Chapter 113:

Chapter 113:

After a long silence, the Drowned King answered.

[“Who is that?”]

The Drowned King’s question echoed everyone’s doubts.

Hyanis, being a half-human devotee like Eidan, knew him well, but Yenkos and the other captains did not know who Eidan was.

But Isaac confidently said, “He is a thief who would gladly climb walls to obtain what he desires, a fanatic who would not spare his life for the Salt Council, and a merchant with flexible thinking willing to serve priests of other faiths for his purpose.”

The sound of Eidan’s hiccup could be heard from behind. The Drowned King remained silent, as if asking for more explanation.

“He also has excellent archaeological knowledge, and knows a bit about ancient languages. He might not be as excellent as me, but surely you wouldn’t send me. Would you send the other captains? I see them as having used up their luck in life after having already been to the afterlife once.”

Yenkos and Hyanis started hiccupping as well.

“Most importantly, Eidan is single. He mentioned there would be no family to mourn him if he died. Isn’t that the best?”

The sound of the waves lapping and crashing echoed softly.

The moon was not visible due to the dense clouds. Isaac felt the salty smell in the breeze becoming stronger. The presence of an angel, especially an honest one like the Drowned King, influences everything around them.

The rough waves, the gloomy clouds flowing by, and the taste of salt carried by the wind.

Everything was showing the Drowned King’s emotions instead of his face, although he was merely burning with cyan eyes beneath the waves.

“...Can such words truly persuade?”

Eidan whispered to the two captains with a look of unease. As an archaeologist and merchant, there was nowhere he hadn’t been. Considering archaeologists are essentially no different from tomb raiders, the afterlife might not be much different.

“Honestly, it’s unsettling. I’m not even sure how you’re superior to us in any way.”

Yenkos answered with a discomforted expression. Her gaze turned towards Isaac’s back.

“But since the Holy Grail Knight is strongly recommending you like this, we have no choice but to trust.”

In truth, she expected Isaac to recommend himself. After hearing the conditions he listed, she couldn’t think of anyone more suitable. She even felt a sense of disappointment when Eidan was mentioned. Isaac, being of a different faith, was never an option to be sent.

“I’m willing to sacrifice as much as needed. From the moment I decided to become a priest, I entrusted my life to the sea. The problem is, it might be difficult to conduct this ritual again.”

Yenkos muttered irritably. At her words, Hyanis also nodded with difficulty.

The Drowned King seemed to need time to think and did not answer immediately. Hyanis looked around to suppress his nervousness. While they were stopping for the conversation with the Drowned King, nearly fifty ships, following the Brave Salmon, had lined up around them.

‘At this rate, almost all the ships from Norden Harbor have come out.’

If they had to fight the Drowned King as planned, about half of those ships would have been enemies. They might already be exchanging cannon fire with Yenkos. But compared to the Drowned King, a few ships were hardly a problem.

‘Now that I think about it, we’ve inadvertently formed a siege.’

Yenkos would protest that it’s not a siege but protection, but Hyanis, who had been planning to fight the Drowned King, unconsciously thought of it as a siege. He suddenly realized that the other captains were not sleeping and were waiting for the outcome of this conversation.

And Hyanis thought something was strange.

“Chairperson Yenkos?”

“Yes?”

“The movement of the currents... No, wait a moment. I’ll check something and be back.”

A possibility Hyanis did not want to consider crossed his mind. He quietly moved back, desperately hoping he was mistaken.

***

“Is that your recommendation, or the decision of the Salt Council?”

After a long silence, the Drowned King’s response came, and Isaac translated it to Yenkos.

“A vague request.”

“It’s a clear request. When I ask you to stand by my side, all I need is for the Salt Council to support me. I do not wish for the Salt Council to appear weak and indecisive as it does now.”

Isaac deliberately proposed a future reward, not immediate gains like relics or treasures. For the Drowned King, this was a sufficiently convincing issue. With the deity of the Salt Council absent, the Drowned King was the only one who could unilaterally move them.

“Alright.”

Before Isaac could smile in triumph, the Drowned King continued speaking. His murmuring voice carried an air of emptiness and loneliness.

“The codex of light does not recognize half-breeds, are you hiding in secrecy?”

“It seems so. What can I do about it?”

“The Salt Council can overlook the sins of your blood.”

Isaac smiled at the Drowned King’s subtle persuasion.

He was suggesting that Isaac renounce the codex of light right there and then. Although Isaac was never a follower of the codex of light to begin with, hence had nothing to renounce or accept, he couldn’t accept the offer either.

“The Nameless Chaos watches over you.”

“I’m sorry, but the one I serve is quite jealous.”

Since the codex of light is a non-personified deity, it doesn’t really get jealous, but the Drowned King took that as Isaac’s polite refusal.

“Is that so? Well, it’s unlikely for luck to strike twice in a few years.”

He murmured without a hint of disappointment.

In truth, he would have preferred Isaac over Eidan as a messenger. As Yenkos felt, Isaac was far more suited for the task.

However, Isaac had no desire to set foot in the afterlife.

‘I’m curious about what happens there, but who knows what chaos stepping in again could bring... Wait?’

Isaac felt a dissonance in the casual comment made by the Drowned King. A word he uttered was minor but bothersome. But before he could inquire further, the Drowned King continued.

“Then, let us begin the ritual.”

Curiosity held back, Isaac decided to step back and allow the ritual to proceed smoothly. There was nothing left for the translator to do. The rest would be managed by the priests of the Salt Council and the angel.

Then, something squishy touched his back. The Drowned King was preventing him from stepping away.

“Stay here and help with the ritual.”

It could have been a simple request for assistance.

Yet, Isaac felt a shallow sense of dissonance once again.

‘The mention of luck not striking twice means there was a first instance of luck.’

A Holy Grail Knight of another faith, as remarkable and extraordinary as himself, willingly accepting the Drowned King’s offer. And Isaac could only think of one such knight who fit the description within ‘a few years.’

‘Kalsen Miller? Did Kalsen Miller meet with the Drowned King?’

The Drowned King, being so disconnected from the outside world that he barely knew of the Immortal Order, how could he know Kalsen Miller?

“Lord Isaac! Stop the ritual!”

Isaac turned his head at the sudden outcry. From the stern of the ship, Hyanis was shouting, holding a luminous signal device used for long-distance communication between ships.

Hyanis’s face, illuminated by the signal device, was pale.

“We’ve been deceived! The Drowned King has no intention of performing the Moonwell ritual!”

–TL Notes–

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you want to read up to advance 20 chapters or support me, you can do it at /Akaza156