Water Play Goes Outside the Ship
The continent was vast.
It boasted a landmass larger than all of Asia, and its history had been nothing but endless territorial wars fought within its own borders—never once had its people considered reaching beyond the continent's edge.
Or to be precise, they couldn't have reached beyond it even if they'd wanted to.
The sea beyond the continent was a boundless expanse, an uncharted realm where no land had ever been discovered save for the scattered islands hugging the coastline.
No matter how superhuman these people were—shattering boulders with their bare hands and wielding mysteries beyond mortal comprehension—they had never been able to conquer the 'sea.'
And it wasn't simply because the ocean and its creatures were powerful, or because the people were incapable.
They were just... walled off.
The System had divided the lands inside the continent from those beyond the sea, arranging it so that ships sailing toward each other would pass by without ever meeting.
By using the vast 'barrier' known as the ocean.
And so each side lived out their existence without ever knowing the other existed—until a few months ago, when the wall that had divided the world vanished, and they finally became aware of one another.
Creeeak—!
"The moment the outside world opened up after the Empire's third anniversary, they reached beyond the continent as if they'd been waiting for it all along."
Of course. No one understood these 'anomalies' better than the Empire.
The instant the wall separating them crumbled, the Empire—which held true dominion over the sea—spread its influence across the nearby islands and small continents in the blink of an eye.
Some relationships began as advantageous partnerships; others were colonized outright.
Countless foreign civilizations and nations were in the process of being absorbed into the Empire's orbit—but among them were some genuinely dangerous entities as well.
"And that's the Venetus, right?"
"Exactly. One of the races the Empire was the first to discover—and the first to declare 'do not touch.'"
Redberry said this as she handed me a red drink on the wide-open deck, the horizon stretching endlessly before us.
A cool beverage with ice cubes bobbing on the surface.
Grapefruit flavor.
"Tastes great."
"Glad to hear it. I put some thought into it."
"You seem to know the Venetus well?"
We'd only just started looking into them ourselves in order to get our hands on a mana stone this time, but Redberry seemed to have been familiar with them from long before.
She gave an understanding nod. "Ah... right."
"They're actually closer than you'd think. We've had occasional contact with them from our side, but..."
"But?"
"They're rough. Every now and then they just barge right in."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. But they're not savages either, so..."
It's a rather complicated situation.
"I'll talk things through nicely. It's not like we're going there to fight anyway."
"We're definitely not fighting, right?"
"Of course not."
After having my gold chest taken from me half by force last time, why on earth would I try to grab it back now?
I was going there to negotiate.
To purchase the mana stone at its proper price.
"If nothing goes wrong, we'll be back in no time."
"If nothing goes wrong..."
"Yes."
"When you say it like that, it just makes me more anxious."
"Oh, come on. Nothing's wrong even right now, is it?"
The sea spread out before us, wide and refreshing.
I don't much care for saying things like this, but the truth was that nothing really was wrong.
The Venetus weren't a Concept Race, and nothing in these waters posed a threat to me or the merchant ship.
Even if a higher-rank wind spirit showed up like before, I could subdue it without taking a scratch.
Above all, the greatest threat of the sea—the Disaster of the Sea, Kraken—wouldn't reveal itself until the new year.
I'd confirmed this through the Multicolored Successor, so I was certain.
And so we sailed on.
— We've arrived!
At last, an island came into view.
Even to the naked eye, the island looked considerably large.
It appeared to be a towering volcanic island, red and blue vapor rising from its peak—which suggested it was no ordinary volcano.
Presumably, just as the reports had said, that was the source of the Blue-Red Stone.
Infinitely regenerating mana.
Splash—!!
The ship's captain anchored the vessel at the island's beach.
Since the Venetus lands had no port of their own, this was the only way to bring a ship in.
A knight who had approached alongside the captain stepped forward briskly and handed me a map.
"If you head straight in this direction, you'll come upon the largest Venetus tribe. If you wish to speak with them, this is the best route."
"You've been here before, haven't you?"
"I have."
He was now an elite knight of Elbrit—formerly of Ronhadia—but on this island, he'd once been thoroughly humiliated by nothing more than a pair of children.
For a knight, it must have been a deeply humiliating experience.
"What's the atmosphere like here? I'd rather hear it directly from someone with firsthand experience."
"...To be honest, it's not a strict atmosphere. They've lived their whole lives on this island, yet they're keenly aware of what strength is, and they simply don't feel fear."
"...Hmm."
"Above all, they cherish their tribespeople deeply. Their bonds are so tight that if word spreads that even a single member has been hurt, the elders of the tribe will mobilize at once."
"What do you think is the reason for that?"
"The biggest reason is, first, that their numbers aren't that great, and second, the pride they take in being born of this land's power..."
PABABABAK!!
A thunderous roar erupted from the forest beyond the beach.
Two figures shot forward with terrifying speed, and in a single bound, they landed on the ship's deck.
It was a fairly large merchant ship—the deck stood nearly two stories high off the water—yet the two of them landed as if it were nothing, whipping their heads around in search of someone.
Deep indigo hair and blue-green eyes.
Clothes woven from animal fur, with the mark of blue flames painted across their shoulders.
Going by their height and faces, they were little more than children.
So these are the Venetus.
Their gazes soon landed on me.
"Oh! It's the, the weakling!"
"See! I told you it was him!"
Well—technically, they were looking at the knight standing in front of me.
As the knight took a half-step back, as though recalling that day's memories, I stopped him.
"...Ah."
He was no longer a knight of Ronhadia. He was a knight of the Elbrit Principality now.
Absolutely not a position from which to retreat so easily.
"Don't forget who you are."
"Understood."
The knight straightened his posture and advanced, not so much as blinking at the two children's antics.
The pair frowned and only now turned their attention to me.
"What's this? You ran off bawling about losing, so you went and brought your big sister?"
"Doesn't look much like her, though?"
"Guess she's not your real sister. Kuk."
Kukukukuku.
After cackling for a good long while, one of the kids swaggered closer with an air of superiority.
For a young child, he had quite a sturdy build.
And the amount of mana flowing through his body was anything but ordinary.
"So how much are you bringing to offer this time, huh? You need the blue stone that badly?"
"I'd like to meet with the elders. Is Chieftain Karuns at home?"
"...You've got some nerve."
Ppudeuk!
"Guess I need to fix that attitude of yours."
PAAANG!
The boy's figure vanished in an instant.
Part of the ship's deck shattered underfoot, and the hand that closed on my neck in a single bound—snapped clean in two.
"Hm?"
KEUAAAAAK!!!
"Kal!"
The one called Kal—a moment earlier, his arm had been bent backward—screamed and stumbled back.
Meanwhile, from behind, a cluster of shapeless water droplets flew in and swallowed Kal whole.
The other child—who'd rescued Kal in one swift motion—pulled him back and thrust out a hand.
CHAAAAK!!!
Water droplets surged up from the sea's surface and came crashing down onto the deck all at once.
He must have judged them a threat and decided to sink the entire ship in one go...
Hwajeuk.
"How dare you attack a merchant vessel!"
Redberry's fire magic circle deflected the majority of the droplets.
Redberry was a ranker hovering around the top 100.
She had more than enough power to block a few water droplets from a mere child...
TUDUDUUNG!
"Ugh?!"
But the droplets kept multiplying.
Ten became twenty. Twenty became fifty. Fifty became...
The other child healed Kal with one cluster of droplets while pouring down over a hundred more.
Their mana reserves were, without a doubt, extraordinary.
"Their regeneration rate is superior."
To be precise, their mana regeneration rate was exceptional.
The rate at which it replenished was utterly overwhelming compared to what they burned.
Unlike Redberry, who was continuously draining her mana, that child was steadily regenerating it.
At this rate, Redberry's defenses would break first.
"Unbelievable...! How much is he pouring out?!"
Gritting her teeth, Redberry operated skills alongside her magic circle, hurling fire magic.
Multi-casting, built on the mana manipulation I'd taught her.
But the droplets shielding the child swallowed her flames whole, and they fizzled out untouched.
TUDUDUUNG!
"Kgh!"
The burden on her magic circle grew heavier and heavier.
By diverting power to her attacks, her defense became all the more vulnerable.
The fire magic circle that had held firm until now began to crack and splinter.
The child, it seemed, had been holding his strength in reserve—even the hand that had been healing Kal stretched out, both hands now fully focused.
CHAAAAK!!!
The magic circle shattered completely, and the water droplets came pouring down.
And then—they all vanished.
"Huh?"
"Kal's friend?"
CLANG!
"Please do your water play outside the ship."
A cage had been etched onto the child's forehead.
The Birdcage of Many Colors—the divine sealing spell that bound all power.