Our response to the large Sea Serpent that came from the sea was fast.
Maria borrowed power from her Fire Magic Spear to lob ten-odd boosted Fire Lances towards the Sea Serpent. Connecting to this, Akane and I shot Fire Lances at the same place.
As the large blazing white spears of fire pierced into the Sea Serpent, a thundering roar occurred alongside a steam explosion caused by the Fire Lances.
『ＧＹＡＡＡＡＡＡＡーーーー！！』
The Sea Serpent screeched, its gigantic body rising to the surface from the blast.
Titan’s large, black, lustrous body came flying out of the Subspace.
Doshu!!
Titan’s fists shot out in high speed, its chains entwining itself around the Sea Serpent. The Magic Jet Propeller on his back roared as he pulled the Sea Serpent out of the water.
Kaede’s threads twined around the landed Sea Serpent.
「Master, I want stakes!」
「Gotcha!」
At Kaede’s request, I hammered stakes around the landed Sea Serpent using Earth magic. Kaede sewed the Sea Serpent onto the stakes with her threads.
Seeing the Sea Serpent tied down onto the earth, just like the protagonist of Gulliver’s Travels, Fluna and the Mermaids were astonished.
Well of course they would be. To the mermaids, coming across a Sea Serpent equals everyone’s deaths, after all.
Something I later heard from Fluna-san was that adult mermaids are capable of running away from the Sea Serpent. However, for Fluna-san’s group who had taken along the children, someone would likely fall prey to the monster.
Fished out from water, the pitiful Sea Serpent was bound to the land without being able to do anything and could only twitch the tip of its tail.
「Now then, how about we have Lala and the kids throw stones at it?」
「Will we raise their levels?」
「Yeah, this is the perfect opponent. Fluna-san and the mermaids will attack next. It would also be a bonus if they raised their level for the long carriage travel ahead.」
It looks like Sophia understood what I wanted to do by not finishing off the Sea Serpent. If Wappa, Colette, and Miri’s levels increase, their work at the Sanctuary would be easier.
「Ooi! Come here everyone!」
I called out for the kids to come over.
In front of the gigantic Sea Serpent, Lala and the kids were scared as they clung to my back. Even so, as their curiosity was irrepressible, their heads sneaking a peek every so often was adorable to watch.
「Takumi-shama, it’s a big snake nya.」
「Scary face nya.」
「What will you do, Takumi-oniichan?」
Although Lala, Sara, and Shirona were all hiding behind me, they couldn’t stop looking at the scary thing. Wappa and the older kids cautiously approached.
「What are we doing, Takumi-oniichan?」
「Everyone, try throwing stones,」
「Throw stones?」
「Is doing that safe?」
Wappa, Colette, and Miri picked up stones.
「Nya!」
「Ei!」
「Einya!」
The stones the kids threw hit the Sea Serpent, but its tough scales obstructed them and were ineffective. ……………Well, of course it wouldn’t.
The little sister trio copied their elder siblings and were having fun throwing stones, but I took out my ice spear, Ice Bringer, once more and called Lala.
「Lala, come here.」
「Nya, it’s nyat scary?」
I waited beside the Sea Serpent and Lala approached while still being vigilant. I made Lala hold the spear, then I supported her hands and prompted her to stab the Sea Serpent.
「Ei!」
As expected of the ice magic spear, Ice Bringer. Although it could be said that I was supporting her hand, it went through quickly.
「Now then, Sara come here next.」
「Sara is nyext!」
Supporting her hand, I poured magic power into the ice magic spear, and when Sara stabbed it, the place it was stabbed in started to freeze.
「Next is Shirona!」
Taking Sara’s place, Shirona then stabbed the Sea Serpent with the spear in her hand.
Next were the elder siblings, and afterwards were Fluna-san and the mermaids. By the time they finished, half of the Sea Serpent’s large body was covered in ice.
「I’ll leave the finishing blows to Akane and Lulu-chan.」
「Leave it to me.」
「Y-yes, understood nya.」
I handed over the Ice Bringer to Akane, and Lulu-chan took the gale spear, Tempest, from Sophia, then matching their timing, the pair loaded the spears with magic power and stabbed the monster.
『ＧＹＡＡＡＡＡＡＡ！！』
Raising its death throes, the Sea Serpent died.
「「……… funya.」」
「Hya.」
The kids became dizzy and seemingly intoxicated when their levels suddenly rose. It was a phenomenon where a body is unable to keep up with the sudden increase in status. They’d recover if they rest for a bit.
When I looked around, apart from our party members, everyone was slumped on the floor.
「Okay, let’s dismantle the Sea Serpent.」
「That Sea Serpent, could it be delicious, Master?」
「Lulu will also help nya.」
「If it’s dismantling then I can do it.」
Kaede and Lulu-chan immediately said they’d help me with the Sea Serpent dismantling, so Kaede began collecting the threads and Lulu started peeling the scales. Though she’s not good at cooking, Sophia can help with the dismantling, so she began processing the large body.
「It’s exactly noon, so how about we do a barbeque?」
「Then I will make preparations.」
「Ah, I’ll help out too, so Takumi-sama, please take out the portable grill[1].」
Having obtained ingredients and saying that we should have lunch, Maria and Marnie began preparing for a barbeque.
Cutting up the Sea Serpent meat, I placed it on the BBQ grill we use for camping.
Although the seasonings were only salt and pepper, the Sea Serpent is still a species of dragons, so it was still exquisite even with just those.
「Hagu, hagu」
「……………………」
「Good~ So good!」
Lala and Wappa sank their teeth into the meat in a daze. Having been able to eat proper meals since coming to the Sanctuary, Wappa and the kids who had been underweight now had figures of plump children. Even so, Dragon type meat was still a first for the mouths of the Cat Sith and Catkin.
「It is not like the Earth Dragon, is it?」
「Yes, the fat is quite light.」
Sophia said that the Elves would prefer Sea Serpent more, so we decided to bring the meat back as a souvenir for Princess Mimir. In any case, we can’t eat all of it so we’ll store the rest in the item box.
Fluna-san and the mermaids ate the meat of the monster that always targeted them with great joy. They munched on the grilled meat with such vigor, it was as if they haven’t eaten for some time.
When we return to the Sanctuary, it would be a good idea to have another barbeque with Undine and the others.
***
Footnotes:1. It says gas burner / portable cooking stove, but for this scene, let’s go with grill.