Skirmish on the Emerald Lake
After the wild party at the tavern following the preliminary skirmish on the lake, I woke up, drove away the hangover with mana, and stepped out of the inn.
"How the hell does that old man’s stomach even work?"
"Northerners eat a lot too, but Westerners are on another level."
"My head is killing me…"
"You should’ve known when to stop."
Everyone except Beatrice, who hadn’t touched a drop, was suffering from a hangover—probably because we’d pushed ourselves too hard the day before. Wondering about the mysterious digestive powers of Westerners, we made our way toward the bustling harbor.
We had spent the previous night eating, drinking, and discussing tomorrow’s plans, so we’d agreed to head for the submerged ruins around lunchtime. Considering the time needed to prepare, leaving now made sense.
The harbor was already alive with activity. Countless people hurried about, loading supplies in preparation for departure. At the center stood Jackson, commanding hundreds of sailors.
"Move faster! We set sail in thirty minutes!"
"""Aye! Aye! Captain!"""
At Jackson’s roar, the sailors answered in unison and picked up their pace. It was hard to believe these were the same men who had been laughing and carousing with us the night before. Their discipline was ironclad now.
Watching the supplies being loaded at impressive speed, we headed toward Jackson. He had been speaking with nearby scholars when he spotted us and broke into a welcoming grin.
"You’re up earlier than I expected."
"A Silver-rank adventurer’s resistance is more than enough. More importantly, how are the preparations coming along?"
"Not bad. We were already gearing up to face the Ruler of the Lake anyway."
Jackson led us to a nearby table and placed several miniature ships onto a map of Emerald Lake. Seven vessels were arranged around a red X marked on the chart.
"You heard the plan while we were drinking yesterday, so I’ll keep it brief. In the Odyssey Maritime Kingdom, the number of ships a captain can command depends on their rank."
"A first-class captain has two second-class captains under them, and each of those has four third-class captains. That’s the basic structure, right?"
"You know your stuff."
"I used to work at the guild, after all. I know the basics."
"Then I don’t need to waste time explaining the fundamentals!"
Jackson laughed, pleased, and rested his hand on the map. Since the basic explanation was no longer necessary, it was time to get to the heart of the matter.
"As I said yesterday, our goal is to spread out around the flagship and lure out the Ruler of the Lake. We can’t attack it directly, but we can handle the small fry nearby."
"So while Jackson’s fleet keeps the monsters busy, we strike at the Ruler itself."
"Exactly. This is an improvised team—we can’t pull off anything more complicated. You’re not the Wave Knights who train with the fleet, after all."
Jackson shrugged lightly and pressed his fingertip against the table. The surface rippled as though he had dipped his hand into water, and his finger sank right in. When he pulled it back out, the table was once again solid wood, as if nothing had happened.
Grinning, he looked at us.
"Of course, you don’t have to worry about fighting on water. The Ruler will try to interfere, but I’ll use my ability to let you run across the surface like solid ground."
"So this is the famous Western Mystery."
"I don’t know if it’s a Mystery or what, but thanks to this we can sail the roughest seas."
I touched the table with a curious expression. The hard wooden texture felt completely at odds with what I had just witnessed. Yet this very ability was what allowed Westerners to navigate their treacherous waters.
After clearing the miniature ships away, Jackson gave us a meaningful look.
"As you know, a first-class captain holds enormous importance in Odyssey. Unless it’s a grand fleet led by a special-class captain, any major operation requires someone like me."
"The Maritime Kingdom must consider this matter quite important if they’re willing to send a fleet of this size."
"You could say that. Though to be precise, it’s not just because of the excavation team—it’s because of the North."
The North? I looked at him, puzzled. Jackson hesitated for a moment, then shrugged.
"Well… you’re Silver-rank adventurers, so I suppose it’s fine to tell you. There’s going to be a large-scale summit in the Central region soon."
"Between the North and the West?"
"No. All regions."
I froze. If Jackson was telling the truth, the North was summoning key figures from the West, East, Central, and South for discussions.
"Because of Magranas, I assume."
"Probably. Seven years ago, the North suffered catastrophic losses because of that monster."
"It was a massive incident that killed or injured hundreds of elite warriors."
The "elite warriors" mentioned here referred to at least Silver-rank adventurers or nobles. According to the information gathered by the frontline command, exactly 512 people had died that day. Even counting non-combat personnel, the number was staggering—and the wounded were several times that figure.
The aftermath had been chaos. Dozens of noble houses had vanished entirely, and just as many bloodlines had been severed. Some factions had been forced into hasty generational transitions, while others had gone into seclusion, still unable to recover from the damage.
Jackson seemed to recall the same events. He placed a pipe between his lips and shook his head.
"It was unbelievable. Everyone on the continent knew the North’s strength, and the losses you suffered shocked the entire world."
"That’s why they’re called Named Monsters."
"Our region has one too, which is why we’re worried. You know about it—the Ruler of the Ocean, Leviathan."
I searched my memory. Thanks to my close ties with scholars during my guild days, I had heard more than enough about Named Monsters, including those from other regions.
Recalling Leviathan’s characteristics, I looked at Jackson.
"Absolute dominion over all water—that was the ability attributed to Leviathan, wasn’t it?"
"Correct. Our ancestors discovered it after losing hundreds of ships in the distant past."
"That’s a terrible matchup for Westerners."
"Terrible doesn’t even begin to cover it. In front of that thing, we’re nothing but helpless minnows."
Jackson ground his teeth around the pipe in displeasure. For Westerners who specialized in water manipulation, Leviathan was beyond despair. And with Magranas rampaging in the North recently, everyone now understood just how monstrous a Named Monster’s power truly was.
If Leviathan were to go on a rampage in the West, hundreds of islands would be swallowed by the sea. That was likely why every region had accepted the North’s summit invitation. When you couldn’t solve a problem alone, the logical choice was to unite.
Who would sit idly by when an unpredictable bomb sat right next to their home? As for the peaceful Central region… well, in an unprecedented alliance of all regions, they probably joined simply to avoid being left out and ostracized.
"An envoy from the excavation team came with a request for cooperation. After several months of meetings, the West decided to cooperate, and we’re helping the excavation team as a gesture of goodwill."
"That explains it. I thought it was strange that a first-class captain was assigned just to assist with an excavation."
His words finally resolved my doubts. No matter how significant the excavation team’s discovery was, it hadn’t made sense for a first-class captain to be here—until now.
To lighten the heavy atmosphere, Jackson clapped his hands and flashed a cheerful grin.
"Well! We can worry about the headache-inducing problems later. For now, let’s focus on dealing with the Ruler of the Lake!"
"Good idea. The sailors look ready, so shall we depart?"
"Already this late?"
Checking the time, Jackson realized thirty minutes had passed and headed for his flagship. We followed and boarded as well. Once aboard, Jackson looked at the ships lined up on either side and shouted, his voice infused with mana so that every word reached every ear.
"Listen up, you bastards! Are you ready?"
"""Yes, sir!"""
"As you know, today we’re going to crush the Ruler of the Lake! Our job is to slaughter the small fry until the Northern adventurers can take down the big one! Any complaints?"
"""None!"""
"Unfortunately, there are no Wave Knights in this fleet! We came here to excavate ruins—we never expected something like this to happen! So today, you’ll have to be satisfied with killing small fry!"
"""Understood!"""
"Then set sail! Raise the anchors!"
"""Aye! Aye! Captain!"""
The unity was impressive. The sailors moved as one, great sails unfurling and anchors rising as the fleet departed. A cool breeze swept across our faces. Watching seven ships cut through the waves was a magnificent sight.
Leaving the scholars and mages waving farewell from the harbor behind us, I looked at Delian and Urek, who were excitedly examining some strange device they had brought aboard. I had no idea what it was, but I trusted they knew what they were doing. Those two were research fanatics who would charge straight into danger no matter how many times they were warned.
"Hehehe, with this, we can map the exact shape of the underwater ruins…"
"And gather information on the Ruler of the Lake…"
I ignored the scholars muttering ominously and looked ahead. The massive ship sliced cleanly through the waves. The sight of the open horizon was refreshing, and naturally, my companions gathered around me. It seemed this was their first time aboard a ship—they gazed at the lake with sparkling eyes.
This was my first time experiencing it too. I was staring blankly at the shimmering emerald waters when the sailors suddenly began moving busily.
"All ships to your positions!"
"""Positions!"""
"Form up here! Keep an eye out—the Ruler of the Lake will appear soon!"
At Jackson’s command, the ships slowed and spread out widely. Watching the sailors scramble about, Jackson turned to us with a grin.
"Alright, friends. Ready to run across the water like it’s solid ground?"
"Of course."
At his words, I looked at the lake with anticipation.
Whooooom!
A strange ripple spread outward from the seven ships. The emerald waters turned blue within the ripple, maintaining its shape and never extending too far from the vessels. Without hesitation, I leapt onto it and landed lightly on the surface.
Splash!
"Whoa. We’re actually standing on water?"
Balancing on the rippling surface with a fascinated expression, I watched as Neon, Adela, and Beatrice also descended onto the water one by one. Their expressions were equally amazed. Jackson, watching from the ship, burst into hearty laughter.
"Hahaha! We’re using the Western Mystery to change the properties of the water in this area into solid ground! As long as you stay inside the blue circle, you won’t sink!"
"This radius should be plenty."
"When the Ruler appears, the water you’re standing on might soften, but it won’t be enough to nullify our Mystery."
I nodded at Jackson’s words. As long as the surface beneath us didn’t turn back into water, we would be fine. Now free to move to some extent in this aquatic environment, we waited confidently for the Ruler of the Lake to appear.
……
How long had we waited, growing accustomed to the sensation of the waves? The lake’s surface gradually grew rougher, signaling that something was approaching. The violently churning waves seemed to reflect their master’s mood.
"It’s coming."
Just as I muttered those words, marine monsters appeared in the distance. The Ruler of the Lake showed no sign of revealing itself—only its minions were visible—but that didn’t matter.
"Open all ports! All hands to battle stations! It’s time to sweep away the small fry!"
"""Aye! Aye! Captain!"""
As Jackson said, the fleet would handle the minions. Once its subordinates fell, the leader would have no choice but to appear.