Chapter 434
Chapter 434
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Off-Road (8)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
****
“Urgh, grrrgh!”
Thud.
Crash!
“...Damn.”
The pile of salvaged junk cluttering the cramped room couldn’t withstand Grimlock’s stretch.
Crisp morning air and a brutal hangover.
Back in the day, liquor was all about flavor and bouquet, but these days, “booze” meant a sour, fizzy liquid that knocked you out without shortening your lifespan.
In that sense, the “fish maw brew” favored by sailors was essential for Grimlock, whose land-sickness hit hard whenever he dozed off in port.
Of course, no such worries if he slept in the cabin.
“Haaah. Wonder how that young monk named Hyde is doing?”
If he was on board, it’d make the shipboard life ahead far less likely to erupt into the “fights” that were so necessary.
Boom!
Splash—
He threw open the window, and the sound of waves crashing against the breakwater greeted him.
Salty tang and fishy reek, rainbows from shattered spray in the beautiful morning harbor.
“Ptoo! Hey, water’s getting in! Fish One! You sure you taught me right?”
“Y-Yes, sir! Bite down tight on the regulator, breathe from your solar plexus—thin and hard, like—”
“Pbbt! Doesn’t work! One! Two! You guys got a grudge against me? Wanna force some saltwater down my throat? This stuff’ll kill you straight up!”
“N-No, sir! The water inside the harbor’s filtered once, so it’s not that lethal...”
“...Tch, Three! Dive again! Show me one more time!!”
“Yes, sir! Diving!”
Splash!
Grimlock’s eyes sparkled at the unfamiliar sight amid the familiar harbor morning.
A man splashing beside the ship, regulator in mouth, and his three crewmen, faces blue, teaching him step by step.
And a green bulk approaching happily after spotting the captain.
“Gruk. Rough night on land, Captain.”
“What’d I do? All the work was you, Eggwil. Let’s see... looks like the monk’s got ’em properly whipped.”
“Yep.”
“Heh, damn. Combat skills aside, taming those wild colts like that. What’d he do? Tie ’em up and preach all night?”
“Beat ’em.”
“Hm?”
“Repeatedly, all night, saying stuff like ‘might as well straighten out your crooked paths while I’m at it,’ till dawn.”
“Poor bastards met their match.”
The initiation rite on the salvage ship *Whale* was infamous, but if they couldn’t handle those three, they didn’t deserve to dive the Deep Blue Line anyway. The triplets lacked punch but could enter thanks to their water affinity.
Still, starting rough from day one meant bad blood between new and old crew. They’d glare and bicker the whole voyage, and promising rookies would die at sea without help from veterans.
The Deep Blue Line’s depths demanded risking your life to save another—years together didn’t guarantee you’d reach out.
“Like this—bite down hard! Thin and strong, [khrrrr—] like that, inhale as you dive—”
“Grrrk! Pbbt! Urk!”
.
.
.
.
“He’s teaching properly? That’s deep-sea breathing, right? Basic diving’s done already?”
“They’re learning hard, teaching well. Seems he’s picking it up fine.”
Compared to the past, Hyde and the beastkin triplets were downright anomalous.
Shipboard hierarchy seemed rock-solid.
One side beaten bloody, the other charging to kill for no reason—yet no grudges lingered.
“What kinda magic?”
“Gruk. Captain, this.”
“...Wanted poster?”
“Hyde slipped out while they were out cold and fetched it.”
Eggwil handed over a nearly pristine wanted poster. Face matched the guy now dog-paddling amid retches, name as heard yesterday.
[Wanted for: Urban security violation, terrorism, murder, noble insult, hijacking regular magitrain of Wigen (12 cars including head)]
[1M sil for recovering train / 300K sil for kill or capture]
“...Train hijacking? This guy jacked a regular train from Wigen—not some backwater, but a major city ringed by outposts?”
“Gruk.”
Grimlock needed a moment to process.
So, he’d stolen a 12-car city regular—not a 5-car local—from the Rock City guarded by famed Shard Knight “Stone Giant,” slipped every outpost, without getting caught? That massive iron beast that only ran rails, too?
“Is he some kinda wizard?”
“Dunno. Point is, Hyde stuck that poster on the hold wall. Triplets saw it, lost the urge to kill him.”
“...I see.”
Genius move.
The beastkin trio eyed the newbie lest he rat them out for noble-murder bounty.
Hyde brought his own poster—far bigger bounty than theirs.
No way he’d snitch if showing his face anywhere meant his own arrest. Doubts vanished; beastkin instinct to submit to the stronger filled the void.
“Met a few mixed beastkin before.”
“...Hybrids like us elsewhere too?”
“Yeah. Mule beastkin? Sturdy, kind, hardworking eunuchs. Good folk. Eager.”
“Hmm. Our kind adapting out there.”
“Everyone finds their path.”
Plus, his travels let him handle their racial baggage casually—friends in a day.
“Talent.”
“Total talent. Shame he’s just for this voyage.”
Slept in, woke, hierarchy locked. Rare to snag a deck boss that good amid rough seas and rougher crew.
“Said he needs leyline shards?”
“Yep. Essential, so he boarded a salvage ship.”
“Perfect. Won’t finish in one go anyway.”
Leyline shards. Aberrant magistones from leyline twists.
Found only in Deep Blue Line depths, dubbed “Sea God’s retirement chit” by seafarers.
Insane rarity, hellish acquisition, prime for shard armament cores craved by named Shard Knights.
Triple threat jacked prices to match a magitrain; Shard Knights bled for them often.
No way a diving newbie snags one first trip.
“Eggwil, watch him close~ Grab some valuables if you salvage any. Needs it bad, so free passage might lure him back. Sell salvage, learn ropes, boom—full seaman.”
“Grooo. Pilgrim priest. Return to temple someday.”
“Even better. No harder pilgrimage than salvaging.”
Grimlock eyed Hyde, now whale-kicking water, greedily as he approached his ship.
“Hey—priest! Seawater suit your mouth?”
“Don’t know ’bout seawater, but I get why you lot swig that rotten fish piss now!”
“Kuhahaha! You’re sea-ready! Climb up! Sailing soon!”
“Huh? Already?”
“Rest you learn in the real sea—bleeding, eyes gouged!”
Hyde scrambled up the ladder, face screaming no.
Prime sailor. Body reacts before brain to orders. Military or long communal life.
Rattle-rattle-rattle—
Thick chain anchor wound up the massive winch,
Vrooom—
Pffft!
Aging but potent magiengine from retired old-gen magitrain coughed awake with a heavy sigh.
“Ah, can’t beat this moment!”
Thirty years diving since Grimlock hit the sea. More home than land, yet this thrill matched his first voyage.
His treasure lurked out there somewhere.
Siiiip—
“Sail—ho!!!”
Ancient launch cry, one of few unchanged amid changed ship and sea.
“Rig sails! Before calm morning sea fades, engine plus wind—straight to salvage spot!”
“Yeeess~”
Crew voices slouched familiarly.
“Gruk. Monk, sailed before?”
“Uh... no?”
“Weird. Didn’t teach rope grips or pulls.”
“Yeah? Feels familiar though?”
“Woo. Natural.”
And the rookie priest nailing untaught tasks effortlessly.
‘This voyage’s got good vibes! Awesome!’
Grimlock savored the rare bloodless launch, steering out.
To distant seas. Legendary ones that don’t let seamen die old.
****
.....
....
...
...
..
.
.
.
[You’ve come.]
[You’ve gone and come.]
At the distant sea’s heart, one gazed quietly at the surface.
Leyline burst core. Deepest abyss where tiniest bubble flipped ships.
Catching the harbor’s distant ripple, he trickled a wavelet to the snout of the huddled form beside.
[Time to wake. He’s here.]
.
.
.
.
Groooowl—
Rock—no, rock-like—drew deep breath at his voice.
Eyelids rose slow at familiar scent in inhaled seawater.
Vertical slit pupil, eyes deeper blue than sea.
『...Waking me means you’ve come again.』
[Faster than last. Salmon-like fool. Leaves unknowing, returns anyway.]
『More wondrous still. Don’t cheapen it as carnal instinct.』
....Crunch!
『Then, prepare what he entrusted.』
Groooar—!
Tiny quake as the long-sleeping being breathed; trapped air decades shoved sea aside, birthing huge bubbles.
Clouded brine, flying coral shards.
White beard trailed its shaking head.
[No, not that.]
『Hm?』
[This time, “a bit more.”]
『...A bit more?』
The giant queried; old man’s shape nodded quiet.
[Told you. “He” is here.]
『Ah, damn.』
.
.
.
.
Grooooom—
Crack! Crraaack!
『Such, such, such...』
The dragon shook its head, rising.
Broken wing shed sleep-bound coral; rock-lid eyelids lit eyes long veiled.
One blue eye where two should gleam.
Broken wing, scales shattered beyond count.
Duty, promise. Scars of waiting time.
『...Which one?』
Dragon asked; old man answered.
[Both.]
Long-awaited reply.
[The lost and the seeker. Both have come.]
Wave-woven old man caressed the glowing blue gem at core.
My sea, flow to needed place at needed time.
You’ve reached. This moment.
Dragon eyed old man’s laden gaze, then flung gaze to distant sea.
『If we’re “first,” it’s early yet.』
[Yes. Fate can’t flow all scripted.]
『True. But “both”... uncanny, no?』
Dragon savored rare joy.
Both. At wait’s end and start, both arrived...
.
.
.
.
Groooar!
『You’re right. Salmon indeed.』
[Heaven’s decree.]
『Or will akin.』
Dragon and old man eyed surface wavelet.
Splaash!
“Rock! Roooock!!!!! Captain Rock!!! Ship! Ship’s stopped dead! Bow’s skyward!!! Do somethingggg!”
“I’m doing my part—handle extras yourself! Aura Knights on big continentals hack such waves!”
“I-I’m half-ass Aura Knight!”
“Good for you! Useless! Help Will! Half-anchor down, balance and ride!”
“...Half?”
“Brace the winch with your body!”
“Groooowaaaaaagh!!!! Arms ripping off!!!”
Teetering steamship rode wild waves, crew screaming atop.
Among them, man familiar to both.
[Hyde’s same as ever.]
『Miraculous.』
They watched Hyde’s yells, then glanced opposite.
Past Lordric seas.
Another continent liner left port same time as Hyde’s salvager, face familiar too.
[Like they’re charging each other.]
The long-aged mage sighed at their stark forms.
Early yet, but after 200+ years, the moment neared.
Riding waves, to the pair who’d forgotten even waiting.
****