Trash of the Count's Family Vol 2. Chapter 497: The Prince and the Father (2)

For now, they came to an inn.

Cale rented an entire annex attached to the inn and heard the whole story from Ron.

“...The shipyard was destroyed?”

“Yes. They say pirates destroyed it not long ago.”

“Is there no local military here? They just watched that happen?”

“The position has apparently been vacant since the mayor was assassinated a month ago.”

“...And every ordinary fishing boat and merchant ship was either sold or stolen?”

“Yes.”

Hah—

Cale let out a breath of disbelief.

“It’s a mess.”

Alberu calmly gave his impression, then took a sip of tea.

Pour—

Cale drank the lemon tea Ron poured for him and looked out the window.

The Oceanic Alliance.

It was a place made up of hundreds of islands if one included the enormous sea and even the small uninhabited islands scattered through it.

“They say there are no ownerless ships in the port.”

Ron spoke.

“And no ruler either.”

Alberu followed.

Three Strong, Five Middle, Ten Weak.

The Somuta Kingdom belonged to the Ten Weak.

“They say the Somuta Kingdom is leaving Solafla Port alone. From their perspective, it seems they intend to watch until the disturbance in the Oceanic Alliance dies down.”

“.......”

“At first, they did step in somewhat and request restraint, but after the mayor was assassinated, the shipyard was recently blown up, and every ship was cleaned out, they have done nothing but remain silent.”

Truly, this was a complete mess.

“Your Highness. What exactly is the situation?”

At Cale’s question, Alberu set down his teacup and opened his mouth.

“Do you think I know everything if you ask me?”

“Yes.”

Crunch.

Seeing Cale answer while eating a cookie, Alberu sighed.

Just as Cale said, Alberu had kept track of New World’s political situation without missing anything while Cale was away.

“The Great Footsteps. Once that episode began, users became able to become rulers such as kings or mayors.”

“Yes.”

“But everyone thought nothing could happen immediately.”

New World was a continent where firm power structures had already formed.

People believed that the users, still small in number, could not accomplish anything there.

“Amid that, a rumor spread that Rank #1 would become the Eastern Empire’s crown prince.”

Clink.

When Alberu set down his teacup, Cale opened his mouth.

“They were provoked.”

“That’s right.”

The Great Footsteps.

To become the first ruler in New World through that episode was no simple thing.

“NaSoJeol. This game has a significant influence on the Third District. Because of that, there are users supported not as individuals, but as powers, even by nations.”

“So the Oceanic Alliance caught the eyes of those who wanted to become the first ruler?”

“Yes.”

Alberu looked down outside the window.

The port with a view of the beautiful sea was bustling under the clear sunlight, yet somehow it looked gloomy.

“A gap opened in the Oceanic Alliance.”

The Oceanic Alliance.

A place where those who lived on countless islands and upon the sea had gathered.

Although it was a fairly powerful force that belonged to the Five Middle—

“They say the Oceanic Alliance’s great general has fallen unconscious. Apparently, he is nearly at death’s door.”

The Oceanic Alliance had no king.

Instead, the great general was no different from a king.

He apparently managed the Alliance’s major and minor affairs through the generals’ council.

“A throne held for no less than thirty years has gone empty.”

“And those who had been holding their breath want the great general’s position?”

“That’s right. That is why war broke out in the Oceanic Alliance.”

The picture formed.

“And users started getting involved in that war too?”

“Correct.”

Cale quietly stared at Alberu, who answered calmly, then opened his mouth.

“You said His Majesty’s location was Island 1.”

Because the Oceanic Alliance had far too many islands, not everyone could remember all of their names.

Instead, numbers had been attached to them.

And the lower the number, the stronger the island.

“Indeed. Of all places, that is the island where the great general resides.”

Island 1 was currently managed by the unconscious great general.

From Island 2 to Island 18 existed according to the seventeen forces participating in the generals’ council.

Beyond that, there were islands numbered into the hundreds.

“Cale. We still have two weeks.”

Alberu spoke in a gentle tone.

“Let us secure a ship first. Then we should investigate the power structure and find a way to reach Island 1.”

At present, war was breaking out here and there across the sea covered with hundreds of islands.

Of course, fighting was taking place on the islands as well.

Because of that, one wrong move could drag them into it, and they might receive some pointless attack.

“We need to prepare properly before moving.”

Alberu spoke quietly.

“I don’t want to.”

Cale answered.

“?”

The moment Alberu’s gentle expression vanished and one eyebrow rose slightly—

Cale gave Ron an order.

“Ron. We’re going out to sea tonight, so gather information on the surrounding area.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

Without saying anything else, Ron immediately took Beacrox and stepped outside.

“I will go as well.”

Choi Han moved with them.

“You—”

Alberu opened his mouth as he watched them, but Cale was faster.

“You know, don’t you?”

The location of the king that the God of Death had sent him.

“We don’t know where His Majesty might go next. It is not easy to contact the God of Death either, so it is best to go to the location he gave us as quickly as possible.”

“.......”

Alberu said nothing.

Cale remembered how Alberu had come to meet him very quickly as soon as Cale conveyed that His Majesty had less than two weeks left to live and that his location was known.

The prince and the king.

Cale did not know much about the relationship between the two.

It probably was not very good, but the Alberu that Cale had seen was someone who cared for and looked after his family more than expected.

One could tell just by seeing how he treated his two younger siblings and the Dark Elves.

He’s quite softhearted.

Alberu Crossman was a far more tender person than he seemed.

Self-sacrificing too.

He only pretended to be sly. In reality, he was always taking the kingdom’s work onto himself and suffering the most.

“.......”

Alberu, who had been silent, opened his mouth.

“What about a ship? And wouldn’t it be better to go after sunrise tomorrow rather than at night?”

At those words, Cale moved his gaze to the woman leisurely enjoying refreshments in one corner of the reception room.

“Miss Witira. What do you think?”

She showed a beautiful smile.

Laughter filled her sea-like eyes.

“My back is quite broad.”

Archie, the Whale Tribe beastman, quietly raised a hand.

“The children can ride on my back! Kuhahaha!”

He looked extremely excited.

Cale looked at them with a proud face, then turned his gaze to Alberu.

“.......”

Alberu silently stared back and forth between Witira and Archie, then looked at Cale’s brightly smiling face and simply pressed his lips shut.

Alberu had never ridden on a whale’s back in his life.

*****

Night came.

Solafla Port was not dark despite the hour.

All manner of lights illuminated the area, and the port was still crowded.

“Hah. We really can’t get a merchant ship?”

“Why are you asking when you already know? Is a merchant ship the problem right now? I’m worried whether moving supplies to the islands is even possible!”

“...We’ll have to attach ourselves somewhere and get to an island.”

But there were no ships anchored near the port.

Solafla Port had originally thrived on trade.

Trade and commerce were still alive even now. The difference was that unlike before, they now had to rely on forces called pirates or generals.

“Mm?”

“What?”

“No. Over by the cliff—”

“Huh? I don’t see anything?”

“Did I see wrong?”

The merchant, who had been looking toward the cliff where there was no proper coast guard, soon assumed he must have seen wrong and moved on.

Right.

Below the cliff.

A shape that looked pitch-black in the night.

That enormous shape—

There’s no way something that big would be around here.

He must have been mistaken.

Swaaaaa—

But that enormous shape was now cutting across the sea without hesitation.

“Human, it’s a small boat like last time!”

Alberu sat inside the small boat and felt secretly relieved.

It was a very small boat that Ron had barely managed to find.

Alberu and several members of the group were riding in the small boat tied beside Witira.

“Heehee! This is fun!”

“It’s fun!”

“It’s fun.”

Of course, beside them, the average ten-year-olds were riding on Archie’s back, and he was making it very fun for them.

Alberu looked up at the enormous shape beside the small boat and opened his mouth without realizing it.

“You—”

“Yes?”

“Never mind.”

Cale lay comfortably spread out like a starfish.

Seeing Cale leisurely roll around on Witira’s back, Alberu simply turned his head away.

...Everyone except me is calm.

Alberu decided not to think anymore.

Cale could not understand why Alberu was acting like that, so he simply lay there comfortably and sank into thought.

Island 1.

It was located slightly north of the center of the place where hundreds of islands were gathered.

They still had a long way to go.

As he looked up at the night sky, Cale recalled the conversation before coming here.

I’ll look into news from the divine realm. You said you needed news from the heavenly realm too, right?

Choi Jung Gun had immediately said he would leave Cale’s group and move alone again.

Can you also look into information on Sky Wing, the closed sacred place of the heavenly realm?

Of course.

However, he had said he would provide any information as soon as he obtained it and would also occasionally report his location.

I’ll look into it too. I’ll check on the God of Death’s situation and follow right after.

Choi Jung Soo had also decided to follow afterward with Eruhaben.

I’ll also look into information on the Order of the God of Chaos.

According to the Heavenly Demon, the highest-ranking holy knight had left the Demon World as he was. After confirming that, the Heavenly Demon had returned. The Order of the God of Chaos would need to be watched a bit longer.

For now, Miss Rosalyn said she would handle matters in the Third District.

Mary, the Dark Elves, and the others were also going back and forth between Black Castle and New World, preparing for when Cale later expanded his forces properly inside New World.

“Kim Hae-Il.”

“Yeah.”

At that moment, the Heavenly Demon’s voice was heard.

“I see a ship.”

The moment he heard that, Cale sat up.

At the same time, Witira, who had been slightly showing her body, sank deeper.

She hid herself until she was almost level with the surface of the sea, and Cale, sitting as if floating on the water, opened his mouth.

“Heavenly Demon. Tell Ron what the flag looks like.”

The Heavenly Demon, whose vision had been maximized with internal energy, described the flag on the ship very far away.

Ron nodded.

“I have confirmed the flag.”

The path to Island 1.

It was far.

They would need to travel for days.

They could not spend that entire trip on a whale’s back.

They said teleportation was made difficult with mana disturbance devices and formations to prevent enemy surprise attacks during the war, didn’t they?

The Oceanic Alliance was said to be a chaotic mix of magic, swordsmanship, martial arts, and all sorts of things.

It was chaos in the literal sense.

So the safest and fastest method was to go directly by sea.

We don’t have food either.

In any case, they would need to travel for several days, yet Cale had not packed a single thing.

Instead, he had given Ron an additional order to investigate certain information.

“It is a ship from Island 89.”

After seeing the flag, Ron identified where the ship far away belonged.

“What are they?”

At Cale’s question, Ron answered plainly.

“Typical pirates. They are a place famous for plundering.”

“Ho.”

The corners of Cale’s lips lifted.

The Oceanic Alliance.

Each island force might be pirates, merchants, generals, or all of the above. Each one had a different form.

And the ones before them now were said to be typical pirates.

“These days, they are apparently making profits mostly by attacking the ships of merchants trying to reach the islands by any means. They say they only choose weak opponents to attack.”

The smile on Cale’s lips deepened.

“Human, are we robbing that?”

At Raon’s question, Cale did not answer. Instead, he looked at the crown prince.

Still, since His Highness the crown prince was here, should he not ask his opinion?

The crown prince, whose eyes met his, smiled faintly and said,

“To think I would do something like this too.”

It was a very intrigued smile.

At that moment, Cale raised his hand.

“Now then, let’s go catch ourselves a ship.”

He spoke, and On leapt into Cale’s arms.

Meoooow—

The moment the cat’s cry rang out, fog began to settle over the sea.

Sea mist descended.

It was a mist so dense that it covered even the starlight and moonlight.

“Mm? Why is there fog all of a sudden?”

“I don’t know! Move in that direction first! I’m sure something was coming!”

The captain, who had been listening to the sailor’s words, opened his mouth.

“Are you certain? It was far away. Are we sure we can touch it?”

“There was no flag! No lights either! It must be a merchant ship moving secretly!”

At the sailor’s words after lowering the telescope, the captain nodded.

Indeed, he had already confirmed as much.

However—

“Tsk. But it seemed a little big.”

When he had first seen it from far away, it had definitely seemed like a fairly large ship.

It had been enormous.

That was why he had watched cautiously.

“But the second time we checked, it was small.”

“That’s true.”

The enormous something had become smaller the second time they saw it.

He must not have seen it properly the first time.

So they were trying to approach a little faster, but soon they were trapped in fog.

“Let’s hurry and catch it! If it’s a ship of that size, it should have plenty of wealth, and if we catch the merchant bastards and sell them off, won’t that make us a tidy profit? Heh heh.”

“Captain, that’s right! These days, humans are more expensive than goods! Kehehe!”

“We’ve come up empty for days! We need to score today! The number we’ve gathered so far is far too small! It’s a loss, a loss! They’re all useless things!”

Because they had come up empty for days, the impatient pirates pestered the captain.

Recently, the war had grown so fierce that there was no gap for them to slip into, leaving them with no proper chance to make money.

“...I have a bad feeling.”

Because he had spent his entire life as a pirate, the captain could sense it.

Something was not good here.

Such dense fog suddenly appearing, dense enough to cover even the starlight.

“Is it magic?”

No.

“An enemy?”

Was someone targeting their ship?

The captain quickly gave an order to the sailors.

“Turn the ship around immediately! We’re returning to the island!”

They needed to leave this place quickly.

With a secret hand gesture, he broke the orb inside his inner pocket.

He had a truly bad feeling.

He judged quickly.

“Hah. Cowardly as always.”

“Tsk. We can’t come up empty again today. We should at least approach a bit more first!”

Of course, a few impatient subordinates expressed dissatisfaction, but they still followed his will and changed the direction of the sails.

The fog was indeed ominous.

Swaaaaa—

But soon, they stopped grumbling and stopped moving.

Swaaaaaaaa—

They heard something.

It was coming closer.

But they could not see it.

No matter how thick the fog was, they should be able to see something when it came this close.

They could see nothing.

Swaaaaaa—

They turned their heads one by one toward the direction of the sound.

Nothing was visible.

Swaaaaa—

The sound came even closer.

“...No......”

It was not that nothing was visible.

Something was approaching through the fog.

“...A human?”

A red-haired man was approaching while standing on the surface of the sea.

The fog split open for him and made a path.

A man with an indifferent expression.

Though he was only one person, the pirates could not move.

“......!”

“U-ugh—”

Because they could see what the man was stepping on.

Swaaaa—

Something enormous.

An existence whose size could not be measured because of the fog.

Swaaaaa—

A whale.

A massive whale slowly revealed itself above the surface of the sea.

The whale’s eyes were aimed precisely at the ship.

And the gaze of the red-haired man standing atop the whale, Cale Henituse, was also aimed at the ship.

Pirate hunter.

It was the moment a pirate hunter first appeared in the place where pirates ran rampant.