---

The crew and passengers of the ship, spotting the typical pirate flag, began to murmur with confusion and anxiety.

At a glance, the approaching ships seemed to number at least three. It was clear that if the crew and passengers tried to resist, they would be at a numerical disadvantage.

To make matters worse, escaping seemed impossible. The pirate ships, which had to follow and loot other ships before disappearing like ghosts, were inherently faster than the St. Maria, a regular passenger and cargo ship.

Amidst this judgment, something strange began to appear in the vision of Captain Benjamin Diego de Paula y Domenec of the St. Maria, whose mind was already tangled.

Pushing through the murmuring crowd were two figures with unusual appearances. Suddenly, it struck him that among the passengers were individuals from the Church Order.

“Could it be?”

A mix of hope and anxiety began to swirl in the captain’s chest.

+++++

“This is troublesome.”

Sophia sighed with a troubled expression as she read the signs of anxiety and confusion rapidly taking over the ship following the lookout’s report of pirates.

She had thought moving by ship would be a bit more comfortable for a while, but now pirates had appeared. She was starting to genuinely suspect if she was born under an unlucky star.

“Troublesome. Just when I’m busy watching Conra, this happens.”

Conra, deep in meditation, was in a state where Sophia couldn’t easily step away. At a young age, Conra had contracted with spirits and even a death spirit, burdening his body to the point of being crushed if his spiritual abilities fell short.

Fortunately, Conra’s innate talents were exceptional, and he managed the burden of the contract without immediate difficulty. However, prolonged strain could lead to unpredictable negative outcomes.

Among the cases Sophia had seen in her past lives, Conra’s situation was similar to what was called ‘shaman sickness’ or ‘divine sickness.’

This was a terrifying illness where a soul, caught by a stronger spirit, would negatively affect not only the body and mind but also the surrounding relationships if not supported by a corresponding contract, eventually leading to the collapse of all human elements—body, mind, and society.

Sophia had no intention of letting Conra fall into such a state. The meditation she had him perform was precisely to prevent this. By observing oneself and repeatedly answering life’s questions, the soul grows and strengthens.

This was a traditional and fundamental practice often used by Buddhist monks and Western scholastic philosophers, recognized for its clear and stable effects.

Thus, those dealing with the mysteries of spells or religious doctrines had to possess the qualities of a philosopher. Just as athletes build their physical foundation before mastering techniques, one must grow the soul’s foundation through philosophy before handling mysteries.

For these reasons, Sophia had Conra meditate and watched over him to prevent any disturbances or mental pitfalls, making it difficult for her to step away.

Noticing Sophia’s dilemma, Hildegard and Esiocles exchanged glances.

‘Is this our chance to shine?’

‘Indeed, we haven’t had much opportunity lately. Hmm.’

After a brief silent conversation, the two approached Sophia.

“Don’t worry, keep watching over him, Sophia. We’ll handle this.”

“Indeed. My muscles have been feeling a bit bored, so it’s time to stretch them.”

“Priest Esiocles, your muscles get bored too…?”

Sophia looked at Esiocles with an indescribable expression, then nodded in agreement.

“Well, then I leave it to you. Thanks, Hilde.”

“Leave it to us. We’ll be back in no time.”

“Sir Wolfstein, rushing too much might ruin things…”

“Ah, don’t be so fussy! Just follow me, Priest.”

The two then made their way through the murmuring crowd to the stern, where the pirate ships were visible.

“That’s them.”

Hildegard muttered, looking at the pirate ships that had closed in by half a nautical mile.

“Alright, Priest, shall we?”

“Of course.”

In response to Hildegard’s question, Esiocles thumped his chest with his fist.

Soon, Esiocles crouched at the very edge of the stern, interlocking his fingers with palms facing upward.

Following this, Hildegard took a running start and placed one foot on Esiocles’ interlocked hands. With a grunt, Esiocles used all his strength to launch Hildegard into the air!

Hildegard’s form, propelled by Esiocles’ throw, shot up like a cannonball.

Watching Hildegard arc towards the enemy pirate ship, Esiocles stepped back, then took a running leap off the stern of the St. Maria. Unlike Hildegard, who had Esiocles’ assistance, Esiocles’ jump fell short of reaching the pirate ship.

Esiocles fell towards the sea, but the muscular giant showed no panic. With a shaved head and braided sideburns and beard, the scandalously avant-garde priest calmly held his breath and ‘stepped’ on the sea’s surface to leap again.

“Ha!”

With Esiocles’ leap, a splash spread out, but his form surged towards the pirate ships even faster.

Meanwhile, on one of the three pirate ships, the Balatié, a pirate noticed something strange arcing towards them from the ship they were pursuing.

Driven by instinctive curiosity, he watched as the dot grew larger, revealing its shape, and his jaw dropped.

“A person is flying towards us?”

Blurting out in disbelief, he immediately reported to the deck officer.

“Deck officer, a person is flying towards us!”

“What? Damn it, what nonsense are you spouting!”

But all he got in return was a slap to the back of his head. As the sting and frustration rose, time didn’t wait for him to complain. A nun knight from the Empire, wielding a halberd, landed with a spectacular three-point landing right in front of him.

With a loud crash, Hildegard shattered the deck upon landing and immediately grabbed the deck officer by the collar.

“Out of my way, or I’ll knock you all down!”

With a roar akin to a beast’s, Hildegard swung the deck officer around like a windmill, wreaking havoc across the Balatié’s deck. The pirate who had reported her approach was knocked out cold after being hit by the deck officer’s foot and colliding with the mast.

The pirate ship, dreaming of a bountiful haul, turned into a chaotic mess as if a lion had entered a flock of sheep. The chaos didn’t end with the Balatié.

Another ship was soon attacked by a muscular giant with a shaved head and braided beard, leaping from the sea and causing mayhem.

“Ahh, a perverted muscle monster! Everyone, run!”

The sight of the bizarrely posed, half-naked muscular giant was enough to strip the pirates of their sense of reality. Especially when he started using techniques like chokeslams, clotheslines, and space rolling elbows.

“The enemy is alone! Don’t panic, kill him!”

The captains tried to organize their pirates to suppress the chaos with collective force, but their attempts failed. The pirates, panicked by Hildegard and Esiocles’ rampage, didn’t follow orders.

Instead, the captains, revealing their positions, became the primary targets and were beaten and taken hostage.

With two pirate ships subdued in an instant, the remaining ship quickly turned to flee.

“Hey, hey! You can’t just run away like that! Come back!”

Hildegard, having nearly finished dealing with her assigned ship, shouted in frustration, but the pirates fled without looking back.

Ultimately, Hildegard and Esiocles had to let the fleeing ship go and joined the St. Maria’s crew and passengers in cleaning up.

“Truly, the Church’s heroes are amazing!”

Captain Benjamin Diego de Paula y Domenec of the St. Maria, with his distinctive mustache, was beaming with joy.

In a moment of crisis, unexpected salvation had led to the capture of two pirate ships, bringing fortune. Although the primary ownership of the pirate ships went to Hildegard and Esiocles, the captain, being a sailor, would handle the process, ensuring a significant share of the spoils.

The captured pirates would also fetch a handsome bounty when handed over to the port city’s security forces. Even a tenth of the reward would be a tidy sum.

Meanwhile, as the captain reveled in his happy imagination, Hildegard, Esiocles, Conra, and Sophia, having finished the cleanup, were discussing a completely unrelated matter that would have given the captain a fit.

[……!]

“So, you’re saying we should invade the pirates’ base on Menorca Island?”

Sophia asked her spirit, Gabrielle, in a tone of utter disbelief.

 

---