My Reincarnation Skills Are “Playing With Dolls” and “Playing With Clay”, but What Am I Supposed to Do With These? C165

Episode 165 Intruder and Ghost

The shadow of a huge ship approaches the moonless, dark sea. 

And then there was the sound of cannonballs flying through the wind again... and the water was splashing violently. 

It looks like a bombardment aimed at a ghost ship. 

The ghosts were pointing towards the rear and making noises without raising their voices. 

A ghost ship shining pale and white stands out like the only light on the sea on a new moon, but when you look behind you, you see something like bright smoke or clouds rising above a gigantic shadow. I can see it. 

 I wonder what? chimney? boiler? ...No way. 

However, considering that they are sailing using the same wind, they are catching up to us at an abnormal speed, and if that bright smoke-like thing is exhaust gas from burning some kind of fuel, it makes sense. Something that seems to be happening...isn't that a "powered ship" after all? 

I don't know if it's a coal-burning steamship from around the time of the Industrial Revolution or a heavy oil-burning ship from the modern world, but it looks like some sort of steamship or maneuver ship... 

“What on earth is that?”

Breaking the silence, Captain Zondal blurted out. 

Then, I suddenly looked towards the ghost ship, but it seemed that their attention had already shifted to the ship behind them. 

I was a little relieved to see people from this world surprised. 

I'd be more confused if someone told me that powered ships were common in an ancient or medieval world like this. It seems to be something different after all. 

Surprised by the roar, some of the passengers who had been hiding in the cabin came up to the deck. 

They don't know that they've crossed paths with a ghost ship, so they don't feel as nervous as we do. 

My eyes widen, I watch as a mysterious giant ship fires at the ghost ship. 

Eventually, fire broke out. 

“Oh, you got it right!”

Did the shell hit the ghost ship? Along with an explosion, a red flame-like light rose from the ghost ship. 

"Okay, let's do it!"

Someone yelled. 

"Idiot, stop it!"

The captain suddenly stopped...but it was too late. 

There was a sound like something shattering, and the scenery in front of me changed. 

What you see does not change. However, the view that had previously been seen through water or through glass returned to a normal, real sight. 

With a loud voice, the thin layer of barrier that had separated our ship from the ghosts' senses broke apart. 

(Ah!)

I can hear Lina's scream through telepathy. 

Lucien turned his accusing gaze towards the merchants on the deck, but the men didn't even notice. 

As soon as that happened, I felt a rustling sensation on my skin, and a rotten and dead odor that I had never felt before drifted over the sea from the direction of the ghost ship. 

On the deck, the ghosts who had been distracted by the gunfire turned their heads all at once. 

Then, a look of anger and curse appeared on his face. 

No, we're not the ones firing. She couldn't help but want to make excuses. 

"Hey, that's weird."

"It should be right...but isn't it working?"

It seems that the merchants who were cheering at the bombardment of the mysterious giant ship and mobile ship have finally realized the abnormality of the situation. 

That's right, the ghost ship was supposed to have been bombarded and set on fire, but it still didn't seem to have suffered any damage at all. Although it is surrounded by red light, there is no fire. 

In short, no matter how many attacks I get, it doesn't seem to be working at all. What do you mean? 

And the dead crowding on that deck were burning with anger. 

Among the people who were taking turns glaring at both our ship, whose existence was suddenly revealed, and the huge mobile ship that was approaching while firing at them, who was giving the orders? Or, is there even such a chain of command? I don't know, but suddenly a group of people started running towards the mobile ship. 

...Yes, at sea! 

 Are you serious. 

When Captain Zondal said that he was saved by jumping into the sea, I thought that they couldn't go into the sea, but it turned out that they could even leave the ship and run on the sea surface. There is a limit to cheating! 

There were dozens of people... no, more than a hundred people running across the sea towards the mobile ship. 

If we were attacked by such a horde of undead, even if there were a large number of soldiers on board the warship, we wouldn't be able to get away with it. 

And this is no time to worry about others. 

The remaining ghosts were pointing at us from the deck and making noiseless noises. 

Now that the original prey, which had once disappeared, has been found, it seems as if they are arguing over what to do with it. 

Please, could you please leave me alone? It looks like they're bigger prey...I couldn't help but think of such a selfish thing. 

 yeah? 

At that time, with the barrier broken, I noticed one more thing that had changed from before. 

I can see the status. 

At first, I thought it was because the distance was too far to clearly see the ghosts on the ship, but from the middle of the trip, it probably became a barrier, so I couldn't see the status of the people on the ghost ship. Ta. 

But now I can see it. 

<Ghost LV3> <Ghost LV2>...Most ghosts are level 1 to 5 ghosts, in other words, ghosts, right? 

There are a small number of them, such as <Wraith LV8> and <Undead Lord LV10>, as well as decomposed zombies and ghouls, but it seems that there are many ghosts who maintain their normal human appearance. 

I don't know why I was able to see the status of that ship after the barrier on this ship was broken, but... 

I was probably thinking about that for just a moment. 

Until a group of ghosts started running out to sea toward our ship. 

 please stop. 

We have no intention of fighting. 

However, they probably instinctively attack people to increase their number of friends. 

Not everyone. 

There was still much left on the ghost ship, but dozens of people, mostly in pirate costumes, were running slightly above the sea surface with angry expressions on their faces. 

“I have no choice but to do it!”

The captain shouted. It can't be helped, you're right. 

"Rafa-san, you should purify everyone's weapons..."

The shrine maiden of the pilgrim group called out to the leader monk. 

"That's right. Everyone! Those with weapons are here, I'll purify them so that they are effective against undead, quickly!"

　

Hearing that voice, the sailors who had gathered in the forecastle and the merchant escort who had been watching the situation gathered. 

Our party also gathered, including Nolte and Maggie, who looked a little pale. I wonder if this is because I'm seasick, or if I just don't like ghost stories. 

In place of Lucien and Lina, who were holding up the barrier, I coated everyone's weapons with "sacred essence."

I decided to give Carmilla and Butch the silver dagger, which only has two swings. Nolte is also an avant-garde type, but it would be better to use the hammer that you are used to. 

"It's coming!"

A sailor who was watching from the side of the ship raised his voice. 

It looks like the figures running towards us are all ghosts. 

But I can't see her... 

"Everyone, there might be someone who suddenly appears unseen, like the Wraith we fought in the abandoned mine, so be careful."

"Yes, Carmilla should take a step back and watch in case of a surprise attack."

"Okay, Carmilla I'll be careful."

As soon as Lucien and Carmilla answered my instructions, the first wave attacked. 

It seems that the height of the ship's edge has nothing to do with ghosts, which can be said to be incorporeal beings. The guys who had been running on the surface of the sea floated up along the edge of the ship and boarded the deck. 

""""purification!""""

The monks and shrine maidens of the pilgrimage group, Lina and Lucien chant purification all at once. 

It was like a kind of area attack, and the group of ghosts in the front row evaporated all at once. 

After that, those who tried to cross the edge of the ship without flinching crashed into the mist of holy essence that I had spread thinly along the edge of the ship. 

With a silent groan, the incorporeal being materializes while emitting pale flames. 

It was doubtful that it would be possible to cut a ghost without a physical body with a sword, but if it was caught in the holy essence and materialized, it should be able to be cut with a purified weapon. Like Wraith the other day. 

As expected, the sailors and merchant guards kill the ghost with purified swords and knives. 

Nolte also uses a hammer sprinkled with holy essence, and Maggie seems to be able to fight with the holy bullets from the sling she used the other day. 

And, as expected, Carmilla's silver blade, which was concentrating on searching for signs, sliced ​​through the wraith that suddenly appeared on the deck and tried to attack us from behind. 

The monk group lined up again on the edge of the ship and chanted purification toward the second wave. 

I will dispose of the attackers with holy essence. 

It was a close fight, but the group of ghosts, believed to be former pirates, was managed to be repelled within a few minutes of contact. 

However, a few hundred meters away, on top of the ghost ship running parallel to it, there is still a crowd of several times as many ghosts. 

There are a lot of people there who are better dressed than pirates. And for some reason, it looks like she has a very sad expression on her face, no, I'm not close enough to see her expression, but that's how I feel. 

That's what I'm curious about. 

The huge mobile ship was already approaching within 1 km, to the point where I could clearly see it. 

As expected, it's a long way from the deck and it's dark, so I can't see clearly, but it's probably a battle just like here. It's definitely a military ship, so there should be someone with the job of a wizard or monk who can fight. 

However, looking at the area where the bombardment has stopped, it may be a melee, or at least a struggle. 

Perhaps because I had the time to think about such things, I looked at the skill map again and realized what was causing the discomfort. 

Two or thirty white dots on our ship, many red and white dots intermingling in the distance, and a big red dot...our ship and those fighting on that mysterious mobile ship. , and a ghost ship visible before my eyes. 

Why is there only one big red dot on the ghost ship? 

I was relieved. 

Once again, I see a ghost ship full of ghosts. Discern. 

<Marletta Ghost Ship LV35>

What an idiot I was. 

It's a "ghost ship", yes, it's not a ship with ghosts on board! ...It was the ghost of the ship.