Sailing into the Salacia Sea
Let's head out to sea. A recap of my adventures so far.
I was summoned by the goddess and failed the academy entrance exam twice. In that one year, I met the legendary sea witch Circe, slew an Evil God, confronted a mysterious organization gunning for my life, clashed with my first Maou Candidate, and defended the Default Kingdom. But all those feats were still within the realm of what any number of adventurers or hidden eccentrics could handle without needing a hero. The saintess told me I'd eventually face the reason why the scales had tipped enough to require summoning a hero, so she urged me to get stronger fast and set out on more adventures.
Now that the Chicken Fry Party had reached C-grade, I left our base in the hands of the other members and set sail across the vast Salacia Sea with Hyacinth, Mortis, and Riko.
What would we encounter on this journey? What would we discover? The clipper ship Neptuneus powered steadily through the waves with its engine, even without wind, swiftly leaving the island behind and vanishing into the distance. It was a pirate ship seized from the All Gods Temple, refitted for the occasion. Building a ship from scratch would take too long, so they'd modified an existing one. That meant reducing capacity from the original hundred souls to around sixty.
It was a fine vessel, with cargo holds, a galley, and private cabins all properly outfitted. Down in the engine room, crew bustled about; up on deck, others dashed around inspecting for issues. Having sat idle for so long before hitting the waves again, they checked everything meticulously from sails to anchor. You never knew what minor oversight might turn into a major disaster at sea.
A few hours after departure, once the Neptuneus and its crew had ironed out their initial squabbles and confirmed all was well, the sailors began lounging casually across the deck.
The ship's captain, Zan de Radgerda, was over eighty—a grizzled old Daynos—but she'd once been a legendary pirate of the seas. The All Gods Temple must have pulled her out of retirement for a reason; whatever her exploits in youth, they were clearly legendary. Mortis, with a bittersweet smile, shared how she'd followed the captain to sea as a green priestess—more like a headstrong teen—traveling the world. Their reunion after forty years filled the captain's cabin with lively chatter.
Not wanting to intrude, I hung out on deck with Hyacinth, gazing at the sea. Nothing much to see. The ocean was just as blue as ever.
Hyacinth wrinkled his nose, whining about the overpowering salt stench.
Whistle—! A sudden presence at our backs had us leaping apart left and right. A harpoon speared right between where we'd stood.
A muscular young man with red hair, an eyepatch over one eye, webbed hands, and fin-like ears spun the weapon lightly and slung it over his shoulder. He grinned at us, gums bared. Unlike the other crew in simple garb, his coat, shirt, and black wide-leg pants screamed higher rank.
Shing— I drew my sword from my belt without a word. Hyacinth followed suit, pulling his gun.
"Adventurers from the All Gods Temple, huh? Thought you'd be pushovers, but not bad!"
"Bro, this guy's nuts."
"I know I'm not exactly the picture of sanity myself."
I eyed the hand he extended, switched my grip on my sword, and clamped down. He squeezed back hard, trying to crush my fingers. Too bad I'm something of an expert(?) at handshakes myself. With Metal Skin and Recycle active, my iron-hard grip crushed his instead.
"Guh, guuuh...!"
His face turned beet red, veins bulging at his neck as he poured on the force, but one knee buckled. Pride wouldn't let him yield; he even channeled mana into it. Still, he hit the deck first.
"Damn, you're strong as hell! You a fisherman or something?"
"Bro, why's this jerk picking a fight? Wanna knock his teeth out?"
"Hyacinth, no picking on shipmates."
Blowing on his swollen hand, he adjusted his tricorne hat and shoved it back in his coat pocket like nothing happened, turning to us.
"Welcome aboard my ship. You've got skills!"
"Captain's not you, though?"
"I'm Bartholomew Kidd, vice-captain of this vessel!"
"Pardon, but your age?"
"Twenty-one. Problem?"
An eighty-two-year-old captain with a twenty-one-year-old vice-captain? Total nepotism. Come to think of it, the captain had mentioned a pesky "relative" new to the ship... Hyacinth caught on too; we exchanged glances, then eyed the cocky newbie again.
"Shark bait."
"You're newbies too."
"Damn it! That old hag blabbed!"
Hyacinth scolded him for disrespecting elders. Kidd snapped back that a kid younger than me shouldn't nag, acting all gatekeepy for his age. He pivoted the argument to an age war, claiming we were the real rookies.
We didn't care about that nonsense, so we turned back to the sea. He wouldn't let it go.
"Don't ignore me!"
"Nah, just don't wanna tangle with a psycho swinging weapons on first meet."
"That's why you're our overseers, right?"
"Pretty much?"
Hyacinth glanced at me as he answered. Kidd glared, baring teeth. "See? Every time you check with him, proves he's your boss." He hefted his harpoon. "Gonna show you pirates beat adventurers! Duel me!"
I snatched the hand gripping the harpoon, yanked him in, kneed his chest, grabbed his hair as he staggered, tripped him, and slammed him deck-first. I tossed the rolling harpoon to Hyacinth, drew my sword, and pointed it at him.
"Ha...!"
His face twisted in disbelief and fury, but harpoonless, he squared up for fisticuffs. Strong ego on this one, I thought, sheathing my blade and raising my fists.
The sudden deck brawl drew whooping crewmen encircling us, cheering noisily.
"Master Kidd! Send 'em flying! Crush those adventurers!"
"Finally at sea—show us what you got, haha!"
"Don't treat him like a kid! Charge, you bastard!"
I ducked his wild punch and hammered his face with a combo. No time to recover—I tripped him, grabbed his handshake hand mid-air, and smashed him down. Bam! His back hit deck; he groaned, rolling and gnashing teeth. He inhaled for a Daynos air bullet, but Metal Skin turned it to a harmless pop.
"Enough! What the hell are you idiots doing? These aren't pirates—they're adventurers!"
A bearded elder barged through the hyped crowd, dispersing the crew. He booted the prone Kidd with his jackboot and bellowed in rage. His voice boomed so loud my ear rang.
"You damn brat! If not for the captain's request, you wouldn't even be aboard!"
"Screw you... I'm a grown man!! I can pull my weight!"
"Clueless punk... Sigh. Sorry for the trouble. This fool's caused. I'm Nesil Geitor, the navigator."
"Radamu Dice."
Nesil Geitor, the navigator, apologized profusely. He'd been charting our course with the All Gods Temple's treasure map and a sea chart when the commotion pulled him away. No need, I assured him, but he waved it off—the kid's immaturity was the issue, no need to humor him. He confiscated Kidd's harpoon and headed back to the chart room.
"Grr... Can't beat adventurers, huh?"
Kidd muttered, sprawled pathetically. Hyacinth suggested ignoring him, but I offered a hand. He glared like it was pity, but took it and stood with my help. He crossed his arms, scowled thoughtfully, then bowed his head.
"Sorry for starting shit."
"So, you really the vice-captain?"
"Yeah, yeah. Old hag probably made it to mock me. Retired my ass—she blocked me from sailing, then drags me back as a 'pirate' and slaps this crappy hat on me as vice-captain."
He showed off his tricorne, adjusting it despite griping. Clearly cherished it. Sailing was his dream, but the captain forbade it. Now, on All Gods Temple's request, she'd reinstated him as pirate vice-captain on a proper clipper with full crew and support. Joy and pressure warred in him—first real ship, real doubts if he measured up. Spotting us "overseer" adventurers, amid restless crew, his insecurities sparked the challenge.
"Wanted to prove something, huh? I get it. Suddenly partying with legends? Pressure to show off."
Hyacinth nodded, admitting the burden of being the hero party's sole gunner. Kidd yelled agreement—big dreams, skipped steps, instant high-stakes stress. Hyacinth confessed his constant jitters. They bonded quick, hugging it out.
...Time for my cabin? Hyacinth grabbed me.
"Guys bonding over booze! Let's drink and chat!"
"You can't hold your liquor."
"It's an expression! Real sea dogs chug rum, right?!"
"Kid knows his stuff! Real men drink hearty!"
How'd they click so fast? I'd never had buddies, so who knows. Long voyage ahead—friends couldn't hurt. He pulled "hidden" rum; Hyacinth offered vodka from Larirure; I filled a bowl with fried chicken. We hunkered in a deck corner, three guys boozing in broad daylight amid the sea breeze.
"See, I wanna sail free with the waves, belting songs with rum, exploring endless oceans. Become the freest pirate on these seas—that's my dream."
To that end, he'd saved cash fishing for the All Gods Temple, dreaming of his own ship and crew someday. He spun tales of roaming vast oceans for legendary ruins, treasures, holy relics—earning eternal fame. Grand stuff.
"Grandma knows it too—that's why she stuck me on this Temple-backed ship... You know what we're hunting?"
"Nope."
"No clue."
"You real overseers? Seems like joyride tagalongs."
Stung, we stuffed our faces with chicken instead of answering. Kidd spilled: We're after the Captain Eagle's Holy Battle Armor, a divine gift to a war god. The wearer works miracles rivaling the God of War. He rambled details.
Hyacinth lapped it up, but Kidd's nonstop insider talk screamed "no friends."
"...Captain Eagle ditched the divine armor in a deep island cave, saying, 'Relying on this crap's boring—no fun.' Insane, right? His crew asked why abandon it; he replied, 'Sailed every sea—gotta leave toys for future fun-seekers.' Marked on a map the Temple kept, but giants and calamities blocked it. Three hundred years later, we're going for it!"
"That's badass!"
Undeniably a weirdo. He'd dump treasures from ruins on islands, haul vital herbs, food, livestock, and natives to the Chronicle Continent—zero interest in riches. Lived free: slaying sea monsters threatening sailors, battling Evil Gods, all on his terms. Legendary pirate and hero of freedom.
"Left the adage: 'I decide treasure's worth.' Ditched gold for kids' food and medicine—heavier burden. Pirates dream of those hoards now."
"You love Captain Eagle."
"Hell yeah! First Pirate King of these seas!"
From a modern hero's view? Weirdo tossing holy relics for "next guys." But hearing it freed ship space for more passengers and supplies... Yeah, true hero.
"I wanna be... the freest pirate on these seas!"
Kidd bellowed his Pirate King dream, eyes sparkling with envy. Kinda cool, I thought. Hyacinth tempered it: "Dream big, but you're a nepotism vice-captain with no ship yet."
"So, that eyepatch?"
"Fashion."
He winked with the good eye. All show—he bragged about his pricey coat. Hyacinth one-upped with his. Men's romance, all that jazz... Still, robes over coats. Naturally.