The Hero’s Mentor is a Demon (King) Witch

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Tentacles of the gigantic Kraken.

“It may look like it, but it’s actually an illusion using mana.”

Tentacles slithered upward from all directions like plants on the sea.

The sudden appearance of the tentacles sent the pirate ship into a frenzy of shock and terror, and the same went for the Bride Ship’s command room.

“Ugh.”

Rosmas shuddered as she recalled her battle with Leviathan.

It seemed that the battlefield, filled with flesh and chaos, was a fierce fight she never wanted to experience again.

But what if the enemy had to go through it instead of us?

[Krakken?! What the hell, how is that even possible?!]
[Help!! I don’t want to die!!]
[Calm down! And you still dare to—Cough!!]

“Yap.”

The tentacles lightly shook the area around the pirate ship.

A powerful wave crashed down, nearly flipping the ship over.

“This is the Kraken.”

“…Is this really possible?”
“How can this be happening?”
“It’s the power of the staff created by the Water Spirit.”

I sat in the captain’s seat, sticking the end of the staff into the hole in front and freely manipulated the mana extending from the Kraken.

“As long as you have enough mana and the ability to use it, you can turn the impossible into the possible.”

My mana control.

The staff given by Celcius.

And the nature of the sea.

“Then here’s a question. Are the legs of that Kraken real?”

“It must be fake, right? The Witch said it’s an illusion.”
“Correct. So how do you explain the physical force attacking the surroundings?”

“Um….”

The party fell silent.

This was definitely a challenging question for them.

Since their perception was ingrained with the idea that “the Kraken is dead,” it was hard to believe that the legs of a dead Kraken could be used as if they were alive.

“Ah, I see!”

Rosmas raised her hand.

“Isn’t it summoning magic to summon the Kraken’s legs?”
“Wrong! But since you shared your opinion, I’ll give you 2 Bel points. What about others?”
“Is it a weapon inside the Bride Ship?”
“No. I’m using magic right now. The answer is….”

Swish.

I lightly waved my finger towards the air.

My finger stretched out like the legs of the Kraken and wiggled, startling the party as they stepped back.

“It’s illusion magic. Hehe.”

I stuck out my tongue.

In reality, it didn’t extend much, but through illusion magic, I demonstrated it as if it elongated like a snake.

“By overlaying an illusion over the mana that has taken on substance through ether, it can be quite useful as long as the enemy doesn’t notice.”

How did I come to create such magic?

I used it a few times as a method to sabotage the party while active in the Hero Party.

Inside the dungeon.

The Hero and Sorceress, holding hands, headed toward a secluded place, but that place was actually a path leading to another room.

Crunch.

The party lost both the Hero and Sorceress there.

The only survivors were a single porter and a female adversary who had been somewhat friendly to the porter.

Whether the porter saved the female adversary or she could survive on her own was something only the porter knew.

Anyway.

“In reality, it’s a whip made of mana, but it looks like the Kraken’s leg thanks to illusion magic. Given that its physical force is just as real, wouldn’t one naturally mistake it for a Kraken?”
“Um…. I guess they would have no choice but to think it’s a Kraken?”
“Exactly. Just like that.”

The Kraken’s leg, or rather, the mana whip, hit the ship mercilessly.

A woman with golden beard, holding a uniquely shaped staff, stepped forward as if to counterattack from the pirate ship, but the ship rocked violently every time the shield was struck.

“What is that woman?”

Golden beard.

No matter how you look at it, it’s a fake beard.

Without the beard, she would be stunning enough that it wouldn’t be strange to think of her as a member of our party, yet she seemed to have intentionally attached it for her role as captain.

The problem was the stick she was holding.

“…What is that?”
“It’s an Anari Stick. A legendary weapon that has been passed down since the Anari Principality was a kingdom.”
“Does a legendary weapon really need such a strange shape?”

A long shape.

And at the end, it had two large magic stones.

“That design is so obscenely inappropriate, you can’t even begin to describe it, can you?”
“That’s exactly what they said—it’s obscene. …The people of the kingdom.”
“No, it’s obvious to anyone looking.”

How could one wield a weapon that’s the embodiment of obscenity and not raise an eyebrow?

“What does the Order of the Crescent Moon Goddess think about such a weapon?”
“Since that weapon is said to only be usable by the royal bloodline, I think the kingdom fell to the empire and became a principality because of it.”
“…Is that so.”

It’s a bit bittersweet.

It makes sense since the aura emanating from that stick felt oddly familiar.

“Well, if it’s designed for insult, there’s no clearer form than that.”
“Insult…you say?”
“Oh, Master. I think I know what it is.”

Lucius raised his hand high.

“Is it possible that, like the Holy Wind Sword, it’s cursed? It was made to appear that way by covering it with something. There might be a legendary sword inside.”
“Surely not….”
“20 Bel points.”

I snapped my fingers at Lucius.

“That’s a precise guess. That obscene appearance is a seal. It’s meant to hide something inside.”
“Is it the Holy Sword?”
“It’s not a Holy Sword.”

Only a Great Sorcerer like me could seal a Holy Sword.

And even I would have to risk my life to do it, so sealing a Holy Sword ‘magically’ is out of the question.

At best, you just stab it deep into a temple-like place, then install all sorts of barriers and traps to keep people out.

But any sword other than a Holy Sword can be sealed magically.

Just like that.

“Why does a weapon from the fallen royal family end up in the hands of pirates? Yan, do you know anything about the principality? I don’t know the current situation in the principality well.”
“The kingdom became a principality only ten years ago. Before that, it had a similar status, but it hadn’t officially become a principality for long.”
“Hmm…. So did they steal the royal treasures when the principality fell? I mean, that shape itself must qualify as treasure, right?”
“…Yes.”

Even the saintess of the Order of the Crescent Moon Goddess shies away from that obscene sealed form.

I’m curious.

If that sealed thing really is ‘that,’ we must obtain it.

“First, we have to catch that captain. Whether it’s stolen goods or has some backstory, we need to grab them and find out.”

A sense of instinct kicked in.

It’s hard work trying to fend off the Kraken’s tentacles, and the movements of the nearby pirates seem unusually systematic for pirates.

“…We don’t necessarily need to take that ship, right? Let’s just take the people.”

Whatever it is, we’d find out the truth once we caught them.

“Excuse me, Sage. Is there really a reason we must catch people?”
“Right. If you’re worried about the Anari Stick, how about just grabbing the stick?”
“If we mention that the Kraken has appeared, they wouldn’t believe it just because it’s from a pirate.”
“So let’s leave the people and just grab the stick?”

“””Yes.”””

I can see through it.

The golden-bearded woman on the bridge, being a beauty who matches up to them, is already showing signs of worrying if I will accept her as an ally.

“Um… Lucius, what do you think?”
“Is it that weapon that interests you, Master?”
“For now, yes. But if that’s really what I think it is, then it’s necessary to figure out how such a weapon ended up in the hands of those pirates.”
“Understood. Let’s do it this way.”

Lucius drew his Holy Sword.

“I’ll knock out everyone on that ship. Then, once we tie up the pirate ship so it can’t escape, you can check that Anari Stick. And for interrogating them… Droniel, will you handle it?”
“Me? Of course. Getting them to spill information is something I can handle easily.”
“Wow.”

Lucius started to speak like a leader of the party.

‘It feels like he’s really stepping into the role of the Hero Party leader now.’

While fulfilling my objective, I also reduce the worries of the party by letting Droniel take action regarding their concerns.

One of the roles of a Hero is appropriate role distribution among party members.

“Yan. Does the Order of the Crescent Moon Goddess have a shrine in the Anari Principality?”
“Not here. This area… if you have to say it, has strong influence from the Empire.”
“Great. Rosmas, I’ll ask for Yan’s disguise. While I suppress the pirate ship, you two check if there’s anyone captured inside.”
“Got it.”

While I’m struggling, I distribute a task that doesn’t burden the party but makes them feel like they’ve done their part.

Let them handle it.

‘He’s doing well!’

As expected of the Hero I raised.

He’s handling it so well without me needing to say anything.

“I’ll wait in the command room. Oh, and before you go up, wear that.”
“That…?”
“Yeah. Even if I’m attacking the pirates, I can’t have you going out in just your bare skin. Change your clothes in the changing room before you head out.”

If a knight has armor, the crew of the Bride Ship has combat outfits.

“This combat armor was made personally by Celcius. It’s full of Belselphia’s tastes and… it’s quite different from what you wore before.”

I haven’t worn it yet, but I’m sure it’ll feel different once I do.

It covers the whole body, but it’s the kind of outfit that can definitely stimulate men’s hearts.

“Well then, off you go. I’ll be waiting.”

Deep Sea Ranger.

Wearing a suit made of latex.

“Don’t forget to put on your helmet.”