Chapter 75: Han Ha-ri, Goddess of the Sea and Waves
After confirming the East Sea Gate the departure was decided.
The flagship of the Korean First Fleet, Gwanggaeto the Great, and the Aegis destroyer Arleigh Burke-class dispatched from the US Seventh Fleet were ready to sail together.
“Hmm … it’s a pretty big ship.”
Leon looked at the East Sea, which was about to sail soon, from the stern of Gwanggaeto the Great.
The scenery was surprisingly clear and clean for a typhoon approaching. It must be the calm before the storm.
He was enjoying the sea view and calming his mind, when there was a slight noise around him.
“Load everything including the rations! Load as many spare weapons as possible! What do the hunters from the US say?”
“They’re doing their own thing. Should we switch the radio to a shared channel?”
“What for? It’s useless once we enter the gate anyway.”
Lee Yong-wan and the Phoenix Guild hunters were busy moving. Indeed, they were professional. They were mostly low-level hunters and academy students who were about to graduate.
On the other hand, they were pros of gate raiding. They claimed to be one of the top 10 guilds in Korea. It would be rude to compare them with Leon or Yappy, who were out of standard Holy Knights.
“I’ll contact Manager Park, so you guys do your own thing.”
Lee Yong-wan finished his instructions and came out to the stern. Then he ran into Leon and stopped.
“You’re quite good at leading the charge.”
“… Well, I’ve been rolling in this field for over 10 years.”
He still looked young, but he had 10 years of experience. Leon recalled his first impression of him.
“Have you stopped that dirty trick?”
“Dirty? … It’s a legitimate business activity. Your Majesty of the Middle Ages wouldn’t understand.”
Yeah, I don’t know.
Leon died normally and was reborn.
The country where he was born as a child of a great noble was an honorable country, a righteous country, and a country that was cared for by the gods.
There, Leon could do right. He performed justice, kept his faith, and lived.
Sometimes he destroyed a messy neighboring country, sometimes he exterminated dirty beasts, and sometimes he buried barbarians.
But, all his actions were only for the light and justice.
“You guys pursue money and only care about wealth and influence.”
“Isn’t that what powerful people always do? Your Majesty is not much different.”
Lee Yong-wan knew that this world’s Lionheart King was using his power and divine miracles to expand his influence.
He had already brought a revolution to the domestic food market and made the Hunter Association his puppet.
Then what’s the difference between TTG Guild and them? They just use more sophisticated methods.
“No, they’re different. You guys and beasts are different from Lionheart.”
“…”
Leon shrugged off his eyes toward him.
“Food and wealth are ultimately for making people rich. If you have infinite wealth, what does it mean to monopolize it alone?”
“What does it mean if there is a medicine that can cure any disease but it is not bestowed on patients?”
“It’s useless to pile up gold and jewels in a loveless world.”
“…”
Lee Yong-wan looked at this man who was like a sage and unconsciously thought of a man. His name was mentioned right away.
“What did you see from Sir Georgic?”
“Suddenly?”
“Not only Sir Georgic but also his knights. What did you feel from the soldiers of the kingdom?”
“…”
Yong-wan recalled what happened at Jeju Island Gate.
He saw their courage and was saved by their sacrifice but that’s not because they were transcendent strongmen.
They fought against the immensely powerful beast gods, against the endless army of beasts for one reason.
“Justice. You must follow justice only. It is the first phrase taught by Goddess Arianna.”
“How childish is justice …”
“Childish. Yeah, it would look like that to those who look at the world cynically and live calculatingly.”
Justice is childish.
Good deeds are losing money.
Such notions existed in his kingdom as well.
The humanists of the empire did so, and the wise magicians scoffed at it.
“My boy, anyone can laugh and be cynical.”
“Justice is childish, good deeds are not profitable, and living purely is foolish.”
“But those who live unjustly cannot get anything.”
“Those who live evilly may be wise but cannot be brave.”
“Those who are not pure cannot love.”
Leon gave this unjust man unusually much advice.
Georgic and his knights gave up their lives for their beliefs and they had to realize it.
Their sacrifice, their bravery and justice were valuable.
“Prove it. Whether you guys deserved what the glorious knights and loyal soldiers saved.”
If not, I’ll punish you.
At Leon’s cold declaration, Lee Yong-wan swallowed his saliva and tensed up.
And he also secretly …
-Buuuuuuung!
It was then. On the deck, the sailors retrieved the ropes connected to the land, and the loud horn sound began to ring.
The ladder connected to the land was removed, the Korean flag was hung, and the tugboats adjusted the direction of the warship.
Gwanggaeto the Great, was ready to leave the port by cutting through the water and the US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class Aegis ship followed suit.
“Finally leaving.”
“You hit the scheduled time exactly.”
The lecture time naturally ended. But it wasn’t such a bad time for Lee Yong-wan either.
He himself also deeply engraved their attitude of living with justice and goodness in his heart.
“Your Majesty, if you don’t mind, can I repay you for what I owe you before … Huh?”
It was then that on the deck of Gwanggaeto the Great a strange cry was heard.
-Aisha! Aisha!
“TTG Guild?”
Students and soldiers carry something long on their shoulders and cross the deck to the stern. Someone was hanging on the pillar they were carrying.
-Hey, this is something wrong! You said I was a goddess! This treatment is wrong!
“Han Ha-ri…?”
What are they doing? At Yong-wan’s gaze, Leon explained with a satisfied expression.
“It’s a law that brings impurity if you bring a woman on board. But there is a way to make up for it.”
Are you saying that you hang people on the masthead and offer them to the gods?
“Why do you look at it like that? Thanks to the sacrifice of the goddess chosen by the god of the sea and waves, other women were able to board.”
He was proud.
This man who committed a heinous crime had no shame in his actions.
This is … justice?
Ha-ri wondered if she should be happy or not when she heard that she was chosen as a goddess by Poma, the God of the Sea and Waves.
“Well … thanks to that, I was able to participate in the raid too …”
It wasn’t such a bad thing, but …
“Han Ha-ri, there is something you have to do for me.”
“What is it?”
“Originally, it is a law that brings impurity if you bring a woman on board. The storm rises, the rainstorm hits, and the sea monsters attack.”
Isn’t that too prejudiced? Ha-ri gave up that question early.
“But there is a way to make up for it. Rather, the ship sails smoothly, the sea becomes calm, and guarantees a safe voyage. Can you do it?”
“Yes, just tell me! I can do anything!”
Ha-ri should have asked at least what that method was at this time.
Could she have dared to imagine that he would hang her on the masthead and offer them as goddess?
-Hey, this is something wrong! You said I was a goddess! This treatment is wrong!
Ha-ri protested this injustice while her whole body was tied to a pole and fixed, but the students and soldiers who moved Ha-ri thought differently.
“Senior … I’m sorry. Everyone is comfortable if only senior suffers.”
“Junior Jae-hyuk? You, you! Soo-ho! My brother Soo-ho!”
“Sister…I’m sorry. My opinion…doesn’t count.”
“Traitor! Juniors! Hunters! Someone! Someone with reason should stop this!”
““Aisha! Aisha!””
“Are you all listening?!”
As he said, Gwanggaeto the Great was sailing. And … soon witnessed the typhoon shaking beyond.
“Typhoon approaching ahead! It’s a butterfly! 64.5m per second!!”
The sailors were also busy.
The East Sea Gate, which was their target, was in line with the direct course of the typhoon. Of course, they had to prepare for a collision with the typhoon.
Of course, Ha-ri was left alone tied to the masthead during this process.
“Kyaahhh! Save meee! Save me!!”
There was thunder and lightning in the dark clouds.
Are you really going to enter that hellish cave of that monster face-to-face? That too with me hanging?
“Save meeeeee!!”
“Shut up!”
“Your Majesty?!”
There was a voice, and Leon was sitting calmly on a fishing chair. He even set up a fishing rod.
“Be quiet, the fish will all run away.”
“Fishing? Are you fishing now?!”
Fishing calmly while hanging people on the masthead and offering them as goddesses? Ha-ri was stunned.
“Because of you, the fish seem to have run away.”
“Well, there’s no fish in front of this big warship!”
“I can catch them all. When I was the guardian of my port city Rangkul, I fished while riding a whale.”
It sounded like a lie, but it was credible because it was Leon so Ha-ri asked with an anxious look.
“So, are you really going to hang me like this and head to the typhoon? It’s not too late now!”
Ha-ri was terrified by the approaching typhoon. If the masthead that hung her broke in the typhoon, it would be a matter of course that she would take the Styx River Express.
“Your Majesty! Do you have any way? There is a way like magic or something, right?! I trust you, Your Majesty! I trust you!”
Did Ha-ri’s desperate prayer reach him? There was a reaction from Leon’s fishing rod.
“Hmm, it’s quite sturdy!”
Leon pulled the fishing rod. Even in this situation, he was a pro and caught a fish in one breath, and a big one came dangling at the end.
“Lieutenant Colonel Choi. Get ready.”
“Yes, yes, Your Majesty …!”
Then the sailors rushed in and quickly set up something.
When he was about to sail long distances, he put a fish that was killed on the spot on something that served as an altar as an offering table.
“You are the gracious lord of the sea. Appear before these villains who dare step on your territory.”
Then something amazing happened. The ship that was shaking with all kinds of abnormal weather and waves became calm, and the seawater began to take shape while shaking.
It looked like a giant shark but it was too artificial to talk about the mystery of nature. Everyone felt it.
That is ‘god’.
[Oh~ Lionheart. My beloved lighthouse. The protector of my temple Rangkul.]
“Poma. The god of the sea and waves.”
Leon bowed one knee and greeted him satisfactorily. He looked at the typhoon approaching from the East Sea and beyond and sighed regretfully.
[It’s a very despicable sea. It has no dignity. As Petos said, I feel that there is no divinity in this land.]
The water droplet in the shape of a shark looked down at the warship that he could swallow in one bite.
[What is the reason for not having sails on board? And these guys and those guys don’t realize the grace of the sea!]
“It can’t be helped because they haven’t received the teachings of the sea yet. Please take care of them and comfort them.”
[No! I have no reason to comfort those who are not even my believers! Only fear and respect will bring grace as well!]
At Poma’s scolding, the sailors fell into fear.
They didn’t know why he was angry, but just facing his anger made them tremble.
In front of his whimsy, they were no different from sand grains swallowed by waves.
“…”
Leon received many favors from many gods, but not all gods were comfortable opponents.
Poma was especially fickle and eccentric among them. He never showed his anger at him, but he often made unreasonable demands on other believers.
“By the way, how did you choose that kid as a goddess?”
[Hahahaha …]
Poma let out a deep laugh and looked at Ha-ri who was shaking while hanging on the masthead.
[I barely persuaded Petos, but it was worth it. This kid has a natural vessel to accept God.]
“Hmm?”
[Of course not as much as you. You are out of standard that can contain all the divinity.]
“I felt that my luck was mixed, but I really did.”
[This is a blessing. How do you see it as misfortune?]
“God’s attention can be poison to the unbelievers who lack faith.”
[I believe that my lighthouse will solve it gradually.]
At that, Leon sighed and leaned back on his fishing chair.
[Han Ha-ri, my new goddess.]
“Me, me?”
[I will give you the blessing of water and the power to control the waves. Accept this gladly and spread my spirit and teachings widely.]
“Oh, yes, yes …! Just let me go!”
Poma shouted.
[As long as there is a sacrifice of my goddess, no wave can invade that ship!]
“…Yes?”
Ha-ri shook her head, but Poma smiled and gave her a trial.
[Your sacrifice will ignite the flame of life.]
As he said that, the huge water droplet collapsed. Like a soap bubble once.
“…End?”
When Ha-ri was at a loss, someone shouted.
“Typhoon approaching ahead! Wave height 10m!!”
At that, the sailors and hunters evacuated to the inside of the deck at once, leaving Ha-ri alone.
“…”
Are you really leaving me alone? Are you leaving me like this?
She met eyes with her academy juniors who only peeked out their faces from beyond the railing.
-Be strong.
-Sister, cheer up.
-Senior, fighting!
-Show your strength as the top student of the Korean Hunter Academy!
Ha-ri only heard some cheers and had to face the approaching waves.
-Kwaaaaaaah!!
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