The 9th Class Swordmaster: Blade of Truth C.105: Master of the River, Master of the Sea (3)

"...What?"

Yurin Huygar doubted his ears.

There were two monstrous creatures out there, each formidable on its own. The fact that they were engaged in a vicious clash already put everyone on the ship in danger.

"Have you completely lost your mind? If you're so desperate to achieve glory as an adventurer, go at it alone! Don't risk others' lives!" Yurin shouted as he grabbed Karyl by the collar.

But despite his vehement protest, Karl Mack was already following Karyl's orders, taking hold of the helm.

"Stop right now!" Yurin yelled as if he was about to slap Karl for trying to turn the helm.

Crack-

That was when Karyl firmly grasped the two arms holding his collar and slowly applied pressure downward.

“...!!”

Yurin's muscular arms were being pushed down; he was baffled by his inability to move them against the grip of Karyl’s delicate hands.

What kind of strength is this...?!

Yurin attempted to wriggle free of Karyl’s grip, but the harder he struggled, the more firmly Karyl pushed down.

"Calm down. I’m not suggesting we all jump into their fight right now. And rest assured I won’t throw anyone’s life away, Sir Yurin.”

"You... Ugh..."

Yurin couldn't bring himself to urge Karyl to let go.

"Please think about it."

Although Karyl spoke in a relatively polite manner, Yurin felt an imposing pressure from him, which he couldn’t understand. In fact, this strange sensation had lingered with him ever since they had reached the archipelago. He had this unsettling feeling that he would soon find out more about Karyl than he wished to know.

"We are making Fonein a habitat for monsters and blocking the sea routes south, so that the only way to travel is by land. The Kraken has effectively isolated the archipelago." Karyl released Yurin’s arm as he spoke.

Yurin looked at him intently as he rubbed his arm, which bore the mark of his fierce grip.

"If we can eliminate both creatures now, the emperor himself would be pleased, wouldn’t he?"

Indeed, the empire regularly subjugated monsters, but it usually did so with minor creatures, like goblins that attacked villages.

"You really think you can hunt down that monster?" Yurin asked skeptically.

"If we fail, I’ll take responsibility. After all, one of them will have to win. Slaying the last one stands for the empire’s peace, doesn’t it?”

"...."

Yurin frowned as he stared at him. In fact, Karyl was swaying him with sweet words, but he had already planned beyond that.

Of course... Eliminating the Kraken would also secure a route from the south.

He made it seem like he was doing it for the empire, but his righteous words were but a veil for his true intentions.

And then, if we block the archipelago again... Only the route from the south to the north will be open.

The pendant of the Horned King around his neck swung lightly. What Yurin was unaware of was the fact that Karyl didn’t actually intend to hunt the creatures.

I’m going to tame them.

Monopolizing not only Fonein but also the seas would provide numerous pathways across the continent, and that would only be possible by taming those monsters, as opposed to just slaying them.

This plan would even allow Karyl to secure more military power, which he was lacking compared to the empire and the principality.

A grin tugged at Karyl’s lips as he thought about the monster unit he could potentially command.

Serpents have the same weakness. The Sea Serpent, like the Lord of the Rolling Hills, has a reverse scale.

However, unlike the Sand Serpent, the Sea Serpent's reverse scale was protected by a sticky mucus membrane.

A blade wasn’t sharp enough to cut through, and thunder mana, which was a weakness for water-type monsters, could damage the serpent but not the protective mucus.

The mucus absorbs the thunder mana. Both blades and magic are ineffective. That’s why it was difficult to subdue the Water King in my past life.

However, things were different this time. The Water King's current adversary, the Kraken, or the Sea King, ironically had the capability to defeat it.

Its suckers could tear through the membrane protecting the reverse scale.

It was a crude but effective method.

"Are you sure you can handle it?"

"Don't worry."

In the urgency of the situation, Yurin couldn't stay composed enough to continue arguing. He was just glad that someone was confident about dealing with the monsters.

Once the Kraken is tamed, it won’t matter who finds out—the empire, the principality, or anyone else. It will be too late for anyone to interfere. Karyl chuckled softly.

This was an unprecedented opportunity, as just getting to the archipelago without interference would normally be difficult.

On a regular day, the navies of the empire and the principality would be patrolling the seas. If so, changing the course for no apparent reason would not go unnoticed by the empire. Then, what if that direction was toward the Archipelago of the Giant Specters?

The Howard would have had to clash with the naval ships before finding the Kraken.

Moreover, even for Karyl, dealing with an unharmed Kraken would be challenging.

Just subduing them is pointless. Whether it's the Water King or the Sea King, in the end, they are monsters. Impressive beasts, but their intelligence is limited.

Karyl had to display absolute strength to these titans. He figured that a fair fight would be pointless, and that instilling fear through sheer domination was the only way to tame a monster.

Nonetheless, this was different from taming the Lord of the Rolling Hills. Here, in the vast open sea, unlike on land, standing ground was limited. Employing proper swordsmanship was more difficult, which naturally made it harder to fight these monsters.

"Can you cast Ancilla, Joey?"

Ancilla, one of the priestly blessing spells, had a similar effect to a sorcerer’s flight magic. But unlike Fly, which would continuously drain mana, Ancilla would persist with a single prayer from the priest.

However, there was a downside. While sorcerers could maintain Fly even if disrupted, Ancilla would instantly be nullified by any shock. If that were to happen, Karyl would fall straight into the sea, which was a horrifying prospect.

"I'm sorry, but the Blessing of Ancilla is beyond my ability at my rank."

Joey Johansel was reluctant to go with Karyl’s suggestion. Unlike sorcerers, whose ranks naturally rose as they opened more meridians, priests could not learn more advanced blessings without the Church's approval, no matter how great their divine power had become.

"It might be better to use flight magic...." Joey suggested cautiously as he looked at Karyl.

Having achieved the rank of sorcerer and possessing almost infinite mana thanks to his dragon mana, Karyl could have used flight magic on himself.

But like all magic, it required concentration, and since Karyl would rush into the fight between the Water King and the Sea King, he would be more inclined to pour all his concentration into the attack itself rather than in maintaining a spell.

"I can cast Ancilla,” Yurin Huygar intervened. It seemed that he had given up on convincing Karyl to turn the ship toward the principality and instead was ready to assist him in capturing the two monsters.

"But if it goes wrong, you could fall right into the middle of that fray. You could instantly become their prey. If that were to happen, not even I could save you.”

"It’s fine, as long as I don’t get hit.”

"Huh...."

Karyl’s assertion was self-evident, but how many men could actually do that in this situation?

Yurin cast him an incredulous look. "Have it your way. If it’s the last wish of a man walking to his death, casting a prayer is easy."

With that, Yurin proceeded to recite the prayer while holding his mace. A red glow flowed from him and slowly enveloped Karyl.

"May Yula's freedom be upon us!"

Wooong...

"Ancilla."

Certainly, the chant of a first-class priest had a stronger effect than Joey’s blessing.

Karyl floated lightly.

"There’s something you need to do, Karl. Drop the auxiliary boat just next to those creatures. Then steer straight here to the northeast; there’s a small island. Wait there until I return."

"Are you talking about Turtleback Rock?"

"That’s right."

Karl, who had memorized the map of the straits, nodded.

"You’re the only one who can do this. Leave the rest to me. There’s no need for you to stay here."

"But... if it’s like that, the auxiliary boat won’t last a moment, right? It’ll instantly get destroyed,” Karl argued as he stared at the two rampaging titans.

"It’s fine. Getting next to them is hard enough already. I’m leaving it to you."

Karl gulped nervously.

"Ugh, fine.”

With that, he turned the helm, steering the Howard toward the two clashing monsters.

Swoosh—!

Karl’s heart tightened with tension. Even from a distance, the two creatures seemed utterly majestic to him; it felt as though he were gazing at a colossal mountain. It was an overwhelming sensation.

“Haaa—!”

With everyone frozen in place, Karyl made the first move, swiftly flying in between the entangled monsters.

"Alright...."

Karl started steering the ship, watching Karyl’s back.

Alright, twenty-seven degrees to the left, then turn the helm seventy degrees to the right after eighty meters... Then, two hundred meters to reach those two guys, and lastly, escape by riding the waves.

Karl eyed the gap between the Kraken’s tentacles wrapping around the Water King’s neck, calculating the distance and the angle for this maneuver.

"Hey Karl! Where are you going?!" Yurin shouted from the steering cabin after sensing that something was wrong with the ship’s direction.

"Sir Yurin, I’m sorry, but please cut the rope holding the auxiliary boat when I signal you!"

"You... you’re not planning to go between them, are you? Didn’t you hear him? Just drop it nearby!"

Despite Yurin’s disapproval, Karl tightened his grip on the helm.

"It’d be pointless to drop it like that! If Sir Karyl wants to use it as a stepping-stone, we need to drop it right between the monsters so it can at least stay in the current!”

"Damn it! You’re both out of your minds! Does the Ravat Guild only have freaks like you?!”

Despite shouting in frustration, Yurin was already heading toward the railing where the rope of the auxiliary boat was tied.

“Kraaaa!!”

The Kraken spewed green venom, and after it landed on the Water King’s cheek, its scales seemed to crumple as if seared.

“Grrrrr...!!”

An acrid stench filled the air as the Water King’s face burned away, and before it could do anything, the Kraken sank its teeth into the serpent.

Crunch—!!

Crack—!!

That was when a gruesome sound filled the air, as though wood had been shattered.

To Karyl’s astonishment, Karl had passed between the Sea King and the Water King, dropping the auxiliary boat there, right at the heart of the battle.

"Ha...." Karyl let out a low exclamation without realizing it.

"Master!!"

As expected, the vessel didn’t last a second before it was completely shattered by the Kraken’s tentacle.

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"I’ll go back and wait!!"

Karl looked around for Karyl but couldn’t see him. If he took even a second longer to flee, the Howard could end up just like that auxiliary boat.

Please...!! He gritted his teeth.

The ship stirred up a spray as it raced away from carnage.

"Incredible..." Karyl murmured softly as he watched the Howard’s rear view. "It’s finally gone. The order to drop the auxiliary boat was just an excuse so he would return to the island... If it hadn’t been for that, he would’ve stayed here to try to help.”

And yet Karl had succeeded in that task, even though it was just a pretense.

"Karl... It seems like you’ve improved a lot, even in this critical situation.” He chuckled softly.

Amidst the clashing monsters, Karyl thought it would be perfect if Suan could have the Fonein River and Karl the seas.

Whooosh—!!

As if stepping on the ground, he darted past the Water King.

The Water King, busy biting into the Kraken, followed Karyl with its eyes as if he were an annoying fly, but soon dismissed him.

The serpent was completely unaware of the danger of ignoring this fly.

Vooom...

Karyl gripped his sword, and a purple Arcane Aura instantly burst from the blade.

"Now that the interferer is gone...” Karyl spoke with a certain elation, as though glad to finally feel the Freezing Talon in his hand after spending so much time in Heim. "Shall we go hunting?"

As the button of his shirt loosened slightly, the empty space left on the emblem of the Horned King hanging around his neck swayed as if welcoming the two monsters.