Chapter 844
Once they left the waters surrounding the islands, the sky rapidly darkened. The sea, shrouded in unnatural fog, also revealed its true nature—violent and treacherous.
Rumble!
Lightning flashed across the heavens from time to time, followed by rolling thunder. Meanwhile, the smuggling ships tore across the open sea as though carving straight through it.
Whoosh—
Behind them, trails of spray burst upward, tangling with the fog. It was the effect of the magic tool Hector Drapier had provided.
Not as fast as last time, but definitely more stable.
Standing on the stern deck, Ian checked the rope tightly wrapped around his waist and between his legs once more.
It worked on the same principle, yet they were moving more slowly than when they crossed the inner sea. Paradoxically, it was because the talisman now pushing the ship forward was an improved version.
"It’s done, Your Grace."
A growling voice rumbled beside him just then.
Like Ian, Idris had thick ropes wrapped tightly around his waist and thighs, braided together with sea beast tendons.
Four more beastfolk warriors stood behind him in the same state, each gripping a heavy metal hook attached to a long rope. The hooks looked like oversized fishing lures made by fusing three giant barbed hooks.
"Good. Idris, stay behind and take care of your part. The rest of you, move to your positions," Ian said with a slight nod.
As Idris lowered his head faintly, the beastfolk warriors immediately turned and moved, as though waiting for the order all along.
Ian pulled the hook into his grasp with his Willful Grasp before casually adding,
"And I’ll say it again. Watch the situation before you move. Those hooks aren’t magic solutions."
The beastfolk heading for the stairs all paused at once. Flicking their tongues out, they glanced back at Ian, gave small nods, and resumed walking.
—Feels like they’re absolutely going to ignore that advice, my friend.
Yog, coiled naturally around Ian’s neck, whispered with a snicker.
Naturally, it had been Ian who taught them how to fight at sea using hooked ropes. He had made excellent use of it while crossing the inner sea before. And this time, it would even help in situations where they needed to board other ships.
Honestly, I wanted to make the pointy-ears do it instead....
Ian clicked his tongue softly while watching the beastfolk descend the stairs.
The reason only the beastfolk had prepared was simple: they specialized in reckless close combat that bordered on acrobatics.
More importantly, after Ian’s explanation, they were the only ones to volunteer. The fairies had just stared at each other in shock.
"------!"
"----!"
A roar of cheers and curses erupted from beside him at the same moment.
Resting the hook over his shoulder, Ian turned toward portside.
Swoosh—
The Silent Storm, which had been trailing slightly behind at a steady distance, crashed down onto the sea as though leaping over the waves.
The beastfolk landed on the deck as if they had timed their jumps perfectly.
In contrast, the fairies crouched as low as possible, convinced that if they lost their footing, they would be flung straight into the sea.
They really are complete opposites.
Suppressing a dry laugh, Ian shifted his gaze to Charlotte standing beside the central mast. Like him, ropes were tightly wound around her waist, as well as around the beastfolk gathered nearby.
Elia, somehow keeping her balance despite the violently rocking ship, was tying the final rope around a beastfolk warrior’s waist.
The Crimson Coral Reef, emerging through the fading spray, had nearly finished preparations as well. Not only Nehat and Palmer, but several beastfolk were spreading out with hooks in hand.
Miguel, meanwhile, was sitting collapsed against the central mast, clutching it tightly, his face pale as a corpse.
Beside him, Lily stood blankly holding some kind of bucket.
—Not sure why you’re so set on saving those idiots... but if that’s what you want, you’d better keep your identity hidden as long as possible, my friend.
That was when Yog’s mocking whisper slithered through the air.
—The moment they realize how much chaos you carry, every last one of them will come swarming back. You’re a far better offering than those half-breeds.
The tone almost made it sound as if Yog hoped for exactly that.
Which made sense. The more corrupted ones they had to fight, the more chaos Yog could steal for itself.
Without taking his eyes off the smuggling ships racing alongside and ahead of one another, Ian said, "Then you’d better conserve your strength too, Yog. We don’t know when I might need that ability of yours."
A subtle chuckle escaped Yog.
—Just like before? I’m looking forward to it. I think I could devour something even stronger now than I did back then.
Best if nothing like that shows up at all.
Idris’s growling shout burst out from behind him.
"The spell’s finished!"
He was hanging from the pulley rope connected between the acceleration artifact and the mast, gripping it with both hands.
That had been the role Ian assigned him.
"Understood!" Sanford replied from the central deck as Ian turned toward the stern.
Beyond Phoebe, who was kneeling low on one knee, the fog-mixed spray was beginning to die down.
Creak—
That was when Idris started spinning the pulley with both hands. Having done it twice already, his movements were fast and practiced.
Rumble...
Soon after, between the two metal pillars jutting from the stern railing, a square frame slowly rose upward, resembling a wheel embedded into the structure.
Yog’s voice followed, tinged with anticipation.
—As you know, in the water, waves carry much further... and that thing is incredibly loud. By now, something out there has definitely picked up on the spell that talisman’s putting out.
More like that’s what you are hoping for.
Just as he was about to let out a snort, Phoebe, who had been sitting expressionlessly until now, rose to her feet. Turning smoothly, she detached the square talisman fixed at the center of the wheel.
Clank... Pshhh!
Residual magic still shimmered through the spell circuit engraved into the talisman, which was larger than her palm.
Only after confirming the stable flow of magic did Ian finally nod to himself.
At least we won’t have to worry about it shattering like last time.
Immediately afterward, Phoebe skillfully removed the small magic stone half-embedded in the back of the talisman. That structure stabilized the spell circuit.
And that wasn’t all. Hector had even sent along an essence bead with the magic stones, telling them to use it only in emergencies. According to him, attaching the essence bead would amplify the talisman’s spell output enough for roughly two uses.
He really prepared everything thoroughly.
"Push all oars out!"
"Prepare!"
Sanford’s and Hasim’s shouts rang out from the central deck.
Long oars extended outward from both sides of the hull.
"Row! One!"
"Two! One!"
As Sanford leaned over the railing and shouted, Hashim immediately picked up the rhythm. The oars extending from both sides of the ship plunged into the sea in perfect unison, driving the water back with powerful strokes.
The vessel was already moving at tremendous speed, making the oars spin through the water with surprising ease.
Clang!
Idris landed back on the deck with a metallic thud just as Ian glanced toward the two smuggling ships pulling ahead of them. Just like before, the spells powering the Silent Storm and the Crimson Coral Reef would soon come to an end as well.
Ian’s gaze swept across the mist-covered sea emerging between bursts of spray.
"Keep it going, Hashim!"
"Yes, Captain!"
Turning sharply as he shouted the order, Sanford strode up toward the stern deck. He carried the sea chart in one hand and the compass in the other.
Ian tilted his chin slightly as he looked back at him. "Is something wrong?"
Despite the violently rocking hull, Sanford crossed the deck without the slightest difficulty and shook his head.
"Not yet. I just figured it was about time I gave you an update."
Slipping the compass into his coat, he unfolded the map with both hands.
Ian nodded readily enough. He couldn’t tell the exact time, but by feeling alone, it seemed they’d already been sailing for at least a couple of hours.
"As you can see, the darkness and this cursed fog are limiting visibility quite a bit..."
Speaking cautiously, as though laying groundwork first, Sanford stopped beside Ian and pointed toward the center of the map.
"If my estimate’s correct, we should be somewhere around here by now."
It was roughly the midpoint between the largest islands scattered across the sea.
At this pace, they would soon pass through the waters between the islands ruled by the lords native to the archipelago. It also happened to be the fastest route to their destination.
Ian gave a faint nod. "We’ve covered more distance than I expected."
"Yes. Normally, traveling by sail and oars alone would’ve taken close to three days, but at this speed..."
Sanford narrowed his lone eye at the chart as though calculating the distance.
That was when Ian’s gaze shifted past the port side.
—Just as I thought....
Yog’s snickering whisper curled through the air while Sanford, oblivious, continued, "Half a day should be enough. Assuming nothing unexpected happens, that is."
"You just focus on navigating. We’ll handle the problems on this side."
"Yes, understood—" Sanford nodded automatically before turning back toward Ian a beat too late. Only now did he seem to realize something strange lingered in Ian’s tone.
"Tell Diana, Yog," Ian said calmly, not paying Sanford any mind. "There’s an enemy approaching from the left front. Tell her to warn Lily immediately."
Yog whispered at once, and only then did Sanford widen his lone eye before hurriedly turning in the same direction as Ian.
However, all Sanford could see was the ships sailing ahead of them and the dark, violent sea smothered in thick, sticky fog.
Ian turned toward him. "As I said, no matter what happens, focus only on what you need to do, Sanford. Don’t forget that everyone’s lives depend on you."
"I-I’ll remember that!"
Startled, Sanford bowed his head deeply before hurriedly folding the map shut. He immediately turned and strode toward Idris and Phoebe.
"Prepare it again immediately!"
"Understood! It won’t take long!" Idris answered at once, his sharp gaze already shifting toward Phoebe.
At some point, Phoebe had clenched the talisman between her teeth while pulling a small pouch of magic stones from her coat.
"Stop, Hashim! We’re accelerating again right away!" Sanford shouted as he rushed down the stairs.
Hashim’s voice rang out almost instantly afterward. "Stop rowing! Pull the oars in!"
Even amid the commotion, Ian’s eyes remained fixed far off to the left. He wasn’t looking toward the dark horizon, but rather at the fog-covered surface of the sea itself.
We may have to step in ourselves this time....
The bluish glow, visible only to Ian and Yog for now, spread faintly somewhere beneath those pitch-black waters.
Whether it was something rising from the depths or approaching from afar, he couldn’t tell. All he knew was that the area of disturbance was unusually large, meaning either the creature itself was enormous or there were many of them.
Yog was probably thinking the same thing.
"We’re accelerating!"
Above him came Idris’s shout, followed by the loud clatter of the pulley turning. Phoebe must have already replaced and reattached the magic stone to the talisman.
"Everyone, prepare yourselves!" Sanford’s shout followed immediately afterward.
Sensing the shift in atmosphere, the beastfolk and fairies who had been exchanging uneasy glances quickly steadied themselves.
Swoosh—
The Black Wave burst forward once more, spraying mist-filled water into the air as it surged across the sea. The other two smuggling vessels rowing ahead on the left quickly drew closer.
Beyond the starboard railing of the Silent Storm, Captain Nikau came into view, glaring toward them with a deep frown. It was likely because they’d reactivated the artifact so quickly this time.
Sanford sprinted toward the port railing and shouted at the top of his lungs. "He says we keep moving no matter what happens!"
Even without that warning, Charlotte and Elia had already approached Nikau after noticing Ian’s gaze.
However, Ian was already looking beyond them toward the Crimson Coral Reef.
—Just as I thought. It seems the little one can see it too.
Several figures were moving across the deck toward the port side—Lily, Miguel, whose seasickness seemed to have vanished completely, and Diana.
Now wearing her mask once more, Diana glanced toward the Black Wave as it surged past them.
Ian gave a faint nod, and Diana’s shoulders rose and fell heavily, as though she’d let out a long sigh.
—Seriously, what a tempting little thing she is.
Of course, it was obvious Yog wasn’t talking about Diana.
Ian turned toward Lily at the creature’s whisper, only for his expression to twist into a frown.
"What the hell is she?"
Lily had climbed up onto the port-side railing.
Despite the ship pitching violently beneath her feet, there wasn’t the slightest hesitation in her movements. If anything, Miguel was panicking behind her, both arms raised over his head as he shouted frantically.
Ian didn’t even need to hear what he was saying. If she lost her balance, she’d fall straight into the sea.
Though thankfully, that’s not going to happen.
Only after spotting Nehat and Palmer watching her closely with ropes wrapped around their bodies did Ian finally let out a quiet breath. Diana, standing beside Miguel, also looked ready to leap forward at any moment.
However, Lily neither climbed back down nor lost her footing. She simply stood atop the swaying railing, staring out at the distant sea.
—Wouldn’t you let me mark that one with a terminal, my friend? I feel like I could teach her so many things....*
Just as Yog whispered slyly, Lily’s brown hair suddenly flashed upward, standing on end.
A few seconds later, she raised both arms high above her head.
A magic wand rested in one hand, while the sleeve hidden beneath her cloak slipped back to reveal her forearm completely. Dense spell circuits pulsing with magic covered her pale skin.
Rumble!
The dark storm clouds far overhead began to swirl and flash violently the moment magic started pouring from the wand. The storm spread at a terrifying speed, crackling ominously as it expanded across the sky.
"What the..." Idris’s stunned murmur drifted from behind them, and it was no surprise why.
Passengers aboard not only the Crimson Coral Reef, but also the Silent Storm and the Black Wave, had all fallen silent, staring blankly toward the sky to the left.
That’s nothing like the one I used....
A disbelieving laugh escaped Ian as one of his brows rose slightly. At this point, calling it a mere thundercloud felt absurd. It looked more like an entire storm.
That was when Lily swung the wand downward.
The magic pouring from it vanished instantly, and in the very next moment, lightning began crashing down across the fog-covered sea like a torrential downpour.