Souen no Historia

Chapter 13

Eula moved alone towards the cabin and went down the stairs, advancing inside. Then, she found a pa.s.sage with “off-limit” written on it. As is, Eula ignored and crossed it, and stopped before a room. “... … I see, even pirates have fallen.” The man who was sitting in front of the room stood up when he saw Eula. Deep engraved features and his sharp eyes transmitted an a.s.sa.s.sin-like atmosphere. However, even with such a peculiar aura, one could understand the man was a swordsman from what he held. “Surely, for a little girl like you to be the head… … are you that shorthanded?”“... … … … I’ll just say one thing. Move away if you don’t want to die.”“How ridiculous.” The man smiled fearlessly, he pulled his swords and rushed towards Eula.   Everyone on the deck was dumbfounded as the pirates started to laugh all of a sudden. “Is something funny, pirate? Or have you finally gone mad?”“Kuhaha, no no sorry sorry, it just that your words just now were off the mark, just a little of it.”“Aa?” The pirate wiped the tears that came out from laughing, and grinning. “You guys didn’t know a~nything.”“... … what did you say?”“That child… … captain is certainly young, furthermore a woman, but….” At that time, something broke through the deck from below and flew up into the sky. The swordsman and mage’s faces were hardened by the sudden event. Then, they became aghast when they realized the thing that had flown out.It was obviously a human, with the whites of its eyes displayed, blood scattering from its mouth.CRASH, that human fell onto the deck, unmoving. It looks like something hit its jaw because the jaw was swelling and completely red. “Have you understood now? Our captain, she introduced herself as the captain because she is the strongest.” Hearing the pirate’s words, the swordsman and the mage turned pale. They never thought this person could be defeated. They were obviously perplexed. “Well then, isn’t it about the time for us to be serious?” The pirates’ atmosphere changed completely, and their eyes shone mysteriously.   At that time, Eula, who has already blown away the guard, entered the room, and discovered something which looked like a coffin. “This is… … I see.” She approached it slowly, staring at it as if to observe it. It was a black coffin, and there was something that looked like a crest on the lid. Golden and silver lines were intertwining, drawing a circle, and a cross was drawn inside. “This is certainly Holy Kingdom Lavahha’s crest.” She spoke the information obtained from the crest, and then she used her finger to trace the crest. The coffin seemed to have double door-like lid, and there were two k.n.o.bs at the center.Moved by curiosity, Eula gripped the k.n.o.bs and opened the lid. What was revealed inside was a person-like object that was wrapped in bandages. Moreover it covered over its whole body except for the eyes. It was ominous because it looked like a completely bandaged man. Eula observed the bandaged man’s face. Her hand reached towards the bandage that wrapped its face, and then when she touched it, kah, its eyes suddenly opened. Eula jumped back by reflex, took some distance and watched it. The bandaged man roused its upper body slowly and mechanically. Then it simply pulled and tore away the bandages.When Eula saw the bandaged man’s true appearance, she muttered. “It really was a mechanical doll (automata) huh.” Its body didn’t have skin like a human; it was made by piling up many blackish machine frames. The place where a human’s heart was, a fist-sized red ball was there, and thump thump, it pulsed. The doll that woke turned its gaze towards Eula, and 『VISUALLY CONFIRMED THE TARGET. PROCEED TO ANNIHILATE.』 It spoke with constant high pitched voice without any trace of emotion.At the moment the doll’s eyes shone, it held up its hand aiming at Eula. “... … kh!? This is bad!” Eula immediately bent her body when she sensed that. Then, a beam fired from the doll’s palm, opening a clean hole in the wall behind where Eula’s head was previously.However, its attack hasn’t ended yet, and that hand once again aimed at Eula.Eula crouched, kicked the floor and shortened her distance to grip the doll’s arms. Then she kicked the doll’s jaw from below. BAKIih! With both arms pulled and tore, the doll broke through the deck and flew to the sky just like a man from a while ago.   Mayuki was hesitating about what to do. The pirates’ movement suddenly sharpened when their atmosphere changed. The swordsman and mage were quickly defeated.It looked like the pirates were taking it easy before. Their strength was undoubtedly first-cla.s.s. After the swordsman and mage were defeated, the one left who could stop them were Mayuki and Sheila.It was just like they planned, they thought to somehow protect the ship by themselves, and then something once again appeared and broke through the floor when they started to move. (Eh!? Wh-What… … a-a robot…?) Seeing the strange object that flew into the sky, she was surprised because it appeared just like a robot. Moreover, both of its arms were torn, and above all the reason it was blown into the sky was still unknown. Even the pirates didn’t expect that and they were dumbfounded just like Mayuki and the others.Then, Eula appeared from below the opened hole. “”””Headdd!”””” The pirates shouted in unison. However, Eula said, “Be careful! That thing is a mechanical doll (automata) as was expected!” The pirates’ faces tightened due to Eula’s words. (Auto… … mata? It is a robot after all?) While Mayuki thought of that, she turned her gaze towards the mechanical doll (automata) that has fallen below. The automata tried to stand up while letting out crunch, mechanical sound, and its chin was damaged. It was probably from receiving Eula’s attack below the deck. (But, is that the present for the Emperor?) Frankly, it wasn’t in a good shape even as flattery. Although Mayuki didn’t understand the value of a mechanical doll (automata), she thought it’d be better to be more human-like. The frames on top of frames simply gave off an unpleasant atmosphere.She didn’t know the Emperor’s preference, but Mayuki thought no one would be glad to get such a misshapen doll. 『...... FINAL…… SAFETY DEVICE…… LIFTED 』 An inorganic voice could be heard from the doll. Following that the doll, thud, kneeled and the pulsing of the red ma.s.s which buried on its chest gradually quickened.Eula who saw that let out a Hah, and “You guys! Quickly get away from here now!” Hearing Eula’s alerting shout, the pirates return to the pirate ship in a fl.u.s.ter. “Oy you guys also quickly jump into the sea! If not, you’re going to be swallowed by the explosion!” Hearing Eula’s words, the sailors raised screams and jumped into the sea. “Head! It is faster to throw that doll into the sea!”“Fool! It will explode if you wrongly stimulate it! Anyway, quickly return to the ship!” Apparently, it was dangerous to move the doll. So it was wiser to thought of taking shelter in the sea. “Wh-What should we do, Mayuki-san! If Sheila and Mayuki-san also escape from here-!”  Just as Sheila said, even though it depends on the scale of the explosion, they weren’t likely to be able to sail with this ship. If that happened, they could do nothing but wait for rescue, and the nearest one was from the port Mayuki and the others sailed from. Even though they would be rescued, they’d just back to where they started. Then, it’d be necessary to disclose their ident.i.ties, and that information would reach Rashtia. The possibility of them being brought back was very high. Thinking of such possibilities, Mayuki acted and surprised Sheila. “Wait!” Mayuki gripped the hand of Eula who was about to return to her ship. “...ha? What’s with you?” Eula of course looked at Mayuki with an expression filled with suspicion. “I beg you! Please let us board that ship!”“Eeh!? W-Wait a sec, Mayuki-san!” Sheila’s shout was justified. The ship that Mayuki and Sheila tried to board was the pirates’ ship that attacked them. It couldn’t be helped that she doubted her sanity for asking to board the pirates’ ship. “Wa-, let me go! It is going to explode!”“Don’t want to!”“Haa!?”“I have a place where I want to go! I don’t want to stop in such place!”“I-I don’t know such a thing, rather my hand hurt!” Mayuki didn’t let go of Eula’s hand as she obstinately gripped it. Eula was also perplexed because Mayuki suddenly said something she didn’t understand. “Head! Hurryy!” Eula’s subordinate shouted, “Let me go, oy!”“Then, please let us go with you!” Mayuki desperately appealed, and she didn’t look away from Eula. Following that, Eula who was at her wit’s end was comparing between the doll and Mayuki, and then she tousled her head. “Aah okay okay! Oi you guys, bring them in!”“A-As you wish!” Mayuki smiled brightly and, “Thank you very much!”“U… … s-stop that, we are going now!” Eula was blushing in embarra.s.sment, puih, she looked away and returned to the ship. “Let’s go, Sheila!”“Ah, y-yes!” Sheila’s face said that she wanted to say something, but she decided to get away from here first.Mayuki and Sheila boarded the ship, and at the time the ship was slightly away, DOGAaaaaaaNh! 

 

A terrific explosive sound resounded, and the sailing ship with the doll sank into the middle of the sea. The people, who had jumped into the sea, tried getting away in a panic. By the way, the swordsman’s party had jumped down from the ship with the sailors’ help.
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