volume 3 - Chapter c262 (1/2)
'Familiar Friends'
The sun painted the sea a golden sheen. What was once the battlefield had turned calm. As the last Naga submerged into the waters, there were only waves of light that remained on the ocean surface. Everything that just happened felt like an illusion. If it was not for the people on board reminding one another about them, everyone might have believed that it was just a nightmare.
However, the Nagas did not submerge back into the water to retreat.
“Look!” A sailor exclaimed.
Brendel looked over the deck. Beneath the far and blue ocean, a black shadow appeared out of a sudden. The silhouette, being way larger than that of the Faraway, made it look like a leaf in the vast ocean. The “thing” moved pa.s.sed the s.h.i.+p at a speed so fast, it made the s.h.i.+p shudder terrifyingly. The masts were vibrating vigorously, the bolts struggling to keep themselves in place. Even the most valorous men were gritting their teeth at the thought of the planks springing apart.
Brendel’s eyes were moving from one side of the s.h.i.+p to the other. He bit his lip. The dark shadow indicated an unsettling premonition:
A creature having such a large body ma.s.s could only be those terror-inducing sea monsters from the legends!
The large ma.s.s moved further away and began to come afloat. Seawater fell on both sides of it back. And then a sharp spike broke the surface of the water, forming a trail of white waves.
“Omygawd!!!” [T/L: Oh My G.o.d!!!]
“What is that thing?!” The sailors panicked. Anyone who saw a mountain rise from the water would definitely be scared s.h.i.+tless, and they all know, it was not any ‘mountain’. James clenched his grip on the sword. A terrible thought hovered across his mind that made his face several shades paler.
“It’s the Demon Whale! A fully matured one!” Brendel answered swiftly.
“Did you get it wrong?” James sucked in a breath of cold air.
“I do hope I’m wrong.”
“Dear Marsha!” The supposedly fearless captain muttered under his breath.
He was not a coward, but he needed much more than courage to even mention the Demon Whale, which was, in the stories pa.s.sed down through the generation of sailors, the most infamous legend and the most terrifying creature across the Seven Seas.
Even in the Library of White Port, there were only several ancient ma.n.u.scripts that recorded the sightings of the beast. In the stories pa.s.sed down, it was said that only the most fortunate -or the most unfortunate- would have the grace of seeing the Whale’s true form. And to survive even that, it can only be said that he was blessed by the G.o.ddess of Luck.
The Kirrlutz depicts the Demon Whale to be the descendant of the Sea Dragon Leviathan. They were born to be the conquerors of the sea. They could manipulate the sea storms, but were a sign of bountiful harvest in the seas as well. Along the ports of the cities, they were crafted to be jewelry in hopes of bringing in a calm sea along with a good harvest.
But it was truly unfortunate to meet the real thing in the sea. Even the strongest navy humanity can produce will be a plaything in its eyes. An adult Demon Whale was even stronger than a giant dragon. Mortal magic and weapons would not even tickle it, and oppositely, its bloodline inheritance allowed it to use magic that made the strongest human mage look like a toddler playing with fire. And Brendel had known of many cases where its destructive capabilities had utterly demolished several ports.
But upon seeing the monster, he had another thought.
“This Demon Whale is working with the Nagas. Our firepower is strong, they will never come up and attack us.” He looked back, “MIster Sword Saint, it’s all up to you now.”
A Sword Saint?!
James and the other sailors near them clearly heard his words, but were in disbelief. In all of Aouine, there were only five people that had the t.i.tle of Sword Grandmaster. They were Buga the Cross, Devard the Hawk, and Silver Knight Sylvia. They all originated from the Arreck region. The people within the Mountains of Arreck were st.u.r.dy, and had given birth to may of the famous Sword Grandmasters and even Sword Saints, like Gory Keyes from thirty years ago. Among the three Sword Grandmasters, one worked for Duke Anthony, while Devard and Sylvia stayed to serve the Arreck region since the previous generation. Besides the three, House Seifer and House Covardo had one Sword Grandmaster in each of their households. As for Sword Saints, there had not been any since Darius and Gory Keyes.
But right now, Brendel was claiming the ordinary bleak-looking middle-aged man right beside him to be a Sword Saint. The news shocked the sailors that they forgot their demise might arrive in a few more seconds.
As everyone’s eyes were fixated on Mephisto, the man was still relaxed. He only turned back to question Brendel, “Me?”
“Although they had sent out the Demon Whale, they don’t seem to be willing to suffer huge losses. I just need you to force them to retreat.” He looked far across the ocean, calculating how much guarantee he had in his plans. He was very knowledgable in the Nagas, especially the Naga they were facing right now.
Mephisto was deep in thought, and found that his statements were logical. At this moment, James hurried over, nodding, “It’s true. Pirates are not afraid of death. They would not be willing to suffer huge losses in a robbery.”
He looked at Mephisto with doubt. No matter if it was Darius or Gory Keyes, they would be much older than just a middle-aged man. In comparison, Mephisto looked like one of the younger ones of the previous generation.