Rix wanted to turn around and ask her what she meant.
BOOM!
But suddenly, the monster before him was enveloped in a raging conflagration that swirled as it burned the creature.
The monster, which had been trying to sink the ship by tangling it in its tentacles, was now flailing violently against the water’s surface.
Mysteriously, even when it submerged its burning body in the water, the flames showed no signs of being extinguished.
In its attempt to put out the inextinguishable flames, the monster had begun to rampage and stopped paying attention to the boat.
What is that?! Rix thought, squinting suspiciously as he was buffeted by heat and hot wind.
“Hmph, how unfortunate… You beat me to the first strike.”
Before he knew it, a new girl was standing right next to him.
She had long red hair like burning flames and a determined look in her deep crimson eyes.
She had sleek, supple limbs and a tight, lean body, with a kind of raw physical beauty like a ferocious animal stalking its prey.
“And here I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to make my military prowess known to the world in all its splendor,” she said.
Huh. This girl seems pretty capable, Rix thought the moment he saw her flawless stance.
It was an undeniably beautiful sight.
There was something wild about her, but not in a savage way. Her beauty, which couldn’t hide its nobility, was overflowing with liveliness, vigor, and confidence.
She could be compared to a beautiful pedigreed cat. While the white-haired girl’s beauty was like an inorganic art piece, this red-haired girl’s beauty was overflowing with vitality.
Judging from the many ornaments attached to her person and the luxurious traveling dress she wore, this girl seemed to belong to some noble family.
And now she was standing next to Rix, lowering her magnificent rapier, which was bathed in sparks.
“I must say, I didn’t expect there to be any other brave soul with enough mettle to face the sea monster besides myself… I laud your efforts,” she remarked with a smirk. “Heh-heh… And as your reward, I will permit you to introduce yourself to me, boy.”
She then gracefully aimed the tip of her rapier at the sea monster.
“Nah, I’ll pass,” Rix replied simply.
“Th-this is the part where you’re supposed to humbly tell me your name, is it not?! You know, I’ve bestowed quite the honor upon you, boy! Like, it’s a big deal! Seriously!”
“Huh? Well, honor doesn’t pay the bills… Who are you anyway?”
“Hrmph… To think there are any who do not know my face…and that you would make me stoop to introducing myself first…! Very well, then! It is also the duty of the highborn to display the greatness of their caliber!” the girl announced. “Listen well, and may it be ingrained upon your very soul! My name is Serephina Aldran—the Princess of the Crimson Flame herself!”
The girl, Serephina, introduced herself with a smarmy grin.
“So who?” Rix asked bluntly.
“Whaaat?! You’ve never heard of me?!” Her eyes welled up with tears of despair. “Ugh…I was under the impression that I am relatively famous… I’ve never had to introduce myself to someone who didn’t know who I was…”
Just then:
“Y-you’re the Princess Serephina Aldran?!”
“No way! Seriously?!”
From behind them, Annie and Randy broke into hysterics.
Rix and Serephina turned around; apparently, Randy and Annie had come over to bring the white-haired girl away from the line of fire. They had linked arms with the girl, who still showed no signs of moving.
“Annie? Randy? You know of this Serephina Aldran person?!” Rix asked.
“Yeah, of course! How can you not?!” Randy cried.
“She’s the third princess of the Aldran Empire, the strongest military power in the world! She’s renowned for her involvement in everything from the military, politics, and foreign affairs at such a young age!”
“I had heard she would be entering Estoria Academy of Magic this year as a new student…!”
Annie and Randy explained, still in awe.
“Oh, that Aldran Empire? They don’t pay very well, so I’ve never been a big fan,” said Rix. “I mean, where do they get off being so cheap when they’re as rich as they are? Maybe people at the top are just stingy by nature. What do you think, Serephina?”
“I think I’d like to cut you down right about now.”
With the vein in her temple throbbing angrily, Serephina aimed her rapier at Rix’s neck.
Annie and Randy began to panic.
“Oh, forget it,” Serephina spat. “I’ll allow it! This isn’t the time for such bickering!”
Still fuming, she broke her gaze away from Rix and fixed it back on the sea monster. It seemed to have finally put out the flames.
However, only the surface of its body had been burned. The half-baked damage it had suffered only succeeded in enraging it more. And now the monster was glaring at the ship and wriggling its tentacles as if to say there was no way they’d be getting away this time.
At this rate, it was only a matter of time before the ship would be tangled once again in its tentacles and dragged down to the bottom of the sea.
“I decided I’m going to die in bed, surrounded by my grandchildren. I don’t want my body to be buried at the bottom of the ocean. We’ll just have to take that thing on,” said Rix. “Can I count on you to fight with me, Serephina?”
“Hrmph…” Serephina pouted her lips sullenly.
“Wh-what…?”
“Grr… I introduced myself, didn’t I? It’s simply a universal courtesy to answer an introduction with an introduction, regardless of your social standing. Is it not?”
“Oh, right, sorry! I’m Rix. Rix Frestat.”
“Rix, is it? Hmph… A fine name. I’ll remember it well.”
“Huh?! What’s so fine about it?! Pretty sure it’s just a plain old name, overused by commoners with no individuality. There must be something wrong with your taste in names.”
“I was just trying to pay you a courtesy! Goodness, talking with you is exhausting!” Serephina griped. “In any case, let us take down that thing together! I still have much to accomplish—I shan’t be dying here today!”
“Yeah, I feel the same. At the very least, I can’t die before I destroy all those dirty magazines I sent in my luggage to the academy dormitory!”
“Don’t lump me in with the likes of you! I have half a mind to cut you down for your disrespect!” she howled back at Rix, her face a deep red.
Rix was gazing at Serephina with a serious look like he had found a kindred soul.
“A-anyway… Rix, Princess, if you’re going to fight that thing, please be careful!” Randy urged.
“I’m praying for your safe return…!” Annie added.
The two of them retreated, forcibly bringing the still unresponsive white-haired girl along with them.
And so the odd couple of a fighting team was hastily formed, and the battle recommenced.
The Kraken—the scourge of the sea.
Since the dawn of time, with its overwhelming size and beastly strength, the mighty sea monster had struck terror and despair into the hearts of sailors who encountered it before dragging them to their watery graves.
But there was one thing the monster had been unable to predict this time…and that was that both Rix and Serephina were aboard the ship it had set its sights on.
“Hyaaaaaaaaaah!”
With a spirited battle cry, Serephina swung her rapier.
A coil of bright red flames welled forth from the blade, and a huge pillar of fire rose up with overwhelming force and heat.
The swirling flames became a firestorm that assaulted the sea monster, lapping the creature’s body as if it had a mind of its own.
“%#%&’%$#!”#$’?><#’$%#~!!”
The Kraken, unable to bear the attack, raised its huge tentacles and swung them down on Serephina.
But Serephina neither panicked nor faltered.
“Not on my watch!”
Once again, she gracefully swung her rapier.
Several fireballs emitted from the blade slammed against the tentacles as they closed in on her, causing massive explosions one after another.
The resulting flames knocked the tentacles back.
Serephina’s flame magic was completely overwhelming the sea monster.
“A-amazing… Princess Serephina really has already opened her Sphere…”
“And she isn’t even using incantations to cast her magic… She really knows what she’s doing!”
Annie and Randy watched Serephina from a distance, their eyes wide.
And they weren’t the only ones.
“That person is Serephina Aldran…?”
“Even though she’s a new student like us, she’s at a totally different level…”
“What strength…! What beauty…!”
“Sh-she’s awesome…!”
The other students on the deck were staring at Serephina in admiration.
“…”
That is, except the white-haired girl, who gazed disinterestedly at some other area of the sea.