Chapter 1088: Chapter 261: Sea of Shining, The Maritime Route to Ambeser (Part 2)
After a while, Gray Sword Saint Mephisto, Char, Andreg, Qian, Medphis, Lopar, and the Silver Elf Princess also came to the deck. Seeing these people, James finally breathed a sigh of relief. Although he did not know the full strength of the young lord beside him, he knew that at least Medisha and Char possessed Golden Rank strength. With two powerful figures of Golden Rank stationed, even the flagship of an Erune fleet would not be much different.
"What is happening?" Mephisto asked calmly as he emerged from the cabin and saw the monsters on the sea surface. Captain James did not know that this seemingly ordinary middle-aged man was actually the biggest boss Brand brought with him on this journey. Yet, just this degree of composure was enough to make him take another look.
Gray Sword Saint’s calmness was not without reason. After all, it’s still the beginning of the Sword Year, unlike after the Stone Plate War when encountering a bandit on the road might be one of the Elemental Awakened. At this time of year, not only in Erune, but even back when Mephisto’s duchy was still under Kruz, he was one of the top experts within the Empire. Experts of his level, with a bit of caution, would find it almost impossible to encounter a life-threatening existence throughout Vaun.
And a few Nagas were no match.
"It’s the Nagas," Brand answered, his hand on his longsword, but he did not make a move immediately. He looked at the Naga warriors on the sea and found them somewhat familiar—though humans tend to see the Naga Clan as having similar appearances, there are still distinctions among different tribes. For instance, the Flash Scale tribe is named for their colorful scales. The tribe Brand saw now seemed to resemble the Gray Fin Naga. Seeing the whitish fins of the tribe, he couldn’t help but be slightly startled, thinking, "Is it really such a coincidence?"
"So this is the Nagas?" Gray Sword Saint had heard of the creature but had never seen them, having spent his life inland challenging the Empire, never taking to the sea. He observed the monsters, slightly surprised, and turned to say, "Why do you seem to run into trouble wherever you go?"
"I..." Brand never imagined that this earnest guy would seriously ridicule him, but only he would have such idle leisure at a time like this. Unexpectedly, Otarais also nodded in agreement, "I think this guy is right; you really do get into trouble wherever you go."
"By Martha, I’m innocent!" Brand thought silently. In the past, he longed for plot tasks in Amber Sword but to no avail. However, after crossing into this world, he found himself constantly facing perilous situations, with inexplicable events continuously coming his way.
Still, Otarais was just teasing; encountering pirates at sea is quite common. Not only pirates but also bandits and highwaymen on land, with most lords primarily managing only their territory’s core. Leaving the economically thriving zones, the more remote the area, the more chaotic the security becomes. In such outer sea areas, lawless powers find a haven.
At this time, the sailors began their retaliation. Most ships sailing this route are armed merchant ships, equipped with weapons. The sailors returned fire with crossbows, but their aim was hardly precise. The counterattack was more about repelling than defeating the opponent. Amidst the chaos, James’s sailors suffered significantly—several long spears pierced through shield gaps into the crowd, injuring many, and two unlucky ones were pinned to the deck. The ship’s second officer, doubling as a doctor, glanced at them and declared them beyond saving.
Yet Brand retrieved several bottles of the lowest grade Holy Water from the Dimension Hole and had Medisha pass them over. The number of low-grade Holy Water from the Dimension Hole acquired from Anman was astonishingly large. Moreover, such Holy Water is of little use to him, making it perfect for earning favor. Brand knew that forging good relations with these Ambeser merchants would greatly benefit his future development, not to mention James’s own influential background.
Holy Water is the most effective medicine in this world with its primary functions being to stop bleeding and repair bodily damage, and combat wounds generally fall into these two categories. As long as there’s not excessive blood loss leading to death, Holy Water can revive the dead and restore the flesh. However, this substance is incredibly rare; during the Holy War, even the Holy Temple could only supply their elite units.
