Episode 1169. The residents of Hades Port
had different thoughts about the Devil’s Sea.
For example, some people were afraid to even mention it because they were afraid of the sea of demons, but others regarded it as one of the ghost stories.
Those who believed it to be a ghost story attributed the accident to weather changes.
As a basis for this, I heard that the number of ships that disappeared in the Sea of Ma was similar to the number of ships that disappeared or sank in other routes.
Furthermore, they argued that ‘the ghost story of the sea of demons was created because they failed to find the heavenly star in the magic tower’.
At a glance, that was also true.
This is because the demonic waters were known to the continent through the mouths of the mage tower wizards.
Althelm, the captain of the magic sailboat, was also one of the ghost storyists.
That’s why Count Larva Omar was able to readily sign the contract even though he revealed the purpose of the voyage to ‘investigate the sea of the devil’.
Even among the sailors, there were many people who did not believe the rumors about the sea area of Ma.
Of course, the opposite also existed.
Navigator Bruno was the antipode of Captain Althelm.
In response to Viscount Elio Lagoa’s request to ‘roam the Sea of Demons at random’, the first person Captain Althelm came to mind was the navigator.
Even if you don’t, you’re the type of person who would jump up in his sleep if he heard the sound of the sea, but if he knew this, he might go wild.
However, I couldn’t say such a thing in front of the ignorant northern nobles who knew the sea of the sea as dog poop.
Nobles could not understand the circumstances of the common people, but he himself was not one to be swayed by superstition.
When the captain hesitated without leaving, Elio looked at him with a crooked gaze.
“What else do you have to say?”
“no. doesn’t exist. As you said, let’s go back and forth to the Sea of Demons. Well, but until when?”
“Do you know why people in the past searched around the Sea of Demons?”
“I heard that it was because they were looking for perforation.”
“You know. We’re also looking for sky stars. It was a windfall, captain.”
“A windfall?”
“Because we will continue to come out to sea until we find the sky star. The captain can make money just by launching the ship, so that is a windfall.”
“ah! okay. you’re right. What a windfall. windfall.”
Althelm, suddenly feeling better, nodded vigorously.
It’s not that it’s not, it’s a war or something, so the travelers were greatly reduced, and the northern nobles were a sure money line.
With that, the conversation between Elio and the captain ended.
As the nobles stared at him, Althelm nodded and returned to the wheelhouse.
Elio muttered as he watched him walk away.
“They say that if it’s money, even a ghost will work… There’s really nothing wrong with it.”
“It’s fortunate that the captain didn’t believe the rumors about Ma’s waters. Among the people I met at the port, there were people who shuddered when it came to the Sea of Demons. If the captain were such a person, the contract would have been difficult.”
“okay? Don’t you think everyone believes the rumor?”
“Rather, there were more non-believers.”
“Isn’t that really bullshit? Seeing as no one has discovered the sky star so far, it seems like a rumor.”
“well. Anyway, the fog and waves that occur in the Sea of Ma are different from the normal fog and waves, so you can see it when you see it.”
“I wish it were real.”
Elio turned his head towards the night sea.
The night sea, reflecting the bright moonlight, was calm without a single wave.
next day.
As soon as I woke up, the captain approached Elio and the others who went out to the deck.
“In about two hours, we will arrive at the Sea of Demons. From now on, fishing boats will gradually appear. It’s because the area near the Demon Sea is a golden fishing ground. Not only the Duchy of Lauren, but also the fishing boats from the Duchy of Taurus and Latium are flocking to it.”
Indeed, several ships were already visible on the horizon.
Elio and his party had breakfast on the deck.
By the time they finished eating, the number of fishing boats had increased to dozens.
“Wow!”
As Elio exclaimed at the nearby fishing boats, one of the sailors passing by said,
“If you go a little further, it will be crowded like a market. Because now is the time for gold fish to come out.”
“Goldfish?”
“The original name is blue line red sea bream, but it is so expensive that it is called Gold Fish. A grown adult costs 1 silver.”
“One fish is one silver?”
Elio’s eyes widened.
He was surprised to find that the price of a fish was 1 silver when the cost of a night’s lodging at an inn in Hades Port was less than 1 silver.
The baron’s salary was 30 silver coins, and it was worthy of being called a gold fish.
“Yes, that’s why even the captain is very nervous when passing by around the time the gold fish comes out. If you fall asleep, you could collide with another boat.”
“aha! Are there any gold fish in the sea of demons?”
“There is none.”
“okay.”
“If there were gold fish in the sea of demons, there would have been a lot of accidents.”
“Why is that again?”
“It is often foggy there. All the smaller ships will sink as they are hit by the larger ships. It’s a blessing that there are no gold fish there. If there is, I have to risk my life to go in to catch it.”
“I guess a big ship is more scary than the Sea of Devils?”
“Isn’t it a word coined by people who are warm and full? Boat workers like us don’t care about that.”
“Don’t you trust anyone who works on a boat?”
“It is not. Do people who believe in superstition blindly believe in it?”
“aha.”
Elio nodded.
Now it seemed like he knew what people thought about the Sea of Magic.
In short, believe only those who want to believe.
Thinking like that made me a bit uneasy.
Because if it’s really superstitious, you’ll have to start all over again looking for sky stars.
When Elio was silent, the sailor nodded and went on his way.
The number of fishing boats increased and the sea became like a market.
Fortunately, the height of the deck of the horse-powered sailboat was much higher than that of fishing boats, so it was not stuffy.
The sailboat carefully passed between the fishing boats.
Delos, the helmsman, who came out to get some fresh air after changing with the captain, approached Elio and his party at the bow.
When Fabian glanced back, Delos smiled awkwardly and spoke up.
“Still, the sea is a mirror, so it’s comfortable. If the waves were high, you would have gotten motion sickness from turning here and there to avoid fishing boats.”
Hearing the word ‘mirror’, Elio and the others looked down.
The water surface was really smooth like a mirror.
Delos continued talking as if explaining to Elio and the others.
“On a day like this with no wind, it moves with magical power. In the days when I couldn’t use my magic, I couldn’t go anywhere until the wind blew.”
Suddenly, Count Larva Omar asked.
“When will the wind blow?”
“I don’t know. It could be an hour later, it could be half a day later. But rest assured, it won’t take more than a day. In addition, our magical sailboats have a magical power drive engine…. Even if there is no wind, they can sail through certain waters.”
Delos emphasized the ‘specific sea area’ and looked at the northern nobles.
However, the northern nobles were staring at the sea with unknown faces.
Standing awkwardly, he returned to the wheelhouse.
Althelm, who held the rudder, spoke with a nonchalant face without looking back.
“There’s nothing good about getting close to a group of lions.”
“The sea seemed to be the first. I don’t know what kind of movie they are hoping for because they are quietly on the shore.”
“There must be people like that for people like us to live on. This boat is not a fishing boat.”
“How long will you captain this ship? Haven’t you saved enough money to buy a fishing boat?”
“I saved that much money right away.”
“Then why are you staying on this ship? Aren’t you independent?”
“Because I am sick of the fishy smell. I don’t want to live with net material.”
“Then, are you going to do only good things for the rest of your life?”
“Who said that for the rest of my life? I’ll retire when I’m blind. To earn as much as I can before then. why? Do you like my seat?”
“If you want it, will you give it to me?”
“I told you. When your eyes get dark, you retire. My eyes are still fine.”
“haha! When did those eyes always get bad?”
“Well, ten years? twenty years?”
“I think it would be quicker to just save up money and buy a meat boat.”
“I didn’t ask you to wait.”
“Yes yes.”
“If you want to get the rudder in the afternoon, go get some rest. Don’t be fooled by the side.”
“All right. Call me any time when your eyes are dimmed.”
“It’s because your eyes are fresh.”
When the captain got angry, Delos giggled and left the wheelhouse.
The number of fishing boats decreased, and at some point, none were seen.
The magic sailboat entered the sea of demons.
The clean sea without a speck was really like looking in a mirror.
Elio looked down at the surface and murmured.
“It really looks like a mirror.”
Then Fabian took his word.
“Iknow, right. I’m seeing this for the first time. It feels strange to be so manipulative.”
“Are you scared?”
“Rather than that, it doesn’t match the common sense I knew… I’m a little embarrassed. Don’t you think it’s okay to run to the surface?”
“Let’s run. do you know It will really support you like a mirror.”
“Hey, I’m not that stupid.”
As the two passed the time with nonsensical talk, Count Larva Omar said.
“Some of the sailors don’t look good. It seems that the captain did not detail the purpose of the voyage to the crew.”
Fabian shook his head as if he agreed.
“I would have. Think about the meeting with the captain last night. Wasn’t the captain also surprised that the viscount was going back and forth to the Sea of Demons? I don’t think the sailors would go that far.”
Elio, who was watching the surface of the water, turned his head to Count Omar of Larva.
“So what do you think, Count?”
“Looks like we’ll have to drive the nail into the captain. When you return to the port, replace them with sailors who are not afraid of the sea.”
“Should I force this voyage?”
“That’s right. Since we have already come out to sea, there is no way.”
“Did you hear? If you see sailors grunting about being afraid of Fabian, act immediately.”
“Are you saying lose?”
“Either old or young, you do it yourself. Should I teach you that?”
“I was asking just in case.”
At the conversation between the two, Count Larva Omar shook his head excitedly.
Originally trying to appease him with money, he changed his mind.
Seeing Fabian confident, he thought it would be okay to leave it to him.
The calm sea, like a mirror, remained calm until the sun went down.
Because of that wind, the magic sailboat floated in the sea area of Ma all day from the first day.
The sun finally fell over the horizon.
Elio’s party, as well as the sailors who were drooping in the scorching sun, rushed to the deck.
There was still no wind, but the autumn sea after the sun had set was cool.
Elio muttered helplessly as he looked at the mirror-like surface of the water.
“What kind of sea area is this?”
Strange mists, tempests, and sirens seemed like stories from a distant other world.