Chapter 23
Chapter 23
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: Hunting and Negotiation
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A creature resembling a long snake, about seven meters in length, rapidly approached the merchant ship.
At a depth of around fifteen meters. Two particularly curious ones were speeding ahead of the pack.
The important part started now. The moment the Sea Serpents entered range, I applied the newly activated magic from both hands to their bodies.
‘Reverse Gravity.’
This was a holy spell that reversed the target's gravity for a short time.
Splash!
In an instant, the Sea Serpent was yanked to the surface and shot up into the sky with tremendous force.
Under the brilliant sun, the silver scales of the sea snake sparkled vividly. I then shifted the direction of gravity sideways for the ones floating dozens of meters in the air, slamming them down toward the deck of a nearby fishing boat.
Boom!
Of course, a direct hit would have sunk it.
But the decks of all the ships were covered with large amounts of straw and cotton bundles to cushion the impact. It felt refreshing to land such a big catch, but my momentary lapse in focus made my legs wobble.
This is harder to control than I thought?
Immediately after, I sensed over a dozen more Sea Serpents swarming toward the fleet. I hooked two nearby ones and this time slammed them straight onto the deck of the merchant ship I was on.
“Argh!”
“It’s here! Everyone, get ready!”
The waiting sailors grabbed spears and charged at the Sea Serpents. Massive sprays of water and piles of straw flew across the deck, and soon bright red blood began gushing out like fountains in all directions.
Screeeeech!
Ugh, so noisy.
The forcibly hauled sea snakes thrashed wildly, startling the sailors who had been swinging their spears and causing them to back away.
“These things are insanely strong!”
“Watch out! Even three or four together can sink a ship!”
But Sea Serpents weakened dramatically once out of the water.
In the ocean, they could make their bodies as hard as steel, but once pulled out, their skin sagged, leaving them completely vulnerable to attacks.
Even left alone in this state, they’d die within ten minutes. And with the sailors stabbing them to drain their blood, they wouldn’t last even a few seconds.
Screeeeech!
Screeeeeeeeek!
Meanwhile, the pitiful cries of sea snakes began echoing in earnest from the other ships.
The Sealed Priests on the other vessels were talents who could be called specialists in holy magic. They grasped the ‘life detection magic and reverse gravity combo for Sea Serpent hunting’ I devised after hearing it just once.
“Prince. Here’s the sugar water you mentioned.”
Didi, who had been waiting behind, rushed over and handed me a large cup of cloudy liquid. I downed it without hesitation and licked my lips.
Phew… good. If I’m going to keep reeling them in, I need to replenish sugar in advance.
The silver lining was that this wasn’t a frantic direct combat situation. So instead of labor-intensive sugar bars, I’d opted for pre-prepared sugar water to fuel my brain.
Didi took back the empty cup and bowed solemnly.
“I’ll bring fresh sugar water right away. Please wait just a moment.”
“No need right now. Take your time.”
It’s not like I could cast infinite spells by chugging infinite sugar water.
Of course, my mana wasn’t going to run out at this rate anytime soon. Sensing the next wave of sea snakes approaching, I asked Didi,
“But Didi? Do you feel anything right now, by any chance?”
“As you said, Prince, the Sea Serpents pouring onto the decks was quite a shock.”
But her tone didn’t sound shocked at all? Is she like Meredes, a bit off in expressing emotions?
“No, not that. Seeing the Sea Serpents right in front of you—doesn’t it feel familiar, or make you think about how to raise them or something?”
“……I’m sorry. I don’t quite understand what you mean, Prince.”
Didi shook her head with a puzzled expression. I’d brought her along wondering if Sea Serpents might be some kind of beastkin, but it seemed unrelated.
I chuckled and patted her back.
“Got it. Go wait somewhere safe. Bring extra sugar water once I reel in about six more.”
“Yes. Understood.”
Didi bowed deeply and retreated.
In the meantime, Kyle directed the sailors to drag the dead sea snakes to the rear, and I spotted the waiting priests casting holy magic to prevent decay on the carcasses.
Good. Everyone’s doing great.
Just then, I saw Sealed Priest Baris on the adjacent ship skillfully hauling up a sea snake onto his deck. That guy had the highest holy magic potential among the Sealed Priests, right? As expected, great instincts.
In my previous regression, I’d suffered alone for half a day doing this, but this time, we’d wrap it up much faster. If things went well, we might even finish the follow-up ‘Ogre Rebellion’ route in three days.
* * *
The port of Yoton Bay was hosting a festival all night long.
Not only the fishermen mobilized for the Sea Serpent hunt, but all the locals who heard the news flocked in, clinking glasses in honor of Prince Claude’s feat.
“To him!”
“To him!”
“For Prince Claude!”
“Drink up! Tonight we drink our fill!”
“Try this! Fresh stone fish I caught on today’s first outing in ages!”
Everyone cheered with joyful faces. Claude and the priests had hauled in a total of 38 Sea Serpents that day.
Of course, that was less than half of those occupying the bay.
But the key was that they’d realized they could be hunted too. The survivors panicked greatly and retreated to the distant sea far from the bay entrance.
Thanks to that, fishermen resumed operations, albeit briefly, and the local merchants—who’d been twiddling their thumbs—seized the festival to supply booze and food while gearing up for resuming trade manpower.
“I’ve been idle for a full two years already! But earlier, someone from Juran Company came by asking if I’d work with them again!”
“Hey, Juran’s one thing, but you’ve gotta help Gusph Company first, right? I heard Prince Claude came here because the young master of Gusph begged him earnestly!”
“Really? Then I’ll hop on a Gusph ship too! Back to sea starting tomorrow!”
It was the moment Yoton Bay and its surroundings, mired in stagnation for years, came back to life.
Meanwhile, Kyle, who had been mingling incognito to eavesdrop, nodded quietly as he took the drink offered by Trimum, who had approached.
“Have you arrived, Priest?”
“I’ve been looking for you. Sir Kyle.”
“Sir? I’m no noble—just a mere cadet at the officer academy.”
Kyle shook his head hastily. Trimum chuckled as if wondering what that was about and sat beside him.
“Sir Kyle is already a knight. What’s wrong with calling a knight ‘sir’?”
Cadets handpicked by Claude were automatically granted diplomas and knighthood.
They even skipped the one-year probation as training knights, so Kyle was a full-fledged knight in name and fact.
“It just sort of happened that way…… I still can’t quite believe it. Anyway, call me whatever’s comfortable, Priest.”
“Understood. Sir Kyle.”
Trimum grinned and pointed to the Gusph family mansion visible in the distance.
“The party at the mansion has better food and more booze than here. Why come out?”
“Nothing special. Just wanted to feel the atmosphere.”
“The atmosphere?”
“Just a hobby. I’ve always liked collecting on-site vibes and info.”
Kyle smiled sheepishly and took a sip. Trimum’s eyes widened in thought before he burst into hearty laughter.
“Haha! As expected of someone Prince sought out personally. Info-gathering at a lively festival like this—talk about overflowing with wit.”
“You flatter me. I’m just a greenhorn who’s never succeeded at anything proper…… I can’t fathom what the Prince sees in me to bring me along.”
That was the unresolved question for Kyle.
Looking purely at events, it seemed Claude was after the power of Kyle’s family, Gusph Company, not Kyle himself.
They’d sourced ships to go to sea, crew to man them, and just now, masses of transport wagons—all via Gusph’s connections.
But any merchant company with money could do that.
Was there really a need to repay debts and implore a failing Gusph Company specifically?
“This booze is excellent.”
Trimum downed his glass and let out a short sigh.
“Secular pleasures should be in moderation, but since I never get drunk, indulging occasionally feels nice.”
“You must hold your liquor well, Priest.”
“I use detox magic to sober up.”
“Ah.”
“My old job was so stressful…… It was the only thing allowed in the temple. So I got good at it.”
What kind of temple job involves chugging booze? Kyle nodded, curbing his curiosity.
“Guarding the Prince can’t be easy either, but it must be less burdensome than before.”
“The mental load’s down tenfold. No, a hundredfold? Speaking of, haven’t seen the Prince since dinner?”
Trimum scanned the raucous crowd for a while before saying,
“He said no booze, so probably turned in early after the sea ordeal.”
“Not quite……”
Kyle, who’d been silent, lowered his voice and revealed the truth.
“The Prince has already left this place.”
“What? When?”
“Didn’t he send off the wagons loaded with Sea Serpents somewhere before sunset?”
“Yeah. An enormous caravan.”
“He joined them. He ordered me to rest here a few days with the locals, then once things settle, lead everyone back to Lunnenbreath Manor.”
“But then who’s guarding the Prince right now……”
“Only that one maid went with him.”
Kyle recalled the tall maid who fed the Prince elixirs like clockwork every hour.
“Oh, and Didi too. Though I doubt those two can properly protect him.”
“The Prince is blessed by the five gods. Ah! Give me a drink too!”
Trimum snagged a free cup from a passing fisherman with a keg and continued after downing it.
“With holy magic at its peak, he won’t come to harm in most situations.”
“I think so too. That’s probably why he didn’t call extra guard priests.”
“But I still think protection is necessary.”
Trimum’s beaming face suddenly grew serious. Kyle felt the mood turn heavy and asked,
“Why is that?”
“Before leaving the temple, the High Priest hinted at the situation surrounding Prince Claude.”
“What situation?”
“Sir Kyle, what do you think of the Prince?”
The question came out of nowhere. Kyle pondered briefly before sharing his thoughts.
“With my abilities, I can’t comprehend what kind of person the Prince is.”
“‘Incomprehensible’……”
“Not in a bad way. But as you know, Priest, everything he does shatters common sense. Right?”
“Of course.”
“And he makes those absurd things happen as if they’re only natural. If I had to put a word to it…… audacious? All I can grasp is that he’s painting some grand picture beyond my imagination.”
That was Kyle’s honest sentiment after a few days with Claude.
Trimum nodded in agreement silently, and Kyle drained his glass while gazing at the starry sky.
“One more curious thing: he treats me like a long-time retainer already. We’ve only met days ago…… Sometimes his lack of distance surprises me.”
“Lucky you. He still keeps some distance with me. Haha.”
“I’d prefer that sometimes. He doesn’t say it, but it feels like he expects something huge from me…… Anyway, one thing’s certain.”
“What’s that?”
“I’ll probably spend my life working under Prince Claude from now on.”
It was conviction, not a hunch. Trimum gazed at Kyle steadily, then nodded and spoke lowly.
“Then I’ll trust you, Sir Kyle, and share something important about the Prince.”
“……”
“In the imperial family right now, Prince Claude is completely isolated.”
“Well, given his past behavior…… and the Empress issue too.”
“The key is that Regent Jess Highness views the Prince as a thorn in his side—hating and checking him relentlessly.”
“That bad? Rumors said the Regent treasured Claude most among his brothers?”
“It’s confirmed temple intel. So depending on circumstances, we might need extra protection for the Prince’s safety.”
Trimum held back from mentioning Jess had poisoned Claude long-term. Kyle, pondering gravely, covered his mouth with his hand and whispered.
“That’s scary. Too much for a half-baked academy dropout like me.”
“But the Prince favors you, Sir Kyle.”
Trimum shook his head.
“So not now, but someday, you might need to stake everything for him.”
Palace upheavals, imperial power struggles, bloody purges.
Terrifying notions flashed through Kyle’s mind. If caught in that, his mere local merchant family could shatter in an instant.
“You’re wise enough to understand. If you can bear it, keep following him as now. But if you won’t back him at the critical moment, better start distancing yourself.”
It was more warning than advice. Kyle felt cold sweat down his spine as Claude’s face came to mind.
“Thank you for the important words. But my thoughts differ slightly.”
“What do you mean?”
“Not that I should say, having met him just four days ago……”
“No worries. By dates, I’ve only known him five days myself.”
“The Prince has everything planned already.”
“Huh?”
“Including the issue you just mentioned, and solutions for it all. So I probably won’t need to worry separately.”
“Oh……”
Trimum looked at Kyle in surprise. Then, reverting to his cheerful self, he grinned broadly.
“As expected of the Prince’s choice. I worried needlessly. Haha, hahaha! Hit me with another here! The booze tastes so sweet tonight! Sticks perfectly to the throat—too good!”