Episode 346: Day 14
Albert stood at the San Diego Naval Base, from which the nuclear submarine had departed.
He stood by the window of an office inside the facility, gazing outside. He couldn’t see the harbor from there, but he had received a report that the submarine had set sail safely.
Albert turned and looked at the well-worn desk.
An elderly man sat there. His immaculate military uniform had several gold stripes on the sleeves. The medals on his chest and the numerous badges caught the eye.
Sitting in the desk chair with a dignified air was Admiral Raymond Caughs, commander of the Pacific Fleet.
With a small sigh, he cast his eyes down to the voyage plan on the desk.
“Australia… quite a distance. I wonder if they’ll make it…”
Albert turned and approached the desk.
“They’ll be fine. They’re strong. I’m sure they’ll come back.”
“I hope so.”
Raymond, frowning, leaned forward slightly, saying, “However…”
“Even if they gain the power and return… it could become a threat surpassing the Yellow King. You understand, Albert. This Japanese man, Mitaka, is no longer within the realm of a Seeker. From what I hear in your report, it’s questionable whether he can even be called human.”
Albert faced Raymond, looking down at him.
“I understand. The government is concerned. This trip to Australia was decided by the President, but there seems to be a lot of skepticism within the administration.”
“That’s right. Even if we defeat the Yellow King, what if Mitaka turns his fangs against America afterward… or if the Japanese government uses Mitaka for military purposes? The world’s power balance would collapse.”
Raymond clasped his hands together with a serious expression, and Albert smiled faintly, shaking his head.
“There’s no point in thinking about that now. The Yellow King is increasing his power and expanding his range of activity. It’s only a matter of time before we’re destroyed. Is this the time to be worried about our allies?”
Raymond gave a wry smile, saying, “True.”
“However, rulers always prioritize their own self-preservation. They need some kind of reassurance.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“In the worst-case scenario, you’re the only one we can rely on.”
Albert looked at Raymond with a troubled expression.
“Even I can’t kill Yuma Mitaka.”
“There are more ways to deal with you than with Monsters… don’t you think?”
Shaking his head in exasperation, Albert threw up his hands in a gesture of surrender.
“I’m not confident, but I’ll do my best to meet your expectations. Although, I don’t think he’ll turn against us.”
In response to Albert’s words, Raymond replied curtly, “I hope so.”
◇◇◇
Three days after departing from California. Yuma’s treatment continued in the cramped cabin.
“Whew… let’s call it a day.”
Alicia, who had been sitting beside the bed and casting Recovery Magic, told Yuma with a slightly tired expression.
“Thank you… I’m feeling much better.”
Yuma, still unable to get out of bed, thanked her while lying down. Alicia shook her head, saying, “You’re welcome.”
“If I had more Magical Power, I could provide longer magical treatment… but this is my limit for now…”
“It’s enough. Thanks to you, I’ve been able to move my body little by little.”
Alicia smiled happily at Yuma’s words, saying, “I’m glad to hear that.” Akito, who had been watching the scene from the top bunk, opened his mouth.
“That’s right, sis. Once he can move, Yuma can use Recovery Magic himself. It’s a great achievement to get him that far.”
Yuma agreed, saying, “Well, yeah,” to Akito, who was laughing gleefully.
“Still, it’s surprising that Mitaka-san is the Messiah. I heard he was a very strong person, so I just assumed he was a Seeker…”
“No, that’s–“
Alicia seemed to be misunderstanding, so he tried to correct her, but she said, “Well, I’ll be going now,” and left the room.
Yuma saw Alicia off with an indescribable expression.
Seeing Yuma like that, Akito grinned and spoke to him.
“See, there’s no one else who can use both Recovery Magic and attack magic like you. It’s unbelievable to most people. You’re an anomaly, an anomaly!”
“Shut up. More importantly, where did Rui go?”
Akito lay down and picked at his ear with his little finger.
“I don’t know. He seems to be talking a lot with some bigwigs from the Navy. Maybe they’re arguing about the route? It would be a disaster if we encountered Monsters.”
“Is that so?”
Yuma averted his gaze and looked at the bottom of the upper bunk.
It would indeed be terrible to encounter Water Monsters in a submarine. They had no means of fighting, and if they were sunk, everyone would die.
It must be important to proceed along a route where there are no Monsters.
Yuma bit his lip, frustrated that he couldn’t do anything. If his body were in perfect condition, he might be able to fight underwater.
Right now, he was struggling to even move his arms.
If he could move a little more, he might be able to heal himself with Recovery Magic. With hope, Yuma closed his eyes and fell asleep.
◇◇◇
Twelve days after departure. They were finally approaching Australia.
Yuma had been spending gloomy days in the submarine, unable to make any noise, but there had been a good development.
Thanks to Alicia’s treatment, he was finally able to use Recovery Magic.
Yuma’s right hand glowed brightly, and he placed it on his chest. The particles of light gently enveloped Yuma’s body, gradually disappearing after about ten minutes.
“Amazing… to be able to cast such powerful Recovery Magic for such a long time.”
Alicia, who had been sitting beside the bed, widened her eyes in astonishment. Yuma, who had been sitting up and casting magic, laughed sheepishly.
“It’s all thanks to Alicia-san. Thank you so much. I’ll try to manage from here on my own.”
As he said, Yuma continued to cast Recovery Magic all day long, healing the wounds on his body. However, the wounds inflicted by the Yellow King were deeper than he had expected and did not heal easily.
Even so, he was able to stand the next day, much to the delight of Akito and Rui.
Maybe he could manage to recover by the time they conquered the Dungeon in Australia. On the morning of the fourteenth day, filled with such hope, the submarine was attacked by Water Monsters and lost contact.