Surviving without God

— Gunther, it’s time to set sail.

At Parco Draven’s call, Gunther—who had been standing motionless on the shore—turned around.

— Ah, right. Just a minute.

— Alright.

The weather was so clear it was hard to believe they were on the “Black Paths.” Beneath a cloudless sky, the sea shimmered, calm as a mirror. The salty breeze brushed against his face and hair, while gentle waves rolled onto the shoreline, breaking into foam with a soft rustle.

“...Amazing.”

And beyond the line of surf, ships could be seen preparing for departure.

“There are so many.”

Originally, Gunther’s flotilla had consisted of only four vessels, including the Crimson Pearl. Even adding Viktor’s 5th unit made seven. But now, more than ten ships were lined up along the coast.

That was because, after the influence of the Cult of Trust had dissipated, the Great Admiral personally accepted back some of the surrendered members of the Blue Blade. Gunther’s companions had shown considerable concern at the time.

— Great Admiral... isn’t that too generous?

— And how exactly do you expect me to send all these people back?

The Great Admiral waved it off, answering in his usual manner:

— We can’t force them to sail these dangerous waters crammed into holds like slave ships.

The number of victims taken from the surrounding coastal villages numbered in the hundreds. The Great Admiral assigned his former subordinates—those who had betrayed him—the task of personally returning each one home. Along with that, he distributed numerous maritime treasures accumulated over the years.

— A commander is always responsible for the mistakes of their subordinates.

Of course, they would do everything in their power to complete the mission. It was the only way to keep their heads on their shoulders. The traitors would face judgment, and if they wanted even a single word in their defense from the admiral, they had no choice but to obey.

“Though they won’t be able to run anyway.”

With the Great Admiral’s return, the seas of Nereus belonged to him once more.

— Besides, my people aren’t even thinking about betrayal anymore. Whether it’s because of your ship or something else, they practically tremble with fear when they see me.

In the end, the admiral shut down all talk of punishing the traitors. Gunther’s companions could only respect that choice. No one could fully understand the feelings of a man who forgave those with whom he had shared decades of both suffering and joy.

— Illian Marest isn’t a dreamer. He’s an idealist.

It was Zahara, who had been silently listening until then. Tarsha, who had once called him a dreamer, asked:

— And what’s the difference?

Zahara paused for a moment, gazing out at the sea, before answering:

— It means he believes in people not because he doesn’t know reality, but because he believes in them while knowing it perfectly well... just like your commander.

The Great Admiral, Illian Marest, knew that people betray. That was human nature. That was how the world worked.

And yet he believed—and chose to believe again. It wasn’t naivety. It was a conscious decision.

If you don’t believe, you can’t change anything. The philosophy of the man who had turned the seas of Nereus from hell into a safe zone over decades ultimately began there.

Of course, that mercy did not extend to the Black Wind.

— I’m not an idiot.

Armark and the other leaders were hanged on hastily assembled gallows, and the ropes were cut personally by Levain Bernecker. Those whose crimes were less severe—or who had surrendered earlier—would likely meet the same fate once Nereus justice took its course.

The Great Admiral carefully asked Levain if he wanted to conduct interrogations and torture throughout the voyage, but Levain politely declined.

— It’s fine now.

...By the way.

Amid the chaos of preparation, Gunther ran into Isolda—captain of the 2nd Blue Blade unit and the admiral’s former lover. Black hair, blue eyes. She gave off a strangely familiar impression.

— ...Illian Marest.

Isolda let out a quiet laugh.

— You still don’t understand why I betrayed you. Because of the Cult of Trust? Seriously?

— Isolda...

— You never saw ME.

She cut him off coldly.

— Every time you looked at me, you saw someone else.

Only then did Gunther realize who she resembled. The “former Ellen Beyra” he had summoned using the Soul Summoning Sphere. And likely the same Ellen Beyra now imprisoned in Pendrox.

— ...I’m sorry.

With a heavy heart, the admiral ordered Isolda locked in the hold.

...Yes. The battle at the Sunken Crown and the day that followed had brought many changes. It was time to depart.

To meet the Sea Dragon and open the sea route to Pendrox. To save Dominic and his mother—and to shatter Luthien’s grand design.

But before setting sail, there was still one unfinished matter.

Gunther turned and looked once more toward the jagged cliffs and the lowland.

Ding!

[“High-Quality Random Offering Box” is available for use]

A reward for clearing Act 2, Chapter 1. An incredible item that, upon selecting a deity, produces an offering capable of significantly increasing their favor.

Of course, for Gunther—who could not form normal contracts—it was difficult to use the box directly. However, there were workarounds: he could have allies use it, or find another application.

...But Gunther chose differently.

Pshhh—

[A deity has been selected for the use of “High-Quality Random Offering Box”]

When the flash of light faded, an old bronze figurine remained in Gunther’s palm. Ordinary in appearance, yet with a rather long description.

[Item Name: “Family”]

[Rank: Common]

— If I can ever return someday...

Description:

A small bronze figurine that fits in the palm of a hand. A man carved it while remembering the faces of those dear to him.

It was not created all at once.

On the cold floor of a prison cell. Beneath a swaying lantern in the hold of a ship bound for war. On a shore where he knelt and wept after losing everything.

Little by little, with tiny strokes, the man carved those faces so he would not forget them. But one day, at the moment he swore revenge against all of humanity, he threw it into the sea. From that day on, the figurine vanished from the world.

...And now, restored to its original form by some transcendent force, it has returned to your hands. The small faces carved into the bronze... still smile silently.

Gunther carefully placed the figurine on a smooth stone and silently brought his hands together.

“Thank you.”

And then...

“I’ll show you what you wished for.”

A story that does not end in tragedy. A story where human kindness does not lose to evil.

Rustle.

Gunther turned his back on the cliffs and walked toward the moored ships. His companions waved at him with wide smiles.

...It was a bright, clear afternoon.

***

Convincing the Great Admiral of the need to awaken the Sea Dragon turned out to be easier than expected. Explaining that a legendary creature truly existed—and that Gunther was the only one who could gain its support—sounded unbelievable even to a child. But for the admiral, it didn’t matter. It seemed he was ready to believe anything Gunther said, even if it were an outright lie.

And it wasn’t just gratitude for having his life saved.

— We need the Sea Dragon’s help to save a mother imprisoned in Pendrox.

— ...Ellen... in Pendrox? In that terrible place?

Before him stood the flesh and blood of the woman he had once loved madly, and this man was saying he intended to save her. And although Gunther had neither memories nor feelings toward Ellen, in the admiral’s mind, a tragic and noble saga seemed to take shape instantly.

— By the way... I wanted to ask carefully. What kind of man was your father?

— ...I’ve never seen his face.

— Damn.

In any case, it would take about three days to reach the Sea Dragon’s lair. Sailing the Black Paths under the admiral’s command promised no particular problems.

Ding!

[The Ruler of the Oceans is observing your voyage]

The admiral commanded several contractors connected to sea deities, and he himself was considered one of the fleet’s finest veterans.

That left Gunther with only a few unresolved matters. One of them was to learn about Ellen from the admiral.

— ...Alright, let’s begin. You said you barely remember your mother?

For that reason, Gunther was now in the Great Admiral’s cabin.

— I’ll tell you everything I can. Ellen... hm, I’m not even sure where to start.

The admiral’s brown eyes drifted into the distance. The gaze of someone recalling events from a very long time ago. For a moment, doubt flickered in Gunther’s mind.

The admiral had met Ellen decades ago. How clear could those memories still be? Had they faded or become distorted over time?

— I met Ellen when I was about your age. She was my age too. Back then, I had only recently joined the fleet...

But the moment Gunther met the admiral’s eyes—now shining vividly—he dismissed all doubt. That gaze was clear and alive.

— Ellen was rescued from a shipwreck in extremely dangerous waters. I still remember our first meeting perfectly.

He spoke as if it had happened yesterday. That look revealed how long... and how often he had replayed that memory in his mind.

— I asked her why she had gone to such a dangerous place. Do you know what she said? With the face of a mermaid stepping onto land for the first time?

The admiral smiled faintly.

— “I won’t die right now anyway. That’s how it’s meant to be.”

Gunther understood that the Great Admiral knew Ellen Beyra had been a prophet.

— At the time, I just thought she was strange. But over time, I began to understand.

The admiral’s voice grew quieter.

— That the woman named Ellen... was not an ordinary person at all.

— Yes. Ellen... my mother is a prophet.

— Yes, I know.

The Great Admiral slowly began to unravel the thread of their shared past.

Ellen Beyra stayed around Nereus for about a year. Not a short time—but she always felt like someone ready to leave at any moment.

— Someone being chased... no, more precisely, someone trying to outrun something.

He added that she always seemed extremely vulnerable, as if constantly in danger. But by then, the admiral had already been completely captivated by her. So he tried to help her in every way he could.

— Ellen would sometimes drop meaningful phrases. Looking back, I realize there was clear intent behind them.

Events that had not yet happened. People she should not have met yet. Disasters that had not yet come. At first it seemed like a joke, but over time everything began to come true one by one.

The same applied to the tasks he carried out at her request. At first they seemed unrelated, but later all the pieces fit together with astonishing precision.

The admiral let out a quiet chuckle.

— I thought I had been swept into the current of some great destiny. A prophet and a hero... you know, like in old tales.

It was an excited, slightly embarrassed laugh.

— It stirred my blood... and honestly, I was proud of it. In the end, Ellen acted with good intentions. [N O V E L I G H T] Her actions always ended up saving someone.

Gunther asked quietly:

— And what happened after that? 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

The admiral’s gaze dimmed for a moment.

— But... it seems Ellen herself didn’t see it that way.

His voice grew softer again.

— The further it went, the more anxious she became. She had nightmares at night. She couldn’t sleep properly if no one was nearby.

A brief silence followed.

— And then one day, she suddenly said she had to go to the Border City.

The admiral lowered his eyes.

— That was the last time I saw her face.

Later, they corresponded. She wrote that she had created an organization called the Society of Forgotten Books, asked how things were in Nereus. But at some point, that connection was lost as well.

And a few years later came news of the tragedy in the Border City. The admiral exhaled quietly.

— So when I heard from you that Ellen was alive... to be honest, I was just happy.

Gunther asked:

— Then why didn’t you go looking for her yourself?

The admiral scratched the back of his head. A boyish smile appeared on his lips. Ever since he began speaking about Ellen, his tone had softened noticeably—like an old uncle sharing the story of his first love.

— I was too busy trying to gather pirate scum into a privateer fleet. Back then, I couldn’t leave my post even for a single day.

He shrugged.

— I thought Ellen... would have preferred that I do my duty at such an important time, rather than abandon it to chase after her.

“...True devotion,” Gunther thought.

— Still.

At that moment, the admiral’s expression changed. He reached into his coat and pulled out an old notebook. Its leather cover had darkened, its edges worn with time.

— There were things Ellen kept repeating during her nightmares.

The admiral lifted the notebook slightly.

— I wrote them down immediately so I wouldn’t forget. And I think... you should see some of these records.

— Me?

The Great Admiral gave a mysterious smile and said:

— Because your name is written in them. The name of you... who hadn’t even been born yet.