C1030
“A ghost ship?”
Raon furrowed his brow as he looked at Paros.
“What do you mean...?”
It was confusing to suddenly hear the term “ghost ship” come up while they were discussing the Blue Wolf.
“Hey!”
Martha pointed her sword at Paros’s head, frowning.
“If you’re going to say nonsense that even children wouldn’t believe, I’ll make a hole in that head of yours right now.”
She raised a red killing intent over her sword, as if she were speaking seriously.
“We're quite irritated right now, you know?”
Burren exhaled heavily and clenched his fist.
“You better choose your words carefully. You could not only die, but die painfully.”
He bit his lip deeply, as if recalling the Port of Belder, which had disappeared without a trace.
“...”
Runaan simply observed the trembling Paros with calm eyes, her thoughts were confused.
“He's just spouting nonsense to save his skin!”
Krein curled his lips, suggesting they kill Paros now.
“He can't be trusted. To think a captain would try to escape by throwing his subordinates under the bus.”
Trevin shook his head, saying there was no need to keep him alive.
“That's right!”
Paros shook his head vigorously, insisting that there really was a ghost ship, even with a sword at his throat.
“I can say this because I saw it with my own eyes!”
He trembled, asserting that he had clearly seen the ghost ship that destroyed his port.
“Alright.”
Raon gestured for Burren and Martha to step back.
“I'll listen, so explain properly.”
Since even the smallest clue was important in their current situation, it seemed worth it to hear Paros out before deciding what to do next.
“Tch!”
Martha clicked her tongue in disappointment as she stepped back.
“Understood.”
Burren bowed as soon as he heard the order and positioned himself behind Paros.
“If I explain everything, will you spare my life?”
“If the information is credible.”
Raon nodded, indicating for him to begin.
“A- Alright.”
Realizing this was his last chance, Paros knelt before Raon.
“In reality, the first problem at the port I was operating occurred almost a year ago.”
He let out a low groan, saying similar issues to the current situation had been happening for a year.
“Operating, my ass! You mean extorting!”
Martha frowned, telling him to speak correctly.
“At that time, unlike now, entire villages or ports were not destroyed, but a small number of people disappeared.”
“Disappeared?”
“Yes. To be honest, it’s quite common for fugitives to appear in the villages we operate... I mean, extort.”
Paros lowered his gaze, saying it was common for members of villages or ports to try to escape.
“I can imagine. You were just extorting money from people under the guise of taxes without providing any benefit.”
Martha twisted her lips, as if it was all too obvious.
“Yes, you’re right.”
Paros nodded, apparently judging that he couldn’t fool them.
“In reality, the ports and villages we protected have predetermined escape routes, either by land or sea. If ten people try to escape, we usually can catch nine of them. But…”
He shook his head with a heavy sigh.
“For about a year now, we haven’t been able to catch the escaped slaves... I mean, the people. They disappeared as if ghosts had taken them.”
Paros frowned, saying that even when they sent subordinates to search for the fugitives, they couldn’t find any trace anywhere.
“From all the ports and villages you protect?”
“That’s correct. People were disappearing not just from one village or port, but from all of them.”
He nodded, saying it was something he had never experienced in his life.
“And then?”
Raon tilted his head, asking what he did after that.
“So, as a last resort, we gathered the remaining residents and tortured them…”
Paros lowered his voice, glancing at Martha.
“Normally, they would tell us where and how the fugitives had gone to save their own lives, but this time, they claimed to not know even when we cut off their arms.”
He let out a deep groan, saying that he thought it was not an ordinary matter after that.
“As the number of people decreased, our income also decreased, and with the torture, public sentiment worsened, so we backed off for a while.”
Paros licked his lips, saying they briefly left their territory to do business.
“In other words, you went out to be pirates.”
Burren chuckled, saying he had a talent for masking his misdeeds.
“Yes, you’re right.”
Paros nodded honestly, apparently accepting that there was no point in lying.
“After about a month of piracy, we got bored and left the fleet at sea. While returning with just our ship…”
His pale lips trembled as if he still felt the terror.
“We encountered the ghost ship.”
***
On a stormy night.
“Move faster!”
Paros stomped violently on the deck.
“Yes!”
“U-Understood!”
Upon hearing his shout, the pirates pulled on the ropes with their bodies soaked in rain and lowered the sails that were flapping as if they were about to tear.
“What the hell is this all of a sudden?!”
Paros frowned as he looked at the wind and rain roaring as if they were going to tear apart the night sky. The sea had been calm just moments ago, and such a fierce storm in his decades of pirate life was unprecedented.
Moreover, with the white fog rising, he could barely see what was right in front of him. It was the worst possible situation for navigating a ship.
‘Things have been going terribly lately.’
More than a hundred slaves had escaped from the ports and villages, and they hadn’t been able to recapture any of them.
To compensate for that loss, they had gone out for a month of piracy, but they hadn’t had much success. Just when they were returning frustrated, this storm hit, causing an unbearable irritation.
‘In the depths, we need to get more people.’
Whether for slave trading or agriculture, what they ultimately needed was people. It seemed they would have to go south on their next trip to kidnap people.
“We’re close to the port, so adjust the distance to avoid collisions.”
Paros raised his voice while holding onto the ship's railing that was moving.
“First, light the lights and…”
“C-Captain! Look over there!”
The deckmaster approached with a terrified expression, pointing towards the port shrouded in white fog.
“What am I supposed to look at...?”
Paros frowned as he moved forward, then stopped.
“What is that...?”
In front of the port they were about to enter, an old sailing ship wrapped in white fog moved slowly and calmly as if the storm didn’t exist.
“Is it a wreck?”
Sometimes, ships that had lost their owners would drift with the currents, and since there were no signs of life inside the sailing ship, he thought it could be a wreck.
“It looks like a wreck since there’s no response to our signals!”
The deckmaster nodded, saying that the ship appeared to be empty.
“Alright. A ship of that size should have some valuable items.”
Paros nodded and pointed towards the wreck.
“Go and bring anything that’s worth money!”
“Yeah!”
The pirates who received his order jumped into the sea without hesitation and boarded the wreck. However, as soon as the pirates boarded the wreck, their presence vanished as if they had died. Then, the wreck seemed to come to life, turning towards Paros’s ship and beginning to approach.
“Hmmm…”
Paros swallowed hard and stepped back.
‘This is dangerous.’
As he watched the sailing ship approach without any sign or sound, his skin prickled. An unpleasant, tingling sensation in his heart. The instinct that had made him rise to the position of captain was sounding alarms, telling him to flee.
“What’s going on? Why can’t I feel the men...?”
The deckmaster shook his head, not understanding.
“Send everyone! Everyone on deck! Quickly!”
Paros grabbed the deckmaster's shoulder, telling him to send all the pirates to the sailing ship.
“U-Understood!”
The deckmaster nodded and raised his hand.
“Everyone, get on that ship!”
He moved as if he were moving himself, giving orders to his subordinates.
“Hup…”
The moment the pirates began to climb onto the sailing ship, Paros ran backwards and silently jumped into the sea.
‘It’s clear.’
That is not a normal ship. Living as a pirate, you hear various legends about the sea. That sailing ship was clearly the man-eating ghost ship he had heard about as a child. No, even if it wasn’t a ghost ship, he had to flee at all costs. His ominous instincts had never been wrong.
‘Ugh...’
Paros submerged deeply in the sea, not caring about what was happening above. Since the martial technique he had mastered was a water technique, he descended to where the ship was no longer visible and breathed very slowly. After waiting until he could no longer hold his breath, Paros slowly emerged to the surface.
“The ship, the ship has disappeared…”
The pirate ship he had been on had vanished without leaving a single plank of wood, and the pirates who were on it had disappeared without leaving a single corpse.
‘As expected.’
Paros shook his head with a long sigh. Although it was regrettable to lose the largest of the five ships, there was no problem as long as he survived alone.
“First, I’ll return to the port and contact... Huh?”
He opened his eyes as he tried to swim towards the port.
“The- The port…”
Port Cox, which had been his base for over ten years, was completely destroyed as if decades had passed.
The entrance where ships dock was half destroyed, and the village behind it had crumbled without leaving a single building. It looked as if a massive wave had swept through the entire village.
“What is this...?”
Paros swallowed hard as he climbed onto the port.
“Is anyone there?”
He shouted, but there wasn’t a single person in sight. Even the dogs that the villagers had been raising had disappeared.
“Thinking back…”
He recalled the fog that had emanated from the ghost ship that enveloped this port.
“Was it really a ghost ship?”
Seeing how it had devoured his ship and destroyed the port in less than an hour, he could only think it was the man-eating ghost ship from the sea legends.
“Blegh!”
Unable to withstand the tension, Paros vomited into the water flowing towards the sea.
“Ugh…”
As he wiped the drool dripping from his mouth and lifted his head, he found himself face to face with the Blue Wolf floating in the sea.
“What the—What is that now!”
As Paros screamed and recoiled, the wolf stared at him intensely before disappearing into the sea.
“Huk!”
Unable to bear the terror, Paros collapsed on the spot with his eyes rolled back.
***
“Th-That was the last time I saw the ghost ship, but…”
Paros swallowed hard, glancing at Raon.
“Similar incidents continued to occur in the ports I managed.”
He trembled, saying that all this was the work of the ghost ship.
“Hmmm.”
Raon stroked his chin, observing Paros, who seemed terrified just by talking.
‘If what he says is true...’
It means that it wasn’t the Blue Wolf who destroyed the villages and ports, but rather the work of other beings.
-No!
Wrath shook his head vigorously.
-That dog could be in cahoots with them, right?!
‘That’s also possible. However...’
Raon licked his lips, looking at the calm sea.
‘It is true that this is the work of humans.’
It wasn’t clear if the owner of the ghost ship was raising the Blue Wolf or if the wolf was following it on its own, but it was certain that humans, not ghosts, were behind this incident.
“Hearing that story actually makes me trust him more.”
Martha frowned as she poked Paros on the forehead with her finger.
“This bastard tried to escape to the sea again today, sending his subordinates first.”
She mocked, saying that she had to chase him into the sea to catch him.
“I also saw him jump into the sea without hesitation.”
Dorian raised his hand, rolling his eyes.
“I think it’s real.”
He nodded, saying that when he looked with his Mental Eye, Paros wasn’t lying.
“Yes. It’s not a lie…”
Runaan blinked, as if she had felt something similar.
“Y-I'm telling the truth!”
Paros let out a sigh of relief, feeling he might live now that others believed him.
“How big was the wolf when you first saw it?”
Raon interrupted him, pointing.
“Hmmm, at that time, it wasn't much different from an ordinary wolf.”
Paros scratched his head, saying it was about the size of a normal wolf when he first saw it.
“But as the ports collapsed and the villages disappeared, it gradually grew larger.”
He shook his head, saying that later it became as large as a house.
“What happened after that?”
Raon struck the deck, asking him to tell what happened after the first port was destroyed.
“Even before a few days passed, the same thing happened in the neighboring port. But the ghost ship was no longer visible, and after the fog cleared, the village was destroyed and the people had disappeared.”
Paros let out a low groan, saying he didn’t see the ghost ship after that.
“So you thought it was beyond your capability to handle and tried to escape with the villagers?”
“No—It’s not that!”
He shook his head with a faint groan.
“I thought the ghost ship might follow us if we escaped with the villagers…”
Paros looked around nervously before continuing.
“I—I left alone with my fleet in a different direction.”
He sobbed, saying he fled alone with the pirates, fearing that escaping with the people might reveal that he had witnessed the ghost ship.
“You bastard!”
Martha gritted her teeth and grabbed Paros by the hair.
“I had no choice! We had to survive…”
Paros bowed his head, saying it was the only option.
“So when you returned, all the villages and ports you said you would protect were destroyed?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
He lowered his gaze, seeming to feel ashamed of himself.
“We thought they had gone north after destroying our territory, but somehow they had come down here…”
Paros looked at Lawaine, saying they were trying to loot one last time before escaping.
“If we’ve heard everything, can we get rid of him now?”
Martha gritted her teeth, saying she wanted to cut Paros’s neck personally.
“E-That’s not it! You clearly said you would spare my life if I provided credible information…”
“We can’t trust someone who throws his subordinates away like old shoes.”
Raon waved his hand, telling Martha to do as she pleased.
“Let’s go. You shouldn’t just be killed.”
“W-Wait a moment…”
“Shut up and come with me.”
Martha said it would be a waste to spill blood on this ship, then jumped into the sea with Paros. Raon licked his lips as he heard Paros’s screams.
“Now things start to make sense.”
I understand why they have been silent for ten days. Based on Paros’s words, it was clear that those who operated the ghost ship had hidden, knowing he was lurking in this area. To make them move again, the name of the Sword Emperor Raon Zieghart needed to be erased from this sea.
“It seems to me…”
Raon smiled as he looked at Lawaine and the swordsmen.
“We will need to disguise ourselves.”
***
“Haaah…”
Martha exhaled heavily as she sat in the corner of an old tavern.
“I’m bored.”
After getting information from Paros, Raon pretended to return to Zieghart but went back to the sea, dispersing the swordsmen of the Light Wind Palace to infiltrate the surrounding ports. However, the Blue Wolf and the ghost ship, which they thought would reappear soon, had not shown up even after a month. They seemed to be extremely cautious.
‘Are they not going to appear anymore?’
She thought they might have fled to another region, scared by the name of the Sword Emperor Raon Zieghart.
‘This is a waste of time.’
She had been feeling the thrill of growth while training with Raon, but being still in a port with only the sea in sight made her restless. Martha abruptly dropped her empty beer jug and returned to her lodging.
‘I can’t stand this anymore.’
She was about to start her aura training, but she stopped and took out a gray crystal ball from her subdimensional space bag, injecting it with aura. The crystal ball emitted a faint blue light, revealing Raon’s face.
[It’s not the usual time to report. What’s going on?]
Raon tilted his head, as if wondering what had happened.
“I’m so tired of staying here! It’s been a month!”
After obtaining information from Paros, Martha complained, saying that her whole body felt stiff from not being able to move properly.
[You know as well as I do. There are many missions that last a year.]
Raon shook his finger, saying there was still a long way to go.
“But this is way too boring! At least let me be by your side!”
Martha sighed, saying she couldn’t even train properly here.
[By my side? It’s problematic if you like me too much.]
Raon shook his head, asking her to refrain from personal feelings.
“That’s not what I meant! I can’t train with you!”
Martha waved her hands frantically, her face turning red.
[I’m just joking. I’m sorry, but please be patient a little longer. They will definitely come.]
Raon shook his head, saying that those who led the ghost ship would certainly come.
“How do you know?”
[Those who have swallowed more than ten ports and villages in a year won’t stay still. They will move soon.]
He smiled with confident eyes.
“Ugh…”
Martha scratched her red-dyed hair.
“Fine…”
Raon was the man she served as her lord. If he spoke with such firmness, she had no choice but to accept it.
[When this is over, I’ll train and fight with you as much as you want.]
He extended his hand as if making a promise.
“You better keep that promise.”
Martha wrinkled her nose and extended her pinky finger in front of the crystal ball.
[What are you doing? We’re on a video call, and you want to make a pinky promise?]
Raon shook the cloth in his hand as if he was just going to clean the crystal ball.
“Ugh…”
Martha bit her lip, her face turning even redder.
[Our Miss Rakshasa. Still a child.]
Raon laughed as if he found her cute.
“Cut it out! You... Huh?”
Martha shook her head and directed her gaze toward the window.
[What’s wrong?]
“I just heard a strange sound from outside.”
While she was talking with Raon, she heard a sound like breaking glass from above. It seemed she wasn’t the only one who had noticed, as people were coming out.
“Let me check for a moment. Huh? Raon?”
Martha looked at the crystal ball to say she would talk later, but the call had ended.
“Don’t tell me…”
Swallowing hard, she went out of the lodging. White currents enveloped the entire city, and from the sea, an old sailing ship shrouded in a faint fog was approaching.
‘The ghost ship…?’
The enormous sailing ship was hazy as if it didn’t exist in this world, and it didn’t emit any presence or sound. Just as Paros had said, it could only be described as a ghost ship.
‘They really came!’
Just as Raon had said, they couldn’t wait even a month and had taken the bait they had set.
‘They can’t be real ghosts…’
Let’s see their faces. Martha leaned against the back of the lodging building and turned only her eyes to look at the sailing ship that had arrived at the port. As the ship touched the port, a white staircase fell from the deck. The first person to reveal themselves from the fog-shrouded ship was a strange figure in a white robe with red lines.
As he descended the stairs and stepped off the ship, a nauseating smell of blood began to permeate the air. Martha jumped out of her hiding place, forgetting that she was supposed to remain hidden, the moment she saw the figure in the white robe.
“Right. Only you bastards could do something so vile.”
She abruptly unsheathed her sword, her eyes surrounded by a red killing intent.
“White Blood Religion!”
-
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