point of caring. “You’re free to do whatever, but like, can you not involve people who are just trying to live their lives? I’d be really happy if you just took these pirates and went home…”

Shockingly, Estella nodded. “Of course. This is the time to show that woman that my beauty is a blessing from god!”

“Did you even hear me!?”

“Naturally.”

Ryner just shook his head, knowing that she wouldn’t listen to his rebuttal anyway. “These two are really similar… They’re so pointlessly infuriating… It’s like they don’t even understand my plan to get old by napping, nodding off, and dozing until my time comes… They just ignore it entirely,” he grumbled, even though his dream was honestly pretty worthless.

“Now speak,” Estella said. “Prostrate thyself before me and show me the location of that pitiful woman!”

“She’s knocked out cold in the cabin from seasickness,” Ryner said. “We’ll mark it up as your victory, so can you please just let us pass? I really don’t wanna fight you guys. It’d be such a pain…”

For some reason, Estella seemed happy. “What, she’s seasick? Hehehe. God hath chosen me. He chose me, daughter of the ocean god! Now, I must gloat upon that sorry loser. My minions, we will follow this ship to shore. You may plunder it as you please.”

“……I’m telling you, just listen to me for once… Ugh, I guess there’s nothing I can do about it…”

Then he began to draw a magic circle with a tired expression.

And then, screams rang out from the boat that Ryner and the others embarked from.

“Gyaaaahhh!”

“Th, the demon! The demon’s eyes opened!”

“Huh?” Ryner turned back to look to where thunderous noises were erupting from the boat. Then he turned back to Estella. “What the hell… Did you guys already attack us? It’s not really a ship worth plundering, you know.”

Estella smiled as though she believed that Ryner was beneath her. “Heheh. You pitiful, ignorant fool. My minions excel at what they do, unlike yours. What happens off this ship has nothing to do with me!” She said with the snap of a finger.

The pirates suddenly began to tremble. “N-no, Goddess, we’re all still here…”

“……”

The ship went silent for a moment. Ryner scratched his head and yawned.

Only then did Estella speak. “Mrrrgh… Another illusion of yours!? The only tricks you have are those that cowards use!”

“I’m not doing anything though…” 

“I will never forgive you! Say your prayers!”

“I literally just said that I didn’t—”

A high-pitched, metallic sound rang through the air, cutting Ryner off. He looked up, but all he could do was stare at what was happening.

“You’re kidding,” he said, just as sophisticated as always.

Something unbelievable was happening in the air above him.

A flash of light glinted through the sky, and before he knew it, the dragon’s head was sliced clean off.  

Estella was frightened. “Wha… I reinforced its neck with steel! What’s… what’s going on…?”

“No one but her could do something like that,” Ryner said as he watched the sky.

A woman was flying down, her sword glinting in the moonlight. She was disgustingly beautiful as her limbs moved through the air, full of vigor. She caught everyone’s eyes, whether she was trying or not.

“Hey, Ferris,” Ryner said. “Did you get over your seasickn—”

Ferris raised her sword and swung it right at Ryner.

“Huh? Whoa, wait…”

Ryner jumped back, and Ferris slashed the place where he’d been, leaving a deep cut in the floor.

“Th, that was bad,” Ryner said. “I really thought I was gonna die…”

“So you’ve finally arrived, you seasick dog,” Estella gloated. “Heheh. I am the true beauty here—”

Ferris moved so fast that it almost seemed… no, she moved so fast that she did disappear. She sliced through the ship’s massive mast like it was nothing.

“What are you doing, Ferris!?” Ryner yelled. 

Ferris’ expression was hollow. “Uuh… I feel terrible… I have to sink this ship… before I die… I’ll do it!”

Ryner scowled. Then he remembered what Ferris said earlier.

She said that when she was seasick before, she woke up on her bed with no memories afterwards. That the people around her told her to never get on a boat again.

“Don’t tell me… that she’s unconscious…!?”

She moved to destroy the pirates one by one. Their screams were unmistakable. 

“Demon! Monster! We’ll be killed!”

The smuggling ship began to turn around in an attempt to return to the port.

“We were fools for asking that monster to kill the dragon for us. We’ll be killed, too!”

“Don’t leave us here!” The pirates screamed. They jumped off of their sinking ship one after another, and attempted to swim onto the other ship.

Soon, the only ones left were the demon, the annoying goddess, and Ryner.

Ryner watched Ferris destroy the ship. “A-anyway,” he said to the goddess, “This ship’s gonna sink if we don’t stop her.”

“Mrrgh. I see that she has gone insane from jealousy at my beauty, to the point where she wants me dead.”

“Look, I’m begging you to listen to me just this once. If we work together, we won’t need to sink in the middle of the night like this.”

“Muogh! I will not go easy on her!” Estella said and took off in a run. She drew a circle in the air and recited one of Iyet’s spells. Countless fireballs appeared around her, then flew towards Ferris.

“……”  

Ryner was at a loss for words. It wasn’t just Ferris that Estella wasn’t going easy on. She was, however unintentionally, adding to the ship’s destruction with her fire.

“How do you like this!?” Estella yelled as she chucked a particularly conspicuous fireball at Ferris.

Ferris cut through it with a splendid arc of her sword. It didn’t hurt her, but it was the final blow to the ship. It creaked loudly and began to sink.

Ryner held his head in his hands as he stood on the deck of the sinking ship. “Hah… hahahah… This has to be a dream. There’s just no way that idiots like these two could be real. It’s okay. I’ll just sleep. When I wake up, I’m sure that my normal, happy life is waiting for me. I’m sorry, God. I’m a bad kid for staying up too late…”

And so Ryner successfully escaped from reality as the ship sank into the ocean.

---

Ryner and Ferris were floating in the open sea.

Ferris had finally regained consciousness once she fell into the ocean. “Mm? Is this Iyet?”

Ryner sighed. That was all he could do at this point.

He looked around, searching for another troublesome lady, but he didn’t see her. Oh, well. She was probably fine.

“She seems tough, after all,” Ryner mumbled to himself. 

Ferris seemed satisfied. “It’s a good thing that we managed to safely reach Iyet without ever meeting any pirates or dragons.”

“You call this safe!? Besides, we’re not even in Iyet!”

“Mm? We’re not? Then why are floating so leisurely?”

“Leisurely, she says… Even though it’s all her fault… Ugh, whatever. I was mistaken to believe that something logical would happen.”

“Your whole life is a mistake, after all.”

“True,” Ryner said. “It’s been on the wrong track entirely since meeting you.”

Such went their conversation as they let the sea bring them where it may.

Then, little by little, rain began to fall on the ocean.

Ryner’s eyes narrowed.

Rain clouds covered the moon. Thunder sounded in the distance. The waves steadily grew taller.

He stared at the clouds for a moment before they sparked a realization.

“It’s storming,” he whispered. He wanted to cry. The wind was picking up. The sea was becoming restless. But he wouldn’t let it get to him.

He’d realized something. No, he had a revelation, the likes of which any monk would be jealous of.

“…It’s fine. It’s fine. I don’t know what’ll happen in life… It’s okay. I can just float anywhere and it’ll be okay.”

Maybe it was better to call it abandoning himself, actually… 

Ferris nodded. “And so he decides to become a vagabond, without ever doing anything useful in his life.”

“And whose fault is that!”

“Not mine,” Ferris said without a shred of guilt.

“Okay, I’m definitely killi… buwagh!”

A huge wave slammed into him, and Ryner disappeared under the surface of the water.

Ferris raised an eyebrow. “Mm? Ryner, where did you…” 

But before she could finish, a wave swallowed her, too.

And then there were none.

Whatever happened to them?

---

By the way, somewhere out there was Estella, burbling on the water’s surface.

“Mrgh. I’ve lost sight of them. Though I am sure that they’re still alive. They appear to be rather tough, after all. They do say that weeds grow strong.”

Yet she missed the more apt saying here - birds of a feather flock together.