The Shaking Sea
The sea trembled under the beast's violent thrashing.
— Crack-crack-crack-crack!
The mighty Kraken, ruler of the Western Sea, writhed in pain, sending tremors through the ice. The shards of ice shattered by Darbav’s teo were swept ashore by the waves, and the beast’s frenzied movents left cracks in the frozen surface.
Cries of fear filled the air.
“...It’s impossible.”
“How are we supposed to defeat that monster...?”
“We should retreat while we still can.”
The sight of knights quivering in terror at just one tentacle almost made laugh.
Just one tentacle.
The panic from sothing so small was almost comical.
The Crown Prince, however, was far from amused. He shouted, trying to impose control.
"We must retreat!"
It was a ridiculous suggestion.
“The Duke must be here for the subjugation to succeed! We wait for his return before proceeding!”
The arrogance of this outsider, barking orders like a general, made want to flick him on the forehead. How could soone so cowardly aspire to lead the Empire?
I sighed, watching his flustered expression.
"Retreat is no longer an option."
"The soldiers' safety cos first!"
"And what happens when the beast makes landfall? At the very least, we must hold it in place and fulfill our duty."
"Shut up, Ricardo! I’m well aware of that fact. I’m saying we need ti to regroup!"
"If you’re aware, why are you talking about retreating?"
— Clench.
“There’s no other way!” he roared, frustration cracking his composure.
I leaned in closer, my voice dropping to a mocking whisper.
"Your thoughts must be racing."
"..."
"You want to eliminate both the beast and the Desmund Duke in one stroke, but an unexpected nuisance——keeps ddling."
"..."
"And now the beast, which you thought you could handle, turns out to be far larger than expected. You’re wondering, ‘Can we even win?’ Aren’t you?"
“Bastard!”
I gently pushed his shoulder with a finger, forcing him to stumble back.
“Run away then,” I said casually.
"..."
“If you’re that scared.”
The Crown Prince glared at , furious and humiliated, his face twisted as he sat on the ice.
“Why are you looking at like that? So intimidating.”
"Don’t provoke ."
"But you’re scared, aren’t you, Your Highness? If you plan to lead the Empire as its Emperor, you should protect your neck. It’s always under threat from enemy nations."
"..."
He clenched his fist so hard the ice beneath him groaned. Words burned in his throat, but I dismissed him with a relaxed wave of my hand.
"We don’t need the Duke for this."
I slowly unsheathed my sword, its cold steel catching the light. The Crown Prince shouted, his voice filled with scorn.
"The beast that even the Duke of Belian failed to kill—do you seriously think soone like you can do it?"
"..."
"This is a mistake on the Duke’s part. This entire operation is his fault. Bringing you here—mocking —ruining the plan. It’s all on him!"
"..."
"Maybe if you had a Sword Master, things would be different. But without one, retreat is the only rational choice."
I paused, staring at the tip of my sword. Should I say it? Should I reveal it now?
The Crown Prince’s arrogance grated on . A man without strength has no right to wield fear as a weapon. His pathetic attempts to assert dominance were laughable.
I chuckled softly and answered him.
"Isn’t there already one here?"
"...What?"
"Sword Master."
"...What did you say?"
The Crown Prince froze, disbelief spreading across his face. I turned to the Duke of Belian with a small, confident smile.
"As the personal steward of Lady Olivia of Desmund, I shall advance to fulfill the aspirations of House Belian."
His trembling gaze was filled with disdain.
"Don’t make laugh."
"Ha-ha! Oh, this will be fun."
A crimson aura began to glow faintly around my blade.
"..."
The sight made the Crown Prince uneasy. It wasn’t just an ordinary aura—it was dense, sharp, and chillingly dark. The Duke of Belian’s eyes widened as she stared, her disbelief evident.
"At that age... Aura?"
"And it’s unlike any I’ve seen before..."
The Crown Prince’s expression darkened, his magical senses confirming what he didn’t want to believe. He recognized it.
It was the aura of a Sword Master.
"What have you done...?"
"..."
"Answer !"
The ground beneath us trembled. The beast roared, its tentacles crashing down with bone-shaking force.
The Crown Prince’s mind raced.
He had to eliminate now.
If Ricardo was truly a Sword Master, the balance of power in the Empire would tilt irreparably. Even if it ant risking everything, I had to be dealt with here and now.
For the stability of his reign, for his future as Emperor, this "hound" standing in his way had to be eliminated.
He signaled Wolfgang with a subtle glance, conveying urgency: Now. If we don’t kill him now, it’s all over.
But a question lingered in his mind.
How?
— Rumble.
The sea trembled, and the Crown Prince found himself lost in doubt. The beast was a looming impossibility, and his thoughts spiraled.
A cold voice cut through the noise, startling him.
"If you’re entertaining foolish ideas, it’d be best to stop."
The voice of a black lion.
"Because you’ll die."
Neither Darbav nor I would fall for the Crown Prince’s sches. Trust was a luxury we couldn’t afford, and underestimating was his gravest mistake.
I shifted my gaze upward, where a massive shadow lood over the horizon.
The beast awaited.
The Kraken's wrath reverberated through the frozen sea.
— BOOM! CRACKLE!
The tremors from the monstrous beast's thrashing sent vibrations through the ice, shattering its already fragile surface. Broken shards were carried ashore by the waves, and fissures spiderwebbed across the frozen sea.
I couldn’t help but wonder, Would the young lady like takoyaki made from Kraken tentacle?
It wasn’t just idle thought. Watching the Kraken wreak havoc on Wolfgang’s forces, I realized this was an opportunity for retribution. They had it coming.
The Crown Prince’s panicked voice interrupted my musings.
“You—!”
— CRACK!
A massive tentacle smashed down, further breaking the ice. Wolfgang's knights lost their footing, slipping and stumbling as the unstable surface betrayed them. The Crown Prince dashed forward, summoning his ager reserves of magical energy.
"Haah!"
A faint glimr of aura—impressive for soone like him.
But still...
“...Hah. Well, that’s sothing.”
He must have realized it too. Smirking faintly, he sent a thin arc of aura toward the Kraken’s leg.
“Take this!”
Naturally...
“...Huh?”
It didn’t even scratch it.
The Crown Prince’s attacks failed to leave a single wound, and in desperation, he began slashing wildly.
“AAAHHH!”
It was futile. A creature that even Sword Masters couldn’t handle wouldn’t be fazed by such weak strikes.
I sighed and turned my attention to the trembling Duke of Belian beside .
“I see now why it was never defeated before.”
The young Duke’s voice quivered.
“Did my father... try to face that thing alone?”
“...Yes.”
“For the safety and peace of the West, he went to battle alone...”
“...”
“We asked Wolfgang for reinforcents, but they refused. We sought aid from the imperial family, but they said, ‘What happens in the West must be resolved in the West.’”
“...”
And yet...
“My father... against that monster...”
The weight of her grief hung heavy in the air. I nodded solemnly, gripping my sword. Any longer, and the Crown Prince would die.
Not that his death would be a great loss. In fact, Desmund would likely benefit.
Still, he had his uses. For now.
— THOOM!
Another tentacle slamd down, cracking the ice inches from the Crown Prince. He turned to flee but slipped, his feet unable to find purchase on the slick surface.
“Damn it!”
As the Kraken’s massive leg descended toward him, he shut his eyes tightly.
— SLASH!
A flash of red severed the tentacle mid-air. The beast howled in pain, its thrashing shaking the sea even more violently.
Standing before the Crown Prince, I gave him a faint smile.
“For now, I’ll let you live. You still have your uses.”
He didn’t seem to hear , his ragged breaths coming fast as he stared at the severed tentacle.
“Hah... Hah...”
Ignoring his panic, I turned to Wolfgang and the other knights.
“Position Wolfgang’s knights on the Kraken’s right flank. They’ll act as bait.”
“...”
“And Your Highness, focus on refreezing the ice to stabilize the footing for the soldiers.”
“You—! A re commoner giving orders?!”
Wolfgang bristled, but the Crown Prince, gritting his teeth, cut him off.
“Follow Ricardo’s instructions.”
“But, Your Highness!”
“If you don’t listen, we’re all going to die.”
Wolfgang shot a venomous glare but reluctantly began relaying commands to his n.
The ice rang with the frantic movent of knights assuming formation and the Crown Prince working to refreeze the shattered surface.
And then...
— ROAR!
The /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ Kraken surged with renewed fury, its massive bulk rising further from the depths.
The sight was monstrous.
A beast capable of leveling eight-tenths of the capital if it had appeared there. Its sheer size and might were overwhelming.
Drawing it fully onto the ice was the only way to deal significant damage, but the surface wouldn’t hold.
There was only one option.
I reached for my sword, fingers brushing the hilt.
Caliburn.
At your service, my master.
I’ll need your power.
A dark, crimson aura began to swirl around the blade.
“...”
The oppressive energy, heavy enough to crush the air itself, wrapped around my sword.
— CRACKLE!
[The blessing of “Mark of Annihilation” has been activated.]
anwhile, in a quieter part of the West...
“Huh?”
Lady Olivia munched on a skewer of grilled octopus, watching the distant sea.
“Mommy.”
— THUD!
“Not mommy, Rosanna.”
“Eeeek!”
Olivia pointed toward the horizon.
“I want to cast teo there.”
“No.”
“Eeeeeek!”
Though she had no magic to speak of, Olivia’s desire to unleash teo remained undeterred.
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