Chapter 39
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: From the Sea
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"Is this some kind of joke? A Sharkrai King! No such thing exists!"
Among the stunned crowd, their mouths agape, Collin was the first to regain his composure.
"That's right. I've never even heard of one!"
"It's hard enough to believe you killed over a hundred Sharkrai, but a Sharkrai King? Does that even make sense!"
It wasn't just Collin; everyone except those from our camp was struggling to believe Philo's words. Had I not seen it myself, I would have found it hard to believe too, so I couldn't blame them for their reaction.
"Should I bring it out?"
"Yes."
As I nodded, Philo produced a magic pouch from within his coat.
Thud!
Philo pulled the head of the Sharkrai King from the pouchit looked at least twice the size of a normal Sharkrai's. Whatever he had done to it, the head showed no signs of decay.
"Gods..."
"That must be three times the size of a normal Sharkrai!"
"So, a Sharkrai King... really does exist?"
Aside from the soldiers in our camp who had already seen it, everyone else was staring in horrified amazement.
"There's one more thing."
Thud!
This time, he produced a bone blade that looked as if it had been ripped from a troll's spine. It was impossible to tell what creature's bone had been used to craft such a weapon.
"Ah..."
"What kind of bone is that?"
"Is... is it real?"
A head at least twice the size of a Sharkrai, and a colossal weapon no human could possibly wield. Seeing these two items, the crowd finally began to believe in the existence of the Sharkrai King.
"The Marquis will know of it. A stature of what looked to be three meters, tattoos covering its entire body, and this very bone bladeit was exactly as described in the old texts."
"Of course. I remember it well."
"Thinking it might have research value, I had the torso sent to the house. Seeing the body should remove any doubt."
"There's no need for that. Of course I believe you. We haven't known each other for just a year or two. Don't be so formal."
The Marquis grinned and patted Philo on the shoulder. Philo respectfully bowed his head to the Marquis.
"The Sharkrai King demolished the fortress wall with a single leap. Had the Grand Prince not dealt with it, we would have been annihilated, unable to even flee."
The soldiers wore expressions of utter shock, stunned by the claim that a mere leap had shattered the wall.
"After that, our territory would have been ravaged by the horde of Sharkrai that came ashore, led by their king. Even if reinforcements had arrived, it would have been too late, after hundreds had already died."
"Th-then how did you kill it?"
"As I said a moment ago, the Grand Prince took it down alone. Every soldier in our camp is a witness to that."
"What?"
"H-how..."
Collin was too stunned to speak, his expression vacant. Hearing that I had defeated the Sharkrai King single-handedly, the crowd now looked at me with entirely different eyes.
"Did you use that ability you showed me before?"
"I did."
"You've truly acquired a tremendous power."
The Marquis, seemingly believing me completely, asked no more questions and simply patted my back twice.
"I dread to imagine what would have happened without you."
"Not at all. I only did what needed to be done."
"Hah..."
My humble, professional reply drew a sound of admiration from the Marquis. I could practically hear his favorability score rising.
"Collin."
I stepped forward and called out to Collin, who was still in a daze.
"Ugh, what... what is it."
Tsk...
Displeased with his answer, I simply stared him down. Collin's eyes began to dart away. When I bared my teeth as if in anger, he flinched and took a step back.
"M-my great elder brother..."
"Hm?"
At Collin's words, I heard the Marquis mutter in disbelief, "What are you two doing?" I smirked and took another step forward.
"Honestly, you think ten thousand points for the Sharkrai King is excessive, don't you?"
"What are you getting at..."
"Let's make it one point."
From the dais, I looked down at him, wearing the same twisted smile he so often wore.
"The Sharkrai King, I mean. It was as easy to kill as Volak. So, I'll count it as one point. That gives me 8,231 points, and you, 7,354. I still win. As your older brother, I wanted to let you have this one, but it seems I can't."
"Kugh!"
"I won the first test far too easily. I hope the second one is a little more competitive. It would be more fun that way. Try to keep up."
"Ugh..."
Collin seethed, veins bulging on his neck, but he was utterly speechless.
"Hahaha!"
Watching Collin's face turn a deeper shade of red was incredibly satisfying.
"He said it spitefully, but Yuren is right. This campaign is only the first test. To be frank, this was more about giving you experience than it was about testing you."
"You mean..."
I thought I understood what the Marquis meant by experience.
"The lord of Lox must wage war against the endless hordes of monsters that appear each year. You must witness countless soldiers get injured and die. It is not the comfortable, happy position you imagine it to be. The name of Lox is as heavy as it is glorious."
The Marquis was giving me this experience in advance so that when I eventually became the head of the house, I could fulfill my duties without faltering.
"I'll take it to heart."
"Ahem. We'll continue our discussion of the test when we return. For now, board the ship behind us before it gets too late."
A small sailing ship was floating on the water. It resembled a European vessel from a pirate movie, though its deck seemed surprisingly spacious.
"That vessel is enchanted with stealth magic, allowing it to sail without being detected by sea monsters. Your final mission here is to patrol the nearby coast and check for any irregularities."
"Understood."
"This, too, is a duty you will have to perform every year, should you become the Marquis."
"Yes."
"Understood."
We followed the Marquis aboard the vessel. Just as he'd said, it was an enchanted ship; the sails and mast shimmered with various lights.
"Grand Prince. There are mages over there."
"It's a magic-powered ship, so of course there are."
Peru spoke excitedly, spotting two mages walking on deck.
"Anyway, it looks like everyone on this ship hates my guts."
The knights of the Water Dragon Order, clad in light armor instead of their usual heavy plate, were also on board. A glance with the Creator's Eye confirmed they still despised me.
I suppose it's only this low because of everything I've shown them recently.
It was a significant improvement from the -90 I'd seen before, but their favorability was still deep in the negative.
Sigh...
The sight of them was suffocating. I turned my head toward the sea.
"Gazing at the sea... it's not bad, but..."
Thanks to my diligent training even during the campaign, my Myriad Poisons Magnetic Divine Qi was on the verge of its fourth stage. I was more interested in getting back, consuming some poison, and reaching the fifth stage than I was in sightseeing.
"We're setting sail! Raise the anchor!"
At the Marquis's command, the anchor was raised, and the ship glided smoothly forward. Whether due to the magic, there was almost no rocking; it felt like being on a modern ocean liner.
"At least I won't have to worry about seasickness."
"Yuren, Collin, Raon. Over here."
The Marquis was beckoning to us from the bow, the very front of the ship. I could see the excitement on his face, as if he had something to show us.
"Let me give you the lay of the land. That island to the east, with the puppy-shaped mountain, is Polian Island. It's home to a large population of Mantars. And over there..."
The Marquis explained the geography of the area to us. As he described what each island was known for and what creatures inhabited them, he looked just like a father on a trip with his sons.
"Remember all of this. It will all be useful to you one day."
"Yes."
"Thank you."
"The sea looks so calm and peaceful, doesn't it?"
"Yes. The tranquility is pleasant."
"Heh heh."
The Marquis gave a benevolent smile, his gaze shifting between me, Collin, and Raon.
"You are the ones who made this sea so clear and quiet."
"We did?"
"If you hadn't held back the monsters, this place wouldn't be so peaceful. It would still be teeming with them. This pristine sea is your accomplishment."
The Marquis continued in this manner for some time, explaining various things and enjoying the moment.
"What did he talk to you about?"
"He was just explaining a few things about the area."
After my conversation with the Marquis, I returned to the port side of the deck where my companions were waiting. Peru's eyes lit up with curiosity.
"Succession lessons?"
"Something like that, I guess."
Staring at the rolling waves, I thought of the shattered rooms I'd seen recently. No matter how much I pondered it, I couldn't figure out what that place was.
Sigh...
"Are you all right?"
Perhaps hearing my sigh, Arin spoke up. She hadn't said a single word all day. I'd noticed recently that while Arin would talk when it was just the two of us, she became almost silent when others were around.
"I'm fine. What about you? Is this your first time on a ship? Are you doing okay?"
"Yes. I don't seem to get seasick."
"That's good to hear."
"It's strange."
Arin murmured quietly, her eyes on the distant horizon.
"Strange?"
"Just a few months ago, I never would have imagined I'd be here with you, Grand Prince."
"That's true. Back then..."
I swallowed the words, it wasn't me.
"Thank you again for allowing me to become a knight. Lately, I feel like I'm finally learning what it means to be truly happy."
A small but genuine smile graced Arin's lips.
"Don't mention it."
Feeling a little awkward, I offered a weak smile and turned my gaze back to the sea.
CRASH!
"Ugh!"
"Wh-what was that!"
"Hah!"
The ship lurched violently, as if it had struck something.
"Everyone, stay calm! Do not leave your posts! Grab onto something sturdy!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Navigator!"
The Marquis calmed everyone down before immediately calling for the helmsman and navigator.
"M-my Lord Marquis."
"What happened!"
"There are no reefs in these waters, sir. I don't know what we hit."
"Hmm..."
The Marquis stared down at the churning sea, his eyes filled with unease.
SPLASH!
I was also looking down at the water when, from behind the ship, I heard something immense breach the surface.
"Aah..."
"Ugh..."
Before I even turned to look, I heard the groans of the people on deck.
Most of the people on this ship were highly skilled individuals. A chill ran down my spine at the thought of what could render them speechless.
"Ah..."
The creature was covered in scales like steel. Blade-like fins ran down its back, and two horns, each the size of a man's torso, jutted from its head.
Its serpentine eyes, gazing down at us, were the very embodiment of malice.
"A Sea Serpent..."
Creator's Eye has been activated.
Sea Serpent
A sea monster known as a Spirit of the Sea, or a Demon of the Sea. It is called a spirit due to its rarity, and a demon due to its ferocity, as it leaves no survivors. Each Sea Serpent possesses a unique venom and has a sadistic nature, enjoying watching its prey suffer until death.
Skills: Poison Orb (Special), Dragonier (Physical), Detect (Support)
"All hands, to batt"
FWOOSH!
While even the Marquis hesitated in shock, the Sea Serpent struck first. A massive, green-glowing orb shot from its maw.
"Everyone, get back!"
I yelled, dashing in front of the Sea Serpent. I didn't know what kind of poison it was, but I could tell it was dangerous.
Popopopopop!
The large green orb spun rapidly, shattering into hundreds of smaller spheres that rained down on the deck like hail.
"Aaargh!"
"Gah!"
"I-I'm hit!"
"Dammit!"
The sheer number of poison orbs meant that most of the people on deck were struck. They stared at the afflicted areas, their eyes filled with despair.
I, too, was hit by the serpent's poison. However...
My reaction was quite different.
You have been poisoned by Venom (Sea Serpent - Soul Shatter).
The trait, Poison Immunity, negates the pain and symptoms of Venom (Sea Serpent - Soul Shatter).
Myriad Poisons Magnetic Divine Qi is absorbing Venom (Sea Serpent - Soul Shatter).
The proficiency of Myriad Poisons Magnetic Divine Qi has increased.
Myriad Poisons Magnetic Divine Qi has reached the fifth stage.
True Bone-Melting Powder has been unlocked.
The Power of Toxin Absorption has been unlocked.