There were many questions in the messages, so I answered them in my activity report. Please take a look if you can.
There will be no update on the 27th at noon.
Before any thoughts of "this is bad" or "this is dangerous" crossed my mind, I first told myself to "calm down."
Calm down. If you stay calm, there's no problem.
I kept telling myself this to suppress my agitation to a minimum.
I am Silver now, not Arnold.
If that's the case, there's no need for an explanation.
In fact, I shouldn't explain. Silver has nothing to hide.
"Are you worried?"
"Of course I am! Who told you!?"
"I have no obligation or duty to tell you that."
I tried to maintain a calm and collected demeanor, characteristic of Silver. Elna is dangerous during battles. Even a minor slip of the tongue could be noticed. If she senses something off, it's over.
Considering Elna's personality, I can't let her realize my true identity at this point.
"What!?"
"Look, it seems they're starting to move. Is this okay?"
"! I'll definitely talk to you about this later!"
"That depends on my mood at the time."
I smoothly redirected her attention to Leviathan.
Then, I descended near the sea in Elna's place, positioning myself in front of Leviathan, who was preparing for battle.
I took a small breath and pressed my right hand against my rapidly beating heart, trying to steady my breathing and calm my nerves.
Honestly, I didn't expect to be more nervous than facing a dragon. She really is the strongest childhood friend. Well, it's my own fault for being careless.
From here on, anything can happen. I could escape using a teleportation spell without answering, or I could come up with a good story.
The personal crisis is over. Now it's just the sea dragon in front of me.
*You... How long has it been since I was wounded... And by a human, no less.*
"That's what I've been telling you. Don't underestimate humans."
*After taking a hit, I realized. That girl, is she a descendant of the one who slew the Demon King? She wields a hateful sword...*
"What will you do about it? Retreat?"
*Don't make me laugh... A dragon retreating out of fear of a human is unacceptable!!*
With that, Leviathan opened his massive mouth and let out a roar.
A dragon's roar. It terrifies everything. It's a heart-shattering blow.
A weak-willed person would faint. In fact, the fleet around Leviathan is in an uproar.
This is bad. I wish they would withdraw quickly, but many ships are still in the combat zone.
*I will make you pay for wounding my body!*
"You're being arbitrary, attacking first. That's just like a dragon."
As I responded, I slowly ascended to gain more time.
"Female hero, listen up."
"What is it...?"
"Why are you keeping your distance?"
"You might suddenly push me into the sea, right...!"
Like a wary cat, Elna kept her distance, trembling.
I wish she wouldn't react like a cat that hates baths at such a crucial moment.
Honestly.
"I won't do that. I don't have the confidence to face both a sea dragon and a hero at the same time."
"Is that so!?"
While saying this, Elna didn't let her guard down against Leviathan.
Leviathan opened his mouth and released another water breath.
Using defensive magic to slow it down, we moved away from the area.
Leviathan's breath rose to the sky, tearing through the clouds. A direct hit would be devastating.
If something like that hit the city, it would be the end.
"Do you have a plan!?"
"Can you cut him again?"
"It's impossible. He's on guard now, so the same trick won't work. If we weren't in the sea, there would be many options, but..."
Elna looked at the sea with determination but soon dropped her shoulders, looking discouraged.
Meanwhile, Leviathan continued to release large water projectiles. I neutralized them all while proposing an idea to Elna.
"So, you can do something if we're not in the sea?"
"What do you have in mind?"
"Part the sea."
"Huh!?"
Elna shouted in disbelief, but unfortunately, I'm serious.
I considered sealing the sea in a barrier and flying it into the sky, but that would be troublesome if the dragon escaped.
After all, it's a dragon. Even with injured wings, it can probably still fly.
"I'll isolate a part of the sea with a barrier. Then you can fight without any problems, right?"
"Are you saying you'll create an empty box in the middle of the sea?"
"Exactly."
"What happens when the barrier is released?"
"You'll be underwater."
Elna's face contorted in fear when I explained this.
She must have imagined it.
"No way! You might release the barrier after I defeat him!"
"I won't make an enemy of the empire. Besides, as an imperial knight, you should know better than to be so stubborn."
"Ugh... That's... true..."
"I lack the decisive move. My magic will be interrupted, and the longer it takes, the more damage will be done. I think this is for the best for both of us."
"...You want me to trust you?"
"Yes. Trust me."
"How can I trust someone who won't even show their face..."
Elna glared at me resentfully.
Stop it. It's not my fault.
I don't want to send a water-phobic woman into the sea, but this is the simplest solution.
After a moment of silence, Elna muttered something.
"Tell me. Who told you about my water phobia?"
"...I was told not to say."
"Just tell me!"
"Ah... Prince Arnold. We exchanged information while in Rondine. That's when I heard about it."
"Arnold? You? Let me tell you, Arnold doesn't trust people easily. He doesn't give important information to people he doesn't trust. If you're lying, I won't forgive you."
That's harsh.
But she's right.
"I'm not lying. How can I make you believe me?"
"...What did Arnold say when he told you about my weakness?"
I was silent for a moment.
If I were Arnold, what would I say when telling someone about Elna's weakness?
What reason would I have to reveal it?
When I thought about it, the words came easily.
"He said, 'She's a handful, but take care of her.' He was worried about your water phobia in his own way."
"!?"
Elna's face turned red for a moment, then she looked down.
Then she said,
"He's so worried... Honestly... That fool Arnold..."
After muttering a few more words, Elna sighed and slowly descended.
"Does this mean you agree?"
"Yes, but I'm not trusting you. I'm trusting Arnold, who trusts you. If Arnold thought it was okay to tell you my weakness... well, it's fine. It's a bit annoying, but I'll forgive Arnold."
With that, Elna descended to Leviathan's side.
Even though Leviathan is huge, being near his head still puts her far from the sea. But for Elna, it must feel like she's entering a death zone.
Let's get started.
I formed a square barrier centered around Leviathan and Elna, then expanded it.
The sea was pushed out, creating a gap, and the ships nearby were pushed away from the area.
The barrier reached the bottom of the sea, revealing the land.
*Hmph! Creating a barrier for a one-on-one fight, you're quite bold. Do you have that much confidence, girl?*
"I don't have any confidence... I can say for sure that this is the worst place I've ever been to..."
I can understand why Elna would say that.
After all, even though the barrier prevents water from entering, she's surrounded by walls of water.
For Elna, it must feel like hell.
But even so, Elna raised her holy sword in a high guard position.
"But even so... I will fight! I can't let my childhood friend worry any more!"
With that, Elna filled her holy sword with magic.
The holy sword transformed the magic into a glowing holy aura, becoming increasingly radiant.
*What!?!*
"O Holy Sword of the Stars... Release your power... To destroy my enemy!!"
The light gathered in the blade of the holy sword.
The overwhelming amount of light concentrated on the blade, almost like the sun.
Holding the sword, Elna charged straight ahead.
*Don't underestimate me!!*
Leviathan countered with a water breath.
The water breath, capable of cutting through anything, approached Elna, but she blocked it with her holy sword and continued her advance.
*What!?!*
"Haahhhhhh!!"
The holy sword cut through Leviathan's water breath.
Elna accelerated.
"Light Heaven Concentrated Slash!!"
Elna's decisive blow split the fifty-meter-long Leviathan in one strike.
But that wasn't all.
It also easily cut through the barrier I had set up.
"Damn!"
I descended into the barrier as water started to flow in, picked up Elna, and evacuated to the sky.
"Hey! Let me go!"
"You were panicking in front of water. How can you say that? You should say thank you."
"Rescuing me from that situation was your job! Don't act like you did me a favor! Besides, your barrier was too weak!"
How many people in this continent would call my barrier weak? This is the first time I've heard it.
I almost responded in my usual tone but managed to hold back.
Besides, it's not over yet.
"Sorry about the weakness. It's your fault for breaking the barrier."
I sealed the hole in the barrier, lifted it out of the sea, and opened a small hole to drain the water.
Elna looked at me curiously.
"What are you doing?"
"The dragon's body is valuable. It's an S-rank dragon. The money from it will be enough to rebuild the city."
"Oh? I thought you would claim it since you defeated it, but you're not?"
"Normally, it would belong to the one who defeated it, but this time it's special. The country that suffered the damage should use it."
"Hmm... I see. You think about these things, don't you?"
"I'm not like some female hero who just swings a sword."
"What!?"
Elna's shoulders shook with anger.
Despite this, I gently placed Leviathan's body in the destroyed port.
I'll let Elna explain my intentions later.
Well, it's time for me to leave.
"Then I'll take my leave."
"Wait! What kind of relationship do you have with Arnold!?"
"What kind of relationship... We are co-conspirators. We share the same plot and put it into action. For the rest, you'll have to ask him. Whether he answers is up to you."
With that, I teleported to the Albatross Principality's castle.
I thought I couldn't leave Trau behind...
"Eva... Could you... Could you be my model next time? And, if possible, call me 'Brother' to help my creative process...!"
"Uh... Well..."
Alright, I'll leave him behind.
I quickly returned to Rondine's room.
I changed clothes, cast an illusion on them, and stored them in my bag.
After eliminating all traces of being Silver, I lay down on the bed.
"Ah... I'm so tired..."
I muttered as I fell asleep.
I felt like I was forgetting something important, but I had no energy or willpower left to think about it.
Phew, it's over. This second part is finally coming to an end.
Many things have been resolved, and now it's just a matter of going home.