"They seem to be having so much fun?" The Princess stood on a small boat, gazing from afar at the young Hunters swimming through the sea.
"Those Hunters probably aren't playing. They are undergoing special training," explained the Head Maid, who, at the Princess's forceful insistence, had shed her maid's long dress and donned a short fisherman's tunic, though her dignified posture seemed completely at odds with her attire.
"Let's go take a look, ja!" The Princess grabbed an oar and rowed chaotically.
Not wanting to stop her, the Head Maid simply picked up the other oar and rowed along with her.
Neither of them had ever rowed before, and despite great effort, they barely managed to move the boat a few meters. Eventually, Hibiki jumped into the water and pushed the boat from behind, bringing them over to the waters where the Hunters were training.
"I must try this as well!" the Princess declared, chin held high as she stood at the bow of the skiff.
Az and Ursula exchanged a glance.
As high-rank Hunters, the two of them did not need to show the Princess excessive deference; after all, the Princess held no authority over them.
But the younger ones were a different matter. Ultimately, the Princess was still their employer for this mission, and they could not completely ignore her wishes.
So Ursula steered the boat closer, passed over two breathing masks, and briefly explained how to use them.
Brimming with enthusiasm, the Princess donned the mask and promptly leaped into the sea.
Although she could not swim, this way of breathing underwater struck her as utterly novel.
Seeing the Princess splashing about merrily in the sea under Hibiki's guidance, the Head Maid inclined her body slightly toward the Hunters in the water. "My apologies for troubling everyone.
"Though it is somewhat embarrassing to ask, I would still like to inquire whether one or two Hunters could be arranged to escort the Princess ashore onto that Deserted Island for a bit of sightseeing. Of course, we will pay a generous reward, one exceeding the mission reward."
Watching the Head Maid's troubled expression, Altaïr found it quietly amusing.
They had been in Moga Village for three or four days now. During these days, the Princess had been aimlessly wandering around the village, letting the fishermen's children take her fishing, and watching the fishermen process their catches.
From the Head Maid's standpoint, she naturally hoped the Princess would continue like this, staying safe and sound within the secure confines of the village.
But it seemed Her Highness had grown bored... "Altaïr and Jara won't work." Az shook his head. "They need more training in underwater combat.
"Isis and Nymera, however, should be fine. They have basically mastered the fundamentals of moving underwater. If no underwater combat is involved, this should be enough."
Altaïr looked toward Isis and Nymera.
Whether to earn this money from the Princess depended on the opinion of the two with time to spare.
"I'm going!" Without a second thought, Isis removed her breathing mask and climbed onto the Princess's small boat.
After these past few days of special training, she had confirmed one thing. She was a land creature through and through.
She didn't want to soak in seawater anymore!
Nymera made the same choice as Isis. She didn't hate water the way Isis did, but setting weapon modifications aside, underwater combat training held little meaning for her.
So it was better to do something more practical.
Besides, she had a sense of crisis.
These past few days, Hibiki had been following the Princess everywhere. If this kept up, who knew if Hibiki would end the mission as the Princess's dog.
Clawdia instinctively tried to follow Isis, but Az grabbed her by the scruff of the neck and tossed her back into the sea.
She was the core of their underwater combat force. She still needed to train coordination with Altaïr and the others. How could she just run off like that?
Isis, now on the small boat, shook the water droplets from her hair. She glanced at the Princess, who was being led through the seawater by Hibiki, and asked the Head Maid, "Will the Princess swim for long? Perhaps Nymera and I should go back first to wash up?"
"She won't. Ten more minutes at most, and the Princess will grow tired of it." The Head Maid wore an expression of complete confidence.
Just as she predicted, it didn't even take ten minutes. A mere two or three minutes later, the Princess directed Hibiki back to the boat.
Hibiki used his head to push against the Princess's backside, shoving her up onto the boat.
The Princess lay sprawled on the boat, coughing for a long while, then angrily tossed her breathing mask aside. "What a piece of junk. It nearly drowned me, ja!"
The Head Maid crouched down, picked up the breathing mask, wiped it clean, and handed it back to Ursula and the others on the boat opposite them.
Isis could barely suppress a laugh while watching the Princess cough without stopping. Using a breathing mask wasn't difficult, but it still required some technique.
And the thing was meant for underwater use. Hibiki could swim but couldn't dive, so he could only carry the Princess as they splashed about on the surface. Not choking on water would have been the strange part.
Finally, I'm not the only one choking on water!
After enjoying the Princess's spectacle and bidding farewell to the sea that had witnessed all her efforts and embarrassments over the past few days, Isis and the others returned to Moga Village.
The Princess, already bored of staying in the village, was impatient for the upcoming sightseeing trip to the Deserted Island. Truth be told, Isis felt the same.
In a straight line, the Deserted Island was barely a kilometer or two from Moga Village. Paddling a small sampan, they would arrive in no time.
—--
The moment Isis re-equipped her weapon and armor and set both feet onto the shore of the Deserted Island, she felt a sense of security and ease welling up from deep within her heart.
Even though the full Basarios Armor Set and Glavenus Gunlance were heavy enough to bend an ordinary strong man double, compared to floating in the water, she truly preferred this feeling of standing on solid ground.
The party that set foot on the Deserted Island this time consisted of only Isis, Nymera, the Princess, and Hibiki.
Lady Lina, the Head Maid, had wanted to come as well, but Nymera thought that protecting one non-combatant was far easier than protecting two.
If they were attacked by a Monster, they could have one person stick close for protection while the other took the initiative to strike, rapidly eliminating the threat while avoiding the possibility of other Monsters circling around behind them.
Even if they encountered a Large Monster that couldn't be dealt with quickly, the two of them could stay behind to cover the retreat while Hibiki carried the Princess and swiftly evacuated her.
After much deliberation, Lady Lina ultimately agreed with Nymera's suggestion to stay and wait in the fishing village.
This delighted Her Highness immensely, and she even shot Nymera a look that said, "My affection for you wasn't wasted. Well done, ja!"
However, Nymera's suggestion was not made to let the Princess have even more fun; it was to prevent a certain dog from obeying the Princess's orders too eagerly and causing unnecessary danger.
Taking advantage of the moment when the Princess had just set foot on the Deserted Island, kicked off her shoes, spread her arms wide, and was spinning around on the fine sand, Nymera grabbed Hibiki by the ear and gave him a stern warning.
Worried that she alone couldn't keep him in check, she even specifically invoked the name of Master Iori.
"If you dare act recklessly, I will send you back to Kamura Village to be disciplined by Master Iori. When that happens, even Her Highness the Princess won't be able to save you!"
Iori was virtually the only person Hibiki feared. Hearing Nymera say this, Hibiki, who had been a bit too uninhibited these past few days following the Princess, finally tucked his tail between his legs and nodded obediently.
Once the Princess had let loose on the beach for a while and was starting to feel a little tired, Nymera beckoned her over.
The Princess walked over, her sunlit golden waves of hair swaying. "Little Nymera, what's next on the agenda, ja?"
Nymera, who rarely issued commands within the team, proactively took on the role of captain this time. "Your Highness, there is a very important task we need to complete."
As she spoke, she paused for a second, fixed her gaze on the Princess, and emphasized pointedly, "The three of us."
Isis, standing nearby, glanced at her in confusion.
What was this about? Weren't they just here to accompany the Princess on a sightseeing trip to the Deserted Island? The Princess looked at her with keen interest. "What task?"
She was no longer a teenage girl who would be flustered by just a few coaxing words. Now in her forties, she had long matured into a graceful and sophisticated royal noblewoman.
It was only in completely private moments that she allowed herself to be a bit more uninhibited.
She could certainly tell that Nymera's serious demeanor was feigned, and that the so-called "task" was merely a part of the entertainment and sightseeing, like a play.
In high spirits, she didn't mind playing along with Nymera's arrangement and seeing the act through.
"According to the village fishermen, there are indeed traces of Lagiacrus appearing in the nearby waters. Considering it is their breeding season, there is a high chance that a Lagiacrus nest exists on this Deserted Island.
"To ensure a smooth hunt later, we need to locate the Lagiacrus's nest."
The Princess listened, blinking rapidly. Is this really something I'm allowed to take part in?
Her bewilderment transformed into exhilaration in the next second.
"Watch me find it myself, ja!"
(Translated by yourtl.app)