Chapter 32
Chapter 32
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: Sailing Against the King Squid
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1
"Seasickness meds, stamina potions, recovery potions, and painkillers—all together, that's 700,000 gildings."
The general store owner clicked away on his abacus.
An abacus, huh? Haven't seen one of those in ages.
I mulled over the faded memories as I handed over my entire coin pouch.
"Got any javelins, harpoons, or sturdy ropes?"
"We carry them here too. How many do you need?"
"Hmm..."
To catch a king squid, you need harpoons or javelins tied to ropes—essential gear.
The amount depends wildly on how long the fight lasts, but better to have too much than run short.
"I'll take everything you've got."
"You sure...? That'll run you this much..."
The owner clicked the abacus again.
The number he showed easily topped three digits, but I nodded without hesitation.
"Yeah, that's fine. Just prep it all. There's plenty of gold coins in this pouch."
"Got it. Thank you, sir!"
The owner bowed at a perfect right angle and dashed to the warehouse.
Watching his back gave me a strange thrill.
Ah! So this is what it feels like to blow money like it's nothing...!
Hard to believe it's me—the guy who used to agonize over buying a single beer at the convenience store.
Now that I'd opened my eyes to the joy I'd ignored all this time, Louis narrowed his eyes beside me.
"Quit spending so damn much... That's our federation funds..."
"I'm not blowing it recklessly."
"You... You're a demon, you little shit..."
"You're too much, Senior. Keep this up, and I'll blow it all."
"Urk... Demon spawn..."
If it were my own money, I wouldn't spend so wildly without a second thought.
But it's someone else's—someone I don't even need to feel awkward around.
I puffed out my chest proudly, and Louis clutched the back of his neck, but that's personal stuff, so let's move on.
The owner soon dragged out several large crates.
Too heavy to carry myself, so I asked him to deliver them—as far as the harbor.
Even after dropping all that cash, the federation's funds were still plenty healthy.
"But how exactly do you plan to catch the king squid? It's out in the middle of the ocean."
"If it's in the sea, we go out to sea. Duh."
"Who doesn't know that? The issue is how we get out there."
"You're more of a worrywart than I thought, Senior. We take a ship, obviously."
"You... If you didn't have that one weakness..."
Man, I just can't help teasing Louis.
Anyway, a ship is essential for taking down a king squid.
It's a boss you can only barely hunt by sailing out into the open ocean.
So we went around inquiring about ships.
Nothing too small—we needed something big enough to withstand the king squid's attacks.
Fortunately, Bayford is a port city.
Everything from little fishing boats to massive cruise liners.
A warship would be ideal, but even in Bayford, those don't just sail around.
In the end, after much deliberation, the miracle of securing a ship... didn't happen.
"No one's lending us a boat..."
"Obviously. Some random outsiders show up out of nowhere asking to borrow a ship to hunt the king squid—who'd hand one over easily? Worst case, it sinks. Even if you kill it, a wrecked ship means no more fishing runs. Pointless."
Ugh, harsh facts.
Louis looked smug, like he'd scored a point.
"This is all because the federation's funds are so tight. Normally, Senior, throwing around enough money solves problems like this."
"Invest that kind of cash, and you'd be better off just buying the damn ship."
"We'd have done that if we had more."
"Even if we bought one, no one to sail it. And just so you know, I can't navigate."
Fair point.
I lack navigation skills too, so we'd need to hire a captain separately.
Hard to find someone eager to sail out against a king squid unless they're a total weirdo.
"In the game, you just talked to an NPC and they'd send you off!"
"Game? Like... a board game, maybe."
"Anyway, what's the best move without a ship?"
"Why ask me...?"
Louis looked exasperated but stroked his chin and pondered seriously.
Of course, no matter how much he thought, the answer stayed the same.
"We need a ship."
"Figured as much. Perfect timing if someone steps up to help right now."
"Then now's the perfect time to step up!"
A cheerful voice rang out from behind, making Louis and me both turn.
Standing there with arms crossed was a woman with vivid red hair cascading over a Renaissance-style frilled blouse.
A heavy-looking red coat, a saber at her waist, and a single-shot blunderbuss.
Her rugged, sea-dog vibe clashed with striking red eyes that didn't fit the ocean at all, and she adjusted the pirate hat on her head as she raised her voice.
"I've heard the news! You're looking for a ship to take down the king squid! If that's true, count on my full cooperation!"
Music to my ears.
But... I couldn't help staring at the skull mark on her hat.
Red coat, frilled blouse, skull-marked hat—has to be that, right?
"Grateful for the help, but... are you a pirate by any chance?"
"Calling me a mere pirate? How rude, young sir. Listen up—I'm Carolina Swift! Future great pirate!"
"Future great pirate" means regular pirate for now, right?
Wait, aren't pirates criminals?
She just wanders around like this?
"Ah, don't mind it. The captain's a bit eccentric, but she's just a fisherwoman."
A crewman in a hood and striped shirt stepped up beside Carolina and bowed lightly.
"Who're you calling a fisherwoman, Solomon! Pirate—I'm a pirate! You're the proud first mate of the Swift Pirates, aren't you?"
"Yes, yes, that's right. First mate. Anyway, Captain, the king squid's been rampaging, messing with us too. So when we heard someone was stepping up to handle it, we came to check it out ourselves. Let's settle that first?"
"Hmm, right. Can't forget the goal. As expected of my first mate."
....
....
So, yeah—no normal person eagerly volunteers for a king squid hunt.
Wait, no.
Wrong premise.
In Broken World, normal people are rare as hell.
Nine out of ten folks you pass on the street are nuts. That's a fact.
But beggars can't be choosers.
If a self-proclaimed future great pirate fisherwoman offers help, I'll take it.
"Then we'll gladly accept your assistance, Captain Carolina."
"Mm, mm! Rolls off the tongue nicely! When do we sail?"
"Nighttime's best. Most supplies are ready. Mind if we load them aboard? Where's the ship...?"
"That one, over there."
Carolina pointed to the corner of the harbor.
One ship was docked there.
A massive galleon with who-knows-how-many sails.
Its sheer presence made it impossible to mistake for a fishing vessel—Louis and I were both awestruck.
"That size should hold up fine even against the king squid..."
"Naturally. The Goin' Thunder may not look it, but she's the biggest ship in Bayford."
The crewman explained, and Carolina puffed out her chest proudly.
"Now you see what kind of pirate I am!"
"Yeah... I get a pretty good idea."
Not just the size—the crew trusts her implicitly.
Pirate or not, she must have the skills and charisma to back it up.
But that giant skull on the sails... is that okay?
No clue on that one....
2
Whoosh... splash...!
The Goin' Thunder cleaved through the waves.
The massive galleon glided silently over the sea, belying its bulk.
The sun had long set, leaving sky and sea indistinguishable in the darkness, but the Goin' Thunder pressed on without hesitation.
"...Can't see a damn thing."
Louis grumbled beside me.
But squid fishing's a nighttime gig.
Even back home, our local boats always headed out at night around seven—I saw it plenty during my part-time gigs.
"We're nearing the king squid's waters! Listen up, lads! Stay sharp!"
"""Aye, ma'am!"""
The crew responded in perfect unison to Carolina's shout.
She looked immensely pleased—even visible in the dark.
"Prepare lanterns!"
"Lanterns ready!"
"Full power!"
At Carolina's booming command, the Goin' Thunder lit up bright.
The magic lanterns blazed like midday sun, piercing the black sea.
"Now we lure the prey! Reduce speed to 30!"
"Speed 30!"
The Goin' Thunder noticeably slowed.
It crept forward over the waves for about ten minutes.
An eerily calm sea, but no one relaxed.
Then, without warning—it hit.
Boom! A heavy impact rocked the ship wildly.
I gripped the bow railing and crouched low, but the world spun like a top, flinging my body every which way.
Good thing I took the seasickness meds ahead of time.
Otherwise, I'd have puked up my guts by now.
"Port 15 degrees! Hard to port!"
"Port 15! Turning!"
The Goin' Thunder veered sharply.
A massive wave grazed the hull.
A split-second later, and we'd have taken it full-on.
Even with her size, it wouldn't capsize us, but it sure wouldn't be pretty.
We barely dodged, and the sea calmed.
Just when I thought the freak storm was over—
Groooar...!!
A roar split the air as the sea rose.
Something enormous surged from the depths, impossible to mistake.
Its pristine white body gleamed under the Goin' Thunder's lights, asserting its presence in the night.
The tapered torso alone stretched 10 meters above the surface, with a wide span to support it, and the legs? Forget it.
So massive even its eyes dwarfed a man's.
Unlike a normal squid, its prominent mouth could swallow people whole with room to spare.
This was the king squid.
King of squids, as named.
Its size alone dwarfed standard specimens.
Way bigger than on the monitor, huh?
Makes sense—boss fights get fancy camera work in games for dramatic effect.
Splash!!
The king squid's legs burst from the water.
Ten tentacles writhing with suckers—enough to grab the Goin' Thunder, twist it like laundry, and then some.
"All hands—open fire! Give that squid a taste of thunder!!"
"Fire!!"
Bang! Boom!!
But Carolina didn't wait politely.
The port-side cannons, angled 15 degrees, nailed the king squid's face perfectly.
The volley scored clean hits.
Explosions bloomed in the night, shrouding its face.
The incoming tentacles vanished back into the depths.
"...."
"...."
No one asked if it was dead.
Instead, an eerie silence and foreboding spread like sea mist.
I gripped Deathwise's hilt tight without thinking.
Splash!!
A tentacle exploded from the surface, thrashing wildly.
The smoke cleared from the blast, revealing the king squid's face—stained red, with mere scratches.
Pissed off, big time.
"Now it begins! Eyes sharp, lads!"
At Carolina's bellow, the crew sprang into frantic action.
Just like she said—the king squid hunt was only getting started.
-Hmm, odd for a squid, but...
Deathwise muttered something, but it didn't matter much.
The job ahead was the same either way.
Shing.
I drew Deathwise and plunged into the king squid subjugation.