Patricia woke up alone.

After a passionate night of hugging and cuddling with me, she at least expected to have morning coffee but I had other plans.

When the girl dressed up and left the captain’s cabin, the machinery was already up and running.

Thanks to Fairy’s mobile base, I didn’t require to spend a few days heating up the boilers and other parts of steam engine’s machinery. In a few hours the entire squadron was ready for action, even though we idled in the port for almost an entire week.

Now that the ships undocked and started maneuvering out of the port, everybody was waken up.

While the crew was dressing up and washing, I was drinking some morning coffee to keep me running during the day. Nocturnal feline nature, and stuff.

---

“Do you have a safe place for a campfire?” I was taken aback by a sudden question that came from behind.

When I turned around, I saw Yuri with another poor seagull victim.

“Why don’t you eat something normal…?”

“Sorry but I am not a fan of dried food.” The fox girl went somewhere, probably to gut the seagull.

[Our crew has taken another casualty.]

While I was mourning another loss, Veronica showed up.

“Good morning~! Have you slept well~?” I asked the girl. She mumbled something, and moved to the windows. To the furthermost point away from Yuri.

“Muaah~… Good morning, people~! Oh, it’s just Kuronami here…” Patricia walked in the bridge, still with a toothbrush in the mouth.

“Good to see you. How about you girls go somewhere and…”

“I’d rather not see her. Get lost, sister.” Patricia rumbled.

“You girls are just something.” I sighed, and prepared to order the squadron to regroup for the sailing.

The last to arrive was Yuriko.

“So, are we all ready for an adventure?” Everybody nodded.

“Great. Setting course for the Abyss!”

---

We had to sail all the way to the western edge of Benezian territories. After a week of travelling we were ready to face anything unexpected.

“So, what are we going to search for?” I asked Yuri.

“We are searching for the Demon king’s castle.” (Y)

“I wonder if it is alright for such an anachronism to be here.”

“It was supposed to be on par with everything around but thanks to some failures of this world…” She glanced at Yuriko.

“Stop it, will you? Better tell us what exactly we are searching for?”

“There should be an island here. As you might know, this area has a bit more than no islands at all. The one we are searching for is going to be protected by a lot of monsters, and will be covered by fog.” (Y)

“That is when I come in handy?”

“Your abilities may prove useful.” The fox girl confirmed.

“Then, how about we start working, people?”

---

When we approached the Abyss, I ordered the squadron to set up a search line. Aka, a line abreast with a huge interval between the ships.

We widened our sonar coverage, and visual detection range.

Fairy was dragging behind me, a mile away.

We decided to start searching from the north of the shipping routes, which were near the world’s equator.

It was a routine sailing back and forth from one part of the Abyss to the other. We were crossing it again, and again, and again…

“Day 20 of our travel… We are yet to encounter anything noteworthy…” I was lying on the navigation table, like a spread out blanket.

I set the course, and the ships were just sailing in a straight line for days. Hence my boredom.

I only livened up when I picked a radar contact.

It was a really huge contact.

“We have an emergency! Something flying is approaching, and it is huge!”

I tried looking through binoculars but the distance was too large.

“Whatever. Firing!”

BANG BANG

Whatever I was firing at, it didn’t try changing direction, or flying away.

I was scoring hits after hits, and soon something flew out of the clouds.

“Well, we will have a lot of fried fish tonight.” I looked at a huge body of flying fish on its way to the water surface. By the way, the radar contact did not disappear from its place in the sky.

“Those things shouldn’t pose a threat to us, right?”

“No, they shouldn’t.” Patricia gulped saliva.

“Will they heal if they are wounded?”

“From the wounds you inflict? Maybe. Yuriko, you have any idea?” (P)

“They have good regeneration abilities.” The woman confirmed that I don't need to kill them for mercy.

“Then, let’s go and pick it up!” I smiled, while I increased speed.

A minute later, the sonar went crazy, and suddenly something huge popped out of the water with the flying fish in its jaws.

‘RAAAAAAAAAA!!!’

And disappeared in the Abyss as quickly as it showed up…

“Congratulations. We are close to the destination.” I gave a wry smile to Yuri.

[Not only did I waste shells but I also let go of a large chunk of food!]