—Splash! —Splash! —Splash!
The white strands of Adrian's hair shimmered under the bright sunlight, swaying gently with the rhythm of the sea breeze.
He sat with his back against the main mast, sharpening his sword with his indifferent face.
His Damascus glinted in the sunlight, reflecting the clear blue of the sky above.
A few days ago, he had called his classmates and fortunately, they were safe and sound, which eased him.
Also, they were still in Syna but currently staying at a different inn, since their previous inn had been heavily damaged.
His classmates informed him that Gizel asked each of them about the last time they saw him, and therefore they inquired about his whereabouts.
Adrian stated that he could not disclose any information, and they respected his decision while praying for his safety.
Nevertheless, his cerulean eyes were forced to look up from his sword when a shadow was cast upon him.
Soon, a black-haired boy with golden eyes came into view, standing in front of him, and asked.
"What are you doing?"
Adrian shrugged, returning his attention to the sword in his hands.
"It's exactly as you see."
"…right."
Nathaniel sat down next to him, his gaze drifting up to the sky above.
"Do you think we can win the bet?"
Adrian furrowed his brow, looking at Nathaniel in disbelief and asked incredulously.
"You believe a villain's words?"
Well, he had told his brother about the bet posed by Annelise, that she would release all the children they had kidnapped if they could prevent her plan from unfolding for the second time.
But Adrian didn't give a fuck about whether the bet was real or not.
The more important thing was that he needed to stop the war from unfolding.
"You're—"
Nathaniel started to say but was interrupted by the other person.
"I see the Kearny ship at 6 o'clock! But it's sinking!"
"Huh?!"
"What?!"
People exclaimed in confusion and immediately rushed toward the sea.
As they looked out, they saw a silhouette of two ships coming into view.
It was exactly as the crew on the crow's nest had said—one of the ships was sinking.
"They boarded the Imperial patrol ship, oh, looks like they're safe. Wait—what the hell is that?! There's a Chimera on the Imperial ship! No, no, no! There's a lot! Lots of Chimeras!"
Nathaniel turned to the man inside the crow's nest and shouted.
"Andrew! Is there a way to make this ship move faster?"
The man inside the crow's nest couldn't help but sweatdrop at Nathaniel's request before eventually responding.
"Boss, we're currently moving at full speed."
Nathaniel tried to protest, but Adrian was already on the move.
"I'll take care of it."
He sprinted towards the bowsprit, his white hair fluttering against the wind.
The crew watched in confusion as he began to chant.
"Hold on tight!"
Adrian warned them, his voice barely audible over the sound of the waves crashing against the ship's hull.
The crew looked at each other uncertainly, but they knew better than to question the Prince's orders.
They gripped the deck railing as tightly as they could, bracing themselves for whatever was about to happen.
Suddenly, the water around the ship began to churn and bubble.
The ship's forefront rose without warning, and the ship moved forward at an incredible speed.
—Whuuzz!
The crew screamed in surprise as the ship lurched forward, their bodies thrown off balance.
"Huaaa!!"
One of the mercenaries yelled, his voice drowned out by the sound of the wind rushing past them.
"Aaahhh!!"
Another one shouted, his eyes wide with fear.
Adrian continued to manipulate the water, causing the ship to move up and down as it hurtled forward.
The crew could feel their heads beginning to spin and their stomachs churning.
They had never been seasick before, but this was a whole different experience.
Despite the chaos around him, Adrian feigned ignorant; they needed to reach the Kearny ship before it was too late.
When the distance between the two ships grew smaller, Adrian could see the Kearny struggling to fend off the Chimera.
Without wasting any time, Adrian promptly decelerated the ship to avoid a collision and conjured two Magic Circles on either side of him.
Soon, a barrage of wind bullets rushed toward the Chimera.
—Splat! —Splat! —Splat!
Black blood erupted like fireworks in the air, and the monster flung backward with its chest ripped open.
The moment the bowsprit connected to the patrol ship deck railing, Adrian immediately jumped out to board the ship.
He unleashed a powerful gust of wind to create some distance between the monster and the Kearny Knights.
"Kiieekkk!!"
"Kiieekkk!!"
The monsters were flung backward, and shortly after, Nathaniel along with the mercenaries arrived at the deck.
Without wasting any more time, they rushed toward the Chimera.
"Kiieekkk!!"
"Kiieekkk!!"
One by one, the Chimera began to fall as Nathaniel and the mercenaries mercilessly butchered them.
The Kearny Knights were amazed that they could defeat the monster instantly with just one swing of their sword.
Upon witnessing the mercenaries vigorously slay the Chimera, the morale of the Kearny Knights soared, and they tightened their grip on their swords.
When Adrian noticed the fear on their faces begin to lift, he bellowed.
"Use an Elemental Sword and strike directly at their heart to kill them instantly!
"Understood!"
With a unified response, they quickly charged onto the battlefield and they started chanting.
Immediately, their swords glowed and trembled, ready to wield their Elemental Swords.
"Kiieekkk!"
The Chimera let out a deafening wail as Nathaniel's sword pierced its chest.
The sounds of hoarse metal and war cries mixed with the wails of monsters filled the air.
The soldiers swung their swords relentlessly, while the elementalists continued to shoot their wind bullets.
—Splat! —Splat! —Splat!
Chunks of blackened flesh burst out, splattering dark blood everywhere.
"Kiiieeekk!"
Nathaniel pulled his sword and the last Chimera fell to the ground.
"Haa… haa…"
The soldiers' haggard breaths filled the surrounding area.
Somehow, they managed to defeat all of the Chimera.
Their clothes and entire bodies were drenched in sweat and blackened with blood.
The limbs of the monsters were scattered on the ground, and the wooden planks were stained with puddles of inky blood.
However suddenly the ship trembled violently.
"W-what is happening?!"
Panic surged in the soldiers' hearts as they struggled to maintain their balance on the ship's deck.
Only.
"ROOOAARRRR!!"
The cabin burst apart as the massive monster emerged, sending splintered shards of wood and dust flying in all directions.
The battle was not over yet.
This content is taken from (f)reewe(b)novel.𝗰𝗼𝐦