"Damn it! That Sarkaz woman is nothing short of a monster!"
The battered bounty hunters staggered away, leaning on their uninjured companions for support. For reasons unknown, the Sarkaz girl had not pursued them. Her companion—the black-haired Kuranta man—had also remained indifferent, letting them flee.
"So many beasts gathering all at once… must be drawn by the Knight's Treasure! That means the Waterdrop Village really does hold the key to it!"
The wounded leader barked out to rally his dispirited men.
"We may not be able to fight those monsters head-on, but once the treasure is revealed, they'll tear each other apart. That'll be our chance to fish in troubled waters. Even scraps would be enough to let us live in luxury in Columbia for years!"
But as he tried to kindle their spirits, a figure appeared before their eyes. A white-haired, red-eyed woman, clad in strange garb and carrying a massive sword across her back.
With a single leap, she crashed down into their ramshackle camp. Her greatsword swept in a wide arc—instantly reducing the place to rubble. Hunters who had just finished bandaging their wounds were now forced to waste their precious medical supplies all over again.
"It's the Calamity! Run!"
The bounty hunters scattered in terror. Only their leader remained, pinned in place as Skadi's blade pressed coldly against his throat.
"Where is the Knight's Treasure?" she demanded.
"I… I don't know! But the village chief of Waterdrop does! She was taken by another group… Please, milady, have mercy, spare me!"
"If you're lying, you die."
"I swear—every word I said is true!"
Skadi lowered her blade from his neck. Relief washed over the leader—only for Skadi to suddenly smash him aside with the flat of her sword, sending him flying.
Better to drive these bounty hunters away. I can't let them interfere with my search for the treasure.
---
"Boss, are you alright?"
"Don't say that! Don't jinx it—he's only unconscious. Give me space, I need to treat him!"
"As expected of our boss. To face that walking disaster head-on for so long… and still survive!"
"Right? That 'Calamity' once destroyed an entire city! Which means, by extension, our boss has the strength to stand against a city himself!"
"Our boss is the real deal—when it counts, he always puts himself on the line."
Amidst the chatter of disbelief and admiration at their leader's survival, something stirred.
A black serpent slithered slowly out from the unconscious man's forehead. The hunters around him, of course, remained blind to it.
The creature flicked its tongue, eyes darting nervously around. Only when it confirmed that the Silver-haired figure was nowhere in sight did it relax.
Damn it all… Ishar'mla, why in Ursus' name have you come ashore?!
Meanwhile.
In the laboratory, a green silhouette busied itself with experiments;
in the study, a Liberi woman wrote diligently;
in the office, the Duke reviewed documents with meticulous care;
in another room, a Kuranta elder argued with a Sarkaz girl.
Elsewhere, several figures—each sealed within recovery pods or coffins, yet radiating formidable auras—turned their attention in the same direction.
Toward the place where that silver figure stood.
The "God" of the Seaborn has come ashore.
---
"My name is Grani. I'm a Victorian Police Knight, descendant of the Kazimierz Kuranta people. This time I only returned to see how my homeland has changed… but to find it defiled by such vile acts? I cannot stand by while these greedy bounty hunters ravage the village!"
"Respected knight-police… Sir Knight, after you save the village, will you place us under your taxation as well?"
"Police Knights and chivalric knights aren't the same. For us, upholding justice and order is our duty. And don't call me sir—I'm a girl!"
"Ah?"
"Ah what? Don't tell me you can't tell?"
"Uh… Thank you for your help, Miss Police Knight."
---
"Alright, alright… Burning your travel bag was my mistake. I'll buy you a new one later."
Surtr, unwilling to waste more words, was about to drop the subject when she noticed something strange in Grim's expression.
It was… a look that words could hardly capture.
No way. Don't tell me that travel bag really means that much to him?
---
Earlier, when Surtr fought the bounty hunters, her flames had scorched Grim's travel bag.
Though it was only charred on the outside—ugly, perhaps, but with all its contents intact—he had stubbornly refused to let it go.
"For a great traveler who has journeyed across the world, this bag has been my steadfast companion for years. To see someone treat my comrade like this… it is unacceptable!"
"…So what exactly do you want me to do?"
"Let me touch your sword. I'm curious."
"Scram!"
---
Seeing his strangely sincere expression, Surtr, though reluctant, finally handed her sword over—still gripping the hilt tightly.
Most of her power was bound to this blade. If he really meant harm, waiting until her memory faltered before striking would be easier than asking for the weapon outright.
But Grim only brushed the flat of the blade with stiff fingers, then returned it with an air of disappointment. Without another word, he shouldered the scorched travel bag once more.
For some reason, the sight irritated Surtr.
What, does he look down on my sword?
But that wasn't it.
Upon realizing that Ishar'mla had come ashore—and so close to this vessel—Kashchey's interest in probing Laevatain had vanished entirely.
What terrified him most now was that, if he let his guard down for even a moment, he might see Ishar'mla's tentacles coiling around him.
"kin… return to the flock."
He remembered just how reckless, arrogant, and ignorant he had once been—trying to graft himself onto a Seaborn host—only to end up utterly humiliated.
That experience had seared into him a truth: never forget to hold reverence toward the unknown.
One cannot rely on so-called "memories" and act as though the heavens and earth can be defied.
Still… what kind of existence are the Seaborn, really? Limitless evolution, a hive-mind consciousness…
And why, of all the countless creatures I could have chosen, did I just happen to graft myself onto one of their "gods"?