episode_0036

Wait, what is this I’m hearing? Attacked by pirates?

Who? Isn’t that guy part of the Hao Moon? They said he’s from the Yeon Kingdom’s intelligence agency, right? That guy got captured? By pirates?

Looking at him, seemingly dumbfounded, the waiter shrugged and said.

“Well, isn’t this a place where many merchant guilds trade by sea? So there are a lot of pirates roaming around.”

“Isn’t there a clan that manages this place? It was definitely… the Moyong clan, wasn’t it? But why are pirates roaming around?”

“Of course, there is, but even if it’s the Moyong clan, what can they do to catch the pirates on the sea? Those guys roam around the sea as if their ship is their home.”

“….That’s true.”

At best, the most they can do is prevent them from coming down to land and plundering. Even if the Moyong clan themselves launch a ship to directly subdue the pirates, it’s doubtful whether they can even properly chase after them, let alone properly suppress them.

And that goes for me too.

“….What is the Yeon Kingdom army doing?”

The Yeon Kingdom army.

The Yeon family, that is, the royal family of this place, these soldiers who are active here, their authority is currently quite weakened, and they seem to be working hard to resolve that…. But they are only weakening, not just becoming simple scarecrows.

As I’ve said many times, the Yeon Kingdom has a damn wide territory.

Even if the 13 sects and clans each exert influence in their respective jurisdictions and protect public order, there are far more places where their influence does not reach, and the Yeon family protects those places. The power appropriate to that.

Quality is lacking, but the power of quantity definitely exists.

“Well…, they are conducting regular suppression operations, but I know there are no noticeable effects.”

“….”

Incompetent bastards.

Since the quality is lacking, even if there is a lot of quantity, there is no influence.

….No, it’s still okay.

Even if those guys are pirates who roam around on ships like their own home, if their ship is destroyed in the vast sea and they fall into the sea as they are, they can only die since they are also human.

So, if we lure those guys to a wide area of the sea and sink them all!….

“Ah, come to think of it, there’s a story like this. Recently, the activities of pirates have become more active…, the reason is that the Beastman Alliance is supporting the pirates…, well, that’s what they say.”

“….”

A bit of a picture was drawn.

The Beastman Alliance, those guys have to smuggle Gigantic Root Pills while avoiding the eyes of the Yeon Kingdom army and the Moyong clan.

Even if making them is okay, how will they smuggle them?

By land?

With the Moyong clan watching with bloodshot eyes, can they really stabilize the smuggling route safely?

Even if it’s the first time, it’s only a matter of time before they get caught since the Yeon family has noticed.

Nevertheless, they have not found any smuggling routes on the ground.

This means that there is no route using land.

Then by sea?

Generally, when goods enter or leave the country, they are inspected. This is no different in this Yeon Kingdom.

So, in the case of ordinary maritime smuggling, the longer it is, the more likely it is to get caught, just like on land.

So how could they continue to trade?

‘….They were using…, pirates?’

Perhaps the Yeon army also had some expectations.

That’s why Illyeon sent me from Sichuan to Dandong.

Perhaps Jongui, the boatman and agent of the Hao Moon, whom I will meet here, would have said something similar.

The movements of the pirates are quite suspicious, and there is a rumor that the Beastman Alliance seems to be backing them, so an investigation is needed.

Well, something like that.

“….Haa.”

“C, Champion. Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. You’re gathering information quite well. It hasn’t even been that long.”

“Haha, I’ve been doing this for 10 years already as a native of this place. I just have a tight grip on the information here. If there’s anything you want me to do or call, just let me know anytime.”

While saying that, the waiter gestured with his hand, expressing money while secretly pointing.

It means he wants money if I ask him to do something. Does that mean he’s going to call it quits with the money and food I gave him in advance for this information?

He has better guts than I thought.

It seems like the waiter has already eaten all the food he brought, so I slowly got up from my seat.

“I enjoyed the meal.”

“Champion, you didn’t even take a bite.”

“Just looking at it makes me full.”

“Father!…”

Who’s the father? Is this guy crazy?

I put the money for the food on the table and headed to the beach to calm my confused mind.

* * *

The sky is clear and the seagulls are happily flying around, it should be a day when all things are joyful, but why is my heart so heavy?

“Mom. That person is saying strange things while looking at the sea.”

“Shh, shh! Let’s hurry past.”

“….”

This is bullshit.

I came to the beach to feel the sea breeze, and as I was looking at the dazzling sea, poetic verses came to my mind naturally, but it seems like I looked like a crazy person to the people around me. Well, even if it were me, I would avoid someone who is looking at the sea and muttering to themselves in a sentimental way.

“….The sea.”

The first thing to prepare is a ship.

I can’t walk on the sea, and even if I could, there is definitely a physical limit.

So, as a shelter where I can rest on the sea and a watchtower where I can block enemies, a ship is essential.

[【Memories of the Sword King】 are manifesting.]

[【Sword King Footwork】 has been enhanced, and its effect has been strengthened.]

[The active effect “Consume 1 mana per second to walk on liquids.” has been added to 【Sword King Footwork】.]

“….Sword King, who the hell are you.”

Did you experience all kinds of hardships?

I’m so scared.

No, but first of all, there are restrictions.

I can walk on liquids…, that is, the sea, by consuming 1 mana per second, but my mana is not infinite.

Since my current total mana is 24220, I can maintain this state for 24200 seconds…, about 400 minutes…, it seems like a considerable amount of time, but it’s only a little over 6 hours.

Within this time, cross the sea, find the pirates who are somewhere, and wipe them all out?

“Impossible…, is it?”

Oh, wait a minute. Maybe it’s possible?

….No, no. The waiter said. The Beastman Alliance might be involved.

And if the Beastman Alliance guys dispatched Beastmen to the pirates, that Beastman is probably free in the water… for example, a Beastman related to fish. If so, I can’t chase them if they hide inside the sea.

“….Wait a minute.”

The waiter said.

The Yeon army is conducting regular suppression.

Then that means there is a unit of the Yeon army regularly stationed there…, and such guys must know where the pirates’ activity area or their main base is.

‘The ID card I have…’

Jang Cheon-woo from the Jaryong unit belonging to the Yeon army.

I haven’t heard exactly about the Jaryong unit, but they are high-ranking officials of the Yeon family. I heard that they are a unit that travels around the Yeon Kingdom under the orders of the Yeon Emperor and performs confidential missions. If it’s such a Jaryong unit, can’t I get some support from the Yeon army?

“….”

Suddenly, an idea came to my mind, and I hurriedly returned to the inn.

* * *

“Is it possible to create a poison fog that covers the entire island?”

As soon as I returned to the inn, the first thing I did was look for Dang Seol-rin.

If I can realize what I was thinking, the key would naturally be Dang Seol-rin.

“Hmm…, I need to check the size of the island, the formation, and various environmental factors…, but if all those environmental factors are met, I can create a poison fog that covers the entire island even by myself.”

“But there are too many variables, right?”

“Yeah. That’s right.”

First of all, she answered the question, but Dang Seol-rin tilted her head and looked at me as if wondering what the situation was.

Baek-ryeon seemed to have grasped the situation well, and she adjusted her sword with a serious expression.

“It seems that the situation is not going well, young master.”

“That’s right. According to the waiter I asked to gather information, Jongui, the boatman who was supposed to receive the information, was caught by pirates.”

“Pirates…, well, since the sea is nearby, it makes sense that there are pirates.”

Baek-ryeon nodded.

But she tilted her head as if wondering and asked.

“But wasn’t he the information group of the Hao Moon that you mentioned? How can such a person be caught so easily by pirates?”

That’s what I want to ask, damn it.

“It’s not accurate, but there is a rumor that those pirates have a connection with the Beastman Alliance…, that is, the Beastman Alliance is backing them. It’s not accurate, so I can only know the exact information after confirming it directly, or after rescuing the boatman named Jongui.”

“I see. So that’s why you asked me? If I can cover the entire island with poison fog.”

“Yeah. They wouldn’t have made their main base inland, so they must be making their main base on an island somewhere beyond that sea and are active.”

In addition, not a single one of them should be missed.

But it is physically impossible for me to monitor the entire island alone, and even if I do, if there are Beastmen mixed in, I don’t have the confidence to chase them in the sea.

“….Then it seems a bit difficult.”

“Is it impossible?”

“Well…, my father might have been able to do it…, but if it’s the pirates’ main base, there will definitely be guards constantly patrolling. Preparing the poison fog is also a preparation, but creating it at the desired timing is…. difficult.”

“….Useless.”

“!!!”

Dang Seol-rin was enraged by my one word and shouted something, but Baek-ryeon stopped her.

“L, Lady Seol-rin. What about that method?”

“?”

“W, why. Didn’t Lady Seol-rin say that among the methods of using poison, there is also a method of putting it in the enemy’s food?”

“That’s right, but why?”

Baek-ryeon said.

“What if you deliberately get caught by those guys, and then Lady Seol-rin secretly puts poison in the pirates’ food or water to poison them?”