Chapter 856 A Trip
In the silence that followed his proclamation, Daneel activated the Basilisk's Breath in order to not activate any time, at all.
"System, list the ways that can be used to quickly increase our power levels."
[Assessing all available data. Listing possibilities…]
As he began to go through the list in his mind, the eyes of the King of Lanthanor began to glow, and seeing it, the sovereigns immediately fell silent as a feeling of anticipation that they could hardly control came into being within their hearts.
…
Half a day later.
At a location 800 m from the coast of Angaria.
The Endless Sea was a vast expanse which no ordinary individual dared to tread upon.
Even though many villages which weren't under the rule of any force in the Central Continent existed on the fringe areas of Angaria where their sustenance was completely dependent on what they could get from this ferocious and unrelenting part of their world, those who resided within them knew that it was only so much they could do without consciously courting death.
For example, even though a few fishermen ventured into the Sea when the waves were relatively calm, usually at the earliest hours of the morning, they would only go as far as a hundred meters inward.
Even this was considered to be extremely dangerous, and the mortality rate was such that it would scare anyone who wished to pursue such an endeavor. Yet, the mysterious men who always arrived to purchase all of the fish that they caught for exorbitant prices which would allow them to sustain themselves for quite a long time still made many people brace themselves and decide to try their luck, and hence, it was almost every day that the Endless Sea found itself a new victim.
A small family who had run out of options to pursue due to a recent spate of bad events had just rowed their boat onto this lonely expanse.
There was a man and a woman, and the latter was holding a picture close to her heart.
"Must we really do this? Can't we just go back and beg them? Why should we leave him alone?", she pleaded, but the man could only look at her and get a sad expression on his face before answering, "You know we can't. If it's just him, there is a chance that he will be left alone. But if it's us, too… We will be slaughtered the moment we are seen. They are not people who wait patiently after the time period to return the money ends. It is said that their men come to cut a finger for each day that elapses after the time that is agreed upon, and I really don't want our son to see that, and be traumatized for life. I would rather he think that we left on a journey in an attempt to make amends, which we failed in. Let's at least try to do that."
Such was the sad fate of many who chose to come here. They had failed in their life, and all that was left was the final reckoning where they would test their luck and see if they could catch a few of the fish which were so precious. If they succeeded, they would go back and pray to the Heavens for the rest of their lives. If they didn't… Well, it wasn't like the fish underneath did not appreciate a change in diet.
Typically, because the objective was to catch a fish and quickly come back instead of floundering around, these people would go out beyond the hundred meters mark, even though there was a much higher risk of them dying.
This particular family had already reached the 200 m one, and both of them were looking around with frightened eyes while hoping that the fishing rod in their hands would move, which would indicate that they had succeeded.
It was more likely that a sudden wave would erupt that would swallow them whole, and it was already such a chore to maintain the boat stably in the tumultuous water that was already threatening to capsize it.
Suddenly, spotting something in the distance, the man stood up with fright.
He had done his research - he had been told that if anyone saw distant figures on the horizon, then it might be too late for them to escape. Still, it was possible that they could live for another day if they tried to get away, as this usually meant that the formidable creatures that lived in deeper waters had decided to visit their place of birth for some reason. They had been told that these creatures would look like people who were traveling on the sea, but because such a thing was an impossibility, it was surely the fins of the sharks which could be mistaken in case they were very far away.
At the moment, the man had spotted exactly this- three blips could be seen on the horizon, approaching rapidly.
Judging by the spot from where they were coming from, it was obvious that it was more than a kilometer inwards, and that meant that it was definitely not someone else trying their luck like them.
"Quick! Let's get to a shallower area! Maybe we can save ourselves!"
Saying so, the man turned the boat around and quickly started to row, while the woman held on for dear life.
He kept shooting glances behind them when not focusing on keeping the boat steady, and each time he did so, he tried to pull out a little more energy from his body to make themselves move faster.
This was because each time, it looked as if those blips were becoming clearer and clearer, and because he was only taking furtive glances, he could not yet determine what they were, exactly.
Still, he had learned enough in life not to question an opportunity that had been given where he could save himself, so using his wife's assistance as a navigator while she controlled the rudder, he rowed as quickly as he could.
It did not help that a current had started to pick up which was against them, and the sails were already flapping in the other direction. Even the waves were starting to move erratically, and this was usually the sign of impending doom.
Was this it? Was this his last day on this beautiful continent?
Understanding that there was nothing more he could do and deciding that he would die bravely instead of being frightened by seeing the creatures that were about to swallow him, the man left the oars and took out a picture that he had, too.
Seeing him, the woman mimicked his actions. She had been bracing herself for the last few hours, but it was still very hard.
As the boat began to become less and less stable, tears started to flow down both of their faces. They tried to keep the image of their son firmly within their minds as they waited to be either gobbled up or drowned, but strangely, even after a minute passed… No such thing happened.
If it was just this, they might have continued to wait thinking that fate was playing a cruel game with them by delaying the inevitable, but suddenly… They opened their eyes with shock when a polite voice entered their ears.
"Hello… Are you lost? Would you like me to drop you back on the shore?"
It almost felt like a voice that they had heard before, and if they weren't in such a shellshocked state where they could only stare at the man with windswept hair but pristine clothes who was looking down at them from the air with kind eyes, the might have recognized it.
He wasn't alone - there were two other people beside him, and of them, another looked like him - prim and proper, as if he had stepped out of a tea party instead of being in the most inhospitable area that was known to man.
As for the last one, he looked like he had been wronged in some way, as he was continuously grumbled under his breath. His clothes were wet, and they were even torn in some places. He was the only one who looked like he was where he was supposed to be, and he was the one who enabled them to regain a sense of normalcy and believe that they had not died and gone to a strange place where they were being witness to impossible things.
The man had been a trader who was used to dealing with difficult situations, so he managed to quickly gather his wits and realize who these people might be.
Standing up and understanding that this might be a chance in a lifetime, he held both of his hands together and spoke in an earnest tone.
"Esteemed sirs! I have heard that you might belong to the prestigious organizations which are hidden in our continent. To answer your question, Sir, we are not lost- we are here to throw our fate to the Heavens and attempt to catch a few of the fish with silvery scales which are valued so highly. If we sell them, we will be able to repay our debt and rejoin our son whom we had no choice but to leave behind with those whom we could trust. If we fail, he will at least be able to live his life with his head raised high, knowing that his parents did everything they could instead of giving up and defaulting on a promise they had made, like many would do. Such are the troubles of the mortal world would surely not even touch the hem of your shoulder, noble Sir. If I may be presumptuous… May I ask whether you know of a better spot where we might succeed?"
The man had made the quick decision that there could be nothing stupider than directly begging for the help of someone who was possibly at the top of the continent. In this way, he could state his case clearly and evoke some sympathy, if such a thing was possible in the one whom he had come upon, and if not, he could still get off easily without risking being killed by these people who could do so with impunity.
He had heard of many cases where someone who expected to be helped would be very rudely surprised, so he had no intention of taking a route which he knew to be unsafe.
Hearing his story, a thoughtful expression came on the man's face. Even his features seemed familiar- as the man thought about it, he realized that it wasn't the features, but rather the way he carried himself. The same could be seen in the other man whose clothes were also unruffled, and it was almost like there was something natural that belonged to them which would distinguish them no matter where they were.
Interrupting his thoughts, though, the one in the air who had spoken before replied in a neutral tone.
"Interesting. Well, it is your luck that has brought you upon my path. Rather than luck… what did you call it? 'Throwing your fate to the Heavens'? Well, it sounds fitting. I'll give you a choice. We have this bunch of fish that we caught even though we weren't looking to do so, and I can give them to you directly. Or… I may have a few tasks which you will need to attend to. If you agree to it, I guarantee that you will be safe. I cannot tell you any more until you agree. What is your choice?"
While speaking, the one in the air took out a bag from behind him and showed the contents within, which included more than 20 fish which would fetch such a princely price that the man and his family would be able to live for generations with no want in the world.
Yet… He had always been a risktaker, and that was the reason behind both his rise, and fall.
Something told him that this was the most important decision that he would take in his life. He looked to his wife, who was clearly completely captivated by the fish, and the instant wealth that it represented.
But… Trusting that voice within his head, he chose to follow his instincts and said, "I agree to trust you and carrying out your tasks, noble Sir. What may they be?"
His wife looked at him as if he were mad, but when she heard the reply given by the one in the air…her jaw dropped, and from the same eyes that had been flooded before with tears of distress, those of joy sprung forth which flowed down her cheeks.
"Good choice! If you had chosen the immediate benefits, you might have enjoyed riches for a while, but something would eventually have happened. Now…I can guarantee that your family's name will be known far and wide for centuries, and even you two will live for far longer than your natural lifespan. Come. There is much that needs to be done, and there is not much time that we can waste."