Sea Monster Stew Chapter 58

 

The terrible news reached Kisa before the wound on his severed left hand had even fully healed.

On a morning when the sudden news of Hildert’s marriage was shaking the Empire, the remnants of the Crocus pirate crew were in the process of converting a warship they had seized from the Imperial forces into a pirate vessel. 

 

Sailors who had just fetched supplies and newspapers from a nearby village returned.

The sailors immediately presented the newspaper to Kisa. 

 

There were currently three leaders steering the pirate crew: Chaitan, the eldest; Moose, the most skilled in magic; and Kisa, who had masterminded the prison break.

 

Although no formal vote had been taken yet, the crew had already accepted Kisa as their leader. 

 

His self-sacrifice in cutting off his own wrist to help his comrades and subordinates escape had moved everyone deeply.

Even Chaitan, who would normally have protested, saying he “couldn’t serve under some green kid,” followed Kisa without complaint. 

 

It was only natural that information would go first to Kisa, who was effectively the captain.

But today, for some reason, Admiral Moose was the one who came on deck holding the newspaper. 

 

The pirates gathered around her in a circle as she unfolded it.

 

“It says here Hildert is marrying some Imperial noble lady tonight?”

Perched on the deck railing, Moose read the paper in a bored voice. The deck buzzed with the pirates’ murmurs.

“That damned traitor managed to snag some innocent noble girl already?”

“What lunatic would give his daughter to a former pirate?”

“It says right here Duke Akstain is handing over his granddaughter.”

Moose turned the newspaper so the crew could see. 

 

The men surrounding her slumped their shoulders with sheepish looks.

“You know how many folks out there can’t even write their own names, Admiral.”

 

“Isn’t the House of Akstain an old, prestigious family, even related to the royal line by marriage?”

“Dammit, that bastard of a first mate always had a nose for power, like a bloodhound.”

“Who’s calling him first mate now!”

An old man with a white beard listened intently to the crew’s buzzing. 

 

It was Chaitan, gaunt but with shoulders uncharacteristically broad and robust for his age, his eyes as sharp and intelligent as a young man’s. 

 

He stroked the beard covering his chin and slowly scanned the deck.

 

“But I don’t see Admiral Kisa anywhere on such an important day.”

“Said he was going to ‘pick something up.’“

“Pick something up? What?”

“Not sure.”

Moose folded the newspaper and chuckled.

“I’m dying to know what it is, too.”

Her gaze drifted toward a wooden pulley extending beyond the deck railing. 

 

The pulley, which had held a small boat just moments before, was now empty.

 

* * *

 

The small boat carrying Kisa didn’t arrive at Hildert’s ship until late at night. 

 

The skinned hide of a young human man rowed diligently in his stead.

 

He struggled to suppress the fury boiling inside him and tightly wrapped a fresh bandage around his left hand. 

 

It was still awkward to move.

After a moment’s thought, he glanced at the left hand of the young man’s skin rowing the boat. It looked roughly the same size as his own.

“Hey. Give me your left hand.”

Kisa tossed the dagger from his belt in front of the human skin. 

 

The skin nodded briefly and set the oars down. Then, without hesitation, it used the sharp blade to carve out its own left wrist skin.

 

“Good job. Keep rowing.”

 

He picked up the dagger and the hollowed-out left hand skin. It looked just like a pale, tan-colored glove.

 

When he infused the skin with vitality, the limp hide plumped up as if stuffed with cotton.

 

He fixed the hand skin to his left wrist and slowly tried moving the fingers.

“…Still better than nothing.”

Making the fingers move precisely as he wished was twice as hard as controlling a giant’s hide. 

 

He glared at the unfamiliar left hand, then clenched it into a fist.

 

Sea air seeped through the gaps between the fingers. 

 

With each smooth pull of the oars through the water, gentle ripples disturbed the nocturnal stillness.

Far in the distance, Hildert’s ship floated on the water like a black shadow. 

 

The ship’s lights flickered faintly in the darkness. Biche was imprisoned there somewhere.

After their successful escape from the prison island, Kisa had been devising a plan to get Biche back. 

 

He had to reach her before Hildert did, no matter what.

But she wasn’t at Duke Akstain’s estate or the estate of her biological father, Count Fion. 

 

She had already been taken out to sea, preparing for her marriage to Hildert.

When he first read the marriage announcement in the paper, Kisa didn’t think too deeply; he immediately set out to sea. 

 

He had only confided the truth to Admiral Moose, who was grinning as she steadied the boat for him, before immediately boarding the small craft.

He eyed the massive ship, mapping a route in his mind. The first priority was to board it without being detected.

The small boat soon reached the shadow of the ship. Kisa silently secured the boat and slowly climbed up the rope ladder covering the hull.

The moment he finally set foot on the ship’s deck, his face hardened, and he drew his dagger.

An eerie silence filled the ship. 

 

Imperial guards patrolled the deck with strict vigilance, but Kisa melted into the shadows, moving without a sound.

 

He approached one guard from behind and slit his throat without hesitation. 

 

The guard collapsed without even a whimper. 

 

A second and third guard quickly met the same fate, their bodies thrown overboard.

He couldn’t afford to waste time on the deck. 

 

Summoning the giant hides onto the deck, he stepped inside. 

 

He descended through narrow passageways to the level containing the captain’s quarters.

At the end of a long corridor, he saw the large door to the captain’s quarters. 

 

Kisa hid around the corner, watching the area in front of the door.

 

Two men who appeared to be knights of the ducal house, along with Imperial soldiers, were guarding the entrance. 

 

Biche had to be behind that door.

The knights seemed ready for uninvited guests, their sharp eyes vigilantly scanning the surroundings.

‘…It seems Hildert hasn’t arrived yet.’

Kisa steadied his quickened breath and stepped out from around the corner.

 

“You bastards!”

The two remaining soldiers charged at him simultaneously, but Kisa dropped low, plunging his dagger deep into one soldier’s side. 

 

The sensation of crushing bone traveled up the blade.

 

As he instantly slashed the other soldier’s throat with the dagger, the two knights charged at him at once. 

 

Ignoring them, Kisa nimbly darted between the two knights.

He grabbed a fallen soldier’s sword and immediately struck the young knight’s neck. 

 

The cleanly severed head went rolling down the corridor with a thud.

After a brief skirmish, the other knight also fell by Kisa’s hand. 

 

The soldier staggering with the dagger stuck in his side soon crumpled to the floor.

Kisa leaned on the sword, breathing heavily. 

 

He was already drenched in his enemies’ blood, but the room where Biche was waiting was more important than his own ghastly state.

 

Standing before the door, Kisa closed his eyes for a moment. 

 

His pounding heart felt like it would burst out of his chest.

Just then, he sensed a faint presence from behind the door. 

 

The thought flashed through his mind that there might be another guard inside.

Kisa’s eyes snapped open, and he flung the door open without hesitation. 

 

He reached for the silhouette shimmering before his eyes and seized a slender neck.

He shoved the person loitering by the door forcefully, sending them stumbling forward.

 

*Thud!*

 

A dull sound echoed through the captain’s quarters as the back of their head hit the floor hard.

A faint heartbeat pulsed against his palm. His gaze met a pair of terrified green eyes.

It was Biche, wearing an ash-colored dress, her golden hair elegantly pinned up, blinking slowly, her eyes filled with fear.

“Who…?”

Her voice trembled pitifully. Tears quickly welled up in her large eyes.

“I… I can’t breathe…”

Only then did shock flash in Kisa’s eyes. He hurriedly released his grip and carefully cradled the back of her head.

“Damn it… Are you okay?”

“……”

“…Arco?”

He unconsciously uttered her name. 

 

Even though he knew she had lost her memories of him, even though he knew he was the one who had caused it, he shamelessly let her name pass his lips.

“Kisa…”

Finally, Biche looked up at him dazedly and spoke weakly. 

 

Kisa carefully helped her up, gently rubbing the back of her head. 

 

The corner of his mouth twitched upward in anticipation.

“You remember me?”

‘Could it be that the memory-altering magic didn’t work? Did you actually miss me too?’

 

He was on the verge of laughing at his own childish thoughts when Biche ducked her head, avoiding his gaze.