Sea Monster Stew Chapter 78

“…Yes. That stew was made from a sea creature.”

As soon as Kisa’s answer reached her, Biche’s heart sank with a thud. 

 

The sound of her heart pounding in her ears grew louder and louder.

 

Her whole body grew cold, as if blood was draining from her fingertips. 

 

Biche shot upright, crying out as if forcing down a scream.

“Why on earth would you use a sea creature…?!”

 

“The witches of Whecoca have used sea creatures for food since ancient times.”

“F…For food?”

“Yes. That filthy meat, originally only consumed during famines…”

Kisa sighed, gripping her shoulders with a stern expression.

 

“Because of the culinary skills of a few witches, including Tusa, the problem is it’s recently become a staple.”

 

“That’s… that’s insane, why would you use monsters…?”

Tears welled up instantly. 

 

These were not tears born of simple shock. 

 

They were tears that sprang from deep-seated hatred and disgust toward herself.

The sensation of her kin’s meat going down her throat, that cruel memory kept surfacing, pressing down on her. 

 

Even the faint sensation lingering on her tongue felt repulsive.

She rubbed her lips roughly with the back of her hand, trying to erase the feeling. 

 

But it was already too late. 

 

That horrific memory seemed to have seeped into her soul and wouldn’t wash away.

“Why…?”

She curled up, sobbing. 

 

Covering her face with her hands couldn’t stop the flowing tears. 

 

Sobs rising from deep within her chest tore through her throat and erupted.

“Arco.”

Unable to hide his fluster, Kisa pulled her into a tight embrace. 

 

His arms were firm and warm as always. 

 

Wrapping his arms around Biche’s shoulders, he whispered quietly.

“It’s okay. It wasn’t your fault.”

“Hic…”

“You didn’t know. You didn’t eat it on purpose.”

But his gentle consolation didn’t reach Biche’s ears. 

 

Instead, it stabbed her chest like a sharp dagger. 

 

The words “it wasn’t your fault” felt more like a denial of her pain and her very existence.

“Ugh…”

Finally, Biche exhaled a stifled breath and bent forward deeply. 

 

She couldn’t hold back the nausea rising in her throat.

Bending over deeply, she started retching, but having eaten almost nothing, mostly bitter stomach acid came out. 

 

Yet she thrashed about despairingly, as if trying to vomit out her self-loathing.

 

“Arco!”

Kisa immediately grabbed a towel and wiped her mouth clean. 

 

Biche fell into Kisa’s arms, gasping for breath.

 

In his warm embrace, she trembled and wept like a child.

 

Her throat burned painfully, but the tears wouldn’t stop.

“It’s okay…”

Kisa tried to calm her down. Patting her back carefully, he whispered in a low voice.

“It’s okay. It was an accident. You did nothing wrong.”

 

But Kisa’s words offered Biche no comfort. He didn’t know the reason she was suffering this deeply.

He seemed to think she was reacting this way simply from the shock of eating monster meat. 

 

But a secret that gnawed at her soul from a much deeper place was hidden.

‘…Even if only half, I am a monster too. So that means I ate my own kin…’

Biche couldn’t bring herself to utter the words that rose to her throat. 

 

If she told Kisa this truth, how would he react?

Would he stay by her side as he does now? Or would his eyes fill with disgust and turn cold?

She couldn’t muster the courage to find out. 

 

So, held in Kisa’s arms, she hid her unspeakable agony and simply wept endlessly.

She knew. She couldn’t hide this secret forever. That fact weighed even more heavily on her chest.

The green flames flickered in the fireplace, seemingly mocking her despair. 

 

Only the sound of weeping and the firelight filled the space. Her heart sank into a deeper abyss.

 

* * *

 

Biche recovered her strength after two days. 

 

Kisa stayed in the bedroom day and night, ignoring the pirate crew’s gazes. 

 

He placed cool cloths on Biche’s forehead, diligently tended the fireplace fire, and stayed by her side.

Only after Biche’s body had somewhat recovered did he finally go outside with a sigh of relief. 

 

He couldn’t leave the crew solely to Chaitan and Moose forever.

Even after Kisa left the room, Biche lay on the bed as if lifeless. 

 

She listlessly clasped her hands and stared blankly at the ceiling with empty eyes.

Only four days remained until the date Hildert had mentioned. 

 

It was a span of time that could be considered neither short nor long. 

 

She kept ruminating on what decision she had to make.

 

‘…I feel suffocated.’

Suddenly, this time spent confined to the room felt stifling and breathless. 

 

Biche quietly opened the door and went down to the first floor of the Blue Stag Inn.

 

Strangely, no pirate crew members were in sight. 

 

The tavern was quiet too, and the innkeeper Tusa also seemed to be absent.

She tilted her head and stepped outside. 

 

Taking each step was difficult because her body hadn’t fully recovered. 

 

But the moment she breathed in the fresh outside air, her body felt a little lighter.

The village was similarly quiet. 

 

As she looked around the silent village, a massive roar echoed from within the thick scent of the sea.

 

Biche turned her head toward the sound. The roar was coming from the village square.

Walking towards it dazedly, she saw sea witches surrounding the square in a circle. 

 

Occasionally, crew members of the Crocus pirate crew staying at the inn were also visible.

“A fine catch after a long time!”

 

“Leave the tail hide to me. I need to make new armor for Lady Calyxo.”

“The liver and gallbladder are mine!”

The sea witches surrounded a behemoth-type sea creature lying collapsed in the square. 

 

The sea creature thrashed its fins, entangled in nets, and let out a scream.

‘Help me! Please help me!’

Biche was the only one in that space who could understand the sea creature’s plea. 

 

The moment Biche flinched and stepped forward, a spear plunged deep into the creature’s massive torso. 

 

The behemoth-type sea creature let out a sharp shriek.

Thick blood gushed out, covering the square ground like a dark red river. 

 

The stench of blood wrapped around the cold morning air. 

 

The witches collected the blood the creature spilled, not discarding it, and poured it into large oak barrels.

“Skin it right away and hang it on the roof! We need to dry it to use for armor!”

“Give the bones and teeth to me. I’ll remake them into decorations and weapons.”

The pirate crew observed the witches’ monster dismembering process with interest. 

 

Some slyly approached the witches, offering help as if trying to flirt.

Soon, other crew members also rolled up their sleeves and began assisting with the carcass butchery. 

 

Biche couldn’t tear her eyes away from that bloody spectacle.

‘I am a being who cannot belong here…’

Biche’s inner self rippled with quiet despair. 

 

She couldn’t laugh and haggle over monster flesh and bones alongside them.

Yet, she wouldn’t be welcomed in the sea where the monsters lived either. 

 

They wouldn’t accept a half-blood tainted with human blood as one of their own.

‘I am… a being who belongs nowhere.’

The dead eyes of the helplessly butchered monster, the body chopped up and discarded as if useless. 

 

It stabbed her chest deeper than any blade.

‘…I have to leave this place before it’s too late.’

Her mind was chaotic. However, one thing was clear: this was not a place for her to stay.

At that moment, a familiar footstep sounded behind her. 

 

A step not heavy, yet carrying a subtle force. 

 

Biche slowly turned her head. As expected, Kisa stood tall behind her.

“The wind is cold. Why are you outside?”

He asked, wrapping Biche’s body with a thick shawl. 

 

Biche fiddled with the shawl and muttered.

“Being cooped up in the room was stifling…”

 

Kisa’s eyebrows furrowed slightly. He sighed, carefully taking her wrist.

 

“Let’s go back to the inn. Your body isn’t fully healed yet. You mustn’t push yourself.”

“I’m fine.” Biche shook her head quietly. “I wasn’t that sick to begin with.”

“You ran a high fever for two whole days, and you weren’t sick?”

“…I feel better with this cool breeze than being cooped up inside.”

Instead of replying, Kisa gripped her hand a little tighter. 

 

A strange conflict flickered in his eyes.

After a short silence, he finally let out a deep sigh and nodded.

“Alright. Stifling, you say.”

 

Without letting go of Biche’s hand, Kisa slowly turned. 

 

Contrary to the expectation of heading back to the inn, he moved through the crew members, walking away from the square.