Chapter 326
The waters between Flama and Luxresia were blessed with cloudless skies, gentle winds, and calm waves, making it a perfect day for sailing. Ships coursed across the deep-blue sea, and the port was bustling with activity.
Yet that activity was far from its peak. The sea routes were threatened by pirates, the conspiracy of a newly established trading company and the mysterious death that followed had come to light, and traces of a suspicious organization had been found hiding in the city. With one major incident after another, it was only natural for the residents to be gripped by anxiety.
"Raise anchor! Set the sails! We're getting under way!"
"Aye!"
That day, four ships carrying the residents' hopes departed. They were armed merchant ships modified from vessels confiscated from the 'Phoenix Trading Company,' and brave sailors operated them despite knowing they would be fighting pirates. The men giving orders were hard-bitten veterans renowned as the captains of armed merchant ships that had repelled numerous pirate crews. Their bearing and presence made it hard to believe they had retired from active duty.
More than fifty high-level players were aboard as marines to fight the pirates. Some were even seasoned warriors above level 90, and not a single person doubted that such an overwhelming force would send the pirates to the bottom of the sea.
"The sea breeze feels great. It's been a while since I traveled by ship."
One of the players aboard was Luke, also known as the 'Hero.' He was currently active mainly on the Terrastall Continent, but after hearing about Twentino from Conrad, he had decided to join the battle. He was also a customer of the 'Conrad Trading Company.'
He was a good person, but he was here less for the sake of Twentino's peace than because he had been lured by the size of the reward. Of course, that did not mean he had no interest in protecting the city's peace, but he needed money on hand more urgently.
"Hey, Luke! What are you brooding about out here?"
"I was just looking at the sea, Akatsuki."
Akatsuki was one of the players in the strategy group, which explored uncharted regions and brought back undiscovered items and fields. In the first tournament's individual division, he had fought Luke in the finals, and he was a skilled dual-wielding swordsman who excelled at player-versus-player combat.
The two were personally close, sometimes trading items or working together to complete quests too difficult for either of their parties alone. They trusted each other as friends, which was why they were aboard the same ship.
"The sea, huh...? Heard about the 'Blue-Scale Pirates'?"
"Yeah. They were a player pirate crew, right?"
"Yeah, that's them. They're not our target this time, but if they show up, we're supposed to take them down. Until recently, they only targeted ships without players aboard, so their tactics were a mystery."
Akatsuki rested both elbows on the gunwale and leaned back against it as he spoke about the pirate crew's methods. Luke hardly ever looked at the forums, so he knew only what he heard from his companions and friends. Still, something about Akatsuki's wording caught his attention.
"Until recently?"
"Yeah. Apparently, just the other day, they attacked a ship carrying players. Sounds like they used a pretty brutal method."
"What did they do?"
"Apparently they rode in from underwater on either a dolphin or an orca monster, punched holes in the hull, and hooked grappling lines over the gunwale to tip the ship over. I thought, 'That's a gotcha tactic,' but even if you knew it was coming, I can't think of a way to stop it off the top of my head."
Akatsuki slapped the gunwale where he had propped his elbows as he described the pirates' tactics. Luke found himself impressed when he heard them. It was admittedly a little insensitive, since many residents and players had fallen victim to them, but he was astonished by the flexible thinking that had produced a strategy making maximum use of the fact that this was a game.
"That's impressive, but is it really as brutal as you make it sound?"
"The brutal part comes after you fall into the sea. I told you what they ride, didn't I?"
"A dolphin or orca monster... No way."
"Yes! Exactly. Apparently, they got chomped."
Akatsuki pressed both hands together like a mouth and made them open and close. Luke's face twisted as he realized that, yes, it was certainly brutal enough to deserve the name. If he had been one of the victims, he felt it would have left him mildly traumatized. He probably would not have wanted to look at the sea for quite some time.
"When fighting at sea, not falling overboard has to be the top priority. There are wild monsters out there too... Besides, I don't have the Swimming Skill, so I can't swim."
"Apparently it emerges on its own if you practice, just like other martial-arts abilities, but I'm not about to start splashing around with a kickboard at this point. On the other hand, buying it with points costs a fair bit. And if it's useless in everyday life, who'd take it for a one-off quest?"
The two exchanged wry smiles over the problem. Then Luke suddenly noticed that the two weapons hanging from Akatsuki's waist were different from the ones he had seen before. Since they were close, Luke could guess why.
"Akatsuki... Did you replace your weapons again? You said the other day you weren't going to waste money."
"Yeah, these! Pretty cool, right? When you think of a sword for the sea, it's got to be a cutlass."
Akatsuki had a collector's streak when it came to weapons, and he poured nearly all the money he earned from quests and selling materials into the weapons he used—in other words, his twin swords. There was a reason he had developed this bad habit: twin swords were overwhelmingly scarce on the market.
Many people dreamed of wielding twin swords, but mastering them was difficult. As a result, even among the residents, twin-sword users were rare, and paired sets were seldom put up for sale. It was possible to use two separate swords, but twin swords designed to be used as a pair received stronger Job and Skill bonuses.
Consequently, it was common for twin-sword users to gather their own materials and commission a craftsman to make their weapons. That was precisely why the twin swords sold in weapon shops were so rare: they were often made from special materials or were masterpieces infused with the shopkeeper's skill. By the time he next visited, wealthy residents who never even used them had often bought them, and after regretting that, Akatsuki had begun buying any pair he spotted.
He was also a top-tier player and never neglected to prepare for adventures with potions and the like. Even so, spending everything left over on weapons was excessive. Not long ago, when his clan was trying to buy something, everyone had been about to split the cost evenly, only for him to come up short and beg Luke for the money. The memory was still fresh.
Luke, by contrast, owned only two or three swords. Like everyone who had cleared the 'Trial of the Azure Moon,' he continued using weapons and armor that grew stronger in accordance with his level. He occasionally encountered opponents poorly suited to his weapon, but he had never needed to prepare another one solely for such occasions. Thus, he owned only the powerful items he had obtained through exploration.
"Spending money again... Rouge-san's going to blow you up one of these days."
"No, no. Switching weapons to suit the situation is one of the best parts of a game, right? That's all there is to it."
"That doesn't explain anything. So what can those twin swords do?"
"Oh, interested? Then let me tell you! They have this really cool ability: they boost the power of flying-slash martial techniques!"
"Wow! I've never heard of a weapon with an effect like that."
Luke understood why Akatsuki was eager to brag. He had seen all kinds of weapons and armor, but this was the first time he had encountered a weapon that enhanced a specific martial technique. He wondered where Akatsuki had found such a rare weapon.
"Where'd you buy those?"
"A street stall in an alley in Twentino. The shabby old man running it said he was retiring, so he was selling off things he didn't need to turn them into cash."
"Huh. Then maybe he was a former sailor who used twin swords."
"Like some legendary sailor? Like the captain of this ship?"
Akatsuki's gaze fell on the captain standing beside the helmsman with his arms folded. The muscular, one-eyed old man had white hair and a long white beard, a tricorn hat on his head, and a coat draped over his shoulders. He puffed on a cigar with a gentle smile. Luke had heard that he had once been a hard-bitten sailor, but his present tranquility made that difficult to imagine.
Luke had been hoping that the voyage would remain as peaceful as the captain's face, but apparently things would not go that way. The lookout atop the mast shouted a report.
"Ship sighted northwest! Three in all! Two are pirates! A merchant ship is under attack!"
"The pirate crew we're after?"
"Wait... No, sir! Probably just wandering pirates!"
They might not have been the pirates they were looking for, but they could not simply leave the merchant ship to its fate. The captain's face transformed into that of a warrior. He crushed his cigar in his hand and immediately began issuing precise orders to the sailors. The other ships appeared to reach the same conclusion, maintaining formation as they accelerated toward the battlefield.
As the ships picked up speed, the players inside began filing onto the decks to see what was happening. Those already on deck explained that, although these were not the pirates they were looking for, they would take them down anyway. Rather than lose motivation on hearing that this was not the main target, the players were all fired up, calling it a rehearsal before the real battle.
"We're almost within bow range! The moment we are, rain arrows down on them! Don't hit the merchant ship... Loose!"
The players gathered were all high-level, but bows remained unpopular among players. There were hardly any players here who could use them, and almost all the archers were sailors. At the captain's command, they fired their arrows at the pirate ships.
That did not mean there were no players who could use bows. Moreover, because they were high-level, their Skill levels and the quality of their bows were on an entirely different level from the sailors'. Among the few such players was Meg, one of Luke's companions.
"They're far, but I can hit them."
Unlike the sailors' arrows, which traced high arcs before falling from above, the players' arrows flew straight and true, piercing the pirates. Apparently, the pirates had never expected a third party to intervene, and they seemed to be thrown into confusion.
The pirates did not remain confused forever, however. They gathered everyone who could use a bow and began a counterattack. But unlike bows, shields were extremely common among the players. The pirates' arrows were easily stopped by sturdy shields and failed to injure anyone.
"We're boarding! Get the grappling lines ready!"
"Throw them! Pull them in!"
"Storm the ship! Kill every last pirate! Move!"
Once they drew near the pirate ship, the captains ordered the sailors to secure the ships together. The players then charged aboard in one furious rush. The pirates drew their swords to intercept them, but sadly, there was an enormous gap between their levels and those of the players. They were trampled with ease, and every last pirate was wiped out in the blink of an eye.