Chapter 214
Chapter 214
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 214
Chapter Title: The Siren's Tale
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After defeating the Kraken, no further incidents marred the journey to Olivia.
Actually, this was the norm from the start. The West Sea was treacherous enough with its reefs and currents—it wasn't some monster-infested hellscape.
"This godforsaken current would have even monsters shaking their heads."
Perhaps from the prolonged focus, Jean Paul—who had been handling the ship with expert skill—pressed hard at the bridge of his nose, grumbling about his weary eyes.
Ocean voyages demanded immense stamina and mental fortitude.
Even Jean, with his innate knack for sea routes, couldn't afford to look away from the compass or helm on this unfamiliar path.
With no one else aboard who could read the ship's course, he could only steal catnaps—even in sleep—leaving fatigue to pile up relentlessly.
'Was I too thoughtless?'
"You must be exhausted."
Whoosh!
I tossed him a bottle filled with a shimmering liquid. Jean's fatigued expression instantly brightened.
"Oh, Baron! During a voyage, no less. Still, if you've graciously offered..."
He feigned modesty before slyly popping the lid with eager eyes.
Pop!
A clear sound accompanied a spreading fragrance. It was unmistakably aromatic, but Jean's face twisted oddly upon inhaling it.
"B-Baron? This is...?"
"Luna's special homemade potion. Perfect for stamina recovery. Chug it down and take care of yourself."
"Y-Yes... Thank you..."
It was undoubtedly beneficial—a priceless elixir money couldn't easily buy—but Jean's lips still puffed out in undisguised disappointment.
Pfft!
'Time to stop teasing.'
"Just kidding. I'll let you have a drink tonight so you can unwind—just keep the course steady."
"Really?! You're serious?!"
Jean’s eyes widened like saucers. Since the Kraken hunt, he'd been denied alcohol for days in preparation for emergencies, and both he and the crew had been suffering through brutal withdrawal.
We were past the halfway mark now with no major issues, so it was time to loosen up a bit.
'Besides, there are things to settle.'
"Of course, no bingeing. You know better."
"Naturally! I'll ride the steadiest currents possible!"
Was it my imagination, or did he look more vibrant than before downing Luna's potion?
Sizzle!
A modest dinner spread unfolded on deck.
The meat we'd loaded aboard mingled with fish that had surfaced amid the Kraken battle's chaos, now grilling to golden perfection. Juices dripped with a rich, savory aroma.
"Kuh! Sometimes, this hits the spot!"
Saladin approached me where I stood quietly at the stern, beer foam clinging to his lips as he let out a satisfied groan.
Dining under a starry night sky, amid the sea breeze on a ship brimming with salty air—it offered a thrill land could never match.
"Good work. Dig in."
Seeing the crew's faces light up after days of monotonous sailing post-Kraken made me glad I'd made the call.
"Hm. Not entirely the reason, though."
Saladin muttered around a lobster leg he'd torn into.
"It's been about three days since the Kraken, but you wouldn't let your guard down this quick. That's why everyone's drinking in moderation."
He was spot on.
No one except Jean and the sailors was overindulging. Even they stopped short of impairing their duties.
"Because of that one?"
Nod.
Saladin jerked his chin toward the stern. Instead of answering, I took a swig of beer and grinned.
"Sheesh, who knows what his game is. Go your separate way already—why tail us so persistently?"
"He must have something to say. And by now, he's probably itching to spit it out."
I spoke calmly, gazing where Saladin glared.
"Three days of nonstop pursuit—his body's at its limit."
"Always the cunning type. Humans don't play fair by dangling food like that."
I knew as much, but what could I do? It was the most effective method. Even the wariest wild beasts crumbled before food when starved and exhausted.
"Humans or Ainfolk—we're all animals at the core, aren't we?"
My murmur blended with the mouthwatering scents wafting on the wind across the sea.
Faye had swum like a maniac for three days and nights, doggedly pursuing the humans.
He'd planned to trail them quietly and observe who these humans were—the ones who'd slain the Kraken for his tribe's sake. But that didn't last.
The ships were absurdly fast. No matter how he sliced it.
Even among sirens—the sea's finest swimmers—he ranked on the swift side, yet any slight lag in his pace let the distance yawn wide open.
Forget leisurely tailing; he was barely keeping up, snatching stray fish in his mouth like a blind predator.
And at night? The ships still crept forward on the wind. Far slower than daytime, sure—but the fact they moved was what mattered.
Without catnaps, he couldn't hope to match them.
'Damn it, at this rate, I won't observe a thing... Huh?'
Bearing the heavy burden for his tribe, he'd pushed on. But the grueling journey wore him down to the point where even 'They don't seem interested at all—should I just head back?' crossed his mind.
Then, the ships—that had charged like rabid sharks—sharply throttled back.
He couldn't say why, but faint lights flickered aboard, as if they'd lit torches.
Intrigued by the change from their usual routine, Faye unwittingly surfaced.
Immediately, a tantalizing aroma drifted from the ship, tickling his nostrils.
Not one he smelled often, but familiar all the same.
The scent of land beasts. Cooked ones.
And unfortunately, Faye knew exactly how delicious food carrying that smell tasted.
"D-Damn it."
Grrrrumble!
With his head above water, Faye clutched his starving belly and swallowed hard without thinking.
Already bone-tired and drained, everything would taste sweeter than usual right now. And of all things, the aroma of rare delicacies he seldom enjoyed? His brain felt like it might melt.
Right—back then, he'd only tasted such meat when they occasionally gifted it...
'...!!'
The thought hit, and Faye's hunger-dominated mind cooled in an instant.
'What am I thinking? My tribe's fate rests on my shoulders.'
No matter the exhaustion, losing his wits to a bit of roasting meat? Unthinkable.
Slap! Slap!
As he fiercely slapped his own cheeks to steel his resolve—
Splash!
A massive plank hurtled from the ship, landing right in front of Faye and sending up a spray.
"Urk!"
Seawater splashed into his eyes from the sudden ripple. As he rubbed them—
"Hey, why slap those innocent cheeks?"
A human voice rang out right before him.
"!"
How did he get here so fast?!
Slowly, the voice's owner extended a hand toward him.
At the sight of that reaching hand, memories of his homeland's massacre flashed before Faye's eyes.
The humans he'd trusted. Trusted. Trusted again.
Those same humans yanking his tribesfolk by the hair, hurling them into cages like refuse to kidnap them.
Trauma, perhaps.
Faye's body froze mid-escape back underwater, refusing to obey.
"Ah... Ah..."
Three days undisturbed—he'd let his guard slip without realizing. And now, caught in human hands.
'Sorry, Elder Stera...! Please survive in the North Sea...!'
Imagining capture and reunion with his tribe in chains, Faye squeezed his eyes shut.
The approaching hand...
gently stroked his head.
"...?"
No pain as expected—instead, a soft touch. Faye cautiously opened his eyes.
A man sat casually atop the sea-drift plank, offering something with his other hand.
Food. The very culprit that had nearly broken him: cooked land beast meat.
"You look starved. Won't you have some of this?"
Chomp! Chomp!!
'Eats like a champ.'
He'd first bolted in panic, but upon seeing no malice and receiving food, he devoured it as if nothing happened.
Nothing disarmed wariness like offering food to the famished.
Plus, after rescuing him from the Kraken's grasp, some subconscious trust might have formed.
The siren finished the plate clean, then edged back slightly and glared at me.
No, seriously—glaring after scarfing it all down? Total wild animal vibe.
Even neatly stacked the plate on the plank. When did he do that?
"...Thanks, human. I offer my gratitude. But you knew I was tailing you?"
With meat grease still smudged on his lips, the siren asked stiffly.
"Mm... Obviously?"
"Since when?"
"From the beginning."
"Why pretend not to notice until now, then speak up?"
His questions started feeling like an interrogation, so I shot one back.
"You were the one following, right? I got curious about your desperate reasons, so I called out. Does that satisfy?"
"...Mm."
The siren let out a groan, at a loss for words.
Hard to argue. He'd skipped even thanking his saviors before leaving—not to mention the stalking.
And brazenly accepting food on top. Sirens, as I knew them, weren't discourteous folk.
"...You're right. I was the rude one, yet I questioned you."
The siren bowed politely toward me on the plank.
"My name is Faye. I lead the young sirens, though I'm hardly worthy. Forgive me, human. I formally apologize for the tailing. And on behalf of my tribe, I thank you for saving our lives."
Perfect.
His demeanor showed lingering caution, but conversation seemed feasible.
"Alright, Faye. Three days should be plenty of time. Let's hear it—why the pursuit?"
Truth be told, I'd hoped saving them from the Kraken would earn siren aid.
Instead, they'd shown wariness over thanks and vanished.
A twinge of annoyance lingered, but it was what it was. At least I'd tested the Blizzard Knight Order's real combat at sea—not a bad outcome.
Besides, sirens tied to South Sea environs pushing into the West Sea northward screamed hidden troubles.
Yet here he was, latched on again—to gauge their rescuers, no doubt.
Clever enough thinking, but naive Ainfolk. No match for the savvy of humans weathered by that filthy world.
"...Truthfully, I followed to see if you were trustworthy. If you were after us too, you might plot something seeing us depart."
Look at him now. Offered food amid exhaustion and hunger, and he spills everything.
"You said 'too.' Does this tie to your tribe heading north from the South Sea?"
Nod.
Faye nodded faintly.
"Mind sharing details?"
"Truth is..."
A long, winding tale poured from Faye's lips. Their sirens' home: a small South Sea isle called Ithaca.
Far from human shipping lanes, it had long served as their serene haven.
They'd occasionally aid ships of humans adrift from far swims, living leisurely days—certain it would last forever.
Until one day.
A storm of unprecedented fury—as if sea god Aegir himself raged.
The night the ocean went berserk, rendering sea routes meaningless. When it passed, the roiling aftermath washed a strange ship onto their peaceful Ithaca.
There, Faye's clenched fists trembled violently.
"...We never should have taken in that ship."
Even now, it haunted him—his eyes bloodshot as he pressed on.
The story of that single vessel that utterly upended Ithaca's fate.