Adventurers Guild Adventurer's Guild - Receptionist Desk

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  1. Clown333

    Clown333 「Altiora Petamus Volente Deo Lucete Stellae」

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    Delta Town|#SD3|D-Ranked|Slay 5 Sea snakes [120 G]
    Delta Town|#SC1|C-Ranked|Slay 3 Man-Eating Sharks [230 G]
    Delta Town|#SC2|C-Ranked|Slay 12 Feral Mermaids [240 G]
    Delta Town|#SB1|B-Ranked|Slay 1 Lesser Kraken [300 G]
    Delta Town|#GE3|E-Ranked|Fish 5 Speedy Tunas [80G | 1 x Speedy Tuna Fillet]
    Delta Town|#GC1|C-Ranked|Trap 3 Giant Crabs [140G | 1 x Crab Meat]


    Solo.

    @AliceShiki

    =PROLOGUE=

    It's been a while after the Night of Sacred Stars and the New Year's Eve. The past two weeks of the time made everything so busy until it finally could went down. The tension, excitements, hopes for every civilians participation in the festival are still left in Aeternus. It could be noticed that there is still leftovers of the events in every places within the city. Reminding everyone, festivities is one of the times when everything is should be all about the fun and works behind at the same time. Foods, beverages made according to the theme of the events. Time itself almost like stopped, or moving slower than its usual pace, letting everyone delve in joy. To sing, to laugh, to eat, to drink, to talk to each other, and get along well. Even for the people who couldn't went outside, they just could feel them, imagining the joy. The ringing bells from the high tower, laughing sound of people, stalls, and cheerful light in the night.

    It was fun.

    "Although time mercilessly moves forward." Crowen said in a flat tone. He sighed afterwards and let his body fall on the top of the table, letting the lethargy seeps in and makes him closes his eyelids.

    It was the truth.

    No matter what, regardless the facts, time universally moves forward. Merciless as its merciful. Although there was some people who could be playful about time, and some were actually could do something about it, time is absolute. Somebody could stop time for a moment. But regardless, time always move, not for the affected, but for others and vice versa. It was a matter of perspective.

    That's how time works.


    As a transition phase, several days was needed. The moving time was needed to make the mood downed. After all, everything must return to its place. People have to work, to earn a life, one of their own. The joy of the past seemed like an illusion, which everyone wanted to always hold dear. But the necessary things is the dullness of life itself, although inside the everyday life, there is joy, fun, and extraordinary things. Again, a matter of perspective.

    "Maybe now is the time to go for quests, huh? Some people already did, and somehow I felt that I was left behind." he said again. At the moment, he raised, stretched his body like a cat, or a dog in resemblance, moaning, spreading both hands in the air. Only for having a shiver afterwards.

    "Brrrrr....."

    What in the world......

    It was not the wind.

    "Not that soon I guess. Maybe.....a few cups of wine will help."

    He really need something to warm himself up. A wine in the belly might be something that he needed for the time. For the one with heavy eye, wine brought the energy, the energy they needed to wake up.

    Wine, in the first place are made from fermentation of staple food extract. Fruits, such as apples, dates, oranges, and of course grapes; barley, wheat, rice and else, could be made into wine. In the past, the definition of wine isn't exclusive into grape made wines, but also including every kind of wine aside grapes. It's a broad term. Hence, people did something about it. It's only recently that it was decided that wine term is exclusive for ferment processed alcoholic beverages made from grape. But in the other hand, there is also alcoholic-grade-beverages aside of wine. Alcoholic beverages isn't limited to wine.

    Putting it aside, how wine was made is some kind of mystery to people. Wine as is, for example, only as simple as putting (grape) juice inside a bottle, and store it for a certain time. The process is involving fermentation, which means literally left the juice (or desired object) to ferment. The sweetness will naturally turn into sourness and warmth with time. Almost everybody could do it. The only problem is the results.

    All is trial and error.

    Depends on the ingredient, as the quality, water proportions, species of the fruit; the fermenting process; and the storing age, wine flavors and quality could change.

    Wine and almost every kind of alcoholic beverages, almost like a weapon, are also branded with names with its maker, or a name of it's on. It's an honor. A name could be something like grandiose name like names of important person exactly to the titles, being, either divine, devilish, monsters, names of places, and so forth. A civilian, a prince, a duke, a king, even emperor, could be the examples. Hence, the names of the brand could be a mashup of those, such as Dom Perignee, Diamond, Bears, Soaring Eagle, Chateau, and The Absolute.

    Ironically, the first and almost all of best alcoholic beverages were invented by saints and monks, which at the first place was going to be used for religious purpose. And all the following variants are made by experiments.

    A famed quote which Dom, the person who created the sparkling wine, supposedly said, let all you come quickly here, for I am like drinking the stars. It was an expression that the wine water he had made by accident were clear, luminous and sparkling like stars, when he was actually experimenting with the wine to improve the control of the fermentation process for obvious reasons. And due to fact that this sentence was coined by a monk, a friar in addition, readers of any books concerning wine and wine making will immediately know that the wine that was used for religious purpose at the time weren't limited to red wine only. Only that the wine is only, and only made and sold at the place it was made (the monastery) and the vicinity of the place. This conditions also re-brought a common saying, that a priest (or a saint) and wine is (on any condition, indeed) a set.

    It was them in the first place who (re-)established the making of wine, and get drunk for it.


    Sipping the wine from the glass, the warmth flows through the throat.

    The Adventurer's Guild Tavern served beverages are always the best. Variations, quality, tastes, the places to drink it, meals, all perfect. It was as simple as that. For adventurer's what a better place to drink, if not at home? And which is home for the adventurers if not the Guild Tavern? A home where you an laugh all you want, cry all you want, complaint all you want about how hard your life turned, is a real home.

    But eventually, all birds must left its flock, leaving the nest, safety and comfort, for a while.

    To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven's sky:

    A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

    A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

    A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

    A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

    A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

    A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

    A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

    Adventurers.

    It's their job to do so.

    And everything above leading to this point of regular chain of events.


    After drinking almost 10 cups of wine, Crowen finally went to the Quest Board, picking up few quests before finally left the Guild Tavern.


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    -CHAPTER 1-

    The Delta Town is always the same, just like when he went here the year before. Due to the shore and desert climate, the air is always hot. But if not for the sea, all of the population would be roasted by the heat. The heat easily rising and suddenly dropped at night, just like in the desert. Rain is seldom, but crops could grow, and livestock, although not much as villages in the plain, could be raised. Everything is dry, but not the smiles and the hard will of its citizen in earning their own life.

    The origin of the Delta Town could be assumed as a simple community of people living ashore, just near the river ends, the countryside. The community continue to thrive and growing up. Commerce and religion support made the pillars who built the city to the present state, as the city began to placed itself along the trade routes.

    The surrounding of the city were walls of bricks for protection. Visitors and citizens alike come and go through gates in the walls. Inside, homes, businesses lined paved and unpaved streets. Colorful and self explaining planks are drawn, hung to mark the doorways of shops and businesses. The open squares hold places for public used building such as temple, administrative offices, guilds, and such.

    Moving to the residential area, the streets became narrow and narrower with little of daylight could pass through. Either squares and streets were crowded with people and animals, horses and carts. Garbage could be seen outside establishment as the system of wastes disposal isn't really well developed. The city gradually grows with the growth of agriculture and animal husbandry as well as trading and commerce. Farmers cleaned up lands and adopted better farming methods. Self-sufficient of staple food and other crops led to prosperity of the city.

    As a mercantile town, the Delta Town holds many potential as center of trade in Southern Region as one of the known Triads with the exception of Mermaid City, which holds technological advantage over many civilizations but couldn't be reached by normal means, and the Oasis Village and the Frontier Village, which obviously holding a vital production role in the whole region.

    The center of this trade system was the Delta Town. By years, artisans were producing a surplus of woolen cloth of such fine quality that it was in great demand. Furs, honey and forest products, fish, and raw wool were exchanged for luxury goods - silks, sugar, and spices.

    This marked the revival of trade.

    As the trade became trend, and became non-dispensable part of the city, order, and rules are needed. This bring the rise of the upper classes such as nobility as legitimized authority, providing charter, military troops as means of protection and safety, the administrative offices the put reins to the growth of the city; and then the artisan guilds, the commerce guilds who basically oversaw trade and productions in their respective areas, from stonemasons to cobblers.

    While nobility, with military and administrative offices provide order and authority, the guilds provided help, connections and protection for producers of goods or people who do certain types of work. Usually know for setting unified work rates, prices, rules or ethos of works, and high grade of standards, the guild deals with public. The guild emphasizes to its members the basics of professionalism, and by so became a secondary law institution by punishing whoever breaks the rules of the guild, before leaving them to the city authority. Aside from being neutral in trades, with exception of raking profits, the guild also obliged takes care of its members, for instance, taking care of the family of the member who are unable to work, or giving more money to members who have family. But it should be noted that becoming a member of the guild is no easy means. The way to become a member is either by through a long apprenticeship of a member, and presenting a masterpiece of work, or equivalent of hard works, or by paying a substantial amount of fees.


    The demographical image of the people are quite lose to the typical demography of mercantile nations. The is civilians which class is workers without specialty, which is the lowest due to their working power that lacks specialized skills, or labor force; the production specialized workers like artisans of literatures, arts like tapestry, paintings, seamstresses, jewel maker, woodcrafters, blacksmiths, peddlers, shipwrights, fisherman, and farmers; the theocrats, the priests, the monks, a religion affiliated class, which holds affinity with all other social classes; the bureaucrats or local government officials which handle local administrations; the bourgeoisie, a powerful, independent, and self-assured group, whose invest, whose interest in trade are for ideals are in and for commerce only, which means the class that holds the reins of trading aside the authorities and last; the nobility, the ruling class with legitimized authority which little explanation is needed as they are a self standing class that hold one of the pinnacle of the social class. They are often affiliated with military due to the facts that they indeed having authority over military.

    A plebian is somebody you can find almost everywhere as they're the majority and the working class. Making up the society with them as the core. The ruling class would call them as 'people'., or 'small people'

    The adventurers in this case could be affiliated with every social class as the adventurers are originally a member of one or more, even outside of those classes. The affiliation of people to the adventurers are unique, since it was depended on the origin of the clients and the social classes they belong. In simple, the contents of the job, or requests, they are given.

    Regarding of the job, or requests to be exact, it's always concerning public order, public comfort, and public safety.

    Regarding the adventurers, people also had their own opinion. Which could be summarized as one or two sentences, or words.

    The image of adventurers to other people are sometimes underestimated. A 'people with dreamless job', 'monster exterminators', 'expendable hands', even 'pests'.

    That is the vibe that they get, or at least summed by a glance.

    "Just left them be, young ones." the old driver said to him, as he pull the reins of the donkey. "Their opinions are stupid, self-interest, and honeyed."
    "Even so, I couldn't understand why," Crowen shrugged, laid himself above the cloth at the wagon's back, near barrels full of fish. "or how." he finished.
    The driver sighed, and said, "They're just bastards who don't know how to say thank you.", to him. "Nobody saying thank you at there"
    "Huh? Are people saying thank you these days are so rare, old man?" Crowen questioned back. He couldn't understand.
    The old driver turned to him. "Not in literal meaning but as in really saying thank you." he said. "It's just a word now."
    "A lip service, huh?"
    "You could say so." the driver answered, as he facing front again.


    Even so, that is just way to terrible....


    Just as he said, it's just terrible.


    Adventurers often hired to do simple tasks which nobody wanted to do, or couldn't be done by anyone. They are often thought as a helping hand which always available for hire. Terminating pests, gathering materials, helping for anything. A 'hire-hand for a price', 'good for nothing money eaters', 'hypocrites', and many other call-names. Even when there is a time, when people truly needed help, some of the people shunned them for ruining other people's advantages during a crisis. Even though they're the one who were saved. They called adventurers a 'meddle', and 'people with dreamless job'.

    'Dreamless job' is a term that should infuriates adventurers wrath.

    It is truly beyond mocking to call them so.


    But regardless of people's opinion, the adventurers just laughed at it, and never minds about it.

    Anger won't breed nothing good.

    "So they said." the driver said.
    "Being angry is definitely won't do any good." Crowen added. "By the way, old man, how far is the port? Is it still far?"
    "Oh...we're almost halfway."
    "Hey, old man."
    "What? You noticed, huh?" the old man grinned.


    Just as the wagon traverse the town streets, the sun also rises, shone upon the dried glade that should've looked green.

    ---------------------------------------------

    -CHAPTER 2-

    Inside the merchant guild. Two person are currently having a dialogue. An ill one with a cold one.

    "Huh, cheeky bastard." the plump man who sat in the chair said, displeased and irritated. "It's always the adventurers. Who is that kid exactly?" he further added althoug the complaint will do him nothing good. Sitting on the wooden chair, the man open the glass decanter and poured the wine on the glass for himself, although the decanter, and all of the objects here are not his. He drink the wine in one gulp before pouring another. At his back were four guards, armed with swords and spears, not letting a word off their mouth.
    "Who knows." a certain young man take the decanter and poured the wine for himself too. He is a merchant. A woman who looked like his attendant stand beside him.
    "Unfortunately, we do not know anything about that man." the woman in spectacles politely said as she fixed its position. The women are fair beauty with short hair. She wore a uniform that signifies that she is a staff of the merchant guild. A white shirt and vest, with the merchant guild sigil sewn around breast. But behind her vest are hidden weapons that could be drawn instantly in any condition.
    But hearing her explanation, the man who sat in the chair letting out his disappointment. "What a useless woman." he said in the end.
    "Could I take that as a mockery toward our sides? If you wanted a fight I am willing to, but, it's a sin to spill this fine wine." the young merchant said as he enjoyed the sweet fruity scent of the wine. "Would you try us?"
    "Guh......" the plump man stood and gritted his teeth before pounded the wooden table, scattered the treats and everything placed atop the table. "Fine! But don't think that you'll have everything your way!! We're leaving!" he shouted before finally left the room, leaving the young merchant and his attendant.

    The young merchant sighed before finally sitting behind his desk, pouring the wine again in the empty glass, while his attendant cleaned the mess.

    "How barbarous." the woman said.
    "Yes, he was." the young merchant replied. "But still, we need to deal with those kind of people. Whoever they are, they are still customers, and business partners. But, personally, I too, don't like his attitudes."
    "As you said, master." she replied instantly, and bowed her head, staring at the floor with cold eyes. "And perhaps, in our next meeting, may I severe his head?"
    "I permit it." he said casually without a single hint of remorse, and took a sip from his cup. "Hey. Do you notice that some of our silverware have been missing since we have to deal with him?" the young merchant asked in sudden, leaving the woman surprised.
    "That's.....No. Understood."
    "You know that I never thought you noticed." he laughed a bit. "But you know well that I am merciless to any kind of thievery, didn't you?" he grinned.
    "Yes, master." she replied. It was then when a soft step was hear beyond the door, and after that, three knocking on the door was heard.

    Both of them wondered who is the one knocking.

    "Louise, are you still there?" a young man voice called.
    Knowing the voice, the young merchant sighed. "Gilbert isn't it? Get in." the young merchant replied, letting the man, another young merchant in, poured a glass of wine for him. "Sit. What do you have for me, my good friend?" he changed his expression and asked politely as he saw that his friend in front of him isn't happy.
    "Well, well, isn't it teacher?" the woman said to Gilbert, bowing her head.
    "Hello, Lilianne." Gilbert greeted her back before turning to Louise. "Uh...Louise, we had appointment after this and meeting with the Council at evening....and you still not preparing....." Gilbert said to him while smiling, hiding his disappointment.
    "Uh...." changing his line of sight, Louise didn't know what to say.
    "Do you know what kind of things that I, Galwerth and Clarence have to do?" Gilbert asked in same expression, again.
    "Come on. It's not of that big----"

    But a flying knife that in a split second stuck firmly in the wall is a good reason to admit your mistakes.

    "I'm sorry! Okay, I'll go!" he give up, apologizing. "Although you said you're retired, you still got the touch. Geez."
    "I'm glad you understand."

    Both of them finally relaxed. Lilianne stood between them.

    "So... what do you know about that adventurer?" Louise asked.
    "A C-ranked adventurer. A normal one. At least he's not from the top rooster. Or he simply didn't wanted to rise in ranks, I'm not sure. But he's certainly not a simple nobody. Everyone, anyone had their own story. Just like us." Gilbert explained in one go. "He's an expert in marksmanship for sure."
    "Only with a simple wooden bow?" Louise asked again. He became interested. "But looking could deceive."
    "There is that too." Gilbert sighed. "And we had our own problems."
    "Teacher, is there any changes regarding the power balance within the Council?" Lilianne urged.
    "Yeah. Not in the High Table at least, but we're reaching stalemate here. We have to reach status quo, or...."
    "War, huh?" Louise finished the sentence. "I hoped that our guest doesn't met some kind of accident on the way." he added. "For the last thing we hoped to happen is the intervention of outsider. And if people know by what kind of idiocy they were ruled with, they would revolt." he explained in solemn expression.

    The air became heavy.

    It was unknown to most of the people that there were dark clouds looming over the city, the storms of war, and amidst, sacrifices that have to be made.

    It was all began when the sea monsters infestations began to disturb the trade routes. It often happens, but.....

    A quo status of commerce is possible due to equal distribution of goods, either its consumption or trade.

    What would happen if the equality of goods distribution, the balance were tipped off?

    "A shift of balance....."

    A surplus that came along with scarcity.

    "At first, it would be the luxury items.....craft....and last....the daily necessities....."

    Along with the high demand, the goods must be distributed according to the needs. But at the same time the means to procure the goods, either by self producing, or by trade, must also keep up.

    But the problem is, there is no possible way to do it. Because if there is the way, the city would be a fully self-sustaining one, without need to rely to imports. And by economical law,

    the price of goods in reality must met the frequency of demands, in causality to the scarcity of the goods.


    Inflation.


    A rising in price.

    Slow in the beginning, but uncontrollable in the end.

    "The signs already occurred..."

    What will happen when you hold the same amount of money for almost a lifetime, but by passing years what you could actually bought became just few and fewer?

    It will come to a point that reached where you couldn't buy anything anymore.

    Even food.

    And without food, people will starve.

    And die.


    And if there is no buyers, why people would make something?

    Craftsmen, artisans, even farmers will stop doing their job, fro they have to make something to eat.


    But what if they can't do that?



    For some people, it will be the worst nightmare. But for some other people, who didn't care, it will be seen as golden opportunity to make profits, and emphasize your power.

    And as by such short lived thoughts, and foolishness, they've failed to foreseen the obvious results.

    But since they simply don't care, they'll just run away.

    But their gold wouldn't save them.

    "And there, but there is, there will be chaos....."

    A beginning of war that have no form.

    Which results.....are so devastating.

    "Lilianne...." Gilbert called. "Please see that our guest safety is assured. The eagles will try to prey."
    "Yessir." she bowed, and left the room.
    "Just be careful." he warned.
    "Yes, Teacher." she bowed again.
    "Let's just hope that the elders don't fail to keep their role in this ugly play."
    "And do you realize, Louise, that bastard stole one of our cups again?"
    "Seriously?"

    ---------------------------------

    -CHAPTER 3-

    The wagon stopped in a dark alley.

    The old driver pulled the reins with a soft nag, grinning.

    "I now that you bastards have been following us since we're out of the merchant guild. Come out! Show yourself, cowards!!" he declared to the visages in the dark shadow.

    Ten people dressed as slaves, and civilians confront them. Armed with weapons, from scimitar to dagger. Ten more approached, surrounding them.

    Crowen stands back-on-back with the old driver, his hand is grabbing the knife, while the old driver hand is grabbing a wooden staff.

    "This kind of problem should only be dealt by locals, my apologies." the old driver apologized in advance.
    "It's okay."
    "Young boy, mind if I call for help?"
    "The sooner this ends the better, don't you think?"
    "t's just, because I think I'm too old for this." said the old driver as he put his finger in his mouth, between his teeth.


    A long weak whistle.

    There is no true safe place. Even in a city like this, you would never know who is behind your back, watching, waiting.

    Never, a place, is always pleasant.


    A silence before the bloodshed.

    "Come!" the old driver shouted.

    And nobody said anything afterwards.


    The men from the front attacked first, jumped in the air. Not saying anything the first of them gave a direct slash that easily chipped the driver box, and followed by the other two which also missed to land their attacks. But the old driver simply hold his quarterstaff and swung it, rendering the two with a one whip and the third with a thrust to the gut.

    Not standing idle two men come to avenge their fallen comrades, and the rest standing in distance, blocking the way. The old driver switched his hands and almost knocked them out if not been grazed by flying arrows.

    Meanwhile in the front, Crowen have dealt blow to six of the thugs. Three throwing knives stuck deep in their nape. The three choked on blood, struggled in the ground to breathe air. It gave him the time to shot three others in the back before the rest of the thugs confront him.

    The first one slashed horizontally while two backed him with the dagger which almost ripped his clothes. And the last one tried to chop him, just after he backed from the two.

    He was cornered by their restlessness.

    And the old driver too, is almost at his limit.

    Fortunately, the scimitar stuck in the wood, gave him openings. Crowen kicked the thug to the side. He fell into the ground with a snap. The rest of the thugs continue their attacks, but Crowen who gains the momentum stabbed two of them with his knife, and finished the last with his own weapon and quickly prepares for another shot, aiming at the rest of the thugs and finished them all.

    But before he could finished the thugs in the far, they already tumbled down by arrows.

    "Don't worry. It's over." the driver said, putting again his round leather cap.

    Not long, people came out from the houses, from the dark places in the ally. They carried weapons as they approached them, cleaning up the blood and corpses along with their weapons and clothes.

    "Worry not. They're with me." the driver said again to him.

    The old driver called one of the people, and nod at him. The man replies with a nod too. And after that, the old driver just simply sit, and nag the reins again. And so the horses moved.

    "I assume you wanted explanations....." the old driver presumed. "But I think we should wait for evening first. You don't mind right?"


    ------------------------------------------------

    -CHAPTER 4-

    -CHAPTER 4-

    The night comes followed by full moon. It was in the late evening when lights of the city fades and tuned into thousands of man-made light, which when looked from above shine like stars above. The street became quiet with people only pass the main streets. They are afraid that they might be in danger if they pass the dark ally or small passageways. Cases oft happen and no one knows what or who might lurk in the dark. Only the main streets and the docks that never sleeps. The working hour of a fishmonger naturally in in the night. It is an advantage with moon shining everything on the sea. They hauled fish from either deep and shallow waters. Not only fish but also crabs, clams, and calamari. They swore that they won't go home with their boats and tanks empty.

    But this night, only few dares to traverse the sea.

    Because just like the dark ally in the city, no one knows what might lurk below the waterline, either in deep or shallow waters.

    A terror in the sea haunts every man who spreads the sails.


    In a house, a pub, in the shoreline, all man gathers. A two story house with an open roof for drying process. Smell of fishes, and salt air sea breathes through the door and it changes into sweet-sour smell of boozes such as rum. The barkeeper still served few customers. Irony, when the bar is always full, but only few man came in this past two weeks. He tried to smile as he thought it was still way better to have customers.

    He knew that his problem, as well his customers problems, will eventually end.


    Six man sit on a table. It was the old driver, and his men from the afternoon, and Crowen. Their discussion is a dark one.

    "Once more, sorry for the inconvenience in the evening." the old driver, Alphonse, apologized and bowed his head. The wrinkled face shows that he was truly means it. He raised his head and chugged the ale bottom's up. "Now I will explain everything from the start."

    Alphonse began to tell Crowen the story behind this city.


    All began more or less three weeks ago.

    "Monsters infestation is always a predictable happenings." Alphonse paused for a while. "And so we did think for this time, but..... we're so wrong. Three weeks ago, a merchant ship was attacked by a lesser kraken. Lesser kraken they say. 'At best the size was a third of a ship', my ass! The lord sent two subjugation vessels, mercenaries, to exterminate the wretched beast, but never returned. One happenings, in a misfortune, while four is....catastrophe. One survivor lost his leg, told that the monster was the size, at least twice of a galley before he died. All over the bodies were bite marks. He was bitten by sea snake. He died either by blood loss, or by poison, or by the pain. " Alphonse panted. He chugged a third of his glass before continuing. "No vessels dared to sail offshore or dared to come without heavy escort. There were stories of fishermen gone missing too. Small vessels assaulted by sea monsters. Men, lured my feral mermaids and ships, assaulted by sharks. Offshore, days after, we found pieces of bodies, crushed bones, tattered clothes with blood stains. The lords dared not to send another subjugation force. 'It will pass', they say. Since then, almost no one dared to sail. And...and....." Alphonse stopped.

    His face is somewhat troubled. And he isn't conscious that he repeated that the word 'and' just repeated by his mouth, and tears fell off from his eyes.

    One man who sat behind him gave the poor Alphonse a glass of ale. He pat his shoulder and turned to Crowen.

    "Please help us." the man and his other companions said with sad expression. Their eyes were begging, despaired yet hoping.

    Crowen couldn't say no.

    He didn't needed to hear the rest of the story as it was the same as prying deeper to other's pasts.

    "We the fisherman, suffered loss everyday as we couldn't, dare, to fish in deeper part of the sea. Prices of fish is raising, followed by other goods as no one will procure the goods. And suddenly all merchants sell less goods. With few still open, the price skyrocketed. A rumor said that some of the merchants had predicted this, and decided to keep the goods, and raking the profits for themselves, and so they sold everything with the price skyrocketed. They were backed by corrupt nobilities. Those pigs! Although some of the fishermen, and craftsmen complained through many firms, no real answers came. We tried to do something about it. But.......Then, we remembered the adventurers. So....we...we thank you...Thank---"
    "Shh!!!"

    The man sentence was cut by one of the man. Creaking sounds and footsteps could be heard outside the wooden wall. Something is passing the outside wall, blocking the lights entering the gaps of the wood.

    "Check outside." the man told the others as they came by the door.

    But outside, there was nothing.

    The presence of the people he felt from inside the building just gone. He knows that something, or someone is, or was, here, watching them, listening to the conversation. And something wrong has happened in instant time when he noticed their presence.

    The night wind is eerie. The silence is....dark.

    He could only stared at the darkness of the ally.

    As if that something is there.


    His feelings told him to not go there and turn his back.


    Returning to the inside of the bar, the man didn't noticed the cloaked figure who had watched them.

    The cloaked figure grinned before retuning to the dark ally.

    But the man knew that they're never really been alone.

    "We're not safe here." he said, rushing himself to get inside the building. He nodded at the bartender, and by so the two of them locked the doors. His eyes now was ever watchful to the surroundings.
    "We should hurry." the other man urged. "Alphonse old man, when can you sail one of your ships?"
    "With the tide." he solemnly said. "With the tide." he said again. "We should hurry."
    "Yes." the man replied. "Two of you. Stay here with him. We go first. We'll see you later."

    All of them went out of the house through a secret passage to the ship docks. Their destination is one of the tied ships. The sleeping crews are awoken by the soft knocks. Twenty five good men, volunteered themselves. They knew that their sleep that night would be the last. They're man with straight backs. They're man who would do anything to stop the sufferings of whom they loved.

    "Captain." of the crew grabbed his hands, greeted him.
    "Prepares yourself, boys." Alphonse said to them. "Prepare yourself."

    This ship.....It's definitely not a fishing ship.

    Crowen thought so as the big galley passed the shallow waters. Since the man with him introduced themselves as 'fisherman', he thought that they're just simple fisherman. Being modest, he had thought that they would likely go in a slightly bigger fishing ship with few men aboard the ship, fighting the monsters with harpoons and arrows, driving them under the moonlight with torchlight.

    But what he had seen, this ship, is betraying his expectation.

    "Fisherman, huh?" he pondered.

    A three-masted ship of war, the Belfast was originally a ship that will just fit to be the pride of royal navy. A large, multi-decked vessel built for battle, not fishing. If there was a purpose for this ship, she was perfect for hunting pirates on the Mar, or destroying ships of hostile.

    The ship's wheel was located on the quarterdeck, on a platform slightly taller than the rest of the deck, that also extended all the way behind the mizzen mast to the entrance into the captain's quarters and the poop deck above. The gangways, located directly above the guns on the main deck, connected the quarterdeck to the forecastle. The ship's figurehead, located beneath the bowsprit, showed a woman holding a spear, no, a rolled flag and sword. The figurehead earned the nickname, the Maiden, or the Blessed Virgin of War which is coined by the local priest who (re)christened the ship when she kissed the waterline for the first time. The name stick as second name for the ship which is more popular, and recognized among the seamen. Additionally, she also had a spritsail topmast at the end of the bowsprit.

    The rigging of the Belfast had three masts: the fore, main and mizzen. The foremast was rigged with a fore course, a fore topsail, and a fore topgallant sail, the mainmast with a main course, a main topsail, and a main topgallant sail, and the mizzenmast with a mizzen course, a mizzen topsail, and a mizzen topgallant sail. Fore with the fore, mizzen with itself, and the main follows. There was also a spritsail on the bowsprit. The main course originally designed to be decorated with coat of arms, or emblem of monarchy of the time, which made the ship's nationality easily recognizable on the high seas. The greater coat of arms could be prominently displayed on the back of the ship, right above the captain's cabin. The quarter galleries also could be adorned with two towers. If the ship did, this will be giving the ship's stern the appearance of an old castle. All was in place.

    Originally, before remodeled for trading, the Belfast main armament consisted of more or less seventy-ish 36-pound cannons, thirty on the gun deck, twenty on the middle deck and twenty on the main deck. She also carried four 36-pound canon on the quarterdeck and four 36-pound cannon on the forecastle. She also had four backward positioned cannons located beneath the captain's cabin. Four guns were mounted inside the two tower structures at the forecastle, two in each tower. Eight more guns were mounted inside the four towers on the quarter galleries at the back of the ship. During the rebuilding, approximately almost a dozen cannons displaced off the ship, mostly from the quarterdeck and the lowest gun deck. However, even with her firepower reduced, the Belfast, or now, known as the Dame was still more than a match for every armed vessel, military, mercantile, or even pirate ship on the high seas.


    Unusually for ships of her size, and payload, the Belfast was very fast. She easily caught up with the less loaded Dove. A famous story, when she followed her reaching the coast, despite the Dove head start. Or even able to outrun, and obliterate, a pirate six ships armada right after jumping out of a storm. Even when her sail was tattered and her mast broken; when she was fully loaded either with cargo or arms, the Belfast remained one of the fastest ships on the high seas.

    Anyone who stands in her way stands for ruin.

    "Uh... do you have permit to leave the harbor using this ship?" Crowen asked to the old driver, ex-captain Alhonse whose hands now at the helm.
    "This ship's mine and mine alone. Those pigs can eat shit!" he spat, cursed.

    Surely they didn't.

    But his acts were righteous.


    A dilemma comes to him as he thought of this quest.

    Adventurers are always in a delicate position in society, and could place themselves accordingly, but in relatively flexible manners. As he thought of this thing, it became more complex than it seems.

    A right person in a right place.

    Orders to follow.

    But what should he do is the question.


    Just today his coming were welcomed by almost two dozen men who clearly expecting him dead. He was seen as threat, and people who officially put the request wanted him to wash his hands out of this.

    But these people begged.

    And because of them, he could see the truth.

    The adventurers could be just feign ignorance, taking the warnings and walk away. A cunning one will take the sugars. A naïve one would walk away by the sweet words, scared.

    Adventurers everyday were tested by such things.


    What he wanted is just helping the people.

    They suffered. They are in pain.

    Hence, they're the one who needed help.

    It's forgotten by people why such jobs exist in the first place.


    Adventurers.

    All they had wanted is to create a home.

    A home for themselves, linked by connections, to the people outside. A world where everybody can smile.

    Of course there will be times when it will be sad, and painful. But as it's necessary in life, it's also a part of them which is why they have to deal with it, withstood it.

    Why the roundabout methods, why the customs, and why the happenings? It's just supposed to be simple give-and take.

    So why?


    Looking at the full moon in its brilliant luster, Crowen smiled. Looking down, he gazed upon the still water, reflection of the stars were painted still, with no waves but ripples.

    "Boy.....ready yourself." Alphonse warned him. "I'll wake the others."
    "Yeah." he replied, seeing the dark clouds ahead.

    The rampaging sea greet the Belfast with its might. The oscillating high waves rushed to ship's front, divided into two smaller after-waves and lose their power, splashing water to the upper deck.

    "Hang on, boys!" Alphonse shouted to the crew, strengthening their spirit. "Hold your wind! Hold fast!" he told the mast crew. "Don't forget to keep the powder dry!!"
    "Aye, sir!!" the man answered the order. Three of the deck-crew rushed to the low deck, and shut out all the cannon hatches.

    Keeping company the old captain, Crowen was amazed by their determination. Just before the sky turned its wrath, Alphonse told him, "If not us, who will? Should we let them suffer? What about them, who went over the edge, to the Fiddler's Green should they stay young?"

    The sea is so mysterious.

    The sea represents power, calmness, rage, serenity, and the beginning of life

    The seaman live in their boats. They are the ones who could read the unseen map above, and stare into the horizon after. The boat were their life, the waves are their blood, and power with strength at their backs and tail winds on the sails.

    The sea man may have seen what we could not. As we're usually don't pay attention to it. Legends, phenomenon, even amalgamation of it. There were forces at the sea.

    The famous of the famous were of course the tale of the Sovereign of the Sea, Leviathan. A sea creature of absolute power, and dominion of the sea. No one knows its true appearance since there is many legends and folklores connected with the name Leviathan, only the most common known appearances is that of a dragon or sea serpent. Leviathan itself, in original scriptures of the Faith of Light inscribed as 'power of the wicked' while many religions depicted that Leviathan as one of the primordial dragons from the abyss who have fought with the gods and ultimately lost, or in some cases their descendant, cast into the sea, presently recovering its powers and will mark the end of the world and fights the gods once again for revenge. Due to many sources of literature, reliefs and verbal, Leviathan often assimilated with many other names, each is more ancient than the other. Lotan, Tiamat, and Jormungandr, is only few of the ancient names known. While Leviathan was considered as is, boat, or to be precisely, an ark, is considered a symbol of salvation.

    The other is Charybdis, and Scylla, as the same as Leviathan, they are bore from the deities, although they are less powerful than Leviathan and didn't share the same origin of lore. The Kraken is just the same, only the difference between these three and Leviathan are that of its origin and power. While it is known that the tale of Leviathan is originated from primordial times, which is succeeded by Charybdis, Scylla and other lesser mythological creatures, and finally the more recently added, the Kraken, which is clearly described as a humongous, monstrous, cephalopod by multiple sightings and not by derivation of mythos or apocrypha.

    A funny fact about squids and octopuses that he remembered.

    An octopus, or a squid, after mating, just like a grasshopper, the male will likely died shortly after. But unfortunately, the female will go berserk in searching food, and became highly aggressive to protect its territory and self-protection.

    More recent legends is also explaining apparitions of the spirits who died in the sea. Apparitions in many forms has been told orally as a folklore. Ghost ships, spirits of the dead floating in the ocean, and signs is often connected to the passing of the souls to the afterlife. But some often are the forms of evil, appearing and bring harm to the living. And signs is often looked upon, carefully by seamen, as they could bring advice, either in good or bad times.

    Just like what Crowen had seen with his own eyes.


    Just when the lightning struck the ocean, three masts of the Belfast suddenly set ablaze by blue flames, as if they were bathed in flame but not burnt. The tip of every sails, the top of the masts, sparked in luminous blue light.

    Everything is in flames, — the sky with lightning, — the water with luminous particles, and even the very masts are pointed with a blue flame.

    The joy appeared in the crews faces when they saw the light.

    "Praise the Lord!!!!"
    "Blimey!"

    The light was called the Sacred Flame. The blue color which is the same as the fire from angels fiery sword. A divine guidance, and sign of salvation they say, that God is protecting them, as they are watching the fire at the top of the three main masts carefully. A simple notion.

    "If the fire stay still and went down, you should pass the storm. But if its rising high, or fickle gently, it is telling you about the fair weather." Alphonse told him s he was a bit short on rum.
    "But are you fine? Do you really have to be drunk to steer a ship?" Crowen asked.
    "Uh.....no?"

    Just as the ship turn its helm to pass through the waves, it appeared.

    A monster from the depths. Known as the ravager of the coast cities, the bane of the sailors and ships. It was almost invisible due to its ability to change its skin colors at will. It swims closer to the Belfast although she was sailing almost in full speed due to the tailwind. The menacing tentacles was for all to see, and the eyes were staring at the Belfast.

    "Old man." the first-mate said to Alphonse.

    To arms.

    It is their fate.

    And so the battle begins.

    "To arms." he said, stuttering. Gathering his all, he turned to the main deck, to the crews, shouting "Everyone, to arms!!!!!".

    "Shit!", the plump man ponded the wooden table hard. The decanter on the table almost fell off, spilt its content if had not been swiftly grabbed by the maid at the table side.

    Infuriated. Pissed. Irritated.

    "That young brat! Who does he think he is??!?!! He, he, of all people dared to act like that in front of me! I, Waldo, the greatest merchant Waldo, have never felt humiliation like that!!" the plump merchant, Waldo, one again ponded the wooden table while his face is red as flame. He continued, "What's so great about that little company! It was merely built few years ago!! By assets, connections, assumed wealth, my company is far greater than his!", he paused.

    It is true of what he said. The current gap between Waldo Company and Crescent Trading Guild is far. In matter of wealth the current assets of Waldo Company could simply top any other trading guild and company. The assets of Waldo Company consists of five fleet of trading ships, blocks of storehouses and stores by the Delta City alone. By connections almost a fifth of the business and productions in the Delta City was his. As he owned few prominent establishment in the city, his name is widely known by any merchant and authority in the city.

    By those amassed wealth came arrogance. Waldo often act as he please. Creating a disrupt in the trading as he wished, monopolized the commodities he largely owned in the market, abolished many small company and guilds by putting embargo, bribing the authority, assassinating his rivals, sabotaging too. This man is the very incarnation of greed, arrogance, and envy.

    He is truly beyond saving.

    But.....

    It was known that Crescent Trading Guild is holding more influence in the city, even more than Waldo Company.

    "Damn! Damn! Damn! Only a mere trading company built few years ago....."

    Crescent Trading Company.

    Formally registered under the name of Crescent Moon Association of Private Trading and Logistic Company, the company was commonly known by name of Crescent Trading Company. Since the word company ring just as the same as guild, the people just refer it by Crescent Trading Guild, or Crescent Moon.

    Just by the name and the form of the company itself, it was much different from Waldo Company and other company, or guilds. By the definition, guild and company may had the same definition as a single organization with many sub-organization under it. But there was a difference between the two, which was; A guild is owned by no one as it was built under selflessness and neutrality, hence opened to people, while a company is a single private community, built by self interest and purpose, mainly for raking profits.

    A public, with a closed one.

    But even among the closed one, there is a more closed type of company; A private company.

    A company that was deliberately made no moves to brings up its name, closing itself from meddlesome cumber.

    A guild, and company, make profits from zero. Money was gifted to them by the authority as they are needed for basic operations, which always a plus-minus zero in sum when accounted in end-year register book.

    The real profits came from the activity.

    Trading are activity of handing each perspective party, an object, goods, commodities, or a service, even a favor and rights. A profit is made by margins made by each and every one of transactions.

    A public, authorized trading guilds are making profits by being selfless. A guild is obliged to push the margin as minimum as possible, as guilds are supposed, or obliged to do so. A guild is built under strict laws.

    But still, a minimum margin, timed by the frequency of transactions equals decent profits. Everything is equally summed. Profits are distributed among who deserved his share, while the left is for the guild itself, making the actual profit to a capital, which could be turned into liquid or immovable assets.

    Profit could also be made by running public money in other transaction. By reputation, the guild also act as money lenders and bankers. They accept public money and at the same time lend them, but of course with minimal margins of profit, but never large share of investments.

    That is very different with a company, even more a private one, for a company could maximize their profit by widening the margins they would made by each and every transaction. Since they are independent, a normal company and a private company tends to accept investments in exchange of partial ownership of the company from outside party, and pretty much could do anything that a guild can do but better, since a company almost never lacked in funding and methods in order to procure needed goods in order to make profits, putting them toe to toe with guilds. That is the main reason a company always hold advantage over a guild.

    But since a private company is a closed type of company, what differ them from a normal company is that they never accept any kind of investment in exchange of partial ownership of the company itself. Instead, they are a self-maintained, and self-funding company.

    Business for guilds and companies is a formality. But the real competition is to absorb another firm to its own shade, building a monopolized market, and ultimately controlling the economy.

    By this conditions and assumptions alone, it could be summed that a public company is more advantageous than private one. But of course there is always reasons behind it.

    Usually, a private company is managed by a family, or a clan, or a group of people in the same field of business with a single purpose. But usually it's not for profit only.

    That is the true identity of Crescent Trading Company.

    A mysterious company which emerged from nothing in just three years.

    Holding many influences toward the authority, the nobility, company, and guilds without showing its commerce power.

    "Louise of Crescent Trading Company! Do you think you have fooled this great Waldo? You have mistaken!!", he grinned. "Hubert!!!"
    "Yes?"

    A cold voice. Emotionless, and lacks of passion voice, answered the call.

    "Find out what is they hiding from me!" he ordered.
    "By your will." the voice answered. By the answer, suddenly, the presence of someone presently standing behind the door is gone. There were no footsteps, nor any other sounds. Just as in a sudden, there was nothing.

    With a bit of relief on his face, the plump merchant showed a wicked smile.

    "I'll make you suffer." he muttered. "Just see. I'll definitely make you suffer. Guards!! We're leaving!"

    The raging sea never quells its anger. The Belfast riding through the high waves, stood the violent winds, and the menacing threat behind.

    "Oh, Lord, bestow us your protection!" said the first-mate Matthew.

    What he saw is the incarnation of cruelty of the sea itself.

    The Lesser Kraken.

    "If the long tentacles managed to scratch the keel, we're goners!!! Hard to the portside!!! Hahahahaha!!!!!" The laughing old captain Alphonse, still drunk, steered the ship's helm hard to the portside, tilting the ship, almost made the Belfast kissing the waterline. The rotating ship turned sharp to the left, placing the Lesser Kraken, which in the first place were on their tail, to the portside. "Do your job, son!" he turned to Crowen, "We'll help all we could! Open fire!!!!"
    "Open fire!!!!!!" the first-mate Matthew ordered the gun-crews. The crews on the deck, and a hundred more below at the same time moved their hands with the fire-stick, lit the gunpowder. A split second after, almost seventy cannons spewed its load directly to the Lesser Kraken.

    The thundering consecutive salvo of ship's cannons striking through the storm. Some led astray by the strong wind, some was hit by the waves and lost into the deep sea. Only some hits its marks.

    But alas, only some of them that actually did damage to the Lesser Kraken.

    "You gotta be kidding right?" one of the crew said in disbelieve. "The cannonballs are just not effective. There is no fucking damage!!"
    "Ooh....so....is it futile after all? Fuck it. Fuck it all!!!!"

    The Kraken, and the Lesser Kraken were known as the bane of the ships and sailors for nothing.

    Some of the people who had escaped the menace often said that resist is futile.

    But of course, there is---no, was hope.

    No.


    There is definitely hope.

    "Don't lose hope!"
    "Don't be a wuss!! If it's that easy, we'll be able to deal with this calamari by ourselves!!! Quit your yaps and keep firing!! Or I'll shove this stick up your ass!!!!"

    It was the quartermasters Jim and Larry.

    While Jim is a lenient one, Larry is surely more 'diverse' with his words. And Larry already lost one of his eyes. But at least both of them still able to keep the moral of the crew.

    The Belfast is obviously a good ship. But the Lesser Kraken are able to swoop over a coast with no struggle.

    Kraken is basically a cephalopod. A squid.

    For a seamen, who lived most of his life in the sea, it's not hard to imagine what a calamari is.

    The only thing that was hard, is to input the size of the Lesser Kraken itself.


    A squid is a cone shaped, soft bodied sea creature. Breathing through gills, and had multiple, at least three, hearts. It used tentacle like legs and arms to travels through places, and eats foods.

    But it's not like the calamari are defenseless.

    The cone of the calamari are thick enough to absorb impact. Even though weak to sharp objects, the mantle protecting the cone made people harder to skillfully slice the cone. Their eyesight is better than humans, and other races. Imagining the Kraken, and a calamari is same, which is true, they are breathing through a special round canal below the mantle, which is embedded by soft shell and protecting the organs.

    Rushing to Alphonse side, Matthew asked, "What should we do, Captain? Should we keep firing?"
    Pondering for a while, the old captain Alphonse could only nod. "Umu. That thing won't stop at anything here, shooting out everything will make the ship lighter. We're now on the run."

    That's the fact.

    "If we're fighting a fish most people would try to attack the gills, which is near their heart. The cannonballs can't pierce through that monster mantle. If so, aim for the lower body, at least it will hinder its movements!! Hurry!!"
    "Yessir!!!!" Matthew answered in reply.
    "Bring also the harpoons!! Bring also the guns!!" Alphonse added.
    "Yess----What the?!"

    All in a sudden, a strand of bluish light passed the distance, and struck the Lesser Kraken through one of its arms.

    The bluish light was thunder. And soon after, electricity enwraps the Lesser Kraken body while the creature screeching in pain. Addition to the damage, a thunder from above struck. The second damage prolonged the Lesser Kraken agony.

    "Good heavens." Alphonse muttered. He couldn't believe what he had seen. A hope that something could be done. But he knew one thing for sure. "Good job, lad!"

    It was Crowen, standing like a sparrow in the back of the helm with his bow.

    As if like looking at a big person, the whole crew on the deck was mesmerized by his visage. The thundering sea, unfortunately became a perfect background, for a gallant man, which his heart couldn't be wavered, even in the most perilous time.

    All was in silence.

    And all of a sudden, all of them letting out their battle cry.

    The cry of the ship crews are loud. Louder than the crashing waves and the howling winds.

    "Uh... Thanks. Haha~" Crowen said in reply.

    He didn't know what to do with this guys.


    According to the Bestiary, which record was kept inside the Guild Library, there are several tactics that could be devised in a fight against the Lesser Kraken.

    From basics through basics.


    What makes monster a monster?

    A question with many answers, but fell under a single category.


    Simply put, they are not normal.


    An animal, a plant, a lifeform, organic or non-organic, could be categorized as a monster if they are exempted from the normal perceptions of other living beings. Basically, they are extraordinaire beings.

    A simple analogy to explain this occurrence is like answering a question such as 'why there is a need to?'.

    It just it is.

    The other reason, which is more plausible to the most of the people is, because they bring harm to others.

    Excerpt from the Bestiary from Library of Aeternus:

    Kraken, Kraken; Lesser


    The Lesser Kraken is the same as any other squid, only their size. They are the same as other sea creatures as they are known to be weak if they got out of the sea, which when they are the most vulnerable, to fire and lightning.

    The Bestiary excerpt also recommending to block the circulatory-respiration system of the Lesser Kraken. But unfortunately, this information is not helping much.

    Due to the people ignorance, for the world, and its inhabitants, not much could be known except the general information for everything, including monsters.

    It is generally known that most of the sea creatures breathe through the water using sets of organs, which formed like a set of brush, called gill.

    -----------A common knowledge that it is gill, that had allowed fish, and all water creatures to breathe inside water, just like we breathe air.

    But it is not known to people that gill worked only to extract the essence of the air, that was dissolved in water in order to be spread to every single cell in the body through a transport system, which is the blood stream. It is not known that gill, could extract the essence of the air from the air itself, albeit for temporary.

    This is the very reason why every water creature seemingly couldn't breathe, and suffocate out of the water. It is not due to that they can't breathe out of the water, but the gills could only temporarily perform its duty out of the water. With out water, gills are clotted and unable to extract the essence of the air to its full capacity. Not mentioning that the gill is most vulnerable to dryness, which made it prone to collapsing.

    Out of the water, fish, or water creatures gradually became unable to breathe, and finally die.

    A cephalopod, especially a squid, breathe through its gills, from seawater whence came from the gap between the body and the mantle itself, which is a full spherical with size comparable to the squid itself. And if it actually could be blocked by ice, the seawater will automatically melt the ice. Additionally, the squid could also reverse the input process of the sea water to the gills by its siphon or funnel which supposed to be the output canal of the squid excesses, and the seawater. Worse, even if the funnel and the mantle cavity all over the body could be blocked, the gills are still possibly working since squid are able to store water within themselves, enabling them to breathe until they able to remove the ice that blocking their respiratory system.

    This is why the tactic is the least recommended one.

    But on the other hand, burning the tentacles and arms, and lightning based attacks are more recommended rather than using slashing attacks.

    Water creatures had strong regenerative powers, immune to some poison and since they're intelligent, they uses uncanny tactics to prey others. Yet, they are weak to dryness, which is heat, and electricity more than land dwelling creatures since the energy could pass through the body due to the conductivity of impure water. Even more, sea water.

    A lightning, in a sense, is more dense in energy than normal electricity.


    This is why a Lightning spell imbued steel arrows could easily pierce the Lesser Kraken tentacles.


    "Don't just stand there, boys! Get the harpoon already!!!!"
    ""Yes, sir!!""

    The crew awakened from their amazement and swiftly run to the back of the deck and bringing the requested object.

    Long, javelin like, cruel yet beauty piece of steel, dozens and more sitting on tubes. And the only, massive contraption, that can utilize it.

    The harpoon was made of pure steel with touch of brass, zinc, and copper. While its a durable and rigid piece of work, the harpoon always retains its edge. The design is quite simple, yet deadly. The harpoon could easily pierce through everything on its course. And it was possible due to the power of the platform that may launch it.

    The platform, easily described, were a ballistae. Made from laminated woods, the platform are able to almost perfectly retains its elasticity after being bent many times. The core of the bow is made of yew, combined with harder than ironwood, Lifetree, the bow had both properties of the woods. And the body of the platform were made of Barauner wood and mighty oak, a variant not less, hailed as Victory Shire, which is one of the hardest wood known to man. It is a must that the body must been built with harder woods than the one used for the bow. If this ironclad rule is violated, it is obvious that the body of the platform will break itself when the bow is pulled, or cranked. The wire used for the bowstring is also quite special, as the bowstring were made as thickest as possible, and been waxed.

    "Fire!!!!!"

    Hence, the harpoon offensive power is unbelievable.

    "GRAAAAAGH!!!!!!!!"

    Once again, the Lesser Kraken screeched, cried in agony as half dozen of harpoons pierced and firmly stuck deep through its tentacles and its mantle.

    The endless salvo of guns and cannons rains over its body, grazed, damaging the tentacles. And Crowen had shot almost ten of his Lightning imbued arrows, burning through the two tentacles, and completely severed one before it went back into the deep sea.

    "Bloody hell! It escaped!!" Alphonse shouted, finishing all the rum in the bottle before tossing it to the sea. "Coward." he roughly said, panted in heavy breath.

    The Belfast shook lightly as the Lesser Kraken submerged. The big waves created by it splashed water all over the starboard side of the deck.

    It was when the old man realized what is really happening.

    "It's not retreating." Crowen mumbled, as he too realized that they are still facing danger. Greater than before. "It's not over yet."
    "It's not over. It tried to deceive us."


    The Lesser Kraken presently are directly below us.


    "What's happening, Captain?" Matthew urged as he saw the grim faced Alphonse. "Captain? Is anything wrong."
    "We're deceived!"
    "Deceived? Huh?!? Don't tell us that creature is----"
    "Hell right!! All men to the stations!!!! Hard to the port!"

    As the ship rigorously turned, the whole ship violently shook. The crewmen tried to not to fell off from the deck, hanging into the ropes, cannons, and the ship itself. From the ship itself, water are changing its course, flowing, unnaturally for awhile.

    After that, suddenly the Lesser Kraken appeared, just right in the place where the Belfast should be if she stayed on her previous course. The distance between them now is very close. The tentacles surfaced up from the sea, trying to entwine the ship.

    Tried to escape, and failed, the Belfast now are clutched by the left longest tentacle which now are grabbing the middle mast. The Belfast shook, throwing off five men into the deep water.

    "Aaaargh!!!!! Help!!!!!!"
    "Nooo!!!!!"

    Ignoring them is not an option. To Alphonse, they are his sons, the most loyal men who have through sweet and bitter times with him, even when the Lesser Kraken is trying to devour the Belfast, with all the crew aboard, he still tried to save them.

    Like him, they to had family of their own. They are men of the sea. They know that even one trip could be their last. But what would happen after it?

    Their family.

    People they have left for ever.


    He would never, ever allow it.


    "Fire!!!!!!" he commanded.


    Once again, seventy simultaneous salvo of thirty six pound cannons hit the Lesser Kraken. The near-close distance caused the shock of the salvo shook the whole ship. The shock and the fire directly damaged the Lesser Kraken, especially the lower body, which hadn't been protected by the mantle. The clear blood slowly turned to bluish color as it touched the air.

    Trying to pull the ship to the deep with its sheer strength, the Lesser Kraken resisted. The crewman are desperately attacking the Lesser Kraken, and the tentacles which holding the ship. Guns are fired without minding for reloads. The crewman are throwing burnable materials such as rum and quicklime, burning the tentacles. They even tried to slash the tentacles, knowing that the size of it are too big, and even with the size, unbelievably swift.

    It's either putting the monster to kaput, or to be capsized, shredder to bits by Man-Eating Sharks, or worse, eaten together with the Belfast by the Lesser Kraken.

    "Captain, the ship is tilting!!!"
    "I know, dammit!! If we don't do something, we all dead!!! Shut your cunt mouth and keep firing!!!"

    Even though the Lesser Kraken have received heavy damage, the Lesser Kraken still won't let go of its tentacles from the ship.

    "GRAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!"

    Accepting continuous volley of Lightning Arrow, the Lesser Kraken roared. The thundering sound shook the air, the surfaced mouth showed the insides of the Lesser Kraken, the mouth internals and thousand of razor like tooth, and eight beak.

    Enraged, one---- two, of the smaller tentacles swoop out clean the middle part of the deck, which is where the crew is, smashing into the gun deck below, tearing the wooden frame and one of the cannons.

    "Aaaagh!!!!!"
    "Aaaargh!!!!!!"

    Their bodies reduced to a slump in that instant. Their ribs broken and rendered, their organs smashed. The only fortunate thing is, they didn't fell to the sea. As this battle already attracts oter monsters as well, no matter which side is winning.


    But short after that, it's an eye for an eye.

    Letting out a roar, once again, the Lesser Kraken cried in pain.

    A path of warped bluish light passed the air. Straight as an arrow and its radiance is brilliant. It struck directly to the left eye of the Lesser Kraken and burst it open. Aqueous liquid splashed over the deck, mixed with blue blood. The Lesser Kraken writhing in agony as the light charred almost everything in its path.

    "FIRE!!!!!"
    "FIRE!!!!!!!!"

    Not missing the chance, Alphonse ordered the crew to shoot at the creature. Followed by the crew, they barraged the Lesser Kraken for the last time.

    The Lesser Kraken wailed again, but its sound became soft and softer after countless volley of guns and cannons shot.

    And such is the end of the creature, sinking slowly into the deep.

    Still not releasing its grip on the mast, Crowen was forced to blow the arm tentacle. And the tilting ship was forcefully thrown back to its proper position. The momentum forcefully throw everything back.

    Looking at the Lesser Kraken, its life force were seeping out with its blood, and fire of life is flickering out from its left eye.

    "We won..." one of the crew said.
    "We won...."
    ""WE WON!!!!!!!!!!!!""

    Just right after that, the atmosphere in the ship's deck changed. Everybody became lively, and cheerful. They were overjoyed. They were glad, that this nightmare is finally over.

    The Lesser Kraken is dead.

    It carcass attracts other sea dwellers. The birds in the air preying upon its floating body parts. Carnivorous fishes ignored the sailors who fell into the sea, and force its way to the dead creature, nibbling its meat. There were actually a school, a shoal of twelve, Man-Eating Sharks spotted in the vicinity that was actually aiming to prey the sailors. But they were dealt upon sight. The remaining crew (fortunately) still remembered about their comrades who were thrown into the sea. They scared those man eaters with salvo of cannons, allowing them to rescue everybody with a dinghy. Hence, they were able to save every men, seven good men, that has fall into the sea.

    The sharks were no fool either. After they saw three comrades fell by the same thing that killed the Lesser Kraken, they ceased the hunt and dispersed. But it appears now that they are the main threat to be dealt after the Lesser Kraken.

    But finding them, and reducing their numbers is not a matter of concern.

    After all, whenever, and wherever a fisherman is, they would be there.


    It was a long night.

    It's almost dawn.

    The dark sky vanished just like an instant, penetrated by the breaking dawn, and the warmth of the sun. The Belfast have been through an arduous journey. Although, it's just the first half of it.

    The second day is a brand new day.

    The sun is bright and there no more soured expression on the face of the sailors. But although it's a bright day, people here chose to sleep, or relaxing just right after doing repair work. The reason is no less than two words.

    "Captain's order."
    "Means?" Crowen asked the passing crewman with curious tone.
    "Uh... as is?" he answered vaguely.
    "Ok. I got it."

    That was the first conversation he had after two hour sleep. After a night in heavy rain, it's normal thing. Why? He's pretty much tired, that is why.

    Looking at the deck, the ship crews are gathering in spots. They went rolling dice, drinking, feasting over the breakfast, and doing a tell-tale. Apparently the old captain Alphonse has left the helm and steered the ship closer to the next destination. But since the members of the ship is pretty tired from last night, battling the Lesser Kraken all the way until dawn, he let them rest, or the fatigue will break their body. The main sails were rolled, and the Belfast is sailing wind weak tailwind. And the helm was left unattended, as Alphonse stuck a bottle of rum, and a bucket to keep the rudder true to its course.

    "Damn right." he muttered, and after, laughed together with the crew members.

    Crowen spotted him, as he sat under the already repaired main mast, covering in its shade.

    There is much things that could be done when you're free, especially for sailors. And the dice game is one of them.

    The rule is, each player must rolled a set of dice inside a cup. Whoever has the biggest accumulated faced up numbers wins. But each player, started from whoever chosen by the God of Gambling, must state their accumulated numbers, or counts of the eye of the dices, either it is a truth, or a lie in a clockwise or a counter clockwise rotation.

    Hence a game of luck.

    Only, here, a bet, and punishment according to the bet itself could be added. Which means surrendering is not an option.

    And due to that, the game will be basically as is by fiat.

    It's just a game of deception, simple, but for the players, it was a hell of sheer luck, to purely win the game as everybody will eventually try to deceive their opponent. A really good player will try to read their opponents face, listen to their words, observing every movements they made.

    Exempli gratia, Adder here bet some copper against Bill. Adder has accumulated more numbers than Bill. By fiat, Adder should've won over Bill. But Bill lied to every other player, which is Adder, Cohen, Dan, and Ethan, that he has accumulated the greatest possibly accumulated number of five dices, which is thirty, or six-fives. All other players are intimidated and surrendered, only to find that Bill actually had only nineteen, with three-fives and two-twos.

    Bill 'legally' wins.

    But there is a special rule.

    When a player lied, or at least suspected, another player or players could state that the lying player, or in this case, Bill, is lying. When an accuse stated, it must be proven right after it. If the 'accusing' player statement are not true, or Bill are stating the truth, the game instantly ended with result Bill won the game regardless of any other players accumulated numbers, but if the 'accusement' is true, it is vice versa. The round ended with the lying player, Bill, losing the game. And the effect of the bet is applied effectively after the game result is concluded, if there is no other player chose to raise the bet or at rare occasions, all of the players agreed to re-roll the dices.

    "Liar. Open your cup." accused one of the crew dared to other.
    "Shit!!" one of the crew cursed.

    The other crews grinned, creeping right behind the losing crewman.

    "Crap." he cursed again.

    And a second after, he was thrown overboard.

    For it is the punishment for the losers, while the winner gets five copper coins.

    No offense. All in war is fair and square. If you lose, it means that you were hoisted by your own petard.

    Crowen wondered if the poor man will catch cold. But still, all is his own fault. While the poor guy tried to swim closer to the ship, the rest of the crew are cheering and laughing.

    Looking into the inner deck, Crowen found himself already in the inner part of the ship. Creaking wood planks accompany the sounds of snoring crews. The sound of peaceful breathing, up and down. But there are still some people awake.

    “Isn’t this the adventurer?! Welcome to the inner deck!!” said an old man in a sudden. His hair is grey, but properly groomed. A straight back, skinny hands with delicate, yet full of vigor.

    His name is Auguste. The chart-man, and also cook, and the keeper of the cellar and pantry. He is coincidentally has served as vice-captain and navigator in his younger days. A cartographer with a touch of cooking skills.

    “We’re cooking the breakfast for the crew. I used to fight in a battle but, seems my arms is more suited to this.” He explained as he did a flip on the pan. The ingredients flipped in the air before it touched the pan again, before it sizzle due to the hot olive oil.

    The meals for the crew was already served half hour ago, which is consisted of fish and taters, sausages with cheese, boiled eggs and rye bread. There is always a good supply of fresh water aboard, apparently distilled from the sea itself, while its minerals taken as unrefined salt. Nuts, vegetables and pickles were always in the stock. Fruits became dried fruits after being preserved in the long journey. Dried under the sun, and its moist was taken by the tailwinds.

    Only, everything must be taken care of carefully.

    Managing provisions for long journey, for more than a hundred soul, is not a light responsibility.


    Either way, it’s the breakfast time for the inner crew. Joined in the table were the two quartermaster and the first mate. Alphonse, said, went to the privy.

    Peeking into the pantry, it looked like a trove of treasure. Vines of herbs dangling around the shelf corners with trails of onions, cheese of all kind are stacked high, cured and aged meat hung from the ceilings. Powdered salt piled high in sacks alongside with whole grain and flour.

    But the treasure lies further inside the inward way, which is couldn’t be seen except ventured inside, revealed a little turn.


    Racks of wines, barrels of ale, mead, and bottles of rum.


    For men of the sea, there is no word needed to explain why.



    “I told you, if you didn’t put lock on the pantry door, and the cellar, months of supply will just disappear. Worse, even I did put locks, the ingredients and the booze still sometimes magically disappear.” he told Crowen as he remembered how hard to deal with happenings.

    Since Crowen was overslept, he practically skipped his breakfast.

    The rumbling sound of his innards told the old man the truth.

    “Well. I guess you lots knows, men cannot compromise with food.”

    And laughter exploded inside the ship’s kitchen, marking the beginning of the feast.


    The entrée is almost the same as the crews, a mackerel. Big, and long like a big wooden plate. A massive dish, enveloped with salt crust. It is supposed to be eaten with gravy, or sweet-bitter black soy sauce and lime. Eggs were cracked and stirred in salted fish stock until boiling; poached egg. It was served with a small bowl and spoon. And for the addition, two soup, made from guts of gulls while the other one is a beef stew, which has been long prepared. Rye bread is a must too due to its bitter-sweet flavor that matched the saltiness of the dish. Cheese, a traditional one. And the drink is, of course, wine.

    But Crowen chose to drink water first as he just woke up.

    Whitehaven Bay is still one day ahead. It’s time for resting.

    Trying to open a conversation, Auguste asked, “How is the food? Are used to the taste of the salt?”

    “For salted food, I’ve never eaten anything like this.” Crowen replied. “But here, everything is delicious.”

    “You know that you have to be generous with the salt. Too much will dried you. Too little will made your tongue bland.” Alphonse butted in. “Now let us see if I could break this stupid-thick crust open.” Alphonse continued as he carefully tap the salt-crust mackerel.

    Truly, the saltiness of the dish were exceptional. He doesn’t mean that the taste was too salty. He means that the food tastes exceptionally good, although the difference is the kind of salt that were used in the cooking process.

    Salt is a commonly known basic ingredient for dishes, and drinks also.

    But this saltiness is the sea itself. Unrefined, wild. At the same time, deep.

    “Careful. Careful.” He mumbled to himself. The crust crumbled piece by piece, revealing the skin of the stuffed mackerel.

    The mackerel was seasoned in the inside with lots of lemon zest, olive oil and fennel seeds.

    Every day, sailors and seamen could ate this kind of straightforward dish, but depends on the day’s catch. But there is no concern for mackerel, as it’s a common fish in the sea. A great swimmer but much slimmer than tuna. For common knowledge purpose, mackerel also commonly known as jackfish.

    The process for cooking the dish is, first, the fish gut must be cleaned. Bones in the gut, the fin must be removed also. Second, put the fish in a salt bed. The salt bed is made by mixing salt with water. Then, the gut is stuffed with lemons. Fennel seeds also added to add the aroma and to strengthen the taste. Olive oil splashed over it before fully covering the fish with salt. Bake for half an hour.

    Done.

    On the other hand, the eggs. The egg is an almost omnipotent, and to its own device, the most fragile yet one of the most durable ingredients. If it doesn’t crack, eggs will last for three months. Scrambled, poached, boiled, used with other ingredients. Furthermore, it’s cheaper than meat.

    “Pass the eggs, please?” Alphonse asked. Aside from fish, eggs is his second favourite dish.

    “Here ya go.” Said Auguste as he passed the poached egg. “Don’t spill.”

    The poached egg.

    In truth it’s more kind of a simple dish, egg with thick soup or stock.

    “Oh. Yummy.”

    “It’s been a long time since I had this one.”

    A poached egg is really a kind of a lazy dish actually. Happens by accident. You wanted to boil an egg, but accidentally dropped the egg and cracked it open. When you tried to save the egg by using ladle, you actually help it to not stick to the bottom of the pan.

    It happens when you still tried to eat it after draining the water and removing the eggshells.

    “I could never did it.”

    “It always sticks.”

    Auguste did it by stirring the boiling water on the pan, and the water currents didn’t let the egg touched the bottom. And for taste, pepper, salt, and reduced leftover stock.

    “No leftover from the useable.”

    “Right.”

    The sausage is always a favorite dish.

    Grounded meat, salt, pepper, cumin, and garlic. Herbs added. Everything is stuffed inside a long intestine.

    Chicken meat is a little bland and not containing too much fat but more tender. Beef, pork, and lamb is quite original. Fat is flavor but the real texture and taste comes from the fibers.

    Cheese could be eaten as snacks. Diverse in flavors, could be soft. Could be hard, but gentle in taste. Derived from dairy milk, and even plants. The best thing from cheese is that they last many journeys.

    The bread is rye bread. Nothing could be said to the traditionally hand-kneaded bread. Made with rye grain. A bit sweet. Dense. Robust.

    The beef stew is glorious by its own. It just standing by its own. The thick brown soup is almost like goulash. Floating inside was vegetables like carrots, mushrooms, and tender bite sized beef. Aged stock. A touch of paprika and pepper. A bit of wine.

    The trickiest dish is the gull soup. Basically, its intestines. Since the only way to catch the gull is to shoot the gull, the cook must carefully process the already damaged meat. Hence, the innards, the intestines, which is similar to tripe is added to the palate. Skewer is a choice but, to bring out the flavor; soup is the best and easiest way to do it.

    A breakfast scene in a ship could be just like this.

    The Whitehaven Bay.

    It is known as such for the scenery it had. A gorgeous cliff of white, high lighthouse on the hill as guidance delivered many vessels from deadly fate that may awaits for them in the night.

    The Whitehaven Bay is built by some of the passing people, merchants and commoners alike. A stepping stone before reaching their destination, either the Delta Town, or other ports in the Landia.

    But this crescent like shaped island, this small port, had a disturbing thing for everyman who had ever heard the port's name.

    The Whitehaven Bay, is also called as One-day-port.

    It is the worst of the luck for sailors to have to spend a night in this island. The sea around this island is filled with shallow rock beds, reefs. Some of the reefs are as tall as three story buildings. It's just as like that this island was placed here to give stranded sailors a safe haven from the storm, guiding them to set anchors to the shore.

    A day before they could resume their journey.

    But the reason for this island, and the White Point, called as one day port, lies in a whole another reason.


    It is the feral mermaids.


    The position of this island is almost half of the distance from Mermaid Capital, south, as near to the Southern Archipelago. The fearsomeness of the sea is in the fact that it's unpredictable, even for the most seasoned of captains and navigators.

    Mermaids and feral mermaids is on the root of the history, tales, and myths of the sea.

    Mermaids are known for their another-worldly class of beauty. Elf is always known as fair, as well as fairies, angels, and other anthropomorphical races, and mermaids are known for their looks. Legends told us that they are able to change their form into human, turning their leg to the likeness of a human. As they are well known for their appearance, they are also known for their voice. Alluring, soft, endearing for all who hear their voice. Often told in stories that sailors are very often crashed their vessels into the reefs, due to themselves not able to resist their voices.

    Mermaids in the past loved to play pranks.

    But even among them, there are some who went further, which is the beginning of the feral mermaids.


    They are mermaids who are in love with the taste and scent of humans, especially a male.

    For breaking the taboo among themselves, they are casted out. Their love and addiction of the taste of human flesh made them lose their ability to think. Dangerous. Ferocious. Aside of their bedazzling appearance and bewitching voice, they are still able to use Water Element magic. Luring every human to death with their voice, making a group, they are able attack a single vessel, capsized it. Even though they are women, their strength, even as individual, aren't to be underestimated.

    And it is noted, that even though feral mermaids have lost their minds to their baser instincts, they are intelligent in hunting their prey.

    Making nest near the reefs, somewhere in the depths, they are marking every vessel which had entered Whitehaven Bay.

    The sea surrounding Whitehaven Bay always going under a peculiar phenomenon, which is only could be found only in several places.

    The sailors called the phenomenon as Dry Tide.

    The phenomenon in fact is similar to the usually occurred high tide and low tide phenomenon on the shore. One day, the high tide-low tide cycle occurred twice. The first one is the first low tide in the morning. This is when the sea level lowered a little from the shore. The second, is the first high tide. A flood tide occurs until reaching its peak. The high tide usually happens around noon to evening. Third, is the ebb tide. From here, the sea level will reach its lowest level. And last, the fourth, the second flood tide come. And the cycle repeats. Normally, it should be like that. But only, in some certain places, the occurrence went in extreme degree.

    If there is a low tide, if you're standing in where the sea reached your knees, the low tide at the lowest will lower the sea level to your heels. But for a high tide, it will be the opposite, as the water level will rise to your waist, up to your chest.

    And in extreme conditions, this phenomenon occurs in magnitude, at least, five times of it.


    Hence, the time you could visit Whitehaven Bay, is only and must be at noon before nightfall, and every vessel should leave in the next morning. Or you may never leave.


    The Belfast entered the water of Whitehaven Bay at sunset.

    "Holy smokes."
    "Dearie...."

    The reefs, which usually stood as big as a house now stood as tall as city tower. The presence of the reefs changed drastically between day and night. The spiky white reefs now is as daunting as a fortress. In the base of the reefs were debris of countless vessel.

    And deep from the sea, something, someone, is staring at them.

    Drifting through the shallow water, the Belfast finally downed its anchor in safe harbor of White Point of Whitehaven Bay.

    The water receded from the dock as soon as the sun disappeared, leaving only dried land as bed for Belfast.

    The great lighthouse still as tall as Alphonse could remember. The long docks still stand as firm as the crew step on it. The Whitehaven Bay didn't have much to offer except for a few safe house as shelter, and the great lighthouse. Every night, the great lighthouse never fails to lit.

    Much to the surprise, there is people on this should-be-abandoned-island. Few family, which members could be counted less than fifty people. Wilbur, an old friend of Alphonse, is the lighthouse keeper. Everybody here knows each other.

    As he had understood the reason of his coming, he straightforwardly asked.

    "Alphonse, did you really mean to do it? You could endanger the lives of your crew, you know?"

    Still firm in his resolution, he answered, "Damn right. If it's not us, then who will?"

    "Even though I have no right to say this, but let me say it. Alphonse, stop, as your friend I beg you. Fighting that thing is impossible!" Wilbur raised his voice.

    "Even if I die, I don't care! We're talking about peoples life!"

    "But even so, there are people whose life's depends on you too! After this just return! You'll die!"

    "Heh! Who told you that I planned to die? As if I will let myself bewitched by some brainless fish! My wife will curse me till the day she die!"

    "I bet she'll curse me too for letting you go fighting Lesser Kraken."

    "Uh....."

    Hearing that, Alphonse lowered his voice.

    "What? Did I say something funny?" Wilbur asked in a different tone.

    "Uh.... about the Lesser Kraken, you see....."

    "What? You still planned to go?"

    "....killed it."

    "Huh?"

    "We already killed that thing before coming here."

    And there were long silence between those two.

    "Uh... wanna have a drink?" Wilbur finally said.
    "Sure. You have rum?"

    It was in the evening.

    In the Delta City, the scene of carnage hidden by the sunset. Sounds of people closing the windows and stalls covered the scream of regret. People couldn't be careless of one small alley in the vast city.

    "Haah.....haaah.....It's no joke! That man is a monster! We couldn't win against him!"
    "I didn't sign up for this crap! I don't wanted to lose my life!"

    The man panted as sweat drip from his chin, fell to the ground. Cursing the gods, he wished how could he turn back time to the afternoon. His friend, a fellow thug, too, cursed.

    A job that's supposed to be easy.

    Mugging someone in an alley, then disappear. The victim wouldn't dare to call for help. And the worst could happen is almost nothing.

    At usual that unfortunate somebody will shit their pants and subdued by fear.

    Easy way for living is by taking from others.

    But what follows was an instant massacre.

    A nightmare.

    "Argh!!!"
    "Blaaargh!!!!"

    Against that man, their strength as a group meant nothing.

    "I'm just your normal citizen you know?"

    They still remembered that young man smile. Innocent, almost like full of ignorance, holding no suspicion about what will happen to him or anything.

    But his words will haunts them forever.

    "One with a knife. One will give or one will take."

    They didn't need to hear any crap he spewed. There was no need for it.

    And, as they didn't want to hear the end of it, one of them stepped forward.

    "Huh? The hell that supposed to mean? Hey, if you meant that you will give us all of your money, then I will gladly take it, hehehe~"

    Only, at that time, that man lose his head.

    In a split of second, his head fell off to the ground. The facial expression still. The blood splattered, red as like mutton in slaughterhouse, leaving only a standing headless body, which also fell to the ground right after.

    "K....kk...kil....kill him!!!!!!"
    "Kill him!!!!!!!"
    "KILL HIM!!!!!!!"

    They just couldn't remembered what happened afterwards.

    They only just know, that they're the only one left from the fifteen band of thugs.

    The short scream of their comrades still lingers in their mind.

    "Trying to mug that man is a mistake after all!!"
    "I couldn't do this anymore! I quit!"
    "Yeah! Me too! Open a small bar, or be a farmer, we could do itI don't care!! I have enough of this shit!!!"

    Quickly, their minds were shaken. And as quick as that they shed tears.

    They only remembered that they ran, as far as they could. Three members acting as a spotter for guards, keeping an eye, three pairs in fact, for everyone.

    Luck, at that time, had saved them.

    Should they at the time joined their comrades, they too will lose their lives.

    "Hmm~ So you three decided to stop doing this, huh? Isn't that a good thing?"
    ""?!??!!""

    As if they had seen a ghost, their face went pale in an instant.

    A young man stood in front of them. Small build, bespectacled, and warm-looking smile.

    But he was the very same man who had slaughtered twelve men, who not only different in build, but also strength.

    "Hiiii!!!!!"
    "Please! Please spare us!!!"
    "We'll never doing this again! Ever!!"
    "If anything, please, but spare our lives!"

    If anything should happened to them, they don't care anymore. It's better to see tomorrow. It's time to repent from their sins.

    "Then I forgive you."
    ""Huh?""

    And much to their surprise, the answer for all of their problems came easily, just like that.

    "I said that I forgive you. Take this." the young man said again.

    A small leather pouch is thrown at them. Hitting the ground, the loosened strap reveals the contents of the pouch.

    Fifteen silver coins, and nine gold coins.

    A few silver coins is enough to feed a normal family three times a day for a month. Should they use the gold coins, it would be enough to start a small shop and filling it with decent variety of goods. And for a farmer, its enough to build a pen, few cattle like goats, cows, even draft horses and fodders, which equals a decent bar with adequate tables and chairs and ample stock of drinks.

    It was more from what they could've earned from mugging many people, even more, earnestly working.

    Even they didn't know what to do, or what to say.

    "Now you can have a decent life." the young man said for the last time and turned his back.

    They could only cry. And they did.


    "So this is where you've been, teacher?" a soft voice called.
    "What is it, Lilianne?" Gilbert replied. "How long do you intended to hide within the shadows?" he asked.

    A figure appeared from the shadow of the alley. A jet black short hair bespectacled shroud wearing beauty.

    It was Lilianne.

    Different from the time she was inside the guild, she was wearing a dark leather vest equipped with straps holding few knives. From a leather shoes to boots which also black in color, hiding two concealed blades. In addition, she also wore a specially made gauntlet, making each hand capable of launching an arrow, darts, or rope and both able to retract a blade as a close combat weapon.

    "As expected of teacher." she said in the end. "But is it wise to release them?"
    "They too are people you know? While it is known that some people deserve to die, likewise some also deserve to live. Even I at the first time don't want to kill them...but I did it. They strayed too far. While in the other hand, the three still deserving chance."
    "Is that so, teacher? If should they waste the money you gave them, what will be of them?" she asked again.
    "Let them be. Let fate determines what will be of them. Judgement and punishment are the rights of heaven."
    "But if so, is what we do right then?"
    "We are already received guidance. We already know, not like them, what is wrong and right. You see, I personally think that it is indeed fate that decided that they deserved to live. And for the rest of them, I guess they didn't." he softly sighed.
    "And if we let them run amok, they will bring harm to others. That is why you swiftly end their pathetic life out of misery." she smiled.
    "I won't say that their life is worthless, vain or anything. It's just like that they're misled. They do have potentials in life. They do at some point deserved some chances. But still, I guess Louise is right. I became rusty."
    "In my opinion, that isn't right. It's beautiful, teacher."

    In truth, Gilbert know the three of them. Depressed field worker, worker in a bar, butcher in a slaughterhouse.

    They too had been a victim.

    And by it, chose to tread the same path of those who had wronged them.

    It is the proof that the city is corrupted. And all of the citizen is sick.

    Everything that had happened to them is imaginable.

    What would he do if the role is reversed?

    They are the reflection of what had happened to him, Louise, and everyone in the past.

    "And then, is there is something you need to tell me?" he said while gazing into the evening sky.
    "Yes. I think we may have a company."
    "Ryner Hubert. Ex-head knight now turned head guard of Waldo Company, huh?" he showed a suspicious smile.
    "Yes. The Smiling Knight, The Executioner, The Silent Knight. As expected of teacher."
    "Information is weapon. Don't you forget that."
    "Yes, teacher."

    The moonlight shine on the sea, reflecting a full golden circle.

    The lighthouse, which light's powered by whale oil, a miracle from god, illuminate the ocean through the fog and reefs.

    My heart is bedazzled by his face
    My heart is locked by his charms
    I'm always waiting for you my love
    Until we could sailed together
    To the Fiddler's Green


    The serene moonlight pierces through the cloud. Even the waves are still, reflecting a mirrored view of the sky.

    A song for the maiden in love. Waiting for the loved one who might not come back from the sea.

    This song is known as a ballade, and a prayer at the same time. It is said, that once in a year, the dead might come back to meet with the living. A love may bound both and led them to happiness in the afterlife.

    Although this song is for a maiden, the one who sings this song now is a bunch of men which few amongst them couldn't even hit the right tone of the song.

    Sailors.

    The good, the bad, not mentioning the ugly, singing together in a small fishing boat.

    "Why we are singing a song right now?"

    It is indeed a big question why did they need to sing. And among them was a man, tied up, and muffled.

    "And this dude over here....."
    "Don't mind that scum." Alphonse suddenly said to Crowen as he handled him a bottle of rum. "He murdered a family of four. The parents in their sleep, and the child he held hostage until they died. Using the money he took for drinking, gambling, whoring. And after beating the boy to death, he raped the girl, alive and dead." he paused. "That kind of man, he, didn't deserved to live." he said as he pointed him with his finger.

    And somehow, this man escaped the gallows by bribing the authority.

    By the law of man, this man should be sentenced with death, prison for life, shackled and not allowed to see the light of the day.

    This made Crowen ask himself.

    Where is justice?

    As transgression always prevail against the weak, and the powerless.
    Should justice always prevailed in this world, there will be no man like him. And then, should people, and every individual holds their own brand of justice?

    But at the time when he think about this, he also thought something else.

    His sin, should it be forgiven?


    This thought disturbed Crowen so much.

    He is a bad man, but what they will do to the man, maybe is more cruel than his sins. In fact it was less, but since sin is just the same in the eyes of God, or even gods and goddesses, it was same in weight.

    God is merciful, and at the same time absolutely detests 'sin', which is in concept, is transgression against God's will, or the way he had shown. He will aid us, yet he could only show the way, it's not because he didn't wanted to but due to the rift between human and God which is caused by 'sin'.

    Remembering the quests before, his mind wandered even further into the thoughts.

    "We're doing this for the many."

    That is the sentence that he told himself, and everyman here told themselves.

    Only, that, what they done is equal to a sin.

    A sin will eventually lead to the path of ruin.


    If thou had sinned in the eyes of God, thou shalt repent.
    If thou had repent, God shall forgive every transgressions, for He is just and merciful.
    He planned for salvation for His creations and called them as the blessed. And He called them from the sinners.

    For all men is sinful, right from the moment when they're born.

    He with love, called the sinners to repent, and cleansed them.

    "It's not the healthy who need a healer, but the sick."

    And should human, ail themselves?


    No, was the correct answer for this.

    But it's just that the world itself didn't let people to do that.

    Temptation always came.

    Rage, and desires, always peeking through the keyhole of the front door of your house.


    We seek as we fail. Always, and always, for eternity.

    God knows, but wait patiently.

    We need time. And so His plan.


    "Lower the boat!" one of the crew shouted.

    The twelve man crew lowered the dinghy from the deck, with the felon as the only passenger. He tried to escape, but his fate is already locked from the moment he was caught, and brought to the Belfast. One man couldn't win against ten, let alone two hundreds.

    He was the bait for luring out the feral mermaid.

    He didn't want to accept his fate.

    He couldn't try to escape. For either way, he would die.

    "Sing." one of the crew told the felon.
    "Mmmhhh!!! Bleh! Release me you bastards! Release me!!" he spat to the crew as they release the cloth which muffled the man's mouth. Still tied up, the man struggled. "Release me you old geezer! I'll kill you! And that one eye! I'll kill you both!! You hear me?!!" he cursed with a maniacal face.
    "Shoot him." Alphonse told Crowen.

    And it only needs an instant moment for an arrow to stuck into his knee.

    "GAAAH!!!! FU*K!!!! FUUUUU****KK!!!!!" he cursed again before fell into silence.

    As planned, the man was shot with a paralyzer first. If the man screamed any longer, he would made the plan fall apart. The shot will muted him for hours while inflict pain.

    They must wait for the feral mermaids to come out from their lair.

    "We must wait patiently." Alphonse said again to his men as they nodded.

    As feral mermaids usually hunt by nighttime.

    The tired sailors will look upon their beauty. While they were led by their voice, calling them to the water, and meet their end.

    And most of them are not ready in their hearts.


    And hours had passed.


    Waking up from his slumber, the man was surprised no more. And he began to sing.

    It is the same song that the crew had sung for hours in the ship. Like it or not, it is the only song that had stuck in his mind.


    My heart is bedazzled by his face
    My heart is locked by his charms
    I'm always waiting for you my love
    Until we could sailed together
    To the Fiddler's Green


    And so the man pitifully sings, hour and hour, repeating the same lyrics over and over.

    While the crew almost succumb, the mermaids emerged from the silent water.

    And under the moonlight they brought themselves approaching the boat.

    A song was heard.

    So soft, and beautiful in ears.

    My heart is bedazzled by his face
    My heart is locked by his charms
    I'm always waiting for you my love
    Until we could sailed together
    To the Fiddler's Green

    To the Fiddler's Green, my dear
    And all my hearts is yours
    Here I am waiting, my jolly
    Oh my jolly sailor bold


    The words are capturing the man's heart in that instant. The voice of the mermaid was alluring, calm, and melodious.

    Not able to ignore the voice, the man turned his sight to his right, to the very source of it. The very tone of the voice takes away his pain. Unconsciously draws him to the surface of the water.

    "Oh... oh......." he stuttered.

    He could not control his body.

    A mermaid gently, slowly approached the dinghy. And more of them approached the small boat.

    It was true, that mermaids, maybe, is the most beautiful of the races. Fair and wise maybe the elves. Divine, the angels. Compared to any other races, their beauty outshines all.

    Her gentle arms was on the edge of the dinghy, while her skin is warm marble white and tender. Her hair is jet black, dark yet gleaming by the moonlight, lustrous as a crown from the top of her head and flowing to her waist. Her eyes too were black, deep as ocean and shining like a pearl. A beautiful face, supple with ears and nose as where it was perfect. Down to her mouth were a pair of thin rosy lips, which is smiling with a hint of reminiscent. And while her lower body is of a fish, her upper body were shaped almost like a decanter, her breast were full and round, curved in the middle yet slim, revealing every nook of her body as not even a single string except her hair is covering her body.

    Just by doing nothing, she had bewitched the man with her song and smile.

    Although the man's body is shaking, he couldn't resist to cry, and most of all, he couldn't resist his urge. As in his minds his life maybe just as is, and he wouldn't mind to die if he could bang one of the mermaids. Compared to every whore he had banged in the whore house, the mermaid is simply the most women he had ever seen. Even more than the daughter of the family he had killed and raped. His baser instincts is just overflowing out of him, running in stark lucid images. The mermaid's song is leading him, straight to the water, slowly.

    The mermaid's reached out her hands, welcoming the poor man. Down and down into the depths.


    It was the moment when the feral mermaid bared her fangs.


    The love struck man screamed as loudly as he could under the water as she revealed her true nature. The embodiment of beauty became incarnation of terror. He screamed, struggling to release himself from the mermaid's arms which suddenly became stronger than his. His fate is either be eaten alive, or dead.

    It was when a single arrow seared through the mermaid's heart.

    Not wasting a moment, the man leave his desire, and frantically swim again to the direction of the boat.


    Do not believe in the gentle night.


    After that, it was the battle of silence.

    No matter how loud the mermaids and the crew of eight screamed, the eight couldn't hear anything.

    Surely the bee wax earplugs worked well.


    The bee wax is known for its malleable property, and able to stay in solid form as long as it didn't contact heat. Taken from the mid of the desert forest, Alphonse prepared himself this method to fight off the feral mermaids.

    If the problem is their voice....

    You just not need to hear it.

    If they wouldn't let you to cover your ears...

    Then you don't have to.


    It was a risky choice to temporarily lose your hearing, as one of your senses, during a fight. But there was no choice.

    As they stood to fight, the sea begun to shook and air vibrates wildly.


    Even though they couldn't hear anything, they could feel it. They could feel the cold, the wind, and the ringing silence in their heads.


    Right off the bat, the feral mermaids tried to capsize the boat with water magic. Three of them simultaneously casted it in the back. And the rest plunge forward. They tried to catch the crew, and the man, and drown them in the deep.

    The crew only could keep their head down and wait for a chance. Only relying on their feelings and eyes, they signaled others to stay safe, and to wait. And finally, struck them down with their weapons.

    Three mermaids jumped over the boat, followed by another two from the other sides. Immediately they were struck with poison darts and shots from matchlock guns.

    There was no time for not to be cautious.

    The bullets would penetrate their scales, but it wouldn't be sufficient. And the poison almost wouldn't work either as mermaids would had resistance against fish toxins. Even the best they could create, which consists of plants extracts diluted in water.

    They need to bleed them to make the poison works, even temporary.

    Even though it wasn't lethal, it would hinder their agile movements. And eventually annoyed them.


    A distraction.

    That very moment was their chance.


    One of the mermaids wailed in agonizing tone as something cold and rigid pierced through her stomach, tearing it apart before the mermaid powerlessly fell into the sea.


    It was the moment when they could use their strongest weapon.


    The harpoon.


    This weapon is originally used for hunting big creatures of the sea, like giant octopus, squid, fish, and whale. Proof wise, it could penetrate, even though just a little, the Lesser Kraken's mantle. It was more than enough to hunt the mermaids. But while it was adequate in power to deal significant blow to them, there is one problem.

    The harpoon was a heavy contraption. It is easy to use, but hard to operate, and move.

    To hunt the mermaids, Alphonse and his men, modified this boat to forcefully load the heavy harpoon.

    The harpoon was the only reason that the ship could withstood the heavy waves and fast currents made by the mermaid's water magic. Simply put, it was the weight. But it was the same reason that the boat couldn't evade their attacks.

    The fishing boat, stood just like a sore thumb in the open sea. Although its movements was silent and almost undetected to the mermaids in the first place, its cover was already blown.

    And the harpoon was the center of their attention.

    And again,


    another distraction for their real ace-card.


    Crowen released three of his arrows consecutively. Starting from three mermaids in the back, their numbers decreased. Then followed by other three who just came up to the surface.

    Overflown with anger, they didn't notice that their comrades had fallen to their plans.

    When they had noticed, it was already too late, as the supposedly hiding crew are ready to turn the tides against them.

    Three of the crew manned the harpoon, already reloaded. Once again, shot one of the mermaids. Right through the chest, the harpoon sticks, through the back, and stuck there firmly.

    Three of the crew had thrown three magic scrolls into the sea near the boat. Revealing its insides, the magic scrolls activates. The magic letters assembled in the magic formation glows bright, releasing every bit of magic it holds.

    In an instant, a triple stroke of bluish lightning struck the water's surface, and everything nearby.

    Two of the mermaids were directly hit, and losing their upper part of limbs and above.

    The magic scrolls were costly but, they are the most effective way to fight the mermaids, and other sea creatures.

    And when their attention divided, they met their end.


    Once again a bluish light, passing with speed that can't be followed, struck the last of the mermaids. And lightning runs through the water's surface. Blinded, and confused.


    One by one, they fell in silence.


    And in silence, it all ends.

    Minutes of silence ringing through as nothing, except the splash of soft waves, happened. And all men didn't dare to remove the plug.

    Even Crowen just stood there. Thinking by himself, and looking at Alphonse who displayed a strange smile.


    Removing the earplugs, Alphonse thought to himself. When he wasn’t thinking about death, his mind was blank. It wasn’t hard to keep from thinking. His minds wandered aimlessly, far from the sea, just around the neighborhood of the Delta City, to the bar and alley, or went to the wagon station, where usually he sat on a bench when he was young and watched the trains of carriage arriving and departing, over and over again.

    And he himself asked, why did a man like him, ended up here. He himself didn't know the answer. Neither his family, or his men, even more Crowen, or the mysterious young self-proclaimed merchant he just met few weeks ago.

    He couldn't explain it, the feelings he had.

    It was gooey, sticking like adhesive. A feeling that told him in the guts that he had accomplished something. That maybe he had found peace by keeping safe everything he loved.

    Love.

    Maybe that was the answer for his choice of words he was looking for years when he watched the citizens of the city suffered, or when his gentle wife complained why the sea was so dangerous, or complaint why the prices of the wheat was so high, or even the smiling face of his family. The face of his wife, his sons and daughters, his friends, his acquaintances, and everyone.

    It was so hard for him to realize this thing.

    But at least, he didn't regret it, and it was all worth it.

    "Fuck you...fuck you all...."

    Realizing the sound that was almost whispering, Alphonse looked for its source.

    It was just as he thought. It was the felon who had cried in tears. Inside the little dinghy, the felon wet himself. Looking at Alphonse, his face redden as boiled shrimp.

    "FUCK YOU!!!!"

    He forgot that he was saved by them.

    Swiftly, the crew knocked down the felon. Unconscious, they tied him again. And finally throw him together with the fish inside the fish box.

    It was then, the breaking dawn came.

    The bright sunlight change the sky into gradations of black and golden light. Stars are fading beyond the hazy clouds, and gone gradually too, one by one. And everything changed to bright blue. From dark blue to light. Night is naught, and henceforth, lo the morning.

    The dark fortresses too disappeared. The water rose once again and washed away its traces. Different from the night, the scenery in White Point in Whitehaven Bay drastically changed. The Great Lighthouse looked as splendid structure in the height of the cliffs, stood there majestically although it's operated in night. The Long Dock was harboring few ships which only stay temporarily. Suddenly, this port, which supposedly famed with sights of man-eating mermaids, turned into your everyday port.

    There is people selling things in the small plaza. There is seafarers drunk over the ships edge. There is minstrels singing song too. Villagers open their stalls and sold everything that they may need, be it provisions, weapons, or power tools. But they all know that they must leave when they are supposed to leave.

    The fishing boat docked without any problem, except for the felon who they had put to slumber. If it weren't for his mouth and attitude, the crew wouldn't mind to let him roam the deck, before they let him go in some island with the dinghy. But it seems that this time, he won't escape the gallows.

    Just right in from of them now were the Belfast. The crews are still repairing her, especially in places they couldn't reach. Sounds of mallet knocking the wooden frame of the ship were heard. And again, faint sound of lumbers scraped and crushed barks. The crews are murmuring things like materials, aside booze and swearing, it's nothing more.

    Hearing a glimpse of their sounds could describe what is happening inside the Belfast right now.

    "Argh! My thumb! Dammit!!!"
    "I thought I told ya to be careful, aye?"
    "Just go to the old man and get fixed already, dammit. You're cryin' just like wenches."
    "You just have to be careful with the needle~ Hahahaha!!!"
    "Fuck you! Shit, this hurts....."
    "Just go..."

    Although it was silly, it's kind of refreshing for Alphonse, his men and Crowen.

    By the dialogues, they guessed that the poor man had trouble in sewing. After fighting the Lesser Kraken, some of the crew found that there is some parts of the sail that was ripped by the wind. And there is one hole made by the Lesser Kraken when it directly attack the ship.

    Usually, people use small needle to sew few cloth into clothes. Ship's sails in the other hand, is sewn together from few heavy duty white cloth, to withstand the wind currents and rain, even storms. And for a sail, adequate to the type of cloth used, the size of the thread is thicker than your average yarn or sewing thread. It was almost triple of the size of yarn. And hence, the size of the needle was adequate to it. It could be imagined that that size of needle piercing your thumb is just hurt as hell.

    Crap. That should be hurt a lot.

    So they thought.

    Looking at the inside of the ship, some of the crews are currently loading their cargo off the cargo holds. Without their clothes on, it could be seen that they are sweating. Pulling the ropes, and releasing them, then, repeating it until there is no cargo left to be pulled up. Then, as the requested cargo are delivered to the designated ship, they accepted they payments agreed beforehand.

    Although there is no guarantee of what will happen on the sea, the seafarers know where and when to meet. Without paying considerations to difficult calculations, they set the dates and place to meet easily. And for money, everything is based on trust. The other side knew how much they need and how many they should give as profit. Payments always cover the basic operational needs for the ship. The provisions, equipment, armaments, wages of the crews, and etc.

    The Belfast is a battleship. No peers in power, it may be, but now it is a commercial ship. Stripped down, and its capacity to holds cargo easily top any commercial vessels. And in addition, there is two fish tank, and a fish chamber inside the Belfast.

    Currently, those rooms are empty.

    "Captain. Welcome back." Matthew welcomed Alphonse. And in the following, he saluted Crowen too. "Sir Crow." And he shook his hands.

    What did he just called me? So Crowen thought to himself. He's not a knight, but Matthew added sir before addressing his name. While it was funny in ears, he was a bit embarrassed by it. But again, Matthew did it out of respect. And it was immediately followed by Jim, and Larry.

    Looking at the already returning Alphonse and his team, Auguste followed. "Alphonse. Young lad." And Auguste hugged Alphonse. "Welcome back, mate."
    "How's she?" Alphonse immediately asked.
    "It may take a while for her to kiss the water again. Not before we sew the sails. We haven't take a look at the rudder and the keel either." Auguste said to Alphonse in a tired tone. While Crowen and Alphonse went to deal with the feral mermaids, he have been tirelessly watched the reparations.
    "We should look at the bows too, captain." Jim added.
    "Aye. That fucking monster may did some damage there." Larry agreed too. "I hope she didn't take heavy damage. We're behind the schedule."
    "I hope so, lad." Alphonse replied in bothered tone. "We need to work fast but, we can't rush things. Either we leave this evening or tomorrow." he muttered, and washed his throat with a mug of ale.
    "Then why don't you drop by my house?" another voice said.

    Down in the dock, it was Wilbur. There he stood, and smiled towards them.

    Once again putting their fatigue away, Wilbur led the six-man group to his house. He will treat them a feast while the crews repairing the Belfast.

    "A small reward for the hard workers." he giggled, showing a secret smile.

    Through the plaza, they got through to the back of the village, which revealing fields of crops. The lust green view of the forest and hill decorated the pathway. It seems that houses near the port is used for business. The real houses of the villagers is located way across the fields.

    There is a barn and pasture. There is a big pond, connected to a small duct which being used by villagers to draw water. The arrays of crops is almost ready for harvesting.

    And Wilbur's house is located just right in the end of the path, which is leading to the Great Lighthouse. A normal wooden house with a perfect overview of the fields and forests. His wife is currently working at the general store, overlooking the inventory while Wilbur usually had to keep tracks of every vessel and keeping records of transactions. But currently his sons are taking over his job. And since his wife became easily tired nowadays, she preferred to live within the store. And again, if there is no guests, either Wilbur will just sleep in this house alone, or sleep in his room inside the Great Lighthouse, or even inside the storage room inside the store.

    But the house is still in shape and shows no speck of being neglected. It's his grandkids who usually came and play. In the barn, within the mud, the forests, and the field. They're young and have much energy to spare.

    "Look at them running." Wilbur told them all. "Those cute little kids will follow their own will."

    It always reminds the old that they are the exact image of what they would be when they're at the age.

    "Here you go." he showed them the back of the house. Like a trickster with his trick, what is behind the house, the back yard is, really a surprise.

    A long table has been set, with chairs fit the numbers. Atop the table were two jugs of water, infused with lime and honey. Nuts, which is both Alphonse and Auguste favorite and some fruits. Loaves of breads, rustic rye bread and plain sweet buns, and jams, which is homemade.

    For the surprise, there is an earth stove burning. And in the top, it was a cooking pot, almost boiling. The scent is earthly and at the same time there is scent of the sea mixed. But the real surprise is the things that were laid aside it.

    A charred bottomless wide wooden bucket, and a shovel.

    "A specialty. Homemade." he said in cheerful tone, proud to show them.


    A smokie.

    This is the main surprise for them today by Wilbur.

    "Holy smokes, it's a smokie." Jim giggled in excitement.
    "Dammit Jim. I could help myself with those." Larry sad to him.

    Wilbur almost didn't let anyone to help him. As he said, this is a treat. He knows that they are tired, and life in their eyes is almost dead.

    "What is smoke-uh....smokies?" Crowen asked politely.

    Amused, Wilbur let out a little laugh. Churning out the words, he explained to Crowen.

    "A smokies is, if there is any word to describe it, a way of serving dish. Food, usually meat, or, if possible, fish being roasted, then smoked under a unique environment." Stopped for a while, he exhaled his breath for a moment.
    "Oh." Crowen nodded in agreement.
    "Watch, that I need just a wee hole over here."

    Digging a hole with the shovel, he lets out the soil. And in the place of the soil, he put the bottomless bucket inside, to the depth that it almost covered the whole bucket. With his age, he still had the strength to dug out that much soil.

    But Wilbur isn't done yet.

    Right from the shed not far, he brought hardwoods for log fire. And from the house, a few arm length sticks, with two tied fish rowed along it, dangling with juices dripping from the insides.

    "As you can see, I am trying to do an unusual smoking process. The soil provides heat blocking, which help the fish to cook. A wee fire, is all we need to roast and smoke." he said as he throws the woods into the bucket. In addition, he drizzled some whale oil, and lit the fire. "Adding some whale oil will add some aroma. It's just the same when you use hardwoods for the fire. It gave you the best of flavor." he said again.

    Putting the fish, he hanged them as many as possible, as close as possible. Easily, he put thirty pair of fish inside the bucket without sticking to each other.

    "I think for this you have to be a fuzzy git. Because if the fish sticks, it will sticks together after smoking. And you don't want that, haha." he joked, as he cover the bucket with a cloth.

    With the juices dripping, there were so much steam went out from the bucket. The firewood are cracking, and the fire licks the dripping juices.

    "The best part of a haddock is that it is easy to remove its head, and bones. They are easy to handle, and every man can gut the fish in minutes. And they almost don't need any kind of seasoning, except if you know what you're doing. Salted is the best. Some pepper. Dill." he paused. "Tender, moist, and slightly salty. Tastes fantastic."

    And while on it, they moved on the soup.

    It is a kelp, and salted fish stock based soup. And in the inside, there is soybeans curd and kinds of mushrooms aside of leek.

    Carefully, Wilbur poured it into bowls. And in the top, sprinkled some fish flakes.

    "Here you go." he said. "And, to God, we said our grace."
    ""Aye."" they replied in unison.

    Without further ado, they dig in.

    In the end, he was right. It was a real treat from him, although in some way, Alphonse and the trio missed the good old rum.

    And by that very table, they talked about many things.

    "You all should keep coming here." said Wilbur, in downed tone. "Not like very often but, at least you all could come once every week, you know?"
    "We've been busy." Alphonse sincerely replied. His words is true, hiding nothing but, free for interpretations. Looking back at Wilbur, he nibbled on the smokies, and additionally drawn out a bottle of rum out of nowhere. "Belfast is a damn good ship. And we're making money, good money, out of it."

    That's true. The Belfast is almost like the pride of Delta City. A flying fortress on the sea. In Alphonse hand, the Belfast sails in glory. As captain, with his crew, she had been through many expeditions through the Southern Sea.

    To cut the time, everything was prepared back before the expedition is even started. And by the journey, Alphonse is known for his tendencies to keep tight to the schedule. No long stops, except in dire needs. Compared to the usual distance of the journey he made, the distance between Delta City, and this island, is fairly short. Short, but almost roundabout if he made this island as a stop. This is the main reason why Alphonse didn't need to stop here often. In fact, he stopped here with his crew only either in dire needs, such as when there is a storm, and when the crew need some time to rest and fix the ship. When he wanted to visit Wilbur, and had some vacation, he always sailed alone. He'd love to do it one or two times a year.

    "But, well, with you here now, I won't have to worry about the port being blockaded for the next few months, or maybe for the next year." Wilbur responded, as he poured a full glass of water, and put it in front of Alphonse. "Drink. You know that always drinking won't do any good for your body."
    "As he'll listen." added Auguste, who as fast as lightning took the rum bottle away.
    "Hey!!" Alphonse shouted in disbelief.
    ""For your health."" the two said in unison.
    "Dammit. Damn you both." he cursed. But what he said in real meaning is that he couldn't do that.

    Couldn't give up.

    That's what his face is saying. And at his back, Matthew, Jimmy, and Larry almost blow themselves off, as they couldn't hold their laugh. And Crowen didn't know what to say, as he too started to enjoy rum.

    But in the other hand, a sound body with a sound mind outweighs a bottle of rum.

    Gesturing a 'sorry', Crowen told Alphonse to give up. He was his last hope. Just before his dignity as a friend, Crowen was his last standing fortress of self corrected ego.

    "Damn you both." he cursed again. But he knew that the two feels no harm. And just as he had thought, both of the just laughed it all away and just rolled the conversation.

    "But still, after this, we have to deal with the snakes, huh?" Auguste murmured. "A decent vessel could handle them no matter the numbers but still, they are annoying to deal."
    "But , again, the Adventurers Guild only told you to kill...how many is it again? Five? They are breeding everyday and here everyday. We almost don't mind if you kill that thing as much as you want. Just told on your report that you killed five when here, you killed at least ten of that fuckers."
    "Worse, if you meet the variants. The poison will corrode the ship. And if they're hitting the right place, they could put a hole in the ship." Auguste added again.
    "It's because of the Lesser Kraken I told you." Wilbur concluded. "Trimming the numbers will do good now, that you already killed the Lesser Kraken."
    "And business will do fine." Auguste added.
    ""Aye.""

    Coming to the conclusion, it was, indeed, the Lesser Kraken which is the source of all of their problem.

    But the thing that matters to Crowen is, for the people to smile again.

    Monsters could coexist as well as the opposite with the People of the Land. Human, beast-man, elves, dwarves, dragon-kin, reptile-kin, angels, demons, fairies, hobbits, halflings, every of their culture recorded at least a story, or tales, or two, which recorded that.

    And it is to be remembered what differ a ''person'' from a monster is conditions, or at least, in that regard, of minimum intelligence and will to coexist with other races. And again, it is to be remembered that conditions is depended on consensus by cumulative, opinions of majority and minority of a certain and every race, which again, depended on the will of the individuals.

    If in a case, or in a probability, the Kraken is sentient, which is a speculation, and willing to coexist with other races, which is seemingly impossible also. Then in present time, people will treat the Kraken as a Guardian Beast or something in equal, as usually, a being, being sentient and willing to coexist is usually willing wring benefits for others from itself. And maybe because of that, there is no need to put the creature's name into subjugation requests list in the Adventurers Guild or for people to remember the name of Kraken as a calamity from the abyss, and else.

    To this point, it was the same for human in the first place when they met people from races aside human. Conflicts, and cooperative approach were born between them, and it was the beginning of the world we know. But unfortunately, there is some people who hold the doctrine of Race Supremacy. As example, the Empire, and few country with ideology of theocracy, which hold the doctrine, or ideology of human race are being supreme above other races, and other human who chose to live in coexist relationship with other races.

    Taking note, for the theocracy, that it was told that God or gods in few cases, that let human know that they are supreme to other races. Often, that the teachings was altered to the favor of the humans, forming the identity of their race being supreme. But again, true or not, other races exist, and had their own beliefs. Yet, there is one complex question that hold the answers for the following questions.

    Which God, who dictates so?

    Assuming God, for believing that there is only one god, and gods, if they are myriads, is real. But the question is 'who', and the following is 'for what reason'.


    Crowen knew god, or gods, is real.


    And some of them might be lurking, and drunk, inside the Tavern of the Adventurers Guild.

    And how about thoughts that god, maybe gods, also created monster, as god, or gods created humans, and other races in the first place?


    Again, back to the story


    "Fortunately, there are no signs of them being here." Wilbur said while nibbling the smokies. "People already speculating if they should go or not to Delta City because of the reports concerning the Lesser Kraken. Meanwhile, smaller vessels are afraid of losing both their vessel and men due to the mermaids here, and other monsters."
    "But we already deal with them?" Larry butted in. "Isn't that ought to do something? Didn't we do enough?" he added.
    "Aye, old man. He's right." Jim supported.
    "Not as quick as you imagine, lad." Wilbur sighed. "You know that everything needs time. And here, news don't travel fast. You have to wait."

    True again.

    News will take time to reach ears. A good ear will take time to interpret everything they listen.

    "Alrighty then. We have nothing to worry. Haha!" Matthew said in relief, breaking the moment of tense, and changed the topic of conversation.
    "Well. That's aside, how is your family, lad?" Wilbur asked Matthew in return.
    "My family, huh?"

    Reminded of the kids playing in the field, not only Matthew, but also Jim and Larry, reminded of their own family, which fell under the phrase of under the wife's thumb.

    A question seemingly innocent, but everlasting in memories.

    Looking at the clouds, they pondered. They wondered if their wife is currently milking a cow, or bull in the shed, and if their child is playing with other child of his age. They didn't know.

    But they, somehow felt assured, that they are safe.
     
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  2. Clown333

    Clown333 「Altiora Petamus Volente Deo Lucete Stellae」

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    Chapter XIX

    But Crowen never knows that their smiles is concealing something.

    The warm-looking smile deceived him, and made him to overlook something which has passed in the night before.

    It is the darkness they dwell in everyday. It is the thing that they get to used with and overlook. It's something that they, by themselves alone couldn't change as they are powerless before it. It is something that corrupt their minds, and eventually, that something is causing everybody to forgo of their memories, of life, and its true meaning.

    And everything of that something is revealed within the silent darkness of the night.

    Faceless and formless figure passed through the shadows. They passed the lights of the city with ease, and it was almost like nothing as no one ever noticed their presence.

    Those shadows passed the alleys and the roofs.

    Maybe some of the people actually noticed that something passed. But the thought dispersed as they think that they just seen some overcasted shadows by the city lights. And they just disappeared as the figures blended in with the time each houses tuned off the lights.

    But so, words spead, that they may be bats or birds. And some say it was thieves. So concerned merchants and lords always hired guards to protect their houses and themselves while they're asleep, assuming they may never know what will happen.


    But winds are words. Swift as they passed through ears.

    The guards hired too never knew, of the true form of darkness itself. The common people, and the nobles. They too never knew.

    They only knew of their difference with other.

    One gap if formed by the difference of the district within Delta City. The houses usually made of sand blocks and clay. Simple, and easy to build. While the nobles and merchants who fattened themselves build their houses upon other people riches.

    Never wanted living with the poor, they build their houses in the further most places in the city. In the desert near a privately owned water holes, near the main canal, even near the cliffs. Enormous in size, they also built their properties with elaborate design.

    Not only that they designed it themselves, they also decorated them with decorations, statues, and ornaments as symbol of their wealth and social status.

    Their houses worked hundreds of people, everyday. There is household servants, entertainers, slaves, cooks, gardeners, and guards. Servants are always on their side except in their private chambers to serve whatever they may need, bee it food, or doing menial tasks. Entertainers like musicians or trick master lined up to entertain them in their free time. Cooks are serving their favourite foods with the best ingredient they could buy with their money. Guards are hired, waged monthly to guard their wealth, be it money, properties, and of course themselves. Slaves are used to do rough works. Sometimes, to please their desires.

    But the workers never stay, as they had their home as well, except the guards who must done their works by shifts, as well as cooks, and household attendants and slaves.

    Slaves are not included as workers as they are considered as properties, or an object.


    It was those who stayed, that have to bear witness, and fear.


    "What the....."

    It was all of a sudden. A lone guard, not knowing what is coming from behind, rendered unconscious. And all he seen is those figures in black.

    He couldn't make any sound, and soon, he fell on his knees.

    And so the other guards. Looking on their falling comrades, they immediately know that something, someone had assailed them.

    But before they could alert the others, they met the same fate. And lights, as just like erasing what happened, vanished.

    One corner, one room, one by one, turned dark and silent.

    The servants are hiding, while the slaves are not able to move. The household workers could only see and turn their eyes.

    It was in a sudden that every corner of the mansion became dark.

    The mercenaries, and the elite guards immediately noticed what was going on and took arms. They gathered in groups and spread to every corner of the place.

    "It's an attack!!"
    "We've got company!!!"

    Through the bulwark, and the dark passing, they walked as they relit the lights.

    And the house, just like that, turned into a slaughterhouse.

    "Argh!!!"
    "Urgh!!!!"
    "Blargh!!!!"

    They never looked the things that may lurk in the dark.

    And they lost their lives for it, as they are deserved to die. Even their lives isn't worth anything to look upon. They raped others, they oppressed others, they threaten others, they stole from others, and they kill others. They've had done many crimes, and now they reaped its fruit.

    Three assassins lurked from behind and swiftly slit the six-man group throats, and impale them from the back through their spleen or chest. And they just left them in the ground coughing up blood, watched as their lungs filled with it and eventually drowned them.

    What they felt was a short moment of pain, coldness of steel, which later followed by warmth of their blood and fading pain.

    As they revealed themselves, they clashed against the other guards who rushed in.

    Spotted the assailants, the mercenaries plunged at them, and swung their weapons to avenge their fallen comrades.

    Six versus three in a closed place.

    But their blades is nothing compared to the sharp cuts. Two mercenaries with their sword tried to corner one of the assassin by numbers. The two came with endless attacks. But the assassin is someone they couldn't handle. Readjusting the position, the assassin turned into aggressive attack, and plunge himself to the front of the two. The two attacked, but it was easily evaded, while one of the blow was parried. Panicked by the sudden threat, the two were forced to take distance. Killing them in silent won't do any good anymore, the assassin are forced to use poison.

    And a small cut, is the only thing they need.


    The two suddenly felt unexplainable numbness. Their body feels acute pain. In the joints, and in their insides. From the cuts, were blue rash, which is creeping on their skin like spider web.

    And they fell into the ground.

    Leaving no quarter spared, the assassin assailed the remaining mercenaries from the back as they just realized that two of their comrades has fallen.

    A short distraction is enough for dealing the blow.

    And a short moment again is enough for them to hide themselves.


    But what was not the end.

    In other place in the mansion, the assassins had infiltrated in too. Ten assassin, clad in black, descend from the ceiling. After they touched the ground they immediately moved to their destination at the end of the passageway, and through a hall.

    It was not surprising for them to expect ambush.

    At in front of them, there stood thirty mercenaries, and in front of the thirties were fifteen elite guards with crossbows, spears and swords in hands. Some of the back row were mages, in the middle of chanting.

    Spotting the intruders, their leader, a scar faced mercenary ordered, "Kill them!"

    Not waiting for anything, they began attacking them.

    Immediately five shots released from the crossbows. It was immediately followed by spells chanted by five magic caster.

    "[Fire Lance] !!! [Ice Bolt] !!"

    The arrows from the crossbows, which are able to pierce iron shields, are stuck in the floor. And then blown to pieces by explosions and damage by magic. And so the ten assassin was forced to evade.

    And just as the plan, the rest of the elite guards and the mercenaries will corner them with numbers.

    "Haaa!!!!!!"

    They shouted as they charged to the unknown assailants. Although they gained the upper hand, they still relied to their numbers.

    A seemingly foolish, but often foolproof tactic.

    "We won't let you go, bastard!!!" one of the mercenaries spat at them.

    And, eventually, the ten became separated, and individually cornered. Surrounded by fifteen heavily armed guards, their movement also locked by the constantly aiming bows and spells.

    Mockingly laughing at them, the mercenary leader pointed at their plans.

    "Stupid fools!! How brave of you to intrude here without proper plans! How many people do you think we've send to hell?!"


    It was just as they planned.


    Raising his hand, he gave the last signal.

    "Di--BLAAARGH!!!!!!"

    A thin object was protruding from the inside of his now blood filled mouth, from the throat, above the tongue. And what he felt in his mouth, were cold steel. Warm, and strangely at the same time, cold at the touch.

    And there was pain.

    "Then please begin by yourself." a soft voice of women whispered from his back.
    "Wha...?"

    Softly, he can feel her hands throughout the steel. And just so, she immediately pulls out the knife, leaving the blood spurted out from the mercenary leader who struggling to stop it.

    "Dam...i..t....."

    Not minding his last words, the female assassin cleaned her blade with one swing. And the floor is red with blood, which is red as wine.

    "Shit!!"
    "Kill her!!!"

    The mercenaries in the back immediately turn their backs. They looked at the woman assassin with reddened face. The mages and bow users turned their aim to her.

    But again, it was already too late.

    The mercenaries in the back, most of them, lacked proper armor as they usually used light armor for protection means. That means some part of their bodies were exposed. Especially mages who usually for practical reason, chose to wore robes and magical accessories to increase their magic capacity and offensive power.

    They too, failed to notice, that their enemies might brought reinforcements.

    They too, forgot, that it was not the trait of assassins to plainly show themselves and fight.

    And the price of that lessons,



    is their blood.

    And eventually their lives.


    Five assassins passed through their guards, emerged from the dark passageways. The crossbowman tried to hit them. But due to panic, and tremor, all of the shots missed, or able to be deflected.

    It was inevitable that the five assassins went joining the fray and killed the five crossbowman from close distance.

    Using the same tactics as the five crossbowman, the five assassins took the five mages using their own weapons.

    As they couldn't simply cast magic over short period of time, they too couldn't use explosive magic in closed space as they will hit themselves. They are resorting to use [Gale Cut], and [Ice Bolt], not minding the possibility of their comrades of being still alive.

    But just like the first time they used the magic on the assassins, it was easily evaded.

    Not giving any chance for the mages to recast the spells, they used arm crossbow to shot dead the mages, who in the first place didn't had much means of protection, except their allies.

    The shot was able to push through their bodies, putting a small hole after passed through, destroying the organs and blood vessels at the same time.


    Not wasting time, the left standing vice leader of the mercenaries taking the chance to strike back. Regrouping with the left mercenaries and the elite guards, he counted that the numbers went down to half.

    Due to the heavy equipment, the ten assassins only could put a fight against the elite guards while retaining few injuries. It was almost thinkable to let go of the knives and using their fists and kicks to equal with the unbelievably nimble moves of the elite guards. Their movements is slightly limited by the armor joints, but it was compensated by the toughness of their armors. And by so, they became the vanguards for the mercenaries to fight against the assassins.

    But in the other hand, the assassins are able to evade almost every attacks.

    In other words, both of them need some firepower, or another trick in hands.

    But still, in the present time, their strength is equal.

    The vice leader couldn't think of anything as their leader was taken by surprise.

    "Shit!! I'm going to take down that vixen! Don't bother to help!" the vice leader shouted in rage. Brandishing his sword, he began to apply enchantment skills. "[Lesser Strength], [Ability Boost], [Body Enchant], [Keen Edge], [Eagle's Eye], [Provocation], [Triple Blow]. Come here you bitch!! I'll kill you and feed your corpse to the dogs!!!"

    Showing a calming smile, the female assassin replied, "Come."

    "Then die!!" he shouted again, taking a leap.

    No even showing remorse, the vice leader of the mercenaries began his attack. A series of heavy triple blow. Leaving gust of wind and light traces as he put the attack. Due to the multiple enchantments, he could gave no square to the female assassin. Even though the direction of the attack looks simple,the momentum of the blade is enough to destroy the marble floor.

    Responding to the attacks,the female assassin threw some knives, which is easily deflected by the mercenary's vice leader.

    "That weak throws won't work on me you know?!!!" he cackled. "Why don't you stop jumping around and properly fight !?!! I'll be glad to make a mincemeat of you!"
    "As expected of a mercenary. I even couldn't differ your words from the words of a mad men."
    "The hell you say?!"
    "Nothing. Let's just said I was talking to myself."
    "Damn you!!!"

    Hearing the insult, the vice leader's face became red as steamed prawn.

    "I don't know for who do you work for, or shit, but you're making me angry!"
    "That is my line, you know? I cannot help but to ask, why in the world people like you existed? I think it is better for people likke you to disappear."
    "What a joke! The one who will disappear from this world is you, lowly sow! Take this, [Six Consecutive Slash]!!"

    The man's body were brimming with power. If it could be described, it was almost like every fiber of his muscled urged him to release the energy. The pressure released cracked the marble floor when he leaped forward.

    "[Greater Evasion]"

    A green hue instantly enveloped the female assassin's body. In the nick of time, the female assassin evaded all six of the attacks, almost like leaving illusion. When the edge of the blade touched the female assassin's body, it just passed, leaving the image dispersed while simultaneously another image of the female assassin appeared from the thin air.

    "What a stubborn bitch!"
    "Is that all you have to say?"

    Enraged by the fact that his attack missed its target, the mercenary vice leader added more speed and power for each blow. But the female assassin still could evaded all the attacks.

    It is clearly obvious from the start that assassin holds the advantage over agility, speed, and dexterity. This is due to the skill set of an assassin, which is focused on self concealment and assassination. Hence, the fighting style of an assassin is different from mercenary, who tends to be jack of all trades, but not a master. While the average damage of the mercenary is moderate for every and each of blows, they couldn't muster higher speed.

    A subjective opinion explicitly indicates that mercenary often lacks discipline in training compared to every other jobs. This opinion is based on fact that a mercenary is a fighter that will fight, alone or in a band, for a benefit, or money. Mercenary in a band often fights relying on average tactics. With average or slightly above from average skills and status, mercenary often fight by numbers under a single command. And since they're fighting for benefit, or money, it is often thought that mercenary, which is almost of your average mercenary, will be lacking in discipline compared to other jobs, where each individuals will, or must, hone their skills and dedicate themselves in its art.

    Due to that conclusion, mercenary, or mercenaries, is often thought as a meat wall, like an average soldier.

    Still, as this is just an opinion, even more, a subjective opinion, there is exception.


    But from the scene, it was obvious from the start which is which.


    The mercenary vice leader is clearly not your average mercenary. But it could be determined from the very start, even before the event, that the female assassin is not your average assassin.

    It will be great if everything is easily decided like that.

    "Haah....." the mercenary vice leader panted in heavy breath.

    After almost five minutes of holding against each other, it was inevitable that they must have reached a conclusion, which is to end this battle.

    As the mercenary vice leader keeping up to the flow of the battle, the female assassin also tried to keep up the distance. The mercenary vice leader tried to be as close as possible and then delivers decisive blows. And reading that, those blow was gracefully evaded, and parried by the female assassin.

    Patience is needed for hunter to get it's game.

    But the question is, which one is the hunter, and which one is the game?

    Still panting, the man pushed himself forward, seemingly not minding his steps.

    An opening.

    "Heh." the man laughed.


    And a mistake.

    She was in doubt if the man is really tired. And the female assassin made a mistake of choice.

    The man was feigning his fatigue, and deliberately created a fake opening. Letting the female assassin to attack, and made their distance closer. And made him able to reach her with a short blade.

    Although he succeeded in luring her to his trap, still, he couldn't manage to put more than a scratch in her face. A shallow cut on the skin. Just right on her left cheek is small amount of blood, dripping from the cut.

    It was a shame that this tactic now won't work twice.

    "What a problematic women." he said as he backed out.

    It was a small cut, but it felt to him that he gained the upper hand above the female assassin, who now just stood while holding her cheek with her one hand.

    "Don't you think we just didn't prepare for you?" he mocked, deliberately provoking his adversary. "We mercenary are veterans of battles yanno?! We'll use every dirty tricks on the book to get even!! Perhaps I should thank you for killing that bossy bastard! If I said that the bastard dead after I kill you, maybe I will be raised as captain by the other captains!!" he said again as he prepared to attack again, and leaped to the direction of the female assassin.

    His attack was a direct downward slash from above. Its force was more than enough to split man in light armor.

    "u...n..gi..v...ble.." the female assassin silently muttered.
    "What are you saying you bitch? Are you praying? Are you done? Everything won't matter when I cleave you in-----"

    Not even done, he heard a cold voice brimming with anger in his ears. And he felt a presence, someone, very close to him.

    "I said that, you, sir, are unforgivable. Then, as I expressed, allow me to kill you. And don't worry, that you the four others will follow you into the afterlife."

    That voice was the last thing he had heard.

    And everything went black.


    The only thing left is the corpse, which is severed into parts. Unrecognizable. Vivid in red.
    And not far from there, the female assassin stood with her eyes staring far upwards. And her hands is still holding the knives.

    And the battle continues.

    Just as the mercenary vice leader said, the reinforcements came. Ten guards clad in heavy armor, making haste of themselves. And what welcomed them there is the scene of carnage.

    On the floor was blood. On the place, everywhere, were corpses of their comrades. And some who still stood, were fighting. And looking in the middle, was the unmoving female assassin.

    Everything went without said.

    They charged in as the squad leader ordered so. Stormed into the fray, their first target is the vulnerable female assassin.


    And so, she smiled.

    "What........??"


    Again.

    Everything went black.


    -------------------------


    In a place separated from others, it was a small passageway. It leads to an open space, a hall. A red space. A knight, drenched in blood faking a maniacal smile. And all of the eyes looked with fear.

    "So you're here, huh?" the blood drenched knight said. His eyes is cold. Even more his words.
    From the shadow, was the visage of a man. Covered by the shadow, it was not exactly clear. "Yes, I am. I'm not hiding in the first place, you know?" the voice said.
    "Standard for assassins for hiding and concealing their presence is different from common people. These people even won't notice."

    That you'll kill them, he continued in his thoughts.

    "Hmm... so, does it matter?" he nonchalantly said. "Assassins should fight assassins. It was equal. As I too, looking for an opponent. Could you spare some of your time for me?"
    "Do as you like. Don't blame me if I cleave your body into pieces." the red knight said in cold tone.
    Smiling, the man replied, "How scary! How scary! As I am not tasked to guard this area, I presume that leaving only you here will be fine!" he giggled. "It seems that 5th team screwed big time. I wonder if you would come to help. But I don't know, since that scar face is so weak."
    "I am only doing what I was told to." the knight replied. "I'm not like you mercenaries."
    "I know. I know. They say, that you are only here for quenching your thirst of blood. But it seems that they are right! Look around here! It's festival of red! Oh! How beautiful! Leader will like this no doubt!"
    "I already know from the first sight that some of you lot had loose screws." the knight muttered in disbelief. "And I guess I am right."
    "Hmmm~ Well. Should I be going now?" the man asked. "I hate to leave you alone but..."
    "I don't need help."

    A quick answer.

    "Fine." the man finally said. With the shadows, he erased his presence. And it was only a short moment after that the knight felt that the man is really gone. Looking at the opposing entrance of the hall, the knight said again in cold voice, directed to visages there.

    "I don't know who you are. But don't resent me if you're killed."

    Slowly approaching, the shadow form a silhouette of a man. As the shadow had given up on concealing the hidden presence, the image became clearer. Soft tapping sound could be heard on the pavement, clearer and without hesitation, only to reveal a young man clad in worn out black shroud. Its gaps revealing his attire. A black leather vest with knives strapped, both in the rear and in the shroud itself. He also equipped a pair of black leather gloves and boots.

    "Good night. Nice to meet you, Ryner Hubert." the young man greeted the knight, grinning, showing a warm looking smile.
    "Good night, assassin." he too, said his greetings. "But still, an assassin greets his target, huh? It's the first time I met someone like that." he added, still, with ice cold voice.
    "Etiquettes are important in job after all." he said while tilting his head, and not losing his smile.
    "Skip the charade, what do you want?"
    "Nothing, actually nothing if it's from you."
    "What do you mean by that?" he questioned back.
    "Where is it? Of course have been put inside the private room right? Therefore, I had no business with you. I just wanted to pass through."

    Mentioning the words, the air became cold. There is definitely no love between the two. But in exchange, there is tension. A pluck on the high-strung string.

    "That, I cannot comply."
    "So, you will stood after all? Are you sure?" the assassin asked.
    "You've been awfully considerate for a lowlife like me. I don't need your sympathy. If you wanted to pass through, defeat me, kill me and cut me to pieces. If you do so, I will have no problem if you still wanted to pass through, or even leveled this cursed mansion to the ground. It will be better for me if you actually do that."
    "Then, I will be your opponent."
    "Just let me warn you, if you don't defeat me quick, other guards will came in and surround you."

    Hearing the words, he stood still, with both knives drawn and in hand.

    "Nothing more to say, huh?"

    If this were open fields like the outside of this mansion, you could hear the almost howling like wind. The wind swept the dust, the grass, caressed every nook of the mansion's structures before rising.

    "Come..." he muttered in solemn tone, lacking of life.
    "Then." the assassin replied. He courteously bowed. And after he fixed his posture,


    he disappeared.

    In the same moment, the bloody knight brandished his sword and swing it to the front with full power. And a loud bang could be heard.

    It was the sound of weapons clashing.

    Without anyone speaking, the gritting sound made between both weapons could be heard.

    The intense friction caused small sparks.

    And both of the hands holding it are shaking. Yet the expressions on their face are not changing.

    Looking for a chance to attack, the knight decided to land a kick. But the assassin, using the momentum to leap back, and throwing three knives in return.

    The first knives was deflected with a full blow. Following it, the second knives were deflected by directing the knife to the broadside of the sword, naturally changed its course, directing it to the wall. And this made him able to evade the third knife by stepping to the left.

    Proceeding, the knight jumped forward and pushed his attack to the assassin. Once again, a loud bang is heard. This tie, the sword was clashing with the two attached blade. As their build is different from other, so does their strength.

    But again, it was not that easy to determine that.

    At first, the knight was holding the advantage, using his body power, he tried to overpower the assassin. But it was a moment later that the assassin matched him in term of power, and even pushing him back.

    "Ghh!!!"

    And the battle itself is more like the battle between warriors out of rivalry rather than battle between an assassin and a knight which objective is to kill each other. But still, each swing of sword and thrown knives is clearly intended to injure the opponent. As it is obvious that their objection from the start is to kill.


    Whoever lose must die a lonesome death.


    And the winner must, without emotion, end the opponent's life.


    It's inevitable.


    Repeating the same strategy, one of them must let go. And the same as before, the assassin once more chose to let go and keep distance. The knight already read this, and swing his blade in return. It wasn't fast enough to catch the speed of the assassin but, he was able to disable the arm blade.

    A loud bang was heard, and the arm blade was cut clean, with its cut struck into the marble floor.

    The assassin too had seen this, and aim for a sharp cut. A knife from the back of his hands slide into his hand, and now aimed at the knight's throat.

    And in the nick of time, the knight parried the knife.

    The parry created a high pitch scream. And the world seems reverberating with the same sound.

    The parry was flawless, but the assassin took the chance to lock the knight's arm. And by the other hand, the knife changed hand to deliver the real attack. But the knight let go of his sword, and catch the assassin's arm. And both of them locked each other's legs.

    Almost a minute they maintained that position. And the knight breaks the lock by giving a shot to the assassins stomach. A loud clang sound was heard as the knight's gauntlet hits the lightly armored vest. And in returnn, the assassin succeeded to land a forceful stab to the knight's left arm. The knife ripped through the armor as it was driven by sheer amount of force.

    The knight said nothing. He forcefully pulled the knife. The bleeding was rapid, and on his gauntlet, blood was dripping and fall to the marble floor.

    And the battle resumed.

    The two holds their weapons tight.

    "[Rend]" the knight muttered, and it was followed by an instant swing from his sword.

    From the swing, the force putted on the blade creates a crescent shaped light traces. It appears in a moment, and in a moment too, its gone. But then the air whistled. And the floor cracked.

    The smooth surface of the marble was sharply cut.

    "Tch. Missed, huh?" the knight cursed as his target which supposed to be cut is not there. The cut only rend the edge of the assassin's shroud as he dodged the slash by stepping to his left.

    Not giving any quarter, the knight continued the attack by directing the same technique horizontally. And by so, the assassin is forced to dodge by lowering his body.

    Although seemingly impossible, the assassin aimed the knight's lower body.

    "As if I will let you." the knight solemnly said, and point his sword toward the marble floor. The blade stopped the knife, just right by its guard.

    Without the knife guard, both the assassin and the knight may had injury. The assassin's finger may cut, and the knight may lose one of his legs, rendering him unable to move.

    The assassin threw three knives consecutively from below. It was almost impossible to dodge as the angle was steep. But even so, the knight still could evaded it.

    "How crafty." the knight muttered again before landed a solid kick to the assassin's body. The assassin's body flew backwards and rolled few times before stopped.
    "Gah!!! Thank you for the compliment..." the assassin replied as he holds his aching stomach and puked blood.

    Still holding his stomach, again, the assassin threw three knives consecutively.

    "You're persistent." the knight said as he deflects the knives with his sword.
    "Again, thank you for the compliment..." replied the assassin as he coughed.

    And eventually, their distance became close.

    "Even though you still manage to smirk like that." the knight commented as he stood, brandishing his sword. "Not many could do that."
    "Putting up a smile is hard you know? How about putting up a smile once for a while?" the assassin replied again. "And if you thought that this is the end, you're mistaken, o sir knight."

    It was in a split second that the knight had taken notice of a small ball like trinket.

    "Don't worry. It's not poisonous or anything." the assassin said, still smiling.

    On the contrary, the knight couldn't believe those words, and went to cut the ball in half. And, still, living up to his expectations, the moment it was cut, its inside spreads out. A white smoke, thick as sea mist, and now it covers his surrounding.

    "Smoke screen, huh?" he assumed.

    Taking a stance, the knight brandished his sword. And in one swing, he cleared all the smoke screen.

    And as expected, the assassin is no longer there.


    But he knows, that he's going nowhere.


    "Predictable." he said in ice cold tone. With his right hand, he swing his sword. And again, a loud clanging sound was heard, louder than before. "Taking things from the dead invites bad luck."
    "Such shame but," emerging from the thick smoke, the assassin holds a sword, taken from the dead guards, and a knife in the other hand. "I'm living with 'not wasting anything' principle, so it's fine. They don't use it anymore."
    "Well, I guess the dead tell no tales. But I could say too, that as an assassin, you're an odd one."
    "Huh, am I?" the assassin asked in return, tilting his head.
    "Should I know." the knight answered. "[Rend]."

    Once again, by one swing of the sword, air reverberates heavily. And air itself was cut, and then the floor, to the direction where the assassin stood.

    "[Greater Ability Boost], [Greater Agility]."

    Just right after he said the words, the assassin's body wreathed in emerald green hue. And his visage disappears into the thin air, and reappear right in the front of the knight.

    And just like before, the blade clashes in high pitch sound. Only that the happenings became more and more often. Absurd, as this fight had became the kind of fight that wasn't imagined in the first place.

    Both man asks indifferently to their hidden hearts, looking down to the ground, and then at each other, with a pair of disdainful, burning crimson eyes.

    But why the disdain? Both asked their inner self that.

    Around the shadow, more glows appeared, clashing sword which numbers growing to a countless number. Suddenly sliding out of mid-air were swords, and knives. All of them were the same, weapons held with intention to kill.

    A worthy adversary.
    Both felt no fear. Only determination to hit with everything they had in their reach.

    The knight, almost effortlessly swing the sword with his wounded left hand, leaving the right free. And in the other side, the assassin chose to interval his use of weapons, either a picked up long sword, and his dagger, attacking while maintaining high speed mobility, despite his injuries.

    "It seems I got rusty." the assassin cackled. "I'm not used to this now. How regrettable."
    "I wanted to say that for myself." the knight muttered darkly as he swing his blade.

    It was unimaginable.

    And the air crashed, followed by gust of wind.

    "Haaa!!!!!"
    "Ghhhhh!!!!!"

    Slaughter was easy feat for them. Blows, in between were solid attacks and feints. It were continuously exchanged. And they spared no thoughts on their surrounding.

    "This man is good!!" both of them thought.

    Every fiber of their muscles screamed. Their bodies ached. And blood red and entrails is the colours that accompany this fight.

    "But even so!!!"

    And by so, they decided to put their everything in single strike.

    "I can win!!!!!!"


    Everything happened in a blink of eyes.


    "Blhragh!!!"
    "Guha!!!!!"

    As the result, two stood, with their weapons stained in red.

    But the ultimate result of the fight could not be decided so easily. As time have been chosen to tell, who may be the last one that stood.

    Blood gushed out from their wounds, made the choked on their own blood.

    And so, both fell upon their knees.


    Only one able to stood again, was the assassin. He stood, clung to his strength, and gripped his knife.

    "Ha....ha...." the assassin panted, calmed himself. Looking at the lying knight on the marble floor, he noticed his pale complexion. His breath is faint, and life is seeping out from him. But so does the knight. Looking again at the should be empty corridors, he called to the watching shadow. "Until when, you will only stood, Lilianne?"

    Emerged from the shadows, was a figure of woman clad in all black. It was Lilianne indeed. And she showed a wicked smile, and gratuitously bowed a little to him.

    "As expected of teacher. It seems I'm in need of little training." she stated in her usual calm tone. Her face is soaked in blood. Her hands is still holding the knife.
    "Experience is what you need, Lilianne. And by the way, what is that thing you hold?" Gilbert asked while focusing his eyes to the unknown object shroud in the shadow. Dark liquid was dripping from it. "A.... head?"
    "Yes, teacher. It's from one of those worthless maggots." she answered.

    She lifted the object in her hand, and turn in to her direction. An agonized face of man, with stares full of fear. By one look, anyone can tell, that he experienced a painful death. His neck is cut with a single strike. And the blood is fresh.

    "This one couldn't keep his mouth shut."
    "I think you should toss that thing. We would be in a pickle if you carry that thing around. Although by myself I would like to put that head on a spike."
    "I'm glad you killed that cunt."

    A sudden retort from someone they didn't suspect to respond to their conversations.

    It's the knight. He still clung to his life.

    Gathering the last of his strength, he turned his body up.

    "It's my loss. Do whatever you want....make it quick...." he said while spitting out clotted blood.
    "I wanted nothing in particular. Only---"
    "If you're looking for that pig, he's not here."
    "He ran away at the first rumour, huh? Then...any last words?"
    "Maybe this is something you wanted, or not wanted to hear. Will you listen?"
    "If you have time."
    "I got enough."

    And words proceeds from the wounded knight's mouth. Words that made them fear, awed, and believe that there is something more. That there's something inside and outside, that passed their eyes, and kept unnoticed.

    And the very fact, that they did lost to the marching time.

    "Now, I'll just rest...."
    "I will see you later."
    "I will pray for you, sir knight."
    "Please. Now go..."

    “This is better than before.” Crowen thought.

    In the sea, aboard a fishing ship, fishing. This is what he currently do, and what he expected from this journey. Looking at the ship, his mind imagined nothing more, or less, than a fishing boat. A small boat, consisted of three mast before the helm, with armaments no more than two ballistae. On the deck was cages of steel. Inside the inner deck was fish tank and ice chambers.

    “But still, two—no, three left.” He said to himself again, smiling. But a sudden thought turned his smile into a wry one.

    Looking at the direction behind the ship lies the cause. It was the Belfast. And just at the ship’s prow was old man Alphonse and his ‘merry’ crews. Alphonse waved his hand at Crowen. But still in the other hand, was bottles of rum.

    Short conclusion: He’s drunk.

    And by those conclusion, Crowen decided to wave his hand too, and turned his back.

    Looking at the waves, Crowen thought, and asked, “How in the world I got involved inside all of this?”

    Days before, he battled assassins. After, he had slain a B-rank monster and other monsters.

    He couldn’t help but admit, that 10 glass of wine clouded his reasoning, and turned a few days fishing trip into a week of journey. Not like that he regret it, but it will be embarrassing after he sobered up if this happened again in the near time.

    And after hearing the story, with all of the truth, he already decided to help.

    “Only three left.” He mumbled again. Looking at the small paper he held with his left hand, he hummed in joy.

    Among six lines of writings written, there is three left unstreak with graphite.

    ======

    Trap 3 Giant Crab.

    Fish 5 Speedy Tuna.

    Kill 5 Sea Snake.

    ======

    After he spent some time thinking, he stroked the writings.

    “Done.” He said to reassure himself.

    Looking at the waters, he leaned his body to the edge of the wooden railings.

    ----------------------------------------------------


    Sea snake is an aquatic creature that prey upon anything that drift into their territory. And sometimes people on fishing boats.

    Hence, killing them and reduce their numbers is necessary to prevent infestations. And overpopulation will lead to the ruin of the balance of the environment, and isolation or territorial reign by a single species of monster or creature. In this case, the waters near Delta City are under isolation, and unable to be traversed by due to the appearance of the Lesser Kraken, which lead to the overpopulation of monsters under Lesser Kraken. But now, the only one left is the Sea Snakes.

    And as usual, five Sea Snake will be enough. Not more or less.

    Using a slaughtered lamb as bait, the crew of the Belfast lured the Sea Snakes by the blood to the Near Shore, or known also as part of the Great Reefs. And the fishing boat was used as bait as well.

    He remembered that one time that the Lightning imbued arrows pierced through the Lesser Kraken tentacles. And indeed, it worked, only too well, on the Sea Snakes. Once the Sea Snakes emerged from the sea, Crowen used his arrows immediately, and immobilize the creature.

    And after that, it took no time for Alphonse to turn the Belfast, and additionally hailed the Sea Snake with dozens of steel harpoons. And they sunk with the harpoons stuck on their charred bodies.


    But still, the main event here is the fishing.


    Two of many things that let people live is fish. In this particular case, tuna and crab.

    Tuna, is a fish related to mackerel. The family of ‘tuna’, in academic records sums up to twenty species from six genus, with longest lifespan more than fifty years. Its weight ranged from twenty pound or libra to a thousand and five hundred pound or libra or three quarter tonne. Its size ranged from two feet to sixteen feet.

    Renowned scholar, Lord Caroll Lynn, and his colleague Lady Castella wrote as:

    ---A fish which speed is one the fastest among fishes and land creatures. And Speedy Tuna is the fastest of all of them. Too troublesome to catch. And behind their speed is the circulatory of blood, which could only be described as miraculous; a net that intertwined.

    And it was needless to say that their meat is prized as a game meat. The meat is often flaked, or filleted. The way to preserve the meat is by dry-aging, or boil the meat and store it inside brine, or oil, which could be seasoned. This is where the problem begins.

    Regarding this, it is written by Lord Wick:

    ---As tunas are often caught far from where they are processed, poor interim conservation can lead to spoilage. And since the size of the fish itself is enormous tuna is typically gutted by hand. I feared of overfishing as the meat is priced very-high as game meat.

    And again by Lord Wick:

    ---There is some trick that fishermen secretly kept to fish tuna; not by the methods, which is long-line fishing and floating-bottom-weighed nets, but the bait, which is salted Flying Fish. And I furthermore, deduced, that farming is possible for some species under required conditions above by an enterprise.

    And because will it took them time to fish, the crew decided to go with the crab first.

    But for the Giant Crabs, it’s only slightly different.

    According to Lord Weiss’s (and his colleagues) Journal of Marine and Fresh Water Life, it is written:

    ---First, we know that crabs is just as is. A ten-legged creature which protected itself by its armour-like carapace. They live in water, either salt water or fresh water, and land. Their arms, and their defensive contraption, is their pincers. They are omnivores, as they feed on algae, worms, detritus, fungi, and other creatures like clams, fish, etc. But some chose to eat a certain type of food.

    It has been observed by Lord Guinn in his journal that crabs tend to be a territorial creature, and developed a wonderful cooperative behaviour in order to gather food, with exception of Giant Crabs which is tend to be solitary. It was suspected that he cause was in the size, or perhaps their baser instinct of monsters.

    And regardless of their appearance their meat tastes superb.

    Again, on the earlier account of Lord Weiss:


    ---Fisheries is the backbone of coastal cities, and crabs made a-fifth of the trade. Their meat are mellow and delicately sweet. Here in this occasion I have observed with my own eyes that it is true. Many dishes emerged from coastal cities that used crab meat as main ingredients. Such the taste, quality, and the versatility of the meat itself, that simply boiled or roasted meat could be called a dish.

    By parts, I shall describe: The long-meat came from the pincers and legs. It has a white colour with red tinge with dark colour at the tip. This particular type of meat is aromatic and mostly available in fish market while the tip with the shell could be used as soup ingredients to bring out the taste. The lump-like meat came from the back side and under the abdomen. It has a brilliant white colour. And last, is the shreds which came from the body cavity.


    By those results of observations hence the price for large sized crabs. Just the same as my friend Lord Wick, I concern for overfishing. But unlike tuna, I have observed that crabs are more regenerative than tuna as example of ability to regrow their lost pincers and legs over a mere nine months. I furthermore deduced that harvesting crab long-meat could be done by only tearing their legs and pincers and return them to their environment. And furthermore I deduce that farming method could be applied upon crabs, with Giant Crabs as an exception due to their nature and size.

    In sum, Giant Crabs is always in demand. But, there is no solution except to capture and extract the meat in the place people encountered them.

    Looking at the inside of the cages there were hundreds of sea crabs making clinking sound with their pincers. They was one and half feet in height, covered in white red armour of theirs.

    At the time they went to ensnare the Giant Crabs. He remembered that he was trying to flip the creatures while the crews tried to break the legs by aiming the sides and the abdomen. While it was easy for the crew to land their attacks, the carapace was tough. It took a lot of time to disable the Giant Crab before Crowen actually killed the Giant Crab by aiming at the mouth of the Giant Crab and eventually its insides. The Giant Crabs went limping before they fell upon their eight legs and two pincers.

    Over the next half hour, the crews was drenched in sweat as they dismantled the creature with haste. Alphonse retorted, "The meat will spoil if we didn't do this real quick."

    And Crowen was convinced, that it was natural for them to do so. For all of this, will cover their wages, and give them reason to live and work hard.

    "It was good." Crowen concluded.

    As he looked upwards by the white canvas and the clouds. He knew that it was time to go home.

    After returning to the Crescent Island they will return to Delta City and say his goodbyes.

    Over the time, he was getting more and more accustomed to the life of seafarers, Alphonse and his crew, and the islanders.

    He imagined that this world is the place where they live is the place where they could smile.

    It was a discussion under the stars, and only two to speak and hear.

    "Well, boy. When the boys called me, and saying that you went here by yourself, figured you need company of some sort." looking at Crowen, Alphonse smiled. Just after, he opened the cork of one of the bottle, and drank the content. "Here you go." he said again as he passed the bottle to him.
    "Looks like I can't hide from them, haha." he lightly responded. "I only wanted to be alone. I wanted time, to think, even for a while." he cried.
    "I don't blame that. I understand that leaving one place after get used to it, even for a while, is quite painful, haha. We seafarers. We adventurers. We skyfarers. We who tread our path on land. We are all the same. When you came, in the end, you can't just let go."
    "When I came to it, life is just exactly the same as that. "
    "Both yes and no. How I am supposed to know anything 'bout that? How do you think a drunken old buzzard like me will ever know. How about you?"
    "I think I'm still green," Crowen answered in cheered up tone, and finished the bottle. "I don't know left and right."
    "But I think you will be just doing fine? I mean you know stuffs already when you're still green. While I learnt by years, and my own folly." he giggled. Opening the second bottle, Alphonse looked up. "Can I tell you my story?"


    Without saying anything, Crowen nodded. As the fire wood cracked, Alphonse told his past to him.

    "Say that I was man of the sea for years. And there was this galley where I was working as master of arms. And back then, Auguste and Wilbur still worked as fishmonger. You could say that we're not the most pleasant kind of man, you would like to meet." Aplhonse started.

    Sailor are known for their discipline, and foul mouth, and more, their superstitious beliefs. And Delta Town is just the same, if not worse back then.

    "As a company, we're used to deliver cargos and people who wanted to traverse the sea. I remind you that my ship was more kind to the rough side. Bumpy ride, storms, risks of pirate.... it never ends. And all of it.....it happens back then." he said in a huge breath. "And there was this.... priests. Maybe thanks to them I was believer now, my family, Wilbur, Auguste, and my whole crew. A load of shite at first, honey like words, which we at first refuse to listen."
    "I think I can understand that, old man." Crowen too laughed. "Even I, even now, didn't know if I deserved to know. Listening to the reading of the scriptures, and the words of the priests hurts at first. But it soothes the soul."
    "And even though I was turned to this. This thing just get to tastes better than ever."
    "Everything you eat or drink or do or not do, will be better if you are grateful to them. It's a bliss in the truest form."
    "Bliss or not, that is what life should be."
    "Then what do you think something so unpredictable, abstract yet real, should be? I think it should be a world that I could full-heartedly and proudly call as home. A place where everyone can take peaceful nap, and smile."
    "That's nice. For me, I only wanted a world where I could drink, eat, laugh, and... yes....be together with everyone, merrily tackling down whatever hardships that lies in front of our eyes."
    "Hey, old man, have you ever wondered why we're what we are?"
    "It's a silly question. A shit load of crap came out from the mouth of fake priests, con scholars, and nobles, but I will say that, because of everything was meant as is. I learned it."
    "By yourself...?"
    "Not really. It's the priests. It's always those priests."
    "Hmmm....that two priests huh? Have you ever wondered what have became of them, or anything?"
    "Should be dead, boy. Humans can't outdone their lifespan. If they had put someone and teach them properly, that person's disciples would be as old as I am now."
    "That's true I suppose, hahaha."
    "Yeah. Probably I'll just rest for a while here with you." Alphonse said in the end.


    Remembering about those particular two priests was no easy task for Alphonse. Lying under the shadows of the stars, his body is wrapped by the gentle wind. He fell asleep.

    Into his dreams, into the past.

    It was when Delta City is nowhere like its present condition. A den if not more for misfits. A place where people must stay on the main road and not stray.

    "We must not..... stray....."

    Everything he could remember is his depraved youth life.

    He remembered that once he deprived one man of his money, every time he crossed his turf. And times when he got his stomach kicked by guards of the corrupt lords that always deprived everyone of their own money. The one who didn't work didn't get to eat. But the one who stood at the top would deprived everyone below almost everything they had. Such is Delta Town.

    He would remember that he's actually got beaten by dozens of guards as revenge when he actually beat the shit one of them when he stole their rations. That's when he met Auguste, and Wilbur.

    They're the one who helped him after he was beaten to pulp.

    "Here you go." young Auguste said indifferently after he tossed a pouch of water to the lying Alphonse. "It would helped a lot if you stop. You'll just lose. Get stabbed by and that's your end."
    "Thanks...."


    Everything begins there.

    At first Alphonse began to work under Wilbur's father as fisherman. Helped the duo to disembowel fish and became fishmonger as he didn't have something else to do. Wilbur's father and his colleagues told the three about the sea, navigations, signs of the stars and everything. Everyone knows that Auguste had the touch to be a cook like his mother, so everyone's meal was left in his charge. In the other hand, Wilbur often paid attention to transactions and helped Auguste's father, and his father to strike every deals. Alphonse often helps both of them. But Wilbur's father is the one who found that Alphonse is suited more as a helmsman and marksman. Only, at the time he wasn't yet a believer of superstitions.

    But suddenly, Wilbur's father decided to settle down on the Crescent Island. And Auguste's complied to that decision as Crescent Island, although perilous to traverse, is a good place to start a new life. Besides, they could always get woods to make ships, and there is ships that actually stopped there to rest. And in the final, all of the Wilbur's assets are relinquished to Auguste's father. And those, again, would eventually passed to Auguste, and his sons.

    Needless to say that Alphonse had nothing left to do except helping Auguste at his shops. At the time, Alphonse decided to jump in between coming and going ships. In two year, Alphonse already get the gist of the docks.

    It was the time when he actually met the two priests. And experienced happenings that would drastically changed his life.

    A group of passengers, with two man with brown, almost tattered, clothes, with only ropes to tied them together. They carried nothing but small pouch of water and coins for themselves inside their leather bag, with exception of their footwear and an old leather-bounded book and scrolls of some sort.

    Alphonse remembered as how the first mate called them as "shepherd" in tiresome tone. And so did every other crew. A nagging person who refused to lift their own weight and loads yet turned to others to lift it for them. Such was his opinion of them.

    But in contrast, all the two do was talking a little, joining in the conversation for courtesy, and nothing but praying and reciting the passages of the scriptures. If they bumped into one of the crews, they will immediately apologize, and they always share whatever they had to other passengers, especially to the old and the kids. Only something that was very normal to do, but there is something else, unseen things, that everyone back then didn't like from those two. And even though there is some of the crews and passengers slandered them, they didn't pay attention at all, and just smiled as if they are fine with that.

    "Look what kind of hypocrites are they!! Hahahaha!!!!" said one of the crews during supper.

    And everyone laughed.

    Only that along the way, nobody thought of the storm. Nothing impossible for the nature if the earth and the sea wanted to unleash their wrath. And no one thought that their belief will be shaken to the core by what happened after this day.

    In place where there is no clouds, suddenly a storming clouds brewing in the pitch black sky, followed by raging thunder.

    "Maelstrom!!!!!!"

    It was a storm.

    A nightmare for everyone aboard, and everyone who were left home.

    People never know what might frightened them in the sea.

    And suddenly everything went black, as he could remember anything about the storm. He imagined that the passengers cried as the ship rocked so hard due to the four story high waves. He imagined the desperate faces of the crews when the thunder struck the mast and cast it into the deep. And there is the captain, shivering, feared that the ship may capsized as the rudder is broken, not responding even though he spun the helm like madmen. The sea water turned into mist.

    Only to evade the menacing typhoon, the boat tried to face the storm and raging waves.

    While he and everyone on the ship was thrown by the shock, he watched the ship turned to wreckage. He felt pain all over his body. And vivid images of the storm, and everything ravaged his mind.

    But still....


    .....there is definitely some good men in this seemingly rotten world.


    He heard a sound. A gentle voice that soothes his mind.

    In principio erat Verbum et Verbum erat apud Deum et Deus erat Verbum. In ipso vita erat et vita erat lux. Et lux in tenebris lucet et tenebrae eam non conprehenderunt

    Iterum.

    In principio creavit Deus caelum et terram

    Terra autem erat inanis et vacua et tenebrae super faciem abyssi et spiritus Dei ferebatur super aquas

    Dixitque Deus fiat lux et facta est lux

    Et vidit Deus lucem quod esset bona et divisit lucem ac tenebras

    Appellavitque lucem diem et tenebras noctem factumque est vespere et mane dies unus

    Dixit quoque Deus fiat firmamentum in medio aquarum et dividat aquas ab aquis

    Et fecit Deus firmamentum divisitque aquas quae erant sub firmamento ab his quae erant super firmamentum et factum est ita

    Vocavitque Deus firmamentum caelum et factum est vespere et mane dies secundus

    Dixit vero Deus congregentur aquae quae sub caelo sunt in locum unum et appareat arida factumque est ita

    Et vocavit Deus aridam terram congregationesque aquarum appellavit maria et vidit Deus quod esset bonum

    Et ait germinet terra herbam virentem et facientem semen et lignum pomiferum faciens fructum iuxta genus suum cuius semen in semet ipso sit super terram et factum est ita

    Et protulit terra herbam virentem et adferentem semen iuxta genus suum lignumque faciens fructum et habens unumquodque sementem secundum speciem suam et vidit Deus quod esset bonum

    Factumque est vespere et mane dies tertius

    Dixit autem Deus fiant luminaria in firmamento caeli ut dividant diem ac noctem et sint in signa et tempora et dies et annos

    Ut luceant in firmamento caeli et inluminent terram et factum est ita

    Fecitque Deus duo magna luminaria luminare maius ut praeesset diei et luminare minus ut praeesset nocti et stellas

    Et posuit eas in firmamento caeli ut lucerent super terram

    Et praeessent diei ac nocti et dividerent lucem ac tenebras et vidit Deus quod esset bonum

    Et factum est vespere et mane dies quartus

    Dixit etiam Deus producant aquae reptile animae viventis et volatile super terram sub firmamento caeli

    Creavitque Deus cete grandia et omnem animam viventem atque motabilem quam produxerant aquae in species suas et omne volatile secundum genus suum et vidit Deus quod esset bonum

    Benedixitque eis dicens crescite et multiplicamini et replete aquas maris avesque multiplicentur super terram

    Et factum est vespere et mane dies quintus

    Dixit quoque Deus producat terra animam viventem in genere suo iumenta et reptilia et bestias terrae secundum species suas factumque est ita

    Et fecit Deus bestias terrae iuxta species suas et iumenta et omne reptile terrae in genere suo et vidit Deus quod esset bonum

    Et ait faciamus hominem ad imaginem et similitudinem nostram et praesit piscibus maris et volatilibus caeli et bestiis universaeque terrae omnique reptili quod movetur in terra

    Et creavit Deus hominem ad imaginem suam ad imaginem Dei creavit illum masculum et feminam creavit eos

    Benedixitque illis Deus et ait crescite et multiplicamini et replete terram et subicite eam et dominamini piscibus maris et volatilibus caeli et universis animantibus quae moventur super terram

    Dixitque Deus ecce dedi vobis omnem herbam adferentem semen super terram et universa ligna quae habent in semet ipsis sementem generis sui ut sint vobis in escam

    Et cunctis animantibus terrae omnique volucri caeli et universis quae moventur in terra et in quibus est anima vivens ut habeant ad vescendum et factum est ita

    Viditque Deus cuncta quae fecit et erant valde bona et factum est vespere et mane dies sextus


    --------------------------------
    The voice stopped.

    And in a sudden the silence turned into the sound of gentle breeze, and waves in the sandy beaches. Gulls. And winds passing by, through the bushes and trees.

    He still feel the pain.

    He seen the daylight. But nothing seems real to his minds.

    "Oh.. you've woken up?" said the voice.

    Turning his head to the right, he saw the owner of the voice.

    It was one of the priests. In his hand was the holy scripture. He sat on a mat, made of dried leaves. He didn't understand why the priest sat there, or why his body was in constant pain.

    "What... happened...?" he asked in desperate and weakened voice. But the priest immediately stopped him. "Calm down. You still need some rest." the priest said.

    Just right after, his head was struck by acute pain and dizziness as if that his head would explode.

    "Gghhh!!!"
    "Calm down." the priest said again, as he poured some milk-white liquid to a coconut shell from a vial, watered it, and give it to him. "Drink this...."

    There was no question that the liquid was some sort of medicine. And it was effective as he immediately came to his senses.

    He saw that they were under some sort of hut. He seen that his body were wrapped in cloth, and he can't feel his legs. Only that something heavy bind them. He heard voices of people, other than himself.

    He couldn't help but to close his eyes for a while.


    "What in the world happened, priest?" he asked the priest again.
    "You know what happened. Only, you just forgot." he replied, smiling.
    "We're stranded, huh?" he answered the question himself.
    "You said it yourself."


    No one know what should they do as they hath descended to madness, to the edge of insanity and loss of virtue.


    "Hold still....your legs is almost healed." one of the priests, the younger one, said to Alphonse.


    For five days, the priests searched for every passengers of the ship. The dead they buried in an open place between the shore and the forest. The living, they took care of them. They didn't miss and mistreat none of them, although they were slandered and treated as luggage.


    Surely if anyone talked about some sort of divine punishment, this maybe was something close to it.


    Drifting on a plank, the priests followed the currents and paddled their way to this island along with almost all of the passengers. Knowing that they're stranded, the priests immediately build a hut for everyone. Alone, the two priests dragged, if not carried, everyone to their place.


    The hut was made of vines and leaves. The supporting beams were the trees itself. There is two water hole near the cliffs. Fortunately, some of the cargo also ended up on the shore, even though the food was already spoiled, there were cloth, wood planks, ropes, and nails. Most importantly there were essential tools like wooden buckets, tubs, and glass bottles. For bedding, the priests braided the vines and covering it with cloth. For walls, the priests braided the vines, only this time thicker, and they spread it between the trees. As for a small island, this place is not dwelt by large animals. But for obvious reasons, the priests took turn for gathering food and materials.


    Looking at the every corner of the hut, obviously that the large hut was full of people. Most of them were crippled by their injury. One or two of them actually lose their arms and legs. Three fell into deep sleep. Four was laid down due to the fever. Six sustained open wounds. More of them sustained light injury, but again, already being treated. And there is children. But most of them, if not all, already fell into despair. They feared, as they know that they're stranded and maybe will never get to home.


    "Should've travel with other ships... should I chose to travel yesterday...."

    "Haah...."

    "I wanted to go home....."


    And among those who had fell into deep sleep, Alphonse was the only one who gained consciousness. Needless to say, it was the two priests who actually survived the wreckage with their body, mind and soul unscathed.


    "It's good to see you woken up." the priest said again. "We need all hands we can get."

    "Sure." he replied reluctantly. Gripping to the tree's nearest root, although limping, Alphonse tried to stand. "I still can walk."

    "Don't push yourself." the priest added.


    Surely, helping people you don't know is a strange thing to do by norms. But they're in need. It's enough, if not more, for a reason to help them. Only in one night, their attitudes changed.


    "Bring me the water bucket over there. I will fill it." the priest asked him.

    "I'll do it myself. I could do it." Alphonse said eagerly and tried to walk. But after that, his feet lose its strength, as it has been robbed away by something unseen. The priest did catch him right before he touch the ground.



    He's not far from fully healed.


    But if there is only the two priests. He felt that he would be less human if he didn't help them.


    Two people to attend this much people is a heavy burden.


    But the ultimate question lies in survivals.

    "Could you still be human when you have to live and survive?"

    If God existed, why he must pass all of this hardships?

    No. It was their own folly. Like the words of the impaired man, all of this was caused by none other than their own folly. They should've listened to the port masters and all the fishermen, to the signs they should've pay heed.

    "Damn it...." he muttered to himself.

    ----------------------------------------

    Eventually days changed to week. Things changed.

    For the survival of thirty people, they worked together. They did what they could. But passing days whittled off their humanity, and what is left from it.

    Not everything went as planned.

    Maybe it was baser instincts for humans to be selfish. To dominate and 'win' again others, being prideful, and not caring others. Even they tend to forget to say thank you, and pays their debt.

    It seems that the island couldn't provide everything they need.

    "Give me your soup!!!!" one of the grown-ups yelled to the children. Forcing the little children to give their soup. Without remorse, he gulped all the soup, leaving the children who cried and plead him to return his food. His friends also did the same with other children. But after he half-gulped the soup, he throw the wooden bowl to the ground. "The fuck?! It's just water!!" he shouted. He was angered by the fact that the soup is nothing more than salted water, leaves, small bits of fish meat and wild green peas. Further and more, he struck the child.

    "What have you done?!" one of the priests shouted at him. "You hit kids? You dare to lay your hands on children?! Are you sane?!"

    "We're leaving! We’re tired of eating water!!" said the man who seemed to be their leader. “We’re also taking the food. Your God couldn’t judge us priests!! Blame yourself for being weak.”

    Looking on the pile of gathered food ingredients, the men hoarded them all. They put everything inside their sack. The others immediately tried to stop them. But their attempt failed as they took hostage of two children and two women. They cried, and they screamed. The younger men tried to fight, but they were stopped by the priests.

    “Stop this!!! Stop….. Please…. Why you all did this?” one of the priest asked them, while their hands covered the crying children. “Please… release four of them….”

    “Huh! In your dreams priests!! They would serve us well! They’re better coming with us rather than being here!” the man said. And, the man provoked further, and put a wide grin. “You cherry boys!! Why don’t you come with us? Choose!!! Do you wanted to rot here and become a hermit? Or, you all wanted to become men? Or maybe it will be better that everyone here leaving and come with us. We’ll be gentle with women, of course. Heheheh!!!”

    “You’re monster!!! All of you!!!” one of the women yelled, and flung filth to his face. It was a mark. And he was angered.

    “Get that bitch!!” the man commanded his lackeys. In no time, the lackeys caught her, and grab her by the hair, and drag her before they kicked her in the stomach.

    “Gahhhaa!!! It hurts!!! Please stop! Stop!! Buhha!!!!” she cried.

    But nevertheless, they didn’t stop before the man told them so.

    “Every three days we will come here to get our food. If you don’t get them ready for us, we will the four. And we will take another four.” he demanded. “Hahahahahhhaa!!!”


    As the man maniacally laughed, they took everything and leave with the two girls and the two women.


    Looking at the four women, all of their heart turned bitter. The bad will never mixed with the good. But should goodness always been trampled by the wicked?


    “That was all of our food, priest. We’ve been looking high and low. What should we do?” ask one of the younger man. His eyes were in tears. Both of the priests know how they worked hard to collect those food.

    “We’ll die…”

    “I don’t wanted to die!!!”

    “Why didn’t you let them die?! You could easily ended their life, should you turned a blind eye on them!” shouted an angered young men.

    And the priests finally answered, “And became one of them?!”

    The answer shocked them. As obviously they didn’t wanted to lose what they dearly hold, which is their virtue, and humanity.

    “Should we turn to violence, what should we say to the children here? Should we do turn to fiery anger?” the priests asked once again. “When the world turn on you…. You only have to hold to your faith. When your brothers and brethren struck you, you should hold on your faith and smiled. And revenge is not yours by any right, but in God.” The priests calmed them down. “And if God is the one who set the stars and created heaven and earth, who should you fear most if not Him? Isn’t God who set time and seasons? Should both of us didn’t chose to paddle here, but to one of the islands, what should happened?”

    But only silence that answered to their questions.

    “It’s God who told us to get aboard the ship. And more, to save every of you.”

    “But what about those four?” Alphonse asked, as he approached them while still limping. “Shouldn’t we rescue the four first?” he asked again.

    “Yes. Yes, child. We should save them all.” The priest pat his shoulder. “It is the righteous who should slay the wolves, and protect the herd.”


    But the thing we called as divine punishment seemed didn't mind time and place to punish sinners.

    One full day, the refugees waited for the men to pickup their rations. But until the end of the day, no one came.

    "Priest, they never came." one of the young man told them. "What should we do now?" they asked them. And the priests couldn't help but wonder why.

    "Is it likely that they decided to leave us alone?" says the injured captain in solemn tone. "Not likely. Those bunch are definitely going to pick the food."
    "They had hostages. And there is no reason to not to pick up the food." added the others.

    And their main concern is the hostages. A little food would help them to live for the day.

    When men didn't hold high their dignity, they will hold on food and live. When men didn't had food, they will hold high their dignity. There is always something. And if men couldn't hold to those two things, they will no longer care, and finally became monsters.

    But what if something happened to them?

    "What if something happened to them?" Alphonse finally break the murmur.
    "The boy maybe right, priest." the captain said again. "Maybe in one night, something happened to them."

    The priests is the one who knows the island high and low. There are caverns and shaded places. But only few they recommend to be used as shelter. Anything could happen here.

    "I fear that we all must check on them." the priests finally concluded.

    Although it was a bit hard to accept their decision, the people finally agreed.

    Among five caves, there were three caves that were suitable for shelter. Two among the five run through deep. The priests chose the one near the riverbank aside the cliffs. Obviously, this cave is the most suitable to be used as shelter.

    The caves may hid something. But for an island this small, that was unlikely. Instead, it become home to critters. Some of them are dangerous. Accidents happen due to people's own folly.

    Regarding food sources, the deep caves is clearly out of question. Everything inside the caves, most of the times are inedible. It could be poisonous instead, although some of the plants and animals in the jungle is poisonous too. This supported the opinion to not choosing the deep caves as shelter. Not mentioning that the vicinity of the open cave which the priests chose is near to the jungle, food is not a problem, and still you could had fish by the river.

    ----------------

    But their eyes could accept what they had seen.

    Six men lied on the floor with their faces showing intense pain, and agony. Nothing else could be seen except the women and the children crying. Inside the cave there were nothing to look upon except the tunnels. And the food rations are already gone. No traces of fire.

    "I couldn't believe it that they died." said one of the young man. "It wouldn't be funny if we're stranded on some cursed island!"
    "They're poisoned." said one of the priest. Looking at the agonized face of the men, the priests looked at their bodies. "It kills them slowly. If you got poisoned, there is almost nothing we can do. There is no medicine here. And making one need lots of ingredients." the priests faced everyone. "We should bury them."

    It was less to say that it was the right thing to do.

    "May they rest in peace." said the priest for the last time.

    ------------------------

    In the end, they were able to survive.

    "We must not stray." said the priests in the end.

    Looking at the pyre and the smoke, they all put their hope.


    And so they got saved by passing fishing ships. They returned to Delta City, and told everybody what happened.

    In the end, everybody learned their lesson. They learned what they need to live. It is not virtue. It is not will. But to be human, and not stray from that path.

    At first, almost no one believed how they lived in the island in order to survive. But everybody knows that they survived because of the priests.

    The priests saved them and treat their wounds. If not, they would risk diseases. If not they would suffer ailments for life.

    The priests saved them and made shelter. If not they will not have place to put their heads and lie.

    The priests saved them and risk themselves to explore the island. If not they couldn't have gathered foods like nuts, fruits, small animals, birds eggs, fish, and most importantly water.

    The priests saved them and talked to every and each one of them everyday. If not, they would fell into despair and lose themselves. If not for the priests, the would be animals now. They would live by rule of the animals, and live a monsters life.

    Remembering the fate of the six men, no one will ever forget that. Everything could happen to the stranded. They will fell into insanity.

    One other story from sailors on docks, that to live, people will do everything. They would eat anything. They even eat other humans. As they live by the rules of animals, they will lose their morals. Like those six men, they will unleash their desires, and will do anything to appease their lust. Even it means to rape.

    The two little girls and the two women cried as they witnessed the six raped and strangled the women who throws filth at them. They raped her like prostitutes for whole night, right after eating the food they had taken from the others, and after that. Only then they are willing to let her go.

    He personally can't say anything, knowing what fate they would encounter should the priests didn't chose to save them.

    He was grateful, that meeting the priests shaped him to a man. A human. But of course he didn't discriminate other races as he knows that they're deep inside is 'human' too.

    Hence,

    we must not stray.

    Then they returned to their life. And the priests continued their journey.


    No one knows what became of the priests after that but Alphonse.


    Again with the gentle breeze, Alphonse woken up. Looking at the stars, he looked at the sleeping Crowen. He raised on his feet, and woken him up.

    "We should go home now, boy." he said. "Hell sure the boys are waiting for us."
    "Right...." Crowen replied. His head is still fuzzy due to the alcohol. He only needed a little time to completely woken up.

    And they walked together to the ports.

    What happened to the priests after is something that is common to people back then.

    They were captured for being righteous. Prosecuted while making no mistake. Executed due to their faith.

    He knew that they died in toils, and became saints.

    But their deaths too changed the fate of many others. Just like what will happen if he and his crew died in this journey.

    Should they didn't make it, people would revolt to the lords, and the merchant councils. All of this was a farce. He couldn't tell Crowen. He didn't dare to, as this young boy was the only hope for the everyone in Delta City.

    He hoped at least, if Crowen knows the truth and chose to didn't forgive him, God will forgive him.


    The distance from the meadow to the docks felt so short. In no time they reached Belfast. And this is the first time in two if not three years that a ship actually dared to sail from Crescent Island in the night.

    Everyone had waited for both of them.

    "Captain." greeted the first mate. "Time to go home."
    "Aye." he replied. "Soon enough, we will go to our home, lad."
    "The passengers are waiting, captain. Never thought actually there is a ship that dared to sails through the mermaids territory in the night, they say."
    "It's better to not to keep them waiting, Alphonse." Wilbur warned.
    "No more flesh-eating mermaids, thanks to us." said Alphonse as he walked the planks. "We're full and loaded! Wilbur! We'll see you around! Be careful, brother!"
    "You too!" Wilbur giggled. "You too!"
    "Sure!" Alphonse replied. "Just come and visit us sometimes! All aboard!!"

    And by the captain's order, the plank was pulled up, and the sails were spread to the four corners. The tailing wind came, and forcefully, yet gently, pushed the Belfast forward.

    The destination is home.

    "Hold the course steady, lads." said Alphonse in the end. From the helm, he seen that the mist had came above the sea level. Strange, and perilous to traverse, the mist is something that had existed from long time ago. "Obviously we're not risking it by traversing the mist. Take a detour."
    "Aye-aye, captain." said the helmsman as he rotated the wheel to the right.
    Obviously, the listening passengers couldn't help but ask, "Why we avoid the mist? Should we ran forward, we'll be able to save some time and not taking a long detour."
    "It's too dangerous." said the helmsman. "Inside the mist are unchartered waters." he said again in solemn tone.

    The sea are so mysterious, even for the veteran sailors.

    "Look at the mist." said Alphonse to Crowen. "It's always here. Still, and must be left undisturbed."
    "It's not like your normal mist."

    Looking at the mist, Crowen felt that there is something unseen that disrupt his sight. Something eerie, and unearthly.

    "It's so creepy." Alphonse added. "None ever returned from traversing this mist. The mist come after the season of storms, and made the sea become so still. Some says it was the clouds that descended. Some says that this mist is from the other side."
    "Either way it's not a wise decision to pass through it."
    "Correct."

    Looking again to the mist, Alphonse had his own thoughts.

    It was the short-visibility that led the ships to the deep. If no man can use their sight, they will crashed against reefs, or maybe even worse, the bubbles. Not that kind of bubbles people used to bath or washing, but the one that could incite fiery explosions and trap ships. Needless to say, that the mist, in a chance is the byproducts of the bubbles, which came from rock beds under the sea.

    He was not a fool to blindly believe superstitions like that, although things like that is real.

    "Sometimes, this mist is connected to the legends of ghost ships." Alphonse explained.
    "Ghost ships?" Crowen asked in bewilderment.
    "The one that died in agony by any kind of way is must be avoided. But not all of the ghost ships is infested by undead. Sometimes, they're just simply abandoned."
    "Why?" Crowen asked again.
    "I don't know either." Alphonse muttered. "But among all of them, there is two that I know. And I have seen it with my own eyes."

    One. A nameless ship. A nameless crew, by a nameless captain. No one knew from where or when they came from. But the one thing known is that they're the protectors of this water. Sometimes they will pass as an empty, and abandoned ship to the fishermen. But they were merciless to everyone who dared to commit crimes in their watery grave.

    Two. Again, a nameless, and unknown fleet which guards the ends of the seas. A single ship of this fleet couldn't be damaged, even hit, by cannons, and even magic. Should a ship stood in their way, they will avoid it. And, should a ship went hostile to even just one of them, that ship won't be seeing tomorrow. And each ship of the fleet, even the smallest, are able to repel sea monsters hundred times bigger than the ship.

    "A fiery lance that pierced through frames. Rains of lights." Aplhonse said in trembling voice.
    "What kind of ship that were able to do that?" Crowen asked. "Hard to not to believe."
    "Yeah... Even I----?!!!"
    "What is... that?"

    A sudden lash of light passed the sky. A ball of fire whistled in the air before exploding into fragments of descending light orbs.

    It was a signaling magic [Signal Flare].

    A magic that could be used from a tube filled with the magic scroll that should be activated by tearing the magic container seal. A signal used for distress.

    But basically, the magic was used to give one's position.

    "Who's firing that thing?!" said Alphonse realizing what is really happened. Looking at the open deck was a man that reached his arms high. And in his hand was a tube.
    "It's him!" said one of the crews. "Take him!!!"

    But in a moment, the man fell to his own knees, slammed his face to the ground. His eyes, ears and nose let out blood, and his mouth let out foul smelled foam.

    "Everyone be careful!"
    "Don't get closer to him!"
    "What happened here?!" Alphonse shouted while looking at the man. He rocked wildly for few seconds.

    And then he died.

    "Poison of obedience." Alphonse muttered. "He's just some poor nobody."
    "Captain, we're in danger! We should arm ourselves!" said one of the crew.
    "Yes." he agreed. "We're caught off guard. But it doesn't mean that we're just gonna sit here. Let down the longboats. The passengers life is our priority!! Tell the words, lads! To arms!!! This time, we really might won't make it back."
    "Prepare yourselves men!!!"
    "To your stations!!!"

    Approaching from the side of the moon were ships. Ten galleons with flags of skulls and crossbones on black field. Even they are still far away they already firing their cannons upon Belfast. The cannonballs whistled in the air before drowned when they kissed the water.

    Looking through the looking glass, Alphonse saw a fat man, wearing silken cloth. His face was in ecstasy of some sort.

    He knew that fat wretched man as Waldo of Waldo Company. He was accompanied by his retainers, waiting for Belfast became a shipwreck.

    But again they are still far. Only in few minutes, the crews are able to mount all of the passengers to three of the only available four smaller rowboats.

    "That's all of the passengers, captain. Only one more boat is left."
    "Thank goodness."

    There is chance for them.

    But there is no turning back for all of them on board.

    "This is it, lads." Alphonse shouted. "We may not be able to win. You're already know. Everything, all too well."
    "We're following you, old man. Even to the pits of hell, we won't complaint. A man's heart must be tested by his words."
    "I'm sorry to do this to all of you, boys." he said in solemn tone. And he turned to Crowen, "You too, lad. We don't wanted to involve you to deep into this."
    "It's already too late. I'm standing here." Crowen pleaded. "It's fine. I'm standing with my own choice."
    "I'm sorry, lad. I'm very... very sorry."letting out a deep sigh, he put his sight for last time to Crowen's face. "Take him out of here, boys."
    "No!" he refused. Three men stepped out to surround him, and grab him by the waist and arms. Crowen managed to break them loose, but it was for naught as one of the crew managed to hit his head with a wooden block.

    "Hope he's not forgetting things when he woken up." said one of the crews. "He'll live, right, captain?"
    "A long one." Alphonse laughed in joy. "Pack his stuff, send him with the dinghy. Set the anchors." he said again to his crews. "Farewell, young man."

    Only in tens of minutes, the dinghy already drifted far away.

    In the same time, from afar, sounds of battles were heard. He couldn't wake up. He couldn't stand. He couldn't believe. In the farthest horizons were rising smoke, screams of people, and blasts within the fire that echoed within the scattered reefs and the mist.

    And suddenly, all became quiet.


    When finally he could regain consciousness, he could only cry. His breath were heavy. Tears fell as his hope crumbled down for the survivals of the crews.

    "No...." he cried. "No. No. No....."

    But there is no voices that would answer him except the laugh of the man who had committed unforgivable crimes. Who drunk on wine and blood of the righteous. Monsters.


    Five ships on the horizon are lit well, traversing the water before the mist.

    Easy targets on the mirror-like waters. But the mist is coming.

    All he have to do is to take aim.


    ------------------------------------------------

    After half an hour of chasing, finally the fleet of ten cornered the Belfast. Among the salvo of cannons were shouts, either to save your own lives, or screams of pain. The fat man looked at the conflagration with joy.

    "Serves you right, Crescent Trading Company!! Now if the news spread, there will be no one could stop me!" exclaimed the fat man. He laughed to the obliteration of Belfast.
    "But don't forget our share too!" said the captain of the pirate to him. "We lost five ships!"
    "Of course! I will reward you plenty of gold! You could have brand new ships if you wanted it!!"
    "But still, nothing beat the smell of victory. Moreover, we destroyed none other than The Holy Maiden, hahahahaha!!!!"
    "But captain, is it wise to disturb the mist?" one of the aide asked suddenly.
    "Hey, what is he talking about?" asked the fat man. "Why is it a problem?"
    "Just old superstitions." the captain answered. "Ghosts, sir."
    "You're adult and you believe this... nonsense?"
    "Of.. of.. course not!!" the captain shouted. "Only that it is dangerous! The waters are uncharted. We should really turn back."
    "Well, we have no other business to do here. This place give me the creeps."

    And it was them.

    "Turn back!!! Sound the alarm!!!! Turn back!!!" said the crews of the vanguard ships.
    "What happened!!!???" the captain shouted.

    In an instant, the eerie mist revealed what it conceals.

    A ship, in a state of wreckage but oddly still float and sailed forward right to their direction.

    "It's a ghost ship." one of the crews muttered in fear."It's a---"

    And in a sudden there was sound of firing cannons that hit the targets. In one moment, the ghost ship shoot at one of the vanguard ships. In minutes, the ship is covered in flames, and almost sunk.

    "Gh--ghooo-sts!!!" the fat man trembled in fear.
    "Turn back! Turn back!" ordered the captain. "Before it's too late!! Drop the anchors!"

    But as their fate is sealed, the mist didn't let them to escape death.

    Now in their front, it stood.

    As ship, nothing like man of this world ever see. A ship of metal that stood high with fortress like structure above. And on the flat deck, there is an odd big contraption that rotates slowly.

    The captain didn't know why, but he was sure that it was pointing at them.


    "It's a cannon...."

    And it fired.

    The sound it generates are louder than thunder, and there was fireball that was almost like an explosion from the point of the ridiculously long cannon.

    In that instant, three ships were immobilized, and in the verge of sinking.

    "Abandon ship! Abandon ship!!!"


    But again, the mist didn't let them escape their gruesome fate.

    Right from the sky thousands of lights fell like rain. It singed, pierced through the wooden frames of the ship, incinerate everything in its path.

    Ships, and men alike.

    ------------------------------------------------


    In a room with exquisite chandelier, there is a banquet. But in the long table, there is only two people seating. Among the amount of food, only one is eating.

    On the end of the table was a man. A young merchant, attended by a young woman and servants.

    "So... that is what really happened?" asked the young merchant to him while asking for second serving of the appetizer soup. "If I took it right, Captain Alphonse and his crew bravely took out the pirates, in order to save the lives of his passengers, and you?"
    "Yes." he confirmed.
    "But here I see no reason or evidence for myself to... deemed this quest a failed one. Maybe it's personal but I believe that what are you wanted me to do will tarnish his last will. And you're not really eating, I noticed." he jested.
    "It's only personal reasons." Crowen lowered his head. "I will not accept the money from this quests. And I will not accept that this quests are completed. They're dead because of me."
    "Not likely. We're not sure yet. We've found only the wreckage, not bodies." said the young merchant to Crowen while he took a sip of the wine. "To sum everything, we're in your..... debt. All of us. Mere hundreds of gold coins is not enough for the cost. To form and move a subjugation forces needs a lot of expenditures."
    "Even so---"
    "And lives of the people. That, more importantly." the young merchant cut him. "A sacrifice is always needed. I am quite close with the old man, as he helped me in my younger days. Although it's not much, we all agreed to give money to Alphonse's family and his crews family. It's what he says to us to do in his behalf, and his crews behalf, before leaving with you back then. And they accepted that they're gone."
    "I guess that is very like of them."
    "We dishonored brave men who died for greater good by weeping. But we honored them by living on by their share, and be grateful that they're born."
    "The Epitome of Lord George." Crowen suddenly said to him.
    "You're truly an interesting man. You mind if I told you a story?" said the young merchant out of blue as he poured himself a full glass of wine. And he not forgetting Crowen. "If you didn't wanted to eat, drink."
    "I didn't know what to say." Crowen replied. "I guess I'm all throats and ears now."
    "Hmm~ It seems so." the young man giggled, followed by his attendant, and asked her. "What you say?"
    "It's intriguing. My lord never failed to tell this story to people he met." she answered. She turned her sight, and smiled to him.
    "When I was young, I was a bad boy. I stole. I lied. I beat other kids. It's life back then."

    And it couldn't be helped.

    "But one day, I met a boy. Seemingly oblivious but crafty. The first we met, I tried to mug him for whatever he had. I had a knife." the young merchant told him as he sipped his wine. "But the boy seemed unfazed, and to my surprise, he asked, like, 'So if I beat you, you don't mind?'. Thinking that was a joke, my underlings tried to hit him with wooden planks but, they got defeated. And beaten by the same weapon they took. As leader, my pride was damaged and I tried to like stab the boy. I missed. I miraculously missed. And he kicked me right between my legs. Hahaha~!!! I was such a fool back then."
    "But he spared you, right?"
    "Of course, duh. If not I wouldn't be here by now. Moving on, we, somehow became friends. And I learned my lesson that you don't pick a fight with the wrong people. I mean the boy could easily take the knife and kill me and my friends. But he, he chose to ask, 'Why?'."
    "Why did he asked 'why' to you back then?"
    "That I can't remember and understand. But it just seems that there is more to be a good people rather than ne a bad people. We spent time months together. And I, during those times, thanked my own fate, that the boy spared me." he gulped the wine. "Apparently the boy was skilled. He teach me to wield a knife, to aim with bows, about plants and ingredients, which will sell a high price, where to get it, anything. He lied better and sneak--- I mean steal better than me."
    "What became of the boy?"
    "Beats me. He's gone in a sudden, saying 'I wanted to ride the airships going back home, so I'm leaving.'. And by then, I started to do things, and I met old man Alphonse. The end." the young merchant ended his story. "What do you think of my life story?"
    "Uh... I think..."
    "What? You think what? Don't be shy!" he shouted at Crowen with his breath reeks of wine.
    "It happens." Crowen concluded. "And you're drunk."
    "Huh? I'm drunk? You think so?" he questioned back at Crowen, and looking at his attendant. "Am I?".
    "Yes. Apparently, my lord, you are indeed drunk." added the female attendant. "It would be rude to you, good sir. But please, excuse us. I will escort you out of the building after I attend my lord."
    "No. That will be improper of me to let a servant to not attending his... master... I will excuse myself." he refused the offer. "Farewell."
    "Good day. And have a good trip." the female attendant bowed.


    Out of the building, Crowen hitchhiked one of the passing wagons. His destination is home.

    "To the airships, please." Crowen asked politely to the driver while tossed one silver coin. "Just take it slowly." he added again.
    "Right-o!" answered the driver, grinning. "Just sit comfort, boy!"

    And this place is where he ended.

    He looked at the ports.

    He looked at the houses.

    He looked at the floating ships and airships.

    As the sun almost touched its highest position, the airship left the Delta City.

    Looking at the direction of the sea, he noticed that few small boats are rowing their way to the docks.


    His eyes are not wrong. But everything became blurred as his eyes shed tears of joy.


    It was Alphonse, and his crews.

    They survived.

    Looking from afar, he was glad that all of this ended well.


    He was never been this glad in his life.

    ----------------------------------

    Looking at the window, the sobered up young merchant wiped up his face with his handkerchief. While humming, he gulped the wine right from the bottle.

    "It's over, Lilianne." said Louise in somber tone. "It's over."
    "Yes. With this we estimated every assets of Waldo Company are now being distributed back to the respective owners, which is under our wings. Moreover, it seems it was the right choice to trust the adventurer to do this job."
    "And it is better than anything to not put him under any suspicion." said Louise again, teasing Lilianne. "You should be dead if you tried to test him."
    "It is good then my decisions and beliefs back then didn't let me to move by my own." Lilianne proclaimed. "Should I die, no one will tend you, master."
    "I'm more than sure that you will rise from the graves, Lilianne."
    "We know that arts of necromancy is dubious. But I think it's worth a try."
    "Huh, are you serious?" Louise asked in bewilderment.
    "By the way, there is someone who wanted to meet you, master."
    "Let them in. Told them that I was drunk and...uh.. whatever. Bring him.. or her.. in."
    "Right away." said Lilianne as she excused herself.

    Looking at the sunset, Louise took a last view of the ships, of the dock, and of the sea.

    "To the old man." he said to himself as he raised the bottle. He felt someone else's hand on his shoulder.
    "I'm not dead yet, lad." said Alphonse from his back.
    "BUUGH!!!!!!!!" the young merchant spurted out all of the wine from his nostrils and mouth. "Looks like I'm not sobered up yet... If I'm not drunk how can I see ghosts?"
    "The fuck you're sayin'?" Alphonse said as he turned and asked Lilianne. "Lass, is he alright or what?"
    "He's drunk."
    "For goodness sake...."

    Looking at the drunk Louise, Alphonse could only feel pity. It was hopeless to see, and there was no other answer that Lilianne could give to Alphonse.
     
    Last edited: Jun 6, 2018
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  3. Clown333

    Clown333 「Altiora Petamus Volente Deo Lucete Stellae」

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  4. AliceShiki

    AliceShiki 『Ms. Tree』『Magical Girl of Love and Justice』

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    Delta Town|#SD3|D-Ranked|Slay 5 Sea snakes [120 G]
    Delta Town|#SC1|C-Ranked|Slay 3 Man-Eating Sharks [230 G]
    Delta Town|#SC2|C-Ranked|Slay 12 Feral Mermaids [240 G]
    Delta Town|#SB1|B-Ranked|Slay 1 Lesser Kraken [300 G]
    Delta Town|#GE3|E-Ranked|Fish 5 Speedy Tunas [80G | 1 x Speedy Tuna Fillet]
    Delta Town|#GC1|C-Ranked|Trap 3 Giant Crabs [140G | 1 x Crab Meat]
    ================================================================
    *hears a large thud*

    "Eto... Did something happen?" *tilts head*

    "No? Nothing? Just a report...? What was that sound though...? Uhn... It must have been Hikari's imagination... Please wait just a bit then."

    *turns to the side* "Manami-san, could Hikari get some help again?" *a pale faced cleaning lady slowly approaches and takes a deep breath before whispering on Hikari's ears*

    "Eh... Eh!? Eto..." *turns back towards you* "Hikari is sorry, but this is a bit too much of a big report to be appraised right now, please wait a few days, okay? Manami-san will read it for Hikari and Hikari will properly give the rewards." *bows in apology*
    --------------------------------------------
    *a few days later*
    ---------------------------------------------
    "So... Kurauen-san, right? Hikari was surprised by such a big and detailed report uhn... Hikari is glad your friend got back, it's good to know things ended well.

    The reward will be of 1110G, 1x Speedy Tuna Fillet and 1x Crab Meat.

    This is all for now, please keep up the good job!" *bows*
     
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  5. Zynros

    Zynros Well-Known Member

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    Delta Town|#GD1|D-Ranked|Gather 10 Lumber [100 G | 3 x Wooden Plank]
    Delta Town|#GE3|E-Ranked|Fish 5 Speedy Tunas [80G | 1 x Speedy Tuna Fillet]

    ----0000----​

    The guild felt different when Morgan entered. She wasn't sure if it was because it was only the second time she had visited, or because of how long it had been since she was here. She sincerely hoped the quests didn't have a time limit.

    "My apologies for taking so long..."

    I put this off way too long...

    Sitting on the bank of a river, Morgan hung her recently aquired rod over the water. The quest was at least a year old, or maybe it was half a year? Either way, it was far too long for her to honestly expect it to still count as a completion, but she felt like finishing it anyway.

    As the rod jerked, she pulled it back, causing the fish to fly out of the water, and smack her in the face. Tossing the fish into the pile of odds and ends she had been catching since earlier that day, she sent her rod out again.

    And again.

    And again..

    And again...

    And again....

    And would have sent it out again after that, but due to the excessive amount of times it had been used, the line choose that moment to snap, leaving Morgan with a useless stick of wood.

    This is hard...

    Ducking the wooden fist, Morgan counterattacked with a quick slash, chipping away some of the treant's arm, then jumped back as it's other hand left a dent in the ground where she formerly stood.

    Why didn't I just go cut down some trees?

    With a have of her hand, an earth spike embedded itself in the chest of the treant, but the towering creature of wood simply brushed it off and kept swinging at her.

    Well this should work for the request... Right?

    As she paused to think, the treant tried to smash her again, and she raised a hand, a hollow hemisphere appearing around her. As the treant's fist touched it, the tree-formed giant quaked, then collapsed. Staring at it Morgan wondered,

    Will this even fit in the item box?

    Final Objective Count
    12 fish of some kind
    112 boots
    7 chess pieces
    1 broken piece of the 4th wall
    1 hooded black coat (I'm keeping this)
    1 corpse of a 4 meter tall treant

    @AliceShiki

    {OOC}
    Not sure if this is even eligible for completion anymore... What's it been, half a year since I took it?
     
  6. AliceShiki

    AliceShiki 『Ms. Tree』『Magical Girl of Love and Justice』

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    ((It would normally have no problem usually, but I'm not playing the game anymore, so I won't appraise it, sorry.

    Maybe @shad12ow will do it once he comes back, right now he is busy though.))
     
  7. Westeller

    Westeller Smokin' Sexy Style!! Staff Member

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    Locked on request. Contact @AliceShiki with any questions, concerns, comments or complaints.
     
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