Holding his cane, Ludger stepped forward with a confident stride.
Amid the vicious atmosphere of being surrounded by many, the sight of him walking alone with lofty composure was strange, yet oddly fitting.
It was like watching a swan calmly drifting through raging currents whipped up by a typhoon.
Naturally, all eyes and attention gathered on Ludger.
At the same time, so did wariness toward him.
‘Stepping out alone—does that mean he’s thinking of negotiating?’
‘If not, does he think he can deal with everyone here by himself?’
They weren’t brainless. That black ponytailed woman over there was Veronica de Ville, one of the Exilion Empire’s famous knights.
A knight who had reached the master level and wielded aura imbued with attributes.
Naturally, if someone was together with a knight like Veronica, they had to assume that person possessed comparable fame or ability.
‘Still, we’ve got the numbers on our side.’
‘Isn’t it worth a shot? He might just be bluffing.’
They exchanged glances, reading the room.
But time was a limited resource. Especially now, when news coming from the continent across the sea was shaking everyone present.
In the end, they reached an agreement and decided to move at the same time.
If they didn’t seize the ship now, there was no telling how long they’d be stuck here.
Watch as other bastards went to Hyperborea first and took all the artifacts and relics?
While they themselves stayed holed up in this salt-stinking harbor?
That was absolutely unacceptable.
“Wraaaagh!”
One man let out a shout like a signal flare. With that cry, the people gathered surged forward together.
No—more precisely, they tried to.
“Quiet.”
As Ludger murmured those words, a heavy thud echoed, and silence fell.
The people who had their mouths hanging open panicked when no sound came out at all.
No matter how they strained their throats, all that came out were choking groans.
What was even more astonishing was that Ludger hadn’t displayed any magic or power.
He had simply spoken a single word, quietly, so everyone could hear.
Yet everyone gathered there could only roll their eyes around, gauging Ludger’s mood.
“We do not welcome passengers other than ourselves.”
At that calm, low voice, people felt an inexplicable, overwhelming pressure.
Their legs trembled, chills ran up their spines, and goosebumps rose on their arms.
Strange. He was only one person, yet it felt as if they were facing an enormous, irresistible monster.
“Withdraw now. If you do, I’m willing to let it go.”
Ludger’s words were arrogant. The openly downward gaze, looking at them from above, was the icing on the cake.
Yet no one flared up and stepped forward.
They could only break out in cold sweat and dart their eyes around.
Ludger deliberately lowered his presence, allowing them to speak as much as possible.
“Will you leave. Or will you attempt another challenge.”
At those words, half the group scattered away in a rush. Instinctively, they understood: even if they charged together by the truckload, they couldn’t leave a single scratch on Ludger.
But there were always people who wouldn’t be satisfied unless they crashed headfirst.
People who knew it was reckless, yet made careless judgments while drunk on desire.
“Damn it! If we back off here, we’ll be stuck for at least three days! And if those other bastards take all the treasure in that time, who’s going to take responsibility?!”
That was the decisive blow.
Being unable to do anything and stuck in the harbor while those who went first monopolized everything—it ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) was unbearable.
The remaining half, veins bulging in their eyes, charged at Ludger like madmen.
He had intended to just scare them off, but he realized he couldn’t avoid using real force.
“Truly pitiful.”
Ludger looked at them with a sympathetic gaze.
Rationally, he understood. Treasure, artifacts—those things sounded grand enough.
If an ordinary adventurer found just one piece of treasure and put it up at an auction house, even after fees, they’d have enough money to live comfortably for twenty years.
Hyperborea was a new continent where an ancient civilization had been discovered. Any treasure from there would be worth far more.
Just one would be enough. If they struck it right, they could graduate from life altogether.
For that sake, they had emptied their coffers and come all the way to the northern reaches of this continent.
And now they were being told to back down?
They couldn’t accept that. Even if their heads knew it was impossible, their hearts refused to stop.
But Ludger had no obligation to consider all that and show mercy.
Their hearts couldn’t accept it? That was nothing but bullshit.
Ludger lightly stamped his foot. From the shoe tapping the ground, vast energy burst forth.
It became a shockwave that swallowed the space itself. Everyone charging at him was swept up in it.
Their eyes rolled back, and they collapsed to the ground in a heap.
As it happened simultaneously, people watching from afar widened their eyes.
Those who had fallen were all fast asleep, as if plunged into deep slumber.
“Sleep well for a few days. Just think of it as having come this far on vacation.”
Ludger lightly used dream magic to put them all to sleep.
Watching this, Veronica was purely delighted, marveling at it.
“Oooh! As expected of Lord Ludger! Your magical skill has improved by leaps and bounds since last time!”
Casey, standing beside them, couldn’t share that pure joy.
Veronica was a knight, so she could speak so casually, but from a mage’s perspective, Ludger had just done something absurd.
‘Sleeping everyone there at the same time? Seriously?’
Among the Dream School’s Dreamwalk magic, there were spells to put people to sleep.
But those were closer to magic meant to grant peaceful rest to people suffering from insomnia at night.
This was fundamentally different from putting people to sleep who were glaring fiercely, adrenaline pumping through their veins.
At this point, it was no different from subduing them with anesthetic darts.
‘And there were quite a few people over there who could handle mana. Yet none of them resisted.’
Regardless of their strength, Ludger had bestowed an equal magic upon all of them.
It proved that he had reached a transcendent realm that defied easy comprehension.
The coastal guards, who belatedly sensed the disturbance and approached, were struck dumb by the absurd scene.
“W-what in the world is this...?”
As they naturally debated whether they should apprehend Ludger at the center of the commotion, Casey stepped forward after finishing her thoughts.
“Everyone, thank you for your hard work.”
“Huh! Lady Casey Selmore!”
The guards snapped to attention the moment they saw Casey.
That was how powerful the Selmore Family’s standing was.
“That man is my companion, and the people collapsed over there are the main culprits who caused the disturbance. They committed the audacious act of trying to seize a Selmore Family ship.”
“I-is that really true? That would have been a serious matter.”
“Thanks to his help, we were able to suppress things before it escalated into a major incident.”
That explanation should be more than sufficient.
The coastal guards immediately nodded and began dragging the sleeping people away one by one.
Even as they were dragged by both legs, they slept soundly, snoring comfortably.
“How long will that effect last?”
When Casey asked, Ludger replied nonchalantly.
“They’ll sleep soundly for three days. No matter who comes or slaps their cheeks, they won’t wake up. When they do wake up, they’ll feel very refreshed.”
Casey muttered with a subtle expression.
Well, they would feel refreshed when they woke up. So refreshed it might actually give them anxiety.
But that was their own doing.
“Since the disturbance is settled, let’s move quickly. We can’t afford to waste time in a situation this urgent.”
“Agreed.”
Hans, carrying their luggage, quickly boarded the ship, followed by Veronica and Ludger.
Casey boarded last, then used water to release all the mooring ropes tied at the harbor.
With the lines retrieved, the ship sped away from the harbor, cutting through the open sea.
“Brr. It’s cold. I’ll go inside.”
Hans shivered and went into the cabin.
Ludger remained on deck, gazing at the scenery.
The sea known as the Northern Sea—or the Heavenly Sea—was vast beyond measure and blue.
Clouds gathered in the sky, sunlight pouring through the gaps.
The weather was cold, yet the air was clear and clean. Watching it made one side of the heart feel strangely refreshed.
“What are you doing out here?”
Casey asked as she approached.
“Just looking at the scenery.”
“The scenery? Well, it is pretty, but isn’t it nothing but the sea as far as you can see?”
Occasionally, silhouettes of ships presumably headed for Hyperborea could be seen beyond the horizon, but that was all.
The sea was majestic and beautiful at first, but when such a view lasted for hours, it usually became tedious.
“I’ve seen the sea before, but this is my first time coming this far out.”
“Hm. I see.”
Saying that, Casey stood beside Ludger and pressed her lips together.
The two of them continued to gaze at the seascape.
Ludger stayed quiet since he had nothing in particular to say, but Casey was different.
Unlike her outwardly taciturn 모습, her mind was full of thoughts.
‘Damn it, where do I even start?’
Not long ago, they had parted on good terms, and when Ludger asked for help after some time had passed, she had been so happy she could jump.
Of course, she’d felt a bit disappointed knowing Hans and Veronica would be along too, but still—this was something.
Casey saw this as an opportunity of sorts. He was a man so exceptional that people never left him alone for a moment.
Having this kind of time alone with someone like that was an opportunity that might never come again.
After hesitating for a while, Casey finally worked up the courage to speak.
“Aren’t you going to ask why I’m coming along too?”
Ludger glanced at Casey, then fixed his gaze back on the sea and asked,
“Now that you mention it, why are you coming all the way out here?”
“I got interested in the new continent too. I mean, when so many people are flooding into our kingdom like that, it’s already far from a normal situation, isn’t it?”
“For someone who says that, you didn’t move right away.”
“Well, there were things the kingdom needed handled immediately, and I had to help my sister too. I just figured now that the opportunity came, it’d be better to go. Of course, I’m also aiming to get some material.”
“Material? Don’t tell me you’re going to turn this into a story too?”
“Obviously. My books are novels, but they’re mixed with my autobiographical experiences and stories. I’ve been in a slump lately anyway, so this is perfect. A magic detective exploring an unknown continent. Doesn’t that sound great?”
“Hm. That does paint a picture.”
A detective didn’t always have to deal with murder cases.
Going to an unexplored continent and experiencing various adventures there could be fun in its own way.
Sometimes, instead of brutal mystery novels full of corpses, people wanted to read lighthearted adventure.
“Anyway, that’s why I decided to come along. O-of course, part of it was also because you asked for help.”
“I appreciate that. You’re busy, yet you even lent us such a fine ship.”
“You know, if you really wanted to, you could cross alone.”
“Even so, I’d arrive exhausted. I couldn’t avoid borrowing a ship in case something unexpected happened. I’m not omnipotent.”
“Huh. That’s unexpected. Well, if you need anything, just say the word. I can help.”
“Anything I need?”
As Ludger was about to say there was nothing in particular, Casey snapped back at him.
“You can make that kind of request to none other than Casey Selmore, you know. Really nothing? Really?”
Ludger stared straight at Casey. She was already looking up at him.
He thought her blue eyes were beautiful. Perhaps they looked that way because her face was slightly flushed, making the contrast stand out.
In the end, just as Casey was about to avert her gaze in embarrassment, she seemed to make up her mind and locked eyes with him.
Her hand naturally rose to Ludger’s shoulder and grabbed his tie.
Just as she was about to pull him closer—
“Then I do have one request.”
At Ludger’s words, Casey snapped back to her senses as if waking from a dream.
Realizing what she had almost done, she still found herself curious about what Ludger was about to ask and waited for his next words.
“Can you take care of those troublesome-looking guys?”
Following Ludger’s gaze, she turned around to see three ships approaching from beyond the horizon.
They bore no identifying emblems, and their illegally modified hulls were dark, grimy, and menacing.
Casey frowned.
Pirates—like a tumor gnawing away at the waters near the Northern Sea.
Those bastards.
Did they really have to ruin the mood at a time like this?