Chapter 102
Chapter 102
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 102
Chapter Title: We Were Lucky (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 102
Chapter 102 We Were Lucky (2)
The arrival of those cloaked in robes prompted Horgu to hand over the people behind him.
The process didn't take long.
Iriel and I only descended beside Horgu after they had completely vanished.
"Is it over?"
"Uwaak!"
Horgu startled as if I'd cursed him, his body shuddering violently.
"W-When did you arrive, sir?"
"Just now."
"Well, I've finished my part anyway. It's always like this. Since it's getting late, they probably won't set sail until tomorrow morning."
"Got it. Good work."
I nodded.
Now all that was left was to secretly tail them.
Everything was proceeding smoothly.
"Hehe. Then I'll be on my way. I hope your business goes well."
Horgu, having completed his mission, bowed with a sly smile. I reached for the sword hilt at my waist.
"Yeah, off you go."
No sooner had the words left my mouth than my fingertips blurred.
Shwaaak-!
A burst of white light erupted with the draw, scattering in all directions.
Clang.
The flash of brilliance vanished back into the sheath as if sucked in. Horgu's face, confronted by the pure white sword gleam, had frozen pale.
A red line began to etch itself above his neck.
I turned away without a second glance.
"Let's go."
Iriel followed at my side.
From behind came the sound of a body thudding to the ground.
The bastard was the head of a human trafficking ring that sold Francia captives into slavery.
There was no reason to let him live.
The ones who'd gone with Nederman would all meet the same fate.
I had no intention of honoring my promise to them.
There was no honor owed to inhuman scum.
"Looks like they're all aboard now."
Iriel narrowed her eyes as she spoke.
Having trailed them, we arrived at the pier where their ship was docked.
As Iriel said, no further movement came from the enemy.
I nodded.
A signal to execute the plan.
Iriel rose onto her tiptoes and crept toward the ship's stern like a stealthy stray cat.
It was to attach the tracking artifact 'In My Grasp.'
The flat, disc-shaped artifact emitted a powerful mana magnetic field through magnetism, allowing us to pinpoint their location with the linked mana compass.
It could track up to ten kilometers across the open sea—perfect for our current situation.
We'd acquired it from the support of the Porsen Port branch of the Winding Strait Merchant Group.
As Horgu had said, the ship set sail the next day at dawn.
Confirming they departed with 'In My Grasp' attached, we headed to the sloop we'd prepared separately.
It was a small vessel with just one cabin.
* * *
The boundless ocean churned with rolling waves.
Endless blue stretched in every direction.
We advanced, savoring the scenic beauty.
Warm sunlight shattered on the surface, blooming into a profusion of silvery scales.
A week had passed since departure.
The island was farther than expected.
With visibility stretching far over the open sea, we tailed their sloop from a safe distance, keeping pace slowly.
Swish-.
Iriel, who had been admiring the vast ocean, glanced sidelong at Genesis beside her.
Right now, she was fishing with him on the rocking deck of the pitching ship.
Alone like this, reeling in the time together—it felt oddly like a date—.
'Hey! Snap out of it!'
Iriel hastily shook her head, banishing the thought.
Lately, cooped up alone in this cramped sloop, the atmosphere felt almost like newlyweds—.
'Get a grip!'
Iriel silently berated herself for the intrusive ideas bubbling up unbidden.
She might go mad at this rate, but like a stubborn warden, she strictly policed her own mind.
That was when she felt a tug at her line.
"Huh?!"
She yanked the rod with all her might.
A heavy weight transmitted through her grip.
"Looks like a hearty dinner tonight."
They'd been subsisting on fish for days now. She could gauge the size from the feel alone.
"Heave-ho!"
As Iriel pulled, a sizable fish leaped from the water before plunging back in.
Smiling broadly, she reeled in the line.
Finally, a vigorous fish flopping on deck.
"Not bad."
Genesis nodded at the fish nearly as large as Iriel's torso. It should last until breakfast tomorrow.
"Then I'll go cook."
Iriel beamed as she removed the hook, clearly excited by the fresh catch. Genesis watched her quietly.
'Has she gotten into cooking?'
Lately, without being asked, Iriel had been preparing thoughtful meals.
To the point where he had nothing to complain about.
Compared to her first attempt, it felt worlds apart.
"Hmm~ Hmm~."
These days, she even hummed while at it.
Genesis eyed the sight unfamiliarly.
No tantrums, no bared claws—it was unnervingly off.
As if reading his unease from moments before, Iriel savagely clubbed the fish.
Thwack! Thwack!
She meant to stun it, but the fury in her strikes was unmistakable.
'As expected.'
Watching the gruesome scene somehow put him at ease.
Meanwhile, having battered the fish unconscious, Iriel closed her eyes and steadied her breath.
'Please, get it together.'
She'd realized she'd been humming without realizing it.
Feeling good about cooking for that guy?
What the hell was this?
She needed to dredge up the anger from her past.
Her emotions swung dozens of times a day—already severe—but that demanded stricter self-control than ever.
If her feelings grew further, it might truly be dangerous.
'I have to shut this down!'
There was no secret birth tying her to Genesis, no family grudge. Yet she couldn't accept him as a lover.
Of course, she knew he didn't like her.
Damn it.
Even if she confessed, the odds of rejection were high.
Goddamn it.
Tears pricked at the harsh truth, but that wasn't why she planned to give up without confessing like some fool.
She had dreams of a perfect married life.
Romantic, overflowing with love.
But marriage to Genesis?
The mere thought was horrifying.
Romance? Bullshit.
Love? Get real.
Do this, do that—endless nagging.
She'd waste away doing housework until her back gave out.
And if kids entered the picture?
Her life would be over.
She'd planned for three, but with him? Even one would be a struggle.
...Hmm.
Still, alone would be lonely.
'I can handle the hardship—two it is.'
Reaching that compromise, Iriel suddenly jolted in horror.
Somehow, she envisioned herself beside Genesis, cradling two kids.
They'd probably be cute, though—.
"Uwaaagh! Stop it!"
Her thoughts veering off-script again, Iriel vented her rage on the already stunned fish.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
Watching from afar, Genesis shook his head.
"...Poor fish."
While Iriel wrestled her inner turmoil, Nederman and Allen were in genuine hell.
"This slop as food? No conscience at all, those bastards."
Nederman grimaced, stirring the watery soup with his spoon. No nutrition, utter swill. A week of this, and the smell alone turned his stomach.
He genuinely wondered what made it this bad.
"What do they even put in it to make it taste like this?"
"Right? I'd grab the chef by the collar and demand the secret."
Allen growled in agreement.
Over the past week, their beggar disguises had become reality.
The others with them fared no better.
The cramped cabin reeked of filth.
Since sailing, they hadn't stepped out once, handling all bodily functions inside.
"Dogshit bastards."
Allen's gaze sharpened toward the outside.
Beyond the immediate misery, knowing all these conscripted souls endured this made his cheeks twitch with rage.
How terrified they'd been in this hole.
He could picture it vividly.
"Hm?"
Nederman, poking at the soup, perked his ears and looked up. Allen's eyes flashed toward him.
Something stirred outside—ominous.
"Guess we've arrived?"
The cabin brightened at Nederman's words.
Everyone yearned to escape this stifling box.
"Yeah, feels like it!"
Allen shot to his feet, elated.
Definitely maneuvers for docking.
"Alright, time to head out."
Nederman smirked, rising stiffly. Finally free from this infernal den. Flexing, he snapped the ropes binding his wrists; they fell limp.
Allen stood too, unbinding himself.
"Goddamn. We're out at last."
Like a prisoner on release, Nederman threw open the cabin door, voice thick with emotion.
A narrow corridor stretched before them.
Even its air felt fresh.
Nederman inhaled deeply.
"Haa. Heaven's not so grand."
"Haa. Tell me about it."
Allen greedily sucked in the dank air beside him. Breathing without stench was paradise.
They strolled the tight corridor to the deck.
Expecting open skies and blue seas, thick fog shrouded everything instead—visibility near zero.
"Fog's insanely thick."
"Yeah."
So dense Allen beside him was a blur.
But soon, the murk thinned, revealing the surroundings.
Not the refreshing vista hoped for.
Dark clouds hung low, dimming the world. Far off, a lone island floated amid inky waters.
"Finally out after ages, and the view's this gloomy."
Grumbling, Nederman approached a bustling crewman on deck.
"That the destination?"
"You asking 'cause you don't know?"
The man replied offhandedly while finishing his task, then eyed him suspiciously.
A beggar stood nose-to-nose.
"Wak!"
He jolted, drawing his sword.
Shing!
"You little shit, who are you? How'd you get out?!"
Nederman shrugged at the panicked man.
"Oh, just had to hit the head urgently."
* * *
I stood at the bow, staring into the thick fog. Clear skies moments ago, now zero visibility.
"Right place?"
The compass had quit reacting earlier. We'd followed faint signals here; connection severed upon entry.
This fog must jam the mana field.
No natural phenomenon.
All the more suspicious waters.
Soon, we emerged from the fog.
"Ah! It's reacting now!"
Iriel checked the compass.
Their ship loomed close ahead.
"Looks like that's the spot."
She pointed to the distant island.
"Yeah."
I gazed at it steadily.
An unfamiliar isle, yet its name felt known.
I'd half-guessed since spotting the fog.
Suspicious from the start, smuggling conscripts in secret.
We were lucky.
This seemed to be the Immotel Island we'd sought.