Chapter 172
Chapter 172
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 172
Chapter Title: The Pirates' Terror
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"They all look pretty scrawny on the outside."
"Honestly, if it weren't for the captain's friend—that gray-haired guy—we could've had our fun with them and sold 'em off, right?"
That arrogant golden-haired kid who looks like a noble? We'd just take the ransom and call it a day, scared of any backlash.
But those escorts? They're different. Probably handpicked by the noble brat for their looks anyway.
Even if not, how strong could kids that age really be? One of our aura users even snuck in a mana scan, so yeah, they're weak. That's for damn sure.
No way in hell any of 'em are powerhouses who could hide their mana at that age.
Men, women—doesn't matter. All of 'em got faces and bodies to die for. No wonder everyone's salivating.
They weren't professional slavers, but these pirates had raided plenty of slave ships. They chuckled as they opened up.
"Sure, if you don't mind dying, go ahead and try right now. Just gag one and drag 'em here!"
"Forget it. If that Zero guy finds out... I still piss myself thinking about that day."
Huddled together in the crew quarters below deck—men, women, young and old alike—everyone let out a sigh and shuddered in unison.
"Other pirate crews would think we're full of shit if they heard."
"Damn. We oughta drag those bastards here and make 'em go through it."
The man sitting across from him nodded as a middle-aged woman scratched at her scar.
"Reminds me of the time I saw a kraken from afar when I was a kid."
One day, Zero had gathered all the Queen's pirates. He looked like a big-bodied boy with an innocent face, smiling like a gentle giant dog. What was it he said back then?
'I'm heading out soon to serve an important person. Make sure there are no unfortunate incidents.'
As if rough sailors—especially the even rougher pirates—would reply with a crisp "Yes, sir!"
They weren't soldiers or honorable knights. They were pirates.
Sure, they had basic loyalty to the captain, but who'd sit still for some stray dog who rolled in from god-knows-where, clinging to the captain like a lover and barking orders?
Captain Ellis didn't even bother mediating—just sat there swigging rum with an amused grin. Naturally, everyone thought it was time to knock the smug bastard down a peg.
'Oh? So you've got the cash to boss us around?'
'The reward won't be stingy. Plus, the rest of the group are good folks, so you'll get along fine.'
'Oho, get along with us? Does that mean we can expect some other fun too?'
Right then, as someone made a crude move. Not just those fearless fools who charged in, but everyone gathered there—they all faced the terror lurking behind that gentle smile.
"Guess people really do have an aura about them."
"It's not like he blasted mana to intimidate us—we'd have felt that."
"Then... killing intent or something?"
"Nah. I've felt killing intent before. This was on another level."
With that serene smile unchanged, no flicker or surge of mana at all. In an instant, he froze dozens of pirates solid.
It wasn't some external force—it was an instinctive internal warning.
"I've felt something like it before."
All eyes turned to the pirate who spoke.
"That time I went fishing alone on a small boat and got shipwrecked in a storm, y'know? That's when my eyes met a sea serpent's in that black water..."
"Oh, that wasn't bullshit?"
"It's not bullshit! I snapped at 'em, but..." The pirate's face clouded with fear as he continued.
"I didn't wanna die. I wanted to live. My head was so full of that, I didn't even think about breathing."
Move, and you're dead.
He shuddered, recalling that primal terror.
"That's the feeling. Anyway, as for that Zero guy? I ain't dying, so I'll treat him with respect."
A few nodded at his words, then headed up to the deck.
Zero's companion soared high into the sky, uppercut a whale into the air, then walked across the water. Everyone praised themselves for not messing with them outright and breathed a sigh of relief.
* * *
The airship where Leaf resided was too vast to simply call a single flying rig.
It could haul massive cargo like a large transport vessel, serve as an attack ship with mana cannons, and more.
In flight, it could only produce basic golems, but once landed, it doubled as a strategic weapons factory capable of generating the massive armored golems I called titans.
Unlike Aegis units or mass-produced golems with barely any ego, pour in enough gold, and it could even make commander golems like Leaf.
Plus, under certain conditions, it could produce food, and if all the Sea Pearl's power focused on defense, records said even a dragon's breath couldn't shatter it in one go.
An all-weather war machine, basically.
But at this point, you'd wonder.
How could a faction with that level of tech leave zero records behind?
And isn't that airship way too inefficient?
'When you get down to it, it's basically Noah's Ark.'
Lost technology.
Even after reading the original novel cover-to-cover and playing the game, the airship baffled me most.
In both, its appearance in Leaf's pickup stage was just that—nothing more, nothing less.
It'd already been wrecked and stripped of its Sea Pearl core by the time you arrived, so no helping it. But now that it was real and mine, brushing it off as "just low on power" felt inefficient.
Since the airship was mine now, I figured I'd make use of it somehow. My first shot: commander golem production and deployment.
To run Innocent properly, the concept had to be solid.
Anyone who's dabbled in conspiracy theories knows the thrill. The hidden truth others miss—like swallowing the red pill—where only a select few grasp the world's absurdities. It's addictive.
On Earth, you'd binge conspiracy sites all night, get hyped on fantasies, sleep it off, and laugh it off as fun. But this world? Different story.
And if those theories weren't just theories, but real?
"The world's end sells every millennium."
Somewhere on the continent, a doomsday cult stretches its tentacles everywhere—bigger than you'd think.
On the opposite side, a group fighting to stop the apocalypse reveals that truth only to me, feeds me intel and aid, and assigns escorts because knowing it makes me a target. Perfect.
'My goal's singular, though.'
Anyone I expose under Innocent's banner becomes a spear targeting the Evil God Cult and a shield protecting the continent. That makes me prime bait for the cult.
Plus, they're key figures, so surveillance is a must.
No way they'd know I have prototype sirens that link to every siren across the continent. Means I can plant spies bold as brass.
In short: attach commander golems to key players as intel assets.
"Arrived?"
[—Yes, Administrator.]
I'd awakened another commander unit besides Leaf to manage the airship and gather elven intel.
The siren delivered to Gamur via merchant caravan had finally reached him.
"Then, how long to produce a mid-tier commander golem engraved with the enclosed insignia?"
Just in case, I activated an artifact using magic stones to create a mana barrier, then sank into the cabin sofa.
[—With this siren and the ample supplies provided, the first unit in three months. Thereafter, one per month, totaling about ten units.]
Longer than expected. And the resources I sent outweighed the gold from selling sirens in the capital—massive haul.
Yet even that yielded just ten mid-tiers? Armies have 1-star and 2-star generals.
Continent has squad captains and brigade leaders—same role, different leagues.
I figured mid-tier hit the minimal bar for my needs, but this timeline dragged.
Sure, I didn't expect factory-line mass production like basic golems. But using pre-existing commanders? Bit of an issue.
Units from Leaf's era were all top-tier, built for who-knows-what battles.
—Administrator. What are you doing alone? Dinner's almost ready outside.
Leaf approached as I pondered. I glanced at that expressionless face and casually shared my thoughts.
"Not urgent, but faster the better. Still, assigning commanders your grade feels like overkill."
Leaf fixed those yellow eyes on me before speaking.
—Same-grade commander units can share experiences. Most efficient via direct contact like a handshake, but fragmented memories—not full shares—can be stored in magic stones.
"...Really? Meaning you could impart your elevated emotional cognition from time with me?"
—Luna and Zero say I've grown more human than in my early days following you, Commander. It offsets the golem's inorganic vibe. Moreover...
Leaf's gaze shifted to the siren in my hand, then back to me.
—If they're same-grade as me, I can extract some intel even post-destruction.
I reached out and stroked Leaf's head.
I knew unconditional devotion to the user was golem basics. Think modern robots.
Can't harm the master, can't refuse orders, no doubts—loyal lifeforms sans free will.
But I had no intention of leaving Leaf like that. And it wasn't impossible. Just think of that stone barnacle that shredded my clothes multiple times—sans free will, it wouldn't gorge on sweet potatoes, mumble about some wife at the end, and play harem king.
Wait, not playing. It got along fine with Cain first...
Gripping my stock like a lifeline, I spoke.
"Alright. Then we'll awaken top-tier commanders. But this isn't just for efficiency and intel, like your advice."
If they can share your experiences and emotions autonomously, the reverse works too.
"I'll max out their autonomy limits while they carry out my missions—let 'em rack up experiences."
And they'll keep patching each other's gaps, eventually laughing big.
I smiled at Leaf, who amid that blank face showed the faintest puzzled flicker as I petted her head.