Chapter 145

< 144. Hunters of the Deep Sea >


*


-Crackle!


The Elven Fleet’s ships are not easily destroyed by waves. Their light and sturdy hulls easily ride rough waves, and their extremely delicate tuning and shipbuilding skills effortlessly cut through the currents.


But—


-Boom!!


“Is that cannon fire?”


“No! It’s a harpoon!!”


Leia steadied herself in the cabin and glared out the window. Waves as massive as mountain ranges surged, and the Elven ships riding them tilted repeatedly, barely maintaining balance.


The winter sea’s storm is fierce, and the ocean’s swells are wild. Fernandez reached out to Kirhas, who stumbled and rolled after losing her balance.


“Eek!!”


“Hold tight.”


“Yes, Your Excellency. I-I’m not used to this…”


The Tribe of Beastmen are children of the earth. They are neither suited nor accustomed to naval battles. Their innate instincts became a hindrance, making it hard for them to regain balance on the shaking deck.


Fernandez looked at Kirhas, who was panting while tightly gripping his arm. Her turquoise eyes were trembling.


-Even dragons aren’t safe here.


‘Of course.’


Abel’s situation would be worse. Unable to transform into a dragon, she wasn’t much different from an ordinary woman.


Even if skilled in swordsmanship, her body was no different from a frail woman’s. In this maritime disaster, Kirhas would fare better.


Fernandez pulled Kirhas with all his might and threw her out of the cabin into the hallway. As she stumbled and stood in the hallway, Fernandez shouted.


“Help Abel, Kirhas! Protect her!”


“…Your Excellency… I, I…”


Kirhas was startled by his words and looked at Fernandez. Was it because she still felt useless? In this situation, the only reason he’d pull her to safety was out of concern.


But Fernandez, clinging to the cabin window and looking outside, gripped his sword hilt and shouted.


“I believe in you, Kirhas. Protect your comrade!”


If the enemy boarded and close combat broke out, Abel wouldn’t lose. But if the ship was destroyed by enemy fire and they were stranded, Abel would definitely transform into a dragon. To save him and Kirhas.


Someone needed to stop her then. Understanding Fernandez’s intent, Kirhas nodded.


‘Protect your comrade.’


Protect the people, the territory, and your comrades. It was no longer a burden for her… It was a phrase that stirred the soul within her, carrying the memories and experiences of an undefeated era.


Kirhas nodded firmly and dashed out.


-Boom!!


Outside the window, with each flash of lightning, the night sea revealed Elven ships disappearing one by one. They weren’t stranded by the storm. The explosions were caused by enemy attacks.


But while sinking ships were visible, the attacking ships were not. Fernandez looked at Leia. Leia was staring intently at the ever-changing sea chart.


‘No enemy ships.’


Even without proficiency in Elvish, it was clear no enemy ships were on the chart. Leia bit her lip and muttered.


“It’s definitely not cannon fire. That’s the sound of harpoon strings snapping…”


-Boom!!


Another explosion. The noise of another ship sinking into the abyss. Fernandez glanced at the sea chart and casually remarked.


“There are no reefs.”


“Deep-sea reefs aren’t marked. They’re too far for the ship to reach. If reefs appear on this chart, it’s only when there’s a nearby island or the coastline is close.”


“Or something the size of a ship… like a sea monster.”


“Sea monsters don’t approach the Elven Fleet. They hate the unique scent of Elven ships.”


“Then what if the monster rises to the surface?”


“If it rises above the water, even if it’s the size of a person, it would be marked…”


Leia suddenly looked up. Fernandez slowly nodded. Both sprang up almost simultaneously and ran into the hallway.


“Damn it!! It’s from the seabed!!”


“You can’t use cannons underwater. The gunpowder would get wet… So the sound you heard of strings snapping…”


“It’s a harpoon made specifically for underwater use…”


A hunting harpoon! And one specially forged to hunt ships!


“Do we have a way to contact the other ships?”


-Whoosh!


-Boom!!


As they neared the deck, the sound of rough waves and thunder forced them to shout. Fernandez, feeling the freezing air, yelled.


“Of course! Did you think we’d send up a signal fire or something?!”


Leia also shouted, slamming the door leading to the deck.


-Boom!!


-Boom!!


The vast ocean stretched out. A massive sea where lightning struck from all directions. A divine plain where giant hills raced!


A single wave, even a mere swell, was overwhelmingly massive compared to the ships on the sea. Fernandez felt his body tilting sharply. The sky faced forward, and the ground receded behind—


“Grab something! If you fall here, you’re dead!!”


Leia screamed, clutching the deck’s ropes. But Fernandez quickly kicked off and jumped up.


“Are you insane?!”


“The communication device!!”


“What?!”


“Give me the communication device, Queen Leia!!”


Leia’s eyes lit up, and she threw a small wooden stick from her pocket. Fernandez caught it mid-air and climbed the mast.


The ship tilted sharply as it rode the waves. From the mast, looking toward the cabin, the crew was either holding ropes or steering, shouting at the top of their lungs.


The massive wooden mast was slippery from rain and seawater. Fernandez tightened his grip and climbed. Finally reaching the crow’s nest at the top, he…








Leia looked at the wooden piece handed to her.

It was a strangely shaped wooden horn. If blown in this storm… would the message get through? An unfamiliar magic energy was felt beneath this sturdy horn.

“Put it to your mouth!! Shout!!”

Leia was yelling from the deck. Fernandez glanced at Leia for a moment, then put the horn to his lips and shouted with all his might.

[All fleet, fire towards the seabed!!]

*

The elf sailors were experienced in ocean voyages. Storms and tidal waves encountered at sea were almost familiar disasters to them. However, being caught off guard, with each lightning strike, a nearby ship would run aground, causing unavoidable chaos.

“Grab it! Pull!”

“Huu—ah! Pull! More!”

The elf navigators grabbed the ropes in unison, pulling and releasing the sails that were about to tear. Any more wind, and they would either run aground, tear the sails, or drift away from the fleet.

For the maritime kingdom of the elves, without the Serpent King’s flagship, drifting was synonymous with death. They gritted their teeth and released the sails.

-Kwaaaang!

Lightning struck again, and another ship was destroyed in the storm. The ship was destroyed before emergency repairs could even be attempted, as the keel was precisely targeted.

Watching this scene right beside them, the helmsman gritted his teeth and turned the wheel. They couldn’t falter. If concentration broke, they would be swept away by the tidal wave!

“Where are they attacking from!!”

In such rough seas, the only maritime force that could attack them was other elves. But no enemy ships were visible. Not even the sound of cannons!

Their queen had a relic map that always allowed her to locate enemy ships. Ambushes were meaningless to them. Perhaps that’s why they had become a force vulnerable to ambushes.

“Damn it!”

-Kwaaaaang!

This time, a ship riding the waves right next to them was shattered and sank into the abyss. The faces of their kin sinking into the sea, wide-eyed from the shock of destruction, were imprinted on the sailors’ retinas.

They were feeling fear. Even the brave warriors who would charge at a dragon without fear if it were right in front of them. They were afraid of the tidal waves, the storm, the ambush, and the unknown enemy.

Then, a rough, unfamiliar man’s voice echoed in their ears.

[All fleet! Fire towards the seabed!]

Rigorous training, long sailing life, and battle experience. Their experience began to move them. It was a learned task, ingrained in the realm of instinct.

Even in fear and chaos, their hands moved in unison, almost simultaneously preparing the cannons, loading the gunpowder, and filling the cannonballs.

The same thing was happening on every ship. Towards the seabed, that distant abyss. Towards the rough sea that endlessly swallowed their kin…

[Fire!!]

The strongest fleet in the North Sea. The golden fleet of the Guimerin Dynasty. Their cannons fired simultaneously.

-Kwaaaaang!!

*

“Captains. Report the damage.”

Leia, soaked in seawater, spoke as a servant dried her hair with a towel. The captains gathered in the ship’s conference room were in a similar state.

An elf man with an eye patch slowly opened his mouth.

“Three warships, two merchant ships, two supply ships, and one civilian ship.”

“Casualties?”

“The casualties from the destroyed ships are being estimated. Fifty-seven ships have survived. No serious injuries or falls have been reported among the sailors. For the civilian ship, about seventy civilians were harmed.”

“Hmm…”

Leia flipped her dripping hair and crossed her legs.

“For an ambush in a storm, the damage is light.”

“The frequency of their attacks was low. Perhaps they’re not used to using ship cannons, or harpoons…”

“Or they didn’t have enough means of attack.”

“Yes, that’s right. This kind of attack was a first for them too.”

At the captain’s words, Leia slowly lifted her teacup. After sipping the tea, she set the cup down and spoke.

“It was an attack from the seabed. What do you think, Inquisition Officer?”

“There’s only one race that can use civilized weapons from the seabed. Queen Leia. Unless it’s the legendary sea serpent clan.”

“Right. It must be the vampires.”

Leia looked at Fernandez and smirked. Almost immediately after pinpointing the first bombardment’s location, she assumed an underwater ambush, confirmed it with the second attack, and by the third, she was already thinking of countermeasures.

Leia looked at Fernandez and smiled. As in Infermur, and now. He was a man she liked. That competence, wit, and quick thinking.

-Creeeak.

Then, a servant carefully opened the door, entered with a stiff posture, and saluted.

“Great Serpent Queen, Leia Pin Guimerin, Your Majesty! The foremost of the five seas…”

“Enough. Get to the point.”

“There’s a castaway!”

“Hah. A castaway. What, should we show some humanity? Say it again.”

“…We’ve captured a prisoner.”

“Bring him in.”

At Leia’s words, the servant opened the door. Wild Princes in armor dragged in a man tightly bound with ropes and threw him to the floor.

“Cough!”

The man spat out seawater and coughed. White, curly hair, gleaming red pupils, and fangs visible whenever he opened his mouth. He was a vampire.

“Stupidly coming up to the sea surface to breathe, were you? Vampire. Reveal your identity.”

“I am the envoy of the Supreme Lord of the Night, Duke Fang. Elf.”

The vampire hissed.

“This sea will be your grave. Blood pouches. Fear the night.”

“Tsk.”

As the vampire chuckled and whispered, Leia clicked her tongue. She glanced out the window. The calm sea surface was turning blue in the distance as dawn broke.

“I’m not sure if vampire funeral rites suit us. Hey, he looks cold. Poor thing, all soaked.”

Leia teased, looking at the vampire’s face.

“Dry him in the sun.”

“You will all die!”

“If there’s an afterlife for the already dead, that’d be nice. Your master will end up the same. You can empathize with each other. Take him away.”

“Fear every night!!”

The vampire screamed as he was dragged away by the Wild Princes. A vicious curse flowed from his mouth. Watching this, Leia chuckled and lifted her teacup.

“Guess they didn’t know our goddess is the ‘Goddess of Dawn.'”

“They should’ve known well enough in Infermur.”

At Leia’s joke, the captains burst into laughter.