Dark Fantasy’s Extra Chapter 121

“Move it, you sluggards! Have you not eaten?!” 

The quartermaster’s booming voice rang out even through the thick rain pelting their ears and skin.

The crew of the ‘Harpoon Queen’ hurried about their assigned tasks.

Some bailed out the rising rainwater, while others tied down cargo that could easily scatter.

Though curses like ‘damn it’ or ‘bloody hell’ flew back and forth everywhere, they were all drowned out by the sound of rain.

Though unpredictable weather was nothing new to veteran sailors, this time was extreme.

The clear sky had turned overcast with dark clouds in an instant, and the calm sea became filled with churning waves.

“If we just make it back safely! Silver coins enough to fill your pockets await! Everyone hold on tight!”

Everyone knew the quartermaster’s words were true.

What the Harpoon Queen was transporting this time was the mysterious scales from the famous ‘Scale Bay’.

An incredible treasure where just one scale could build a noble’s mansion with money to spare.

The number of scales currently loaded on the ship was an astounding five.

With no transactions of this volume in the past several decades, it would undoubtedly set a new record price.

Of course, not all the silver would go equally into the sailors’ pockets, but even the amount the captain promised was incomparably more than their usual earnings.

“Aaagh!!”

Someone’s scream rang out.

Though screaming wasn’t particularly strange, everyone had to look that way.

Because the scream came from the sky.

A thin-built sailor flew up with a scream and disappeared beyond the storm-tossed sea.

And just seconds later, even the scream was gone without a trace.

“…”

Everyone who witnessed this felt something bitter rising in their throats.

In a long life of sailing, human death is always bitter.

One can get used to it, but becoming numb to it is difficult.

“…Get it together! Do you want to end up like that?! Grit your teeth and hold on!”

But there are people who must overcome such emotions.

At the quartermaster’s shout, the remaining crew moved even faster than before.

“Has the weather truly gone mad?!”

Even with two decades of experience, the seasoned quartermaster had never seen a storm that could send a person flying so high, no matter how small and thin they were.

The quartermaster fidgeted with his lucky bracelet, said to have been made by a sorcerer from some distant land.

Though he wasn’t sure if it truly had any mystical power, touching it brought him some peace of mind.

“Even the Empress of the Ocean is being too harsh…”

The Empress of the Ocean was an old superstition among sailors.

All disasters at sea were the empress’s will, and no being of the sea could defy her.

Except for sharks of the deep sea.

Of course, things like the Empress of the Ocean or sharks of the deep sea were all just old tales.

Just conventional sayings, human struggles trying to dull tragedy even slightly.

“Quartermaster! There’s something ahead!”

Shouted the helmsman, who had the sharpest eyes among the crew.

It couldn’t be a reef.

There had never been reports or sightings of visible reefs near these waters.

“Damn it! Just our rotten luck today!”

It must be another vessel caught in this storm like them.

If by any chance they lost direction in the fierce wind and collided with each other, no one would survive.

The quartermaster gave his bracelet one final rub before running toward the ship’s interior where the captain would be.

“Hey! Are you sleeping or something?! Give us orders!”

The quartermaster shouted while kicking open the captain’s cabin door.

The Harpoon Queen’s captain was sitting in his cabin chair with his head down.

Though it seemed absurd to think he was actually sleeping, surely that couldn’t be the case.

Just as he started worrying that perhaps the captain had suddenly fallen ill, the ship tilted sharply and the captain tumbled to the floor.

“H-Hey! Are you alri- Gah!?”

The quartermaster rushed over to the captain.

And the moment he saw the captain’s face, he gasped and stumbled backward until he fell sitting.

The captain the quartermaster knew had an angular face with clear brown eyes and a handsome appearance.

But the captain’s face now visible up close was bloated like a corpse left in water for days, and his eyes were yellow.

“Wh-What…”

“Might you be the quartermaster?”

A man’s voice spoke from the opposite corner.

The quartermaster started in surprise and looked that way to see an unfamiliar figure sitting in a chair, idly swirling a glass of liquor.

Not only was his calm tone undisturbed by the situation, but his unusual blue hair and yellow eyes shone clearly even in the dark cabin shadowed by storm clouds.

After quickly assessing the situation, the quartermaster immediately drew the dagger from his waist.

“Who are you? Did you do this?”

The man who had spent his life crossing rough seas emanated fierce killing intent.

But the blue-haired man nonchalantly took a sip from the glass he had been swirling.

“Hmm… Strong stuff. Sailors’ liquor hasn’t changed, then and now.”

“Answer my question! Are you after the scales?!”

“‘After’ isn’t the right word. Those originally belonged to her.”

“What? Her? …No, that person died! Died of old age! The only relative was that captain…”

“No, no. That’s not what I mean. The one I speak of isn’t such a trivial human.”

The quartermaster maintained his aggressive demeanor while frantically thinking.

Who could this ‘her’ the man spoke of be?

A hidden lover of the elderly rich man who originally owned the scales?

Or one of the collectors said to be enchanted by the scales’ mysterious allure?

“She is the great empress who will cover the whole world in ocean.”

“…?”

“It seems she was once called the Sea Witch, but Empress of the Ocean might be an easier name now.”

“What kind of riddle is that?”

The quartermaster frowned.

That suspicious man and this ‘her’ must be nobles after all.

These strange smart-alecks who play word games like this are almost always nobles.

“Anyway, that’s none of my business…”

At some point, the sound of the storm outside had disappeared.

And multiple footsteps could be heard approaching.

The quartermaster grinned.

“Let’s see how long you can keep that composure. You might feel high and mighty now? Looking down on this lowly commoner. But let’s see if you think the same after losing a few fingers.”

The quartermaster looked back.

“Hey! You guys hurry… Huh?”

What approached wasn’t the crew.

Over 2 meters tall, repulsive green scales covering their entire bodies, heads like the occasionally caught horrifying fish, clawed hands… and yellow eyes glowing brightly.

“About your captain.” 

The suspicious man said.

“He simply wouldn’t tell us where the scales were. It doesn’t really matter if he won’t say. We can just tear apart the whole ship to find them. But still… there’s no need to make things difficult, is there?”

“Th-The crew…”

“…Don’t you recognize them?”

“What…”

“They’re right before your eyes. Though their appearance changed in a short time, what good is a quartermaster who can’t recognize his crew’s faces?”

Only then did the quartermaster realize these fish-human hybrid monsters were wearing the same clothes as the crew.

He definitely remembered the ring that monster was wearing.

There was a sailor who cherished it as his dead wife’s memento, saying he’d rather have his finger cut off than remove it.

“Sp-Spare…”

The quartermaster’s legs trembled as he wet himself.

“You must know what I, no, what Lady Empress of the Ocean Rusalka desires?”

More Deep Sea Folk were approaching from the deck.

They all wore clothes the quartermaster knew belonged to his crew.

A headband with clumsy flower embroidery said to be made by a daughter.

Boots bragged about as a lucky charm won in the gamble of a lifetime.

A shirt patched and sewn so many times it looked like a jester’s clothes.

“Sc-Scales! I-I-I’ll offer them ri-right now!”

The clothes were the same, but those wearing them were fish monsters, not humans.

“A wise choice.”

The quartermaster hurriedly passed the captain’s corpse to open a drawer and take out a small wooden box.

“He-Here they are!”

He prostrated himself before Eric Gringham Wales, the closest aide to Little Mermaid Rusalka, while holding out the wooden box.

Eric took it, examined the contents, then nodded with satisfaction.

“Indeed, these are ‘Leviathan’s’ scales.”

“Th-Then I…”

“Excellent. I shall deliver these properly to their rightful owner, Lady Rusalka.”

“Of course, o-of course! It will be happier for that object to return to its owner!”

“…Happiness.”

Eric turned his head to look out the window.

The storm that had been raging with Rusalka’s power had completely withdrawn, and the sky that had been full of dark clouds had turned clear blue.

“Indeed, your words are right. Objects to their owners, subjects to their ruler…”

Eric looked back at the quartermaster.

He was still prostrated, his whole body trembling.

“Though they originally belonged to Lady Rusalka, it’s my duty to acknowledge and reward your efforts in finding them.”

“N-No! It’s fine! I just… Hiiiek!?!?”

At that moment, something cold and damp grabbed the quartermaster’s ankle.

When he turned his head, the Harpoon Queen’s captain, who should have been a bloated corpse, was holding his ankle.

Those yellow eyes like dead fish perfectly reflected his old friend’s appearance.

“Please!! I’ll do anything!! Anything!!! I’ll find and offer all the scales or whatever else!!!!”

The quartermaster screamed with all his might.

“You don’t need to beg so much. That’s how it will be anyway.”

Eric spoke emotionlessly.

“No! Don’t! Please! Somebody help!! Please!!!”

Deep Sea Folk who were once sailors gathered around the quartermaster and surrounded him.

And shortly after, the quartermaster’s pitiful screams could no longer be heard.

All that changed was the addition of one more Deep Sea Folk wearing a cheap bracelet sold by a conman claiming it was made by a sorcerer from some distant land.

“…”

After sending all the Deep Sea Folk back to the deep sea, Eric walked the empty ship’s deck.

His leisurely steps stopped before the helm that determined the ship’s direction.

There was an old sea joke that had existed for who knows how long:

‘When a drunken captain causes trouble, the quartermaster gets beaten while stopping him.

But if that captain tries to grab the helm, the helmsman beats up the captain and throws him into bed.’

That’s how sacred the helm was – even the captain, absolute ruler of the ship, couldn’t touch it carelessly.

Eric carefully reached his hand toward that helm.

But just before his fingertips could touch it, he clenched his fist and pulled back.

“Urrrgh…”

A Drowned One who was once the captain crawled out from the captain’s cabin and staggered toward Eric standing before the helm.

“…Go with your ship.”

Eric drew the golden sword at his waist and brought it down on the head of the being that was once captain.

With a massive yellow light, the Harpoon Queen split in two and sank beneath the sea.