3 bar menu

Volume 6 Chapter 1 Part 5

However, the Chaos Vortex is a Chaos Disaster that has continued to occur for 500 years since it first appeared. Its Chaos density was unusually high, but for some inexplicable reason, the Chaos Vortex itself appeared to be stable. The possibility of its spontaneous divergence is not zero, but it would be foolish to expect it to happen in a few days just because they wished for that to happen.

「Since the people became aware of the Chaos Vortex, almost no ships pass through the waters near Sistina. Some people risk their lives to cross to the island like we did, but many ships are caught in the Chaos Vortex and get destroyed, just like our ship did. 」

「Yes, and since we encountered it on the way here, then the probability of other ships running into it is quite high as well, isn’t it? 」

One of the Rossini family’s main sources of income is the slave trade, so there’s a distinct possibility that they might’ve found a way to avoid running into the Chaos Vortex, so maybe they could obtain some clues that would help them quell the Chaos Vortex if they could understand how they can do it, but sending Irvin to Laxia just so that they could learn that was far too risky. And on top of that, they never know when the Rossini family might be trying to take them by surprise and launch an attack, or even an assassination attempt, since the whereabouts of the Rossini family’s Assassin are still unknown as well, even though Irvin was looking for him even without receiving a direct order to do so.

「Additionally, it is said that when there are no ships trying to reach the island, the maelstrom is not going to occur at all. Thanks to that, people started believing that the maelstrom is actually eating the ships in order to sustain itself. 」

「Maelstrom is eating the ships… 」

Siluca pondered that idea for a moment.

It wouldn’t be all that strange for there to be sea monsters that are eating the ships, especially if they’d have the means of telling that there are sailors onboard. It is said that the Kraken was precisely the type of monster that attacked ships in order to eat the sailors.

「No matter what kind of monster our opponent is going to be, as long as it’s lurking at the bottom of the sea, there’s no way for us to get our hands on it. If only we could somehow lure it out on land… no, that’s probably impossible… then to the shallows, at the very least. 」

「Why don’t we try fishing it out then? 」

Theo, who had been silently listening to the conversation until now, interjected with his idea.

「Do you actually know how to fish, Lord Theo? 」

「Well, it is one of the most important survival skills, so of course I know how to fish. 」

Theo said a bit reluctantly.

「Does that mean that the ship can be used as a decoy to lure the monster out? 」

「Technically it can… but is something like that even going to be possible in practice? 」

「And also, even if it could be used as a decoy, then how are we supposed to get it out of the maelstrom and bring it back to the shallow waters? 」

Siluca knew that there is a spell that can manipulate the water currents, but the currents of regular rivers and seas are one thing, and the giant whirlpool is an altogether different thing.

「I see, so the other party doesn’t chase the bait, but attracts it instead. 」

Theo sighed.

36
「But I don’t think it’s a bad idea. If we can push the decoy ashore against the Chaos Vortex, then the monster might just come chasing after us. I don’t think that we’ll be able to lure it out unless we change our mindsets to at least such an extent. 」

「For the time being, I’m going to take the boat out to sea and observe if anything’s going to happen at the bottom of the maelstrom. 」

「Isn’t that going to be dangerous? 」

「I’ll be, but I’ll be sure to be careful. 」

Siluca had no choice but to answer as such.

Of course this is going to be dangerous. If she gets caught in the Chaos Vortex, then she’s basically going to be done for. But she has already prepared herself for that. Besides, if they’re not going to take any risks, they won’t be able to get their hands on any information, and without the information on the maelstrom and the monsters that’s hiding in it, they won’t be able to proceed with their goals any further.

「Is there no other way? 」

Theo looked seriously worried about her.

「Maybe there is, but I can’t think of any right now. We don’t have time to spare, so I can’t help but be a little unreasonable. 」

Siluca smiled in order to try to reassure Theo.

「I… I understand. 」

When Theo nodded with a painful expression, he came to Siluca’s side. and he hugged her tightly.

At first, Siluca was embarrassed by this display of affection since there were other people nearby, but since their relationship has already been made public, she decided to accept it quietly.

Irvin had enough wits about him to turn his back towards them, but the curious Werewolf twins stopped preparing the food and stared at them curiously.

「When will it finally be our turn to do something? 」

They heard the two of them making such comments.

The werewolf twins became completely attached to Theo and recognized him as the leader whom they have decided to follow. Both of them boldly declared that it is their goal to eventually bear Theo’s children, but Siluca was not jealous of the two of them because of that, because that was probably a Werewolf custom that she was unfamiliar with.

「There were several abandoned ships in an abandoned seaside village not far away from here, so if we want to start somewhere, that would be the best place to do so. 」

Irvine turns around and made such an offer as soon as Theo and Siluca left each other’s embrace.

「As expected of you, Irvin. 」

Siluca was not surprised by it in the slightest anymore, but Irvin really did look through everything that he thought might be useful to them.

「We’ll be making our way there tomorrow. Please guide us there, if you would. 」

「As you wish, Lady Siluca. 」

* * *

Boltz, the Assassin of the Rossini family, was hiding in the woods that were located close to the Marza village, observing the villagers as they were building the fort.

He climbed up a tree, stood on a large branch, and was looking glaringly at the hill in the distance.

At the base of the tree, Yana the Black Witch was standing like a crow perched on a branch, leaning against the tree’s trunk. She had a dull expression on her face, and she was sighing quite often.

「How long do you plan to just stand there? 」

Disgusted, Boltz looked down at the Black Witch and called out coldly.

「As long as I’ll feel like it, because I have nowhere to go… 」

Yana retorted at him with a sulky voice.

「I’m being chased by all sorts of people, you know? 」

「I know, because people like you often escape to this island and become guests of the Rossini family. If they’ll even be lucky enough to get past the maelstrom, that is. 」

「I would never be swallowed by that thing. Fortunately enough for me, I flew here on a broom. 」

Yana held up her broom, newly-made from a sturdy tree branch, proudly.

「The way I see it, it seems to be pretty sloppily made. Will you even be able to cast spells properly with something like that? 」

「You don’t need anything special in order to make a Witch’s broom work. All you need it to do is to fly and be able to cast spells with it. 」

「I see… 」
Boltz nodded and jumped back to the ground.

「Why aren’t you going back to town? 」

Yana looked at me with a vague gaze.

「Because I was ordered by Salvador to kill Theo Cornero’s Chamberlain, and I have yet to achieve that goal. 」

「By Salvador, huh? 」

Yana muttered his name with a tinge of sadness in her voice.

「He was a good man. When he found out I was the Black Witch, he was more interested in me than scared. He was passionate and greedy for all sorts of pleasures. I wanted to have more fun with him. 」