Chapter 51
Chapter 51
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: Deep Sea Dungeon Conquest (1)
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‘Well, who would’ve thought we’d run into each other there. How embarrassing.’
I washed off the blood splattered on my body with hot water and laundered my soiled clothes. Ah, damn it... I really need a drink. Instead of going to sleep, I headed downstairs. In the tavern where the campfire was still burning, I ordered some cheese and the most expensive bottle of wine, just as I had originally planned.
I filled a round wine glass to the brim with red wine and was just about to take a sip.
-Thud, thud.
Along with the sound of heavy footsteps, Lloyd appeared from the direction of the stairs.
“......”
“......”
We stared at each other in silence for a moment. I was the first to break the quiet.
“......Care for a drink?”
“Indeed.”
“Have a seat.”
“......”
Lloyd glanced around the room before sitting down across from me. As I pulled out another glass to pour some wine, he raised a hand to stop me. Then, he pulled a flask from his pocket.
‘It’s silver.’
It was wrapped in leather, and though faded with age, it was clearly made of silver.
‘A noble after all?’
Ordinary mercenaries used tin flasks. One made of silver was a luxury item. The leather wrapping was probably to hide ornate engravings or gold inlays.
He didn’t seem to want his status revealed...
‘......No need to pry right now.’
With the important Deep Sea Dungeon conquest ahead, there was no point in provoking him. If he got offended and quit, it would only hurt me.
“Whiskey?”
“Bourbon.”
Not expensive wheat-based white whiskey, but cheap corn-based bourbon. Surprising. Highborn types usually had picky tastes.
As I speculated to myself, my throat grew parched, so I lifted my wine to wet my lips.
“Why not teach her yourself?”
“......Pardon?”
It was an out-of-left-field question. Teach what?
“You’re quite skilled.”
“Ah......”
He meant El.
“She’s a warrior. She needs to learn how to properly wield a sword now. All I have are miscellaneous tricks.”
“For miscellaneous tricks, you didn’t hesitate at all.”
“I’ve been a mercenary for no short time myself. I’ve been through a lot.”
“......”
“Cutting down others to survive is nothing.”
“Is that so.”
Lloyd took another sip of his whiskey.
“What about El?”
“......”
“Not as her self-proclaimed master, but that child definitely has talent.”
“......”
Lloyd continued sipping his whiskey without a word.
Only after a long pause did he finally open his tightly shut mouth.
“Do you know her true identity?”
“......”
Caught off guard by the unexpected remark, I couldn’t respond immediately.
‘True identity?’
‘Could he know about El... about Elizabeth Reinhardt?’
Masking my expression, I looked at Lloyd with a calm face.
“I’m not sure what you mean. True identity...?”
“I know her well.”
“......”
“Of course, she doesn’t know me...”
“......”
“......Elizabeth Reinhardt.”
He whispered the name in a very low, secretive voice.
“......”
“......”
We gazed at each other without speaking.
“Going to pretend you don’t know?”
“How much do you know?”
“It’s well-known that the Reinhardt Duke’s family was exiled to the Cursed Land.”
“......”
“When I arrived at the Cursed Land, it was already too late. I had to put down the person who was once the Reinhardt Duke’s wife myself... no, an undead.”
“......”
“I thought the Reinhardt Duke’s daughter had met a tragic end as well. I wanted to at least recover her body properly, but I couldn’t find any trace.”
Knights rarely visited borderlands like Galopik. That’s why it had seemed odd...
Had he gone to the Cursed Land to rescue the Reinhardt Duke’s family?
“......Who the hell are you?”
“I could ask you the same.”
“......”
“What’s your deal, taking in the duke’s daughter...”
Lloyd’s one eye pierced right through me.
‘Stay calm. If he tried to save the duke’s family, he wouldn’t harm El.’
Clearing my throat, I answered steadily.
“Fine. I’ll be honest.”
“......”
“I found El in the Cursed Land, and when I learned she was the Reinhardt Duke’s daughter... honestly, I was surprised too.”
“......”
“It wasn’t some cheap pity that made me save her. I happened to need an apprentice, and El needed protection. That’s all.”
I didn’t mention that El would later become the [Silver Lion Reinhardt]. There was no point in talking about future events—he wouldn’t understand.
“Wandering around with Reinhardt blood could get you killed anytime. And that’s ‘all’?”
“......”
“You’re clever. Cutting her hair, dressing her like a boy, changing her name—even I couldn’t recognize her at first glance.”
“......”
“Not until I saw the sword of Duke Reinhardt that she possesses...”
So that’s what it was.
“......You figured it out.”
“It’s hard to ignore a sword like that.”
Lloyd stroked his beard and took another sip of whiskey.
“So...... what do you plan to do? Take El away?”
He had come to the Cursed Land from the start to find someone from the Reinhardt family. I could easily guess what he wanted.
‘Surely not planning a rebellion...’
As if reading my mind, Lloyd set down his flask and let out a deep sigh.
“......It’s already too late.”
Too late? I looked at him with eyes full of questions, but he said nothing more and stood up.
“Lloyd.”
“What you’re worried about won’t happen.”
With those final words, he headed upstairs.
* * *
As he said, the thing I was worried about didn’t happen.
Lloyd didn’t say a word to El about it. Nor did he leave us. He simply continued teaching her diligently. El feared Lloyd, but as she learned swordsmanship from him, her skills improved day by day. Combined with the quick wits and instincts she learned from Jamila, and the precision Lloyd taught her, El’s swordsmanship surpassed that of most mercenaries.
Roshnak, too, learned faster with each passing day, as befitting one with mermaid blood. Mermaids were mystical beings constantly attuned to the sea’s magic, so it was no surprise that Roshnak absorbed magic at several times the speed of a human. Iris was amazed at how Roshnak soaked up magical knowledge like a sponge. Bloodlines are not to be underestimated.
And finally, me...
Currently level 38. I was on the verge of leaping into mid-high Druid territory.
Conquering the Deep Sea Dungeon would net me at least 2 levels. At level 40 as a mid-high Druid, I’d finally be able to use [Sun Light].
Far more powerful than [Moon Light], it was a straight counter to undead and could nullify darkness magic like [Dark Veil].
If I properly trained [Sun Light], I’d have near-invincibility in areas plagued by undead...
......Well, that’s a story for after I get it.
Anyway, what matters now is something else.
The [Submission] skill obtained at level 38.
Unlike [Beast Summon], this was a step above. While [Beast Summon] simply summoned a beast and allowed basic commands, the [Submission] skill formed a mental link with the target, enabling direct orders and precise control.
Our powerhouse, the shadow wolf Isla, couldn’t come to the Deep Sea Dungeon. Isla was unmatched in forests and plains, but underwater was a different story.
Without Isla, I needed a new beast companion—one suitable for the Deep Sea Dungeon.
I borrowed a small boat from the Katarina Merchant Company and headed out to sea.
This was also a chance to test the gill potion for the Deep Sea Dungeon and the giant bladder frogs.
-Splashhhh.
-Splash.
Reaching the middle of the ocean, I ground up dried angelfish gills into powder, mixed it with tadpole slime, and swallowed the potion I’d made.
“Urk.”
It tasted revolting. But what could I do but endure?
After about ten minutes, gills sprouted on the skin between my neck and collarbone, and thin membranes like frog webbing formed between my fingers.
‘Amazing.’
I grabbed a few bladder frog seeds and dove into the sea.
-Splash!
It took time to get used to it, but thanks to the gills, breathing was no issue.
‘Roshnak will be fine, but I should have El and Lloyd take it beforehand and practice breathing underwater.’
The potion’s effect lasted about a day.
It was crucial to take more before it wore off.
Otherwise, we’d drown in the Deep Sea Dungeon...
‘Of course, I brought giant bladder frogs as a backup.’
For testing, I held a giant bladder frog seed and used [Breath of the Forest]. It grew in an instant. Bigger than a human head—like a watermelon—it was filled with air inside.
I cut the root at the base, stuck my head into the opening, and felt clean air.
“Phew!”
In a pinch, I could wear it like a helmet and float to the surface.
It was like a life preserver.
‘In emergencies, we could weave the roots together into a boat.’
Removing the giant bladder frog, I swam deeper into the sea. The webbing between my fingers made swimming much easier.
Colorful corals grew beautifully, and vibrant fish darted endlessly between them.
It reminded me of the aquarium from my childhood.
‘......Not the time.’
Shaking off the creeping memories of reality, I swam toward the deeper sea.
‘At this depth, they should start showing up soon...’
Scanning the quiet seabed, I drew my dagger from my waist and made a small cut on my thumb. A bit of blood dispersed, and I immediately used Wound Healing.
This much blood should suffice.
-Shoooo......
Sure enough, a black shape was rapidly swimming toward me from afar.
‘One mistake and I’m dead.’
I swallowed hard and stared straight at the black shape.
‘Come on.’