Chapter 842
Swoosh—
The ships rowing away from the dock gradually drifted farther into the distance.
Standing at the prow, Ian watched their retreating silhouettes before his gaze naturally swept to either side.
Beyond the crescent-shaped coastline, rows of ships had already gathered at anchor. Over the past few days, every vessel under Hector Drapier had assembled in one place.
The largest ship at the very center of the fleet was Hector’s command vessel.
"Prepare to depart!" That was when Sanford’s shout rang out from behind him.
Ian’s eyes shifted away from the fleet. Only three smuggling ships remained moored along the long dock now.
"Ready the oars!"
"Stand by for departure!"
The same cries echoed from the other smuggling vessels as their crews hurried across the decks.
The captains of the Crimson Coral Reef and the Silent Storm had, unexpectedly enough, accepted Ian’s additional proposal without much resistance.
Whether they had realized escape was nearly impossible or had schemes of their own, there was no way to know. For now, though, it hardly mattered.
Just as Ian turned to walk away, Sanford shouted again. "Set sail!"
Hashim, the first mate waiting by the stairs of the central deck, immediately bowed deeply.
"Row! One—"
"One!"
"Two!"
The powerful rhythm of the command spread beneath the deck. The voices belonged to beastfolk and fairies.
It was a deliberate choice to preserve the stamina of the trained rowers until they truly needed it. Besides, even if things went wrong, they’d still have time to rest before that point.
Swoosh—
The Black Wave slipped free of the dock and surged forward.
Its acceleration was faster now, likely because the ship had become lighter after consuming most of their supplies.
Sanford moved briskly across the deck, checking both sides.
When he first heard the revised plan, he’d looked like the sky had collapsed on him. Now, he seemed completely focused.
Maybe it reminded him of his days as a soldier.
The corner of Ian’s mouth curled faintly as he walked. Sanford turned toward him immediately afterward.
After quickly glancing over the smuggling ships departing behind them, he added,
"No issues so far, Your Grace."
Ian slowed his steps as he asked, "Good. And it’ll stay that way?"
Sanford hesitated, swallowed hard, then nodded. "At least until we reach the next holding point, there shouldn’t be any trouble."
It was exactly the sort of answer Ian had expected. Things would only become truly dangerous after that.
Nodding slightly, Ian passed by Sanford and said, "Don’t worry about me. Focus on your job. Report only if something unusual happens."
"Yes, Your Grace!" Sanford replied sharply, pulling a carefully rolled sea chart from his coat as he turned away.
It was the map marked with their planned route. The captains of the other smuggling ships each had one as well.
We'd better find it in one go.
Though the thought crossed his mind, Ian showed none of it as he stepped onto the stairs leading to the stern deck. He already knew Sanford’s skill as a navigator from experience. Besides, from this point onward, all they could do was trust the captains.
Swoosh—
As Ian reached the deck, his eyes drifted toward the center of the stern railing.
A wooden frame rose above it, shaped as though a massive wheel had been fastened in place. It was a familiar device.
So that thing was originally military equipment.
It was the same device that had blasted out windstorms and accelerated Sanford’s ship across the inner sea.
Looking up at the ropes connecting the frame to the mast, Ian let out a faint smile before finally stopping by the railing.
Whoosh—
The distant view of Villanueva spread out before him, shrinking farther and farther away.
The city, little more than a colossal shantytown, now stood empty. There was a good chance it would remain a ghost town for quite some time. Even if people survived, there was no guarantee Hector would ever return here again.
"Listen up, you idiots!"
A booming voice rang out behind him.
Ian turned back toward the fleet just as the last departing ships joined formation.
"Today’s the day we show those disgusting traitors our wrath!"
Hector’s voice rang out from the command ship. He stood halfway up the mast atop a circular platform railing, gripping a rope in one hand as he balanced precariously.
How the hell did he even climb up there with a prosthetic leg?
The completely out-of-place thought crossed Ian’s mind as Hector continued shouting toward the ships lined up on either side.
"Do not fear death! The goddesses are watching us! Even if your bodies sink into the Black Sea, your souls will rise to the heavens!"
Drawing the broad-bladed sword hanging at his waist, Hector raised it high overhead.
"O heavens, guide us with your eternal light!"
"Hoooo!"
"Wheeeee—"
Strange, whistling cheers erupted from across the ships.
Hector swung his sword down. "Move out, you stubborn fools! Row! Raise the sails!"
The ships spread across the sea unfurled their sails all at once. At the same time, the oars jutting from both sides churned through the water like massive fins.
Swoosh—
The smuggling ship Ian rode was turning as well. As the bow angled to the right, the archipelago’s fleet naturally came into view beyond the port side.
"O Capricious Goddess! Just this once, stand back and watch! We shall carve out our own fate!"
Even now, Hector stood atop the mast, shouting toward the sky, laughing like a mad pirate captain.
Yet even amid all that, Ian failed to miss the way Hector glanced toward the rear to check on the smuggling ships. As though deliberately making sure Ian saw it, he even raised the sword in his hand high above his head.
Is he telling me not to worry?
The corner of Ian’s lips curled upward.
Even without such theatrics, Ian had already realized Hector wasn’t making all this noise merely to raise morale.
He was trying to draw the attention of the corrupted, who might be watching from somewhere unseen, so they wouldn’t notice the smuggling ships slipping past behind them and out along the coast.
"Straight ahead again!"
"Starboard side, keep the rhythm!"
Hearing Sanford and Hashim shouting over the wind, Ian turned his attention forward once more.
The Black Wave cut diagonally toward one end of the crescent-shaped shoreline.
Swoosh—
While Hector’s fleet headed for Tipica, they would follow the outer edge of the island chain and anchor at a prearranged location.
From there, they’d be in position to cut straight across the middle of the archipelago’s waters.
Leaning both arms against the railing, Ian clicked his tongue softly.
I was hoping it’d be northwest.
After combing through countless weathered and decaying records, Elia had concluded that the true sanctuary was most likely on Kalinso Island, along the southwestern outskirts of the archipelago.
"Good riddance, you miserable damned island! Hahahaha!"
Hector’s faint voice carried from far behind them.
Ian looked back at the fleet, now already a considerable distance away.
Even to someone from the modern world, the sight of those ships moving together in formation was undeniably impressive.
If possible, let’s meet again. Feels like there’s more to this quest chain.
One of the trailing smuggling ships drifted into view, blocking the fleet from sight.
It was the Silent Storm.
Standing at the center of the deck, Nikau rested one arm atop the head of his dwarven first mate while gazing back toward the island off starboard.
He clearly no longer cared in the slightest about Hector’s fleet.
Ian’s eyes met Charlotte’s, who stood farther behind with her arms crossed. He gave a small tilt of his chin.
Charlotte immediately nodded before turning and jogging toward the stern deck.
Watching her ornate figure disappear, draped head to toe in relics, Ian let out a chuckle.
Never thought we’d end up working together this smoothly.
Charlotte had even taken charge of the departure preparations with remarkable competence. Not long ago, she could barely light a campfire properly. She had grown into an exceptionally capable lieutenant.
Reaching the stern railing, Charlotte checked behind them before turning back toward Ian. She gave him a large nod, as though to say there were no issues.
"Excellent." Ian smiled before facing forward again.
The passengers had been divided exactly the same way as during their journey here.
Charlotte was alone because Elia had finally gone to get some rest.
Until the very last moment, she had continued reviewing the records over and over again, likely because countless lives depended on whether her conclusions were correct.
Still, thanks to that obsession, Ian had managed to obtain additional clues regarding the Round Table Parliament as well.
Not that it matters right now.
Shaking the stray thoughts from his head, Ian instead began reviewing the situations that might unfold ahead.
It was something he’d repeated whenever he had spare time over the past few days.
Even thinking it through again, the worst-case scenario is still—
He couldn’t predict every possible variable. However, he needed to anticipate as many as possible and prepare responses for them in advance.
"Your Grace!" Sanford’s voice broke through Ian’s thoughts as he hurried up onto the aft deck.
When Ian looked toward him, Sanford quickly added, "We’re almost at the holding point."
Ian blinked in surprise as he asked, "Already?"
Sanford, who had stopped a few steps away, tilted his head slightly. "We did arrive a bit earlier than expected, but it’s not that far off from the estimated time."
Only after turning his gaze outward did Ian realize the scenery around them had completely changed. He had become so absorbed in thought that he’d lost track of time altogether.
Swoosh— Crash!
Towering cliffs now stretched endlessly beyond the starboard side, while enormous pillar-like rocks rose from the sea across the port side. Waves smashed against them over and over, exploding into sprays of foam.
That was likely why the ship rocked far more violently now.
"Just as the count said, it doesn’t seem like there are any sea beasts anywhere around here."
At Sanford’s words, Ian gave a slow nod.
The currents around this region were notoriously violent, and the water depth shifted unpredictably, making it an area that sea beasts naturally avoided even under normal circumstances.
"..So that’s the entrance point," Ian said almost absentmindedly as he looked ahead.
Beyond the towering stone pillars, he had spotted an enormous rocky island rising above the sea. It was likely the main reason the surrounding waters were so violent.
"That’s correct, Your Grace."
At the center of the island, a massive valley split the rock cleanly in two. It was easily wide enough for ships to pass through.
Sanford tilted his head slightly as he continued, "So from here onward, it seems we’ll have to row manually."
"Do it."
The moment Ian nodded, Sanford spun around and hurried back down the stairs, circling his hand overhead to signal Hashim below.
Hashim’s shout followed immediately afterward, "Stop! Pull the oars in and get up here!"
Ian walked toward the railing of the central deck as well, never taking his eyes off the gigantic rocky island steadily drawing closer.
It wouldn’t be surprising if land monsters lived here instead of sea beasts.
The valley looked less like a passage and more like the entrance to an enormous dungeon
Of course, Hector had already explained that the valley continued all the way through to the other side of the island. Beyond it lay the central waters of the archipelago.
"Phew... phew... fuck..."
"Grr..."
It was then that the sounds of exhausted breathing began rising from below deck. Ian finally looked toward the beastfolk and fairies climbing onto the central deck.
The fairies collapsed flat onto the floor the moment they came up. The beastfolk soon flopped down beside them without even bothering to complain.
It wasn’t merely to recover their stamina as quickly as possible. To avoid drawing attention, every smuggling ship had been traveling with its sails furled.
A few of them jolted upright the instant their eyes met Ian’s. Each time, Ian simply raised a hand and gestured for them to stay down.
"God... damn it..."
"Haa... huuh..."
It took only moments for the deck to become littered with exhausted fairies and beastfolk. Idris and Phoebe were among them as well, both lying flat on their backs, no longer even paying attention to each other.
If they survive this battle... I probably won’t need to worry anymore.
The sound of oars cutting through the water resumed once more. The Black Wave’s professional rowers, who had been resting in the quarters, had clearly taken over.
"Full speed ahead!"
The shout came from Sanford as he burst out from the carriage hold. Apparently accustomed to the sight of exhausted beastfolk and fairies sprawled everywhere, he strode forward without sparing them a glance.
"Full speed ahead!" Hashim echoed the order.
As though proving how thoroughly they had rested, the ship surged forward, accelerating rapidly toward the narrow passage in the rock island.
Swoosh—
The same was true for the other smuggling ships following behind them. Despite the increasingly violent waves outside, they sliced cleanly through the waters without difficulty.
"Bow, veer left!"
"Port side, half strokes only!"
Before long, the Black Wave entered the sea canyon.
Calling it a canyon hardly did it justice. The passage was wide enough that, in Ian’s eyes, the smuggling ships could easily have sailed side by side. Judging by the way the ships gradually spread apart as though scattering, the other captains had likely come to the same conclusion.
Still, the waters within were far calmer than outside. The place even felt unnaturally quiet.
The cliffs were likely blocking out the sound of the sea beyond.
It doesn’t even run in a straight line.
Ian nodded slightly, watching the unseen stretch ahead. It was the perfect terrain to conceal their presence.
Now he understood why Hector had described this place as a crucial strategic point.
"What a sight."
"Feels like monsters could jump out at any second..."
Voices filled with awe and unease drifted from the beastfolk and fairies. Having pushed themselves upright at some point, they stared around at the endless cliffs towering on both sides.
Some looked wary. Others looked completely overwhelmed by the scenery itself.
Not long afterward, the narrow strip of sky overhead flashed brilliantly for an instant.
The murmuring voices died off as abruptly as if severed by a blade, and a heartbeat later, a thunder rolled through the canyon.
Rumble!
The sound seemed to come from an incredible distance away. It was enough to make every fairy and beastfolk turn toward Ian at once.
However, that wasn’t the only reason Ian’s eye narrowed slightly.
—Ah, yes... It seems it’s finally begun.
A lazy whisper laced with amusement brushed softly against his mind.