Ch.247Final Exams and Pirates (3)

“Do you know the name of that sword?”

The old man asked.

“No, I don’t.”

I answered lightly.

“….You’re quite thoughtless, aren’t you?”

The old man looked at me with distrustful eyes.

“A sword is just a sword. I don’t bother memorizing names for such things.”

I said with a shrug.

“Hmm. I see. You’re quite a dry fellow.”

The old man seemed to trust my attitude more because of this.

Always speak indifferently and you’ll seem like you know something. I should pass this tip to Sasix later. I’ll make you a true cool guy…Sasix!

“The name of the sword our ancestors made is Soul Devourer. It’s a cursed blade that absorbs the souls of those it cuts. The more enemies it slays, the more souls it absorbs and the stronger it becomes.”

The old man said.

“I see. So that’s why.”

The saying that it gets sharper with each enemy cut seemed to refer to this.

“If that were all, it would be fine… but the sword bewitches its user. Once you grasp it, you become a beast mad with power. Under the desire to become stronger, you become a demon who cuts down people indiscriminately. Every swordsman who wielded that sword became miserable. And they made everyone around them miserable too.”

The old man said while smoking his cigarette.

“Our ancestors didn’t just hide that sword. They sealed it. They concealed it in a deep place unknown to anyone so it would never again touch human hands. However… someone spread rumors about the sword. Because of that, more outsiders have come looking for it. If that sword falls into someone’s hands, it would be disastrous!!”

The old man grabbed my hand.

I don’t have a hobby of holding men’s hands… but given the atmosphere, I couldn’t pull away.

“Please!!! Destroy that sword!! Then… I too can be freed from the original sin of my ancestors who created the cursed blade.”

The old man said with sorrowful eyes.

“The fact that they created a cursed sword… has been a disgrace to me. A sword exists to protect people. Not to cut them down indiscriminately!”

The old man cried out.

“So…”

“OKAY!! I get the situation!! Where is this sword?”

I immediately skipped the old man’s explanation.

His explanation along with the emotional appeal was becoming quite tedious. I understand the situation, but it’s too long!!! Just find the sword and destroy it, right?

That shallow trick of extending the content by making a long explanation followed by an emotional appeal doesn’t work on me!!

To be honest, I was never really moved by stories with emotional exchanges. Sometimes I wondered if I might be a sociopath… but as long as I was happy, that was all that mattered.

“There’s supposed to be a secret workshop somewhere in the mountains behind Emoshita. However, no records remain. Our ancestors, fearing that some disrespectful descendant might try to wield the sword, deliberately obscured its location.”

The old man said.

“Got it. We’ll find it ourselves. Let’s go, Kirtan.”

I pulled Kirtan along.

———–

The mountain behind was the same one from before.

“Ah… so it’s part of the mountain I came to with Taiga.”

It was actually the only mountain in Emoshita, spreading widely around the area.

Squeeze-!

At that moment, Kirtan pinched my cheek with a pouty expression.

“What’s wrong?”

I asked Kirtan.

“I’m right in front of you, yet you casually talk about another woman… sometimes Shota, you’re too insensitive.”

Kirtan said, then hesitantly added more.

“Besides, hearing that our date spot is somewhere you’ve been with another woman makes me feel strangely uneasy.”

Kirtan blurted out.

She’s having such girlish concerns.

“Isn’t this the perfect opportunity to cover your memories of Taiga with… happier ones?”

I immediately fanned Kirtan’s competitive spirit.

“Hmm… you’re right?!”

Soon, Kirtan perked up. She’s quite easily swayed.

“Alright!! Let’s have a lovey-dovey treasure hunt!”

Kirtan exclaimed, snapping her fingers.

Woooooong-!!

Kirtan’s pirate ship was summoned right above the mountain.

“We can just have my crew dig up this entire mountain!!”

Kirtan shouted.

“Isn’t… there a quieter method?”

I objected to Kirtan.

Digging up the mountain on such a large scale would be too conspicuous. Her approach was too military-like…

“You have to dig with your own strength for it to be a real treasure hunt!”

Kirtan immediately got angry.

“No!! You’re an alien!! Don’t you have a more intelligent method?! Like scanning the terrain.”

I tried to find a compromise.

“Ah. We do have such a function.”

Kirtan said nonchalantly.

“You have that function!! Why didn’t you say so!”

I shouted loudly.

“It’s not very pirate-like.”

Kirtan seemed to be hung up on a strange point. What exactly makes something pirate-like?

“Anyway, use the scanning device. Please.”

I said to Kirtan.

“Fine… alright.”

Kirtan finally relented, waving her hand.

Whiiiiing-!!

As light emerged, we headed toward the pirate ship.

The pirates, who were busy working, immediately saluted Kirtan.

“Hey!! Everyone!! It seems there’s treasure under this mountain!!”

Kirtan cleared her throat and continued.

“We installed that scanning device, right? Search every inch of this mountain!!”

Kirtan shouted.

“Y-You’re finally using the scanning device…!!”

The navigator wiped away tears of emotion.

“Our captain who always made us do physical labor despite having good equipment…!!! Finally!!”

Other crew members shed tears of joy.

“Then let’s activate the scanning device immediately!!”

The navigator hurriedly shouted. He seemed worried that Kirtan might change her mind.

Whiiiiing-!!

As a field formed around the entire spaceship, a complex transparent image appeared on the terminal. The image was shaped like the mountain.

“Sigh. An era where treasure hunting is done by just pressing a button… romance is disappearing day by day.”

Kirtan seemed quite displeased about this.

Comforting her would be my job.

“There are things we can’t do if we’re busy digging.”

I firmly grabbed Kirtan’s buttocks. This wasn’t the usual gentle skinship to confirm our love. It was a strong touch filled with lustful desire.

My desire was clearly conveyed to Kirtan.

“W-Well, while the scan is running, we have some time…”

Kirtan glanced slightly toward the captain’s quarters.

“How do you feel about conceiving a child on a ship?”

Kirtan immediately said with a seductive expression.

It was a very arousing proposition, but… I took out the contraceptive I always carry.

“I’ll impregnate Kirtan someday, but I’ve decided to have my first child with Eri.”

That point remained unchanged. Eri was my primary wife.

“Hah… a playboy with such self-control on this point. How unfair.”

Kirtan said with a pouty expression.

“So… do you dislike it?”

I continued to knead Kirtan’s buttocks. And I patted the adorably sagging flesh at the bottom of her ample behind.

“I like it.”

Kirtan said, then immediately sealed my lips with hers. Kissing, Kirtan and I entered the captain’s quarters. After that, Kirtan and I passionately intertwined our bodies.

I never imagined I’d be having sex on a space pirate ship. It was yet another novel experience.

———

About three hours later, Kirtan and I came to our senses and stepped out of the captain’s quarters.

“The scan still isn’t finished? See, if we had dug with shovels, we would have found it in an hour.”

Kirtan immediately started criticizing the advanced equipment.

“No, the results came in after 30 minutes. We just didn’t want to disturb your quality time, so we waited.”

The navigator said bluntly.

Advanced technology was overwhelmingly superior in terms of efficiency too.

“Hmph…”

Kirtan puffed her cheeks in annoyance. I immediately massaged her cheeks to deflate the air trapped inside.

“Anyway!! Then you must have found the treasure!!”

Kirtan shouted.

“Yes. There’s a natural cave inside the mountain. There’s something that looks like a human sword there.”

The navigator bowed his head and reported.

It was true. There was an empty space on the terminal, and something like a sword was there.

It looked exactly like the kind of place where a sword would be sealed.

“I see!!! Then let’s search immediately!!”

Kirtan shouted.

The search was about to proceed smoothly, but…

BOOM-! BOOM-!!

Suddenly, the ship shook with a thunderous noise.

“Uwaagh!!”

The crew members who weren’t prepared fell over one after another.

“W-What is it!!”

Kirtan turned her head.

Behind us, an identical spaceship was on our tail.

“Damn it!!!! It’s the Blackbeard Pirates!!”

The navigator calmly drew a sword with a blade made of light.

“Those bastards… they followed us all the way to Earth!!”

Kirtan clicked her tongue.

“Who are they?!!”

I asked Kirtan.

Zwoooong-!

At that moment, a beam aimed at us flew in.

Tiiiing-!

I reflexively raised my sword and deflected the beam. I was a bit surprised since it was a beam… but well, I could deflect it like a bullet.

“The Blackbeard guys… they’re in the same business as us… but they’re strangely hostile toward us!! They’ve been interfering with our treasure hunts!! Now they’ve followed us all the way here!!”

Kirtan gave me an explanation even in this urgent situation.

“Okay!! So they’re enemies!!”

I immediately took a combat stance.

“There’s Kirtan!!!”

“Kill her!!”

Various monstrous creatures boarded our ship.

“KIEEEEEEEK!!!!!!”

I shouted loudly and charged toward the monsters. Fighting aliens should be exciting… but I felt nothing special. I’ve killed hundreds of aliens by now.

“You chose the wrong opponent!!!”

Shouting that, I leaped high and swung my sword widely.

SWOOOOSH-!!!

My sword cut a large pirate in half.

“…?!”

The pirates seemed surprised by the unexpected combat prowess of an Earthling. At least I’d seized the initiative.