Chapter 846
As Ian approached, Idris, kneeling on one knee at the center of the stern deck, and Phoebe, seated beneath the rear railing, both rose at the same time.
Walking calmly between them, Ian said, "You two continue focusing on managing the artifact."
"Yes, Your Grace," Phoebe answered immediately and sat back down, shooting a sharp glare toward Idris, who hesitated.
"Yes, Demigod," Idris finally clicked his tongue and answered while dropping to one knee as well.
Ian passed without sparing him a glance, but it wasn’t difficult to guess what Idris was thinking.
Unlike Ian, there was no rope tied around Idris’s waist. Just like the beastfolk aboard the Crimson Coral Reef, he was itching for the chance to join the fight.
Bwoooo—
As expected, the idea that avoiding battle is best never even crosses their minds.
Ian continued forward, then lightly leaped onto the starboard railing. The wind howled violently, and the ship pitched beneath him, but Ian maintained his balance effortlessly. He hadn’t even secured the hook resting over his shoulder to the railing.
He intended to use it in a way he had never taught the beastfolk.
—They’ve hidden themselves surprisingly well. I can barely distinguish them.
Yog whispered.
Staring toward the bluish fog spreading through the darkness ahead, Ian nodded slightly.
No matter how much chaos they spread, those with greater power were bound to bear a deeper color. Yet even to his eyes, the difference barely felt noticeable.
Of course, it could simply be because they were still too far away.
Rumble!
A thunderous crash reverberated through him as the sea behind them flashed brightly once more.
Lily had cast another spell.
Just how much magic does she even have? Or does she simply recover that quickly?
Ian glanced back over his shoulder.
The dark sea stretched behind them, streaked with blue lightning branching beneath the surface like glowing veins. And beside it raced the Crimson Coral Reef, its deck fully prepared for battle.
At the very center of it all, Ian watched Miguel from behind as he carried Lily.
By now, he seemed used to it, stepping back without losing his balance. Lily, too, naturally perched herself across his shoulders.
There might be consequences once the fighting ended, but for now, she still looked like she had strength left.
Bwoooo—
Screech!
Next, the sea creatures let out shrill screeches as they rose one after another above the surface.
However, Ian was no longer even looking in that direction.
Once the acceleration ends, they might catch up while the cooldown’s still running.
Far behind them, the sea creatures were still swarming after the fleet in massive numbers. Then again, very few of them had actually died.
—Anyway... it looks like there are ships mixed in this time.
As Ian lightly smacked his lips, Yog’s whisper spread out. The creature clearly had no further interest in the monsters behind it.
"Y-Your Grace! Your Grace—"
A desperate shout suddenly burst from the central deck.
Sanford stood there with his lone eye stretched wide, pointing toward the distant waters ahead to starboard. He had finally noticed the blue fog steadily spreading through the darkness ahead.
"Look over there! From there— don’t tell me you already knew about this!" Sanford shouted, turning toward the stern deck. He finally noticed Ian atop the starboard railing and asked in disbelief.
Ian simply nodded.
"What?"
"Huh."
The fairies and beastfolk, distracted by the Crimson Coral Reef, also turned in the same direction and began letting out gasps and low exclamations.
Of course, not everyone had just noticed. The two beastfolk warriors sitting atop the starboard railing with ropes wrapped around their bodies continued staring into the fog without much reaction. They were clearly just waiting in silence for the battle to come.
"T-That’s the direction of Tamik Island! It looks like some of Rimuta’s subordinates stayed behind!"
Nodding faintly at Sanford’s frantic explanation, Ian fixed his eyes on the thickening blue fog ahead. The ominous mist rolled through the darkness like a tide, swallowing the night itself.
—Can you see them, my friend? The ships are mixed with things writhing like vermin.
Faint outlines had already begun emerging through the fog, so Yog was likely right.
They were likely the ships belonging to Rimuta, one of the archipelago lords, along with the sea creatures serving as its familiars.
He still couldn’t determine their exact numbers, but even if he could, it wouldn’t change anything.
Swoosh...
They were cutting diagonally across the sea in the same direction as the fleet, steadily drawing closer. Which meant they were nearly as fast as the smuggling ships.
If they wanted to outrun them, they would have to load essence beads into the talismans instead of ordinary magic stones.
Just as Ian inwardly thought it was already too early for that, Idris’s low, growling shout rang out, "The spell’s finished!"
The spray erupting from the stern had already died down.
Idris leaped into the air and immediately began turning the pulley once more.
"Damn it. Of all times!" Sanford groaned.
Ian looked at him and said, "Nothing’s changed. We move according to plan. All of you."
He swept his gaze past Sanford, who had gone rigid, and across the gathered fairies and beastfolk.
Everyone looked up at him at once.
"You heard him. Move, pointy-ears."
"Get your bows ready."
The beastfolk warriors muttered under their breaths as they shifted into motion. The fairies followed after them with weary sighs, drawing horn bows and throwing daggers alike.
The wardens pulled wooden masks over their faces.
"Get the oars out! Hashim!"
"Yes, Captain! Oars out, all of you! Row like your life depends on it if you don’t want to die!"
At the same time, Sanford’s and Hashim’s shouts echoed across the deck.
Sanford repeatedly glanced toward the Silent Storm, which was steadily drawing level with them. The other two smuggling ships were still racing ahead at full speed, meaning the Black Wave would soon fall to the rear of the formation.
Ian, however, paid it no mind. His gaze remained fixed on the slowly approaching tide of blue fog.
At the end of his lowered left arm, the hand that had remained clenched this entire time slowly opened.
Clink...
A jewel bound by thin, intricately crafted golden chains slipped into view beneath his palm. Its shape resembled a golden dragon’s claw gripping an essence bead.
It was the Great Golden Orb, the masterpiece created by the master craftsman Al Grag.
Its various enchantments, including spell amplification, were exceptional, but Ian had brought it along for a completely different reason.
Though the restrictions are severe...
There was a Mantra circuit engraved inside the jewel. It was undoubtedly a spell inscribed by Archeas.
Whether because of its performance or simply its appearance, the being had been fond of this jewel. After all, it was said that only the greatest masterpieces were carved with Mantra circuits, and to the master craftsmen of that era, it had been the highest honor imaginable.
Even within the treasure vault, relics bearing engraved Mantra circuits were exceedingly rare.
Ian flicked his fingers slightly while briefly checking the status window once more.
Click!
Ian drew the Blazing Judgment from his waist.
For a fleeting instant, a bluish sheen shimmered along the straight blade. As though resonating with the divine sword, a clear, crystalline vibration spread from deep within him.
—Your divinity is tolerable compared to most... but it’s still unpleasant.
While Ian lowered the sword and suppressed the divine power flowing through it, Yog grumbled quietly.
At that moment, the waves of mist surging in the distance churned violently.
"Row fast—"
It wasn’t the sight alone that caused Sanford’s shout, which had been urging on the rowers, to cut off abruptly, nor was it the reason the fairies and beastfolk froze in place.
A wet, phlegm-ridden laugh had begun echoing across the sea.
"Hector... for the desperate final struggle of that scheming Imperial dog, this all seemed far too sudden and reckless...."
A grotesquely distorted voice followed.
Ian’s eyes narrowed slightly; it felt as though the fog itself was speaking.
"So the true objective lay elsewhere after all... To think the Great Church’s hound had sneaked its way in here. Could it be... that all of this was your plan, Purifier?"
At the laughter-laced voice that followed, Ian’s brows lifted slightly.
Yog immediately snickered.
—Looks like they think you’re a paladin, my friend.
It wasn’t difficult to understand why they had misunderstood.
Ian was wearing plate armor and wielding a divine sword. They may even have sensed the divine resonance emanating from the blade itself.
"Could it be Rimuta?" Sanford’s low gasp followed, his tone sounding as though he desperately hoped he was wrong.
Ian briefly glanced over his fear-stricken face.
"I don’t know how you managed to sneak in here unnoticed while dragging so many followers behind you, but it was a foolish decision, slave of the Great Church."
As though it hadn’t heard Sanford at all, the voice continued spreading through the fog.
"The Black Sea is no place for the heavenly gods to stand... and here, we may reveal our glorious true forms without restraint...."
Accompanied by a sinister laugh, the waves of bluish fog began surging wildly as though preparing to flood the entire sea. It continued closing the distance until it nearly filled their entire field of vision.
Crunch, crackle...
Disturbing sounds echoed from beyond the fog.
As the blue glow trapped within it brightened, hidden silhouettes shimmered like shadows behind the haze. It looked as though sea creatures and ships were grotesquely fused together into a single mass.
In contrast to the horrific sight, the voice that followed carried an almost feverish exhilaration.
"Your souls shall become the nourishment that awakens the true master of the Black Sea...."
"So."
That was when Ian, staring at the scene with strangely flickering eyes, finally spoke. Though only his lips moved slightly, his voice spread far into the distance, carried by magic.
"You’re Rimuta, then? One of the lords of the archipelago?"
The creature hidden somewhere beyond the fog had clearly heard him. Its laughter became even more distorted.
"That’s right! And I am also your death!"
"I see. Thanks for confirming that," Ian answered with a smile.
At the same time, he extended his left hand forward, his fingers slightly bent. In the center of his palm, the orb appeared, now overflowing with brilliant golden magic.
"Now I won’t have to feel bad about using this."
The bluish fog writhed violently as Ian spread his hand fully open. Centered around the orb blazing as though red-hot, a massive golden hexagon larger than his hand instantly formed in the air.
Swoosh...
The next moment, a blinding trail of light erupted forward from beyond it. It was Golden Breath; the Mantra spell sealed within the orb.