Chapter 53
Chapter 53
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: Shaking (3)
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"What?"
Bulki could only blurt out a short, surprised response to the captain's words that he didn't know the timeframe, even after setting the course. As if understanding his bewilderment, Dayagnel spoke up.
"That makes sense, since the destination we're heading to is right in the heart of the great ocean. Our goal is the Mir Yam of the distant seas, isn't it? Chasing after a creature we've never even seen, one that never stops moving-it could take dozens of days, or maybe even hundreds. Who knows?"
He lit a cigarette. What was peculiar was that, whatever dried herb it was made from, it carried the briny scent of the sea. Feeling once more that he was deep underwater, Bulki asked,
"Do you think we can find it?"
"I'may not know the seas, but I know my tech. Right now, we're slicing diagonally toward the center of the abyss. But truthfully, we'll hit a limit eventually and have to surface. We can't withstand the pressure forever. We just keep rising and diving, pushing forward like that."
It was a voyage with no end in sight. The moment their supplies ran dry would mark the end of this adventure. Yet the Hero, though shaken, never gave in to despair.
"I see. Still, we'll find it."
Dayagnel clapped Bulki on the shoulder and said,
"We have to. Especially with you here, Hero. Oh, right-Cheret's been looking listless since we submerged. Why don't you go check on it? Head to the lowest deck of the ship."
"Yes, thank you. Safe travels, then."
Dayagnel turned back to the viewport and added,
"Oh, and my son's down there too. It'd be great if you could chat with him a bit. See you at dinner."
***
Bam!
The moment he pushed aside the curtain covering the entrance, a Red Blood Savage standing under the moonlight thumped his chest.
"We greet our lord."
"We greet our lord."
The two princes at the forefront of the roughly five hundred elite warriors offered their greetings. What was odd was that those behind the older brother, Kihuk Gurimson, were noticeably bulkier. Their scars suggested they were the fiercer warriors when it came to battle.
"Thank you all for gathering."
Iven accepted their salute with a puzzled expression before sitting in the prepared chair and asking,
"What is your will?"
To Iven's question, the older brother, Kihuk Gurimson, replied,
"Our will is to fight!"
"And you?"
Sensing the younger one harbored different thoughts, Iven turned to him. After a moment's hesitation, Kihuk's younger brother, Chanherk Gurimson, answered,
"Our will is to hunt! That's how we lead our kind!"
It all made sense. Clearly, their wills were divided even among themselves.
"A great warrior stands alone!"
"But we're starving! We must hunt, claim our share, and use it!"
Iven spoke sternly to the two who looked ready to devour each other at any moment.
"Enough."
Iven scanned his surroundings, taking in the situation. They were clearly starving. Food was scarce on this land. But what about their homes and clothing?
"Is there a craftsman among you?"
They were crude, sure, but Iven wondered how they managed to make clothes and build houses while so famished. After all, unlike what Bulki had first described, these Red Blood Savages were far more civilized up close.
"Such things are an insult to the dead."
At Kihuk's words, Chanherk bowed his head. To them, 'battle' or 'fight' was a sacred act above all else, judging by their words and reactions.
For a moment, Iven wondered if he should just kill everyone following Kihuk. But then he chided himself: I haven't done that. I haven't let anger take over. So, like the old Iven he used to be, he simply asked,
"What do you think should be done?"
To the young wolfkin beside him. Revanaharon tilted his head, as if unsure, and replied,
"I don't understand what you mean, Demon King. We simply follow your will."
Iven responded,
"No, my will aligns with both of theirs combined. To crush Mifplas, we need battle as the foundation. But for their tribe's self-sufficiency and sustained combat strength, we also need to advance their crafts. They know that, yet they reject each other for some reason."
Revanaharon pondered Iven's words-thoughts he'd never considered before in his life.
Wolfkin didn't have options to choose from.
"I don't know."
"Should I kill their leaders and install my own king to rule as I please? Show them my power and make them submit?"
"I don't know."
"I see. One side hates hunting, the other says it's inevitable. What do you think? What question should I even ask?"
Iven stared blankly at the night sky. Then Revanaharon quietly said,
"I don't understand why their wills differ."
"What do you mean by that?"
Revanaharon answered earnestly, innocently,
"Survival requires both. To live, you can't abandon anything. Hunting demands fighting, and after fighting, you divide the spoils and use them."
In that instant, Iven thought this pure response made the wolfkin seem like one of his old friends.
Of course. Instead of endlessly questioning and probing, just think of the simpler, truer path. Keep heading that way. That's what his old self would have said.
"That's the answer. I've figured out how to unite their wills. They need to think it up themselves."
And with that, Iven stood and shouted,
"Hear me, Red Blood Savages all! I know your wills are divided, and I won't force them together with my power. Before I give you my answer, first-choose which of these two princes will represent your tribe's will by raising your horns."
"We heed your will!"
They all bowed their heads and roared in unison. It felt like a river of blood flowing under the night sky.
"Use everything at your disposal to kill one of them."
The two princes looked up in shock.
"But if you don't, I'll kill you both."
"Why? Aren't both essential to us?"
Revanaharon, trembling with fear at Iven's cruelty, asked with shaky eyes. Iven replied,
"That's what a Hero is, in the end. No-a Demon King leading a single tribe."
And so, the brothers' life-or-death battle unfolded once more here the next day.
***
No light reached the ship's underbelly. In the long darkness, only the sloshing of unknown water echoed.
"Anyone there?"
Relying on his candle, Bulki gripped the handrails and trudged through the rocking ship. Then, far ahead, a light appeared.
"There."
"Oh? Hero?"
Spotting each other's lights, Bulki approached. A boy was tenderly tending to the sleeping Cheret.
"You've been looking after Cheret. Thank you."
"Not at all! I'm the captain's son, but I haven't learned the tech yet-I've just been fixing up the stable. So I thought maybe Mir are similar..."
Bulki smiled and drew closer, asking,
"How's Cheret doing? Oh, and your name?"
"Ah! I-I'm Dabagnel! I'manage the ship's supplies. I've admired you forever, Hero!"
Dabagnel shouted in excitement, causing Cheret to roll over as if annoyed by the noise.
"Ah, sorry, Lady Cheret."
Bulki sat beside the innocent boy and asked,
"Nothing too tough?"
"Nothing tough. I begged Dad to teach me the tech and tagged along, but I'm still just doing odd jobs here. Sure, becoming a knight is... Wait, no, I know managing supplies is crucial, but the other crew handles the real work."
"That's impressive enough. Joining this dangerous adventure-you're like a fine knight already."
Dabagnel flashed the happiest smile in the world. Then, as if remembering something, he whispered quietly.
"Ah! Hero, be careful wandering the ship. You probably don't need to, but last night I saw a shadow sneaking around."
"A shadow?"
"Yes! I noticed while prepping Cheret's feed-someone's been taking a portion of food."
Bulki listened quietly to the boy's earnestness, touched by his genuine concern, but ended up chuckling despite himself.
"It's true, Hero."
As Bulki kept grinning foolishly, Dabagnel leaned in closer and continued.
"I think it's less a ship ghost or spirit and more some deep-sea monster that snuck aboard. Who knows what's down there."
Bulki straightened the boy's cap without thinking and met his eyes, saying,
"Don't worry. You'll be safe by my side. If you're still anxious, how about staying here with me tonight to tend Cheret? No abyss monster would dare approach with Cheret around. Caring for mounts is knight basics, after all."
The boy's eyes sparkled brighter than the sea. Looking at him, Bulki thought of his own friend.
That figure who gave his all in his place, endlessly fretting and pondering over his aspirations. Bulki placed a hand on the boy's shoulder and said,
"This is a secret, but I started out in the stables too."
"Really? There's something I've always wanted to ask you..."
Thwack.
An arrow lodged in Dabagnel's throat mid-sentence. In an instant, Bulki was surrounded by grotesque sea creatures covered in fish-like scales.
Boom!
The ship lurched violently. A colossal deep-sea monster wrapped its countless tentacles around the vessel itself. And right here, right now, the battle against its accompanying horde began.