Chapter 148
Chapter 148
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Advancing Calmly, One Step at a Time. (6)
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Swish—
A massive ship cut through the seawater, forging ahead.
On the deck stood Carlo and Cain, along with Sud Knight Order Captain Hector and the vassals who served the Ardante Family.
"Hmm."
Cain pressed down his red hair fluttering in the wind with his hand.
"The weather's nice."
He truly enjoyed sailing in the seas around Sud Territory.
The blue ocean that cooled one's chest, the clear sky without a single cloud. Even the salty sea breeze that tickled the nose.
Moreover, this area had many islands bought by nobles to build their villas, making it a great place to visit and build rapport with fellow nobles.
"……Hoo."
But he wasn't in the mood right now. It wasn't a pleasure cruise.
Splash!
One of the knights dipped a bucket into the seawater and pulled it back up.
"Please try dipping your hand in."
Arthur, the vassal managing Perla Island—the main production site for blue pearls and red coral—spoke up.
Cain and Carlo both reached out and dipped their hands into the bucket.
"It's warm."
"About bathwater temperature."
Arthur set the bucket down on the deck.
"This is normally the average water temperature around the Sud region coasts. But……"
Worry clouded his face.
"I'll explain the details once we arrive. It's faster to see it with your own eyes."
Sud Knight Order Captain Hector, standing beside him, nodded and issued orders to the surroundings.
"Increase speed!"
The command reached the helmsmen, and the ship began picking up pace.
At some point, Perla Island, which had looked like a tiny dot, grew large enough to make out clearly.
"That's!"
Cain groaned upon spotting Perla Island. Similar reactions rippled through those around him.
"It's not the island I remember……."
"What about that color?"
Originally, at the center of Perla Island rose a lush green mountain covered in verdant foliage.
But now, it was all charred black as if burned by fire, greeting them with a scene of utter death.
The ship carrying the shocked group came to a halt.
Thud!
Led by Carlo, everyone hurried off the ship. They'd received reports of something wrong, but seeing it firsthand made their hearts race even more.
Yet the buildings in front of the pier were empty, not a soul in sight. All the workers who had gathered, processed, and sorted the pearls and coral had vanished.
"We've withdrawn all personnel from here."
Arthur stepped forward to answer the puzzled looks and pointed toward the beach.
"Please come this way first."
As everyone approached the beach, Arthur placed a heavy rock in the bucket and tossed it into the sea.
Splash!
The bucket sank deep into the ocean quickly, then resurfaced following Arthur's pull.
The moment all eyes focused on the bucket,
Sizzle—
The water inside began bubbling furiously, spewing hot steam.
"What in the world!"
"Why?!"
Everyone stared at the water in shock.
"As you can see, the water temperature in the deeper waters around the island has risen abnormally."
"Does that mean the pearls and coral too……."
Carlo muttered with a grim expression.
"Yes."
Nelson pulled something from his bosom.
"At this temperature, pearls and coral can't survive."
What he held out were the pitifully melted remains of pearls and coral.
"The divers who went deep to harvest couldn't endure it and returned with burns."
"So that's why you withdrew the workers?"
Arthur bit his lip at Carlo's question.
"Not just for that reason."
His finger pointed toward the tall mountain rising at the center of Perla Island.
"This mountain was once the most active volcano in the empire, but it went dormant and became extinct."
Everyone listened intently to Arthur with serious faces.
"We halted harvesting and tried to find the cause. But then, strange rumors started circulating among the workers."
Arthur's voice dropped like he was whispering a ghost story.
"They say a voice comes from inside that mountain."
"A voice?"
"Not man or woman, old or young. An unknowable voice, they say."
Arthur rubbed his brow.
"A few months ago, one worker mentioned it, but we dismissed it as a hallucination."
"……."
"But with these recent events, suddenly many started reporting the same thing."
The atmosphere sank as if cold water had been poured over their heads.
"Some even tried digging into the mountain, showing bizarre symptoms, so we had no choice but to withdraw the workers and halt the investigation."
Arthur dropped deeply to one knee and bowed his head to Carlo.
"I'm deeply sorry for making you come all this way. But this is an unprecedented crisis we can't resolve on our own."
His trembling finger pointed at the mountain.
"There's…… something inside that mountain."
His words implied the presence of something not human.
"That's likely the cause of all this."
❖ ❖ ❖
The sun began slowly setting beyond the ridge.
"Full stop!"
Mikel raised his hand, and his adjutant shouted loudly. The mounted flag bearer waved the flag in a specific pattern.
"Full stop!"
"Stop!"
The same cries echoed from each knight order reading the flag signals. Soon, all the knight orders came to a gradual halt.
Mikel scanned the entire group by turning his head sideways. A faint smile played on his lips.
"Seems like a good spot for everyone to rest."
Everyone was a mess of sweat, dust, and sand. They looked at each other with exhausted faces.
Crackle!
Sparks flew from their glares, and Imperial Palace Knight Order Captain Joshua spoke up.
"Our order still has plenty of energy left."
"The same for us. We can go much further."
Other knight orders quickly boasted their pride in response.
"Good to see such spirited looks."
Mikel opened his mouth with a friendly smile.
"No need to push on the first day. We still have a long way to go."
His gentle tone carried an irresistible authority.
"We'll camp in the forest beside us tonight. Begin preparations."
The representatives from each knight order glanced at each other warily before turning away.
"Begin camping preparations!"
Relief was evident in their retreating figures despite their words. They were all quite worn out.
"Such bluster."
Chuckling softly, he turned to Conrad. Understanding the meaning, Conrad bowed deeply.
"Everyone, begin!"
At his shout, the knights dismounted swiftly and started preparations.
Their silent, efficient division of tasks stood in stark contrast to the other orders.
"Hey, who's in charge of supplies? It's all spilled because it wasn't tied properly!"
"Didn't Aaron check that earlier?"
Confusion from poor role assignments.
"Shouldn't you peel potatoes before washing them?"
"What do you do, chopping them all up like that……."
Problems from never having cooked before.
"Don't hammer the stake there!"
"Hold the tent sides tight!"
Chaos from never having set up a tent before.
In their peaceful territories with few monster attacks, these knight orders that only sparred among themselves were pathetic.
They'd never done menial tasks like cooking or tent setup.
Their squires and servants back home handled all that "lowly" work.
In contrast.
"Vegetables all washed. Leaving them here."
"Fire's low, bring more firewood."
Our knight order's campsite finished material prep in no time.
"Tent setup complete. Installed waterproof cover for morning dew."
"We'll set the night watch rotation too."
Stakes went in and tents rose in an instant. They didn't stop there, bustling to find more tasks.
"Heh, well now."
Mikel, who had approached unnoticed, let out an impressed groan.
"Seems like I have nothing to help with."
Already aware of his approach, he smiled without surprise.
"Has the Nord Knight Order finished already?"
"I trust they'll handle it well on their own, so I'm checking on the others."
Mikel's eyes curved warmly.
"You're the only ones—Ovest Knight Order—who've finished tents and prep. The rest are still fumbling or haven't started."
His calm tone held disdain for the knight orders that had slacked off until now and were struggling.
"So I've been going around offering advice. Not needed for Young Lord Abel's order, though."
"I'll gratefully accept the sentiment. Thank you."
Mikel smiled and waved.
"Then I'll go help elsewhere. Wonder if they'll eat on time."
"They'll finish by tonight."
"Once meals are done, we'll hold a meeting. See you then."
"Until later."
After seeing Mikel off, waiting Conrad approached.
"Meal prep is ready."
"Already?"
"Yes. This way, please."
Following Conrad, he saw the members already seated in a circle around the bonfire.
They wiped drool from their mouths, bowls in hand, staring intently at the pot over the fire.
"It's Young Master Abel."
At someone's mutter,
Snap!
They straightened up instantly, as if they'd never been drooling. Their posture shift was lightning-fast.
"We were about to bring your meal to the tent separately."
The food server by the pot said. He shook his head and held out his hand.
"No need. I'll eat here."
"Pardon?"
"Quickly. I'm hungry."
The server hesitated but filled the bowl to the brim after a glance and handed it over.
"Thanks to you, Young Master, we used plenty of meat. So it's generous."
"Hmm."
As promised, his bowl brimmed with high-quality meat chunks.
"Good work."
The faint smile and praise flushed the server's face.
"Th-thank you."
He sighed in relief, and Conrad and the others received their portions behind him.
"……."
Nearby knight orders watched them eat with envious eyes.
"Eat up."
The members, after a moment's hesitation, dove in ravenously.
"So much meat in stew……."
"First time for broth this rich."
"My goodness…… Never dreamed of a feast like this while camping."
As they devoured their bowls in awe and tears,
"Are you alright, Young Master?"
Conrad asked worriedly, seeing him sit on the grass.
"There's a chair and table in the tent. It'd be better to……."
"I said no need."
He tapped his bowl with the spoon.
"I'm not here to be babied."
He pointed at the distant heirs with his finger.
"Is this how you do it? Why isn't it working?"
"Ah, what do you expect me to do with this?"
They floundered, seeking help from other knights.
"You're not lumping me in with those fools, right?"
Turning to Conrad with a sly smile, Conrad waved his hands frantically.
"No, of course not."