Reincarnated as the Descendant of a Fallen Noble

Chapter 61: Subjugation of Kreveion. (4)

At the far end of the shore.

Knights and mercenaries, their entire bodies covered in sweat and sand, were catching their breath heavily.

“Huuh... huuuh...”

“We, we’ve arrived.”

“This thing’s ridiculously heavy.”

This was their state even before departure.

Everyone was completely exhausted when—

Hardin, not even a drop of water on him, smiled faintly.

“You’ve all done well. Take a short break.”

He said they had done well, but...

‘Why does that annoy me?’

‘He’s so irritating.’

Everyone was catching their breath, throwing furtive glares at him, when Hardin turned his head to the side and gestured.

“Alright, Chief, please tie the Sahagin to the boat.”

“Y-Yes.”

– Shasha! Shaaat!

The village chief and the villagers began tying the guide Sahagin one by one using ropes threaded through holes in the hull.

About ten minutes later.

“It’s all done.”

– Shaaaa! Shaaa!

Twenty Sahagin were now connected to the boat.

With this, they had secured the propulsion to cut through the rough currents, and reinforced the hull with iron plates for added defense.

A perfectly seaworthy vessel was now complete.

Hardin gazed at the boat, nodded with a satisfied smile.

“Keh, I made it myself, but it’s impressive.”

At that moment, Mikkelsen, still catching his breath nearby, tilted his head and asked.

“Eh, that’s not right.”

“Hm? What did you say?”

“Didn’t the Third Young Master make that boat?”

“…”

“And those Sahagin were trained by Brother Beryl, so technically speaking, it was made by the Third Young Master and Brother Beryl, wasn’t it?”

Mikkelsen’s remark came off completely guileless, not malicious in the slightest.

“So you’re saying I did nothing?”

Hardin asked, his eyebrow twitching.

“…”

Ah… we’re doomed.

For a moment, silence fell over everyone, freezing them in place.

Then, Beryl quietly approached Mikkelsen and nudged his side with an elbow.

“Hey, shut your mouth.”

“What? Why?”

“Use your damn head.”

Thwack!

“Gah!”

Beryl smacked Mikkelsen hard in the ribs, sealing his lips, and then spoke with an awkward smile.

“Geez. Mikkelsen, what are you talking about? If the Young Master hadn’t ordered it, would I have done any of it? ‘Practically,’ the Young Master did everything, right?”

“I-I mean... that’s not— Gah!”

Mikkelsen tried to respond, only to get hit again.

Hardin let out a heavy snort through his nose and said,

“Enough. Time to depart. Everyone, get to the boat.”

“A-Already?”

“Isn’t that too hasty?”

As everyone hesitated with tense expressions, Hardin approached the rear of the boat and said,

“It’s a situation that demands haste. Move it.”

Something in his serious expression and voice sent a chill down their spines.

“Uuuugh…”

“Understood.”

The knights and mercenaries, faces filled with resignation, took their designated positions and got into stance to push the boat.

"On the count of three, we push and enter together. One, two, three!"

"Uaaaahhh!"

Thirty strong men pushed the boat in unison, moving it straight into the sea.

By the time the boat was halfway submerged in the water—

"Get on, get on, get on!"

The first ones aboard reached out from the deck to help the others climb up.

A display of perfect coordination. It was the result of the intense training Hardin had put them through over the past few days.

"Huuh... Looks like everyone’s aboard."

"Good."

Soon, all thirty men had made it onto the deck.

Tension appeared on everyone's faces.

'Damn it, we're really doing this.'

'...Will we come back alive?'

They had to cross a sea teeming with monsters to hunt down Kreveion.

In truth, this was no different from a suicide mission.

But what choice did they have?

All eyes turned to Hardin standing on the deck.

‘Seriously... what the hell is this.’

‘I don’t know why he’s doing this to us.’

‘Damn bastard.’

As everyone remained downcast, Hardin pointed toward the Rocky Isle and shouted energetically.

“Beryl, begin!”

“Yes!”

Tack!

Seated at the front, Beryl pulled a pouch from his coat as if he had been waiting for this moment.

Splash!

He scattered the bait inside it over the sea in front of the boat.

A special feed made for Sahagin, crafted from a recipe he’d found in his eldest brother’s study.

“Alright, eat up!”

– Shaaaa! Shaaaa!

Splash! Splash!

As soon as the feed hit the water, the Sahagin’s eyes turned wild as they devoured it.

Watching them voraciously consume the bait, a smirk crept across Beryl’s lips.

‘...This stuff definitely works.’

Before long—

– Shaaat! Shaaat!

– Shashat! Shaaat!

The Sahagin, having finished the feed, stretched their arms toward Beryl and howled.

“Tsk, no more.”

Beryl shook his finger and firmly shook his head.

Then, pointing toward the Rocky Isle, he said,

“If you want more, go to that island.”

– Shaaa?

“I said move. Otherwise, you’re not getting any more.”

Using all kinds of gestures and signals, Beryl tried to get the message across to the Sahagin.

They blinked a few times—

Splash! Splash!

Eventually, they dove into the water and began to kick forward.

“Oooh, they’re moving!”

“This is actually working?”

The speed steadily increased, and soon the boat was cutting through the rough currents and moving ahead.

Everyone’s hair flapped in the wind on the deck, and with every wave the boat bobbed up and down roughly.

As they left the coastal waters behind—

Hardin scratched his chin while watching the sea surface.

‘They should be coming soon.’

He slowly raised one hand and spoke.

“Ready your weapons.”

“Yes, sir.”

Shrrk!

The knights and mercenaries grabbed the weapons they had laid out on the deck.

They were halberds—long wooden poles fitted with broad blades.

– For this subjugation, we’re using halberds.

– Halberds? Why that kind of weapon...?

– You’ll understand once you use it.

The weapons brought along under Hardin’s orders.

Since everyone had been using swords, even though they’d trained with these for a few days, the halberds still felt unfamiliar.

They held their weapons and maintained a vigilant stance as they moved forward—how far had they gone?

“They’re coming from that direction!”

One knight shouted, staring out toward the sea.

Everyone turned their heads at the sound, and in the distance, a large black shadow could be seen rushing toward the boat.

“Damn it...”

“Huff, huff!”

Swoooosh!

The shadow surged forward, parting the waves.

‘It’s coming.’

Everyone gripped their halberds tighter, tension rising on their faces.

Then, Hardin raised his hand to draw their attention and spoke in a firm voice.

“Just do exactly as we trained.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Tail grip!”

Everyone grabbed the end of their halberds, lifting them as if to bring them down from above, staring intently at the approaching shadow.

When the distance between them and the creature narrowed to less than five meters, a cold, blue light flared in their eyes.

As the creature finally drew within striking range, Hardin swung down his arm and shouted.

“Thrust!”

“Uaaaaahhh!”

On signal, those seated on the starboard side of the deck thrust their halberds downward with all their might at the approaching shadow.

Crunch!

There was a heavy impact at the tip of the halberd.

– Kkiieeee!

Splash! Splash!

A scream rang out as water erupted, and bright red blood spread across the sea’s surface.

Startled, the shadow quickly turned away and vanished into the distance.

“I-It worked.”

So it really did work.

Everyone let out a sigh of relief.

But this was only the beginning.

“They’re still coming. Stay sharp. Three from the left! Two more from the right!”

Hardin, eyes sharp, kept a close watch on every direction and gestured again.

Off in the distance, more shadows began to appear.

“Eeeek!”

“G-Get away!”

The same situation repeated itself.

Each time a shadow approached the boat, they drove their halberds downward with all their strength, and each time, the creatures flailed and retreated.

‘The training… it’s paying off.’

‘Just follow the Young Master’s instructions.’

Sweat gathered on the foreheads of knights and mercenaries, a mix of tension and adrenaline building up.

They had already repelled several attacks.

Now that the monsters in the sea no longer felt completely untouchable, a hint of confidence began to take root.

But that confidence didn’t last long.

“More monsters are approaching!”

“Daaamn it! There’s too—too many!”

The number of shadows approaching the boat rapidly increased, surpassing dozens, and there were limits to how many they could fend off with halberds alone.

And then...

“Eeek! One just skimmed past the side!”

“S-Something’s firing from behind us!”

Flying Mantis leapt through the air like a flying fish.

And from the rear, a massive jellyfish fired venomous stingers.

This wasn’t just a matter of enemies approaching anymore—erratic movements and long-range support followed, making it impossible to rely on halberds alone.

Then it happened.

Flap!

One Flying Mantis soared through the air—

Slash!

—and stabbed into Mikkelsen’s shoulder before diving back into the water.

“Aaagh! It hurts! It hurrrrts!”

Mikkelsen collapsed and rolled across the deck.

The wound was one thing, but the real issue was the creature’s poison.

It felt like his shoulder was on fire.

It wasn’t lethal, but it was enough to render him combat-ineffective.

Hardin let out a heavy sigh, approached, knelt down, and placed a hand on Mikkelsen’s shoulder.

“Stop whining, you wimp.”

“I-I'm not whining! It seriously hurts like hell!”

Sssssss!

“Aaaaagh!”

A blue aura flared at Hardin’s fingertips, releasing smoke as he treated the wound.

Then, without hesitation, he grabbed Mikkelsen by the scruff of his neck and hoisted him up.

“Get up. Fight.”

“W-Whoa?”

It really... was better now?

Just moments ago he thought he was going to die, but now the pain had completely vanished. Mikkelsen blinked in disbelief.

Meanwhile—

Boom! Boom!

The monsters slammed the bottom of the boat furiously, making the deck tremble violently.

“I-I can’t keep my balance!”

“Waaaugh!”

And then—

Crack!

– Shaaaat! Shaaaat!

“Protect the Sahagin first!”

The monsters began biting them, and one or two Sahagin disappeared.

– Shashashat! Shaaaat!

With things turning chaotic, the Sahagin, gripped by fear, leapt up onto the deck.

Naturally, the boat came to a complete stop in the middle of the sea.

“Damn it all!”

“We—we’re trapped!”

They couldn’t move, they were getting pummeled. At this rate, they’d end up fish food.

‘...Time to bring it out.’

Still, for what it’s worth... they held out longer than expected.

Hardin surveyed the situation, then reached out and shouted.

“Manton, bring it out.”

“Y-Yes!”

Manton untied the bundle of cargo lying beside the boat and plunged his arm inside.

What came out was a hunk of meat soaked in blood.

‘Will this really work?’

It was a mixture of pig and chicken intestines soaked in blood, prepared earlier under Hardin’s instructions.

Since they hadn’t tested it beforehand, Manton’s expression showed uncertainty.

But they couldn’t just sit here and drown.

“Throw it.”

“Uaaaah!”

Manton hurled the bloody meat with all his might.

Splash!

Like a lie, the shadows that had swarmed under the boat rushed toward that spot.

– Kkiieee!

Water columns erupted around where the entrails landed, and the monsters began attacking each other, ripping each other apart.

Blacktip Moray Eels, Polar Maw, Demon Squid, and more...

Every time one of the grotesque monsters revealed itself, a shiver ran down their spines.

“I-It’s working.”

“This actually works?”

Everyone broke into cold sweat, stunned by the bait’s effectiveness.

Had they not prepared that, they’d have ended up torn apart just like the monsters down there.

Just as everyone let out a breath of relief—

Thud! Splash!

– Shaaaaat!

Hardin kicked the Sahagin on deck with powerful strikes and shouted.

“What are you lot doing? This is when you break through!”

“Eh?”

“You think those things are gonna wait around all day?”

Splaash!

Hardin grabbed his halberd like an oar, shoved it into the water, and began to row powerfully.

Swoooosh!

The boat surged forward.

“Whoaaa!”

The sudden speed caused the necks of those on deck to jerk backward.

“What’re you staring at! You lot, hurry up and do the same, now!”

“Yes, sir!”

– Shaaaat! Shaaaat!

At Hardin’s urging, the others quickly plunged their halberds into the water and began rowing.

The Sahagin snapped back to their senses and resumed kicking.

“One! Two! One! Two!”

“Uoooohhh! Let’s go, let’s goooo!”

Everyone rowed—not oars, but halberds—in sync with the count.

With both the Sahagin’s kicks and the added rowing, the boat gained considerable speed.

Hardin glanced toward the rear of the boat and let out a shallow breath.

‘It’s been a while since I’ve done this.’

Halberds had the advantage of being able to attack underwater monsters with their long reach while doubling as oars.

It was a method he used to infiltrate enemy territory with minimal armament in the past.

Feeling nostalgic, Hardin chuckled to himself.

But only for a moment.

“Ughhh! They’re coming again!”

“Damn it all!”

Had they already run out of bait?

Shadows of monsters were now quickly closing in on the rear of the boat.

Much faster than expected.

‘They’ve got a hell of an appetite.’

Hardin snorted and shouted to Manton.

“Manton, throw the bait every time they close in! And the rest of you, row faster!”

“Yes, sir!”

“T-This is our top speed!”

“Top speed, my ass! You can do better!”

Hardin himself rowed furiously while barking at them.

In these waters, you had to shake them off while there was distance.

Once they caught up, the halberds would need to be used for defense instead of rowing, and they’d be stuck in place.

“Take this... and back off!”

Splash! Splash!

Each time Manton hurled the bloodied entrails, the monsters swarmed to that spot.

‘Well... we’ve made it.’

Hardin smirked and focused his gaze forward.

Swoooooosh!

Far ahead, dozens of whirlpools could be seen, one after another, stretching across the sea.

It was the point where the tides converged.

The direction of the current shifted, and the flow accelerated wildly.

‘If we can just reach that point, even the monsters won’t be able to follow.’

Roughly 200 meters remained to the whirlpool zone.

As long as they kept throwing bait and maintained their speed, they’d make it for sure...

“Young Master! We’re out of bait!”

“Huh?”

A frantic voice came from the side.

When he turned his head, he saw Manton staring back at him with a serious expression, his hands drenched in blood.

“Already? I thought we packed plenty.”

“It’s just... the monsters are swarming faster than we expected...”

“...Hmm.”

Hardin scratched his head, and just then, a desperate shout rang out from behind.

“They’re close!”

“Uwaaaah! They’re catching up!”

When he looked back, he saw at least forty or fifty shadows pursuing the boat at incredible speed.

At this rate, they’d latch on before reaching the whirlpool zone.

And that would almost certainly mean a one-way trip to a watery grave.

‘...What do I do here.’

Hardin hesitated for a moment, then casually asked.

“Beryl.”

“Yes?”

“Think you could jump in and act as bait?”

“What the hell are you talking about in this situation?!”

“I’m serious.”

“Y-You want me to die?!”

Yeah, maybe that was a bit too much to ask already.

‘Guess I have no choice.’

Hardin clicked his tongue softly and let out a long sigh.

Then he slowly turned his head and spoke to Manton.

“Manton.”

“Yes?”

“While I’m gone, you take command of the boat.”

“...Where are you going?”

“I’ll be the bait.”

“What? What are you saying...?”

Just as Manton blinked in confusion—

Hardin took a deep breath, turned toward the stern—

Splash!

—and dove straight into the water.

“Are you insane?!”

“YOUNG MASTERRRR!”

What the hell?! What kind of stunt is that?!

Was this some new kind of suicide technique?

Cries of shock and panic burst from everyone’s mouths as the distance between Hardin and the boat widened rapidly.

The shadows that had been chasing the boat now veered toward Hardin with terrifying speed.

“Manton-nim! What do we do?!”

What were they supposed to do? Turn the boat around? Throw him a rope?

Everyone froze in a state of panic, not knowing what to do—until Manton shouted.

“Don’t stop rowing!”

“B-But...!”

“It’s the Young Master’s order! He said not to stop the boat!”

They knew that... but even so, was this really the right move?

Everyone looked on with distressed expressions, lost and unsure of what to do.

– Kkiieeeek!

Splash! Fwooooosh!

Another loud crash echoed from behind.

A few people cautiously turned their heads to glance back.

And then...

– Kkiieeeek!

Thwack! Thwack! Crack!

Among the chaotic splashes of monsters diving in and out of the water—

“Puhaha!”

Hardin resurfaced and dove back in again and again alongside the monsters.

Each time a column of water shot into the air, they could see him—his face twisted with ferocity as he cleaved through the monsters with his halberd.

With every swing, a monster’s head went flying, and bright red blood sprayed into the sky.

“This is insane…”

“He can actually do that?”

It was the very definition of one man standing against a hundred.

Everyone stood slack-jawed, watching Hardin pull off the impossible right before their eyes.

But at the center of that carnage, as he slaughtered the creatures—

“Back off!”

—Hardin was shouting.

Why the hell are there so many of them?!

Though only slightly, he did look like he was suffering just a bit.