Chapter 306

Chapter 306

Strength of Monsters #6

“What exactly is this ‘Black Sea’?”

At my question, Eariol glanced around cautiously. Then, after a moment’s hesitation, as if debating whether or not she should speak, she finally opened her mouth slowly.

“It’s the nest of a monstrous snake.”

“The nest of a monstrous snake?”

“Shh! Not so loud! It might be nearby! If it hears us talking about it, it might come out!”

With wide eyes, Eariol gazed around anxiously, and I had no choice but to lower my voice. It’s a common superstition everywhere that talking about ghosts draws ghosts, and speaking of snakes can summon snakes, so I could understand her overreaction.

“So what is this ‘nest of the monstrous snake’?”

“A few years ago, this area’s sea caves were occupied by a monster sea serpent.”

“A sea serpent?”

“Yes. The problem is, its poison is so potent that no one can get near the caves! The surrounding sea water turns black!”

I tried to picture a snake living in the sea. Having occasionally watched documentaries, I’d heard that some sea snakes possess poison ten times more lethal than a cobra. All types of sea snakes were supposed to carry lethal venom, if I remember correctly. However, in a world brimming with sorcery and magic, for it to be called a “monstrous sea serpent,” it must be something extraordinary. Perhaps it’s an oversized sea serpent.

An incredibly massive sea serpent. Or rather, an eel.

I imagined a giant sea creature curled up in a cave, spreading its poison across the ocean. Wow, it’s terrifying! I quickly stopped imagining the scene.

Indeed, if such a beast resides in a cave, contaminating the sea with its potent venom until it turns black, it isn’t surprising.

At that moment, Paranoi, who had been listening nearby, made a comment.

“Master Hassan, it seems the prophecy mentioned by the Great Seer might refer to this…! The prophecy to purify the sea water by slaying the sea serpent…!”

Paranoi’s statement seemed reasonably close to the truth. Personally, I couldn’t come up with any other plausible assumption.

However, our conversation only drew a snicker from Eariol.

“Defeat that beast? Impossible. Even Lord Triton could only seal the serpent’s cave with rocks.”

“Is that true?”

“Yes! Even Triton, the Hero of the Ocean, struggled against it. What do you think you two can do?”

“Hmm…”

I pondered this for a moment. Triton is the only son of Neptune, the absolute ruler of the seas, boasting the magnificent title ‘Strength of Monsters,’ and he apparently commands nearly thirty harem members. As far as I know, he’s immensely powerful and ferocious.

Yet, if all he did was seal the cave entrance with rocks, it must mean this sea eel is incredibly dangerous.

While I was contemplating the danger level of this sea creature, Eariol added a few more remarks.

“The beast’s venom colors the sea black! Even Triton himself was affected by the venom! It’s an incredibly powerful foe!”

In response, Paranoi said:

“Getting poisoned, you say? That just shows Triton is not much, does it not? If our Master Hassan were in the same situation, he wouldn’t even flinch, covered as he is by Basikir bees! He’s truly a formidable figure!”

“Basikir bees, you say? They’re the messengers of Goddess Ceres, right?”

“Yes!”

“Blasphemy! Their stings are notoriously dangerous, even down in the ocean depths! It’s impossible to be unaffected after getting stung!”

“Not true! Master Hassan is stronger than that ruffian Triton! And me, Paranoi, as his right-hand man, am also incredible!”

The two nymphs began arguing loudly, which got extremely annoying.

At this rate, the “monstrous snake” or whatever it is might actually surface. So, I clapped my hands to grab their attention.

“Alright, Eariol, I believe you had a plan, didn’t you? A plan to turn the sea blue. You haven’t told us much about it yet.”

“Ah, right. Indeed, this black sea is a major headache for us merpeople and Lord Triton. Right now, only the surrounding seawater is affected, but it’s only a matter of time until the contamination spreads!”

“So?”

“That’s why I came up with a plan! To turn the sea blue!”

“Huh? What’s your method?”

“I don’t know yet! I still have to figure it out! Anyway, if it succeeds, even Lord Triton will see me in a new light!”

Hmm, is that even a plan? Just when I was wondering how to respond, Paranoi burst into laughter.

“Ha, this girl talks big but has no real plan! Nymphs of the sea are all fools! Even dumber than fish! Triton must be an idiot too!”

“What did you say? You arrogant fool! Don’t insult Lord Triton!”

As evening fell, we gathered at the inn we had chosen as our lodgings. Looking at Luna and Elfride, I could see they were exhausted from a day’s exploration around the city.

I asked them,

“Did you find anything?”

“Not really. How about you, Hassan?”

“I think we found something. Not entirely sure yet, though.”

I took out something small and hard from my pocket, placing it on the table. Luna and Elfride’s eyes widened significantly.

“Wow! That’s a tear pearl! They’re extremely rare! Where did you get it?”

Luna held the teardrop-shaped pearl on her palm, turning it around.

I briefly narrated our encounter on the beach with the peculiar mermaid and the story we had learned about the sea serpent from her.

“Triton and the sea serpent…”

After hearing my explanation, Hippolyte broke the silence with a thoughtful hum.

“Do you think this story is credible?”

“It doesn’t seem like a lie.”

“Hmm, actually, I heard something similar while gathering information nearby. The local fishermen were worried because they’ve been catching deformed fish, likely due to the sea being poisoned. In any case, finding out this information feels like a substantial discovery.”

“Then that’s fortunate.”

“But if we found out about this so easily, it’s likely others have as well.”

Hippolyte’s point was quite convincing. If we could uncover this information without much effort, there’s no reason other people wouldn’t have figured it out too.

While we were leisurely enjoying our food, someone else might be striving to fulfill the prophecy.

Seemingly growing anxious, Luna spoke up:

“Then shouldn’t we do something now? Is it okay to be so relaxed? We risk having our achievements stolen by others!”

But Hippolyte just chuckled softly.

“There’s no need to rush. Didn’t Eariol say that even Triton could only block the cave’s entrance with rocks?”

“So what’s that got to do with anything?”

“Triton is someone even I’ve heard of—quite the powerful figure. If he couldn’t defeat it, it won’t be easily slain by others either.”

“Hmm…”

Though Hippolyte reasoned this way, Luna frowned, clearly unconvinced, lost in thought.

“Even so, with all the flying and crawling creatures gathering, sitting around like this seems like we’re just letting our achievements slip away.”

“Moving too soon can also be unwise. It could be dangerous.”

Our opinions seemed unlikely to converge. All our unique thoughts and personalities make it difficult to unify our perspectives and come to a consensus.

I, on the other hand, wondered about this Triton, who supposedly commands a harem of over thirty women.

Over thirty women.

If each one spoke just one word, that would be thirty words.

It must be extremely noisy. And utterly chaotic.

Can he remember all their names?

Thinking about it, having a harem of thirty women might sound enviable, but in a way, it’s quite troublesome. Managing and leading such a large group of women must be an incredible feat.

If I were the master of a harem of thirty women, what would happen?

I would undoubtedly end up shredded like a fish exposed to piranhas.

Considering my current situation, I’m already getting beaten up left and right dealing just with Luna and Hippolyte.

What’s the secret to managing so many women effectively?

Do you really need to be the powerful heir of a god to have such skills?

I’d like to meet him someday.

Clack.

Someone placing their cup on the table snapped me out of my thoughts. Elfride, who had mustard mousse around her lips, finally spoke up after a long silence.

“Talk of this monster being difficult for others implies it would be equally challenging for us. Do you really think we could defeat this monstrous sea serpent?”

Elfride’s point was quite reasonable. And thus, both Luna and Hippolyte paused their discussions, chewing on their food while sinking into silent contemplation.

The somber atmosphere felt like it needed a word of encouragement, so I recalled my conversation with the mermaid Eariol from the beach earlier.

“Tomorrow, we’re supposed to meet our guide to the Black Sea. Once the day breaks, we can borrow a boat and head there. It’s best to go and check it out ourselves before making a decision.”

“Master Hassan’s words are absolutely correct! Truly, the wisdom befitting a future ruler shines through! Your brilliance is unmatched!”

Paranoi’s usual flattery resonated this time, and it seemed to diffuse some of the tension in the room.

The next morning:

“I am Gogor, captain of this ship, the Gogor.”

We rented a small boat during the early morning at the dock.

“It may not be as big as other vessels, but it’s faster. Even in windless areas, the stored wind magic allows us to travel long distances.”

Though unclear exactly, apparently there’s a curious magic stone attached at the back, blasting air underneath the ship to propel it forward.

Is it like a magical electric motor?

Its size is larger than a rowboat but slightly smaller than a yacht. Still, there’s enough room for all of us to sit comfortably with our luggage.

“Renting it for an entire day for fifty silver coins is quite expensive.”

“But my skill is worth it. In thirty years, I’ve never had an accident at sea. No one matches Captain Gogor. Now, please hand over your luggage.”

Once we were aboard, the ship began to move after hoisting the anchor and untethering the ship from the quay.

“Master Hassan! Behold! Paranoi floats upon the water…! Finally, I’ve risen above the earth, placing the sea beneath me…! I am greater than all land nymphs…!”

Seemingly a first-time sailor, Paranoi was ecstatic, hanging onto the ship’s railing and gazing down at the water.

Swish! The parting waves fascinated him endlessly. He forgot to even close his mouth, continuously chirping away. On the side, Luna was engaging enthusiastically with his excitement.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been on a boat! When we crossed from Ideope to the continent, it took about a month on a similar ship. This brings back memories.”

Luna and Paranoi seemed delighted with this unexpected voyage. But Hippolyte and Elfride weren’t as enthusiastic.

Hippolyte quietly maintained her weapons, cleaning her sword and armor, while Elfride…

“Ugh, ugh…”

Appeared to be suffering immensely from seasickness. Apparently, elves dread vast waters like these. For someone struggling so much on the boat, it boded poorly for our journey.

As our party’s main firepower, Elfride’s current condition was disconcerting.

At this point, the captain asked us:

“Where exactly should I take you?”

Recalling the previous conversation with the mermaid Eariol, I remembered where we were supposed to meet.

“Just take us to that rock shaped like a dog.”

“Ah, you mean that dog-shaped reef. You’re meeting someone there? There’s nothing there but open sea.”

“Just take us there. We might be late.”

“Alright.”

This captain probably didn’t realize we were meeting a mermaid. After all, sea nymphs are famously reluctant to appear in public.

As we approached the dog-shaped reef, I was shocked to find someone waiting.

The mermaid I was supposed to meet was nowhere to be seen. Instead, there was a man sitting on the rock, clad in a strange, fish-scale-like suit that clung tightly to his body.

“Is this bratty little Eariol’s boyfriend you?”

“Ah-”

[Afterword] Huge thanks to Paranoia-yongdon, Cheryllyn, Lunalu, Potetoser, and all our patrons!!!

I’ll be sure to buy Paranoia some honey candy this Chuseok!!!

Many have kindly sent in their support through original manuscript rewards!!!

Thanks to everyone, we’ve managed to gift a spam set to the top ten nymphs excelling at doll-eye attachments!!!

Through your support, our nymphs have now been given a wonderful job—making adorable dolls and enjoying spam!

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