Chapter 307
Chapter 307
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 307
Chapter Title: Herculean Sea God #7
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In the middle of the beach, a jagged rock jutted out of the sea. The man perched atop it had a remarkably lanky build. His arms and legs were as long and slender as mine.
It might be best to describe him as sleek like a cutlassfish.
In fact, his body was covered in a bizarre suit—or was it armor?—dense with scales like those of a silver cutlassfish.
His face belonged to a handsome man with a rather languid expression. His blue hair, dripping with water, had a roguish charm that probably drove women wild.
A handsome guy carrying a surfboard, ready to sweep beach babes off their feet. That was my conclusion.
He spoke.
“You must be the ones who were supposed to meet Ariel here today.”
From his words, I instantly knew the man’s identity.
This was Triton, Neptune’s only son, the ruler of the seas, the Sea Hero and Herculean Sea God.
This bastard was the lord of a harem with thirty members?
The thought gave me an impressive vibe, but for a son of a god, he felt disappointingly ordinary.
I’d imagined something like Cthulhu, covered head to toe in fins, scales, and tentacles.
At best, I’d guessed right about his shark-like pointed teeth, which gave him a chilling look.
Overall, though, he appeared no different from a regular human like me.
Of course, appearances could be deceiving.
Shing-.
Hippolyte already had her hand on her sword hilt, ready to draw at any moment.
Her low stance, primed to unleash a sword beam, showed that the man before us was no ordinary foe—he was a true powerhouse.
Zing, zing-.
A clear aura of wariness and killing intent emanated from Hippolyte.
“Hassan, weren’t we supposed to meet a mermaid?”
Even I, standing beside her, felt a bit overwhelmed, but the man facing it head-on just grinned, baring his shark teeth like it was all amusing.
“To not bow before me—quite the spirited wench. They say land flowers come with thorns. Seems it’s true.”
“I have one question. Are you Triton?”
“Indeed, I am Triton, rightful heir to the great ocean. All rivers and streams in the world flow toward me, prepared!”
The man’s confidence overflowed.
He had that smug self-love unique to young men who’d succeeded young—like everything had always gone his way, just like me. It made me want to punch him.
“All the treasures and secrets slumbering in the sea will one day be mine. I, Triton, born to rule as victor. Feel free to fall for me, land girl. I’ll even take you as a concubine.”
“Foolish nonsense.”
Hippolyte furrowed her brow, clearly offended by his flirtatious provocation.
“You remind me of a slimy con artist. You’re exactly the type of man I despise most.”
She didn’t hesitate to hurl insults at Triton. The type of man she hated most.
If she’d said that to me, I’d have trembled with shame and embarrassment for days, replaying it endlessly. But this Triton just laughed like it was fun.
“Nothing beats the thrill of taming a fierce woman. And now that I look closely, it’s not just you—plenty of fine wenches here. All part of your harem?”
At that moment, his deep blue eyes turned to me.
“Who, me?”
“Yes, you, the barbarian in white fur. Black eyes, white beast pelt. I’ve heard of a warrior like you. The greatest masterpiece of the sky king, Jupiter?”
“That ain’t me, you fucker.”
“No use pretending. It’s common knowledge, even in the deep sea, that you’re Jupiter’s bastard. And—”
Shing.
Triton grabbed the long object strapped to his back. It was a spear.
More precisely, not just a spear—it was a harpoon meant for whales or large fish.
Thud-.
Gripping it, he leaped into the air.
“I’ve heard you’re unmatched in strength, save for mighty Hypnos! Let’s see for myself!”
With that, he plunged the harpoon straight at me while descending rapidly.
An sudden attack?
Paranoia had once called Triton a reckless punk, and damn, it was spot on.
This guy was insane.
“!”
If I stayed put, that harpoon might skewer me from head to ass.
Should I dodge? As I thought that and started to back away, I quickly pictured what would happen if it hit the ship.
A hole in the hull for sure, and the wrecked ship would sink without mercy.
We were half a day’s sail from port—far out at sea. If the ship sank, some of us wouldn’t make it.
Especially Elfriede, who couldn’t even swim, the beer-bellied elf.
“Fuck!”
So instead of dodging, I raised my hand.
Fwoosh-.
I caught the harpoon’s sharp tip barehanded as it hurtled toward my head.
My palm tore open from the blade, but I managed to stop the tip from piercing my forehead or gut.
Drip, drip.
Blood trickled from the harpoon tip halted right above my forehead, soaking my face.
“Hoh, you blocked my attack? I aimed for your skull, but you’re not budging? That bruises my pride!”
“What the fuck is this, you shithead!”
I squeezed every ounce of strength and kicked up with my right foot.
A crude kick with no finesse. But my toe slammed right into Triton’s solar plexus as he bore down on me.
“Gahk-!”
Hit by that desperate blow, Triton spewed blood and flew back into the sea, vanishing beneath the waves.
Splash.
He probably never expected a counter from the guy he was attacking.
“Serves you right, fucker!”
“Hassan, you okay!?”
Luna rushed toward me then. But I hurriedly showed everyone my still-bleeding palm.
“Not over yet! Get to land fast! Captain! Turn the ship around!”
At my urgent shout, Captain Gorgor—who’d been half-zonked out—snapped to and scrambled to turn the bow.
I’d kicked him hard, but that weird scale armor dulled the impact. He’d recover soon.
Would be nice if he drowned, but as a mermaid-like being, he wouldn’t die in the sea.
“To land, now!”
“You mad? Did I just see Triton, prince of the seas? Gods, I don’t know what I witnessed! I’ve sailed these waters since I was a boy, but nothing like this! To see the sea god himself—!”
“Shut up and sail faster!”
“But if that was really Triton, no ship can outrun him! We’re as good as dead! Only way to survive is to offer women!”
“Fuck, offer women?”
Explains how he built that massive harem.
The captain kept ranting.
“I heard Triton stirs storms and calms them in exchange for land women! Perhaps, perhaps—”
He trailed off, staring at the massive wave barreling toward us.
Roooar-.
It was a fucking enormous wave.
Easily cresting over our heads—like a building made of water. A tsunami, no less.
A direct hit would send our ship to the ocean floor without a trace.
Even if we turned and dodged, the churning tempest might capsize us anyway.
“Wh-what do we do!?”
Captain Gorgor wailed. I had no answers. Then Hippolyte, hand on her hilt, shouted.
“Keep going!”
“Are you insane?”
“Don’t stop! Halt the ship, and your head’s first!”
Hippolyte’s threat was terrifyingly sharp.
Gorgor floundered between the wave and her sword, then spat, “Fuck it-!” and drove the ship forward.
Guess the nearby blade scared him more than the distant wave.
Roooar-.
Our ship charged the towering wave without hesitation. As its horrifying mass loomed mere dozens of meters away.
“Full speed ahead!”
“Neptune save us! I’m out! You’re on your own!”
Overwhelmed, Captain Gorgor jumped overboard, abandoning ship. Irresponsible bastard.
“H-Hassan! Do something…!”
Paranoia grabbed my leg, shaking it. Panic gripped everyone—obvious as day. Then the wave’s shadow engulfed us.
“Is your heart there!?”
Hippolyte, crouched low with hand on hilt, finally drew her long sword and slashed the air.
Shiiiing-!
A sword wind from her strike soared magnificently toward the wave, nature’s fury incarnate. It slammed into the wave’s center, cleaving it top to bottom.
“Gaaahk-!”
Even more shocking was what followed.
A thunderous scream erupted from the wave’s heart. I realized it was Triton, who’d attacked me.
Was he inside the wave? Hippolyte had nailed him perfectly.
Splash-.
Her attack proved devastating—the wave lost momentum and crumbled oddly.
The aftermath still rocked us hard; we all hunkered down, clinging to rails to avoid being thrown.
Slosh, slosh.
The ship bucked wildly, the world spinning like I’d puke. Fuck, what am I doing here? Total sage mode, head spinning.
Only after the ship steadied did we lift our heads.
“W-We survived…! Paranoia rules the seas…!”
“Hassan, Elfriede can’t open her eyes! She’s out cold!”
The sea had calmed, but the deck was chaos. Fish from the wave’s debris flopped everywhere.
“Is it over?”
I brushed off my knees and asked Hippolyte. She sheathed her sword with a tsk.
“I felt the cut land, but it wasn’t decisive. Not ordinary armor. Damage is shallow.”
Right then—
Fwoomp-.
Something leaped from the sea onto our deck.
It was Captain Gorgor, who’d jumped overboard, slung over the shoulder of Triton.
“Not bad skills. Nearly killed me. Making me eat dirt twice—not once, but twice—in my fifty-odd years? First time.”
Sss-.
A massive gash ran from his left shoulder to right hip.
Grievous wound, but he splashed seawater on it, and bubbly foam enveloped it, healing alongside the armor.
“If that’d been on land, not sea, I might’ve died.”
“Fuck, coming at us again? I won’t go down easy this time.”
I growled, pulling my club from behind. Seeing my Fear-Crusher, Triton’s blue eyes flashed oddly.
“Whoa, fighting you on this cramped deck? One of us dies for sure. Anyway, you’re stronger than I thought.”
“Sounds like you’re saying you tested us.”
As I bristled with caution, Hippolyte spoke.
Triton dumped Gorgor carelessly on the deck.
“Exactly. The Black Sea you’re headed to isn’t for just anyone. Had to test if you qualify.”
But he narrowed his eyes, puzzled. Then his gaze locked on me.
“And thinking underwater, Juno’s holy warrior is a woman, right? But you’re a man. So not Jupiter’s masterpiece?”
Swish.
He scanned me top to bottom, circling me. No hostility now—that much was clear.
But a man eyeing me like that felt worse than murder in some ways.
Triton spoke.
“Strange karma. So bizarre I mistook you for Jupiter’s daughter. Mind if I…? Hate touching men, but—”
He dabbed my bleeding palm with his finger.
The wound was clotting, but it stung like hell—I winced hard. Then he sniffed the blood?
“Water knows most answers. Water is the world’s truth. Blood is water too, so it holds many secrets.”
Water knows the answers.
The pseudoscientific mysticism gave me chills.
I had a friend who fanatically believed in water’s weird properties.
He swore cursing water made its particles form savage crystals, while kind words made pretty ones. He’d praise his glass before every sip.
Weird dude.
This guy reminded me of him—only freakier.
As I wondered what the hell he was doing, he pulled back, enlightened.
“Ah, got it. You’re Saturn’s kin, like me. Makes sense you match my strength. Ego takes less of a hit.”
Silence fell over the deck. Dead quiet, not even waves lapping.
Hippolyte, poised to draw, spoke first.
“…Hassan, Saturn’s kin? Saturn, king of the Titans?”
“Oh? Keeping it secret? Can’t unspill water or unsay words, though.”