Chapter 72: - Warm Southern Territory (3)

༺ Warm Southern Territory (3) ༻

It seemed like Kaiji was about to be streamed on Marghetta’s head. It felt like it stopped before the opening played.

(E/N: Kaiji – Gambling Apocalypse; a Japanese manga series)

She grabbed my pinky finger with full strength. She must have thought that I might change my mind and let go of that finger.

‘Of all the times to get caught.’

My heart ached from the cruel misunderstanding. Maybe this was how the secret royal inspectors of the Joseon era felt when they left the capital without being able to tell their families that they had become secret inspectors. Everything would be okay if I told her the secret of the casino, but that wasn’t something I could do.

If I’m caught going back to the casino, she might think of that as a betrayal. I might even see Marghetta trying to cut off my hand while crying.

“Tannian, don’t go elsewhere and stay with us. There seems to be a lot of interesting places.”

“Of course. I just went to the casino for a brief look. I don’t think I’ll be going there again.”

I heard the conversation between the two from the side. Until now, I thought Rutis was the one who would speak carelessly, but maybe I judged people too quickly. There’s a chance that all the members have issues I haven’t observed yet.

You won’t know if someone has a light mouth until you experience it firsthand. It’s like the Schrödinger’s cat. You can’t be certain until you observe it...

I tried to glance at Tannian sneakily but Marghetta coughed, so I looked at her again.

“We’re planning to go to the beach tomorrow. Carl, would you like to come?”

“Ah, I’m sorry. I have things I need to take care of starting tomorrow.”

Marghetta’s expression hardened again. The timing was bad. I should’ve told her beforehand that I would be gone starting tomorrow.

Calming Marghetta down was harder than I thought. She was shaking because she suspected that I would be returning to the casino.

The next day, I finished all the tasks I had to do before embarking on the unexpected boat ride.

***

— I hope you return safely.

I told Villar that I would be away starting from today. I explained to him that it was work work-related issue, so he didn’t ask any further. He’d reassured me that I had nothing to worry about in Boyar, so I felt secure leaving things to him. It would be great if there were ten Villars.

I told the members they should talk to Villar in my absence if something happened, so everything should be okay.

‘Right?’

I hope they don’t go somewhere strange without letting Villar know.

I’m concerned about Rutis, who was way above Villar when it comes to social standing. However, I have no choice but to trust him. I don’t like the meta of relying on luck, but I had no other choice.

“Good afternoon.”

I was greeted by the Head Magician as I arrived at the harbor. It seemed like the caravel in the background was where I would stay for a while. Caravels were good for quick travel if there was the necessary crew, and there were three of them.

“We’re ready for departure. You just need to board.”

“It seemed like the captain has been preparing since early morning.”

“He said that he should do his best since the Executive Manager is coming.”

I laughed at the Head Magician’s joke and boarded the caravel. He was someone who used to command a galleon, so it seemed like he came earlier to prepare in advance.

“We’ve prepared what you’ve requested.”

“Ah, thank you.”

“It’s no big deal, but... is that enough?”

I nodded at the worried question. Hunting a creature that appeared and disappeared almost instantly with just a knife or a fist was hard. You had to send it away as soon as it appeared.

“Hahaha! That’s true!”

The Captain was probably proud of his navigating skills, and seeing a passed-out passenger had probably made him worried. So, he probably couldn’t help but feel relieved after hearing that he wasn’t the problem.

Maybe it was because he appreciated me for matching the mood of a sailor. The Captain came closer to me, leaned on the railing, and looked out at the green sea.

“This is Boyar’s pride. Many people here are willing to put their lives on the line for this sea.”

“Is that so? It’s indeed beautiful.”

Putting their lives in line for the sea? Maybe their sentiments are different from mine since I’m from inland.

“It isn’t just beautiful. Here, you can catch a lot of fish. That’s why many people have come here since ancient times.”

Ah, then it’s understandable. From the perspective of coastal residents, a guaranteed fishing ground was as valuable as life itself. Although Boyar wasn’t just a place where you had to live off fishing anymore.

I glanced at the Captain. He was looking at the sea with a distant look in his eyes. Although it had been many years since the people of Boyar mainly focused on fishing, he probably had an ancestor who’d dedicated his life to it.

“And what took those people’s lives was neither the sky nor the sea. It was the Kraken.”

Ah, so it was a buildup for this.

“Back then, the Kraken was an unstoppable disaster.”

“I’ve heard about that. There was a time when it was worshiped as a Sea God, wasn’t there?”

“Hahaha. A God of Disaster would be more fitting than a Sea God.”

After a moment of silence, the Captain’s gaze turned to the distant shoreline.

“These days, the Kraken’s just an annoying monster. But for ordinary residents, it’s still a creature that could shatter their daily routine.”

“The Gold Duke also seemed very concerned about residents.”

“Yes, he’s a great person. He even cares about the lives of the residents with the lowest social standing.”

A mix of emptiness and anger replaced the nostalgia in the Captain’s eyes. It seemed like the life the sea had claimed wasn’t a distant ancestor, but a close relative. And apparently, it wasn’t by choice.

“I was happy to hear that the Executive Manager had accepted this request.”

“Don’t mention it. It’s a compensated job, after all.”

The Captain chuckled at the comment and shook his head as if that was a minor detail.

“From the perspective of someone being protected, a detail like that isn’t important. The outcome is what matters.”

“I hope many residents can enjoy that outcome.”

“That’s going to be easy.”

As he said that, the Captain pointed to the coastline where he’d been looking. A dark shadow started to emerge from the green sea.

Ah, it’s already coming out.

“There seems to be a person who needs the help of the Executive Manager.”

As he said that, I took a closer look. A person was sitting on the sandy beach. Why now, out of all times?

Wait. Unless you cast magic into the sea, those creatures don’t usually come out. Could it be that this person was serving as bait?

As I clicked my tongue, the Captain handed me one of the spears that was leaning against the railing.

“I’ll leave it to you.”

“Don’t worry.”

If there were casualties in such a situation, it would not sit well with me, either.

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