Sea Monster Stew Chapter 80

That evening, as a gray fog enveloped the sea, the harbor lamps lit one by one soon began to sway irregularly.

Biche stared up at the pirate ship, clutching her wind-whipped coat tightly. 

 

The shadows of crew members bustling about flickered on the deck.

“Admiral Chaitan decided to stay in Whecoca.”

Kisa approached Biche and fastened her coat securely.

“If you need anything, tell Chaitan. I’ve asked him to look after you.”

Biche nodded, forcing a composed expression. 

 

But the fact that she had to part from Kisa pierced coldly through the center of her chest.

She knew better than anyone the dangers the sea he was heading toward held.

“…Don’t get hurt.”

“It’s a simple job protecting islands from small fry.”

Kisa shrugged, looking out toward the sea.

“It won’t be the big fight you’re imagining, so there’s no chance of getting hurt.”

“But…”

“I’ll be back soon.”

Kisa’s voice dropped a notch lower. 

 

He caressed her cheek with his warm right hand and pressed his forehead against hers.

“So don’t worry too much. Once I’m back, we’ll go meet Calyxo together.”

Biche awkwardly nodded in response. Her gaze kept drifting towards the Crocus pirate ship.

Crew members were busily coiling ropes. 

 

The huge sails billowed, catching the wind. 

 

She squinted, scrutinizing the hull carefully.

‘Where should I get on?’

Her mind was so occupied with finding a way to sneak onto the ship that she didn’t even notice Kisa staring intently at her.

‘First, swim and chase the ship from behind… Then, when everyone is asleep, sneak aboard…’

As she sank deep into scheming, looking suspicious, Kisa pressed her cheeks with both hands and narrowed his eyes.

“You’re going to keep this up?”

“Uh, huh?”

“Even if it’s short, we won’t see each other for at least two weeks. You should at least give me a goodbye kiss.”

Biche stopped breathing for a moment, looking at him grumbling like a child. 

 

At least two weeks? They might never see each other again…

The reminder brought sudden tears to her eyes. 

 

She resented Kisa for hating sea creatures, yet felt sorry for him. 

 

It was endearing and maddening. 

 

She wanted to hold him tight, yet also wanted to coldly push him away.

But she didn’t dislike him enough to push him away as he headed to war.

‘If only he could erase my feelings along with his memories…’

Biche choked back a sob for a moment, then wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. 

 

Kisa looked down at her sniffling in his embrace and chuckled.

“No kiss?”

“…If you come back without a single scratch, then I will.”

If she kissed him now in this situation, her resolve to leave him might weaken. 

 

Kisa groaned and pressed a light kiss to her forehead.

“In that case, I guess I’ll have to wear that giant hide again for this battle.”

“…That hide is too ugly.”

He laughed out loud at her grumble.

“You don’t like it because it’s ugly? It’s the sturdiest among all the hides I’ve collected.”

Biche buried herself deep in his broad embrace and closed her eyes tightly. 

 

The sound of his heart thudding in her ears was pleasant. 

 

She wanted to keep hearing his heartbeats mingled with his relaxed laughter.

Though it was just an uneasy peace, she didn’t want to let this moment slip away. 

 

But now was the time to end this peace.

 

* * *

 

The Crocus pirate ship left the harbor, riding the strong wind. 

 

Calante hid deep underwater, glaring intently at the departing ship. 

 

Fui swam excitedly in circles around him, shouting.

‘Master! Was that male human holding Arcobicche really the real, living Kisa?’

‘…Yes.’

Calante lowered his gaze to the wanted poster in his hand. 

 

It was a new poster for “Live-Skinner Kisa,” stolen from the Resistance headquarters. 

 

The seawater-soaked paper trembled limply in his grasp.

He squinted, examining the portrait of Admiral Kisa drawn on the poster. 

 

It showed a captivatingly handsome male human, a sinister smile on his lips, staring off somewhere.

It wasn’t the face of the old giant known to the world.

‘Look. This face, isn’t it exactly the same as the male who was just holding Arcobicche?’

Calante  held up the limp wanted poster for Fui to see.

‘It seems he usually hides his appearance inside that giant hide.’

 

‘So… the face we knew was fake?’

‘Yes. And on top of that, it seems that male is probably Arcobicche’s lov…’

He almost carelessly spat out the word “lover” but bit his lip hard instead. 

 

Lovers? Live-Skinner Kisa, who utterly detests sea creatures, and Arcobicche, a half-breed?

The scene he had witnessed at the harbor moments ago wouldn’t leave his mind. 

 

Arcobicche tightly hugging a male human and crying.

And that male was the “real” Live-Skinner Kisa from the wanted poster.

‘Now that you mention it, Master. We were told Live-Skinner Kisa kidnapped Arcobicche from Hildert’s privateer ship, right?’

Fui tilted his head, muttering sullenly.

‘Could it be… that Live-Skinner Kisa didn’t harbor vile desires for Arcobicche as a male, but they were actually lovers…?’

‘Preposterous.’

Calante crumpled the wanted poster in his hand with a scornful snort.

‘They might look like a picture-perfect pair, but that’s impossible.’

‘S-See? There’s no way Live-Skinner Kisa would want a half-breed female.’

‘It is preposterous… But perhaps Live-Skinner Kisa might not know Arcobicche’s true nature.’

‘Huh?’

Fui blinked his black bead-like eyes in confusion.

‘Is Arcobicche deceiving Live-Skinner Kisa?’

‘I wish it were just an act for survival…’

Calante  sighed, pressing his forehead. 

 

He hadn’t sensed any falsehood in Arcobicche’s expression while watching from the harbor.

He would rather she was toying with a Kisa who desired her, just playing along. 

 

That she was biding her time, lulling the pirates into carelessness before finding a chance to escape.

But the tears Arcobicche shed while clinging to Live-Skinner Kisa were not fake. 

 

Even after the pirate ship left, she stood there for a long time, waving. 

 

The look in her eyes as she watched Kisa standing on the deck was utterly heart-wrenching.

‘…Things are getting complicated.’

Calante  swallowed a sigh and shifted his gaze toward the direction the pirate ship had gone. 

 

The ship with its black sails had already become a tiny dot disappearing into the distance.

‘I firmly believed it was the old giant forcibly lusting after Arcobicche… But was Live-Skinner Kisa actually protecting her from Hildert?’

‘Maybe he was protecting her from the Resistance commander, too!’

Fui shouted in a vexed voice.

‘That male is just as cunning as Hildert! He tried to use you and me as gifts to win Arcobicche’s favor!’

‘No, Fui. We weren’t gifts to win favor; we were hostages for leverage.’

Calante  stared at the harbor for a moment, then seemed to make a decision and adjusted his posture. 

 

He couldn’t just keep watching. 

 

He had to approach Arcobicche and let her know he and Fui were safe.

‘Let’s go to Arcobicche first. Now that the pirates are gone is our chance.’

‘Yes, Master.’

 

Just as he began to slowly part the water currents and approach the harbor—

 

*Splash!* 

 

A loud sound and a woman appeared in the sea. 

 

Calante stopped swimming and opened his eyes wide.

The woman flailing her limbs slowly near the surface was none other than Arcobicche Akstain.

Her skin covered in pale green scales, she was struggling to take off a cumbersome coat. 

 

Her long golden hair flowed and rippled softly underwater.

‘Isn’t that Arcobicche?’

Fui looked up at her tying her long hair, muttering in a daze.

‘Why is Arcobicche in the sea…?’

At that moment, Calante ‘s red eyes flashed with shock. 

 

Arcobicche began swimming swiftly in the opposite direction of Whecoca. 

 

The direction the Crocus pirate ship had gone.

‘She’s chasing Live-Skinner Kisa.’

Calante  gritted his teeth, watching Arcobicche’s actions. 

 

She moved her limbs frantically as if chasing the pirate ship. 

 

The white hem of her skirt vanished from Calante ‘s sight in an instant.

While fast compared to a human, to the pure-blooded Calante, her speed seemed like that of a slow turtle.

Calante felt both a strange sense of relief and futility at her sudden action. 

 

Escaping the terrifying den of sea witches on her own was commendable. 

 

But he had never dreamed she would thoughtlessly chase after the pirates.

And in her half-sea creature form, no less, chasing after the ship of Kisa, who hated sea creatures more than anything.

‘She’s hell-bent on dying.’

Calante shook his head and turned his body toward the direction Arcobicche had vanished.

‘Let’s chase after her quickly, Fui.’

‘Yes!’

Fui let out a low whine and nodded. 

 

Calante cut through the strong currents, following the scent trail Arcobicche had left behind.