I'll Take the Desert...?
“I’ll take the desert……? Heh, heh heh…… From the moment I first saw you, I knew you weren’t ordinary, but to say something like that right to my face. You’ve got some real guts.”
Rania stared blankly for a moment before bursting into laughter.
“Hien’s children compete with each other for one reason—to become master of the desert, right? It’s not all that surprising.”
“That’s not it. Aren’t you shocked that a little brother is boldly declaring he’ll surpass his older brothers and sister up top?”
She leaned back in her cabin chair and continued.
“And among those he plans to surpass is me. To say it so openly in my territory—do you think that’s okay?”
Clang!!
Clang-clang--!!
At that instant, the shark slayers standing on the deck of Rania’s ship drew their swords in unison.
“This is a no-wind zone where you can’t use God’s Blessings. Even you can’t take on over two hundred hunters.”
Grip--!!!
She roughly seized Adel’s collar and yanked him toward her.
“Lady Rania!!”
Kasla cried out at the sight.
“Stay put. Even if she’s the daughter of the Black Crows, I won’t tolerate reckless moves in my domain.”
“B-but……!!”
“It’s fine. No need to make a fuss. Just stay there.”
Despite Adel’s words, Kasla watched the two with worried eyes.
The great white shark was the most unpredictable among Hien’s children, after all.
“Bold one. You’re telling me not to covet the desert and be content with the strait, aren’t you?”
“I just want to help you out, sister. I could probably survive against two hundred shark slayers…….”
Whoosh---!!
In that moment, Adel drew a dagger from the belt on his chest and hurled it.
Clang……!!!
The dagger embedded itself at the feet of a hunter aiming a bow from the opposite ship.
“……!!”
The hunter squad members buzzed, staring at the dagger stuck in the deck.
“……but the shark slayers wouldn’t survive against the Archipelago King.”
“You alone plan to stop an Archipelago King that even two hundred shark slayers couldn’t handle? You managed to hunt that necromancer thanks to Garon’s Blessing. But this is a no-wind zone. Your arrogance pierces the heavens.”
“I’m not alone.”
“Those two? Calling that a hunter squad is laughable.”
“Someone once told me: better one elephant than a hundred ants.”
Twitch—
Rania’s eyebrow twitched at that.
[Ahem.]
Kalderet let out an awkward cough.
“Fine, whatever. Let’s see what those three can do. Just don’t get in my way. I’m warning you—if you tangle with the Archipelago King, I won’t come to your rescue, no matter what happens.”
“Thank you.”
Adel nodded at her words.
“But I’ll save you. That way, you’ll owe me one.”
“Hmph……”
‘I could tell from our first meeting that the kid was gunning for his father’s seat. But with just three people…… What the hell does he plan to do?’
Rania was intrigued.
The Archipelago King, leader of the Garam Archipelago’s pirate fleets, was one of the great powerhouses evaluated on par with desert lord Hien.
If Adel could defeat the Archipelago King, it would prove he truly had the potential to topple Hien.
“Then, I’ll be off.”
As if reading her thoughts and dilemmas, Adel turned with a curt farewell.
“Adel. Don’t underestimate the sea.”
Rania called after him.
“I don’t. I’ll just leap over it.”
* * *
“What’s the plan? We didn’t come to help Lady Rania?”
Adel’s ship pulled away from Rania’s dock and resumed sailing.
“We did help. We wiped out two pirate crews at the great white shark’s base, didn’t we?”
“O-of course. Saving our lives alone earns our eternal loyalty!!”
Rito, whom Adel had brought along when leaving the base, nodded vigorously at his words.
“Sorry for not recognizing you sooner, a big shot among big shots. Hien’s eighth son—rumors have spread all the way to the Garam Archipelago. No wonder…… It makes sense now that you came dragging the Yepel pirates’ ship from Dagger Harbor.”
Having witnessed the exchange between him and Rania, Rito seemed to have changed his tune.
Forgetting his severed fingers, he rubbed his palms together with a grin.
“I sensed from the start you weren’t ordinary…… But to think you’re the hunter who took down that notoriously tough necromancer!! It’s only natural my pathetic pirate crew got crushed!”
“Oh yeah?”
Rito seized the moment to grovel with exaggerated flattery.
Thud--!!!
But Adel grabbed his nape and slammed his face into the deck.
“……Guhk!!”
“How do you know whether I caught that necromancer or not?”
“Keh, kek…… If it’s known in the archipelago, it’s already spread across the continent. The Forgotten Ones schemed against the great plains and desert, didn’t they?”
Rito rasped with his throat gripped.
“That’s why the White Ghost headed to strike their temple at the continent’s southern edge.”
‘Yong-a’s scheme.’
Hunting the Forgotten Cult was supposed to be top secret. It wouldn’t leak from underlings.
Adel knew only one person in the tribe bold enough to orchestrate something this audacious.
‘Look at this. He assigns me a mission, then turns me into the Forgotten Ones’ target? Father’s diverting their eyes to hit the temple.’
He released Rito’s throat, deep in thought.
Adel sneered coldly.
‘Well, can’t be helped for now.’
He didn’t like being used as a tool, but Hien was still desert master, not him.
‘Maybe he even dumped that Mahal incident on me because of the Forgotten Ones link.’
Adel wasn’t thrilled at being played by Yong-a’s schemes, but he saw potential to turn this into an opportunity.
‘But if the Forgotten Ones target me, that’s fine too.’
He’d half-expected it upon hearing Hien was attacking their temple.
‘Father’s raid will fail.’
The temple assault hadn’t happened in his previous life.
But Adel was certain of Hien’s failure because he knew how to conquer it.
‘Father’s contracted high god of the hunt, Kilderen, has formidable combat prowess. But even that won’t take down the temple’s undead.’
It wasn’t Hien’s weakness or Kilderen’s lack of power.
Bad matchup.
“It could be a chance to shine.”
[Plotting something again, I see.]
Kalderet nodded at Adel’s smile.
“Anyway, Rito. You know where the Archipelago King is?”
“Of course. His ships are gathering at Kron Island, east of the Garam Archipelago.”
“Kron Island……”
Adel glanced at Harun at Rito’s report.
As expected, his face was stiff.
‘Makes sense. Kron Island’s Bucket Serpent family territory.’
“The Archipelago King bears the Kraken’s Blessing. He commands sea creatures—even monsters. Honestly, I can’t imagine him losing a naval battle.”
“He’ll lose.”
“……Pardon?”
Rito gaped at Adel’s utterly confident tone.
“You islanders revere the Kraken, but it’s just a man-eating monster. Handling monsters is simple. Give it tastier bait.”
“Tastier bait?”
Adel pointed his index finger at Rito.
“H-ha…… You’re joking, right?”
“Why do you think I spared you? You’ve got your uses.”
Drip-drip—
Rito felt his pants grow wet.
“Sp-spare me!!! Master!!!”
He threw himself flat before Adel, voice cracking.
“Just sail the ship.”
“Y-yes!! Right away!! I’ll helm forever—no, let me helm forever!!”
Rito bolted to the helm.
“Easy mark.”
[Doubt you’d hesitate to toss him to the Kraken if needed.]
“I’d consider it.”
[Good grief.]
Kalderet shook his head.
[This stifling, heavy air never gets easier. Can’t wait to leave.]
Since entering the no-wind zone, Kalderet had been hunching wearily.
Even an ancient god of dimension creation struggled here.
‘Makes sense. Garon’s voice doesn’t reach either. Mid gods can’t even maintain form in no-wind zones.’
Contractor Adel felt the crushing pressure too.
[I can’t help you. You’ll have to take the Archipelago King yourself. Fifteen ships under him?]
“Probably eighteen by now. Kron Island’s ships will join him. Around…… a thousand men.”
[Right. Fifteen or eighteen—close enough. So how do you plan to fight an enemy with eighteen ships?]
Kalderet eyed him.
[You’ve got one ship, one sea folk, two hunters, and a powerless ancient god. That’s it.]
“Not hard. I’ve caught bigger.”
[……What?]
Kalderet lifted his head in genuine surprise.
“That’s not all I have. There’s Rito gripping the helm hard, and the crew rowing below.”
[Pirates? They’ll help?]
“They will. Know why I took the Yepel pirates’ ship instead of Faye’s?”
[Hmm…… Not a pity if it breaks?]
Adel chuckled at Kalderet’s guess.
“Not wrong. But the difference between Faye’s ship and no-wind pirate vessels is power source. Normal ships use magic stones as engines.”
[And?]
“Magic stones’ thrust makes ships sturdier. But heavier too. No-wind pirate ships, rowed by manpower, are much lighter.”
[That’s why the pirates that attacked your ship got wrecked. Faye sent crew since no magic stones, right?]
“Those crew made the already heavy ship heavier. I don’t need sturdy. Even Faye’s ship couldn’t tank cannon fire from eighteen vessels.”
[Speed.]
“Exactly. I need a faster ship. Once we hit the battlefield, I’ll dump all cargo.”
[Fair enough. Speed’s advantageous at sea. But war’s different. You can’t win by just running.]
Adel gazed ahead with eyes full of strategy.
“No. In this fight, you win by running away.”