Chapter 400: The Great Voyage (2)

Currently, Eugene was leading the finest land army in a joint operation with the navy. And in situations like this, there was one scene that always seemed to occur like clockwork.

“Bleaaagh!”

It was none other than those suffering from seasickness. The Eastern knights, who had some experience with ships, were less affected, but the Westerners who had followed Eugene in land battles suffered terribly.

They looked hopefully at the doll-like Dampir young lady, Maria.

“Please give us some seasickness medicine!”

She alone could deliver salvation.

Barcia had fought their traditional rival, Gorde, almost constantly, and that required crossing waterways.

-Those savages who can’t even ride horses properly!

-Come in here, you mosquito larvae! Don’t you know how many sharp-skulled corpses are piled at the bottom of this river?

-Fine! I’ll gut your bellies with my spear—Oop!

-What? I can’t hear you! Stop buzzing and speak like a human!

Barcia had suffered from seasickness every time they moved or just after landing. As a result, they developed seasickness medicine that was over-technology for this era. They even made the remarkable achievement of creating versions for war horses, not just knights.

However, the recipe was extremely difficult, and only outstanding physicians could make it properly.

Naturally, for Maria, one of Barcia’s most renowned physicians, this was no difficulty. Even those under Eugene who suffered from carriage sickness sought medicine from her.

“M-Maria. Please, some seasickness medicine…”

“I cannot, Sir Henri.”

“It’s worse than I thought… Blech!”

“Sir Baran. I can gladly massage your back, but you must endure. In a few more days, you’ll get used to it.”

But the pale-faced Dampir young lady flatly refused the knights’ desperate pleas, as if cutting with a knife.

“The seasickness medicine is more potent than you think. Truly potent. For a trip of a few days, I’d gladly provide it, but for an operation that could last weeks like this one, it’s not possible. There’s a risk of damaging your bodies.”

Maria persuaded the knights in her characteristically precise enunciation.

Being human, when your body felt awful, logic went out the window, and you might feel resentful, thinking “Why won’t she give us the medicine?!”

But none of those suffering from seasickness dared voice complaints against Maria.

“Ugh!”

Because Maria herself was suffering terribly from severe seasickness. Her already pale face had reached the point where “flour girl” would be an apt description.

Even in this state, as the eldest daughter of the Pierce family, she couldn’t very well be going “Blech!” so she suppressed it as much as possible and dry-heaved.

“So the real aristocrats really are different.”

“Indeed. She even gets seasickness elegantly.”

The sailors marveled at the self-control of true blue blood, so different from city nobles. Meanwhile, they also found it curious that the dark elves seemed fine.

“I’ve heard the fairy folk are a horse-riding people who’ve only operated on land. But none of you get seasickness?”

“Well, those who felt like vomiting took the medicine.”

“…What?”

Basco turned to Eugene with a bewildered expression.

“Didn’t that doctor young lady just say it was highly toxic?”

“The fairy folk’s detoxification ability is at a wondrous level. In drinking contests, even dwarves can’t match them, and they use mushrooms with terrifying names as anesthetics. Taking seasickness medicine long-term causes no problem whatsoever.”

Another advantage of the Blackhand Tribe warriors was that their shooting ability remained intact even on a swaying ship. From the start, they could twist their bodies freely and shoot while on horseback, which rocked just as much as a ship.

“Speaking of dwarves, it’s really a shame. We don’t often see them in the East, so everyone was looking forward to it.”

“They’re strong, sturdy, and have a low center of gravity. They’d fight well on a swaying ship.”

Listing the advantages, Eugene immediately shook his head.

“But no. They’re great in every way, but the moment they fall in the sea, it’s over. Not to mention they can’t swim, and pulling them out of the water is also difficult.”

“If they can hold on for just a moment, we can rescue them. We’re used to pulling prisoners from sunken ships.”

“That’s not the problem. When humans fall in the sea, if they relax and stay still, their bodies float to the surface naturally. But dwarves don’t. They just sink straight down vertically.”

Pfft!

The disciplined sailors burst out laughing from various places. They could visualize the scene.

“They’re tough as nails—can fall from a two-story ladder without spraining a leg, and march for two days and nights without issue. But when you gain endurance, you lose something else.”

“The sea is the domain of seamen alone, Your Majesty.”

The sailors felt a subtle pride in the fact that dwarves, so famous as warriors, were powerless at sea.

Even though they couldn’t ride horses, dwarves were uniformly tough and strong. Why had they continued to lose ground in competition with other intelligent species, their position in the world shrinking?

In the first year of hiring the Hammer Brothers, Eugene couldn’t understand why. But after spending long periods together, he somewhat understood. Dwarves had terrible environmental adaptability.

Deserts and swamps were difficult to traverse with their short legs, and sailing ships to expand onto the sea didn’t work either. In regions where horse or camel riding was essential, they couldn’t ride, making them unable to operate.

This way, they couldn’t survive in competition. They had no choice but to settle in mountain ranges and mines to leverage their specialty.

‘If not that…’

Eugene looked west. Past the Mediterranean, beyond the Apen Peninsula and Samur, Gorde, Britainia, and even the ocean—toward unknown lands.

New territories ruled solely by Eugene’s absolute power. There, dwarves wouldn’t be pushed into mountains and forests but could flourish with their unique culture.

It was a plan only Eugene had, one he hadn’t shared with anyone yet.

‘Where must Otto and Sigurd be, and what are they doing?’

That too was a story for when those two pioneers discovered dry land.

* * *

What Eugene gained from this extermination mission wasn’t merely fellowship with the free cities, wealth, or honor. There was also a special reward meaningful only to him.

“The winds are favorable. We can reach the Network Archipelago in just one more day.”

“Captain Basco, what’s that island?”

Eugene pointed at an island visible nearby. It was sizable, flat, and featured a pristine sandy beach harmonizing with palm trees.

While it resembled the beaches of the southern New World in some ways, the water’s clarity was superior. The dazzling coral beneath the emerald sea surface was also extraordinarily beautiful.

There were no noisy jungle beasts, venomous snakes, or annoying insects. Only the gentle sound of waves resonated warmly.

“It’s an uninhabited island. It looks beautiful, but there’s no fresh water, so not even a mouse lives there. It’s also off the trade routes, so no one uses it as a base.”

“Could you bring the ship closer? I won’t go ashore. I just want to observe for a moment.”

“No problem.”

Basco was curious about why Eugene was making this request, but didn’t ask. He knew that satisfying all curiosity toward a superior was foolish.

“After the operation ends, are you thinking of bringing the castle down to that island?”

“It is beautiful. It looks like an autumn forest has unfolded beneath the water’s surface.”

“I’d love to take a piece of that coral as a souvenir. My daughter would love it.”

The tribe warriors knew why their lord had made this request. The Moving Castle was the strongest fortress and also a cruise ship providing dreamlike vacations.

“How is it? Do you all like it? We’ve added another summer vacation spot to our collection.”

After completing the inscription, Eugene spoke in a low voice, and the dark elves grinned.

“Perfect.”

“You’re heading to hunt a ghost ship and already thinking about vacation?”

Eugene shrugged.

“This isn’t just for my own benefit, is it? You’ll enjoy it too, and it’ll be good memories for your families. They say this is one of the most beautiful sea areas in the Mediterranean.”

Eugene interlocked two pairs of thumbs and index fingers held at right angles. The beautiful uninhabited island fit perfectly into the resulting rectangle.

“Perfect size and flatness.”

Inability to find water and food, difficulty of round trips—none of these were considerations. For Moving Castle vacations, only beauty mattered.

Eugene imagined mats and parasols spread across the sandy beach, residents enjoying themselves.

-Kyaaahaha!

Children running on the warm sand, elders spreading out packed food to share, women comparing coral they’d dived for and chattering about how to decorate their homes.

This was a great happiness that couldn’t be bought with the gold coins or fame earned from expeditions. Eugene leaned on the railing, humming to himself as he thought about future vacations.

“It seems to match the knight’s taste perfectly?”

Rex had followed Eugene exploring everywhere, but had never seen him look so content.

“It’s great, isn’t it? No fences, no stone walls, no mountains—an open world wherever you look. People need to experience things like this.”

“It is a view you can only see by taking a boat far out to a good sea.”

“Some will live and die without ever knowing this. Many never even leave the village they were born in.”

Eugene tapped his temple with his index finger.

“I want to store the world’s best places here. So that even when I retire and put down my weapon, I can still taste the feeling of adventure. For that, I need variety.”

“You’re being sentimental today.”

“Maybe it’s the sea’s influence.”

The uninished island had already disappeared beyond the horizon. And so, the Antigone fleet entered the Network Archipelago.

* * *

As soon as they entered the archipelago, a spectacle unique to the sea greeted them.

“Help!”

A man clinging to a plank drifted desperately calling for rescue.

“Antigone?! I’m saved!”

Upon seeing the Royalty’s flag, he was overcome with joy and waved his arms even more frantically. Since it was a small plank, he sank and resurfaced several times, but he couldn’t care less.

“It’s a castaway!”

Basco rushed to the railing and shouted.

“Throw a rope! Hurry!”

“Jack, light the stove and bring blankets!”

Under the first navigator’s direction, the sailors moved busily.

“You all have such compassionate hearts?”

Maria tilted her head at the passionate will to rescue. As a physician, it was a pleasing sight, but it was surprising given the sailors’ typically cold demeanor.

Whether to gain information or simply out of pity, there was no reason not to save him. But for a complete stranger, they were excessively devoted. As if treating family.

“It can’t be helped. Right now we’re the ones doing the saving, but someday it could be the other way around.”

Eugene indicated the castaway climbing aboard.

“Thank you! Truly, truly thank you!”

The man whose life had been saved embraced everyone and kissed their cheeks. The sailors wore disgusted expressions but didn’t push him away. It was consideration for a man who had survived despair.

“The custom of hospitality is extremely important on land. Even if they’re sworn enemies, if they come as guests and eat your food, you cannot harm them.”

“Your Majesty is correct. It differs slightly by region, but in Barcia, the condition is satisfied with salt and bread. When inviting members of a hostile family for negotiation, they traditionally bake salt bread.”

Maria thought of the Piranian family, with whom the Pierce family had fought for generations. The amount of salt bread both families had baked over the years was truly enormous.

Once you started by tearing into salt bread, both sides could converse comfortably, so it had settled into a convention.

“But at sea, the story is different. Outsiders only board during battle. So what hospitality could there be?”

“The custom of hospitality is replaced by loyalty to the castaway?”

“That’s one way to put it. Hoping for the same help in a disaster that might befall them someday. An investment of sorts, perhaps. Maybe this is also a form of faith, even if the object of belief isn’t a concrete god.”

The rescued sailor, wrapped in a blanket, held his trembling palms near the fire. He gulped down the premium whiskey offered by one of Eugene’s subordinates and seemed to regain some strength.

“Where are you from?”

“I belong to the Medal Trading Company of Veros City.”

The sailor answered Captain Basco’s question.

“What caused you to shipwreck? This isn’t a dangerous sea area at all.”

“Harpies attacked us.”

It seemed difficult to speak while sober, as the sailor took a swig from the bottle.

“Those three bitches grabbed the captain with their talons and tore him apart in midair… Oh god.”

The sailor had apparently revered his captain greatly. Despite being exhausted and dehydrated, tears immediately streamed down his face.

“That’s unbelievable.”

“Harpy nesting grounds should be far from here.”

“Could you have mistaken something?”

Including the navigator, the veteran sailors were incredulous.

Not every free city had maps as precise as Antigone’s, but each had its own accumulated experience and know-how. Especially regarding harpies and mermaids, they were extremely cautious.

Harpies appeared suddenly from the sky, tearing sails with their sharp talons, and their physical prowess made them difficult to fight.

The latter lacked the harpies’ physical combat ability but used their unique magical powers to unsettle sailors.

No sailor who plied the Mediterranean was ignorant of safe and dangerous sea areas.

“We thought so too, but not anymore. The captain left a dying message before he passed. If anyone survived, he wanted us to tell everyone.”

The sailor composed himself and continued.

“The ghost ship is redrawing the sea’s map.”

The sailor wiped away tears again.

“That’s exactly what he said.”

“Redrawing the sea’s map?”

Among the sailors who didn’t understand the meaning, Eugene stroked his chin.

“The ghost ship is rebuilding the sea’s ecosystem that formed over long periods. That’s what it means, I think. Bringing monsters to areas that were originally safe. Captain Basco?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“It seems we’ll need to redraw the map after all. The routes we’ve trusted and traveled for hundreds of years are no longer safe.”

“How can this be…”

Fear crept onto the sailors’ faces. Sea monsters encountered unexpectedly were far more dangerous than land monsters.

Even experienced sailors were shaken. For those who lived in the harsh world of the sea, experience was always the greatest support.

And half of sea experience was knowing the routes well. But this was about to be nullified by the ghost ship’s appearance.

“But we have Your Majesty, the knights, and the summoners.”

“The hero who felled even the Kraken stands with us. United under Your Majesty, we can overcome whatever attacks.”

Having a lighthouse to rely on in such situations was fortunate. The city council’s unprecedented reception of Eugene had been worthwhile.

“Look! There’s a shipwreck!”

A sailor scouting ahead shouted loudly.

“Harpies!”

“They’re still lingering!”

“Oh my! How many are there?!”

On the mast of the damaged merchant ship, harpies sat lined up like seagulls roosting in a row. As creatures inhabiting the sea, they looked different in several ways from the ones Eugene had previously exterminated.

“They’ve noticed us.”

“What should we do?”

The answer was already decided.

“All hands, prepare for battle!”

“Battle stations!”

Captain Basco relayed Eugene’s order, and the sailors moved swiftly. Armor was distributed, and each donned their helmet and sword.

The dark elf warriors drew their bows, and Homi, transformed into a water warrior, leaped several times to perch atop the mast. If the harpies attempted to attack the sails, she would shoot them down immediately.

“Captain.”

“Yes?”

“It seems there may be quite a few castaways we’ll need to rescue while searching for the ghost ship.”

Eugene remembered the merchant ships that had burst out all at once after the Kraken’s removal. They would all be sailing with an “incorrect map.”

‘I wonder how many will survive.’

Gripping his weapon’s handle, Eugene looked at the ferocious harpies. The ghost ship extermination operation was shaping up to be far more eventful than expected.