Chapter 66

When the sun had completely set, the Mareas set sail from the imperial port.

However, it did so in secret, concealing its presence—

From the deck of the Mareas, I watched the workers on the dock and muttered to myself.

"They haven't noticed us... The darkness is helping us hide our shape well."

The hull of the Mareas was fitted with boards imbued with the *Invisibility* enchantment, allowing the ship to blend into the surroundings and even muffle the creaking of the hull.

Still, the trail on the water's surface couldn't be hidden, so they would be easily spotted if someone got too close. The *Invisibility* itself wasn't as strong as I could use it.

But in the dark, it was more than enough. From a distance, they shouldn't notice us unless they can track magic...

Yuri murmured.

"Being invisible means they won't notice our presence... We have to be careful not to collide with anything."

The fishing boats had already returned, as well as the naval and noble ships. Indeed, there were no lights visible on the sea.

We also had to be careful without any lights, but the coastal areas around the capital had many port towns and fishing villages, which served as landmarks, making it easy to identify the land. As long as we didn't go too fast, there shouldn't be any problems.

That said, the night sea had an indescribable beauty. A darkness that was comforting, like the black mist of dark magic...

However, Yuri, looking at the sea, gripped the helm with fear.

"Something might come out at any moment..."

"– I'm here!!"

"Ah!?!"

Yuri's body shook violently as she turned to the sudden voice from behind.

I turned my gaze, and there was Selena, who had returned to Ars once.

With a red face, Yuri exclaimed.

"Selena!! Don't scare me like that! What if the ship capsizes!?"

"Sorry, sorry! I didn't think you'd be so startled!"

With a carefree expression, Selena answered, and I asked her.

"Did you bring it?"

"Yes! A small golem! This way, it can investigate underwater."

Swimming in the night sea was dangerous, so I had Selena bring a golem, which wouldn't drown as long as its core was intact.

However, Selena tilted her head.

"But why at night? If it's to act as a decoy, you could do it during the day with just one ship... And you're hiding the ship, right?"

"Our opponent doesn't know about us. So we can't act as a decoy... We're heading to where the ship sank during the day."

"Is there something there?"

"It doesn't seem like they just sank the ship. If the culprit is the Demon King's army, they wouldn't care about the size of the ship. They could easily sink a large ship and attack indiscriminately. There must be a reason for targeting only the ships of nobles and royalty."

"So... they're transporting something from the sunken ship?"

"Exactly."

"I see... But who could it be?"

Elysia murmured, looking at Selena, who seemed unsure.

"Sorry, Yuri, but—"

"Don't worry, Elysia. It's probably the work of a demon."

Yuri answered firmly.

"We can't do it because of our size, but there are many demons who steal from humans. If there's a demon who's a good swimmer, it makes sense to use their skills."

As Yuri said, I also think the culprit is likely a demon.

Whether they're doing it for a living or on the Demon King's army's request, I'm not sure.

I answered.

"Still, we can't say anything for certain... Let's head to where the ship sank."

"Okay."

Yuri nodded seriously. The demons in similar situations... Yuri must have mixed feelings, but she still follows me.

Depending on the situation, I don't want to take lives...

Then, the Mareas arrived at the area where a large number of naval and noble ships had sunk during the day.

"Let's go slowly from here."

At my words, Yuri slowed the ship.

We carefully scanned the surroundings as we moved forward.

In the midst of this, Selena spoke in a slightly smaller voice than usual.

"I just saw a light over there!"

"That way... Let's see."

I focused my mind and searched for magic on the sea.

The sea was full of fish, making it hard to detect magic properly.

However, it was easier on the surface.

"...It's true. There are more than ten humanoid figures... but they all have long tails."

They had short limbs and a stocky build... very plump.

"These are... Lizardmen?"

Either pure Lizardmen or mixed-blood demons.

In any case, it makes sense that they can move quickly in the water.

From the way they are spread out, they are likely on several ships.

After a while, a faint candle-like light appeared.

Soon, several magical reactions appeared from the sea. They seemed to be handing something to the people waiting on the ships.

The sound of clinking and occasional flashes of light suggested they were loading valuable items.

Selena said.

"There's no doubt... They are the ones who sank the ships. Let's light a lamp and ask them to surrender!"

"Wait, Selena. If we light the lamp, they'll abandon the ship and flee. They probably don't have anything on board that can identify them."

"Then, we'll literally let them swim?"

"Yes. It will take time, but we'll track them... They must have a base somewhere."

Gold, silver, and jewels alone have no meaning. Whether they hand them over on commission or sell them, they need to bring them to land.

We decided to track the culprits who were sinking the ships.

The culprits were very skilled, and it took them only a few minutes to finish retrieving the valuables from the sunken ship. Their ships then started heading towards the western land.

Our Mareas followed them, neither too close nor too far.