"Are you joking? A Sharkrai King? No such thing exists!"
Among the stunned crowd, Colin was the first to snap out of it, shouting in disbelief.
"Exactly! Never heard of it!"
"Not only is 100-plus Sharkrai unbelievable, but a Sharkrai King? That's absurd!"
It wasn't just Colin—everyone except our group doubted Philo's words. I couldn't blame them; I wouldn't have believed it either if I hadn't seen it myself.
"Should I bring it out?"
"Yes."
I nodded, and Philo pulled a magic pouch from his coat.
Thud!
He produced the Sharkrai King's head, twice the size of a regular Sharkrai's. Somehow, it showed no signs of decay.
"Good heavens…"
"It's three times a Sharkrai's size!"
"Is that really a Sharkrai King?"
Everyone except our soldiers, who'd already seen it, gasped in shock.
"There's more."
Thud!
Next came the bone sword, like a troll's spine ripped out. Its origin was a mystery.
"Oh…"
"What kind of bone is that?"
"Is this real?"
The massive head and unwieldy weapon convinced the crowd of the Sharkrai King's existence.
"His Excellency would know. A 3-meter-tall creature with tattoos across its body and this bone sword—it matches the archives perfectly."
"Of course, I remember," the Marquis confirmed.
"We sent the body to the Rox estate for research. Seeing it will remove any doubts."
"No need for that, Philo. I trust you completely. We're not strangers—don't be so formal," the Marquis said with a hearty laugh, patting Philo's shoulder. Philo bowed respectfully.
"The Sharkrai King shattered the wall with a single leap. If the Young Master hadn't stopped it, we'd have been annihilated without a chance to flee."
The soldiers' faces paled at the mention of the wall's collapse.
"After that, hordes of Sharkrai and the King would've ravaged our territory. Even late reinforcements wouldn't have saved hundreds of lives."
"How did you kill it?"
"As I said, the Young Master did it alone. Our entire camp is witness."
"What?"
"How…?"
Colin was speechless, dumbfounded. The crowd's gazes shifted, now filled with awe at the fact I'd defeated the Sharkrai King single-handedly.
"Did you use that ability from before?" the Marquis asked.
"Yes."
"You've gained an incredible power."
Trusting me fully, he patted my back twice without further questions.
"Imagining what could've happened without you is horrifying."
"I just did my duty."
"Hah…"
The Marquis let out an impressed sigh at my humble response, his approval practically audible.
"Colin."
I called to Colin, still dazed.
"W-What?"
"Tch…"
His weak response annoyed me. I glared, baring my teeth, and he flinched, stepping back.
"G-Great Brother…"
"Hm?"
The Marquis muttered something about what we were doing, sounding baffled. I smirked and stepped closer to Colin.
"Don't you think 10,000 points for the Sharkrai King is too much?"
"What are you getting at…?"
"Let's make it 1 point."
Mimicking his crooked smirk, I looked down at him from the platform.
"The Sharkrai King was as easy as a Vollark. So, I'll count it as 1 point. That makes my score 8,231, yours 7,354. I still win. I wanted to go easy on you as your brother, but I couldn't."
"Urgh!"
"This first trial was too easy for me. Let's make the second one closer, Colin. Step it up."
Colin fumed, veins bulging, but had no retort.
"Hahaha!"
Seeing his face redden made me feel refreshed.
"That was cheeky, Yuren, but you're right," the Marquis said. "This was just the first trial. Honestly, it was more about giving you experience than testing you."
"I understand."
He meant to prepare us for the realities of being a Rox.
"The master of Rox must face endless monsters yearly and witness soldiers' injuries and deaths. It's not the glamorous, happy position you might think. The Rox name carries a heavy burden."
He'd given us this experience to prepare me for the role of patriarch without being overwhelmed.
"I'll keep that in mind."
"Let's continue the trial talk later. For now, board the ship before it's too late."
A small sailing ship floated on the sea, resembling a European pirate vessel but with a wider deck.
"That ship is cloaked with invisibility magic, letting us sail near sea monsters undetected. Patrolling the coast for abnormalities is our final task here."
"Understood."
"It's another duty you'll handle yearly as Marquis."
"Yes."
"Got it."
We boarded with the Marquis. The ship's masts and sails shimmered with magical light.
"Young Master, there are wizards!" Peru said excitedly, spotting two wizards on deck.
"A magic ship needs them."
"But everyone here seems to dislike you."
The Water Dragon Knights, in lighter armor, were aboard. Creator's Eye showed they still harbored negative feelings toward me.
"It's better than before, at least."
Their -90 dislike had lessened, but it was still significant.
"Sigh…"
Feeling stifled, I turned to the sea.
"Sea sightseeing isn't bad, but…"
Thanks to diligent training during the campaign, my Ten Thousand Poison Immunity Technique was at the cusp of its fifth star. I'd rather return and consume poison to reach it than sightsee.
"Set sail! Raise the anchor!"
At the Marquis's shout, the anchor lifted, and the ship glided smoothly, barely swaying due to magic, like a modern cruise liner.
"No seasickness worries."
"Yuren, Colin, Laon, come here."
The Marquis beckoned from the bow, his face alight with excitement.
"I'll explain. That dog-shaped mountain to the east is Polian Island, home to many Mantars. And over there…"
He described the region's geography, detailing each island's features and inhabitants, like a father on a trip with his sons.
"Remember this. It'll be useful later."
"Yes."
"Thank you."
"The sea looks peaceful, doesn't it?"
"Yes, its calm is soothing."
"Heh."
The Marquis smiled warmly, looking at me, Colin, and Laon.
"You made this clean, quiet sea possible."
"Huh?"
"If you hadn't stopped the monsters, this place wouldn't be peaceful. It'd be teeming with them. Your efforts made this sea pristine."
He continued explaining, making the time enjoyable.
"What did he say?" Peru asked, eyes gleaming, as I returned to the left deck.
"Just geography lessons."
"Heir training?"
"Pretty much."
Staring at the waves, I recalled the cracked white room. Despite pondering, its nature eluded me.
"Sigh…"
"You okay?" Arin asked, speaking for the first time today. I'd noticed she only spoke when we were alone, staying quiet in crowds.
"I'm fine. You? First time on a ship—feeling okay?"
"Yes, no seasickness."
"Good."
"It's fascinating," she murmured, gazing at the sea.
"Fascinating?"
"Months ago, I never imagined I'd be here with you."
"Yeah, back then…"
I swallowed the words I wasn't me.
"Thank you for making me a knight. I'm learning what true happiness is."
Her small, sincere smile warmed me.
"No problem."
Embarrassed, I gave a sheepish grin and turned back to the sea.
Thud!
"Ugh!"
"What was that?"
"Huh!"
The ship jolted, as if hitting something.
"Stay calm! Hold your positions and grab something fixed!" the Marquis shouted.
"Yes!"
"Navigator!"
"Marquis, sir!"
"What happened?"
"This sea has no reefs. We don't know what we hit."
"Hm…"
The Marquis stared uneasily at the rippling sea.
Splash!
As I looked down, a sound came from behind—something breaking through the waves.
"Oh…"
"Ugh…"
Groans filled the air before I could turn.
Most on board were skilled, yet something behind me silenced them, sending chills down my spine.
"Oh…"
It was covered in steel-like scales, with blade-like dorsal fins and two horns the size of a human torso. Its serpentine eyes radiated pure malice.
"Sea Serpent…"
[Creator's Eye activated.]
[Sea Serpent]
A marine monster, called a sea spirit or demon. A spirit due to its rarity, a demon due to its ferocity, sparing no one it encounters. Each Sea Serpent carries a unique poison and watches its prey suffer until death.
Skills: Poison Orb (Special), Dragon Fear (Physical), Detection (Support)
"Prepare for batt—"
Pop!
Before the Marquis could finish, startled, the Sea Serpent moved first, spitting a massive green orb from its mouth.
"Everyone, dodge!"
I shouted and rushed toward it. I didn't know the poison, but it felt dangerous.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
The green orb spun rapidly, splitting into hundreds of smaller orbs that rained like hail on the deck.
"Aaagh!"
"Argh!"
"I'm hit!"
"Damn it!"
With so many orbs, most on deck were struck, staring at their wounds in despair.
I was hit too, but…
My reaction was different.
[Poisoned by Sea Serpent – Soul Poison.]
[Immunity to All Poisons negates pain and symptoms.]
[Ten Thousand Poison Immunity Technique absorbs Sea Serpent – Soul Poison.]
[Ten Thousand Poison Immunity Technique proficiency increased.]
[Ten Thousand Poison Immunity Technique has reached 5 stars.]
[True Bone Dissolver unlocked.]
[Poison Absorption Ability unlocked.]