Thwack-thwack-thwack—with blunt impact sounds, the servants collapsed to the ground.
"Gah?!"
"A sneak attack…!"
"Coward!"
Though the fallen servants shouted in protest, they were all groaning in pain from the blow to their lungs or paralyzed across their entire bodies. Azadin had struck with a combo of punches, elbows, and kicks, taking down all three servants in a single move.
Gasping for air from a direct hit to the solar plexus, the servants cursed as they lay on the ground—but speaking out in anger only worsened their breathing difficulties.
"I definitely made my intentions clear. And this still counts as a sneak attack? You're kidding, right?"
Even if that weren't the case, among the Herald Clan, surprise attacks were blamed on the one who got caught off guard. Especially when you were the one who initiated the duel, you had no excuse for being taken down.
"Enough! Are you trying to shame me right now?"
Zion flared up and barked at the servants.
"I already acknowledged Azadin as a herald! Are you saying you oppose my decision? You're not actually suggesting I've lost my judgment, are you?"
"N-no, my lord."
"It's just that… there are rumors about Azadin…"
"Rumors? My own little sister serves him as her herald! Doesn't that prove those rumors are nonsense? Or what, are you implying Midiam Aether's eyes are no good? That just because she's a young girl, someone from the House Aether is a fool?"
"..."
"We're sorry."
The servants who had been defeated admitted their loss.
"Well then, Azadin. The right to decide their fate is yours…"
"I don't need it."
"You don't?"
"They're Aether's servants, sure, but they're also part of the Korasar Pedders' Guild, aren't they? Keeping them around to boss them around as my own servants is less useful than keeping them active in the guild. I get more out of it—money, supplies, intel. Everything."
"Hmph, that's surprising. You're quite a classy guy, huh."
"What's so surprising about that? I've always been classy."
"That last bit sort of chipped away at your class."
Though he said that, Zion actually appreciated Azadin's choice not to demand their lives or loyalty.
"Everyone, apologize to Azadin. You only apologized to me, right? Apologize to him too—tell him you're sorry for looking down on him, and thank him for sparing your lives."
"We, we're sorry, Azadin."
"We deeply apologize for underestimating you, Herald, and thank you for your mercy."
"If you're sorry, then get this boat in the water. We don't have time."
At Azadin's request, the servants hooked up the mountain goats to the boat's wagon.
With the goats and people pushing together, the boat was floated onto the water. The flooding had gotten so bad, there wasn't even a need to move it very far.
What used to be a village was now completely submerged, so they were able to get the boat afloat almost immediately.
"Alright, looks like the repairs are solid. Do you know how to steer a boat?"
"Nope."
Azadin shook his head.
"Then follow my instructions. I'll teach you how to handle a simple sailboat. It only has one sail, so you'll pick it up quick."
Zion confidently boarded the boat and grabbed the tiller.
"Um, Lord Zion, are you sure this is wise?"
"Most of the people on this boat are with Azadin, after all."
The Aether servants, who hadn't challenged Azadin and thus felt no debt toward him, still harbored distrust.
But Zion declared boldly.
"I don't care. If this man turns out to be a traitor, then so be it. It has its own meaning. You lot are to head to the next rendezvous point and begin fortifying it. Contact the elders. If you meet people from the Arael's faction, just monitor them—don't engage. If you pose as members of the Pedders' Guild, they won't kill you. Don't die fighting over meaningless credit. Maintaining the communications network is the greatest contribution you can make, and I'll never forget the value of your efforts."
Having issued his orders, Zion boarded the boat with Azadin's group.
***
Azadin's party boarded the boat with Zion. Zion began teaching them how to steer the vessel—it was a small boat, so learning wasn't too hard. However, the current was fierce, and there were many obstacles.
"The surrounding villages got flooded, and now all sorts of debris are drifting in. And what's more, this isn't even a proper river. This used to be a village. There are buildings underwater, so you have to be careful not to hit them."
Zion explained while steering the boat.
"I can't see a thing. The water's muddy, and it's so dark the inside of the water is completely hidden."
"You can't use scouting magic in the water. Scouting familiars won't function underwater!"
Ishmael shouted, and Zion clicked his tongue.
"That's only because your adaptability is poor. Ishmael!"
"Y-yes?!"
"I'll teach you the Scouting Cormorant technique."
Zion chanted an incantation and personally cast scouting magic.
The artificial spirit soared into the sky, then dove down sharply, piercing through the water's surface to check for submerged obstacles, then soared back up again.
"Ah!"
"Amazing, Orabeoni! As expected!"
Midiam was in awe of Zion's skill.
"That's impressive. I wish I could use scouting magic too."
Even Azadin was impressed by Zion's abilities.
"Great. Now we know what's under us… but using scouting magic while steering the boat is… ugh…"
"What?"
"Bleeeeh!"
Unable to endure the dizziness and seasickness, Zion started vomiting uncontrollably. And to make it worse, his posture was upright, so the vomit came out like a waterfall, causing everyone to freak out.
There he was—a clean-cut, handsome young man, clutching the tiller while puking his guts out.
"Hey! Throw up over the side! What are you doing?!"
"But I need to steer. Blegh!"
"Don't talk while puking! Damn it! Is it my fault for trying to talk to him in this situation?"
Azadin looked to his companions for input, and they all nodded.
"Yeah, you really shouldn't talk to someone during that."
Shati said with a sigh.
"Truly… what a sight."
Zebeck grimaced, unable to bring himself to use vulgar language.
Everyone was unsettled by the vomiting Zion. Even Midiam, who called him orabeoni and followed him dearly, now looked utterly repulsed by the horrifying scene.
"Ugh. I've always had a bit of seasickness. Using scouting magic while riding a boat just finished me off."
"Aren't you supposed to be a herald? And you get seasick?"
"Yeah. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. Even a youth of such noble blood like me can have little flaws. Makes me more human, doesn't it?"
"Just wipe the vomit off, will you?"
"No need. The rain and wind are washing it away."
"And where do you think it's going? It's just flowing across the floor. Ugh, seriously."
Azadin pulled out a cloth and dipped it into a nearby water bucket. The bucket had filled with rainwater, soaking the cloth instantly.
"Ishmael, use this to clean Zion's body and clothes."
"Uh, wait, that's the deck mop…"
"It's too wet to tell the difference. Come on. Better than being covered in puke, right?"
"..."
Ishmael hesitated as he approached Zion, the noble of the House Aether, who had originally been his master. He was now a servant to Azadin, his direct superior, so he had to obey. But handing a deck mop to a noble-born son of Aether still felt deeply unpleasant.
What's worse, even in this situation, the rain and wind were washing away the vomit from Zion's body. Just how strong was this storm…?
"Forget it."
Ishmael gave Zion a respectful nod and began wiping him down with the mop. Zion grumbled as he held the tiller.
"This storm is making the boat rock too much. I'll throw up again at this rate. Better not eat anything."
At that, Scott leapt up in protest.
"What the hell are you saying?! That's absurd! I'm catching fish right now!"
"Fish?"
Sure enough, Scott and Zebeck were happily fishing off the side of the boat.
"Look at that, they're biting well. And we're not even using bait."
Zebeck had tied suture thread from a healing kit to his mace and was using it as a makeshift fishing rod.
Come to think of it, wasn't fishing both his hobby and his specialty? Without even using bait, he was pulling in fish one after another and tossing them into a barrel, while Scott eagerly assisted, trying to earn his keep.
The boat was so small that it didn't need many people to operate it. With Zion steering and Azadin handling the sail, two people were enough.
Normally, the strong winds would've required more hands to control the sail, but Azadin was strong enough to manage it solo.
"What, we're going without eating? Are you serious? No way! I'm getting low-blood-sugar shock. My ancestors are calling to me from across the river!"
Scott clutched his head dramatically.
'This guy's definitely capable, but man, he's a pain to travel with. Eats a lot, talks a lot… I get now why the Kurt Divine Clan followers have such a low opinion of orcs.'
Azadin was already fed up with Scott's whining. Still, as the leader of the group, he had to calm him down.
"Look, the boat's moving really fast, so it won't take that long. Once we've gone a bit, if we find a decent spot to dock, we'll stop and eat."
"Aaargh! The orc is dying! You don't know how delicate orcs really are! I expected ignorance from a human, but this much suffering? This is more than I signed up for!"
"You're so delicate it's making me angry. Do you want me to better appreciate your fragility or something?"
But just then—
"Everyone shut up! Something's coming!"
Shati screamed.
"What is?!"
"Ah?!"
At the front, Midiam spotted something moving along the water's surface.
"Nagas!"
"Nagas?!"
In that instant, a lightning flash lit up the world.
Sliding across the foaming water came Nagas with pale white skin, shifting their color to match the surroundings as they glided toward the boat.
"Tch!"
"They're fast!"
Realizing their approach had been noticed, the Nagas began casting spells. The magic bullets they fired disappeared beneath the surface, bubbling as they surged toward the boat.
"Wha?!"
"Block them! Midiam!"
"Yes!"
Midiam rushed to the bow, using the boat's sway to leap high into the air, firing arrows mid-flight.
—Sweeish!
Arrows curved cleanly through the air, like birds of prey diving at fish—hard to believe they came from a 14-year-old girl. The arrows struck the magic bullets beneath the water.
—Boom!
Air bubbles burst, sending up plumes of water. Midiam fired several more arrows from midair, aiming at the Nagas, but they ducked underwater to dodge, then sprang back up to the surface, mouths wide open.
"Gahl!"
A sharp, echoing roar blasted through the air, scrambling Midiam's sense of balance mid-air. It was meant to throw her off before she landed.
But Ishmael rushed to the bow and caught her just as she landed, the two of them sliding across the deck together.
Zebeck and Shati caught them and brought them to a stop.
"What the—? These humans are better than we thought!"
Surprised by Azadin's group's quick response, the Nagas hesitated.
"Ugh. Damn it. What should I do?"
Shati bit her lip, looking at the Nagas. If she helped them now, Azadin's punishment would be terrifying. But if she helped Azadin's group, the Nagas would see her as a traitor.
In the end, she wrapped a rope around her wrist and pretended to be bound, all while holding the rope herself. Then she let out a scream.
"Kyaaa!"
'Nice try. Well, as long as she heals us later if we get hurt, she's earned her keep.'
Azadin gave a wry smile at Shati's performance.
Meanwhile, the Nagas were closing in, bit by bit.