Surviving without God

The privateer fleet, Blue Blade.

They were not merely a shield protecting the coast from Black Wind. By sailing into the open sea and relentlessly hunting down Luthien’s merchant vessels, they had become another front of resistance, tightening the noose around the Theocracy on the water itself.

“So now they’re split, and the Great Admiral has vanished without a trace.”

There was no longer any # Nоvеlight # point in wondering whether this had happened in the original history or not. Gunther Sirhe replayed in his mind the words the captain of the Black Thunder Cannon flotilla had spat out through gritted teeth. A split, betrayal, a missing flagship...

— Wait, the “Great Admiral” — that’s the commander of the privateer fleet? Not an officer of the royal navy? — Yuria asked, having little interest in continental politics.

Levain Bernecker answered her:

— Correct, he doesn’t hold an official position. Originally, he was simply the supreme commander of the privateer fleet.

— Then why do they call him the Great Admiral...?

— Because it’s a title given by the people, not the king. He’s saved more ships and sunk more pirates than any admiral of the royal navy.

In other words, he was a far more imposing figure than the actual admirals. The citizens of Nereus, filled with gratitude and admiration, had naturally begun calling him the Great Admiral. And now such a man had disappeared. Blue Blade, once renowned for its iron unity, had lost its pillar and fallen into infighting.

Gunther was certain: “It feels exactly like Valloren.”

After the reality shift, Luthien appeared calm on the surface. But Valloren had shown how various cults had latched onto it and undermined it from within. The same thing was happening in Nereus.

In the original history, Nereus had been the stage for the Cult of Justice. But betrayal and division were not their style. They preferred to crush and burn everything in their path with overwhelming force, not create fractures like this. Rotting cunning, twisting relationships between people... that was more likely...

— Looks like the handiwork of the Cult of Trust.

— Cult of Trust?.. — Cheonmae echoed skeptically. — Those bastards who stirred chaos in Badland... reached the other end of the continent?..

If anyone else had said it, she would have doubted it. But she trusted Gunther’s words without question. Her thoughtful gaze slowly shifted backward.

— ♬~

Leaning on the railing, the Bandaged hummed softly while looking out at the open sea. She gave the impression that the commotion had nothing to do with her. For that matter, she hadn’t shown herself during the fierce naval battle either.

Rustle—rustle—the sea breeze gently stirred the edges of her bandages. Cheonmae muttered quietly:

— That must be why Grand Crow sent that thing as reinforcement.

— ...Excuse me?

— I mean her. She has quite a long and complicated history with the Cult of Trust.

Before she could finish—

— Your Hiiiighness, please hear my plea!

A booming voice rang across the deck, as if torn straight out of a historical drama. Gunther’s attention snapped toward the source. The warship’s captain, drenched in sweat, stood before Parco.

— The fact that Black Wind has descended all the way to the coast... this is an extremely dangerous sign. I know Your Highness’s companions are powerful and skilled, but how could I expose Your august person to danger where even the slightest risk exists!

...It sounded like a firm suggestion to turn back. Since departure, this captain had done nothing but flatter Parco. Gunther listened carefully, wondering if this was just more sycophancy.

— Above all, their behavior is strange.

— What do you mean?

— Ordinary pirate ships approach to capture. Seize the vessel, plunder the cargo, take hostages... But those bastards fired as if they intended to blow this frigate to pieces. And this ship is worth a fortune just by looking at it! If they captured it, they’d earn more than in decades of raiding!

Gunther frowned. A valid point. He had felt something off during the battle as well. The captain struck his chest and continued:

— This proves they acted knowing exactly who we were. If we continue along the coast, there is a high probability that the entire Black Wind will descend upon us. I beg you, Your Highness— his voice suddenly turned sorrowful —let us request naval support from the capital, or...

Captain Ferian bowed deeply.

— ...I humbly ask that we take the land route.

The man who had been most eager to serve the king was now the one proposing to go by land.

“Is his loyalty really that strong?”

As Gunther looked at him again, Parco glanced at the corpse of the Black Thunder Cannon fleet owner lying on the deck.

— Judging by their level, they didn’t seem like much of a threat, did they?

The captain immediately shook his head.

— Forgive my boldness, Your Highness, but the Black Thunder Cannon flotilla is the lowest in rank — eighteenth out of the eighteen that make up Black Wind. The gap between them and the higher flotillas is indescribable. And if the main force under Black Aramak himself appears... I cannot guarantee this ship’s safety.

A quiet murmur spread among the group. Thanks to Moon Wolf’s intervention, they had emerged unscathed — but even that “flotilla” had rivaled regular troops. And that was the weakest? Seventeen more like it?

— ......

Naturally, all eyes turned to Gunther. Everyone was waiting for a decision. By Grand Crow’s order, authority in this operation rested with Moon Wolf and Gunther.

— We...

Gunther slowly looked around at everyone.

— We move forward.

***

After the chaos of the night settled, there was a cautious knock on the door.

— S-sorry. It’s because of me... I’ll try to find a solution as soon as possible.

Mikhela peeked in timidly, apologizing as her tail drooped.

— No, it’s fine, — Gunther shook his head slightly. It was true that the random appearance of mechanical entities around Mikhela made disembarking impossible. But if one looked for the real cause, it was his own doing. The Labyrinth’s instability was a consequence of blocking the “Judge” of Karma.

“...Besides, there’s another reason we have to push forward.”

The only route to Pendrox lay across the sea. A land route had never even been considered. Crossing territory occupied by tens of thousands of Luthien soldiers? Impossible.

The problem was that the sea route wasn’t safe either. Abnormal seabed terrain, treacherous currents, razor-sharp reefs. Enter blindly, and survival chances were minimal.

Only the “Sea Dragon” sleeping in the northern waters could solve this. And the only one who could awaken it and secure its cooperation was the Great Admiral.

The conclusion was simple.

“We need to find the Great Admiral as quickly as possible.”

Turn back and wait for support? Go by land? Both were dead ends. The more time passed, the worse the situation became. That left only one option — a frontal breakthrough through the coastal waters.

“And we can’t just walk away after pirates are running wild like this.”

Even now, civilians were likely being plundered on an unprecedented scale. If he suggested retreat, his comrades would lose faith in him.

— So don’t worry about it. Even without you, Ms. Mayor, we’d have no choice but to push forward.

— Th-thank you...

After calming Mikhela and sending her away, Gunther sighed and looked out the window.

Splash—

The black night sea rose and fell. Darkness. While spring had already bloomed in the border cities, the northern sea still clung to the cold.

“...Still, this isn’t going smoothly.”

The scenario wasn’t called “Distorted Sea” for nothing. If Nereus had been stable, meeting the Great Admiral would have been easy. Now, they would have to search endless waters.

And yet, strangely, he felt light.

“Yeah... Nereus should have its own trial.”

Better this than Valloren — which looked peaceful before stabbing them in the back. When threats are visible from the start, it’s almost refreshing. So what if they had to find a missing Great Admiral in an endless ocean, not even knowing if he was alive or dead? Better than a sudden zombie apocalypse.

...All Gunther could do was believe that.

“Damn...”

His gaze dropped to the object in his hand. A gleaming crystal. Countless lights swirled within. The second Tablet, taken from Valloren’s palace.

Originally, it had belonged to the royal family and couldn’t be removed, but His Majesty had personally granted it to him. Gunther looked at it with regret.

“If only I had ‘Reading’...”

In this life, “Reading” had been consumed during the fight with the Apostle of Justice. He wouldn’t be able to read the Tablet until the next life.

“In a situation like this... even one line from the past or future would help...”

Gunther sighed again and rolled the Tablet across the table.

Rrr—

At that moment—

Boom!

The ship tilted violently.

Pshhhht!

The ominous sound of a barrier deploying followed. Gunther cursed under his breath.

“Again?”

How much time had passed since the last battle, and they were already under attack again? His expression turned cold.

“This might be one of the ‘higher flotillas’ the captain mentioned.”

At the moment, they were towing two captured pirate ships to deliver them to the nearest naval base. Three large vessels in total. And someone still dared attack them?

“Definitely not ordinary pirates.”

It had to be Black Wind. “And likely a much stronger flotilla...”

The problem was that Moon Wolf was exhausted from the previous battle. This time, they would have to handle it themselves.

Gunther made his decision instantly.

“We need to gain speed first and strike. Force them into boarding.”

They couldn’t allow another artillery duel through the fog.

He burst out the door.

Footsteps thundered across the deck. His platoon, the Barkel twins, the knights — all shared the same conclusion.

— Move!

— Prepare to ram!

— Hurry!

The cold sea wind struck his face. Spray flew everywhere. Thick fog reduced visibility by half. Pale morning light diffused through the haze.

— ...?

Gunther narrowed his eyes. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

And then—

A voice, amplified by magic, cut through the scene. Playful. Full of energy.

— Hey, you Black Wind bastards! Your master’s here to skin you alive and make new sails out of it!

Some of the allies froze.

Levain. Parco. Blanc.

...And Gunther as well.

And then—

Crack—crack!

...A familiar bolt of lightning split the air right in front of them.