"The Talented Dragon Hides Its Claws" ~ The Eldest Son of the Baron Family, Called Useless, is Actually One of the World's Strongest ~ - Episode 72

Today marks the third day at sea.

The sky is completely clear, without a single cloud. As far as the eye can see, there is nothing but ocean—endless blue in every direction.

The Hinomaru regular liner has lowered its sails and follows a certain ocean current.

The Empire’s developed trade routes mostly pass through calm waters.

With little to no waves, the ship barely sways.

Thanks to magic tools that repel sea monsters, there have been no attacks from sea creatures.

As they continue east, the temperature gradually rises.

The two imperial envoys leaned against the side of the Senrima and took a sip of fruit water. Wearing sunglasses, they were completely relaxed, fully enjoying the tropical atmosphere—to the point that nearby tourists were bewildered by their carefree behavior.

“…And that’s how the Western Front was settled.”

“I see… If you weren’t there, the outcome might have been different.”

“His Majesty must have anticipated my involvement when he drafted Count Grace into service.”

“As always, everything happens according to His Majesty’s plans. A truly terrifying ruler.”

“Yeah, no doubt.”

“That said, the heroes of the North and East are still alive, so we can’t let our guard down yet.”

“As time passes, their skills will only improve. It would be best if they took each other out, but unfortunately, the
Principality of Muir continues to aim its fangs at the Empire. I can’t say I don’t understand their reasoning, though.”

“The Astoria Empire is terrifying. Between the Empress and the imperial mages…”

The nation that lost its hero this time was the Western Empire.

The ones who still have heroes are the Eastern Principality and the Northern Kingdom.

As Ryu mentioned, it would be ideal if those two countries clashed, but reality is never that simple. The nations that had been fighting against Duke Mond’s Eastern Front army for years are now using hero summoning as an excuse to fuel their war fervor to its peak—so much so that no one can stop them anymore.

For the Principality of Muir, the Empire is still a formidable enemy, so they likely have no intention of restraining their allies. Even as part of an alliance, at the end of the day, another country’s fate is not their concern. Their top priority is raising their heroes. As long as they don’t make a mistake in that, nothing else matters.

“The continent is in chaos, but Hinomaru has its own problems.”

“Huh?! Hinomaru is at war too?!”

“No, not that bad… but I’ll summarize the intel I gathered.”

For generations, Hinomaru has been ruled by the Tokugawa Shogunate.

Under the shogunate, many han (feudal domains) serve Tokugawa’s rule, governing different regions of Hinomaru under its orders.

“In imperial terms, the Shogunate is like the royal family, and the han are the nobility.”

“That’s an easy comparison to understand.”

Because of this structure, there are ranks and factions among the han as well.

The most notable factions are those led by the Choshu, Tosa, and Hizen han.

“Right now, the relationship between these three han is at an all-time low. Some rumors even suggest that certain han are plotting to overthrow the Tokugawa and seize power for themselves.”

“If that’s true, Tokugawa doesn’t have time to worry about trading with the Empire…”

“They might not even have the capacity to acquire medical texts, let alone luxury goods.”

“Nooo… my sweets…”

“But on the flip side, this gives us imperial envoys an opportunity.”

“That’s a terrible way to put it. You mean we’ll offer our assistance to the Tokugawa and gain their favor, right?”

“Exactly. If the Principality is secretly supporting the rebels, and we expose that, the Empire will gain immense trust while the Principality’s reputation plummets—or worse, they could be labeled an enemy nation. Given the Empire’s ongoing conflict with the Principality, this would be a perfect outcome. ‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend,’ as they say.”

Why did Ryu specifically suspect the Principality?

Of course, he had his reasons.

(A thousand years of loyalty to the Tokugawa, and now, suddenly, these han are turning on each other? That’s beyond suspicious. The Principality has been unusually quiet lately—because they have no way to attack? No, that’s not it. They’re trying to incite an uprising in Hinomaru, overthrow the Tokugawa, and form an alliance with whoever rises to power.)

(But I won’t let that happen. If anyone is going to secure an alliance with the Tokugawa, it’ll be the Empire.)

(And while I’m at it, I’ll utterly humiliate you—along with this perverted elf right here.)

Ryu met eyes with Esther, who was sipping her fruit water beside him.

“…What’s with that look?”

At the same time, both the Empire and the Principality—two great powers—were seeking an alliance with Hinomaru, an enigmatic island nation.

Was this a coincidence or destiny?

No one could say for sure.

(Everything is connected. Maybe something lies beyond this struggle. While I’m solving this dragon transformation issue, I might as well see it through. And once I clear this mess, maybe I can get the Empress to give me another allowance.)

(I’m counting on you, Ryu Arden. Hinomaru must never fall into the Principality’s hands.)

…Except for these two, no one else had realized it yet.

After about five days at sea, they continued their voyage with occasional small talk.

Since this was a passenger ship, the accommodations and meals were well-managed, making for a comfortable journey.

According to the captain, Hinomaru would come into view in three more days.

As usual, the three of them lounged lazily on the deck.

“…I’m bored.”

“Go fishing. The captain should have some fishing gear to lend.”

“No way. The gloves Lena made me will stink of fish.”

“You’re so picky.”

“Zzz…”

“Axel’s already asleep. Guess I’ll take another nap too.”

Just as Ryu was about to close his eyes, he noticed some commotion near the bow of the ship.

He listened closely and overheard a conversation between the crew and the captain.

“Another piece of driftwood hit the ship? Those cause damage and make the hull wear out faster. Annoying.”

“It’s more debris from the north. Look, there are more floating over there.”

“This has been happening a lot lately. Are ships from the Principality sinking regularly?”

“More like getting completely wrecked. Since this region is free of storms, my best guess is… something dangerous has appeared in these waters.”

“…I really hope it doesn’t come this way.”

Even with magic tools that repel monsters, there are always some creatures immune to their effects.

“Seems like some kind of monster that even Muir’s magic tools can’t repel has appeared.”

“You’ll protect us, won’t you?”

“Well, I have been practicing suppressing my magic lately. If I keep it up, the monster might not sense me and could come straight this way.”

“…Why are you doing that now of all times?”

“Letting my magic run wild is usually convenient, but for magic-sensitive opponents—like Duke Mond—it’s a bad move. I figured it’s time I learned some control.”

“Makes sense. I’ve heard Hinomaru’s samurai are highly skilled. Best to train now while you can.”

Ryu still regretted how easily Duke Mond had sensed him from that distance.

Duke Mond’s magic eyes were rare, even across the entire continent, but that wasn’t enough of an excuse for Ryu to forgive himself.

Far beyond the horizon, a dark shadow glared at their ship.

Focused on his magic control training, Ryu had yet to notice.