Chapter 76

Chapter 76
Felin Crysinne possesses a prodigious talent.

From his youth, he attained the third tier, a feat any mage would acknowledge as genuine brilliance.

Yet, the name Felin Crysinne is not widely celebrated.

This is because his abilities are eclipsed by those of his sister, Penia Crysinne.

Put simply, his light is dimmed by her even more radiant genius.

Even so, Felin held no bitterness toward Penia.

He looked up to her.

She performed magic with an ease that he found difficult, magic that required great effort from him.

Witnessing Penia achieve the position of Blue Tower vice-tower master at such a young age filled Felin with a sense of pride.

He was proud to share the same bloodline as Penia Crysinne.

Proud that the young vice-tower master, Penia Crysinne, was his own sister.

And so, for someone like him…

“It’s been a while.”

“Yes… it has been a while.”

“How have you been?”

“Y-Yes… of course…!”

The scene unfolding before his eyes was not just surreal—it was profoundly shocking.

“So, what brings you here?”

“Ah, well, the tower master mentioned there was some business to attend to in Raksas~”

Felin could only stare, his mouth agape, as he watched Penia offer an awkward smile, a mannerism completely foreign to her usual self, who carried herself with arrogance toward everyone except the tower master.

He had never seen Penia behave this way toward another person.

“Wha… What is going on?”

Evan, seated inside the carriage, inquired as Felin muttered under his breath.

But Felin remained stunned, as if he hadn’t heard a word.

“My sister… she can use honorifics like that?”

“…?”

It felt as though he had just seen his proud sister bowing to the world, leaving him with a dazed expression.

Then…

“Just yesterday, she slapped a noble’s heir three times and encased him in ice for his disrespect, correct?”

“??”

“And a few days prior, when a merchant company tried to cheat her, she obliterated their wagons, froze the guards who intervened, and even charged into the lord’s castle to raise hell, is that not true??”

As Felin continued listing Penia’s outrageous actions, Evan thought to himself:

‘It’s true, then. Wizards are a mad bunch.’

Whether it was admiring such a troublesome sister or being that troublesome sister himself, both Felin and Penia were equally perplexing.

Just as Evan was reaffirming his prejudices against wizards upon hearing these wild tales…

“So, that person is your brother?”

“Yes, yes…! I offer my deepest apologies…! He has spent his entire life secluded in the tower and is utterly ignorant of the world…!”

Hearing this response, Alon replied calmly to the bowing Penia,

“There’s no need to bow so deeply. It appears he was simply unaware, so I understand.”

“Th-Thank you!”

Penia bowed once more and let out a sigh of relief.

“Sister, why in the world are you speaking so politely—”

Just as Felin, his spirit crushed, finally managed to speak, his words were cut short.

“Be quiet!”

*Thwack!*

Before he could finish, Penia began ruthlessly beating him with her staff.

For a moment, silence fell.

“I-I’m sorry… Hah… He… is still very immature…!”

As Penia approached and apologized again, leaving a flinching Felin behind, Alon recalled that, according to the game’s lore, she was sometimes depicted as a character with questionable morals.

“It’s fine. Besides, if you’re heading to Raksas, our destination is the same. We can travel together.”
“Huh? No, that won’t be necessary.”
“You don’t wish to?”
“N-Not at all! It’s not that… it’s just… well…”

Penia, who moments before had been thrashing Felin like a fury, now shifted her eyes nervously, assessing the situation.

She resembled a mouse cornered by a cat, desperately seeking an escape route.

“If you truly don’t want to, we don’t have to.”
“N-No, it’s just…”

Alon was merely being polite, but Penia shuddered and murmured as if the idea terrified her.

“I-I’ll come along.”
“Is that so? You really don’t have to force yourself.”
Alon confirmed once more, noticing Penia’s lack of enthusiasm.

“N-No! Please, allow me to accompany you!”

Unlike her earlier hesitation, Penia now seemed intent on making it clear she wanted to go.

Her slightly desperate expression gave the impression she was being coerced, leaving Alon with a peculiar sense of guilt.

“Very well, then. Let’s proceed.”

####

With a still-trembling Felin in tow, Alon set off for Raksas. During the journey, Penia shared two pieces of information.

First, she explained why she and Felin had been scavenging for food by the roadside.

It seemed they had a serious disagreement with the merchant they were traveling with.

According to Penia, after a minor dispute, she made a small error, which prompted the merchant’s group to flee.

He wondered how a small mistake could lead to them fleeing without even securing provisions, but he decided not to press further.

More importantly…

Evan and Felin were looking at Penia with complex, subtle expressions, allowing Alon to roughly guess the situation, so he naturally steered the conversation elsewhere.

During that time, he learned another intriguing fact from her.

“Ships are vanishing?”
“Strictly speaking, it’s only near the Ruinous Coast, but vessels are being dragged beneath the waves.”
“Is it a natural disaster?”
“No. According to treasure hunters, it seems to be ‘merfolk’.”
“…Merfolk?”
“Yes. Of course, it’s not confirmed. Merfolk haven’t been sighted for a long time.”

Alon paused at Penia’s words.
‘Why are merfolk appearing now?’

He was aware that merfolk were part of Psychedelia.

However, the timing was strange.

At this point in the timeline, the existence of merfolk should not yet be known.

While the appearance of two Outer Gods had already made the timing somewhat irrelevant, the emergence of merfolk still felt prematurely early based on the game’s core setting.

Alon tilted his head slightly in confusion.
‘No, the merfolk shouldn’t be appearing at this stage.’

Unlike the other Outer Gods, whose manifestations were more abstract, the merfolk had a specific set of emergence conditions, which made Alon uneasy.

If the merfolk had indeed appeared now, it meant other Outer Gods could also emerge earlier than anticipated.

Preoccupied with this concern, Alon was deep in thought until…

“We’re here.”

Evan’s voice brought him back to the present.

Regardless of the merfolk’s appearance, Alon still needed to reach Raksas.

With that resolve, he entered the Kimin Territory, a domain of Raksas, and immediately left the carriage to head for the harbor.

Taking a ship was the only way to reach the capital of Raksas.

The four of them soon arrived at the harbor and, fortunately, found a vessel preparing to depart.

However, a problem arose.

“It’s 100 gold coins per person.”

The man who appeared to be the captain smirked brazenly, his intention to swindle Alon and Penia plain to see.

“What? 100 gold coins each?”
“Yes.”
“Do you genuinely believe that is a fair price?”
“If you disagree, you can wait for the regular ship in two weeks.”

The captain grinned.

Even with a vague sense that Alon was nobility and that Penia and Felin were mages, he had the audacity to try and cheat them.

“Do you have any idea who I am?”

Penia spoke menacingly, even releasing a hint of her magical power, but the man only flinched slightly and stood his ground.

“Who you are is not my concern. Noble or mage, this is my ship. I set the fee.”

The man spoke with confidence.

Witnessing this, Alon deduced the probable reason for the captain’s boldness.

‘He must have patrons in high places.’

The only way he could speak so defiantly to nobles was if he had protection from someone powerful enough to overlook such extortion.

After a moment’s consideration, Alon asked,

“So, will you be boarding or not?”

The captain spoke arrogantly.

Staring at the smug captain, Alon finally responded.

“So, 400 gold coins?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll pay it.”
“?”

The captain’s face momentarily contorted in bewilderment.

He seemed stunned, as if he hadn’t expected Alon to agree so easily.

“Take it.”

When Alon handed over the pouch of coins, the captain accepted it.

Though he still looked somewhat suspicious, the captain beamed and gestured toward the ship.

“Get on board. I’ll take you there.”

The captain, a sleazy grin beneath his thick beard, led them onto the ship.

“Wait, Count, are you truly paying that? Even accounting for high prices, that’s nearly ten times the normal rate!” Evan asked, shocked by the unexpected turn.

“We have no other option.”

As long as the captain had connections to powerful figures, there was no alternative.

Even if they negotiated the price down, they would still have to pay a significant sum, or else wait two weeks to reach Raksas. Paying in full was the only viable path.

…Truthfully, it was an extravagance he would never have considered before, but thanks to the treasures gifted by the King of the Colony, his funds were substantial.

‘…Perhaps I should have let Penia and Felin pay, since they’re clearly wealthy…’

Even with full coffers, the thought did cross his mind.

In any case, Alon and his party paid the fee and boarded the merchant ship bound for Raksas.

####

On the first day of the voyage to Raksas, Alon rested in a cabin assigned by the captain, expecting to arrive in the city within three days.

“Urrgh!”

He glanced at Evan, who lay on a bed, his face tinged green as he groaned.

“Are you alright?” Alon asked.
“I feel like I’m dying, Count… I’d rather be dead. Urgh!”

Watching Evan, who had already rushed to the ship’s railing to be sick over five times since waking, Alon realized Evan was susceptible to seasickness.

“Ugh…”

…And then there was Penia.

Much like Evan, Penia’s face was pale, and she looked equally dizzy.

Soon after, she covered her mouth and hurried off with the same urgency Evan had shown earlier.

“So, even a sixth-tier mage isn’t immune to seasickness.”

Seeing Penia rendered nearly immobile and listless, just like Evan, Alon sighed quietly.

“I’m fortunate I don’t get seasick.”

It was one of the rare moments Alon felt grateful for his body, which possessed such a meager mana capacity.

How long had it been since he thought positively about his own physique?

*Ding, ding, ding, ding~!*

The ocean, which had been accompanied only by the sound of waves and the creak of rusty metal, was suddenly filled with the ringing of bells.

“E-Enemy attack!! P-Pirates!”

In an instant, chaos erupted on the merchant ship.

Sensing the disturbance, Alon moved swiftly and stepped out to assess the situation.

Pirates were swarming the deck, leaving little time to react.

Alon immediately prepared to use his freezing magic, flexing his fingers within their magical armor, but then he hesitated.

Casting the wrong spell and damaging the ship could lead to a dire situation.

Realizing that a wrecked ship meant certain drowning with no escape, Alon decided to allow himself to be captured by the pirates for the time being.

####

In the end, Alon was taken prisoner by the pirates.

Penia, overwhelmed by her seasickness, was slumped against the ship’s railing and lost consciousness, unable to put up a fight.

She was captured without resistance, and her staff was taken.

Evan and Felin met the same fate.

And in this predicament…

“Let’s make a deal! You can have all the cargo, and I even have something you might want—some mages and nobles! Over there, look! That one is a very wealthy noble! You could demand a hefty ransom for him!”

The captain, who had been captured along with the mercenaries and crew, shamelessly betrayed them to the pirates.

Alon looked on in disbelief.

“That scoundrel…”

Evan, though furious, could only clench his teeth and glare.

Despite the circumstances, Alon didn’t feel particularly threatened.

After all, his magic required time for incantations and seals, which was why he had allowed himself to be captured intentionally.

Furthermore…

‘…Just as I thought.’

Penia, though still weak from seasickness, had already broken free from the mana-restraining shackles placed by the pirates and was watching Alon closely.

It was evident she was waiting for Alon to initiate their move.

‘…Shall I begin?’

Just as Alon was about to utter the incantation he had been contemplating…

“You’re too damn loud.”

A man emerged from the pirate ship, which was now connected by grappling hooks.

He wore an ornate suit of silver armor and carried a blue trident, carrying himself with a refined elegance that seemed out of place for a pirate.

As he approached the captain with a calm demeanor…

“The Sea King…!?”

The captain’s face turned pale as he gasped out the man’s title.

Penia, who had just regained consciousness, quickly assessed the situation, and her expression twisted with anxiety.

Having researched the area before her arrival, Penia knew exactly who the Sea King was.

‘The Pirate King…!’

A sovereign who had unified six of the Seven Archipelagos, known as the Great Pirate—one of the most wanted individuals in all of Raksas.

Seeing the situation deteriorate, she gritted her teeth.

What in the world is happening!?

As Penia watched anxiously, wondering why Alon remained passive and what his plan was, the Sea King spoke.

“There’s no way a noble is here…?”

The man sounded utterly disinterested as he looked at the captain.
“Y-Yes, over there, look there!”

The captain stammered, pointing toward Alon.

The Sea King’s gaze naturally followed the gesture and settled on Alon.

“…Huh?”

A moment of silence passed, then a look of astonishment crossed the Sea King’s face.

And then…

“B-Brother?”

The man known as both the Sea King and the Pirate King, Radan, called out to Alon in shock.

““?””

Every pair of eyes, including Penia’s, turned to stare at Alon.