“Are you sure it’s a good idea to encounter them directly, princess?” The captain asked nervously as they drew closer.


    “I left specifically from a distant port because I was hoping to encounter the pirates,” Eliana explained.


    “You admit it’s a more distant port!” I cried out.


    She blushed. “Yes, I guided us to the northernmost port city of the Ost Republic. I wasted to survey the entire coastline, and what’s an extra day of travel?”


    Remembering the last day, an extra day of travel was the worst! However, I understood the need so I remained quiet.


    “What’s a cannon?” Eliana asked.


    “It’s...”


    Boom! There was another burst, and another ball came flying out. Since I was paying closer attention, I was able to see its movement as it narrowly missed the hall by an inch and then splashed into the water on the other side.


    “Whatever it is, we need to stop it!” Anne declared. “If I knew we’d be versing something long-range, I would have brought some mages.”


    I didn’t expect to run into cannons because this was a world with magic. Prelate Anne was capable of using protective shield magic, so Eliana hadn’t been worried about that. However, unlike me, she couldn’t block physical attacks. It looked like I’d be useful too.