To reach Hoarfrost Gorge, one absolutely had to cross the Northern Sea and arrive at Northland. No, to be precise, the fastest and safest way, on the assumption that a ship could be secured, was to cross the Northern Sea.
Traveling by land would mean passing through the Greenskin-infested Battlegrounds. The reason for going all the way to the Renford Kingdom to persuade the elf of Paradise Bank wasn’t solely to avoid future annoyances.
“It’s fortunate that things worked out well. Ships in the Renford Kingdom are primarily under royal jurisdiction. We could have ended up walking all the way to Northland.”
“It’s thanks to that absent-minded merchant’s smooth talk.”
“Oh? Did something like that happen? And who is this Eto?”
“He’s a merchant I briefly acquainted with in Bates. Thanks to our lord, he was saved and made quite a profit.”
“Oh. As expected, our boss foresaw even that…!”
What nonsense are they talking about?
Maya and Alejandro had an oddly perfect rapport, which baffled Khan. The fact that most of their discussions revolved around him made Khan feel inexplicably uneasy.
“Do you really think that guy helped us because of me?”
What bothered him most was that their conversation stemmed from a misunderstanding.
“Huh? Then why did he help us?”
“…Wasn’t it to repay the lord’s kindness by persuading the platinum guild master?”
Khan had no idea where to start correcting their misconception. How could he tell Maya to her face about the peculiar way that greenhorn Eto looked at her?
As a person with modern sensibilities and life experience, he couldn’t bring himself to commit such a cruel act.
‘Just what does that eccentric pervert see in her?’
Love indeed took many forms, but just thinking about it made Khan feel suffocated, so he decided to change the topic.
“…Tsk. I get that you’re bored because you can’t go outside, but keep it down a bit. And cut back on the silly talk. Once we’re out of Renford’s waters, you’ll be able to go out.”
After a few days cooped up in the warehouse, the two started chatting incessantly. Calming them down, Khan then turned his attention to Ludmilla.
“This is more complicated than I thought. There are parts that correlate with ancient languages, but the structure is completely different.”
“It doesn’t matter much. In Hoarfrost Gorge, there are only a handful who can write their own names. As long as we can communicate verbally, it’s fine.”
“Is that so…?”
Because they couldn’t easily leave the warehouse until the scheduled departure of the passenger ship, Ludmilla had decided to learn the Hoarfrost Gorge language rather than idling away the time.
Fortunately, thanks to the memories of this body, Khan was exceptionally gifted in languages. He had mastered not only the language of Hoarfrost Gorge but also most of the languages spoken in Midland.
“The basic structure of Hoarfrost Gorge’s language is….”
And lucky for Ludmilla, Khan was very skilled at teaching others. Before the possession, he had often helped his young niece with her studies and homework, spending enough time doing so to consider himself a fairly competent teacher.
‘Although, honestly, she probably would have learned it on her own even without me.’
However, that confidence didn’t last long. Ludmilla’s learning ability was at an almost incomprehensible level.
“Well, you can speak it pretty well now.”
“Not just well, I’m better than a local….”
With her astounding intellect, Ludmilla mastered the language of Hoarfrost Gorge to a level surpassing that of a native speaker in less than four days.
It was the fourth day since they had been confined to the warehouse, and it was finally the day the scheduled ship would depart from the harbor and head into the Northern Sea.
“Oh, oh….”
“Is this really safe? What if we capsize…?”
Ding- ding- ding- ding-
Amid the loud ringing of the bell, the cargo room, which had been converted into a cabin for ‘unlisted guests,’ shook violently.
Of course, the initial intense shaking didn’t last long. While the Argon Kingdom villagers, experiencing this sensation for the first time, complained of dizziness, the ship left the harbor and began its full-fledged voyage.
“You may come out now.”
A burly sailor, who appeared unexpectedly courteous, informed the group that they could now go outside. At first glance, it seemed this wasn’t the first time he had helped smuggle people across the Northern Sea.
Moreover, despite his rough appearance, his hospitality was surprisingly detailed.
“Those experiencing severe dizziness will be served light, comfortable food. If you need alcohol or additional meals, please ask a nearby sailor.”
“Is there an extra charge for that?”
“The cargo owner has covered all expenses.”
Indeed, the investment was thorough.
The cargo owner—the platinum merchant guild master—hadn’t just sent them off casually. After all, it was crucial for Khan’s group to survive and attract attention to ensure the elves’ focus remained on them. Perhaps it was the peculiar taste of Eto that had facilitated such arrangements.
Khan ordered a light snack and a strong drink to settle his stomach. Ludmilla, Maya, and Eson, feeling unsettled by the unfamiliar sensation, declined eating anything.
The only one completely unfazed and eating more than Khan was Alejandro, who suddenly stood up and exclaimed.
“Boss! Can we at least take a look outside? The sailor mentioned that the view of the sea during the voyage is spectacular.”
“Do as you like. Actually, it might be better if everyone goes out and takes a look at the sea. Seeing the open ocean might make you feel a bit better.”
“…Fine.”
Even Ludmilla, with her unfathomable intellect, was suffering greatly from seasickness, being a mage after all.
Leaning on Maya’s shoulder, who was in relatively good shape, Ludmilla left the cargo room and stepped onto the deck, giving a sudden remark.
“Indeed, it’s a rare sight….”
The landscape before them was of an ocean drenched in sunlight, sparkling in ever-changing patterns, and an endless, expansive sky.
Ludmilla had succeeded in flying using golems, but the view from the middle of the sea felt exceptionally special. If she had been holed up in the Forest of the Inverted Cross, solely devoted to spell research, she wouldn’t even have had the chance to see the ocean.
“Wow. This is truly amazing! And it’s incredible how this giant ship moves so smoothly.”
“It’s due to spellcasting. They use gray spells to increase the speed.”
Rarely sounding sentimental, Ludmilla added a kind interpretation.
“Wow, pushing this massive vessel with spells must not be easy. There’s a reason the royal family manages it directly. Mages usually dislike using their spells in such a manner, don’t they?”
“That’s true. I’ve heard there are ships that move using mana stones as a power source even without a mage, but that’s dwarf technology and is mainly owned by imperial prince-electors or the royal family.”
“Do such things really exist?”
“Well, I haven’t seen one myself….”
“They do exist. Though, you better hope you don’t encounter one.”
“Excuse me?”
Alejandro’s confused question made Khan chuckle wryly.
“Those guys are just pirates. They plunder wealth to maintain their main ship and use that money to buy mana stones. If you run into dwarves at sea, just consider yourself dead. Either give up what you have quietly or prepare to die.”
“Are you saying they are robbers?”
“Thugs. Sea thugs.”
These Midland dwarves had abandoned land and set their sights on the sea. They were crazy thugs who enjoyed the supply of mana stones and freedom in their maritime territory in exchange for regular technological cooperation with the Empire.
“But don’t we have mages here too? Can’t we just blow them away with spells…?”
“Have you ever heard of a dwarf sword breaking? Their ships are the same. They reinforce their ships with alloys made from dwarf technology and have magical defenses that can withstand most spells. They’re incredibly fast too, so they’re not easy to hit. Most importantly—”
Khan began to explain the terror of the ‘main cannon’ on dwarf ships but decided to be vague. One wouldn’t truly understand until they experienced it firsthand. Even he had only encountered it in the game and had never seen a dwarf ship in real life.
“Just know that if you see a ship without sails, your best bet is to avoid it.”
“A ship without sails… Are you telling us to avoid something like that?”
“What?”
The tightening of Khan’s face and the blaring alarms from the scheduled ships of the Renford Kingdom happened almost simultaneously.
There was no need to ask a passing sailor what those alarms signified. How often would there be such an urgent signal on a ship all of a sudden?
“Pirate ship!!”
“Brace for impact! If the ship gets holed, we’re all dead!”
Their party wasn’t amateur enough to be thrown off by the sudden situation. Though Eson, who hadn’t experienced such events before, seemed flustered, none of the group paid him any mind.
“Talk about speaking things into existence.”
“Is this my fault somehow?!”
“Probably not.”
Ignoring the frenzied sailors, they headed towards the stern. Briefly, the sailors’ eyes flicked towards the ‘smuggled goods’ being revealed, but they quickly moved away, the situation being too urgent.
“It’s chaotic. Pirates…”
“They’re not just any pirates.”
“Excuse me? Then what…”
“When at sea, ‘pirate ship’ is slang for a dwarf ship.”
Alejandro’s eyes widened in shock. He was astonished that the dwarf ship they had just been talking about had actually appeared.
‘This is incredibly unexpected…’
Khan was just as taken aback. While it was well-known that dwarves loved pirating, he didn’t think they would be bold enough to attack a scheduled ship of the Renford Kingdom.
Moreover, the main operational area of the dwarf pirates wasn’t the Northern Sea but rather the waters near the Empire, which added to his surprise.
But the situation was already unfolding.
‘Damn, it’s real.’
In the distance, a small dot was rapidly approaching them.
The unusual alloy armor, incongruous with the medieval setting. The sharp, protruding bow designed for frontal collisions, and the magical engineering cannon where the sails should be. The streamlined and compact design for efficient mana stone consumption.
A typical dwarf ship.
“They’re coming straight at us as if they’re going to ram us!”
As Alejandro pointed out, the dwarf pirate ship charged directly at the Renford Kingdom’s much larger vessel. Though it seemed impossible, Khan, recalling the power of the magical engineering cannon from the game, instructed Ludmilla to prepare a defensive spell.
Contrary to everyone’s expectations, however, the dwarf pirate ship did not collide with the royal vessel.
Instead.
Shrrrr─.
A chilling slicing sound echoed across the open sea, and a long line was drawn on the hull of the ship just before impact. As the crack spread along this line—
Boom!
The dwarf pirate ship rammed into the middle of the scheduled ship. In an instant, it rendered the vessel powerless. It was an absurd technique of slashing with a sword first.
On the deck of the pirate ship, which had split the massive vessel in two and sank it, stood a woman with red hair flowing, wielding a sword even longer than herself.
“I found you, my prey.”
Despite the significant distance between them, her voice echoed distinctly. Even across that distance, the eyes of the sword demon locked onto her quarry.