The Pirate King's Daughter - Chapter 41

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 41
“Tatiana.”
Dilshad gripped my arm and surveyed our surroundings with caution.
Ahead of us rose a towering wall of vegetation—easily over four meters high, more than twice the stature of Dilshad, who himself stood at 180 centimeters.
Behind us, Living Armor stood in a neat row.
And on both sides.
At intervals, two other Participants stood paired together, just as we had been herded here.
“You will be competing in three games.”
A small Sphere, no larger than a tennis ball, hovered before each team’s entrance and spoke.
It possessed a single enormous eye and a mouth lined with sharp teeth—likely serving the function of a modern camera and speaker.
“I’ve always prided myself on my genius, but this madman really is ingenious.”
Dilshad muttered, staring at the Sphere.
Just as with his Gender Transformation Magic, this too was a spell that had never before existed in the world.
“Those who pass the final game will receive a most excellent reward: ‘Survival.'”
In other words, fail a game and you die.
“The first game is a Maze Escape! All you must do is navigate through the Maze before you—a remarkably simple game.”
“There are currently twenty Participants. For this round, sixteen will Survive. So we need only eliminate four, or rather, remove four from play, yes?”
It was possible to advance without escaping the Maze at all.
As long as you killed four people.
“Ah, but at least one person must escape the Maze for the game to end. After all, this is a Maze Escape. By the way, whoever escapes first will receive a special advantage for the second game.”
“Is there another doll-keeper as benevolent as this one?”
“Now then, please all take your positions at your respective entrances.”
Dilshad and I walked slowly into the Maze. The passage was wide enough for three people to pass comfortably.
“Everyone, begin!”
At the shout, the vegetation behind us surged and tangled, sealing the entrance shut.
“This won’t be a simple maze hunt. We don’t know what might jump out, so stay alert and keep close behind me.”
Dilshad’s entire body had gone rigid with tension.
Two days of rest had at least allowed him some mobility, but it was far from enough for his wounds to fully heal.
“Dilshad, it’s all right.”
I stepped forward and took his hand as he began to move, positioning myself beside him.
“You know I have that Mysterious Power. The force that deflected that Touring Group leader’s magic. So I’ll protect you.”
There were still two games left. Most likely, at least one would require direct combat against other Participants.
In other words, I was the tank, and Dilshad was the damage dealer.
But unaware of my reasoning, Dilshad’s cheeks flushed pink.
I grinned and looked at him. I desperately wanted to lighten the mood, any way I could.
“Was that line cool?”
Dilshad clenched his eyes shut and bit his lips.
“…Don’t get cocky. It wasn’t cool at all.”
I laughed softly and placed my right hand against the wall.
“It’s a bit old-fashioned, but let’s follow the wall for now.”
“All right.”
As we began walking, the Sphere drifted along, following us.
“N-nooooo!”
Not long after, a scream pierced through from beyond the vegetation wall, and the earth trembled with heavy thuds.
“A magical beast!”
Since all ten teams had entered in a line and started simultaneously, the sound came from quite a distance away.
“Tsk, I forgot to mention something. How did I manage to gather such people, only for them to die so quickly?”
“You all are participating in a Maze Escape. Using underhanded tactics like viewing the Maze from above the walls isn’t allowed. Barbarians who can’t even play honestly.”
“Here’s a tip: throughout the Maze there are good items hidden away. Find them and try to survive.”
Just as I’d managed to steady my nerves, the sound of the beast sent cold sweat trickling down my spine.
In that moment, I recalled the creature with a serpent’s body and a beast’s head.
‘It can’t be. The gap is too narrow for that serpent to pass through.’
At least the creatures we encountered would be relatively smaller.
“Let’s hurry and find those items.”
I quickened my pace somewhat urgently.
It was only natural—I’d lost everything, including the Artifact that Keyes had given me, leaving me with no means to defend myself.
The sun blazed overhead, but due to the height of the walls, the interior of the Maze lay in shadow as if submerged in darkness.
“Wait.”
A fork in the path.
We’d been following the right wall, preparing to take the right passage, when Dilshad stopped and tore his shirt.
“We need to mark the way we came.”
He tied the fabric to the base of the vegetation wall.
“Our youngest is clever, isn’t he?”
I spoke playfully, and Dilshad shot me a fresh glare.
“Don’t talk to me like that just because you’re two years older.”
We walked with light steps for a while until we reached a dead end. There lay a single long box.
“Something’s here!”
I rushed over and opened the lid—just as Dilshad cried out.
“Wait!”
But the contents had already tumbled out.
Inside lay a single long Longsword. Without hesitation, I handed it to Dilshad.
“It’s a Longsword. Here, you take it.”
“Sigh…”
Dilshad approached with his hand to his forehead and launched into a lecture.
“Why do you just touch things without thinking? Let me handle it. Please, step back.”
“Understood, understood. Just take it.”
I’d only heard that the Longsword was quite heavy, but holding it even for a moment left my arms already straining.
“Grrrrr―”
That was when a massive wolf emerged from behind us.
“Get back.”
Dilshad immediately turned and assumed a stance.
The wolf’s eyes were rolling back, and drool dripped from its maw.
Like a dog afflicted with rabies.
“Is it a magical beast?”
I hefted the Wooden Box that had held the Longsword like a shield.
If necessary, I’d throw it.
“Either way, it needs to die.”
As Dilshad launched forward, the wolf bared its fangs and leaped.
He spun his body mid-air, positioned himself above the wolf, and drove the Longsword straight down.
“Insane…”
I stood huddled in the corner, clutching the box against my chest, my mouth hanging open.
“Clang!”
As the wolf thrashed on the ground, Dilshad swung the Longsword and cleanly severed its life.
“The balance seems a bit off.”
The Sphere muttered to itself, but I approached Dilshad instead.
“Dilshad, you’re truly incredible. If you weren’t a mage, you’d have become an exceptional swordsman.”
“That’s not quite true.”
“Not true? You just killed a giant wolf with a single strike.”
“Now that you know that, stay back and keep quiet.”
Having confirmed Dilshad’s skill, my heart felt considerably lighter as I walked the dirt path once more.
And not long after, we discovered people.
“More people. We’re lucky.”
But I had no choice but to clutch the box to my chest as I had before.
Their aura was unmistakably malicious.
“A woman and someone with a blade, huh? This round’s a game made just for us.”
The team we faced consisted of three men—all with sinister expressions, tall frames, and muscular builds.
“It’s been so long since I’ve tasted a woman, I can barely remember. Listen, kid. Hand over the blade and the woman, and we’ll let you go. By the way, we just eliminated someone―” The man didn’t finish.
Dilshad had already felled him with a single swing of the Longsword.
Reality doesn’t wait for magical girl transformations or for villains to finish their speeches.
But.
“Dilshad!”
While Dilshad engaged one man, the other two rushed him.
“Kill him!”
“Ugh―!”
A stone struck his head, and blood began to flow as he stumbled.
“No!”
I ran forward and hurled the box at the man directly in front of me, but he easily blocked it with his arm and reached out with an enormous hand.
“Let go!”
In an instant, he snatched me and lifted me off the ground from behind.
I struck downward with my arms and kicked with all my strength, but the man merely chuckled at my thrashing.
“That tickles.”
“Tatiana!”
Dilshad’s forehead was split and bleeding freely, one eye unable to open properly, but he tried to rush forward.
“Hey there, kid.”
But the other man blocked his path.
He was unarmed, but gained courage now that I was captured.
I’d become a liability instead.
“Drop the blade. Our comrade is dead because of you.”
The man kicked his fallen companion on the ground. A groan escaped, but he was treated as good as dead.
“…I’ll hand over the blade if you release Tatiana.”
“The math doesn’t add up. You’ve already killed one of us. So I’ll just spare your life alone.”
Dilshad’s gaze—cold and piercing—fixed upon the man.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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