Micchi Versus the New World - Chapter 125

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Chapter 125

Chieftain Breila and the Semaris clan had their own shit to get together before moving onto fighting the demons. It was time to take the war to Chika. I hoped she was watching from somewhere, because we were coming.

"I still don't trust her," Yui said from the bed.

"That makes two of us. Well… It's not like we got much of a choice." I walked to the window and threw open the curtains.

The airship we were on finally came out of the clouds. We could see again. Almost two dozen other airships emerged right after like a squadron of fighter jets. The metal frame and wooden hull groaned as we cut through the skies, soaring over the Jeweled Lake to reach Kajar. Traveling by air bought us good time. Helluva lot faster than traveling by foot.

"We're almost there." I gave Yui a light kick on her leg. "Time to get up— hm?"

Something flew past the window. A swarm of armed harpy beastlings had taken to the skies in massive numbers.

"Ehh… I don't wanna get up yet… Can you pick me up when we land?" Yui asked, reaching for the bucket she had been barfing into.

I ignored her and headed to the upper deck. Strong winds blew my hair into a mess. My jacket fluttered so hard that if I turned the wrong way, it might get blown off me.

All the deckhands who were supposed to be working had their hands in the air.

"Why's everyone standing around with their heads up their asses?" I asked.

One of them pointed off the side of the deck. A harpy, who was wearing the blue and white of the UKD alliance, flew up to eye-level with me and panicked.

"C-Commander Micchi? We thought you were enemies! I had no idea you were on this ship!" he exclaimed.

"You're all in the fucking way. Get outta here and tell Kain we're landing at Kajar's port with a surprise waiting for him," I said.

"Yes, Commander!" The lead harpy broke hard right, signaling to the rest of his forces to down with him.

As soon as they were gone, the deckhands went right back to work. Our airships descended into the port of Kajar, where sailors and dock workers freaked out by the sight of flying ships. A couple even snatched some spots from other ships pulling in.

Mounted soldiers rode into the wharf. Prince Kain and the newly-minted Sultana, Loraine, were among them.

"By the gods, Lady Micchi… What are these… flying ships? We saw your contraptions coming in from miles away and thought it was an enemy invasion!" Kain sighed, dismounting from his horse to clasp my hand.

"I'm so glad you're home safe!" Loraine threw her arms around me. "Kawa's been worried sick. She keeps tearing up the pillows in the palace and running up and down the corridors, scaring the servants."

Everyone suddenly went into a defensive stance, eyes transfixed on something behind me. The defeated queen of Mou'nan hopped off the airship and landed gingerly next to us.

"Wow. Good thing I'm used to a cold reception." Ririko smirked.

"I got a lot to unpack. Be better if we take this to the palace," I suggested.

Loraine had called for Amarinth's court to meet at the palace throne room. Yui and I gave them a quick short of what happened. By the end, the council was pointing fingers and yelling over each other. Mostly directed to Ririko.

"That woman sided with the demons. We should have her imprisoned!"

"What is she even doing here? Execute her!"

Ririko shrugged her chains. The two twitchy palace guards who flanked her flinched from even the slightest movement.

"Awww! Everyone is so pissy. Maybe I should out some of you monkeys who gladly sided with Sultan Yusef when we plotted the war?" Ririko asked.

The raucous grew even louder. It was like they were trying to drown out Ririko's attempt to throw out names.

"Alright, shut up. If I knew it was gonna get this loud, I wouldn't have asked Loraine to bring you. We got more important things to worry about," I said, taking a seat at the foot of the throne steps to play with Kawa.

Kain nodded. "I agree. Although losing Anya is a hard-dealt blow, we can at least concentrate our efforts on Sathorayne without worrying about an attack from Grishant. The airships, as you call it, are quite the feat of engineering. If Queen Ririko is truly on our side, I see no reason not to use them."

"Oh, Prince Kain~ I would never do anything to jeopardize your life. You know that, right?" Ririko asked, fluttering her eyelids.

"It's… hard to believe that after you attacked my Cynderace…" He shuddered.

"Then it is decided." Loraine rose from the throne to address everyone. "As Sultana of Amarinth and member of the United Kingdoms of Dysentia, I motion to begin our campaign against the demons."

Kain stepped forward. So did Drox, who had come with us to represent his chieftain and clan. Even Ririko begrudgingly joined the motion.

"This is preposterous!" an Amarinth councilmember protested.

"Agreed." Another joined him. "We simply do not have the sources for another war. More importantly, why should we have to fight with her?"

A group of irate councilors stormed up to Ririko with insults. I patted Kawa, ushering her to get up. The elemental wolf's mane ignited with fire. She snarled at the councilors, scaring them back to their places.

"There's something you dipshits just don't get. I beat Ririko. When I say she's on our side now, I mean it. Punks like us have a code, something you scheming fucks could take a lesson from." I sneered.

"My fellow countrymen," Jouann began with a booming voice, "we should throw our full support behind them. The demons have been a menace for far too long. Isn't this the chance we have been looking for all this time? A strong, united force to stand against them? I choose to believe. If not for these foreigners, then for our Amarinth."

Few by few the councilors backed down. They fell back in line. Jouann gave me a nod before returning to his people. Something about him stank. As long as he was on our side though, there shouldn't be any problems.

"You're so cute when you defend me, Micchi." Ririko grinned.

"Shut up. Unless you got something more to offer, I don't want to hear shit from you," I said.

"May I borrow you two for a minute?" Kain asked me and Loraine.

While the guards escorted Ririko away, the three of us spoke behind the throne seat.

"Having those airships changes things. A lot. We can move soldiers and resources faster across greater distances. Unfortunately, Queen Ririko is the only one who knows how to operate them," he said.

"Through magic," Loraine added. "Maybe Mildred can figure out how?"

"It's ice magic, you dolts."

We turned around to find Ririko, tearing the shackles off her wrists. Both of her guards were frozen in a block of ice from the waist down.

"Ice magic powers the giant crystals and raises it to the sky. You let the winds do their thing like on regular sailing ships afterwards. I wasn't keeping it a secret. I just didn't trust Micchi, the barbarian, to power my precious airships," Ririko explained.

"Honestly? An appropriate response," Kain said.

"Hey, fuck you." I raised a fist at him.

Over the next few days, we put everyone to work. The airships most of all. They flew soldiers and food in from Mou'nan, Kazaar, and Scoth. War was hard. There was way too much for my puny brain to keep track of.

"Careful with that! These crates are worth more than your life!" Frey shouted while guiding an airship's cargo.

The airship hovered over the busy port, lowering crates of armaments and food by rope to the dockhands. Frey was busy with whatever paperwork was in her hands to notice. One of the ropes was frayed and coming apart.

I raced ahead and pushed Frey out of the way. The crate crashed and spilled squashed fruit all over the ground.

"Watch it, dumbfucks!" I yelled at the deckhands peeking over the edge of the airship.

"We can't work under all this pressure!" one of them complained.

"The only pressure you're about to feel is the sea if you drop another cargo! Don't make me come up there!"

The workers hurried back to work, pulling the snapped rope back to the airship.

"That's the twentieth load we've lost, but incoming shipments are up twenty folds. This is so much more stressful than managing guild funds and quest logistics. There's just so much to keep track of!" Frey whined, lying flat in the mess and flailing her arms in distress.

"You and Oaks are the only ones we can trust to keep the numbers right." I extended a hand to help her up.

Strong winds kicked up as another airship flew in.

"Anego, Frey! I'm back! Did ya miss me?" Yui jumped off her airship right for us.

Frey stepped aside as Yui fell on top of me.

"Did you bring 'em?" I asked.

"Got one more trip to get the rest, so I'll catch up to you after, but I brought the one ya needed!" Yui pointed to the airship she arrived in.

Almost a hundred guild members from the Cynderace Branch waved to us from the deck.

"Goodness… I did not miss this sweltering heat." Mildred flew down from the airship on a witch's broom while fanning herself with her hat. "Where is my beloved Kain? I would like to see my betrothed again before anything else."

"Sorry to disappoint you, but Kain's making a trip to Grishant to pick up Ririko's flagship," I said.

"You lied to me, you brute! I was promised Kain would be here when I arrived! Ugh. Fine. Why have you brought me here? It better be good.".

I gestured for them to follow me to the other end of the port. My airship was the one moored at the very end. The banner with the kanji of 'unbreakable' and 'spirit' had been refitted to be used as a sail.

"We got first dibs to hit Sathorayne first, and I want you there with me to hit it hard. My crew's been handpicked by yours truly. Our first stop is Taiq'ae to pick up Kaoru," I explained.

Pino was on deck, directing soldiers and workers where they needed to be. Thelesia, Hurai, and Naka gave a hand where they could be useful on deck. Oaks managed the cargo going into the ship. Ethel and Roma threw open the windows of the captain's quarter. Ririko lounged at the crow's nest and waved with antagonizing intent at Mildred.

"Quite the party… that I do not wish to be a part of." Mildred rolled her eyes. "But fine. Only if I see that curly-haired, blonde bitch as little as possible on this trip."

I cleared my throat quietly.

Loraine rode into the port on Kawa's back. The palace guards, her personal escorts, struggled to keep up.

"What's the matter? I thought you were waiting on the flagship?" I asked.

"I love Kawa to death, but this time she goes with you. If you're fighting demons, then I want her by your side as much as possible," Loraine said, dismounting from Kawa and urging her to me.

The elemental wolf rubbed her head against my legs and panted happily.

"Not negotiable?" I chuckled.

"Of course not. I'll be fine. But I wish I could join you like old times," Loraine sighed and cast a sidelong glance at the soldiers behind her.

"Master~ Don't leave me behind! I'm coming with you, too!" Lilim flew in with hearts in her eyes.

I swallowed hard as Loraine's glare burned into me.

"Master? Is this succubus calling you her master?" Loraine asked, eyeing Lilim with a wrathful gaze.

"Eeep! Why is everyone you're associated with so terrifying?" Lilim shrunk and grew meek.

"Uh… I just hit her in the head too hard and she acts like this. I swear you're the only woman I look at!" I tried explaining.

The tension became thick and awkward in a split second.

"Then I hope you keep the succubus on a tight leash to remind her of her place." Loraine beckoned for one of her soldier's horses, mounted it, and rode off to their dismay.

"Loraine, wait! Fuck…" I put a hand to my face and sighed.

"You poor lovestruck brute." Mildred laughed aloud as she boarded the airship. "It looks like this will be a lot more interesting than I expected. Let us begin our journey, shall we?"