Chapter 58
Chapter 58
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: A Weapon is a Luxury for a Brawler (4)
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I focused on dodging while using Lagia to trip up the weakened enemies.
The fight definitely got easier. But there were just too many mermaids climbing up from the sea. Some of the sailors joined the fray only to get injured and had to flee back to Bishop Orchid in the engine room.
"If the fight drags on, we'll be at a complete disadvantage."
I shouted. The crown prince replied in an irritated tone.
"I know that much!"
We'd been sailing with the sun so far, but the sunset was already creeping in.
Amid the fierce battle, two mermaids were sneaking up behind the crown prince. They'd just caught my crow and slammed it to the deck, so it couldn't warn him.
"Prince Thymeus!"
On instinct, I hurled Lagia at the mermaids lunging for Thymeus.
[Here I go!]
Thud! Lagia's blade caught their gills, halting their movement. The crown prince used the opening to dodge.
But then he glared at me. I'd just saved him—why?
'If I help you, shouldn't you be grateful instead of glaring?'
I shrugged and looked down at my empty hands. I really had nothing left to do. To open the door to death, I'd need to summon Cosmo, but that would be as good as announcing I was a necromancer.
Walking into that fish party barehanded? I was confident I'd go down heroically.
The crown prince rallied and kicked several fish back into the sea one after another. Pippin was helping him out when...
"Who keeps picking fights in my territory?"
An unfamiliar voice rang out. A man hopped onto the deck with far more agile movements. His eyes had no whites—just black sclera filled with yellow pupils. His body was human-shaped, but his tough, black skin looked like a wetsuit.
"Can you humans breathe underwater? Want me to test that?"
He was as big as the crown prince, but compared to the other mermaids, he seemed smaller. Still, his overall presence screamed he wasn't ordinary.
Not ordinary at all. I opened his status window right away. And I knew.
This was the guy. The one I had to feed a taste of defeat.
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Name: Enbi
Class: Warrior
Personality: Jealousy - Easily swayed by others' words, but high achievement potential.
Trait: Euphoria - Feels ecstasy in battle. Each effective hit makes the next attack stronger.
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Prince Thymeus drew his sword at the sudden intruder.
"Mermaid? Don't interfere. We're here for a greater cause."
"What, you wanna fight? I don't enjoy scrapping with humans, but I never back down from a challenge."
Enbi replied with glee, puffing up his body. A killer whale mermaid through and through. If he wanted, he could swell to the size of this ship. Right now, he was holding back, matching the crown prince's build to keep things exciting.
Enbi was a battle junkie. In the original scenario, his conflict with the heroine stemmed from his aggressive nature.
I knew all of Enbi's skills. They were all headaches. On this deck, he'd probably just ram headfirst like a brute, but even that wasn't easy to shrug off.
"Prince Thymeus."
I stepped behind him.
"He's no pushover. He has a trait where each hit he lands makes his next attack stronger."
"How do you know that? You know him?"
The crown prince shot me a sharp glare.
"Answer properly, or I'll deal with you first, Sierra."
"You sure you could take me? You can't just kill the Duke of Gluttony on this ship for personal reasons."
"Cheeky brat."
"Forgot already, Your Highness? What happened in the library. I told you—I was looking up materials on beast subjugation."
I brushed it off with a vague excuse. The crown prince scowled but nodded reluctantly.
"Convenient library you've got there."
"Not the time. As Your Highness said, we're here for a greater cause, aren't we?"
Our exchange was brief, but Enbi couldn't wait. He roared with a manic laugh.
"How long you gonna flirt? Fight me, human!"
He was still rampaging alone for now. But who knew when he'd call in his buddies.
Killer whales are social creatures. True to his orca nature, Enbi could summon hordes of allies. In game dungeons, his route was the easiest—high mana cost and debuffs, but his "Call the Pod" skill cleared areas in one go.
'I can't let him use that skill.'
I signaled the crown prince with my eyes, asking if I could step in. He fell back a step in approval.
"Hey. How dare you challenge our crown prince. Shouldn't you reveal your identity first?"
I stepped forward boldly. Enbi was arrogant and overconfident. Like a wild animal, he ignored the weak. Showing fear would just expose a weakness.
"And who're you? Hmm, strong, are ya? You look weak to me."
My hunch was right. Enbi showed curiosity instead of outright dismissal. In the original, he'd sneered at everyone. I couldn't let him underestimate me.
"Wanna know who I am? Then you first. What are you?"
Enbi grinned ear-to-ear, looking down at me. His massive frame and pitch-black eyes radiated the biological cruelty of an orca.
"I'm Enbi. Lord of this sea."
His cocky, menacing vibe made me want to bow and say, "Oh, I see."
"And the owner of this weapon too."
[Finally, someone found me. Thought I'd end up as ship scrap. Wait, is that Enbi? Enbi! It's me, Lagia!]
Enbi picked up Lagia from the deck.
Oops. I'd forgotten I tossed it to save the crown prince.
My mouth went dry. I could taste the sea salt. This moment felt so precious, even a second wasted hurt.
Lagia was still in scythe form tuned to me, and the crown prince wasn't holding his sword.
Fights at sea favored them.
"How can I believe you?"
I furrowed my brow and shrugged. Then I stepped back from Enbi, casually scanning the ship while speaking loud enough for him to hear clearly.
"Lord of the sea? You claiming ownership over this vast ocean? Ridiculous."
"No reason for you to believe me."
"Guess you don't have the means to make me. And neither does that weapon."
Enbi's expression shifted oddly. I kept a straight face and pressed on.
"That's my scythe—a gift. Our crown prince bestowed it on me."
I stepped aside theatrically, letting Enbi see Thymeus. The prince matched Enbi's arrogance, sword held vertically with both hands, chin raised. Annoying as hell, but his regal aura worked here.
"No one more fitting to claim lordship than our crown prince."
Thymeus eyed me suspiciously. I ignored him and piled on the nonsense praise.
"The strongest in the Noamaz Empire—even as a child, unmatched. Now he's subjugating sea beasts atop this ocean. With a noble heart for all. Who else but Prince Thymeus could claim lordship of the seas?"
Both Thymeus and Enbi reacted at once.
"Hah, little human spouting nonsense."
"Sierra. Overdoing it."
I rolled my eyes at Thymeus—shut up. Before he could retort, I approached Enbi.
"You're either lying or weak. No way the real lord of the sea would brag like that. And a thief too—trying to steal my scythe."
[Hey, Sierra? Can't agree with that. I gotta be with Enbi. Well, doesn't matter what I want. Tradition and all.]
Enbi gripped Lagia tighter and looked down at me.
"You heard Lagia. I need this scrap."
[To think I'd get this treatment—hahaha! Worrying about Enbi was dumb of me!]
Lagia sounded sulky. Still stuck in scythe form proved it.
"There must be a reason you're forcing my scythe away."
"If it's force, then you..."
"Or maybe you're scared you'll lose?"
Enbi's face twisted into a full grin. He tossed Lagia aside. It clattered across the deck again.
[What a cursed fate. Not even funny.]
Enbi grabbed my throat.
"Say that again, human."
"Khk, y-you're weak... that's..."
I strained my whole body, forcing the smuggest look I could.
"Sierra!"
Thymeus charged with sword drawn. I gripped Enbi's wrist with one hand and waved Thymeus off with the other. He hesitated.
Tensing up, I smirked at Enbi. His face crumbled.
"Weak, so you... khk... gotta rely on a weapon, right?"
"......"
"Like a frail human."
Enbi dropped me. I clutched my throat, coughing dryly to clear it.
"Lady Sierra."
Bishop Orchid rushed over to support me. I could feel his tension.
But I felt relieved. The board was tilting my way now.
Enbi's aggression came with massive pride in his strength. Poke that ego? He'd be cornered. Taking Lagia meant admitting weakness.
Just like a human. Enbi hated that comparison most. I remembered a bad end where the heroine said it. Superiority complex incarnate.
"You wouldn't stoop to fighting with a weapon like some puny human, right?"
I smiled. Enbi knew he'd fallen for my bait but couldn't back down. Too many eyes.
"If you're so strong, prove it. Against our crown prince."