"Captain! The barrier isn't going to last long!"
"Argh! You damned fishes! I won't let you tear our ship apart!"
"Waah! Dammit! We're gonna sink at this rate!"
Chaos, chaos, and even more chaos. No no matter where one looked, all they would see is disorder and turbulence. Be it the noise, the waves, or the ship itself, all were dragged down to pandemonium as the voices of man overlapped one another.
The fishermen were not the only ones in panic. The sea creatures were also in the same fate, running away as far and as fast as they could as if something was chasing them. They didn't regard what was on their way and simply pushed through.
Such chaos unfolded, reflected in the eyes of one man. He was the captain of the ship, yet even with his authority, he couldn't do anything about the situation. He was powerless in front of a stampede where the violent waves bashed their ship and the panicking beasts cruised towards them.
'Dammit... Just where did it go wrong...' ［Captain］
The captain thought as he watched the pale faces of his crew be filled with terror and misery. He could still clearly remember the time they headed out into the sea just this morning, not expecting for things to go such a way.
It was a normal day unlike any other. The fishermen all gathered in the port and prepared the ship to fish. With the new trade routes opened, Lista was given more opportunities to earn money and make connections. Everyone was excited.
"Captain, we're done loading everything."
"Good. We'll depart in a couple minutes. Make sure everyone's present." ［Captain］
"Yes!"
A couple minutes, and just like that, the ship departed just like how they usually do. Several minutes later and they finally arrived at their usual fishing spot, hurriedly and excitedly casting the nets and bait in hopes to catch a lot of fishes for their living.
But a few minutes passed, but only a couple fishes showed up. Though it was better than nothing, it was an amount which could barely fill a barrel full. Everyone's faces frowned at such a sorry sight.
"Everyone, don't be too down. Let's just head to another spot. I'm sure the fishes here are depleted. They might be gathering elsewhere." ［Captain］
"Y-Yeah! That's right! That must be it!"
"Amazing! Captain, you're a genius!"
The Captain's words quickly cheered up everyone and soon, they arrived at another spot. Unfortunately for them, there were still barely any catches. Try and try as they might but the results were the same. Every spot they went to was barren.
It was as if the fishes were suddenly all gone. Though he had experienced unlucky moments throughout the couple decades of fishing in his life, it was never so bad before. Throughout the whole morning, they only got a few barrels. If things continue, they would suffer a loss rather than profit.
The only reason the Captain could think of was because of the sudden increase in beasts, but it could also be because they were just unlucky. The captain was confused, unsure what to do.
"Haah... Sorry, everyone. How about we try another spot? I'm sure they'll be gathering further south." ［Captain］
The captain suggested with a smile on his face, but unlike before, no cheerful smiles were returned back to him. Everyone was frowning, downcast and depressed. Even though they knew it was just a bad day, they couldn't help but feel upset.
"C... Captain... How about we head westー"
"Are you crazy?! That's dangerous!" ［Captain］
The man couldn't even finish his words, when the Captain suddenly snapped back at him. After all, it was common knowledge for everyone that going further west and the beasts would appear more often. It was only a foolish and dangerous suggestion.
"But Captain, at this rate, we won't really get any fish."
"I hate to say this, Captain, but I think he's right. Since we haven't fished in the west, maybe they all gathered there, right?"
"T-That's right! Captain, I think we should head west too!"
"I also agree with them, Captain!"
One after another, the crew voiced their opinions about heading west. Though there were some in opposition, an overwhelming majority agreed on the idea of heading west, mostly those who were in desperate need of money.
The Captain knew from his years of experience that only danger entails breaking such rules. He himself had tried to go there and almost died when he was young. Even then, he couldn't just shoot down everyone's hope.
'No... That was already decades ago... I'm sure it's changed now...' ［Captain］
Fooling himself with such a thought, the Captain conquered his fear of heading out far and faced his crew with resolute eyes. There was only one choice to be made. He chose to listen to the people's voices.
"I understand. Let's head west for now, but if we still don't get any catch after noon comes, we'll head back to the port." ［Captain］
"Woohoo! Captain, you're the best!"
"Alright! We'll be going west!"
At the Captain's words, everyone cheered happily. Though the Captain was worried about what might happen, after seeing such faces plastered over his subordinates, he could waver no more. Soon enough, they all headed west.
It took them several minutes to get there, but after casting the net and bait, there was only a couple minutes of wait and a myriad of splashes echoed in the air. Fishes of all kinds and sizes gathered around, splashing about as they feasted on the bait.
"A-Amazing! I've never seen so many fishes before!"
"Looks like we're right! Heading west really was the answer!"
"Hahaha! We'll be having a grand celebration tonight!"
Happy expressions painted on their faces, everyone quickly drew back the nets and caught all the fishes. It was a hard struggle, but they all pushed through until the end. Dozens upon dozens of barrels were filled with fishes, al, full to the brim.
But such happiness didn't last very long. The next moment was something which could only be described as a nightmare. One so dark and grim, even full-fledged knights would tremble and cry if they ever faced it
"Wh-What's happening?!"
"B-B-Beasts! Beasts are heading our way!"
"Everyone, grab your spears!"
It was all too sudden. Before they knew it, hundreds upon hundreds of beasts were heading their way, parting the waters as they cruised through, their fins and spikes poking out of the water. A sight which could easily imbue fear in anyone's heart.
The bells rang, the crew panicked, the waves roared, and the ship rocked left and right. Everything descended into chaos as the beasts crashed upon their ship, leaving large marks behind and slowly but surely breaking it down.
They already erected the barriers ships have, but it was futile. Though it could protect them from the likes of F-rank beasts and below, with a number of E-rank and D-rank beasts along the stampede, it was powerless, all they could do was struggle in vain.
Now, the Captain could only watch in silence as he watched the ship's barrier get torn to pieces and his crew fall in despair. In such a chaotic and hellish scene, only a single thought revolved around his mind over and over again,
'Dammit... I shouldn't have been too greedy.' ［Captain］
He was already old, and though he knew his time would soon come, he didn't think it would be so soon. If there was one thing he regretted, it was that he didn't get to spend more time with his family, especially his grandchildren who were still young.
'God... I don't know if you're listening... But please hear me out...' ［Captain］
He was a believer, but he wasn't one you would call a very religious person. But for the first time in his life, he kneeled on the deck, closed his eyes, and with his heart full of sincerity, he prayed to God, asking for his most sincere and final wish.
'I don't care about myself, but please save these young ones. They still have a bright future ahead of them, I don't want them to die because of an old man's mistake. I know this is selfish of me, but please... Just pleaseー' ［Captain］
"Ahh!! What the hell is that!"
He hasn't even finished his prayer, but as if God really was listening, it was quickly answered. The moment he opened his eyes, a winged angel graced him with a wonderful sight, its radiance illuminating the seas and gracing his heart with peaceー or so how it should have been.
But what he saw was no angel. It was a large dragon, four wings extending out from its back and casting a large shadow on the water's surface. It was a ferocious beast which ruled above all, inducing respect the moment the people's eyes met them.
Yet even in such a situation, the Captain felt no fear. Only two emotions blossomed in his heart, one of them being astonishment, and the other was hope. Hope which never felt so warm and comfortable before,
⟨⟨Barrier⟩⟩ ［Yuna］
A cold yet gentle voice rang in the air, and the moment it did, the ship's shaking stopped. It wasn't that the beasts stopped attacking, but rather, an even more powerful and impregnable barrier was erected.
⟨⟨Icicle Shower!⟩⟩ ［Yuna］
It didn't just stop there. The cold voice rang once again, and soon, hundreds upon hundreds of glacial blue spears formed in the air, hovering menacingly, making one's body shiver without even touching it. Not a shiver from the cold, but one from fear.
The spears didn't just stay hovering. One after another, like a merciless barrage, the ice spears rained down upon the water, piercing everything in sight and freezing the waters at the same time. It wasn't long before the sea started turning red.
Yet even with how violent the deadly rain of icicles was, the ship remained unharmed. Some icicles spears fell down on the ship, but before it could even touch, they were all obliterated by an invisible force.
"Wh... What just happened..."
"Are we finally saved...?"
Everyone was in confusion with what suddenly happened. It was one event after another. One moment they were under attack and the next moment, someone saves them. They experienced a roller coaster of emotions like never before.
The rain of icicles soon stopped and with it, the sea finally returned to its calm state. Though the waves were reddish, it was unmistakably back to normal, only a couple hundred beasts remaining under the surface.
"Haap!" ［Yuna］
The next scene was just as surprising as the ones before it. Before anyone noticed, a young girl with silver hair suddenly jumped out of the dragon in the air, heading straight towards the water without any traces of fear in her eyes.
She hit the waters, but there were no splashes to be heard. Though she did create some waves, they all froze into ice just as quickly, creating a beautiful masterpiece floating adrift the salty waters, like a little shop going against the waves.
The young lady didn't just stand idly. She turned her eyes left and right, observing the remaining beasts under the water. Some had already started fleeing, but some were very hard headed, just like the once quickly lunging towards her.
⟨⟨Dice!⟩⟩ ［Yuna］
Unfortunately for them, Yuna's hands were even quicker. The moment her armament ring transformed into daggers, she quickly grabbed their hilts and with swiftness no eyes could follow, executed hundreds of slashes in just a single moment.
Light streaked as her daggers flowed like the winding rivers, and just as smoothly, it cut through the enemies' flesh like hot knife through butter, creating dozens of deep gashes which soon turned into cuts as their bodies were diced into tiny pieces.
Splash Splash Splash
Splashes echoed in succession and ripples were formed as the bits and pieces of fish meat dropped back into water. Blood spewed like a never-ending fountain, dyeing the sea red in just a quick instant. A one-sided massacre.
But the massacre didn't just end there. For those beasts which didn't flee when they had the chance to, Yuna had no choice but to hunt them down. She soon extended her arms once again, cold winds sweeping through the wavy sea,
⟨⟨Winter Gale's Parade!⟩⟩ ［Yuna］
At the wave of her hand, dozens of spears once again formed midair. The moment all of them were fired, silhouettes of frozen knights appeared, charging though the waves and diving deep without care of the terrain.
Everything which touched the charging knights were frozen solid, turned into glacial blue ice. Kce which was soon broken as the knight's spears pierced through them. The sea which was once teeming with life was quickly turned into a barren place of frost and death.
But the battle was not over, as in the corner of Yuna's eyes, she could see a familiar figure swimming about and able to survive her spell of absolute frost. A bright smile beamed on her face as another chance was granted to her.
"Weird turtle! There you areー" ［Yuna］
GUUUSSSSHHHHHHH
Yuna couldn't even celebrate. The moment the Pterygia saw Yuna, it opened its massive mouth and greeted her with a hypersonic stream of water which could easily dismantle boulders the moment it came in contact.
Of course, it went without saying that Yuna evaded the attack with relative ease, though the same couldn't be said to the layers of ice behind her. They were all easily decimated and turned into fragments of fine ice.
"Geez! That was dangerous, you know!" ［Yuna］
Yes, it was dangerous, but even with such danger in mind, nowhere in Yuna's face was painted even a single trace of worry. Rather, she seemed like she was enjoying herself, finally able to let loose without thinking of the consequences.
But the Pterygia didn't just let her be. The moment it saw Yuna dodging its attack, it opened its mouth once again and fired another high pressure stream of water, hoping to get Yuna by surprise.
"Geez! So impatient!" ［Yuna］
Unfortunately for it, the results were the same no matter how hard it tried. Yuna's reflexes were simply too fast that she only needed a couple fractions of a second to react, hopping a few steps back and dodging it without a single hair if hers touched,
"How about you try this one, then? ⟨⟨Ice Lance⟩⟩ !" ［Yuna］
A single spear of ice darted throughout the air at breakneck speeds. The Pterygia tried to stop it by shooting another beam of highly pressurized water, but its efforts were all in vain. The difference in strength was simply too much.
Yuna's ice lance simply ruptured through the beam of water, not even slowed down a little bit. A couple seconds later, it arrived right in front of the Pterygia, striking its head and boring a hole through it. Blood was spilled once again.
THUUDDDD
Helplessly as one can be, the Pterygia fell limp towards the frozen sea, a loud thud echoing in the air as the ice cracked. There was no sign of movement from it, only a body getting colder and colder by the minute.
"Hmm... That's it, huh..." ［Yuna］
It was a lot more anticlimactic than she was expecting. Even then, there were no traces of dissatisfaction on Yuna's face. She may not have enjoyed the fight, but she was still happy she could finally let loose and try out powerful spells after a long time. It was a good workout.
Well, now that the threat was over, there was only one thing left to do. The collection of materials and unfreezing the water could be left for later. For now, her top priority was to make sure everyone on the ship was alright.
With just a couple of hops and skips, Yuna was able to bridge a gap of a couple hundred meters in a single breath. And with a little jump, she then landed on the ship, a soft clack echoing in the air as her boots hit the planks.
"Hello～! Is everyone... safe...?" ［Yuna］
But what greeted Yuna was a sight she didn't expect. Everyone quickly knelt on the ground and bowed respectfully, not daring to meet her in the eyes. It was all too sudden, Yuna could only tilt her head as she tried to grasp things by herself.
"We greet Your Highness, Archduchess Yuna! Thank you for saving our lives. We will never forget this debt!" ［Captain］
"""Thank you for saving our lives!"""
Though Yuna was happy being thanked, the reception was just too much. It was the formal greetings once again, and to such a stiff formality, she could only furrow her brows, frowning ever so cutely as she scratched her cheeks.
Well, the people weren't just kneeling because they respected and were grateful for Yuna. There was also the fact that there was a giant dragon behind her. They are simply too afraid to look at her, not daring to meet Sirius' in the eyes,
"Ummm... Have we met before...?" ［Yuna］
"N-No, how could we dare meet Your Highness? We've only heard tales about your greatness and knew it was you the moment we laid our eyes upon you. Have we offended you by any chance?" ［Captain］
"A-Ah, no... That's not it." ［Yuna］
The Captain was right. With her silver hair, pointy ears, blue eyes, and her gorgeous face, there is only one person they could think of. Topping it off with her abilities and the dragon behind her, it didn't take long before they figured things out.
Well, even if they're respectful, the respect was just too much, it was suffocating. Yuna was never really good with such formalities, and even now, she still considers herself a commoner. She simply just doesn't like it.
"Umm... Everyone, please raise your heads and rise up. It's a little uncomfortable speaking this way... So, uhm... Is it alright if you do that?" ［Yuna］
"Of course. If that's what Your Highness wishes." ［Captain］
Thankfully, the people were an easy bunch to talk to. As soon as Yuna requested it, everyone quickly followed her will without any questions. Though they were still all nervous, they tried not to show it and acted as calm as they could.
Well, everyone was calm until another large shadow dawned upon them. Another dragon appeared in the sky and with it was another figure. That figure then jumped down from such heights, landing on the ship as if it was the most natural thing to do. A sight which almost gave everyone a heart attack.
"Ah, Grey. Are you finally done over there?" ［Yuna］
"Yeah, I somehow managed one way or another. Beasts shouldn't go near it for now. And the others are also guarding the ship. There shouldn't be any problems. Sorry I took so long." ［Grey］
"No, it's alright. I just finished things here anyway." ［Yuna］
"I see... Anyway, these people are..." ［Grey］
Grey tried to ignore it, but when people are gaveling so religiously in front of them, he just doesn't have the will to do so. They were simply too distracting, kneeling as if their lives depended on it.
"W-We greet Your Highness, Archduke Grey.....," ［Captain］
The scene was once again repeated. The only difference now was that rather than Yuna, Grey was now the recipient of such stifling formality. Yuna could only smile wryly as she looked Grey in the eyes, unable to explain things clearly.
It took a minuteー No, a couple of minutes if convincing. The people were simply too stubborn hag Grey and Yuna needed so much time before they finally stopped with the formalities. It was the longest couple minutes of their lives.
"And,.. I assume you're the Captain, right? Mister...." ［Grey］
"Ador. Please call me Ador, Your Highness." ［Ador］
"I see... Then, Mister Ador, can you tell us exactly what happened? I'm pretty sure this area is off limits. Did you get dragged here by beasts by any chance?" ［Grey］
"Ah, no... That's..." ［Ador］
Hesitation in his eyes, Ador then told Grey and Yuna how they got themselves in such circumstances. From the very beginning, the reason they decided to head west, and what happened after. He left no stone unturned.
And throughout the whole thing, Grey could tell he wasn't lying with his "Judgement". Though he couldn't say they made a wise decision, he couldn't really blame them. All he and Yuna could do was remind them of the dangers in the sea.
"Haah... I know you're all just trying to make a living. But please don't risk your lives over little sums of money. You were lucky today since we happened to be here, but what if we weren't? What would have happened to you then?" ［Grey］
"Grey's right. You should value your lives more. Dealing with beasts isn't a game. You could lose your lives at any moment. Think about your families. Do you think they'll be happy if they found out you were in danger? Will they?" ［Yuna］
Like parents scolding their children, Grey and Yuna lectured the fishermen for quite some time. And though they were all older than them, they didn't argue and simply listened attentively, reflecting on their mistakes.
But throughout the whole lecture, Grey's eyes could help but swim towards a certain direction. There was a certain look of confusion and curiosity in his eyes. Curiosity which didn't vanish even after the lecture ended.
"Anyway, the point is, don't act too recklessly next time. Got it?" ［Grey］
"Yes. We'll keep your words in mind, Your Highnesses." ［Ador］
Nodding their heads one after another, the fishermen could finally breathe a breath of fresh air. They were all then pardoned, going back to their own roles as soon as everything was over.
Grey and Yuna had a little talk with Ador, and after which, the two then proceed to collect the materials from the aquatic beasts and store them inside "Inventory". Lastly, they unfroze the sea, letting the ship rock on the waves again.
"Haah... That was quite something, wasn't it?" ［Grey］
"Un! You could say that again..." ［Yuna］
Two figures were drifting afloat the sea, on the backs of two dragons. The sea viewing they so looked forward to was now ruined, and all they could do was ponder as they basked under the sun. So much pondering in fact that a certain idea popped up in Grey's head.
"Hey, Yuna... What do you say we go on a little adventure?" ［Grey］
"Hm? An adventure? What do you mean....?" ［Yuna］
"Well, it's just... I have a place in mind. Are you in?" ［Grey］
A confident smile afloat on his face, Grey extended his hands out to his beloved. The latter could only tilt her head in confusion, accepting the hand which was offered to her without much thought nor hesitation.
She may not know what he was talking about, but if Grey says it was fun, then it surely will be. Excitement and anticipations surged inside Yuna's heart as another smile bloomed ever so brightly.
"Un!" ［Yuna］
The fun had just begun.
CHAPTER 224 END