Chapter 139
Chapter 139
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 139
Chapter Title: Sailing to Elunheim
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"...What the hell is that?"
Saladin asked with a sullen expression as he eyed the glittering gem I'd pulled from my pocket.
The gem sparkled brilliantly, but it glowed with an ominous purple hue.
"The inner core from the wyvern Hatan took down."
"...What?"
Saladin's face went blank as he parroted my words back at me.
"Wait, no. I mean... shouldn't that go to Hatan?"
"Whoever pulls it out first owns it."
"Come on, man! Hatan said that wyvern was his! You went back on your word?!"
Saladin seemed to have gotten all emotional over Hatan's story, convinced I'd screwed the guy over.
"What are you talking about? I gave him everything he asked for."
"Uh, yeah?"
"Gave him the eyes, the meat—everything. Did he ever mention the core?"
"...Huh?"
"You're too naive."
I tucked the gem back into my pocket and shot back at the stammering Saladin.
"Th-that..."
Saladin looked like he wanted to say more, but I cut him off firmly.
"Like you said, I've got a lot on my plate. Don't forget that."
I'd realized it during my fight with Beast Sword Marquis Crank.
I still had a long way to go to get stronger.
'The Four Marquises are a step below the current Three Dukes. But some of them will break through another wall before the war even starts.'
I was still a notch below the Four Marquises myself. No matter how hard I tried in this state, I couldn't turn the tide of the war.
Even if I rallied this faction or that one through diplomacy, we'd be outnumbered by their absolute powerhouses.
'Fair or foul, doesn't matter. I'll do whatever it takes to save time.'
"......"
Saladin fell silent in the face of my serious expression and trudged onward without another word.
Watching our exchange with keen interest was someone else.
"Hee hee hee! You two young lords have such entertaining conversations."
It was Luna, Twelfth Archbishop of the Holy Empire and mistress of the Virgin Palace.
"Whether it's capturing me or trying to undermine the Third Princess's position... it really feels like you're up to something fun."
"Enough. That's far enough, Archbishop Luna. Is this the right way?"
I interrupted her probing and turned the question back on her.
Luna still hadn't given me an answer to my proposal.
So I didn't need to reveal all my cards either.
"...Hee hee hee, yes it is. We're almost at the coast now."
Luna flashed a cryptic smile and led us onward.
That's right.
While everyone else headed to their homelands, we were moving to the coastline even higher up than the Abyss Cliffs.
Just as we were about to head for Banten after everything wrapped up, Luna had stopped us.
"Hee hee hee! Instead of going there, come with me? I'll give you something good."
We'd been wary of her beaming smile at first, but since she'd followed us without complaint through our grueling schedule, we decided to play along and see.
It wasn't long before we reached the coast, where traces of a brutal battle lingered.
Whether due to the passage of time or scavenging lesser dragons, there were no bodies left.
But rusted weapons corroded by seawater clearly attested to the fight that had taken place.
"...This is."
A rusted iron mace, claw gauntlets, and even a rapier.
None of them were things you'd find naturally in these mountains.
"Marquis Schopf's, Boer's, and Archbishop Gott's gear. Tsk tsk."
Luna clicked her tongue like it was none of her business and breezed past the remnants.
'Looks like the First Prince's inner circle clashed with Genos's Hundred here.'
Marquis Schopf was one of the Four Marquises, just like Marquis Crank.
For them—and two archbishops—to fall here, only for the survivors to then fight us too...
Genos's Hundred were even bigger monsters than I'd thought.
'Luna's more crucial than ever now.'
With so many of the First and Second Princes' closest allies devoured in these mountains, the scales tipping even further toward Ibarella in the imperial succession were a foregone conclusion.
To counter that even a little, I had to make the most of Luna.
"What are you doing? Come on!"
She had to know the situation, yet Luna casually called out to us as we inspected the traces.
"...Coming."
I had no idea what she was really after, but I'd find out eventually.
"Guh... ack... W-water... something to eat..."
"......"
Those were the first words from the people we met aboard the ship Luna led us to.
"...What's going on here?"
"Oh dear. They must have left these poor things without any food. Hee hee hee!"
Ignoring Luna's flippant tone—like she'd just come back from a trip and forgotten to feed the dog—I asked Beskin to share some rations.
Either way, watching people starve to death right in front of me wasn't pleasant.
Chomp! Gulp! Slurp!
How much time had passed since the collapsed men devoured the food like demons possessed?
The man who looked like the captain bowed deeply.
"Thank you for saving our lives, benefactor! I'm Jean Paul, captain of the Cimaria..."
"Hold on, Jean? Did you just say Jean?"
I cut off the grubby man's words.
"...Yes, benefactor. I work for the Grand Maria Fleet out of the Empire's Laurent Port."
'Guess I owe Luna one.'
Jean Paul.
He wasn't some powerhouse in battle, but this man was known across the continent as the best navigator on the seas.
That's why he'd enabled so many of the Empire's insane naval strategies in the past.
Operations impossible by normal sailing routes had blindsided the Alliance time and again.
Even though he wasn't a major noble, that's why his name always topped the Alliance's hit lists.
"I see. Nice to meet you, Jean. I'll give you two options right off the bat."
I crouched down on one knee and held up two fingers to him.
"First: head back to the Empire the way you came."
I folded one finger and smiled at him.
"Second: come with us to Alliance territory. Which will it be?"
It wasn't even a real choice.
Going back meant navigating the Dragon Mountains' coast on their own.
'They'd just end up as sea monster chow.'
And Jean Paul was sharp enough to see that.
"Looks like I don't have much choice... Fine by me. The Empire's a lost cause anyway."
'Hm?'
Jean ditched the Empire more readily than I'd expected—not just him, but his entire crew too.
"Those crazy bastards!"
"Fleet master, that prick's not getting away with this! Using us as decoys?!"
'Something must have happened on the way here.'
I shot Luna a look demanding an explanation, but she just shrugged and smiled innocently.
From her expression, she'd anticipated this.
'So that's why she said she'd give us something good.'
Luna might've just meant the ship, but a man like Jean was invaluable depending on how you used him.
'Conquering the Punish Archipelago just got a lot easier.'
I quickly mulled over Jean's potential and flashed him a grin.
"Excellent choice, Jean."
"Not at all, benefactor! What are you idiots doing?! Get the Cimaria ready to sail for our benefactor and his group!!"
Jean bellowed at the crew, who grumbled back.
"We're going, we're going!"
"Captain, we just ate!"
Grumbling or not, the sailors moved like a well-oiled machine, prepping the Cimaria in no time.
'This... might be even more useful than I thought.'
Beskin had been struggling alone to train our unfamiliar naval forces on the lake near Banten.
Perfect timing for the perfect recruits.
"So, benefactor, where to?"
Jean had the Cimaria ready and us aboard in a flash.
"Hmm, then..."
My finger pointed to the sea route opposite the Empire.
"Southwest—to the elves' land, Elunheim."
The seas south of Elunheim were Sword Family territory in the western provinces.
It'd mean heading inland again, but still faster than overland travel.
'Plus, I've got great instructors for training the navy now.'
Finally, our exhausting trek through the Dragon Mountains was over.
A dimly lit place teeming with crowds.
In the drab atmosphere lit only by faint lanterns, all eyes focused on one spot.
Clatter! Clatter!
At the center of attention: a cup. Inside, it rattled like a storm was brewing.
Thud!
The cup hit the table, and the storm within gradually died down.
As the noise fully subsided...
"Odd!"
"Even!"
Desperate cries erupted from the crowd.
The cup, bearing the weight of countless hopes, was lifted.
Six, three, five.
Even.
"Yesssss! Honey, your man's buying meat tonight!!"
"Sob sob... Mom, I'm sorry..."
Joy and despair crossed the faces of the throng right here.
Banten's famed casino was, as always, packed to the brim.
Of course, even amid the chaos, no one lost enough to ruin themselves.
The illustrious Shield Family wouldn't allow their sharp minds to fall to gambling addiction.
The thrill of the place satisfied their urges just fine.
Groans and cheers echoed everywhere as one man watched from the fifth-floor railing.
"Booming business again today."
Hans, the casino's operator.
He winced at the slight lisp creeping into his speech.
Years ago, after Third Young Master Jerome had beaten him senseless here, the missing teeth still ached when it rained.
"Damn it all! If it weren't for that rotten Third Young Master..."
Hans rubbed his jaw, cursing Jerome.
Without losing the mandragora and treasures to that bastard, he'd have climbed much higher by now.
But most of those treasures—especially the mandragora—were gone, so he'd had to hand the rest to one of the lord's 'trusted aides' to fill the gap.
And lately, that 'aide' was in a foul mood, forcing Hans to tread carefully.
He knew exactly why.
"Damn, Third Young Master. Who'd have thought that punk would turn into such a big shot."
Bacchus had planned to ship Jerome off to Olivia, but that was just between father and son.
Even Ares and Mercy had been skeptical when Jerome mentioned preparing trade with the elves.
The common folk, oblivious to it all, didn't need mentioning.
Most assumed Jerome was the heir apparent.
Hans, who despised Jerome, thought the same.
Jerome's achievements over the past few years were dazzling enough to erase his past screw-ups.
So the 'aide' backing another successor was understandably down in the dumps.
'Shit, if this keeps up, I might end up like a kite with a snapped string. Should I switch sides now?'
As Hans leaned on the railing, brooding over the madhouse below, a calm voice tickled his ear.
"Slacking off again?"
No one in this casino spoke to Hans so casually.
Meant an outsider.
And that voice belonged to the man Hans had once followed devotedly but now feared most.
The 'aide's' voice.
"Oh! You've arrived, sir ...!"
"Woooaaah!!"
Hans shouted the 'aide's' name, but the roar from below drowned it out.
The aide ignored the greeting and extended his hand matter-of-factly.
"Hand over all the wealth and elixirs you've gathered."
"...?!"
His tone was as casual as retrieving deposited goods.
Hans's eyes widened at the sudden, brazen demand, but he quickly composed himself.
"H-ha... I just paid the quarterly tribute. Did I do something wrong?"
He forced a smile, but his trembling face muscles betrayed him.
"I'll double it later. Right now, we need everything mobilized."
An unexpected reward. The aide wasn't the type to pay Hans extra, so his eyes bulged.
"Wh-what do you mean?"
The aide eyed the flustered Hans.
'This much should be fine.'
It'd be public knowledge soon anyway.
"The Shield Family's successor will be decided soon. Time to make the one I back the next lord."
Words Hans could never have imagined spilled from his lips.