The voyage was smooth.
A week after leaving the port at the village, there had been no major problems while they passed along the sea route.
Most of the monsters living in the depths of the sea ate creatures down below near the sea floor, instead of than attacking ships on the surface. Even with low intelligence they knew instinctively that they should not provoke the ships with humans on them.
Thanks to this, Lee Sungmin spent most of his time in his room for a week relaxing.
There was nothing for mercenaries to do in the meantime while all this time passed. The Pirates, which were the only other thing to worry about, were operating near the coastal waters, and only attacked smaller ships than this one. Although this ship wasn’t that powerful, it still wasn’t exactly the prime target for pirates, since it was likely that ships of this size belonged to a group.
Attacking a trade ship like the caravel they were on, was nothing more than an unnecessary risk.
While spending time in his room, Lee Sungmin spent most of his time meditating.
Lee Sungmin had finally entered the Realm of Transcendence.
Although it was only the early stages, Lee Sungmin was still able to briefly call upon the power of spatial distortion at the end of his fight against Guan Zun and kill him.
The reason Lee Sungmin could quickly adapt to this level of power, and didn’t have to spend time practising and getting used to spatial essence, was due to the fact he had already practised when he reached the Realm of Transcendence in the mental world from Denir’s trial of time.
‘As for the Realms after this…… I don’t know anything.’
He had finally reached the level he had experienced in his mental world, but the rest was a mystery to him.
After this, there was almost nothing he knew about the realms of power higher than Transcendence, though he knew some notable names of people through Qian Zun, who had reached the next stage. The only thing he could do now, was progress on his own efforts.
Moreover, there was plenty of room to get stronger. His Black Heart was beneficial to him even now, and would probably never fall short of use no matter how strong he got in the future. Not only that, but the effects of the Dragon Heart were starting to show, as his internal energy started to increase in huge amounts.
Furthermore, his bizarre body that was neither half human nor half monster, and was somewhere in between, could regenerate even major wounds in an instant.
However, since he knew he had essentially become a person who was looked at as an enemy and rogue to all organizations within Eria, he couldn’t help but be restless.
He had killed both Guan Zun and Qian Zun. Through that, he had found out just how deep the organization ‘Beyond the Heavens’ had planted their roots into society. There were not many who could honestly threaten Lee Sungmin now that he had gotten to this level of strength, but there were still a few.
An Zun was no longer much of a threat, though Lee Sungmin should never let his guard down against other Transcendents. Also, the unpredictable and mysterious Black Dragon Association and the two Divinities within ‘Beyond the Heavens’ that he was warned about… Kang Seok and Wolhu,
In addition, if he were to fight against the Divine Spirit, the mysterious leader behind his current situation, who was surely in the realm of mystical beings, he wouldn’t stand a chance even as he was now. He had to get stronger if he wanted to live freely.
Sima Ryunju.
Lee Sungmin recalled Sima Ryunju. Sima Ryunju had helped Lee Sungmin on multiple occasions and when Lee Sungmin asked about why, the response he got from that man was ‘I’m interested in you’.
If Sima Ryunju had not helped at crucial moments as he did, Lee Sungmin would have likely died to An Zun, and Wijihoyeon would have been kidnapped.
He didn’t particularly understand why Sima Ryunju was so keen on helping him, but if Lee Sungmin was to fight against the Divine Spirit, he would need Sima Ryunju’s help.
He also knew that the Realm, in which Sima Ryunju stood in, was past the Realm of Transcendence. It was not something which Lee Sungmin could measure.
Knock knock
Someone suddenly knocked on Lee Sungmin’s door. Lee Sungmin lifted up his body after getting out of his lotus position from meditation.
He could feel the presence of Yang-Suk behind the door. Lee Sungmin had told Yang-Suk to knock on his door only if there was an emergency, and it was the first time during the voyage that he had done so.
“What.”
Lee Sungmin opened the door and asked with an annoyed expression. Yang-Suk immediately bowed his head when his eyes met with Lee Sungmin’s. Yank-Suk’s face had finally healed from the bruises he received from Lee Sungmin last week.
“It’s a summons…… from the shipowner.”
“The shipowner? For me?”
“Yes, it’s… not just Hyun-Soo, but all the mercenaries.”
Yang-Suk spoke with a cold sweat. Lee Sungmin nodded slowly at the words.
The name Jeong Hyun-Soo, the owner of the C-class mercenary badge, still felt awkward to hear for Lee Sungmin. Lee Sungmin nodded and followed Yang-Suk up to the deck.
The rays of sun shining over the ship were burning hot and was causing the people on the deck to sweat bullets. It was already heating up much earlier in the day, and a steam could be seen being emitted from the sweaty and exhausted sailors.
Zod, the ship’s owner, sat with a fluffy-looking chair under a sunroof.
By Zod’s side, the prostitutes, whose faces looked sensual and were helping comfort Zod along his long and arduous trip, were standing with large parasols to block out the sunlight from melting their makeup.
“Oh, brave Mercenaries.”
The mercenaries were staring up at Zod with their rugged and unkempt faces on the deck. Lee Sungmin glanced at Zod and stood with the other mercenaries.
“This ship has merely begun its full-scale journey through the coast to Belador in earnest. I haven’t had the chance to borrow your hands for a week, but……”
Zod began to talk in a commanding and dignified voice.
“I’m going to need your help from now on. There will be many monsters from here on out as we pass through. I am not doubting your skills. No, no, but simply giving you a reminder of the difficulties we may encounter during this voyage.”
Zod continued to ramble on and on about the monsters and how his safety was important to many others. Yang-Suk, standing next to Lee Sungmin, grumbled in a soft voice.
“Nimmy, how do you propose we get rid of the Sea Drakes if they attack?”
Lee Sungmin also sympathized with the question of the average C-Class mercenary, as he had once been there himself a long time ago.
The Sea Drake was a particularly threatening monster among the monsters one could find at sea, and it was commonly known that it was impossible to kill a Sea Drake with only 10 C-Class mercenaries.
Lee Sungmin glanced at the Peak Realm mediator sent by the Merchants Guild, standing next to Zod. If the worst happened, the mediator would most likely step up, Lee Sungmin thought.
“And, this is really important. If a pirate attacks you… do not do anything stupid.”
“What?”
Someone among the mercenaries made a shocked and confused expression.
“First, wait for my orders. Do what you’re told to do, since I am the one paying you.”
Lee Sungmin understood why Zod said that.
It was due to the existence of the mediator. If you attacked pirates for no reason, the amount of money you would have to pay a toll to the pirates would increase when the mediator came forward.
Of course, not all pirates were given toll money. If there was a Pirate crew that one could handle and subdue on their own, there was no need to even pay them since you could just kill the pirates.
But if not, the presence of the mediator would determine the fate of the ship.
Zod’s lengthy speech was finally over.
Apparently, there was no information seriously relevant to the situation, and the only bits of information that needed to be conveyed were the non-violent order if they met pirates, and the warning for sea monsters. Lee Sungmin could easily see through Zod’s character through this short speech. It seemed Zod was someone who naturally used their mouth for their own benefit and tended to build up a false image and bravado with their tongue.
Since the earlier speech, Zod didn’t summoned the mercenaries any other times. If they stayed on schedule, it would only take about two months on the ship for them to reach Belador.
Fortunately, the sea route didn’t change much, and the weather wasn’t erratic. Zod didn’t want to believe it, but the ship’s captain and crew were skilled men, so there was no major problem with the voyage.
But it wasn’t like there problems didn’t exist.
As Zod warned them beforehand, the monsters often attacked the ships.
The Sea Drakes did not come out, but a Merman and a Sea Golem attacked the ship.
The merman did indeed look exactly like a combination between a fish and a human, but it was not nearly as beautiful as they were depicted in children’s storybooks.
Although they were classified as C-Class monsters, they were called the Orcs of the Sea due to their surprisingly low intelligence.
Despite the repeated attacks, the number of mercenaries did not decrease.
It was not that there were no minor injuries, but that they were seasoned mercenaries despite being C-Class. They had plenty of experience and knew just how important it was to be able to adapt to situations in battle.
They were veterans by heart and mind as they fought tooth and nail against the Merman
“It’s going to burn.”
Yang-Suk grumbled, wrapping a bandage around his arm.
It was a cut he had received in the battle against the Merman from its trident. It was a waste of money to spend a potion on an injury here, so he just lightly wrapped a bandage around his wound. Yang-Suk grunted as he glanced at the Merman’s corpse with its skull bashed in.
“It’s quite good to be paid in full when you’re on a boat, isn’t that right? If only I could go and relieve some of my stress in other places.”
He smiled at Lee Sungmin as if Yang-Suk was asking for consent.Lee Sungmin ignored Yang-Suk’s words because he had never been swayed by sexual desire in his new life.
But he had some sympathy. He once was a C-Class mercenary who struggled just to live day to day.
Cheap liquor and prostitution. C-Class mercenaries were people who struggled just to get by, since they knew they could die at any time. Because of this, they often indulged in their pleasurable desires because they didn’t know if the next day was their last.
“Have you ever been to Belador? It’s a hell of a city… there’s a place I know very well. Would you like to travel with me when you arrive in Belador?”
Even though Lee Sungmin ignored what he said, Yang-Suk persistently talked to Lee Sungmin.
It had been more than a full day since the announcement.
Ever since the monster attacks had become frequent, the other mercenaries began sustaining minor injuries, although they were light nonetheless. However, Lee Sungmin did not have so much as a scratch on his body.
Yang-Suk could tell. Lee Sungmin was not some ordinary C-Class Mercenary like the rest of them.
Therefore, he was trying to make a connection with him by pretending to get close to him.
Of course, Lee Sungmin had no intention of having any kind of connection with Yang-Suk. It was all just a bunch of rambling, but Lee Sungmin felt something was off as he turned and faced Yang-Suk.
“What are you doing?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
Yang-Suk, who was cutting the merman’s body with a large knife, looked up at Lee Sungmin.
Was Yang-Suk really hungry enough to eat the Merman? Lee Sungmin was confused at the odd behavior from Yang-Suk.
There was no need to eat monster meat since they were well-stocked on food in the galley. Because of the large subspace pocket the merchant guild had lent Zod, the ship was equipped with plenty of food in addition to large amounts of supplies ready to transport to Belador.
“Oh…… well.”
Yang-Suk smiled awkwardly.
“This merman is a female.”
“….So? What about it?”
“Hey, what do you mean you don’t know……”
Yang-Suk grinned with a lecherous smirk and his eyes turned to half-crescents. Heoju, seeing this, started to shout and rant at how disgusting the man in front them was in Lee Sungmin’s head.
Lee Sungmin no longer said anything to Yang-Suk. It wasn’t only him either… a couple other mercenaries were splitting off and bringing the lower halves of the mermen with them to their rooms.
That’s how sailing with mercenaries was. Messy, disgusting and vile. Still, the voyage was smooth. Lee Sungmin continued his work as a mercenary, hoping that the rest of the voyage would continue to stay this straightforward.
“It’s a ship!”
The waves were hitting up against the caravel and the floorboards were creaking.
Three weeks had passed since the voyage first began. The sailor, who was observing the sea from the watchtower, shouted.
All the mercenaries came out on deck at the cry. The reminder that they were on the coast water reminded them of the Pirates immediately. All the mercenaries started shifting around nervously and the mediator sent from the merchant’s guild also naturally came out onto the deck.
“It’s not a pirate ship……?”
It couldn’t have been a pirate ship. The little ship was not even a ship. There wasn’t even a sail. It was a rowboat
But instead of moving in the direction of the rower’s wishes, it appeared to be fighting the currents staying completely in place.
Lee Sungmin squinted his eyes. Although it was far away, with Lee Sungmin’s eyes, it was not difficult at all to view the image of a figure onboard the rowboat.
“I think he’s a stray or deserter. What do you want to do?”
The captain asked Zod. Zod looked at the rowboat with a sour face. He shook his head without any hesitation.
“Ignore it. There’s plenty of people in these waters anyway.”
It was the moment Zod said so.
A blue and mocking flare shot up from the boat all of a sudden. The high-rise flare exploded in the sky and was divided into five colors and scattered in all directions.
The mediator’s mouth opened wide when he saw the flare’s explosion.
“No!”
The mediator grabbed Zod’s shoulder as he tried to turn away. Zod’s mouth opened wide as he was paralyzed with a grip that seemed to crush his collarbone.
“That flare signal. That’s the symbol of the Derrard family.”
“De, the Derrard family?”
Zod’s face turned white. Zod knew the Derrand family well. Any aspiring merchant would know them naturally as well.
It was one of the 3 Major families that had the most influence within the Merchant Guild. It was safe to say that all commercial transactions by sea route were handled by the Derrand Family.
“Head over there right now.”
The words were spoken calmly, but the mediator’s eyes were shining fiercely as if they were about to tear Zod apart and kill him on the spot.
Although he boarded the ship to ensure the safety and escort the ship’s owner, Zod; the mediator was ultimately a member of the Merchant Guild.
Eventually, at Zod’s command, the caravel made its way closer to the rowboat.
There were a total of three people aboard the small boat. Two women who appeared to be maids and a young boy in luxurious clothes.
The mercenaries gulped as they watched the maids climbing up the ladder.
The mediator saw this and shot a glare at the mercenaries to make them avert their eyes.
“Oh, my God.”
The maids thought they would die wandering the vast ocean. The maids on the ship collapsed helplessly as they prayed to God.
The boy who climbed up the ladder looked around with a face full of fatigue and irritation.
“Is this here a trade ship?”
“Yes.”
It was the mediator who answered. He bowed his head to the boy with a respectful tone.
The boy’s eyes shone as he saw the badge of the merchant guild pinned on the mediator’s left chest pocket.
“You’re a mediator. Which merchant are you contracted to?”
“I’m with the Palais Merchants.”
“Really? Good for you.”
The boy sighed and shook his sweaty hair with his hands.
“I’m Engray Derrand. Some crazy pirates attacked and smashed our ship, and left us barely surviving.”
The mediator’s eyebrows trembled at the name of Engray Derrard.
To actually bear the Derrand’s family last name, meant that it was the direct lineage of the patriarch.
However, the mediator did not even remember the name Engray. It was because the Derrand family had dozens of descendants.
If the descendent could bear the last name Derrand, it meant they were indeed a direct descendant. But since there were too many descendants, if one was not recognizable it meant they were not an influential figures.
“What’s the destination of this ship?”
“We’re heading to Belador.”
The mediator answered. Zod was trying hard to make heads or tails out of the situation.
Zod was well aware of the power of the Derrand family.
This was an opportunity. An opportunity that if he could grab onto, could help him fulfil and grow his ambition!
This boy named Engray Derrand was a golden goose. If Zod played his cards right, and showed an amiable atmosphere after saving this boy, it was his direct ticket to glory with a connection from the Derrand family.
And that? All sorts of fantasies clouded Zod’s delusional mind as he indulged at the moment.
“The ship I was on sank. I must retrieve it and deliver it to the Lord as soon as possible.”
“Where are you going?”
Zod asked quickly. Engray looked at Zod and asked.
“Are you the shipowner?”
“Yes, I am.”
“I’m going to Lockebos, not Belador. There’s no reason to go to Belador. This is because this was where my ship’s course started.”
Lockebos was another significant port city just below Palais, the port town from which the ship departed.
Zod nodded his head without much thought at Engray’s words. It was because he considered it an opportunity to connect with the Derrand family and was immeasurably better than trying his luck in Belador without much thought.
“We depart for Lockebos!” (T/N : seriously what are these city names lmao)
Zod shouted for all the sailors to hear. The mercenaries grumbled but did not show any kind of open disdain.
This was because it didn’t really matter where they went. As long as they got paid, they would settle for Lockebos.However…
“That’s not reasonable.”
Lee Sungmin’s murmur intervened between the cries of Zod, who was excited at the thought of forming a relationship with the Derrand family.
“I have to go to Belador.”
Everyone’s eyes were on Lee Sungmin at that moment.