Chapter 391: Kraken (2)

“Let’s stop here for now. We’ll finalize the plan after meeting Hassan.”

When evening came, Eugene retired to the assigned residence to rest.

The Veros City council members didn’t disperse even after seeing him off. He was such an interesting figure that there was much they wanted to discuss in his absence.

“He really did come with a fairy army. Until now, mercenaries only reminded me of rough, foul-smelling ruffians, but today opened my eyes. An army that seems to glow with a halo.”

“They say it’s truly magnificent when the full moon rises. Faint moonlight seems to seep from their skin in a way that’s beyond description.”

“I understand why Spardia fell so hard. It’s not just their skill; their atmosphere is reminiscent of the legendary Iron King. They paint an even more striking picture than the Gryphon Beastkin.”

In business, few things were as important as first impressions. In that regard, Eugene, who commanded the Blackhand Tribe warriors, always enjoyed an advantage.

In this age dominated by macho culture, the vast majority believed warriors should look fierce. But Eugene didn’t agree with this thinking.

-It’s useful when there are more eyes of admiration than fear. Intimidating the enemy can be achieved with excellent equipment, perfect drill, and the threat that comes from training alone. But a beautiful army is magic in itself.

This was also why Eugene placed importance on the female warriors led by Cassandra. They were experts in scouting and guerrilla warfare, but they also made Eugene’s army the most special group in the world.

“The army is one thing, but I was surprised at how different the king of Britainia is from what I imagined. A single knight who became king with just a sword — I expected a grizzled veteran of decades, but he’s incredibly young.”

They’d heard the story about him being seven years into knighthood, but naturally, everyone assumed it was exaggerated.

“I don’t know about a sword, but if you wielded that crazy axe for seven years, anyone could become a king.”

“That’s true, hahaha!”

The council members laughed from various quarters. The list of monsters Eugene had been cutting down had a tremendous influence on his recruitment.

Honestly, his track record was so extreme that it was hard to believe even half of it. But seeing Blackout hanging from Might’s saddle today, their confidence had surged.

“With that insane axe, he could slice off Kraken tentacles one at a time. If only we could lure it out somehow…”

All eyes turned to Kimon, the Adventurer’s Guild Master. He was a man who had come to the city alone without any connections and risen meteorically.

The council didn’t discriminate against him for it, but being the youngest and frequently voicing dissenting opinions meant he couldn’t avoid being reprimanded.

“You need to learn some caution. It’s a good thing the king of Britainia is eccentric. Otherwise…” “I didn’t bring it up first! His Majesty asked me to speak, and I couldn’t refuse!”

“You think I’m a fool? You were trying to bait the question from the king with that carefully restrained expression and desperate act!”

“I said what I said! A carefully restrained expression?!”

“In any case, the effect was undeniable. We’ve gone so far as to hold a ritual for a monster — if it doesn’t work, we’re in deep trouble. We’d need to pray until our hands and feet blister.”

Kimon thumped his chest to show his confidence.

“Hassan is a genuinely capable mage. He’s absolutely not the type to spout nonsense, so please trust me.”

“If you trust him that much, he must be truly skilled. But none of us have heard of a mage named Hassan.”

“He prefers to live in obscurity. Not every mage seeks fame and fortune.”

The reason Kimon trusted Hassan’s abilities so completely was that the mage had provided enormous help in his current success.

For a man with nothing to reach the position of guild master in a major city, he needed both ability and money.

He had the former, but he wanted to borrow the latter. Not from the city’s notorious moneylenders, but from a kind party offering zero percent interest.

-Oh, these brilliant golden treasures! The sea has truly swallowed so much death and gathered such immense treasures since ancient times. If only all of this could be mine alone.

Kimon still remembered the gold and silver treasures that had gleamed under the moonlight. The sound of waves that had seemed completely different from usual, and something darker than the night’s shadow swaying beneath the sea surface.

-Kimon. Don’t be greedy beyond this. Great treasures demand great costs.

He could never be grateful enough to Hassan, who had warned him from the side.

-Take one more handful, and uninvited guests will occasionally appear in your dreams from now on. Take one more handful there, and every home you acquire will no longer be your sanctuary alone. And this is only the beginning…

Armed with a wise advisor and substantial startup capital, Kimon had become one of Veros City’s pillars and risen to council membership.

Now his target was the mayor’s seat. If Hassan’s power could lure out and destroy the Kraken, no one could deny his credit. As the one who had boldly proposed the method everyone avoided.

“You must have seen this Hassan fellow’s skills to be so confident. Since everyone’s curious, why don’t you tell us? What kind of magic did he perform specifically?”

“Well, about that…”

Naturally, he couldn’t honestly recount what had actually happened. Kimon deflected vaguely, as he always did.

* * *

The next day, Eugene headed to Hassan’s residence under Kimon’s guidance. He had ordered his subordinates to rest and recover from the fatigue of the forced march.

“There’s no need for Your Majesty to go personally. Hassan is a capable mage, but he knows worldly etiquette. If someone of Your Majesty’s stature summons him to his residence, he’ll come willingly.”

“Etiquette is beside the point. Luring a Kraken is a difficult secret art, isn’t it? Such things can’t be performed by the caster alone. Various reagents, tools, and artifacts are required. Even if it’s just to hear advice, you need to be in the mage’s base to get one hundred percent benefit.”

The more Kimon learned, the more amazed he was by Eugene. This young knight-king was saying exactly the same things Hassan had said to him.

“Besides, I don’t just want to know about the Kraken.”

Eugene jerked his thumb behind him. Marbas, Valda, Maria, and others were following. They were all interested in Eastern magic or medicine.

“In the East, summoners are called Occultists. This Hassan fellow is called a mage, but his power is clearly that of an Occultist.”

“Lord Marbas is right. Though Eastern Occultists apparently seek power not from another world but from our own. Specifically, from the beings who took root in this land long, long ago.”

“Exactly as the queen says. He’s especially interested in the sea. He says that truly ancient things always have their origins in the sea.”

Marbas and Valda had faces flushed with anticipation.

“I’ve always been interested in Eastern medicine. Occultists apparently pursue a unique medicine that combines magic and surgical techniques.”

Maria was also extremely excited.

“That’s not all. They can also treat illnesses that afflict the mind rather than the body.”

“Is that possible?!”

Maria was startled. Eugene tapped his temple with his index finger.

“They apparently use magic that interferes with dreams, but I don’t know the details.”

The companions currently traveling with him were all, without exception, top-tier intellectuals of the West. And true knowledge was like seawater — no matter how much you drank, you remained thirsty.

The Eastern Occultist was a conversation partner that absolutely could not be passed up. Wasting such an opportunity by lounging on a sofa was out of the question. It was disqualification as a mage.

“This subjugation is a bit disappointing. Even if we catch the Kraken, it’s a mollusk, so there won’t be much to show for it. We can’t hang up its bones, and it’ll dry out too much for taxidermy.”

Homi was, as always, only interested in the hunt. Before major operations, she would chatter excitedly, but this Kraken subjugation seemed to deflate her.

“Well, we call the Kraken an octopus, but it’s not actually an octopus. It’s an entirely separate species. I think it probably has bones.”

“Really?”

“It broke masts and oars by raising its tentacles high. It also came ashore directly and caused havoc. No matter how strong its muscles, a creature that large couldn’t support its own weight without bones.”

In this world, it was common for monsters to differ significantly in physical structure from the creatures they were supposedly based on.

Just looking at the scorpion monster encountered in the past proved this. It was larger than a typical wolf, yet when dissected, it had lungs despite being an insect. Without lung respiration, it couldn’t supply oxygen to a body that size.

“This is Hassan’s establishment, Your Majesty.”

“I had a preconception. I imagined he’d be living alone somewhere remote.”

Eugene’s party stopped in front of a gambling hall overlooking the harbor. It wasn’t in the city center, but the view of the sea was excellent, and the building was large.

“Is this building your work? It’s a fine location.”

“What goes out must come back. Hassan is a good friend but always emphasizes the importance of compensation. In his words, he doesn’t want to lose me.”

Eugene intuited that this wasn’t simply about being sensitive to profit and loss. Hassan was probably bound by some kind of constraints as well.

The gambling hall was crowded. People who looked like they had no future, mercenaries who couldn’t stay away from such places, and wealthy merchants in fine clothing — all manner of people were mixed together.

Dice rolled and cards moved. Someone cheered and someone else sighed; the sounds never ceased.

Eugene passed through it all. The gambling hall was large and dark, with curtains hung in various places. But following the breadcrumbs dropped along the way, he could pinpoint Hassan’s location.

“I am Eugene, King of Britainia. Are you the mage Hassan?”

“That is correct, Your Majesty. I am the owner of this establishment and also serve as currency exchange.”

Hassan, the Easterner in pilgrim’s garb, politely paid his respects.

“Differs from what you expected, doesn’t it? You probably imagined something like an antique shop.”

“A gambling hall certainly doesn’t suit a sage.”

“But it’s an excellent place for me. Those who squander their money here don’t just go home. They somehow borrow money to gamble again. They’re desperate, thirsty, and searching for hope. There are no emotions more perfectly ripened than these.”

Hassan smiled at the patrons. It resembled a farmer looking at fruit ready for harvest.

“I lend money to such people at a price they can afford.”

Naturally, this price wasn’t referring to usury. It was similar to what summoners offered when dealing with beings from another world. From the look of it, he had lowered the asking price to the level of blood donations.

This explained why Hassan had chosen a gambling hall. No other business could yield such a quality harvest.

“To offset the price you yourself must pay?”

“Exactly as you say. In my vigorous days, I made too many promises in exchange for great power. As wrinkles accumulated one by one, the repayment period approached, and when the sun set, I could feel the gazes of collectors lurking in the darkness.”

Realizing he couldn’t go on like this, Hassan had devised his own survival method, which led to his current situation.

“I heard Your Majesty is seeking a way to lure the Kraken.”

“Yes. Would it be possible to lure it to shore?”

“It’s not difficult. That type of spell doesn’t require a special sacrifice. It’s simply a ritual to entice the Kraken.”

“That’s a relief. When I heard your circumstances, I worried it might be an impossible request.”

Asking someone who had gone into hiding to survive the supernatural to use his powers was a difficult thing.

“I don’t want this situation to continue either. The sooner the city returns to normal, the sooner I can properly resume my payments.”

From Hassan’s perspective, Eugene’s visit was cause for celebration. He needed someone who could kill the Kraken for certain when it was lured to land.

A clumsy attack that scared it off would be troublesome. And in Hassan’s view, the forces the city had prepared weren’t enough to kill the Kraken.

But the young knight-king before him was different.

‘What is this? What manner of man is this? Is this truly a human?’

One of the powers Hassan had gained through his contract was a third eye. Temporarily borrowing the contractee’s eyes allowed him to see things from a higher dimension.

‘How can a human soul contain such immense mysticism?’

Hassan was stunned by the sight of the Moving Castle, the greatest existence this world had ever produced, merged with Eugene’s soul.

Looking at him through the third eye, he felt as though he would be crushed by the weight and swallowed by the seemingly infinite spatial sense. Even the fearsome Kraken seemed as insignificant as a fry in an aquarium.

Hassan was now certain of this subjugation’s success.