Chapter 568: Chapter 568

The assumption that they belonged to the Blue Magic Tower followed naturally. Hadn’t it been said that it was located somewhere in the south?

So, did they march out so boldly because this was a joint operation?

The corner of Ian’s mouth twisted a little more. The fact that the Black Fleet was corrupted would have been no issue for the mages of the magic tower. In fact, since neither side had to hide its true nature, it would have been more convenient for them. Of course, it was unlikely they had joined out of pure goodwill.

They must have been promised a fitting reward, something like the remains of an archdemon or the essence bead of a sea beast.

In any case, seeing them in this state, it was clear that even the magic tower hadn't expected what would happen after Bukikia was consumed by madness.

"What?" Thesaya let out a low gasp.

Ian, following her gaze, also narrowed his eyes slightly.

A blue projectile, shooting out from between the mists, was slamming into the stern of the fleeing smuggling ship. The archipelago's vessel had fired a large crossbow. A blue explosion flashed, and the smuggling ship's hull staggered violently just a moment later.

"They would have been caught soon enough anyway. Why did they fire? Did they find them annoying?" Thesaya murmured, blinking.

Ian clicked his tongue and said, “Or they mean to use them as bait.”

Although it avoided sinking, the smuggling ship's trajectory was now tilting sideways. Its speed, of course, had slowed noticeably.

"If that's the case, they're as vicious as any pointy-ear. Then again, they're corrupted ones, so I suppose it's natural," said Thesaya.

The ship crested a wave at that moment. Descending in a smaller arc than before, the surging waters momentarily hid the battlefield.

—You all adapt so quickly.

Yog's displeased whisper came just as the stern slammed into the water's surface with a splash. Though they were once again tossed about like a flag, neither Ian nor Thesaya let out so much as a groan, having endured it.

Amidst the spray of water shooting up around the ship, Sanford's laughter echoed. He was undoubtedly overjoyed that things were going according to plan.

"Is everyone alright? Answer me!"

In response to his subsequent shout, answers came almost immediately from below deck. Although tinged with what sounded like pain, there were hardly any curses. It wasn't just Ian and Thesaya who had grown accustomed to this mad sea-sprint.

Sanford bellowed, "Good! Then pull yourselves together and get to the oars! It's time to work! You bastards!"

"Looks like we can finally get some rest," Thesaya said, landing nimbly on the deck. The deck was tilted, sloshing, and soaked, but she stood with perfect balance.

"So it seems." Ian, still hanging from the pulley, nodded.

Thesaya looked up at him and finally added, "No one but us will escape alive, will they?"

"Probably not," Ian replied.

"Right," Thesaya said nonchalantly, then stretched as if to loosen her body.

There was not a trace of sadness or mourning in her expression. In truth, the same was true for Ian. He felt sorry for those on the smuggling ships, of course, but after all the horrors he had lived through, there was no room left for shock or sorrow. His high Mental Fortitude was likely a factor as well.

As the spray subsided, Sanford shouted, "All hands, oars out and on standby! If you don't want to crack the head or break the arm of the person in front of you, just hold them out!"

Ian finally turned the pulley in the opposite direction. It had become a little stiffer, but it was still no match for his strength.

“Our companions?” he asked without stopping his hands.

—Still unharmed. You’re listening, aren’t you, Lucy? Since it looks like you’ve got enough time to catch your breath, be a dear and check them for us.

With a low snort, Ian released his grip and landed nimbly on the deck. His hands and arms were a little sore.

"I didn't think this crazy plan would work this well. Did you?" Thesaya smiled, having detached the cap with the talisman.

Sanford's voice rang out just then. "Elder! Sir! Are you alright?"

"Yes! We're fine!" Thesaya shouted back.

Ian also turned and looked down at the deck below. Sanford and Hashim, standing with their backs to the mainmast, were unwrapping the ropes they had tied around themselves.

"That's a relief! We'll take it from here for a while! Please get some rest!" Sanford shouted, shaking out the ropes. He exchanged a look with Hashim and turned. For origınal chapters go to novelFɪre.net

"Row in rhythm! Ready!" Hashim began to call out the count.

The oars, which had been sticking out like fins on either side of the ship, moved in unison, pushing against the water's surface. It seemed more an effort to maintain the ship's speed than to speed up.

"Right, rowing like that will take much less effort. Though their shoulders will probably ache," Thesaya added, plopping down onto the deck.

Ian, merely nodding, turned his gaze to the stairs.

"Sir Ian!" Lucia, cloaked and masked, was running up toward him.

"It's dangerous. What are you doing here?" Ian said, his brow furrowing slightly as he removed the hood that had been covering his head.

Lucia's eyes crinkled into a slight smile as she carefully made her way over. "I wanted to see for myself that you two were alright. And to bring you this."

She brought her right hand, which she had been hiding behind her back, forward. Ian and Thesaya's faces lit up when they saw the bottle of wine in her hand.

"That's my sister. How could I not adore you?" Thesaya said, unable to hide her smile.

As he immediately gripped the wax seal, Lucia, who had stopped, added, "There's sad news, though."

"Sad news?" Ian paused and repeated.

Lucia pushed her mask up to her forehead, revealing her face. "Almost all the wine bottles are shattered. Only two are intact, including that one."

“That really is sad news,” Ian murmured, smacking his lips as he finished tearing off the wax. Then again, it wasn't surprising.

"Shahin is cleaning it up. Though it's more like he's just throwing everything overboard."

"And our little sprout isn't hurt?" Thesaya asked, her eyes fixed longingly on the bottle.

Lucia gave a vague smile. "He's bruised and scratched, but not seriously injured."

"That's a relief. Any other damage?"

"The crew's condition is a little worse, but at least no one is seriously injured. Ah, a few of the horses have sprained legs. The young master's horses, especially. Three of them can't even stand."

"Aha, well, that can't be helped," Thesaya shrugged.

Ian, who had taken a large swig, finally lowered the bottle and said, "You look like you've been through a lot yourself."

Lucia looked as if she had been dunked in the sea and pulled back out. Ian, on the other hand, was in better shape, thanks to the Cloak of the Undying blocking most of the spray. Of course, the fact that Thesaya had been clinging to him and taking the brunt of it also helped.

Lucia tilted her head. "Well, not as much as you two, I'm sure."

As Thesaya snatched the approaching wine bottle out of the air and brought it to her lips, Lucia continued, "It was especially chaotic at first. We were all rolling around, stuck to the ceiling. All sorts of things were flying everywhere, and seawater was pouring in like rain. Just now, everyone managed to hold on, but..."

She shook her head and added, "For Mukapa, who was already seasick, it must have been a living hell."

"Honestly, he doesn’t live up to his size," Thesaya scoffed, lowering the bottle.

Ian also let a small smirk play on his lips, the image of the orc warrior stumbling around as if dead drunk flashing through his mind.

Lucia clapped her hands just then. "Oh, right. Sir Brennen is also helping to prevent accidents in the cabin."

"Really? That's surprising. I thought he'd be glued to that brat's side."

"There's nothing to take care of. The young master appears to be unable to move. He's probably still sprawled on the cabin floor along with his attendant."

"Crying their eyes out, I bet." Thesaya took another swig, then her brow furrowed slightly as the bottle was snatched from her hand.

Ian, gripping the bottle that had been pulled to him, said, "In any case, don't let your guard down. You never know what might happen."

"Of course. As I said, it's not a situation where I can afford to," Lucia readily replied, turning to look at the sea where the waves and mist swirled.

Gazing at the ominous blue and purple flickering beyond, she finally turned back to Ian and said, "On that note, I've been giving it some thought. It's unnecessary for now, but if the situation gets worse than this—"

Sanford's shout cut Lucia's words off. "Elder! Sir!"

Ian, who had been looking down at her, turned his head toward the main deck.

"Could you please get ready?" Sanford added respectfully, his eyes meeting Ian's. Hashim, standing beside him, was still calling out the count.

Ian nodded and handed the wine bottle to Lucia. “Tell me the rest later. Go below for now. Stay safe.”

“Yes, you both take care as well,” Lucia replied, looking between Ian and Thesaya, and turned.

Thesaya, who had been watching Lucia retreat with a look of longing for the wine, finally smacked her lips and stood up. "Well then, shall we get ready again, Ian?"

Ian sighed briefly and leaped up.

As he skillfully grabbed the pulley's handles and hung on, Sanford shouted, "Stop! Oars in! Brace for impact!"

The lower deck immediately became a hive of activity. Sanford and Hashim also stood with their backs to the mainmast and wrapped ropes around themselves.

Ian, who had glanced at them while hanging from the pulley, looked at Thesaya, who was channeling magic into the talisman.

As Yog let out a strange sound, Thesaya whipped around. It had only been a few seconds since the commotion below deck had died down. Ian, as if waiting, turned the pulley.

As Thesaya ran and threw herself at Ian, the ship once again shot forward with great force. It crested several waves in an instant and climbed a tall, continuous one.

The battlefield, now a little farther away, was faintly revealed just then. Now thinner and more ragged, the battle line was a chaotic melee. The sea beasts, emitting different colored glows, disappeared into the mist as they clashed, and the blue trajectories of the crossbow bolts fired by the ships flashed here and there.

—Well, they're not too late, at least.

However, that surely wasn't the only reason Yog was chuckling. The smuggling ships, which had been fleeing, were also being completely swept up in the battle line.

"Whoa..." A low gasp escaped Thesaya's lips then. She had clearly seen the same thing as Ian.

A sea beast resembling an anglerfish was crushing one of the smuggling ships that had appeared through the mist. Wreckage scattered in all directions, and blue projectiles slammed into the sea beast and exploded. The minion of Bukikia convulsed as if in a seizure and disappeared beneath the surface. The fate awaiting the rest of the smuggling ships was likely to be no different.

"Anyway, they’re still killing each other just as much." Thesaya, who had been looking around with narrowed eyes, finally turned her gaze back to Ian.

Ian simply nodded in response. It wasn't just the smuggling ships that had disappeared. The number of the swarming sea beasts and the ships was also clearly dwindling.

“At that rate, they might wipe each other out before even reaching the Black Sea.”

Though in truth, the ships were vanishing faster. And even though Bukikia itself had long since disappeared, the slaughter continued.

"Serves them right," said Thesaya.

Ian smacked his lips briefly. He couldn’t care less if the fleet was annihilated—what mattered was timing. If they were wiped out too early, the attention of Bukikia and its minions would be focused on their ship, the only one left.

The ship shot up as it crested a wave, and Ian’s eye twitched. The rise had been far rougher and less stable than before.

Has the ship’s balance shifted?

Just as Ian's brow furrowed, screams of varying sizes erupted from all over, including below deck. Everyone had realized that the deck was tilting at a dangerous angle.

The hull slammed down crookedly onto the water, sending up a blinding spray as Ian and Thesaya were shaken violently.

Cursing inwardly, Ian furiously struck the rushing waves with his Willful Grasp. He didn't know if it would have any effect; it was a half-instinctive action.

The hull, which had seemed on the verge of capsizing, shot forward and precariously righted itself. Whether thanks to the Willful Grasp or sheer luck, Ian couldn’t say.

"Ugh, uha! Haha— By Lu Logis! Thank you!" Sanford, as if knowing he had just escaped the jaws of death, laughed and shouted at the top of his lungs. From below deck, shouts invoking the names of goddesses also echoed chaotically.

They must all look like drowned rats again.

Ian let out a breath of relief. He had no way of righting a capsized ship.

As the spray that had shot up from the stern subsided with a fizz, Thesaya asked, "We almost died just now, didn't we?"

Ian tilted his head. “Most likely.”

"This is insanely dangerous. I’m honestly getting sick of it,” murmured Thesaya. She shook her head before leaping down.

We’re nowhere near done yet.

Ian turned the pulley. The resistance was worse than before, forcing his teeth to clench with the effort. The wooden frame or the mount was clearly getting more and more warped with each use of the talisman. It wouldn't be surprising if the hull itself were the same. It was bound to be under immense strain.

"Oars out! Get ready!"

In any case, the wooden frame eventually reappeared above the railing. Ian, letting Sanford's shouts go in one ear and out the other, landed on the deck.

"Huh?" Thesaya gave a startled cry as she pulled the cap free. "Ah, no... this... why is it?"

Ian, who had looked at the back of her head, asked, “Something wrong?”

“Well, Ian. I think...” She turned back toward him, unable to hide her alarm, and held up the cap in her hand. “The talisman is broken.”