Episode 55. The Brothers and Sisters of the Gray Harbor (3)
Bloodthirsty.
They are one of the minor clans of the continent, such as the Hwan-Hyeol clan and the Su-Hyeol clan.
The Hwan-Hyeol Tribe can transform into other living creatures, the Su-Hyeol Tribe can command beasts at will, and the Giant Tribe has the ability to make its body huge at will.
It wasn’t just about increasing the size of their bodies. The incredible strength and speed of their enlarged bodies. The amplification of their skeletons and muscles led to the maximization of their physical abilities.
After the Lilic Empire unified the continent, the Hwan-Blooded Tribe was exterminated, while the Su-Blooded Tribe and the Giant-Blooded Tribe were incorporated into the empire. Some of them were even assigned to special brigades in the imperial army.
However, there was no freedom given to the clans, whether they were members of the Imperial Army or not. All clans not belonging to the Imperial Army were required by law to establish their living only in Imperial territories.
They also had to show by evidence that they were like appendages of the empire.
‘71023, 71024.’
Rubin looked at the serial numbers tattooed on the left shoulders of the two giant siblings. The numbers were listed, so it was clear that the two were family.
‘He’s not your average giant.’
I thought back to the clash I had just seen.
While most giants have the ability to act as weapons of mass destruction on their own, that doesn’t mean all giants are of the same level.
The movements and power that Rubin had seen with his own eyes were far beyond the level of a typical giant clan. Perhaps, even compared to the Imperial Brigade comprised of giant clans, they would rank among the top.
“Hey, hey, kid. Go away!”
Sun-kissed skin. And a head of curly, voluminous hair. The woman, who appeared to be the older of the two, snapped her fingers at Rubin.
Rubin continued to approach. Then his younger brother released the fighting stance he had been maintaining until a moment ago. He placed one hand on his hip and ran the other hand through his short hair.
“Hey, the match wasn’t decided today. Why are there so many spectators barging in?”
Then my older sister also tilted her neck from side to side.
“You should know that you are lucky.”
“You are the one.”
“You? You? Seriously, this is for you, big sister!”
“Then, like a big sister, you should give in nicely!”
A conversation that sounded like a normal quarrel between siblings. However, the muscles bulging from their entire bodies and the steam rising from them made them look like wild giants engaged in a fight.
“Hey, kid. Can’t you understand what we’re saying?”
“Be careful. The child might get hurt.”
The moment Rubin entered the shadow of the two giants, the two giants released their physical enlargement.
Sssssss.
The two siblings, who quickly returned to their original bodies, now appeared as ordinary sailors.
“How long are you guys going to keep causing this trouble? Can’t you see it now?”
The broker approached Rubin, his voice rasping. The bloodthirsty siblings seemed to have a proper rapport with the brokers here, as befitting sailors living in the gray harbor.
As the broker said, the empty lot where the bloodthirsty siblings were standing was in a scorched earth state. The debris was piled up so high that it was hard to imagine what the empty lot had originally looked like.
“Cozy, cozy. Why don’t we stop fighting and make up now?”
Acook and Warak. It was a unique naming convention for the Geohyeol clan. Rubin assumed that Acook would be the older sister and Warak would be the younger sister.
He made an apologetic expression while stroking his thick, curly hair. Although it was extreme, it seemed like it wasn’t like that for everyone.
“This guy should just give up.”
“How stubborn my only sister, A-cook, is.”
Then, Ako and Warak turned their gaze back to Rubin.
“But sir, what is this little kid?”
“Oh, you should speak politely. Since you are the holder of an Imperial Pass. Your name is… … .”
“I am Luden Poinen. And that is Kuje.”
At the mention of possessing an imperial pass, A-Kuk and Warak’s attitudes visibly flinched.
“I don’t know. But why did you suddenly get involved in a fight?”
Cozy’s question was directed at the broker, but it was Rubin who intercepted and answered the question.
Rubin was being aggressive. The ship of the giants. That was the ship Rubin was targeting, the Blue Cat.
“We need a boat. A boat to take us to Capotini. There’s a big boat anchored over there. Can you operate it?”
“Oh! You’ve seen it. The correct name of the ship is ‘Blue Cat.’ It means blue cat.”
“Blue Cat? That’s great. We have a very cute cat. Is the Blue Cat sturdy enough to cross the Gray Strait?”
“Ash Strait? That’s like a lazy nap for Blue Cat.”
“Okay. How much is the fare?”
Then, A-Kuk and Warak stared at each other blankly with expressions that they couldn’t read. Kuze, who had read the strange atmosphere, spoke up.
“Please speak comfortably. I can pay you more than enough for the fare. I can also provide you with additional weapons to mount on the ship.”
“Oh, that’s not necessary. I can keep the underwater monsters away by myself.”
“Are you serious, Cozy? On your own?”
“You? Did you just call me you? You punk!”
I barely managed to stop the two from rushing at each other again. Looking at the confident attitude of the bloodthirsty siblings, it seemed like there would be no problem with the voyage anyway.
But what is that lukewarm expression?
“So, how much is the fare?”
“that is…….”
After that, the siblings did not show any more positive reactions. A-cook scratched his head and reluctantly opened his mouth.
“I’m sorry, but the Blue Cat is not in service. At least not right now.”
“Why?”
“That’s why… … .”
He glared at his younger brother, his words trailing off. He also glared at his older sister, who was also jealous.
But since the two were bloodthirsty people with serial numbers engraved on them, they could not lie to someone with an imperial pass.
Cozy simply explained why he couldn’t sail the Blue Cat.
“Well, there’s a bit of a problem.”
In short, the two siblings were now fighting over ownership of the Blue Cat. There were other facts that could be learned through the conversation.
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The Blue Cat cannot go out to sea until the fight is over.
It’s already been 100 days since they started fighting over ownership here.
Originally, the Blue Cat was a small, fast-moving vessel operated by the owner, the father, and the crew, A-Kuk and Warak. The ship’s unique operating method allowed it to sail long distances with a small crew.
Kuze, who had been listening, expressed his curiosity.
“What if there is a special operating method?”
“It’s a bit complicated to explain… … .”
“Anyway, you’re saying that you’re currently in the middle of a fight over ownership of the Blue Cat after your father passed away? You can’t operate it until that fight is over.”
Rubin sorted things out.
“But the two’s strengths are so equal that even if they fight with all their might, they can’t reach a conclusion for 100 days.”
“That’s right, Your Majesty. I’m sorry, but you’ll have to find another boat.”
‘It’s a tradition of the giant clan… ‘
Rubin quickly searched his memory. Surely there must be a way to persuade the bloodthirsty siblings.
The memory Rubin was trying to recall was the contents of a book he had read some time ago, about ethnic minorities on the continent.
‘What was the title of that book?’
The time when I was locked in the mansion’s library to practice swordsmanship with Haneke.
In between his training, he read a variety of books. In particular, during the two years that Tina was at Gilleyfield Arboretum, Rubin deliberately read books about the minorities of the continent.
As Tina had become a comrade, it was to later persuade them. Before dealing with Telmah in earnest, it was necessary to build up an understanding of the oppressed minority tribes in the empire.
So Rubin knew that the giant clan’s gigantism occurred in three stages, and that some of the giant clan could give orders not only to beasts but also to monsters.
“Your Majesty, how about we look for another ship?”
Kuze approached and asked. Even though he said that, he also knew that he had no other choice.
Rubin shook his head. He then approached the bloodthirsty siblings.
“wait for a sec.”
The bloodthirsty siblings were cleaning up their surroundings and packing up their clothes.
“You two, where is your home?”
“Us? Our house is… … .”
The answer was a snap, and it was A-woo who raised his hand and pointed towards the dock.
“Is the Blue Cat your home?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“How long does it usually take for the Blue Cat to depart?”
Warak scratched his head as if he was embarrassed and answered.
“If we just do four or five hours of maintenance, we can leave right away, but, Your Majesty, as I said earlier, we are currently… … .”
“I know you’re not accepting passengers.”
Rubin nodded and backed away, seemingly accepting that it was impossible to use the Blue Cat.
‘At least for now.’
“See you next time.”
Ako and Warak nodded their heads at the one word he said while turning around.
The siblings walked towards the Blue Cat, sticking close to each other as if they had never fought before. Rubin and Kuze exchanged messages while watching their backs.
-Okay, your highness. Are you saying that I just need to find that book and come back?
-Yeah. If I remember correctly, our tickets will be there.
I told the broker to meet again sometime this evening.
“About this evening?”
If it was dinner, it would be only three or four hours later. Unless Rubin and his party decided to board the Imperial warship or a special vessel for magic students, it would be a meaningless meeting.
“Anyway, you need a broker’s signature to board at Ash Harbor.”
“Which ship have you decided on? The Imperial Warship? The Poniark?”
“Blue Cat.”
“yes?”
“Then let’s come back again in the evening.”
They didn’t have time to explain the situation to the broker. With those words, Rubin and Kuze left the dock.
At the fork in the road between the dormitory and the library, Rubin headed toward the dormitory and Kuze headed toward the library.
The two met again two hours later.
“… … .”
As I watched Tina climbing the curtains in cat form, saying she was bored and frustrated, I thought to myself, ‘I guess I should ask her for the curtains.’
Kuze returned to his lodgings.
“Your Majesty, I brought you a book.”
Kuze opened the book ‘On the Minorities of the Empire’ that he had taken out of the library. Rubin immediately found the chapter on laws.
My memory was clear, but I needed something more precise.
And then soon.
‘Found it.’
* * *
red moon.
As the evening fell, a red moon rose. While the red moon rose, the sea was rough.
On the other side of the harbor, a solidly built breakwater. The sound of the crashing waves could be heard all the way to the dock.
“Hey, you tone-deaf person! Aren’t you going to stop singing?”
A nervous scream escaped as the door leading to the deck burst open.
Warak, who was singing a song while improvising lyrics as his mouth led him, frowned.
“Then go down. Why are you up there?”
“I came up here to listen to the sound of the waves! You should be able to appreciate it properly because of the sound of your trolls slapping each other.”
“The sound of waves? Sister, that sound of waves that used to make you swear you were going crazy in the middle of the ocean?”
He approached with brisk strides. Then he looked down at the hull lying on the deck.
At those sharp eyes, Warak quickly curled his body into a defensive stance. However, A-Keuk just smiled playfully and sat down next to him.
“I thought you were going to hit me.”
“You’re quick-witted. Anyway, little brother, let’s finish it tomorrow. Now we really have to go sailing.”
“I have something to say. You can’t stand it anymore, right? Then just give up. If you just give up, I can set sail right now.”
He lay down next to his cozy younger brother, crossing his arms and supporting the back of his head.
The sky was filled with countless stars and a bright red moon. The boat rocked back and forth in the rough waves. Occasionally, seawater would spill over the railing and wet their feet.
“Those ships look nice.”
Acook turned his head and looked at the ships anchored side by side at the dock.
Imperial warships, elven cruisers, and magic student ships were anchored side by side. The three giant ships were unmoved even by the rough waves accompanied by the red moon.
It seemed like the people on board occasionally came out onto the deck to chat or admire the horizon.
“What did you say?”
Warak, who had been humming, asked.
“Those ships are good. They said they were leaving tomorrow, right?”
“Yeah. Those guys will be out at sea tomorrow night.”
“Hey, how many days have we been at Ash Harbor?”
Warak thought deeply about his sister’s question.
It had been 100 days since the fight over ownership of the Blue Cat began, but if you include the time it had been in port at Ash Harbor, it had been about 160 days in total.
“It’s probably been half a year. I found out about my father’s illness as soon as I arrived here.”
The father of the two had been hiding his terminal illness, and returned to Ash Harbor for his last voyage. And that’s when he confessed about his terminal illness.
Even if he was a wealthy and noble noble, he could do nothing, so as a big shot, he had no choice but to hasten his death.
“Half a year? Now it’s time to really decide.”
The two siblings had been living as sailors on the Blue Cat with their father since they could walk. This was the first time they had stayed on land for so long.
He continued speaking with a bittersweet tone.
“I think I can hear my father’s voice getting angry and asking if I’m rotting the boat.”
At those words, Warak laughed lightly.
“Right? I think I hear someone calling my name. I think it’s my father.”
I closed my eyes again and started humming again. I continued humming only to be considerate of my older sister who was complaining that I was tone-deaf.
The days spent sailing on the sea came to mind. The days spent with my father and older sister.
A tsunami that rushes forward terrifyingly in the middle of a storm.
Sometimes, the sunlight was so bright that it heated up the sea surface and made the two siblings panting.
I also remembered my childhood memories of defeating the sea monster for the first time and laughing out loud.
A smile naturally appeared on Warak’s lips.
“… … .”
“Hey, hey, wake up!”
The cozy bed next to me shook urgently.
At that moment, I felt something appear over my closed eyes.
“Eww! What the hell!”
I couldn’t help but swear. As soon as I opened my eyes, a completely unexpected face was looking down at me.
I was surprised as if I had seen a monster, but fortunately it wasn’t a monster. The face looking down blankly was the Confucius I had seen during the day.
“I didn’t mean to startle you, sorry.”
“Huh, Your Majesty?”
“I called your names from under the boat, but there was no answer. So I just came up.”
It was only then that I realized that the voice that had sounded like my father’s hallucination was Rubin’s.
Warak, who realized belatedly that he had unknowingly uttered a foul swear word, quickly got up and bowed.
How can a person of great stature be insulting a child of noble birth? This was a huge incident that I couldn’t even complain about even if I lost my arm.
“Your Majesty, I am truly sorry for my brother’s rude behavior.”
“I’m sorry… Your Majesty.”
Rubin didn’t care. He smiled and nodded, deliberately trying to ease the burden on his bloodthirsty siblings.
“By the way, Blue Cat, that’s a really sturdy ship.”
Rubin walked slowly across the ship, admiring it.
I was being honest. I didn’t know much about ships, but I could tell that the Blue Cat was designed to be a far cry from the typical ship design.
“It’s sturdy and unique.”
The deck was oval-shaped, curved at both ends, and its sides were made of a rare material that could not even catch a drop of water.
‘They even said that there’s a unique way of operating the ship. What on earth could it be?’
I was curious, but I couldn’t find out right away.
“Why did you come to us… … .”
Instead of answering the question, Rubin asked another one.
“I thought you said this ship would need about four or five hours of maintenance before it could set sail?”
“Yes, I said so.”
“Well, that’s good. I guess I’ll be able to arrive on time.”
“On time?”
