Chapter 83

Reincarnated as the Sword Emperor in the Sword Saint's Family (83)

Whoosh!

The streamlined bow of the Aquamarine cut through the waves and glided smoothly over the water. The spray shattered by the ship's impact scattered and reflected the sunlight, making the hull appear to sparkle.

It was a magnificent and beautiful sight.

However, if someone had been watching the Aquamarine from a distance, they would have been astonished first by the unbelievable speed and movement.

The ship, effortlessly riding over waves and wind coming from the opposite direction, was moving at an incredibly high speed. The undulating hull looked almost surreal, like a dolphin.

"…I wonder what the current speed of the Aquamarine is."

"Now?"

In response to Leonard's question, Francis, who was looking at the instrument panel, replied.

"Almost 100 knots (185 km/h). There's no particular reason to hurry, so we're not going at maximum speed."

It was an absurd speed.

A well-built sailing ship, without the aid of magic or spirits, could only achieve a speed of around 20 knots using just the wind and sails.

Yet, the Aquamarine was moving at five times that speed, even against the wind.

Leonard was both amazed and curious.

"Even at this incredible speed, there's no noticeable movement inside the ship. Is this the effect of magic engineering?"

"Thanks to the shock absorption and inertia neutralization magic arrays etched on the hull. Even if a sea serpent rammed us, a cup of tea wouldn't spill. A Leviathan might knock over a table, though."

"Most monsters would be knocked over just by being rammed, right?"

Francis nodded calmly in response.

"Ramming is actually a common tactic. That's why there are no monsters blocking the ship's path. A sea serpent of level 2 or lower would be nearly incapacitated in one hit."

For a sea serpent of the Transcendent Realm, even a transcendent would struggle to survive, yet the Aquamarine could knock one out in a single strike!

Leonard could understand why Luciano, who had the audacity to buy the Aquamarine without knowing his place, felt the way he did.

Francis maintaining a B-rank with just Marian on board was also likely due to the Aquamarine's performance.

She pointed to the sky proudly and explained.

"Normally, it would take a long time to pass from the First Sea to the Fourth Sea. Sword Fish (Sword Fish) swarm and turn the ship into a honeycomb, or a Gluttony Monkfish (Gluttony Monkfish) could swallow a small ship whole. We often have to deviate from the shortest route."

"But… Ah, I see. The Aquamarine is so fast and dangerous that monsters don't even approach, so we can go straight to the destination, right?"

"Exactly!"

Leonard's guess was correct.

Monsters aren't mindless. If they were so stupid as to block a ship that could be shattered by a mere touch or try to catch up, they would have long since been eliminated.

Bandits in the Green Forest also tend to let people who look like experts pass unharmed.

'If not the Aquamarine, a typical ship might take days or weeks to reach the Fifth Sea.'

According to what Leonard had briefly studied at the Atlantis Magic Tower, magic-engineered ships were not common.

Even excluding the four masterpieces like the Aquamarine, there were no mass-produced lower-grade versions. Each ship was custom-made at the Magic Tower or a special shipyard, taking years to complete.

Even if adventure teams fought fiercely, there was an unwritten rule that ships should not be tampered with.

"Are there any other ships on par with the Aquamarine? I've heard of the Moby Dick before."

"Hmm… Honestly, I want to claim that my Aquamarine is the best, but there are about three others that are on a similar level. They're not called the four masterpieces for nothing."

Francis counted on her fingers as she spoke.

"One. The flagship of the 'Moby Dick' team, the Moby Dick. Like the name suggests, it's a huge, white whale-shaped ship. It often moves underwater using its submersion function, so it's almost impossible to predict its course."

"Submersion…? Does the ship travel underwater?"

"Of course. The Aquamarine can also submerge for a few hours. It's a necessary function for routes that can't be taken on the surface, like underwater caves."

The concept of a submarine was a novel shock to Leonard, who had never heard of it. Even a martial artist skilled in water techniques wouldn't have thought it possible for such a large ship to submerge and move underwater.

While individual strength might be debatable, it seemed impossible for martial arts to surpass magic in terms of technological development and functionality.

"Two. The Zaratan of the 'Zaratan' team. If the Moby Dick is a whale, this one is a turtle. Normally, the bow and stern are tucked inside the shell, with only four legs that act as oars exposed below the water. In terms of defense, it's the best among the masterpieces, but it's a bit slow."

It's said that even a sea serpent of the Transcendent Realm, the 'Sea Dragon King' Leviathan, tried to attack the Zaratan a few times but gave up and moved on.

If only the outer layer is slightly damaged by an Aura Blade or a 7th-tier spell, it would be impossible to capture the Zaratan even if the other three masterpieces attacked it together in a siege.

"Three. The flagship of the 'Wild Hunt' team, the Golden Hind. As the name suggests, it has a golden deer antler on its bow. The 'Wild Hunt' team reinforced it with artifacts collected from ruins and the 'Rift,' elevating it to the masterpiece level. It has a drum that senses the ship's crisis and a function to summon a phantom ship, among many other unverified abilities."

"Is the 'Wild Hunt' the only S-rank team?"

"The S-rank is essentially a tribute to their achievements, so it doesn't have much meaning. They visit the central city only once every few years, so it's hard to even see their faces."

Although the 'Wild Hunt' leader, Drake and Njord, had a significant impact in the distant past, it was before Francis was even born.

"Moby Dick, Zaratan, Golden Hind. Apart from these three, there are no ships that can match the Aquamarine at sea. The basic performance gap is enormous, no matter how many come at us."

"Indeed."

Leonard, convinced by the detailed explanation, raised a few more questions, and Francis, without tiring, taught him knowledge and secrets that others might find hard to know.

Although the vast sea could be long and boring, the six hours passed faster than they expected.

The 'Cyclops Den.'

The 'Rift' that the new Aquamarine was to explore for the first time was already in sight.

The ship, moving at nearly 100 knots, quickly brought the landscape that had been faintly visible on the horizon right before their eyes.

At the same time, Francis raised her eyebrows.

"…Not good."

At the entrance of the 'Cyclops Den,' a hole a few meters above the sea surface was spewing out monstrous creatures.

"Monsters inside the 'Rift' can't come out, right?"

"Those that can adapt to the external environment can escape. Cyclops are a hardy variant of orcs, and orcs are known to change their bodies according to their habitat."

While they were talking, the cyclops who had spotted the Aquamarine began to emit incomprehensible roars.

They weren't swimming in the sea but riding on something with a black background and white patterns. When they shook the reins, the things began to approach the Aquamarine at high speed.

They were sea wolves, orcas (Orca).

Seeing this, Marian exclaimed in amazement.

"On land, they ride wolves and are called Wolf Riders, but I didn't expect them to be Orca Riders in the sea."

"Indeed. I've seen information that they can tame sea creatures, but this is the first time I've seen Orca Riders."

Francis, with a nonchalant expression, placed her hand on the crystal ball.

"They seem to be patrol forces to block or warn of enemies entering the 'Rift.' Let's wipe them out."

"Ramming?"

"No."

Francis smiled brightly.

"Artillery! [Freezing Cannon] fire!"

As soon as her command was input, the Aquamarine came to an abrupt stop, and the cannon ports hidden in the bow were revealed.

It wasn't a cannon that fired metal balls with gunpowder.

The ship drew in the circulating mana inside and activated the magic array at the front of the hull. A 6th-tier ice magic, [Freezing Ray], was completed in just a few seconds and radiated on a large scale.

It was aimed at the dozens of cyclops and orcas approaching the Aquamarine.

Whoosh——!

It happened in an instant.

"…Wow."

Leonard was stunned by the result of the artillery.

Dozens of cyclops and orcas were frozen solid, like statues, along with the sudden icebergs that appeared on the sea.

And.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

The ram of the Aquamarine, which could easily pass as an icebreaker, shattered them into pieces.

"Ramming is good, but if the target is too small and agile, it might climb onto the ship. Unless it's a ship without a deck like the Moby Dick, the Aquamarine isn't that crude."

"Didn't you end up ramming them anyway?"

"They were already dead when they were hit by the Freezing Cannon. We just left ice chunks on our path."

Francis declared with a shameless face.

"Shall we prepare for the exploration of the 'Cyclops Den'?"

* * *

In the meeting room, Francis confidently said to the gathered team members.

"Laurelai and Vivian, you two are observers."

"Um…?"

"Why? I want to go on an adventure with you, big sister!"

Laurelai's reaction was a mix of confusion and relief, while Vivian's cheeks puffed up, and their reactions were starkly different.

Seeing this, Francis explained.

"Laurelai has no proper combat experience, and Vivian has a lot of experience exploring 'Rifts.' Since most of the others are going for the first time, I want to give them the benefit of Vivian's experience."

The difference between having experienced members and not is enormous. The team members, who understood this, nodded.

Laurelai's case was also understandable.

A mage who has never worked in a team can be a dangerous factor that could wipe out the entire team. A single mistake in the range or timing of a wide-area spell could cause massive casualties.

If Laurelai had been a steady adventurer like Esther, it might have been different, but she was a bit risky, having only honed her magic skills.

"Leonard, Galano, Esther, and Niniann will enter."

Although it was a small team of only four, the 'Cyclops Den' wasn't that large. With only skilled individuals who could extract themselves in an emergency, the risk of an accident was low.

There are no completely safe adventures from the Fifth Sea onward.

It's best to prepare as many safety measures as possible for unexpected situations and minimize the risk.

"I won't designate a team leader. I hope you'll realize who is the most suitable leader as you explore the 'Rift.' Focus on gaining exploration experience. Returning without casualties is the priority."

Galano asked.

"What's the time limit for this exploration?"

"Five hours. It's not a large space, so one round should be enough."

Next, Leonard spoke.

"If we find the medium of the 'Rift' and it's within the capabilities of a 'Rift Guardian,' can we attempt to seal it?"

"…I'll leave it to Leonard's judgment. However, if the other members object, regardless of the number, you should retreat."

"Understood."

The Q&A session ended there.