Chapter 832
On the central deck of the Black Wave, scraps of half-eaten food lay scattered in a messy sprawl.
"Grrr..."
"Grrk... krr...."
Between them, beastfolk lay strewn about, snoring loudly. Despite the noise, the fairies sprawled nearby remained fast asleep, undisturbed in a way that made for a rather unusual sight.
Leaning against the starboard railing, Ian didn't even glance their way. A cigarette resting between his lips, he slowly swept his gaze across the dim surroundings.
At some point, land had vanished entirely from view. Beneath a sky weighed down by thickening storm clouds, the darkened sea stretched endlessly.
They had entered the western sea of the continent—the Black Sea.
"Hmm."
Yet the dull heaviness in Ian’s gaze wasn’t simply because of that.
For half a day, the waters had been completely still, without a ripple or a breath of wind. They were deep within the doldrums of the Black Sea, just as the rumors described.
Swoosh—
And so, the Black Wave now moved forward by oars.
That was why the beastfolk and fairies lay collapsed across the deck as if they had fainted, and why the steady rhythm of shouted commands continued from below.
"One—"
"—Two!"
Divided into two teams, the beastfolk and fairies joined the original rowers and rotated in three shifts. Those sprawled across the deck were the first team, while those rowing below made up the second.
The environment is definitely becoming more and more artificial. Or perhaps magical.
Ian exhaled a long stream of smoke.
It was still broad daylight, and though nothing obstructed his view, the distance he could see was steadily shrinking. A murky darkness, like fog, drifted through the air, and soon, even the horizon disappeared.
"Hashim!" Sanford’s voice rang out from the raised stern deck. Standing by the railing overlooking the central deck, he raised a clenched fist.
Hashim, who had been sitting midway along the stairs leading below, immediately bowed his head and shouted, "Yes, Captain! He says to stop—take a rest!"
The rowing calls cut off as cleanly as if severed, replaced at once by groans and ragged breaths.
Sanford came down the stairs, meeting Ian’s gaze as he turned. "W-Well... I know it’s not time to switch shifts yet, Agent of the Saint. We stopped because the distance from the ships behind us had grown too wide."
Since entering the doldrums, the smuggling ships traveled in a single line, said to be safer during unexpected situations.
"There’s no other issue, so there’s no need to worry. Ha ha. At the latest, we should start seeing the archipelago by tomorrow morning."
As Sanford tried to sound casual while stepping onto the central deck, Ian narrowed his eyes slightly and replied, "The fact that the others are falling behind is already a problem."
They were heading into the domain of a sealed ancient god. There was no room to waste time.
Sanford hesitated for a moment, then awkwardly stroked his unkempt beard before shaking his head.
"Actually, it’s the opposite, Agent of the Saint."
"You’re saying we’ve been moving too fast?"
"Yes. I mean... there’s a chance the sea will stay like this all the way to the archipelago. If we don’t manage the rowers’ stamina properly, they’ll collapse before we even arrive."
Sanford came to a stop beside Ian and subtly jerked his chin toward the deck.
"Like them, for instance. None of them knows how to pace themselves, so if we keep pushing at this speed, you’ll end up landing with a crew that’s half-dead. Ah, I’ve overstepped again, haha."
Sanford hastily bowed, but even as he did, the sound of dragging, uneven footsteps rose from the stairs at the center of the deck.
"Sigh..."
"Damn it... can’t... keep this... up...."
It was the beastfolk and fairies who had been rowing.
A brown-furred beastman, damp with sweat, staggered up first while gasping for breath. Right behind him, a fairy trudged up with limp arms, muttering curses under their breath—only to stop short.
They had noticed Ian, who stood there with a cigarette in his mouth, watching them. The mask hanging at their waist marked them clearly as a Warden of the Deep Forest.
Pressing their lips tight, the warden quickly turned and fled. Idris appeared soon after, panting with his tongue out and casting a glance back over his shoulder.
"Tough, but doesn’t it feel kind of refreshing?"
"That’s a completely insane thing to say," Phoebe, replying with an exhausted face, stopped short just like the warden before her as she caught sight of Ian.
At last, Ian clicked his tongue lightly and turned his gaze away.
"No. It was good advice."
He had been rushing because he expected an attack at any moment. Though truthfully, he had also intended to push them until they were completely worn down.
Sanford rubbed his hands together with a servile smile.
"Thank you for taking it seriously, Agent of the Saint. To be honest, I’ve been uneasy myself."
Sneaking a glance at Ian, Sanford continued, "After thinking it over, it occurred to me that if they truly had the ability to blockade the sea, there’d be no need for them to restrict the route like this in the first place. So as long as we don’t act carelessly, we might be able to reach the archipelago without any major trouble, Acting Saint."
"Yeah, I’ve been thinking along the same lines. But that doesn’t mean they’ve abandoned the sea entirely. If they’re short on resources, then at the very least—" Ian, who had been replying with a shrug, suddenly trailed off and paused.
Soon, he frowned slightly and muttered, "Figures. This is why you’ve got to watch what you say."
The essence bead of chaos suddenly emitted a low resonance. In the middle of this dim sea, there was no need to think too hard about what it had reacted to.
"What do you mean by— Don’t tell me."
As Sanford’s lone eye widened, Ian flicked his cigarette into the sea and turned.
"Get ready to move at any time. Signal the other ships too."
"Y-Yes! Everyone, on your feet! Looks like we’ll be setting off again soon! Hashim! Give them a hand!"
Nodding so hard it seemed his head might fall off, Sanford turned and shouted at the fairies and beastfolk who had only just dropped onto the deck to rest.
"What did you say?"
"For the love of— O Lu Solar...."
While the fairies groaned as if the sky had fallen, the beastfolk sprang to their feet like coiled springs, tongues flicking.
No wonder I got a quest.
Striding forward, Ian opened the door and stepped into the carriage hold. Nila, who had been lying flat on the floor resting, snapped its head toward him.
"There’s a chance we’ll run into a fight. Guard the horses and the carriage," Ian said as he headed toward the carriage.
Nila snorted, shaking out its mane as it rose to its feet. By then, Ian had already opened the carriage door and leaned inside, quickly checking over the equipment strapped to him.
—You look awfully busy, my friend.
Yog’s faint whisper burrowed into his mind. It was more than enough to convince Ian that trouble was about to arise. The resonance of the essence bead must have awakened it.
"Good timing, Yog. Once we’re out, help keep watch for any sea creatures approaching our side," Ian said without pausing his hands.
It was the one thing he was most concerned about. A sea creature could sink the ship outright.
Yog let out a chuckle.
—So that’s why? Got it, Friend. It was quite fun last time. Hopefully it’ll be the same this time.
Fun, my ass.
Scoffing, Ian reached out, grabbed the black sword resting at an angle against the chair, and turned. The Blazing Judgment was already secured at his waist, still sheathed.
The ship seemed to be swaying again, little by little. Ian strode forward and pushed the door open once more.
"Try not to fall into the sea."
He didn’t forget to add that toward Nila, which was looking his way. As it snorted, Ian closed the door and took in the sight of the deck.
"Great Warrior."
"Agent of the Saint!"
In a brief moment, the situation on deck had completely changed. The beastfolk and fairies were awake now, hunched over as they hurriedly prepared for battle. A few of them glanced toward him.
"Gather at the center of the deck. Or go below and help with the rowing if you prefer." Ian said flatly, already turning away before hearing any reply.
He moved straight toward the stairs leading to the stern.
The feeling that the ship was shaking was no illusion. The once-calm surface had begun to ripple again.
Whoosh—
At the stern railing, Sanford stood with a torch raised high, waving it in a wide circle overhead. He was likely signaling the ships following behind.
—Yeah, I can feel something.
Yog, having slipped out through the gaps in the armor, dropped down onto the railing. Meanwhile, Ian walked forward with the black sword hanging at his side and glanced over at the ships beyond.
Swoosh...
Just as Sanford had said, the one following at a fair distance behind was the Silent Storm, carrying Charlotte and Elia.
It was the only ship that still bore the look of a former pirate vessel, with a large ballistae mounted along both sides of its deck.
Of course, that wasn’t the only reason it held the middle of the formation.
With senses as sharp as mine when it comes to magic, she’ll notice the moment something approaches.
After all, Lily was aboard the Crimson Coral Reef, alongside Miguel. Aside from Ian himself, she was the most powerful mage among them.
Even as he surveyed the ships, Ian didn’t slow his pace. Only when he reached the railing did he finally come to a stop.
"Once you’ve sent the signal, put out the fire," said Ian.
Ian swept his gaze across the surroundings, his eyes already shimmering with a faint violet glow at their center.
He drew upon the power of chaos and activated Magic Detection.
Moving along the railing, he let his eyes drift over the gently shifting surface of the sea.
After tossing the torch into the water, Sanford turned, strode back toward the central deck, and called out, "Give the word at any time. We’ll move immediately!"
Ian gave a small nod without taking his eyes off the sea. For a while, he paced along the railing, scanning the surroundings.
As his gaze extended toward the trailing smuggling ships, his eyes narrowed slightly.
Beyond the pitch-black surface, a faint, ominous blue glow flickered in the distance—but that was all. There was no sign whatsoever of any approaching sea creature.
Don’t tell me I’ll have to dive in again.
Just as Ian clicked his tongue inwardly, Yog’s low chuckle brushed against his mind.
—Ah... I see now....
It was enough to make Ian stop and turn his head. Yog was perched atop the starboard railing, its body slightly raised.
—It’s not us, my friend. Widen your view a little.
Frowning, Ian followed its gaze, sweeping his eyes across the darkness where the sea mist seemed to drift and coil.
His eyes widened at last. Far in the distance, he spotted it—a pale blue trail cutting across the sea, flickering faintly, almost like a ghost ship cloaked in mist.
He couldn’t judge the exact distance. Several hundred meters, perhaps more. However, one thing was certain: it wasn’t coming toward them. If anything, it seemed to be passing them by, moving farther away.
He realized it was chasing something the very next moment.
Boom!
A small flash burst far ahead of the blue trail, followed by a faint explosion that reached his ears. Even at that distance, Ian didn’t miss the silhouette of two ships revealed in the flare.
"Is it chasing those ships?" Ian murmured, stepping up to the starboard railing.
His eyes were still fixed on the blue trail as it grew more distant.
Beside him, Yog flicked its tongue and let out a quiet laugh.
—Yeah. Looks like they caught its attention before we did.
There was no way to tell what those fleeing ships were, but they had clearly drawn all the area's attention.
Boom, boom!
The flashes of light and distant explosions began to follow in succession. In their wake, other blue trails hidden in the fog flickered faintly into view.
"What the hell are those?"
A hushed exclamation of shock came from behind.
It was Sanford, his single eye narrowed as he stared in the same direction.
As if sensing Ian’s gaze, he turned, lips parting slightly.
Only then did Ian let out a low chuckle. "Looks like this time luck’s on our side."