Jun explained the field they were heading to his companions.
“A raid’s already in progress?”
“Yeah.”
Eleanor already seemed uneasy.
But her concern didn’t last long.
“It’s been going on for a while. By the time we get there, it’ll probably be wrapping up.”
“So the entrance must already be closed.”
“Right.”
Fourth Level: Slayer Coast Island.
A rare ocean-themed field even in Blackout, and as the name suggests, it was made up of islands.
“Wait… The sea? Are you serious?”
“Oh, that’s right. You’ve never seen the ocean, have you?”
“I haven’t either.”
“Same.”
Out of the four of them, Jun was the only one who had ever seen the sea.
Recalling the scenery of Slayer Coast Island from his days as Lee Jeong-jun in the game, Jun commented,
“This place used to be famous as a tourist spot… well, it is still famous.”
However, it was hard to describe the in-game scenery in a way that did it justice.
“A tourist spot? You can see the ocean on the surface too, can’t you? Who would bother coming all the way to Blackout just to sightsee?”
“Because the view here is something really special.”
“How special are we talking?”
“It’d ruin the fun if I told you now. You’ll get it once you see it for yourself.”
Even Jun was secretly looking forward to it.
The beauty of Slayer Coast Island was legendary in the player community.
The problem was, no one ever got to see it in the game.
Slayer Coast Island—
In the game’s lore, it was already a destroyed field, annihilated by the Heavenly Church.
***
Slayer Coast Island was first mentioned early in the game. In a newspaper sold by a shop NPC.
“Famous Tourist Spot, Fourth Level Slayer Coast Island! Wiped Out Overnight!”
Most newbie players skimmed past it without a second thought, but those deeply invested in the story realized that this marked the point when the Heavenly Church truly began to bare its fangs.
Even so, that’s still something that happened years later.
Of course, with Jun’s interference, much of the future was already destined to change.
Still, there was no guarantee the Heavenly Church wouldn’t get involved this time, too.
But all I really know is what was printed in that big newspaper headline.
Jun had no idea how the Heavenly Church had destroyed Slayer Coast Island.
Guess the only thing I can do right now is be careful.
If there was one silver lining, it was that the Church’s technological power was rooted in the future.
In that sense, the members of the Heavenly Church I’ve taken out so far were pretty big names in the technological department.
Chances were, their technological development had been set back by a few years.
That gave him some peace of mind.
Still, if they kept talking about Slayer Coast Island, Jun worried he might slip up and say something he shouldn’t. So he quickly changed the subject.
“By the way, Prince Javier’s been pretty quiet lately, hasn’t he?”
He had actually been curious about that for a while.
Ever since the recent incident, Javier had barely shown his face, shutting himself in his room in near-total silence.
Even now, he remained inside the carriage, handling nearly everything from within.
“Haha… you’re right. Whatever it is, he’s been sitting there with a serious look, like something’s weighing heavily on his mind.”
“A concern?”
“Yeah. I asked a few times, but he just said it was a personal matter…”
“Hmmm.”
Now that the Poison Master who had been trying to interfere with Javier’s mind was dead, the biggest threat seemed to have been dealt with.
Javier’s mother Beneth was still a lingering concern, but…
Should I see this as a good sign?
Shutting himself away and cutting himself off from the outside world didn’t exactly seem like a positive change… still, perhaps it was better than before.
In truth, all of Javier’s past activities outside had been carried out under the orders of his mother, Beneth.
Which meant that now, something was weighing on him so heavily that he was starting to defy those orders.
If things go well… I might be able to help him break free from Beneth’s shadow.
Still, the human heart was fickle, like reeds swaying in the wind. And Jun knew that interfering without care might end up doing more harm than good.
If he comes out on his own, I’ll try talking to him then.
Dexter, it seemed, felt the same.
“It’s the first time I’ve seen Javier act like this.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah. No matter how upset he might’ve been in the past, I’ve never seen him go against Lady Beneth’s orders.”
“I see… But still, isn’t this the first time he’s been this far away from her?”
“That’s true. But it’s not like her eyes aren’t still on him, even here. I’m sure Javier knows that too.”
Jun cringed internally at those words.
Ugh. Being from the imperial family must be a nightmare.
To be constantly watched by your own mother, no matter where you went…
Family or not, if that happened to him, it’d be horrifying.
“Well, all we can really do is wait and watch. Let him figure things out on his own. But in the meantime, I’m looking forward to this. Did you know? They say sirens live on Slayer Coast!”
“Sirens, huh…”
“Rumor has it they’re stunningly beautiful.”
“Hmm.”
“Eh? Oh, hahaha! Are you reacting like that because you think I’m chasing after women?”
“What? No, not at all.”
That wasn’t what Jun had reacted to at all, but before he could clear up the misunderstanding, Dexter jumped in again.
“No need to get flustered. Truth is, I’m actually quite fascinated by the female form. Ah, but not in a sexual way! I mean purely from an aesthetic point of view.”
What kind of bizarre explanation is this now…?
“Oh, and don’t go telling anyone about this, alright?”
“Uh… y-yes. Understood.”
What is he even trying to say now…?
“To be honest… I dabble in sculpture as a hobby.”
“Sculpture?”
“Yes.”
It must be true what they say about twins….Natalie, the younger sister, enjoys painting, while Dexter’s hobby is sculpture.
Maybe they were just born with some artistic talent.
However, unlike Natalie, who had a natural love for the arts, Dexter’s interest was something he acquired over time.
“It goes back to when I was a child. It’s a bit embarrassing to say, but imperial sword training costs a lot of money in many ways. One of those expenses is using models based on humans or monsters to practice sword techniques.”
Apparently, after swinging his sword at those models and learning to identify their weak points, he naturally became interested in the art of sculpture.
“Of all the forms I studied, the most beautiful curves were found in the female body.”
“I see……”
“And now I hear sirens are supposed to be incredibly attractive, right? As someone who appreciates art, how could I not be intrigued!”
“Hmm……”
“Ahem! Come on, trust me a little, will you? I didn’t mean it in a sexual way!”
That’s not the issue…
The rumors about sirens’ looks are just that….rumors.
In reality, those rumors were just hallucinations caused by the sirens’ [Charm] skill, fooling the sailors.
Actual sirens looked terrifying, like a cross between dried fish and humans.
Should I protect this prince’s illusion or break it…?
Not wanting to see him drown his sorrows in alcohol like last time, Jun decided to keep quiet.
I have to listen to his rants on one side and get glared at by the knights on the other!
***
“Th-The smell here is really something!”
“The view… it’s completely open…”
“Whoa. This is all water? Whoa—pfft, pfft! It’s seriously salty!”
They had finally arrived at the fourth level: Slayer Coast Island.
Everyone looked around in wonder at the unfamiliar scenery.
A place where no matter where you looked, there was only water.
Aside from the island itself, there wasn’t any land in sight.
Out on the sea, fishermen were moving about catching fish, and on one part of the island, seawater was being evaporated to produce salt.
As a popular tourist destination, it was more common to see nobles and their escorts than adventurers or mercenaries.
“But what’s that unique sight that only exists in the sea around here?”
“Hmm. Other people probably can’t see it. But you don’t see it either?”
“Huh?”
Eleanor turned to look in the direction Jun was pointing, then suddenly stepped back in surprise.
“Wh-What the—? Is there a typhoon or something? Why is the mana all twisted like that?”
“Hahaha. You’ll probably understand once you see it up close.”
Though it’s considered a type of natural disaster, people who witness it are often overwhelmed by the sight and left in awe.
That’s how beautiful it was.
In the game, that place turns into a literal hell, though.
Jun hadn’t seen it with his own eyes yet, so he was filled with anticipation.
And so, as the two imperial members stepped onto the island, a cheer erupted from the noble travelers already gathered there.
Word had already spread that they’d be coming, and the luxurious banquet hall set up here would naturally serve as the perfect venue for mingling.
– Those people over there are from the White Whale Mercenary Corps?
– They’ve made it to the fifth level in just a year…
– Sure, there have been others who climbed the upper levels quickly.
– But no one’s ever improved their skills as rapidly as they have.
The two imperial members were impressive in their own right, but the White Whale Mercenary Corps, who were escorting them, drew just as much attention.
Their name carried considerable weight even among the nobility.
“Ugh… this is so uncomfortable.”
“Don’t be like that. You need to start getting used to this.”
“If I run away again, are you going to punish me like last time?”
“Of course.”
“Ugh, seriously.”
Eleanor let out a heavy sigh. She’d run off once before and ended up getting bombarded with assignments from Jun.
All Aiden could do was give an awkward laugh.
***
“How’s the raid going?”
“Haha. We’re putting our utmost effort into it. We’ve taken even more care than in previous years, so barring any unforeseen issues, we expect it to be resolved within a month.”
Viscount Volletic.
He was a noble affiliated with the Imperial Family, in charge of the fourth layer, and a member of the Emperor’s faction.
I don’t have any information on this guy.
That made sense within the game. He was one of the characters marked as deceased along with the island, so there had been no further data on him.
“I see. That’s a relief. Since I’m here anyway, I’d like to keep things quiet while I’m staying.”
“Haha, then you’ve come to the perfect place. Warm sunlight, a peaceful beach with no threats, and that view. You won’t find a better resort anywhere else.”
A twenty-story building.
From this top-tier structure woven together by all sorts of magic, the ocean view below stretched out magnificently… just like the pride swelling in Viscount Volletic’s chest.
“So that’s what I saw.”
And from one of the balconies, Eleanor muttered to herself as she looked out at the view.
A massive whirlpool swirling deep within the sea. It was so large that its scale was hard to grasp at a glance.
It was the entrance to the Slayer Coast Island raid, and among the people, it was known as the Wrath of the Sea God.
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