Sea Monster Stew Chapter 5 - Barbarism and Romanticism

Biche dragged an empty leather sack as she entered the stable. 

 

The stable’s characteristic smell of hay was tinged with the metallic scent of blood. A glance into the inner pens revealed they were drenched in blood.

 

A monstrous sea creature was staring intently at Biche from behind the iron bars. 

 

The creature, which resembled a small sea lion, had a sunken belly as if it hadn’t eaten for days. 

 

Its limp green tail was covered in numerous small wounds. It seemed the stable manager hadn’t been able to resist using his whip again.

 

Biche swallowed hard and met the sea creature’s gaze. It narrowed its snake-like eyes, observing her.

 

[“You… you’re a half-breed.”]

 

The voice of the monstrous sea creature echoed inside Biche’s head.

 

[“It’s a miracle the pirates haven’t discovered your true identity yet. I hear the admirals from Whecoca are uncannily good at sniffing out creatures like us.”]

 

“…Yeah. I’ve been lucky,” Biche muttered with a gloomy face. 

 

It had already been five years since she was brought to Karabas. Surviving all that time without the pirates discovering her secret was nothing short of a miracle.

 

Just then, she sensed movement from deeper inside the stable. Startled, Biche lowered her voice.

 

“Shh. Someone’s coming. Be quiet now.”

 

[“What does it matter? Only you can hear me anyway.”]

 

As the monstrous sea creature grumbled, burying its black snout in a pile of hay, the old stable manager stuck his head out from the inner stable. 

 

His face was flushed and bloated from drink, etched with a deeply unpleasant expression.

 

“Well, look who it is. The boatswain’s little brat, isn’t it?”

 

He looked Biche’s slender frame, wrapped in a worn robe, up and down before grinning.

 

“Or should I call you ‘young lady’ now?”

 

Biche didn’t reply, instead opening the mouth of the sack wide. The stable manager cackled and staggered out. As the distance closed, the stench of alcohol became overpowering.

 

“Right, right. The gallbladder the boatswain ordered. I had it ready ages ago.”

 

The manager brought out a large piece of meat from a fully opened pen. It was a gallbladder the size of a human head, clearly extracted from the belly of a massive, monstrous creature.

 

“What does the boatswain even plan to use this for?”

 

Biche thought of Hildert, who had become noticeably more curt lately. He had never been particularly kind, but since becoming boatswain a year ago, he had grown even more brusque.

 

He hardly even answered her questions. When she asked what he intended to use the gallbladder for, Hildert had acted as if he hadn’t heard, deliberately avoiding her gaze.

 

“Well…” Biche recalled Hildert’s annoying demeanor and gave a vague answer.

“Perhaps for a potion experiment?”

 

“Oho, I see. Make sure to deliver it safely to the boatswain.”

 

The dripping gallbladder was placed into the sack. Biche fought back nausea and tightly tied the sack shut. The stable manager hiccuped and disappeared back between the pens.

 

Biche struggled to lift the sack with both hands and turned to leave. Her eyes met again with the listless monstrous sea creature behind the bars.

 

The creature stared silently at Biche with its yellowish eyes, then bowed its head deeply. 

 

Biche glanced nervously toward the inner stable. The faint sound of the manager’s drunken rambling could be heard.

 

Hesitating for a moment, she slowly walked towards the pen where the sea creature was trapped. Hearing her footsteps, the creature lifted its head slightly.

 

“This is all the help I can offer,” Biche whispered softly, unfastening the latch on the iron-barred door. The door creaked open.

 

[“Wait.”] The sea creature glanced anxiously toward the inner stable. [“What if they find out you helped me?”]

 

“Everyone will just think the drunk manager failed to secure the door properly,” Biche retorted with a spiteful look, turning her body away. “Head for the wall behind the stable. Push through the bushes, and you’ll find a water channel that leads outside the fortress.”

 

[“A water channel? Then… you could have escaped long ago too.”]

 

“I can’t breathe underwater, unlike you.”

 

[“Why?”]

 

Why? Probably for the very reason you mentioned—because I’m only half a creature, Biche thought sarcastically, swallowing the retort and heaving a deep sigh.

 

“Well then, good luck. Farewell.”

 

[“Wait. At least tell me your name before you go.”]

 

The sea creature pushed its head through the gap in the door and spoke urgently.

 

[“You are a slave owned by the pirates, right? My master is a hero who restores freedom to beings like you. Someday, I will return with my master to rescue you.”]

 

Biche struggled to suppress the urge to scoff. She didn’t know who this creature’s master was, but it was unlikely they would dare extend a helping hand to a slave owned by the Crocus pirates.

 

“Arcobicche.”

 

[“Arcobicche…”]

 

“Here, I’m mostly called ‘Biche’. Now go, quickly.”

 

After hurriedly whispering, she rushed out of the stable. Hugging the sack, she headed towards the main fortress, glancing back once at the stable. The sea creature had escaped and was waddling clumsily towards the high fortress wall.

 

Biche stared blankly at the creature’s retreating form, then trudged away wearily. Soon after, a loud *splash* echoed through the air.

 

Hearing the sound, tears welled up in her eyes. Biche sniffled, her nose stinging, and rubbed her eyes roughly with the back of her hand.

 

‘What am I even doing? Here I am, trapped myself, yet I helped a sea creature I just met today, all because it’s supposedly my ‘kin’, even if only half.’

 

“…I want to go home too…” she muttered, her voice choked with tears, slipping a hand inside her collar. Her fingers closed around her mother’s locket.

 

Clutching the locket tightly and bowing her head, she heard boisterous voices not far away. 

 

Some of the pirate crew were clearly nearby. 

 

Biche hid the locket inside her clothes and hastily wiped her tears.

 

Just as she schooled her expression into one that showed no trace of crying, a group of large men came into view. 

 

They moved in a boisterous crowd into the main fortress, carrying the distinct smell of the sea common among sailors. 

 

It was the deck master of the Crocus pirate flagship and his crew.

 

Biche’s eyes unconsciously scanned the group of sailors. As expected, the grey-haired boy was nowhere to be seen.

 

‘Where on earth is he…?’

 

Just as she turned away, deeply disappointed, one of the sailors recognized her and called out cheerfully.

 

 

“Oh, if it isn’t the assistant! Fancy seeing you outside the fortress! Good morning!”

 

“Hello,” Biche replied, shrinking slightly and nodding her head.

 

The sailor strode over and gestured to the sack containing the gallbladder.

 

 

“Isn’t that heavy? Need a hand?”

 

“No, it’s…” Before she could finish refusing, another sailor swiftly took the sack. 

 

He hoisted the leather bag, which Biche had struggled to carry, onto his shoulder as if it were nothing and gave her a friendly smile.

 

“This needs to go to the boatswain’s study, right? Leave it to me.”

 

“Honestly, the boatswain… making a delicate young lady carry something this heavy.”

 

“Can’t expect chivalry from those mages, can you?”

 

Biche stared blankly after the sailors as they moved away, chatting noisily. She muttered a thank you, but none of them seemed to hear her.

 

Showing kindness to a mere assistant, a former slave at that. It was typical of the Crocus pirate crew, who prided themselves on their chivalric code.

 

“Right. They’re kind to humans…” Biche grumbled under her breath as she trudged across the rear garden. 

 

If only they could extend that same respect and consideration to powerless creatures.

 

She had witnessed firsthand how barbarically the pirates trampled upon creatures. 

 

That’s why Biche had kept her true identity an absolute secret.

 

Who would ever dare suspect that the assistant to Boatswain Hildert was a half-breed, born from a human woman and a sea creature—what they disparagingly called a ‘hybrid’?

 

For five years, she had endured, clinging to the hope of someday returning to her homeland, the Helio Empire. 

 

Fortunately, Hildert, her master, showed no particular interest in his assistant’s origins or past.

 

“I’m sure Hildert has even forgotten my name,” Biche sighed deeply as she headed towards the side entrance used mainly by servants. 

 

At that moment, something dark swooshed past her. Biche swallowed a scream and halted abruptly.

 

A group of burly men swarmed past her. “Live-Skinner” Kisa, the admiral of the second ship, was leading his crew through the rear garden.

 

“Kisa…” Biche frowned as she watched Kisa stride away. 

 

Perhaps it was his formidable presence—a massive frame nearing eleven feet (about 330 cm), clad in black dragon leather armor. 

 

The sailors and servants following him looked like dwarves in comparison.

 

Kisa was the first of the seventeen admirals Biche had ever seen. 

 

But his black beard and wrinkled face were exactly the same as five years ago; his fierce eyes and gigantic stature hadn’t changed at all.

 

Five years was long enough for Biche to shed all her childish features. Yet, Kisa looked exactly the same as he did when she was first brought to Karabas.

 

Biche stared silently after Kisa as his heavy footsteps faded. She was afraid of him. Terrified and repulsed.

 

The first time she saw him brutally slaughtering a sea creature, she was so frightened she had nightmares.

 

Kisa hated sea creatures with a passion. That hatred had honed his instincts, granting him a rare ability.

 

He was exceptionally skilled at ferreting out shape-shifted creatures hiding their true nature. 

 

No matter how perfectly a creature disguised itself as human—in both appearance and scent—its cover was always blown the moment it stood before Kisa.