Chapter 34
vHm“Why are there so many monsters?”mhkpab
U7f“Run! Everyone run!”zD1
g9VF“Where are we going to run? We’re in the middle of the sea!”98cn
0JlqdDy“Fight!”FH5hEO
TCly5HxThe sea worms lunged forward, the ship rocked, and the students were plunged into chaos.BsU
9cC65VpThe deck was hell.seJ
zQcbk8U“…What the hell is this?”Gb7VsnC
LdC— Don’t draw your sword.38W
IdRtzM‘I know that…!’avyQnX
7d8dHrEOfficially, carrying weapons was forbidden in the Yacht Club.nph9pdv
4ZwsAqOf course, since it was a rule imposed by the students themselves, it wasn’t strictly enforced.Ky94wx
KF4qBut with the blood of princes and elector families among them, the rules felt weightier than simple school regulations.Z18X
hekCOoMAint wrapped his hands in aura and struck hard at the head of a sea worm that opened its disgusting maw.5Ke
BmhWith a “boom,” the head exploded, and the creature’s body fell back into the sea.Ha024G
a0V“They’re just many! Don’t lose focus!”1fDBQMj
Mwk“Kill them all!”yA0hj
EQ4m0UC“Keep them from boarding!”Fvu8T
oMWEe“Don’t use fire magic, you idiots!”JXT43BL
WCeAnd it wasn’t just Aint.DsnyNT
Xx8FmThough at first the students didn’t know how to react, one by one they began regaining composure and started slaughtering the sea worms.InIpu
QEWn6The ocean setting, the sudden appearance, and the sheer number of approaching creatures—hundreds, thousands—were enough to trigger panic.rocm
qDXDKBut in reality, a single sea worm wasn’t particularly strong.Yuic9lD
oavAnd those present were all top-ranking students from the academy.mOy
yBDThanks to the academy’s philosophy, focused on real combat, these students had faced countless monsters. They were capable of acting as real fighters on a battlefield.3Ua
IW4yvAt a glance, the sea worms looked like they could cover the entire ocean, but each time one made it onto the deck, it was sent back into the sea—where it met its end.jckpeq
Ty3R“Keep them from wearing down the ship’s hull!”9RS
65y0qEThe problem was that as they climbed, the sea worms were gradually corroding the hull.hOK4y
1Qo54UjTheir saliva had corrosive properties, which even dissolved the magic circles embedded in the ship.Di30a9h
shVEdtLittle by little, the vessel was losing resistance against the waves.cEv
ctmENy“The deck isn’t the problem. Stop them from getting near the ship at all!”Fjf
weI5y“The Knight Department will take the front. Don’t overdo it, you’re unarmed.”DNI
CuF2Ku“The Magic Department will support the knights. Limit the use of fire and lightning magic…”IeVOKEr
FhW8n“Don’t even let them stick to the ship! If it sinks—”v5D4CsT
A0WwAnd the one who began to stand out amidst the orders and chaos was Ludger Schwaben.6kMhGV
C8rHe quickly took command, and thanks to his status and clear directives, the students had no objections.Lfv
xea“They’re holding out better than I expected.”xePzZyk
z4CBut Fernan wasn’t worried. If it were just sea worms, the ship would never sink.Nh4
O1TAnd it didn’t take long for the moment he’d been waiting for to arrive.ctTPz
aKks8t2Fwooooshhh—!R6CctmL
RFb8QBeyond the sea worms, a whirlpool rose powerfully.5shdQ
UdrLike a torrential downpour, it splashed everywhere before vanishing.siZp
sYUThrough that space, a massive creature emerged.LvAn
OuDeHC“…What the hell is that?”7rk
nBPtBWL“A monster!”TiYM
6RbQThe students’ screams mixed with—8wFt
NHPOeu“Finally, it’s here.”fiJS
Z9T…Fernan’s smile.ybd
IUk“It’s a sea serpent!”Ncgbsg
3MH3rsA gigantic sea serpent devoured the worms as it charged toward more appetizing prey.kuVno
P5rhnY1***qbcCzP
qkEdhhN— Wake up! Come on, wake up!5wT8h
TusThe freezing water was causing his body temperature to drop dangerously.dBh
bXHhUEN— Did you survive all this time just to die to something like this?EzN
bHemAint’s foggy mind began to surface from the abyss thanks to the relentless shouting.1gYe4G
sLE7Bn— I said wake up!osDlLV
pBGTaeoThe vibration of the pendant shaking fiercely dispelled the darkness like a fading dream. Aint opened his eyes.wfo
3eeP‘…Where am I?’bKeLjvY
p0zknAIcy sea.cUvs
Rbm7PxCAround him floated the corpses of sea worms and the fish feeding on them.z4LRa3u
8sjo1q— You finally woke up?3ED
S38ZVThe voice that had roused him sighed in relief.JumKE
xYho— Get up right now. If you stay there, you’ll die.Y9R
ssUBreathing was hard.pOVGI
mV30Using his aura for support, Aint swam with difficulty but urgency toward the surface.4HVS9
NGvIoHS“Puaaah…!”QSnX5dr
KGqatHe held his breath and then released it with a gasp.AzDpW
pP1The first thing he did was scan the surroundings, but apart from some wreckage that looked like parts of the ship, there was no sign of the vessel anywhere.J5e3
gIOHso“…What the hell happened?”ADTfv
Z5VsDGl— Don’t you remember what happened last?msaSI
YPGLs“…The last thing?”pwlT
66qiRD0Then, he remembered.b8N1hx
q4WwThe sudden appearance of the Sea Serpent—a massive creature over ten meters long, known as the king of the ocean.Qbb
KXQThe students tried to stop its charge with magic, but it was useless. The ship, already weakened by the Sea Worms, couldn’t withstand the impact and split in two.ICKFTA
63BThe only stroke of luck was that the Sea Serpent slipped through the crack between both halves of the ship.v7Mir7V
ek0bAYAnd though the students had been startled, they weren’t so incompetent as to waste the opportunity. The Sea Serpent was swiftly fatally wounded by the combined assault of dozens of high-level students from the academy.xFhFk
qmHm0gHowever, it didn’t die quietly. The battle was fierce, and Aint ended up being hit by the monster’s breath right before losing consciousness.NtPsbS
YNvIPWe“…How am I still alive?”SSsM0
MTOsSq— Under normal circumstances, you’d be dead. You partially froze from the Sea Serpent’s icy breath and sank into the sea.EjCILD
vGeRFreezing to death and becoming an ice statue would’ve been the most likely outcome.Tz0Z9
PDPg2If not for the sword you carry—the one holding the first Royal Knight—it was a safeguard left by the first emperor.qTbAJ9
Gaw02OC— I protected you. I dispersed the Sea Serpent’s breath and maintained your body temperature so you wouldn’t die in the water.EBc
hKoHp“…That’s even possible?”UUQ
OAYJw— This sword doesn’t just house my soul. It’s a fully equipped tool created to assist the heir in the future.cLC4q
FYeLZ“…It’s far more incredible than I thought.”5oK27s
yA3Until now, he had only considered it a solid sword with a spirit inside.Z8jLg
ujVqr1L— Your enemies aren’t just humans trying to unify the continent. They’re demons. So this is just the basics.cD5O
9Gq32dvIt was a reminder that facing demons wasn’t something to take lightly.ng0
ES2“…I’ll keep that in mind.”tPq
W2w— There’s an island nearby. Head there. I don’t even want to imagine running into monsters in the open sea.urJry6
GSOi3tC“Understood.”wmV
jvavFortunately, it wasn’t too far.aTJfp
w4tYR2UAint swam for a long time until he finally reached the island.xD2vC
of0CR“Haah… haah…”v2v9
jgoOSRgCollapsed on the shore, he gasped for air.3SKOOhr
fTJneAfter the battle and the long swim, his aching body was at its limit.cFh7rS
4RuTx“…I’m alive.”Tie04a
mpsDpI— There’s someone over there.v9j8YSq
6jaQNot far away, two people were passed out on the beach.9Tjuae
PslaQ0“Golden Turtle Company crew…?”TTnCl
r2eV1d3The worn uniforms bore the symbol of a golden turtle.URp7
d10ON— Looks like sailors from the ship. Check if they’re alive.QkhEzz
4jc“Yeah.”N9lX
wBnjuLvAint dragged himself over to them, rolled them over, and checked for breathing.fifiR
UfaiDIJ“Luckily, they’re—”GFzB
yWJkBThat’s when it happened.895PJ
Kfg— Aint, watch out!kgflZ
F6qO─!VV0
1ZOnBoth men’s eyes snapped open.Lx02u6Y
I0TThey were already gripping daggers, which flew straight for his chest and throat.nm4U0p
v9P8Fr“…!”oIQlV
n8cvQAint fell back immediately, but his weakened body wasn’t quick enough.LtMMw3a
u73iOne of the daggers barely grazed his shoulder, but the other went for his chest.kUv
ZNJQClang!xUN
4kWThere was an impact, but no wound.sue
p0OHf— Grab me!JzoXNS3
4Kb4Gardner’s sword moved on its own and blocked the dagger. Aint rolled backward and grabbed the sword, which had already returned to its original form.niSUfi
JC7eYAnother dagger flew at him an instant later.Zf6AOH
rOQF─!XC1
FQNJsI6──!d6R25pY
JZ0o8PTheir attacks were swift, precise, and deadly. Most importantly, they left no room for retreat.C4Z
2H8hH6— It’s a typical assassin style. They’re not just crew. They’re professionally trained killers.d2ptWq
5bav“…Tch.”O1dZk
sjjTAint was overwhelmed by their unrelenting offensive.94Z
1aaVGHe had no experience and wasn’t prepared. His fighting became purely defensive, and minor wounds started piling up.xDkF
0GI91That brought a new danger.VrKXtZ
2gQiofp“…This…”3mGJio
AoaXHis head was spinning.IRBT6
wpSNPv— Poison! Channel your aura through the sword. I don’t know how strong it is, but it’ll help purify it.gvfmaUS
easHJV“Got it.”ezsCbz2
AO6fHe did as Gardner instructed, and the poison began to dissipate. Color slowly returned to his face, which alarmed the assassins who had assumed he’d been poisoned.rSq
7jqThat brief hesitation gave Aint just enough time to catch his breath.aea
lFh9Yt— A monster attack splits the ship, you swim to an island, and assassins with poisoned weapons are waiting?xQe
ItTJskN— You really think all this is a coincidence?axWj
kOZGardner finally noticed the detail that had been bothering him.aOAr5
zFhN— It makes no sense for someone to use sea monsters to kill you… unless they’re demons.TpOl4M
DiCBrKSome of them have the power to control monsters.rtNIrZf
ISZkY— Demons. They’re finally moving to eliminate you.Zp2r
gjCzvKi“…High-ranking demons?”rASs0H
It16V9AThe idea of demons directly taking action stunned him. And that murmur triggered a shift in the assassins’ aura.nlvmcm
AGncuThe pressure turned more intense, more vile. A repulsive, nauseating black aura exploded around them.jlf
r7Mj— Demon magic! They’re not even trying to hide it.TdOP
X56cKnaAint had never felt anything like it before, but there was no other way to describe it.0a6
lw3YWSIt was pure hatred, rot, and evil.1xgkQ
MOrd“…Am I going to survive this?”mzYNc
022He swallowed hard.qFVo8BW
CWeKTOTBetween the injuries, the poison, and his exhaustion, he wasn’t in shape to fight.8jYp7ed
EwhhcJz— It’s not a matter of surviving. You must survive!KWa
DAC— You bear the name of Armian! Are you going to die to demon scum?!B6OtG
GbkPwWhite aura surrounded his sword.Dotosf
53SJust as the assassins unleashed their demonic magic and charged—qnIp
biYz──!IBl
aWOV1VWA dark shadow intervened. A single clean strike dispersed both attacks.FZhr
cO2GMDuThen, a wave of sand rose from the ground and swallowed the enemies.GXgjIDV
BPH“…Luina, senior?”EDtdf
47U3“Are you alright, Aint Armian?”qd6BJZ
n70RA9T“How did you get here…?”HCiDR8
MmbebShe wasn’t alone.umwi
ZHu3A mage approached with his hands behind his back and a bored expression.kf1VE1
oiqmYL“They’re wearing company uniforms, but…”onJndK8
RPNQHvpThe sand floated, quivering.nsT
jPhxyI5“They don’t look familiar.”6HdD1t5
ilPCvz8The faces of the restrained assassins were now visible.6weq
f11ly“Who are you people?”FdJdG9
aYnDThe ones who caused their fall. Fernan’s face turned grim.XSeW
0cFdJ“……”rBUGih
RJh“……”Z632
4u6DThey didn’t answer. They just swelled up.nzJsN
es7znrr“They’re going to self-destruct!”NhR9Ze
xpj5q“It’s dangerous!”IkF
7O1JhIt was self-destruction magic. By colliding the mana in their magic core, they triggered an explosion. In this case, demon magic.VlHVtz
8tRLuina rushed toward them, but wasn’t fast enough.bQF
F7vl───!0JeqA71
3oyvA black explosion engulfed Fernan and Luina.DplO
jCEHHw— Damn lunatics…!aAn
NgY4J2“Noooo!”3AO7op
sEu1PAint and Gardner screamed.KTfNmOF
Sh2UBut when the smoke cleared, the scene was surprisingly calm.nl1qx
Z0x“Don’t worry.”QX2Z
nMTnRPFernan was still standing, unmoved. Beside him, Luina radiated powerful aura.KyS
pg3MESeveral barriers surrounded them.Mt5
9c1“I expected this.”LEaO4
jKCyIv8After all, he’d already read the prophecy.GL5S
rCYqFernan scoffed.voqoF
gPIPjA2“Are you alright?”7ze71
9v19JF“…Yes, I’m fine.”9o6MfH
Pgq“How touching. Running in to shield me like that.”dhaytfU
YYAUL3“…We’re teammates, aren’t we?”xou
oQqD“But this isn’t over yet.”kTf3
sZIJr“Huh?”namL
ZfLShe didn’t get to ask more.1bALao
d3L─────!G4e2
mcJByA deafening roar shook the coast. The gigantic creature that had destroyed the ship appeared again.t2TqTF
fUxT4QOnly this time, there were two of them.2OtPtN
a2fp5kf“…I’ll take one.”7bVLq1O
Zvm4“Take on…?”xM1EePQ
yBHr“The Sea Serpent.”Nw1
9RuK5“Are you insane? Why do something so reckless?”SdszRL
pUF7YwFFighting a Sea Serpent at sea was suicide. Unless it was absolutely necessary, there was no reason to.aneI7X
hGfg“Let’s run.”2GnK
kqSU“What?”5aRP
NQ5G2JUInstead of answering, Fernan used the sand to lift Aint and bolted.Z4ejZHX
rjP9Z7‘Where was that setup on the island…?’Lvpr
cU1Vn6If it came to it, Aint could handle it alone. There was no need to take unnecessary risks.WvQEiFm
0bi“W-wait for me!”5Zf
k4MagFLuina ran after them.2mbNy3
JRz***m1Jps
KANQGMeanwhile, not far from there.40PEi
VhOkldQ“…Is this really okay?”hRajp
CwyWBella, still confused by what had happened and infected with demonic magic, was recording everything with a high-end artifact.2z3c1fx
DHq“I’m number 19 in the Department of Knights…”Hexl
nHRF9zThough she wasn’t in the top 10, she was still among the best. And yet, her task was just to record.TLlZkbd
LCO1“…A-are they going to be okay?!”TLgv
YlPcKnlShe almost ran toward them when the assassins self-destructed. But when two Sea Serpents appeared, roaring…PilcIlE
8usFXQx“…Yeah, better stick to recording.”qCErc7
7ydyBaShe had absolutely no intention of fighting them. Even so, she gripped her sword with one hand, ready to run.KpXBCo
F2U“…Huh?”KLoIJ
RwmX4…At least until they decided to run first.VbO5
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