I Became a Dark Fantasy Villain At last, a faint smile spread across Thesaya. "Those fragments of islands were out beyond, weren’t they?" Ian just gave a slight nod, his gaze still sweeping across the western sea. Thesaya turned her head back in the same direction. Faint ripples of magic shimmered in her eyes, and then her pupils widened, like those of an owl. In her now pitch-black eyes, the ships that had looked like flickering lights came into sharp focus. "They certainly are a motley crew. I’d believe you if you told me they were pirate ships," said Thesaya, scanning the ships. It wasn’t just the shape and number of the sails that were different. The sizes of the sailing ships varied, and even to Thesaya, who knew nothing about ships, some looked downright unnatural. "Officially, they deny it, but in reality, that’s likely what they are," said Mukapa, his voice tinged with hostility uncharacteristic of him. In any case, he didn’t seem surprised that Thesaya or Ian could make out the shapes of the ships from this distance. "How many lords rule the archipelago?" Ian asked then. Mukapa answered immediately. "As far as I know, there are four. That is also the number of the largest islands that make up the archipelago. The remaining smaller islands are ruled by them jointly, I believe. That includes the islands they’ve seized in the Black Sea." "Then one is on its way or not coming," Ian replied with a nod. Thesaya, her brow furrowed slightly, added, "How do you know?" "There are only three kinds of crests on the flags." "You can see all that? Your eyes are better than mine, Ian," Thesaya said in admiration. Black flags were fluttering above the central masts of all the sailing ships, but she couldn’t make out the crests engraved on them. From here, the ships looked no bigger than the tip of a finger. "At that distance, they must be near the straits. Normally, one of their duties is to keep the beasts of the Black Sea from spilling into the inner sea, but now, it seems they are forming a line on the sea to prevent the monsters of the inner sea from escaping," said Mukapa. Ian, who had already turned his gaze away, simply nodded without a word, rubbing his eyes with his hand as if they were tired. "Is that so? How boring," Thesaya clicked her tongue. After taking another sip of wine, she added, "I thought they were gathering to advance into the inner sea." "Even the outlaws of the archipelago cannot lead a fleet of that size deep into the inner sea without an Imperial decree," Mukapa said calmly. His gaze swept over the scattered lights on the distant sea with disapproval. "That would be considered not just a simple crime, but treason." "There’s no way an Imperial decree would have been issued already, of course," Thesaya answered her own question with a nod. Her eyes had returned to their original state. "In any case, it seems the archipelago is also aware of the situation in the inner sea," a voice followed from the carriage window. Thesaya smiled brightly and turned her head. "You’re awake, my sister!" "Yes. Just a little while ago." Lucia’s face appeared from the window. Ian, after a brief look at her well-rested face, reached out his left hand toward the window. "Perfect timing. Get me another bottle of wine. It looks like Thesa is going to drink the rest." "Yes," Lucia answered lightly and disappeared from view, no doubt reaching into the chest under the seat for a bottle. "The fact that they’ve gathered in formation also means they’re not allied with Bukikia." "Ah, so you’ve heard that rumor too." Thesaya’s eyes curved slightly. As Mukapa looked at her, she took another sip of the nearly empty bottle and added, "You don’t know the rumor that the lords of the archipelago serve an ancient god sleeping in the abyss of the Black Sea?" "I have heard of it, but I didn’t expect you to believe such rumors." "In my experience, Mukapa, rumors like that don’t spread without reason." Lucia reappeared at the window, extending a wax-sealed bottle of wine. As the bottle flew into Ian’s hand, a mocking smile spread across Thesaya’s lips. "In a world where even the priests of the Order are being blinded, it would be more surprising if those who go around pirating under the protection of the Empire weren’t corrupted." Mukapa answered only with a low rumble in his throat. Dealing with companions who made such outrageous remarks was no easy task. —Now that’s quite an intriguing story. Mukapa had yet to notice that a lazy whisper was spreading through the minds of the party members, excluding him. Ian ignored it as he cracked the wax seal on the bottle. —An ancient god of the abyss, you say? Won’t you tell me more? Yog reformed from smoke upon Thesaya’s shoulder. A faint smile touched Lucia’s lips. "It’s more of a legend, really. They say an ancient god is sealed somewhere in the Black Sea. No one knows exactly what it is, or who sealed it, or when." Her gaze lifted toward the sky over the inner sea. "Whatever the case, they say the reason the Black Sea is teeming with monsters is because of that being. That it’s influencing the sea even while sealed." "My sister is so clever," Thesaya said with a proud smile. "Where on earth did you learn such a story?" "Uh, from a history book in the Erenos library," Lucia said a little sheepishly. Thesaya’s smile deepened. "Is that so? I should have frequented the library, too. Honestly, I’ve only been there a handful of times… no, three fingers’ worth." "Anyway, the ships from the archipelago roam the Black Sea so freely that they even slip into the barbarians’ islands and far-off frontiers to plunder. The sea out there is notoriously dangerous. That’s why I believe the rumors are true," Lucia said. Leaning out the window to look at Mukapa in the driver’s seat, Lucia added, "If they serve that ancient god of the deep sea, they would be relatively free from the dangers of the sea beasts. And of course, they would also gain power." "If that is truly the case, then they are using the rights and freedoms granted by the Empire in the most twisted way," Mukapa replied. Lucia’s words seemed to have been much more persuasive than Ian’s or Thesaya’s. As if realizing this himself, he took a long breath in and out and then added, "In fact, it is not very surprising. Those from the archipelago obsess over superstitions and take pride in breaking the law." "I agree with that perspective," Lucia readily nodded. Her less-than-favorable feelings toward the archipelago were likely the influence of her family. After all, Mev was the guardian of Agel Lan’s southern border. The coastline below it was a lawless area teeming with pirates. Though they called themselves a kingdom, they were likely no different from an outpost of the archipelago. —If that’s really true, then they may not stay quietly adrift for long. Yog’s whisper followed then. Thesaya whipped her head around to look at it. "What’s that supposed to mean, snake?" she asked, unable to hide the strange anticipation in her eyes and tone. Yog flicked its tongue and smiled. —Oh, I’d rather not spoil it for you this time. It’ll be much more fun that way. Thesaya’s eyes narrowed slightly. Snorting, she turned to Ian, who was drinking his wine with a completely uninterested expression. "Ian, why don’t you ask instead? He never refuses you." "Huh? Why?" Thesaya pouted. Lucia also looked at Ian. Without blinking, he took another swallow and muttered, "Because I don’t want to listen to you two chattering all night again." "Even without that damn snake, we’ll find out everything when we get to Rune Catis anyway." Of course, Ian already had a fair idea of what Yog meant, though he didn’t know the reasoning behind it, nor did he care to. "So firm. Well, that’s part of your charm, I guess," Thesaya murmured, seeming to have given up cleanly, and turned her gaze away. Lucia, however, was now staring at Yog with burning curiosity. "Ugh?! What in the world is that?" A cry of alarm erupted from behind them then. Everyone turned toward the slope they had just descended. In front of the carriage, which had just started to descend, Brennen was staring at the sea with a horrified expression. Ian, turning his head in the same direction, could easily see the reason. "What in the world is that?" Far out over the water, something vast arced into the sky, scattering trails of violet light. Its exact shape was blurred at this distance, but its sheer size was unmistakable. "Is that the archdemon?" Thesaya asked. "No, that’s one of its minions," Lucia replied. She had already opened the carriage door and was leaning out, staring at the sea. Pure admiration spread across Thesaya’s face. "For a mere minion, that’s incredible." "And it seems it’s adapted well to the inner sea," Ian added flatly, then shifted his gaze. Below the ridge, lights shimmered faintly in the dark as they wound their way forward, and beyond them, the glow of a city stood out clear against the night. At last, he turned to Mukapa. "Feed the horses while we can. The road’s only going to get steeper from here, and there won’t be many places to stop." Mukapa, who had been staring blankly at the beast vanishing beneath the black waters, started and quickly took up the reins.. "Yes, understood." Before long, noon was drawing near. Clip-clop, clip-clop— The white horses pulling the carriage trudged along the uneven main road, their steps unsteady with fatigue. Only the small pony in the center kept its usual steady pace, guiding the weary pair beside it. Thesaya, who had been leaning out the window and looking ahead, finally turned her head. "Looks like a mess from here. Don’t you think, Ian?" "Well, it doesn’t look like an Imperial city," Ian, on Moro’s saddle, murmured calmly, his gaze fixed on the approaching city. Beyond, buildings jutted skyward at random, sprawling without order. The walls that supposedly guarded the city stood worn and crude, mere pretense. This was Rune Catis, the port city. At night, its lights had blazed. But now, under the dreary daylight, it looked dingy and filthy, blending all too well with the heavy clouds above. "That side is a mess, too," Thesaya added, looking back. Ian’s head also turned back a beat later. The gentle hill path they had passed, overgrown with wild grass and trees, stretched out. And in the middle of it, Brennen’s group was following at a distance. "Finally…" Brennen’s face, as he murmured in awe, was utterly haggard. He looked like he would collapse at the slightest touch. The same was true for his squire and their horses. The horses were walking precariously with their heads hung low, and the coachman was fast asleep with his head leaned back against the seat. It wasn’t surprising, as they had walked all through the night following Ian’s party. Keeping up with the marching speed of the party, who were practically experts in travel, would have been nothing short of torture for them. If the journey had lasted even one more day, they would have surely fallen behind. "They followed us to the end, though." Ian curled one corner of his mouth and looked forward again. Now that they had arrived in Rune Catis, there was no need to worry about them anymore. Clip-clop, clip-clop— The gate leading into the city was wide open. The guards who were supposed to be watching the gate were leaning against the city wall with their spears slung over their shoulders like staffs and their helmets half-covering their faces. Even the Empire has slackers like these. They were clearly asleep. The smell of alcohol that wafted between the smell of urine and salt was likely theirs. As Ian passed by, swallowing a dry laugh, Thesaya smiled brightly. "Now this is my kind of city." "Of course it is…" Ian chuckled dryly. Beyond the gates, the city proved to be as sprawling as it had looked from outside. The air was a stew of foul smells, and drunkards lay strewn across the streets and alleys, sleeping where they fell. For original chapters go to novel✦fire.net With no fear of freezing to death, it seemed there was nothing to hold them back. Some people were still walking around, but even they looked at least a little drunk. "It looks bigger than I expected. And far more crowded," Lucia added, sticking her head out next to Thesaya, having been looking at the city from the opposite window. Ian readily nodded. Though it was a lawless city that reminded him of the frontier, its scale was at least worthy of the name of a major Imperial city. Thesaya leisurely said, "Sanford Plum, was it? Where should we look for him?" "We can ask the locals. But for now…" Ian’s gaze shifted to Mukapa in the driver’s seat. Though his posture was as upright as ever, it was clear he wasn’t very fond of the city. A slight smirk on his lips, Ian added, "Let’s find a place to stay and get some sleep first. It seems this city’s morning begins when the sun sets."