kscans

Chapter 36 - Trouble in the Port Town

Five days had passed since we began our journey.

We arrived at our destination, the port town. We had encountered bandits and monsters along the way but dealt with them without any issues. Now, we had reached our goal. Tina explained.

"This is the port town of Agle. It’s a hub not only for fishing but also for trade with the neighboring country. The land route involves steep mountain roads, making it impossible to transport large cargo, so going by sea is the only option. You can find all sorts of things in this town."

"Most of what you see are tools and weapons from the neighboring country. The goods transported to the Royal Capital are of even greater value than what’s here, so not many people come just for shopping. At most, they come to buy seafood and salt."

As Tina explained, I looked around the town. The townscape was dominated by stone houses, with most wooden structures serving as warehouses. It felt less like a town and more like a wholesale market. Most of the residential areas were near the town entrance, while the areas closer to the sea were filled with shops and warehouses.

However, there was a distinct lack of energy. People were walking the streets, but everyone seemed somewhat listless. In the city where I lived, everything was vibrant, with an atmosphere that suggested happiness in work. But here, it was different. A cold, indifferent mood hung in the air.

"Tina, is this town always this dead?" I asked. "For a place that’s supposed to be a trade hub, it feels kind of... cold."

"This is strange," she replied. "When I was here before, this road was always packed with carts. But today, there are none. What’s more, there isn’t a single ship in the harbor. There should be at least one large ship docked, big enough to see from here."

I looked toward the harbor.

Sure enough, I couldn’t see any ship masts. For a town this size, it was strange not to see any large vessels. We decided to head to the town’s guild. It was the best place to gather information. When we entered the guild, there were adventurers inside, but they all had grim expressions. The silence was so profound it felt like a funeral. We decided to let Tina, who was well-known here, gather information for us.

Tina walked up to the reception desk.

"Hello. What happened here? Did something happen?"

A despondent receptionist replied, "Oh, yes. A Kraken has appeared in the sea. It’s been attacking and sinking every ship that sets sail. The kingdom ordered the navy and ‘Flash’ to deal with it, but they failed. Since then, trade has stopped, and everyone is at a loss for what to do."

After hearing the explanation, Tina thanked the receptionist and walked away from the counter.

We left the guild and headed to a nearby tavern. Tina relayed what she had heard, and I finally understood. The desolate atmosphere was because this monster had taken up residence here.

But I was curious why even an A-rank party had failed. I asked Tina about ‘Flash.’

"‘Flash’ is comprised of their leader, Rodel; Glad, the Iron Wall; Matilda, the magician; and Sister Marial."

"First, the Sister. She doesn’t specialize in combat. She’s a rear-guard support who handles healing. She’s particularly skilled at using water magic to create potion-like healing salves."

"Matilda the magician is another rear-guard who can use all five elemental magics. Her skill is roughly on par with Milfy’s, though Matilda is a year older. She sees Milfy as a rival."

"Glad, the Iron Wall, is the vanguard tank. He wears full plate armor and wields a shield and mace. He doesn’t use magic, but I believe he has a skill called ‘Immovability.’ Once activated, he won’t budge an inch, no matter what attack he takes. The shield he carries is also said to be the hardest in the kingdom, made with a lavish amount of Mithril."

"Finally, there’s Rodel the Flash. He’s a swordsman who excels at close-quarters combat. He has two skills. One is a constantly active skill called ‘Body Enhancement,’ which doubles his physical abilities at all times. The other is something he keeps hidden, so apparently only his party members know what it is. And his true strength lies in his magic: the light attribute. As you know, there are five types of magic attributes in this world, which can be learned by reading the appropriate grimoire. With enough talent, one can master all five, but there are exceptions."

"And that exception is the light attribute. There are no grimoires for it; it’s an attribute you have to be born with. To put it simply, it’s magic that only the chosen can use. The rumor is that its power can create a sword of light that can cut through anything. That’s all the information I have."

Tina took a breath after her long explanation.

From what I heard, they sounded like a gathering of titans. It was easy to imagine how strong the Kraken must be if a party that powerful couldn’t defeat it even with the navy’s help.

Still, something else bothered me.

"I have a question. Have you ever partied with them, Tina? I heard you used to be active in the Royal Capital."

"...I’ve met them, but frankly, I can’t stand Rodel. I have no bad impression of the other members, but Rodel is just impossible."

"He’s reasonably tall, handsome, and has a warrior’s build. He’s flawless on the surface, but that’s just his appearance. His personality is self-centered and selfish, and he acts like he’s one of the chosen ones."

"He smiles sweetly at women when he walks through town, but if he spots one he likes, he’ll invite her back to his place for the night. Well, none of the women he’s invited have complained, so it hasn’t become an incident. To put it in your terms, Shinsuke, he’s an adventurer like Ave."

That made perfect sense.

Tina continued, "I met Rodel back when I didn’t have my skill. The first thing he ever said to me was, ‘With a warrior’s face like that, you’ll never get married. I’d definitely pass.’ He sneered at me as he said it."

"I felt nothing but disgust for him from the moment I saw him, so I was fortunate he didn't take a liking to me. However, after I acquired my skill, he appeared out of nowhere and said, ‘What a beautiful face. Won’t you come to my home?’ His attitude made me want to scream, asking if he’d forgotten our first meeting."

"Naturally, I refused his offer. But he was relentlessly persistent after that. Around that time, during an audience with the king, I realized I was being affected by my skill. Between feeling like I couldn’t stay there and wanting to get away from his face, I left the Royal Capital. Does that make sense?"

Tina finished her story with a look of displeasure.

I nodded. Still, I couldn’t help but wonder if all the so-called ‘chosen’ people in this world were the same. Come to think of it, Bardos didn’t seem particularly eager to fight. Normally, he’d be itching for a match with someone that strong.

"Bardos," I said, "you’re quiet today. Usually, you’d be radiating a ‘I want to fight a strong guy’ aura."

"At first, I was," Bardos admitted. "But then I heard the leader has the same personality as that Ave guy, and I lost all motivation. I’d still like to have a go with Glad, the Iron Wall, though. He sounds tough."

Bardos grinned.

Same as always, I thought. But for some reason, Leona was looking at Bardos with what seemed like a hint of jealousy. I decided to let that go. Asking about it felt like it would lead to trouble.

"Still, it’s amazing the others put up with a guy like that," I said to Tina. "Does he have that much charisma?"

"Hmm, I’d say it’s more for the sake of surveillance," Tina replied. "As I said before, only those born with the light attribute can use it, and its power is so great that using it recklessly could cause a catastrophe. His members seem less drawn by his charisma and more like they’re reluctantly sticking with him on someone’s orders. In fact, there’s a rumor that Sister Marial was dispatched by the Saint’s Church."

Tina’s tone was cold.

I see. So he was a person of interest, important enough for the Saint’s Church to dispatch someone. It seemed like they sent her to make it clear they couldn’t ignore someone with the light attribute. As I thought about this, I took a sip of my drink and then made a proposal to everyone.

"Changing the subject, but... how about we take down that Kraken?"

I put it to the group.

Meanwhile, at the port town’s guild.

The female Guild Master emerged from a back room.

"It looked like someone came in earlier. Who was it?"

The receptionist answered, "Oh, yes. It was a female adventurer, but I’d never seen her before."

The Guild Master sighed in exasperation.

"‘Never seen her before’? You’ve only been working here for a week. I told you to report to me if anyone you don’t know comes in."

"Oh, I’m sorry!" the receptionist said. "But it seemed like she was just here to ask about the town’s situation rather than to take a job. After I explained, she left without saying anything else."

The Guild Master sighed again. "Well, it can’t be helped. With the Kraken as our opponent, there’s nothing to be done. Even we are struggling with it. The only ones who could possibly defeat that monster would be ‘Beautiful Sword.’ I wish they would have come back."

With that, the Guild Master returned to the back room.

The receptionist was a rookie who knew that ‘Beautiful Sword’ was strong, but had no idea what they looked like. If she had described the appearance of the woman who had come in, she would have undoubtedly received a lecture of unimaginable proportions from the Guild Master.

Back at the tavern.

In response to my proposal, Tina said, "...I’d certainly like to defeat the Kraken. But right now, there are no ships, and we can’t get out on the sea. The monster is in the water and never comes close to land. On top of that, it’s incredibly strong. Since a freelance subjugation quest hasn’t been issued, the country is likely treating the Kraken like a natural disaster and just leaving it alone. If that’s the case, they probably won’t provide us with a ship."

Tina stated her conclusion.

The other members had similar expressions. Even Bardos seemed to understand that he couldn’t fight an opponent in the sea, and he looked slightly frustrated.

But I said, "It’s true there’s no quest. An adventurer wouldn’t do it. But I’m a hunter. It’s my creed not to hunt monsters for quests. I’ll do it myself. I have a rough idea of how."

"You have an idea?" Tina said, her interest piqued. "I can’t just let that go. Please, explain."

Everyone else looked just as curious.

"Fine," I said. "But to do it, I’ll need some preparation and practice. Is there a beach nearby?"

A beach, a one-hour walk from the port town.

Once we arrived, I began my preparations.

First, I took a palm-sized green stone from my tool pouch.

"A Wind Magic Stone," Tina observed. "Will that really make what you said possible?"

She asked the question, and I nodded.

When I had told them in the tavern, they had all looked at me like I was crazy, but I told them it was faster to show them than to explain. And so, on the beach, I said...

"I’ll break this magic stone into four pieces and attach one to the surfboard. That should allow me to move freely on top of the water."

With that, I brought out my surfboard.