Reincarnated as the Descendant of a Fallen Noble

Chapter 58: Subjugation of Kreveion. (1)

In front of the tidal flats near Mudside.

Daphne’s knights and mercenaries stood in a single line.

Everyone wore anxious expressions as they stared at the distant rocky isle.

'Ughhhh. No way, right?'

'This feels ominous...'

While everyone was just glancing around nervously.

Taat!

Hardin pointed at the rocky isle beyond the horizon with his finger and spoke.

“Some of you might have already heard, but Kreveion is on that island.”

“Kreveion?”

“Is that true?”

Murmurs rose from all around, and Hardin crossed his arms and nodded as he continued.

“Yeah, so everyone here will be subjugating that thing from now on.”

“Huh? Us?”

“...Are you being serious right now?”

Naturally, everyone responded with bewilderment.

'Did he say Kreveion?'

'No, but how the hell are we supposed to do that?'

The ghostly spider crab, Kreveion.

There wasn’t a soul who didn’t know what kind of monster it was, so everyone just stood there, mouths agape, utterly stunned.

Mikkelsen stared at Hardin and asked.

“You’re joking, right?”

“Nope.”

“No, but how are we supposed to catch that thing! No, forget that—how are we even going to cross the sea? Didn’t you say it’s teeming with monsters down there? And... and the current is insanely strong too!”

Hardin tapped his temple with his finger and said,

“Don’t worry. I’ve got it all figured out.”

“If you’ve got a plan…”

“I’ll explain everything when the time comes. For now, just do as I say.”

“...But still.”

The mercenaries and knights all wore gloomy, despairing expressions.

‘What are they whining about this much for?’

If it needs to be done, it will be.

Hardin stroked his chin as he organized his thoughts.

To subjugate Kreveion, there were exactly three things needed.

First, a sturdy boat that could cross the sea swarming with monsters.

 Malion, while I prepare things, you build the boat.

 A boat?

 Yeah, one sturdy enough not to sink no matter what kind of attacks hit it while crossing. You can do it, right?

 I’ll try my best, but…

 You can do it, right?

 ...I’ll do it.

 Good, I’m counting on you.

This part had been entrusted to Malion, so he would take care of it just fine.

The real important part was what Hardin was about to do with the others.

Anyway, the second thing needed to catch Kreveion was…

‘These guys need to get stronger. In a short amount of time.’

The reason was simple.

He had faced the creature a few times back when he was Varlach, so he knew it well.

That Kreveion bastard was stronger than he was now.

A thick shell, agile movements that didn’t match its bulk, and spiderwebs constantly shot from its jaws.

Back then, it wasn’t a big deal, but if he led the knights into battle at their current level...

‘They’d be sent straight to the afterlife.’

Hardin briefly closed his eyes and pictured Kreveion in his mind.

Kyaaang! Kyaaang!

Even when the knights swung their swords, they couldn’t pierce the creature’s thick shell.

 “Sp-spiderweeeeb!”

 “Damn it! My manaaa!”

He clearly envisioned their mana being depleted and them getting caught in the spiderwebs.

After a life-or-death battle, only Hardin and a few knights would survive, but they would suffer irreparable losses.

‘I need to avoid that at all costs.’

Hardin shook his head and slowly opened his eyes.

“...K-Kreveion, seriously.”

“No way, this can’t be...”

Everyone looked either frightened or confused.

But what choice did they have?

‘We’ll die anyway if we just sit here.’

If they dragged out the time, the monster wave would hit.

Then capturing Kreveion would become even more difficult.

The timeline for building the port would get pushed back even further.

No—before that, the entire family would fall into ruin.

They had come all this way; he refused to let things end up like that.

Using Maelstrom was one option, but he had already used it during the Territorial War.

Using Maelstrom twice within a year?

‘That’s suicide.’

He’d be lucky if his core didn’t shatter and he didn’t die vomiting blood.

Ultimate skills were called that for a reason—they came with too many restrictions.

So, when all the pros and cons were weighed, only one viable method remained.

‘Make elixirs.’

Elixirs.

A mysterious potion that permanently increased the user’s stamina or mana just by consuming it.

The Marina left behind by Brother Valter was also a type of elixir. Usually, the formula for such things was passed down secretly among the Magic Tower or high-ranking nobles.

Naturally, they were priceless and incredibly rare.

Moreover... in Marina’s case, it was an especially high-tier elixir, so even if he had the formula, the current circumstances wouldn’t allow for its production.

‘If I tried, it would uproot the family’s entire foundation.’

However, just like everything in the world, not all elixirs were top-tier.

Aside from Marina, he clearly remembered another elixir recipe.

It had been too cumbersome to make before, but now that his body had fully recovered, and he had access to the necessary ingredients, it had become feasible.

Especially if he worked with the knights, the process could be sped up significantly.

“Manton.”

“Yes?”

“From now on, take the knights and the fishermen and catch a ton of Skull Puffers.”

“Skull... puffers?”

“Yeah, as many as you can.”

Manton’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Skull Puffers.

Among the sea creatures of the Fabian Empire, they were known to possess the deadliest poison.

It was said that just being grazed by one of its fins could lead to death.

Even when other puffers were treated as luxury ingredients, this one was completely forbidden—this was the reason why.

“Are you planning to subdue Kreveion using poison?”

“Well, that’s half right and half wrong.”

“What do you mean by half wrong?”

“I’m going to use it, but not just for that.”

“What do you mean…?”

“I’ll explain later. For now, just go catch them.”

Manton blinked as he asked,

“If we just do that, can we really catch Kreveion?”

“Yeah, we can.”

“...”

Hardin responded without a shred of hesitation.

At that, Manton parted his lips slightly, then slowly nodded.

“...Understood. I’ll catch them.”

“Good, good work.”

“Yes.”

Manton bowed deeply, then began walking toward the village with the knights.

‘What in the world is he planning?’

His face was still full of doubt.

---

A little later, on the sandy beach.

“...Young Master, what exactly are we doing?”

“Shh, shut up.”

Hardin and the Maw mercenaries lay flat, their bodies covered with sand and leaves.

They blended so well into the scenery that one wouldn’t even realize there were people lying there.

And on the shore...

Fish and seafood had been scattered around in chopped-up pieces.

‘To fulfill the third condition, this is the best method.’

Hardin nodded to himself with a smirk on his lips.

They waited in silence for who knows how long.

 Shaaaa...

Sahagins’ heads began to pop up from the surface of the water.

The creatures rolled their eyes and flared their nostrils.

“Don’t move. Don’t even breathe until they start eating.”

Hardin whispered quietly, and everyone held their breath, blinking slowly.

In the meantime...

 Shaaat, shaaat.

 Shasha! Shasha!

The Sahagins crawled up onto the shore and, spotting the scattered seafood, rushed at it frantically.

 Shak! Shashashak!

 Shahaah!

They eagerly stretched out their arms, stuffing fish into their mouths.

Wow... they’re really going to town on that.

Completely unaware of the trap right in front of them.

 Shaat! Shashashat!

Like beggars invited to a feast, they ran around excitedly, eating and eating.

Who knows how long they had been darting around like that?

Thump!

“Ah!”

Just as one Sahagin stepped on a spot in the sand, a small cry came from beneath.

The creature blinked and looked down.

“Hello.”

From beneath the sand, two white eyeballs floated up.

It was Hardin.

 Shaaa?!

The startled Sahagin tried to turn around.

Grab!

Hardin caught the creature’s ankle.

Splat!

He slammed it upside down into the mud and shouted.

“Take them alive! Don’t kill them!”

Springing up!

The mercenaries rose one by one.

“Waaahhh!”

“Now, catch them!”

Then, using every method imaginable, they held a very peaceful conversation with the Sahagins.

“Hrachya!”

Splat!

 Shaaat!

Mikkelsen struck a Sahagin on the back of the neck, smashing it to the ground.

“Wraaaah!”

Beryl went so far as to lift one up entirely and slam it into the ground.

 Shaaaa! Shaaaaaa!

The panicked Sahagins flailed around, desperately trying to escape.

“Block the side!”

“Yes!”

But the mercenaries had already formed a tight circular formation around them.

 Shaaaa!

Trapped and with nowhere to run, the Sahagins twisted their heads and eyes frantically as they were herded into the center of the circle.

Just then.

“Aha, you’re surrounded. Surrender quietly.”

Crack! Crk-crack!

“If you resist, I’ll break your bones. So behave.”

Breaking a fish’s bones was nothing.

Hardin cracked his wrists as he stepped into the center of the mercenaries’ encirclement.

 Shaaaaaa...

Despair washed over the Sahagins’ faces.

‘You’re mine now, Sahagins.’

A sly smile crept across Hardin’s face.

---

A little later, at the shoreline.

 Shaaa... Shaaaaa...

A Sahagin, its head covered in lumps, lay sprawled on the ground, trembling violently.

And across from it—

“Huuff, huuff... Why the hell can’t you understand human speech? I said go from here to there!”

Hardin was drenched in sweat, gasping for breath.

‘Damn it, why won’t they do as they’re told?’

The reason he was beating the Sahagins was to fulfill the final condition for the subjugation operation.

The first was a sturdy boat.

The second was combat power strong enough to defeat Kreveion.

And the third was the ability to move upstream against the current all the way to the rocky isle.

The answer was obvious.

They had already gone underwater once, moving against the current—using the Sahagins for this task seemed like a simple solution.

So he had captured and was now trying to tame them...

“Go to the right. To the right.”

 Shaaa... Shaaa?

Hardin flicked his hand to the right as he spoke, and the Sahagin tilted its head before approaching him instead.

“Haaaah...”

A deep sigh escaped Hardin’s mouth.

‘This isn’t going as smoothly as I thought.’

Back when they entered the water, it had been enough to beat them into submission and force them down.

But this time, what he needed them to do was pull a boat carrying dozens of people across to that rocky isle.

The difficulty was on a different level, so a certain amount of communication was essential.

They had some intelligence, so he thought it would be simple.

“Why the hell can’t you understand human language? Whyyyy?”

 Shaaaa...

Well, it’s not like I’ve ever talked to a fish before.

As Hardin pounded his chest in frustration, the Sahagin’s shoulders drooped.

‘There’s no way this is going to work.’

‘…Wouldn’t it be weirder if they actually understood human speech?’

‘They’re kind of… pitiful, honestly.’

Everyone watching shook their heads.

Looking at the Sahagin, beaten into a pulp, it was getting hard to tell who the real monsters were anymore.

“Alright, let’s try again. This time, move to the left. To the left.”

Hardin scratched his head and flicked his hand to the left.

The Sahagin tilted its head again.

Chomp!

“AAARGH!”

This time, it bit Hardin’s hand.

Hardin quickly yanked his hand back, grabbed the Sahagin by its fin, dragged it to the water’s edge, and shouted,

“Hey! You damn fish-head! Why’d you bite me, huh?!”

 Shaaaat!

Splash! Splash! Splash!

He dunked its head repeatedly into the water, and after thrashing around, the Sahagin flopped down in place.

“Damn it…”

Plop.

Hardin dragged himself back up onto the shore, sat down, and tried to catch his breath.

‘Do I need to find another way?’

These bastards… seem dumber than I expected.

How the hell are they supposed to cross the sea like this?

‘Ughh, I thought this idea was pretty brilliant though…’

If this didn’t work, there was only one option left.

Row like mad and somehow push through the current upstream.

There was no way the monsters underwater would just leave them alone, and even if they managed to reach the rocky isle, they’d be completely drained.

But what could he do?

The Daphne family didn’t have mages or boats that could go against the current.

When there’s no answer, you just power through with grit.

‘Damn it.’

As Hardin let out deep sighs and stared blankly into the air—

“Young Master.”

“Holy—damn it, you scared me!”

Beryl’s (terrifying?) face popped out suddenly, and Hardin jumped back in surprise.

Beryl blinked and asked again.

“What’s wrong?”

“Announce yourself before showing up, you bastard! You almost gave me a heart attack!”

“…Ah, yes.”

As Beryl scratched his head, Hardin took a deep breath and asked again.

“So, what did you want?”

“Well, uh… about the Sahagins.”

“What about them?”

“Would you consider letting me handle their taming?”

“What, you want to be the one beating them up?”

Well, considering that face is a talent of its own, maybe it’d work better?

As Hardin scratched his chin with twinkling eyes, Beryl shook his head.

“No, I meant something less… barbaric.”

Barbaric? I really don’t want to hear that from you...

As Hardin furrowed his brow, Beryl cleared his throat and added an explanation.

“I think there might be a better way. I used to tame animals a lot in the past.”

“You did?”

“Yes. Dogs, cats, squirrels, even wild boars.”

“Seriously? You?”

“Yes, so I can do it. There’s no such thing as a bad animal in this world.”

“...”

A look of suspicion appeared on Hardin’s face.

Tame them? Not eat them?

Just then, Mikkelsen, who had been standing nearby, cut in.

“He’s telling the truth. Brother Beryl’s practically a beast master. Isn’t that right, guys?”

“...That’s true.”

“Yeah, he’s right.”

As the other mercenaries nodded in agreement, Hardin stared at Beryl with a distrusting gaze, then nodded.

“Hmmmm... Well, fine. Give it a try.”

He didn’t believe it, but there was nothing to lose.

Beryl smiled faintly.

“Thank you for trusting me.”

“I mean, it’s not like I really—”

Crack! Crack-crack!

Beryl twisted his neck and limbs as he limbered up.

Step, step.

Then he slowly walked toward the Sahagin lying on the ground.

 Shaaa! Shaaaaa!

Seeing the menacing approach, the Sahagin raised its upper body and began backing away.

Hardin shook his head with a disinterested look.

“It’s scared.”

“Shh!”

“Huh?”

“Lower your voice, Young Master.”

“...Why?”

“Your voice makes the Sahagin nervous.”

“What kind of—”

Forget it, whatever.

It’s not like it costs anything to listen.

Hardin shook his head and mimed sewing his mouth shut.

“Let’s see here…”

Beryl slowly reached into his sleeve and pulled out a piece of jerky.

He then pointed back and forth between the Sahagin and the jerky with his finger.

“Hey guys. Jerky. If you listen to me from now on, I’ll give it to you. Yum yum, chomp chomp.”

 Shaaah?

When Beryl mimed eating, the Sahagin tilted its head curiously.

Riiip! Plop!

He tore off a piece of the jerky and tossed it in front of himself.

“Go on, try it.”

 Shaaa… Shaaaa...

“Don’t move. Don’t make a sound.”

The Sahagin glanced around nervously.

As Beryl stood completely still, the creature cautiously crept forward and snatched the jerky with its tongue.

“Good boy.”

Beryl smiled and tossed the next piece even closer.

 Shaa...

The Sahagin hesitated again but picked up and ate the jerky.

Step, step.

“Well done.”

He repeated the process, taking another step and tossing another piece of jerky.

Eventually, he made it right up to the Sahagin.

“Alright, slowly... no need to be tense.”

Beryl slowly reached out his hand.

‘Is he gonna get bitten?’

Just as Hardin was glaring—

Tap.

Beryl’s hand gently touched the top of the Sahagin’s head.

Stroke, stroke.

As Beryl softly slid his hand from the front of the Sahagin’s head to the back—

 Shaaa! Shaaaa!

“There, good boy. That’s right, well done.”

The Sahagin fluttered its gills and pulled up the corners of its mouth.

‘Is that… a smile?’

‘Damn, that’s our Brother Beryl for you.’

As everyone’s jaws began to drop, Beryl turned his head and said,

“Young Master, if you have anything else edible, please bring it over. And a few ropes too, if you can.”

“Uh… uhh… yeah, sure.”

This is really working?

As Hardin blinked in disbelief, Beryl urged him again.

“Hurry!”

“R-right. Just wait a bit. I’ll go get them.”

He had no idea what was going on.

Confusion clouded Hardin’s face as he walked away.