Only My Magic Levels Up - Chapter 47



Only Noblemtl

Ghost of the Sea (3)

Bandits are a pain in the ass because they are good at hitting and running, but they can’t exert much force in a direct confrontation. From their weapons to their discipline, they are incomparable to the military in every way.

Of course, Belpas’ fleet would not have been particularly powerful. Belpas itself was not a very prosperous city. It would have been just what an ordinary port city would have had.

But no matter how ordinary it may be, it is a regular army. A pirate on a ship should not dare to open it. That was common sense.

‘But it was destroyed?’

Galen’s brow furrowed.

“Are you saying that part of the fleet set out and was completely destroyed?”

“On the contrary. All but a few were left behind and were annihilated. Sailors, oarsmen, and even those with skills above the 100. More than half of the 100 who were active in this city were swept away.”

Of course, Baek Eun couldn’t have been left out when the city’s main force was dispatched. Those who could do the work of dozens of people alone would be able to be even more active on the ship where space was limited.

The problem was that they still lost. It was impossible.

“What the hell is going on?”

“I haven’t figured it out yet.”

“yes?”

“I told you. It was total annihilation. I’m not exaggerating, I mean it literally.”

Roald said bitterly.

“Not a single ship returned. Traces of a large-scale fleet battle were discovered after the fact, but… that alone did not give us any way to know exactly what happened during the battle.”

“You say you couldn’t even escape by one step? That doesn’t make sense.”

“I think so too, but unfortunately that is the reality, so what can we do?”

“Isn’t that how it was originally?”

Lilia, who had never seen the sea before, let alone learned about sea battles, asked. Galen nodded.

“If two large ships with at least a few dozen people on board collide and get tangled up, it would be difficult to escape, right?”

“Right?”

“On the other hand, you can escape before you get tangled up. Especially, the distance at which the sentries discover the enemy is very long, so if you turn the ship around in advance, it will be very difficult to catch up. There is no way a warship can be slower than a pirate ship.”

“Ah, I understand!”

Lilia clapped her hands together.

“Are you saying that if you knew you were going to lose at first glance, you would have avoided the fight from the beginning?”

“That’s right. If they thought it was worth sticking with on the surface, then the amount of pirates wouldn’t be strange.”

“There’s no way pirates have shipbuilding skills. Even if they did, it’s not like they can build ships in an instant.”

“In other words, the quality of the pirates was the problem… If it had been a normal naval battle, it wouldn’t have led to total annihilation. Not all ships collide at the same time in a naval battle. There’s usually time for some of the rear fleet to retreat.”

“But the fact that they were all destroyed means that the pirates had a way to prevent their escape. I realized after I was hit that they had enough to eat up the entire fleet.”

“How could that be the Bishop’s fault? The situation itself is abnormal.”

The most damage Galen heard from Myra was that ‘the ship Baek Eun was on was also damaged.’

Up to that point, it was possible to think that Baek Eun, who had turned black, had joined the pirates. We had met a group of thieves led by Baek Eun before.

However, the power to ‘annihilate a fleet of a hundred or so people’ was far beyond what the pirates could possibly possess. Belpass’s fleet must have also been dealt a fatal blow without even expecting it.

“I’ve heard that pirates have been active in the Dawn Archipelago since long ago. They’ve suddenly become much more powerful recently.”

“That’s right.”

“So, in the end, you’re saying that someone intentionally intervened. Do you have any idea, Your Excellency?”

“None at all. That’s the problem. I can’t think of any other purpose than harassing Belpass or the Dawn Isles, so what’s the point of doing something like that?”

If your goal is to expand your power, just come in and plant your flag. Judging from the results this time, it seems like you have more than enough power.

Of course, there will be opposition from the existing families, but to avoid that, you disguise yourself as a pirate, raid the city, and then take over the empty houses? If you get caught, the public sentiment will be ruined, so is it possible to keep a secret forever?

If you’re going to use pirates like privateers, the efficiency is too low compared to the investment. What’s there to steal in the not-so-wealthy East?

It would be much better to use that kind of power to wipe out the pirates and then settle down in Belpass or the Dawn Islands and engage in normal trade. You can also build up a good reputation.

“I don’t understand, that’s for sure.”

Galen had no choice but to agree with Roald. The two of them groaned together.

“Well, maybe there is no special purpose?”

At that moment, Lilia, who had been deep in thought, suddenly spoke. Roald tilted his head.

“No purpose? What do you mean, Priestess Lilia?”

“Pirates are also a type of thief, right?”

“That’s true.”

“Rogues don’t really have any grand intentions when they steal, do they? They just do it. Isn’t this pirate leader the same?”

“I’m worried because it’s too strong to just look at it that way.”

“There must be some reason for that. He might be a criminal, or his abilities might be questionable. Just because he’s gold doesn’t mean he’s necessarily good!”

“Are you talking about the head of the Burtain family? But it’s not common for a devil’s contract to be made, and it’s not like it’s obvious on the outside… Wait, Ti?”

“If it’s a demon soldier, wouldn’t that be a reason to hide it?”

“I guess I can’t just say that it’s ridiculous······.”

“What is a horse soldier?”

Galen asked. Roald hesitated for a moment, then opened his mouth.

“Have you heard about the Magic Sword?”

“I’ve heard the legend. Isn’t it a sword that grants incredible power but also eats the user?”

“It’s something similar. It’s not limited to swords, it’s a magic weapon. By the way, it’s not a legend, it’s a real thing.”

“Huh? Are you sure it really exists?”

“Yes. The reason it is only passed down through stories is because the church destroyed it as soon as it was revealed to the world.”

As Galen continued to listen to the story, his expression gradually worsened as he thought, “It’s some kind of high-risk, high-return magic item.”

“It’s similar to how a devil’s contractor offers sacrifices and receives the devil’s power. It’s like offering sacrifices to activate the special abilities of an item made by the devil.”

“Ah… I have to offer a sacrifice?”

“Yes. They are not called the devil’s weapons for nothing. Each cavalryman has different abilities, but they are united by the commonality of demanding sacrifices.”

“There must be a reason to get rid of it. If there is someone with the heart to make a contract with the devil, they will use the devil without hesitation.”

“In some ways, you could say that they are worse. They are people who kill others to extract power from tools that are not their own.”

Roald muttered, shaking his head.

“Anyway, since it’s a weapon made by the devil himself, fortunately it’s not common. I wonder where it’s buried and then unearthed, but no matter how many times I destroy it, it keeps coming out… This could be it.”

Since the situation was already not going as it should, it was understandable that even a cavalryman would show up here.

At least it could answer the question, ‘Why are you hanging out with pirates instead of standing up for yourself with that much power?’ Since the power itself isn’t upright, you couldn’t stand up for yourself.

The personality of a guy who uses a cavalry machine is so bad that it wouldn’t be strange for him to do something worse than piracy.

“Duke Galen, can you grant my request?”

Roald looked at Galen with serious eyes and asked.

“I don’t expect you to wipe out the pirates. Could you at least do some reconnaissance? If they’re cavalry, it’s even worse. Even if they’re not cavalry, it’s even worse. Isn’t it the threshold of winter now? The longer the shipping route is blocked, the more serious the food shortage in the Dawn Archipelago will become.”

“Well, that’s fine. I’m a mercenary. As long as you pay me appropriately.”

Galen nodded coolly. He added to Roald, whose expression brightened.

“You have to prepare a boat on your side. Surely there is a boat that we can take?”

“There are a few warships left. Can you support them all?”

“One ship will do. We don’t need any additional troop support, so just assign a captain who listens well.”

“Okay.”

“And the contract terms, although we will adjust the details separately, will be based on a base salary plus performance bonus.”

“Performance pay?”

“It’s basically reconnaissance, but there’s no need to just watch and come back when the opponent looks weak.”

Galen smiled.

“I will catch those I can catch.”

*

Roald’s commission was, to be precise, handled by the mayor of Belpass, with the church in the middle.

Although the church had been leading the fight against pirates, the pirate problem was ultimately a problem for the entire city.

For the powerful families of Belpas, who had lost all of their ships and more than half of their silver, the family’s main force, Galen was a ray of hope.

What if it costs money? You can’t get the Golden Wizard even with money. The problem isn’t that it’s expensive, but because it’s so rare.

Even if you hire a wizard, you get a priest as a bonus. He is a priest in name only, but a bishop in reality. You can’t learn it without opening your wallet.

Although the pirates were so ruthless that the morale of the crew was at an all-time low, there were brave men everywhere, and they would become braver if you paid them. A sleek and well-made warship was quickly prepared.

The contract was signed and the ship was ready the day after Galen and Lilia arrived in Belpass.

By that day, Galen and Lilia, who had already finished their training, boarded a ship heading east the next day.

“Do you get seasick?”

“Fortunately!”

I was a little worried, but Lilia was fine. Well, it would be strange if she got motion sickness from this much shaking while moving at such high speeds during battle.

“You have to be careful when fighting on a ship. The ship is constantly rocked by the waves, and even sailors who are used to shocks often fall over if they hit something. Needless to say, the floor is slippery.”

“Yes, I will be careful! If I fall into the water, Brother Galen, please save me!”

“Don’t worry about that. It would be best if you don’t miss it.”

Rilia was busy wandering around, asking the sailors questions as she was excited to be on her first ship.

“Everyone is so kind!”

“Oh, yes. I guess so?”

If it had been another normal woman, I would never have reacted the same way. These people even believe in superstitions that it is bad luck to bring a woman on a boat.

The high priestess who could single-handedly destroy this ship was a dazzling beauty, so even the roughest sailors would become gentle lambs.

While I was spending time like that, the morning passed by and the afternoon went by well into the afternoon.

“Uuuu······.”

Lilia was a little tired because no matter how far she went, all she could see was water.

“Ships ahead! Number three!”

Then the watchman shouted. Lilia, who had been whining while holding onto Galen, turned her head.

After a while, small dots appeared on the horizon visible from the deck.

“Oh, it’s true!”

“Then it would be fake······.”

The ship they were on was heading to the Dawn Archipelago in the east, and three ships were coming from the east.

How could the ships that appeared so confidently from the island where contact had already been lost not be pirate ships?

“We will continue moving forward like this.”

“Oh, I understand!”

Even though it was an order to advance towards three ships at once, the captain did not refuse. He had been brought in to do so in the first place.

The pirate ship didn’t turn around at all. After all, it’s unlikely that a belligerent pirate would run away first in a three-on-one situation.

“We’re going to crash in a few minutes!”

“Please prepare slowly.”

The story was set in advance. A small boat used for landing was lowered into the middle of the sea.

Galen gave instructions as he boarded the ship with Lilia.

“Even if they chase you, just keep a reasonable distance.”

“yes!”

“Of course it will end before then.”

The watercraft pushed the ship.

The small boat, without sails or oars, began to glide forward on the artificial current.

“Let’s go.”

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