Sea Monster Stew Chapter 85

Biche stared open-mouthed at the two who had turned into humanoid sea creatures. 

 

The two male mermaids dove into the sea without hesitation. 

 

*Splash!*

 

A tall column of water rose with a loud sound.

‘Those men… They weren’t human; they were mermaids.’

Biche looked around at the men gathered on the deck with wide, dazed eyes. 

 

The Ritcher pirate crew was indeed a crew composed solely of sea creatures. 

 

Those in human male form were merely sea creatures who had changed their appearance.

 

“Let’s continue our talk in the captain’s cabin.”

Valen strode right up to her, who couldn’t hide her bewildered expression. 

 

Biche quickly pulled herself together and glared at him.

“How can I trust you and go into an enclosed space with you?”

She wanted to snap sharply, but her words trembled helplessly. 

 

Still, Biche held her neck straight. 

 

Hope and anxiety, tangled by her father’s name, swirled in her chest, but she couldn’t show weakness to pirates.

 

“…The shackle is too heavy for you to walk alone.”

Valen ignored her defiance and let out a short, scornful laugh. 

 

He stretched out a long arm and unhesitatingly hoisted Biche up.

In an instant, she was slung over his shoulder. 

 

Valen even lifted the heavy iron ball attached to one of her feet effortlessly with one hand.

 

“What are you doing?! Put me down right now!”

 

Biche thrashed violently on his broad shoulder. 

 

But Valen acted as if he hadn’t heard and turned away leisurely.

Just as he was about to step toward the ship’s interior, a sharp cry erupted from beyond the crowd of creatures gathered on the deck.

“Captain! We’ve found some little rats!”

The gazes of the sea creatures all turned toward one spot simultaneously. 

 

Valen’s eyes also flashed, and he slowly turned his body toward the sound.

 

‘Little rats…?’

The moment she turned her head following Valen, the sight that entered her vision froze her whole body. 

 

A male-form sea creature and a creature that looked like a sea lion were being dragged along, captured by pirates.

The one with tangled, dark green hair was Calante, and the creature whimpering pitifully was Fui.

“Calante? Fui?!”

 

Instantly, Biche’s heart lurched violently. 

 

She couldn’t believe the reality unfolding before her eyes.

“Both of you… weren’t you captured by Hilde?”

“…It’s a long story.” Calante smiled bitterly, his arms bound. 

 

The pain and humiliation he and Fui had endured were etched into that smile. 

 

Biche grew even more confused by his answer.

‘Could it be… Hilde lied to me?’

 

Her mind tangled in complex knots, a cold chaos spreading through her body like blood. 

 

Relief, confusion, and anger surged simultaneously. 

 

She felt ashamed for being fooled by Hilde’s lie.

“We found them lurking around the ship by chance.”

Just then, the male mermaids who had dove into the sea sat back on the railing, dripping water droplets. 

 

They made a ‘Hmph’ sound, glaring at Calante as he turned his head, then let out a heavy sigh.

“We approached with suspicion, and it really was Calante and Fui.”

 

Biche flinched in surprise, looking back and forth between Valen and Calante. 

 

‘Did they know each other?’

 

Valen tilted his head slowly, looking at Calante for a moment, then twisted his mouth into a mean-spirited smirk.

“Looking good, Cal.”

“…Indeed, Captain.”

Calante smiled, a mix of weariness and resignation. 

 

Fui huddled next to him, trembling violently.

 

Fui, who hadn’t shown a hint of fear while imprisoned in the Duke’s castle, now seemed terrified, as if he were prey. 

 

He especially seemed afraid of Captain Valen.

 

Valen stared intently at the terrified Fui for a moment, then lightly raised a hand and gave an order.

“Release Fui into the sea. Cal, you come with me to the captain’s cabin.”

 

The sea creatures moved immediately at his command. 

 

Valen turned again and strode purposefully toward the ship’s interior.

Biche stared blankly at Calante and Fui receding into the distance. 

 

Calante’s shadow, slowly transformed back to human, disappeared among the crowd of pirates. 

 

Slung over Valen’s broad shoulder, she went limp.

 

‘Just what is going on with this situation…’

 

* * *

 

As soon as Biche was set down on the floor of the captain’s cabin, she carefully looked around.

 

Valen’s captain’s cabin was a gloomy, dim place, as if submerged in a deep abyss.

The bronze chandelier hanging from the ceiling was studded with blue-hued sea crystals instead of candles. 

 

A plush, coral-colored carpet covered the floor, but even that felt damp with moisture. 

 

A humid atmosphere, as if they had entered the deep sea, enveloped Biche’s entire body.

Valen pulled out a blue velvet chair in front of the wide desk.

“Have a seat.”

 

The voice was fairly polite, but it sounded like an arrogant command. 

 

Biche hesitated for a moment before finally sitting cautiously in the offered chair. 

 

At the same time, Calante walked into the captain’s cabin with a sullen expression.

Calante wore a loose linen shirt and black trousers, but his bare feet were still damp with seawater. 

 

Water also dripped from his shaggy dark green hair. 

 

Valen frowned as he watched him trudging in.

“Cal. You stand.”

“Didn’t expect any hospitality anyway.” Calante retorted curtly and stood tall beside the chair Biche sat in. 

 

Then, as if to prove a point, he wrung out his long hair, letting seawater trickle onto the carpet.

“…Your contrary nature hasn’t changed.”

 

Valen watched the scene with an expressionless face before turning his gaze back to Biche.

 

“Cal used to be a member of this pirate crew.”

 

Biche looked up at Calante with a startled expression.

 

“Calante… You were a pirate originally…?”

“…That was in my foolish youth.”

 

Calante straightened his slouched posture and muttered as if sighing wearily.

“It’s been quite a while since I left the crew.”

“It was because of his ‘rescue activities.’“

Valen let out a short laugh and tilted his head.

 

“Because of his noble sense of mission to give freedom to poor monster slaves, right? To my eyes, it was just a hopeless endeavor that didn’t even earn money.”

He shot a glance toward Biche.

 

“Was rescuing Hilde’s slave also part of those rescue activities?”

Biche opened her eyes wide and retorted.

 

“Slave…? What are you talking about?”

“That brand on your back.”

Valen gestured with his chin toward Biche’s shoulder.

“That’s the brand Hilde marks on his monster slaves.”

 

“H-Hilde did that…?”

“Yes. A brand signifying ownership of a slave, and a shackle-like magic that, I’m told, can summon and burst the slave’s heart anytime, anywhere.”

Biche’s face flushed bright red in an instant. 

 

‘Could it be that Valen and his crew had stripped her clothes while she was unconscious to check her back?’

Shame crawled up the back of her neck. Valen seemed to read her expression and snorted briefly.

“Don’t misunderstand. Your clothes were soaked through, so the brand was clearly visible.”

“Arcobicche was not Hilde’s slave.” Calante interjected with a serious expression.

 

“She told me she worked as that guy’s assistant the whole time she was captured by the pirate crew. Right? Arcobicche.”

“Saying ‘assistant’ is just putting it nicely. In the end, he treated you worse than a slave, which is why he branded you like that, isn’t it?”

Biche bit her lip at Valen’s pointed remark and let out a hollow laugh.

 

“You’re right… In fact, Captain Hawk essentially tossed me to Hilde as a slave.”

She traced the remaining brand on her back with her fingertips and tilted her head in confusion.

“That’s strange, though. I’ve shown this brand to Admiral Kisa and Admiral Moose as well… Both seemed completely unaware that it signifies slave ownership.”

“Naturally, they wouldn’t know. That brand is unique to Hilde and Calyxo.”

Valen frowned as if annoyed by the question, but his explanation from his mouth was rather kind.

“It’s a secret magic only the mother and son duo have mastered. Among humans, hardly anyone would know that brand signifies a slave.”

“Then how did you recognize the nature of my brand at a glance?”

“Among my crew, many had lived as Calyxo’s slaves and barely escaped.”

Biche’s eyes widened. ‘Many…?’ His tone, speaking as if of the past, was puzzling.

“‘Many’ means…”

“They all died with their hearts exploding right before my eyes.”