Chapter 244: The Tin Knight and the Strange Resort (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 244: The Tin Knight and the Strange Resort (3)
To heal their weary bodies and minds after many arduous days, the Tin Knight's party was enjoying a vacation getaway (though it wasn't summer) on a remote island in the northern continent.
But the island they visited held a grave and terrifying secret.
Mysterious creatures, a mix of human and sea life, slithered out from the depths of the ocean.
A dark, blood-reeking monster coiled deep within the seemingly bright and serene island.
Faced with this impending threat, the Tin Knight's party…
[The 'Tin Knight' shouts a toast!]
“A toast? To hell with that. Adel, can you pass me that plate?”
“Oh, yes. Here you go.”
“Hehe, shall I join in? Cheers!”
…were completely ignoring the threat and had thrown themselves into a party.
*
After hearing about the conflict between the Dragon King’s country and the vampires from the turtle fish-person.
Dorothea declared.
“The underwater country, the vampires, who gives a damn? Just leave them be.”
To you, that was an utterly unacceptable statement.
I mean, you'd arrived in a new area, a new quest was flashing an exclamation mark in your mission window, and she wanted to just ignore it?
In response to your protest, Dorothea retorted sullenly.
“You want to starve, then? Huh? We finally came here for a vacation, and you want to get tangled up in another weird incident, chewing on beef jerky while we try to solve it?”
[The 'Tin Knight' says that on second thought, people should rest when it's time to rest!]
You yielded quickly.
Of course, you had your excuses.
This was because the modification to your food consumption function—which Dorothea had requested from Gale, but which had been delayed as the Magic State incident dragged on—was finally complete.
Strictly speaking, it was a little different from actually ‘eating’.
You weren't actually putting anything in your mouth or digesting it.
A function had simply been added that allowed you to share the sensations when Dorothea, Adelaide, or Sophia ate something. It even included a feature to selectively choose whose senses to share so they wouldn't get jumbled.
One might ask if that wasn't just frustratingly tantalizing, but surprisingly, that wasn't the case.
People can naturally feel a certain vicarious satisfaction just from watching others eat.
There's a reason why content like mukbang [Korean eating shows] exists. In fact, during mealtimes, you would eagerly recommend foods to your party that you yourself couldn't taste or smell, because that alone brought a decent sense of fulfillment.
But what if you could add the sense of touch to that experience?
What if it wasn't just about seeing and hearing, but about actually feeling the taste?
As a magic doll, you had never known the joy of eating.
This cold, metal body was far too practical to feel such ‘superfluous’ things.
You, the person outside the monitor, were the same.
Your body felt no hunger, thirst, or fatigue, but a mental hunger and emptiness were always present.
But there had been no way to fill it.
After all, the only things in your room were a desk, a chair, and a single computer.
But now, things were different.
When Adelaide tore into a piece of meat, you too could vividly feel its texture, its heat, and the juices spreading in your mouth.
When Dorothea bit into a fruit, you could feel its sweet, refreshing taste and crisp aroma. When Sophia took a drink, it felt as if life was returning to your parched throat.
The thrill of rediscovering the simple human joy of eating and drinking—beyond the gamer's pleasure of achieving goals and defeating enemies—was truly beyond words.
As if understanding your emotional state, your companions even complied with your detailed requests to some extent.
[The 'Tin Knight' tells them to eat the meat!]
[The 'Tin Knight' requests that they tear into the fresh meat!]
[The 'Tin Knight' points out that they can't taste anything by nibbling like that and tells them to tear into the ribs with abandon!]
“Agh! That’s enough, knock it off! Why is every request about meat, meat, and more meat?!”
Dorothea snapped.
For her, who had a small appetite and preferred vegetables, your passionate love for meat was a bit much.
Sophia was even more particular, mostly just sipping her drink and not really enjoying other foods.
“Ahaha… It’s all right, Sir Knight. I can still eat more.”
Thankfully, Adelaide was in the party.
Befitting a warrior who exerted herself physically, she wolfed down an incredible amount of food for her small frame. You gave the sight of your disciple a thumbs-up.
When the long barbecue party, which lasted just under two hours, finally ended, you felt an indescribable mental satisfaction, even without any physical fullness.
You took an action you might have been performing for the very first time in this metal body: you lay spread-eagled on the ground.
Your body felt pleasantly weary.
So much so that you had the illusion you might actually be able to fall asleep.
“He’s completely out. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this relaxed.”
“But he seems to be in a very good mood.”
“It was worth asking Miss Gale for the modification, Miss Dorothea. You even chose it over a sacred treasure, didn't you?”
“…It would’ve been awkward to ask for the shoes in that situation, so I just chose this instead. Besides, managing a familiar’s mental state is part of a master’s duty.”
The sound of your companions’ voices felt somehow distant.
Just as you were thinking how nice it would be for this peaceful moment to last...
...something caught your senses.
Splish. Splash.
The sound of something crawling out of the water, far off in the deep sea.
Squelch. Squelch.
The sound of wet feet trampling the sandy beach.
Wheeze. Hiss.
The breathing of a bizarre creature, too strange to be a normal person's.
Around the carriage, which was lit up like some kind of camper, dark shadows were stealthily gathering.
From above you, you heard the witch sigh.
“…Maybe I should’ve just finished him off instead of letting him go.”
“Well, that would have risked turning that unidentified marine force completely hostile. And keeping him captive would have been a hassle.”
“Hmm, about a hundred? People? Creatures? If you include the ones still crawling out of the sea, it might be double or triple that.”
“If they can normally mobilize a force this large, then the vampire on this island holding out against them must be quite capable. Or perhaps the island itself holds a secret.”
“I couldn’t care less. As long as they don’t try to involve us.”
Their conversation was completely devoid of tension.
As if displeased by this, killing intent began to radiate from the surrounding shadows.
Their forms, illuminated by the campfire, were an utterly bizarre mix of human and sea creature.
Their eyes bulged, their backs were hunched, and gills and scales sprouted from all over their bodies.
The turtle fish-person and the sailors from Cap’n Bill’s crew were practically handsome by comparison.
One of them raised a harpoon high, aimed it at the party, and shouted.
“Fools who harmed the messenger of the Dragon King! You shall pay for your sins with blood!”
“With blood!”
“However, the mercy of the Great One is endless! If you come along quietly now—”
Having heard enough, you shot to your feet.
On one hand, you were annoyed they had ruined your good mood. On the other, you happened to need some post-meal exercise, so the timing was perfect.
[The 'Tin Knight' asks if the order is Dead or Alive, or Only Alive!]
To your question, Dorothea answered without a hint of hesitation.
“Wipe them all out. Only Dead. Just be careful not to mess up the nice scenery.”
A truly satisfying answer.
You dashed forward and slammed a knee into the head of the fish-person who was still babbling on.
The bizarre fish head, with its huge eyes and monkfish-like maw, was crushed with a wet squelch.
Before its blood could splatter onto the sand, you struck the air with your shield, sending the corpse flying with the resulting blast of wind.
As you landed, you swung your sword at the Octopus Head next to you.
The Octopus Head, oblivious to what was happening, tried to stab you with its harpoon, but you were faster. You grabbed the tentacles growing like a beard and hurled it away.
The creature, having landed in the sea, furiously tried to resurface, but before it could, its body split cleanly in two.
You felt inwardly amazed.
You'd recalled an urban legend about master chefs whose knife skills were so superb that a filleted fish would continue swimming, unaware it was dead. You had tried it on a whim, never expecting it to actually work.
Even the Tin Knight’s body, which had countless combat experiences hammered into it, seemed to find this bizarre feat strangely novel, as if it had never done anything quite like it.
Thinking you’d just acquired a great new skill, you swung your sword with glee.
Slash, then bash with the shield.
Slash, then grab and spin one like a windmill.
Slash, then use the sword itself as an axis to throw another.
Only then did the fish-people realize something was terribly wrong and try to target your companions instead, but that was a poor decision.
WHACK!
With a single strike from Adelaide, a fish-person resembling a stingray soared far into the sky before plunging deep into the sea.
Perhaps judging that she couldn't finish them off as cleanly as you, Adelaide seemed to have decided to simply use the flat of her blade to bludgeon her opponents.
You briefly wondered what would happen if they survived, but a moment’s observation told you such worries were unnecessary.
Each of her blows packed the immense force of a speeding freight truck.
At that point, whether they were sent flying or not, the impact from the blade alone was instantly fatal.
Those who targeted Dorothea and Sophia didn't fare any better.
When Sophia infused the barrier Dorothea had cast with holy power, any fish-person who touched it convulsed as if electrocuted before collapsing and foaming at the mouth.
It was a bit like watching bugs get zapped by an electric fly swatter.
The night sky was clear, the stars bright.
You suddenly recalled various horror movies.
Deep-sea fish-people, creatures from the black lagoon, vengeful spirits, zombies, masked killers, sharks in a tornado...
You felt a deep sadness for all the protagonists in those films who, beset by every disaster imaginable the moment they reached a resort, died off without ever getting to enjoy a proper vacation.
Vacations were so enjoyable; what could be sadder than being unable to enjoy one because of external interference?
But in all things, a change of perspective is important.
If external interference is the problem… couldn't you just obliterate all the interfering elements?
Getting rid of ordinary tourists just because they’re in the way would be a public nuisance, but defeating those who mean you harm? Isn't that just self-defense?
You thrilled at this truly flawless theory you had devised.
You made a vow.
No matter what happened, you would have the perfect vacation.