The 31st Piece Turns the Tables - Chapter 221
Episode 221:
Bitan did not know what kind of place the Alfrina Strait mentioned by Santos was.
A grief that was only recognized as a ship heading that way.
The voyage has already begun.
As the Sea Man sailed through the wind and rain for several days, the angry sky calmed down and the sea also calmed down accordingly.
“Pupu! “Stop for a moment!”
“Puu-!”
As Pupu stopped on the spot, the Sea Man also stopped.
After raising the sails, the ship was literally standing still in the middle of the sea.
【why? What’s wrong?】
Bitan asked Santos about his intentions. It wasn’t particularly award-winning.
Almost all questions of grief began with very simple intentions.
Same thing as now.
I was just really curious.
Santos did not answer, but went into the cabin and did not come out.
After a while, he appeared holding something.
“Mhahaha! Let’s go fishing!”
【fishing? What is that?】
“What! “As a sea urchin, you just have to watch what the captain does and learn!”
【Is sea urchin okay? Sea urchin is the best!】
Santos sits in the corner of the deck and is absorbed in fishing.
Fortunately, it seemed like they had always prepared small creatures to use as bait.
I flinch…
“Achooooooo!”
Fur fluttering…
A fish falling onto the deck when the fishing rod is pulled up.
The way it fluttered and opened its mouth gave a feeling of vitality and grotesqueness at the same time.
【Great….】
“Pick up the grief fishing rod. “I’ll teach you how to fish!”
【Is it necessary?】
“It can be said to be essential to becoming a true sea man! “There was no one on the crew who didn’t know how to fish!”
【Oh oh! Then, this is a combat skill that Bitan needs to learn!】
“Wahahahah!”
Shoot…
Shoot…
After throwing away the fishing rod, the two stare blankly at the horizon. In that state, I watched the sunset.
For some reason I couldn’t say a word.
“Overwhelming, right?”
【… I feel strange.】
I didn’t catch much fish.
No, in fact, this was also a packaging, and the grief did not catch a single fish.
It would have been natural to feel bad about the continued waste, but that wasn’t the case in my heart.
Strangely enough, I actually felt better.
The salty wind I could feel after casting my fishing rod and the story of Santos as I calmly told it… I really enjoyed it.
【This… is really good!】
“Fishing?”
【Yes!】
“Haha! Flivver was also an expert at fishing…”
[Fliver? Who is Fleiber?】
“Carpenter. “This fishing rod was also made by Fleaver.”
【Where is Fliver now?】
Santos recalled with a vague feeling.
“It’s in Alfrina.”
【Then I guess we can meet again this time?】
“… Yes. Anyway. ruler! “This is enough for bitter meat.”
【I didn’t catch a single one?】
“That’s a good thing. “Where…”
Popopong…
Santos returns the smaller fish he caught to the sea.
“Go and bring your parents next time.”
【Captain! Why are you letting me go?】
“Because I don’t need such a weak meat!”
【I see! Only the strong ones eat it! As expected, the captain is amazing!】
“You have to protect the weak ones! Mhahahaha!”
【Oh… You have to protect the weak ones.】
Tuk.
Santos stroked Geatan’s head.
“Yes, you have to protect the weak guy.”
Another few days sailing.
Santos drank alcohol at night.
“Hehehe… I was saving this.”
[Woo -wook … Woo -ee eh ….]
The grief of the sake of Santos threw all the alcohol he had drank in the sea water.
【Uuuu… I’m dizzy.】
“It’s a shame that I don’t know the taste of alcohol.”
【Uuuh… It’s bitter. “You saved these things?”
“Then everything is precious on the sea.”
【Why on earth are you drinking something like this?】
Santos answered with a chuckle, probably because the whining of grief was cute.
“Sometimes I don’t want to be myself.”
【If I drink this, will I stop being myself?】
“Uh… there are times when that happens, and there are even times when I become myself.”
【I don’t know what you mean.】
“You’ll find out when you drink more.”
【Really?】
A few days later.
Grief discovered the power of alcohol.
Santos sang and played strange instruments. Bitan laughed harder than usual.
【Whahahaha! It’s so funny!】
“It’s funny? “Then I’ll play you a serious song!”
The melody changed and a mournful voice rang out.
【Captain.】
“Huh?”
【That song… is good.】
“No! “You must like my voice!”
【The voice is not great, but the song is good!】
“You are quite honest, aren’t you?”
Santos continues his calm song.
Grief looked into Santos’ face.
Even though it was a skeleton, the moonlight shining on it somehow seemed to vividly depict what it looked like when it was alive.
【Captain! I feel strange!】
“Isn’t that good to hear? this song?”
【huh! “Is this a song you made yourself?”
“No.”
Santos shook his head.
“It’s a song written by Sonio.”
【Who is Sonio again?】
“He was a musician. “He was a friend who was a waste to have on this ship.”
【What’s wrong with this ship? Grief looks great, doesn’t it?】
“Hehehe! yes?”
Santos felt countless emotions.
“Do you know how heartbreak, legends and such end?”
【no? I’m not interested in that?】
Santos came to Bitan’s side and told him the story. A voice that goes well with the sound of the waves.
“Any legend usually ends with ‘They lived happily ever after.’”
【That’s normal? Why?】
“Because that way I’m not sad. “That way everyone will be enthusiastic about the legend.”
Santos looked at the sea in front of him. Alfrina Strait, a place as cold as ice and as heavy as death.
“It must be so. Only then can those left behind find hope.”
【Hope…】
“In that sense, Santos-sama’s legend is not over yet!”
Dreamy atmosphere.
It must have been from this time that grief began to feel strange.
* * *
As the Sea Man approached the Alpine Strait, the weather worsened.
【It’s cold…】
It was cold both in the cabin and on the deck.
Even in this situation, Snowfall did not wake up. What was surprising was that even though he did not eat or sleep for a long time, no abnormalities occurred in his biological activities.
Even so, heartbreak worried him.
【Uh… I guess it’s okay, right?】
“You mean your friend?”
【Because we’re not friends!】
“Puhihi… Yes, we’re close.”
【Yeah, you’re just going to sleep, right?】
“I guess so.”
Santos looked somewhat gloomy.
Whiiiiing…
Here’s the situation again after a few days.
Crack, crack, crack!
Even Santos, who had only bones, clenched his teeth as if he felt the cold.
The number of drift ice floating on the sea gradually increased.
【… What is this?】
“Drift ice… Seeing drift ice means that we are getting closer to Bitona’s territory.”
【Why?】
“Bitona… is a cold being.”
【I see!】
“… heartbreak.”
【Huh?】
“Are you dreaming?”
【Are you talking about a dream again?】
“A different dream this time. “What you see when you sleep.”
【When you sleep… what do you see?】
Bitan thought deeply for a moment.
I tend to forget all the dreams I had after waking up, but there was one type of dream that was the only one I remembered.
【Dream of returning to the past?】
“The past?”
– Wow!
– Please…
– Kill me! Kill it! Drink blood!
– You will become stronger… hehehe!
– Grief will help you!
Grief made my body tremble and I was terrified.
【Such dreams?】
“… How do you feel after having such a dream?”
【Exhilarating!】
“Is it refreshing?”
【… I won’t.】
Bitan said, pointing at Snowfall, who was lying down for no reason.
【What can I say… everything has been a mess since I met that bastard. Grief… seems to have ceased to be grief.】
“How can that be? Now, Grief is neither a great urchin nor a bad guy?”
【Eh? Then what is grief?】
“Grief is grief.”
【Are you saying that only great sea urchins are understood?】
“You really can’t be defined by anything. It’s the same for all of us. “The crew aboard this Sea Man are especially special!”
【Hehe… Captain! Then what is the captain dreaming about?】
Santos lifted his head helplessly.
He was a little strange.
“… I want to know?”
【Yes!】
“A dream of the day I lost the sailors.”
– Damn it! Santos! It’s wrong, even now…
– The sailors have been harmed, and we can’t run away like this! You idiots!
– Who is this idiot?
On the day when Vitona’s song rang out, all the sailors of the Sea Man lost their souls.
Kiaaaaa-!
– Ugh….
– Santos!
one two.
Sailors losing their souls.
Now it was Santos’ turn.
puck-!
– Cough… Cough….
Someone pushed Santos’ shoulder and barely saved him from Vitona’s touch.
– Ppuppu! Take Santos!
– Ugh… Ugh…
– Santos! Wake! Look into my eyes!
– My body… My body…
His body lost its flesh and internal organs, and only bones remained.
It was Vice Captain Sirba who saved him from Vitona’s hands.
Santos makes eye contact with Sirba.
– You’re definitely going to come rescue me, right?
Santos just nodded.
– I believe and I will wait.
The last word is believe.
That was the curse that remained for Santos.
“heartbreak.”
【Captain….】
“I… I… am a coward.”
Santos broke down after this conversation with Bitan.
“I… am a coward!”
【… Why?】
“This isn’t the first time I’ve come back to this place.”
【Then…】
“I must have come here several times, even dozens of times. “It’s a place I still remember vividly.”
Santos hit his head on the floor and sobbed.
“But… I couldn’t go any further… I was afraid… I always came this far and then turned back.”
【Are you scared of dying?】
“No, I’m not scared of dying.”
【So?】
The spark in Santos’ eyes grew stronger. If it were a person, it would probably have been crying.
“I’m scared… of being forgotten…”
Santos’ words are now understandable.
The saying goes that a legend must end well.
“If I die too… no one will remember us and no one will come to save us!”
【Captain….】
“I’m sorry… I don’t think I can go any further.”
Santos said to Pupu.
“Ppuppu… “Let’s go back… I’m not ready yet.”
Bitan asked.
【Then when will you come?】
“….”
【Then when will you be ready?】
That was then.
A strange singing voice began to be heard. Santos’ face soon turned into despair.
“Three Sirens! Ppuppu… hurry!”
“Puuuu-!”
Pupu was about to turn the boat and go out, but the singing voice gradually got closer.
“This sound…”
Ahahaha…
Sirens resembling mermaids came one by one onto the drift ice.
They gradually increased their singing voice as if to mock Santos, who was scared.
The good news is that Santos, who had already lost half of his soul to Vitona once, is still fine when he listens to their songs.
Also, the demonic spirit, grief, and the fainting state, snowfall, were also not mesmerized by the sound of the song.
Ahaha…
The sirens must have felt strange about this, too, as they enchanted them with an even more mysterious melody.
Huuuuung-!
Fuuuuuuuck!
Kiaaaaa!
A spear flew from somewhere and pierced the Siren’s chest. This was what Santos did.
“Evil things! “I’ll cut off everyone’s throats!”
【Captain!】
“Grief.”
In the meantime, Bitan was giggling and pointing with his hand at the monster that was gradually approaching the lead.
【What is that?】
“… Bitona.”
Kiaaaaaaaaa!
A huge sea snake appeared through the drift ice.
Bitan expected Santos to get scared and put his head down on the floor. Because it was like that until just now.
but.
“Grief… thank you for coming here with me.”
【… Captain? You say you have to run away?】
Santos did not run away.
Instead, he raised his head and looked at Vitona.
“The next thing is about the sea man Santos. Grief goes back. Puppu! request!”
Sreung-!
Santos, who pulled out the curved sword from his belt, shouted.
“Voila! “Santos is here!”
[Santos uses water walking.]
[You can walk on the water for a while.]
[As the amount of activity increases, the duration also increases.]
Pod-!
Santos ran toward Vitona.
“Hahaha! Everyone has waited a long time! Your Santos has arrived! “It’s okay to clap!”
Santos rushes aimlessly.
There seemed to be no chance of winning at all.
“Everyone… everyone… sorry I’m late! “Hold on a little!”
“Puuuuuu-!”
Pupu also stopped moving the boat and dived to help Santos.
thud-!
A feeling of grief for the first time struck my heart.
【Huh?】
Santos gradually moved away.
I knew heartbreak.
If things continue like this, he will die soon.
“Hahaha!”
[Vitona of Enchantment uses Bad Weather.]
[A strong chill rushes ahead.]
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!
Vitona spits out frost from her mouth.
Soon the surface of the water froze and formed a glacier.
Whirling…
boom!
Santos climbs the glacier, gets twisted, and falls.
“Heehee… stop laughing, you guys!”
[Santos is setting sail! Uses.]
[Resistance to status ailments increases by 20% for a short period of time.]
[Inflicts additional physical damage when attacking.]
Although his appearance was quite unsightly, it was painful for Bitan to watch him.
【Strange….】
Whoa!
Santos flies away after being hit by Vitona’s tail.
Fortunately, the landing was stable.
Grief could no longer watch him.
It became really painful to watch him.
Dadadada-!
【I also….】
Boom!
Bitan bounced back as he ran towards Santos like a puppy on a leash.
【Wait, Captain! I also…】
Dadada…
boom!
The same situation happened again.
Bitan looked back.
The lantern tied to Snowfall’s waist was crying out in sorrow. It made him unable to escape.
Bitan changed direction and ran towards Kangseol.
Dadada…
[It’s going to happen, right? huh? You’re going to wake up, right?】
“….”
Snowfall couldn’t wake up.
He was still on the brink of death because the effects of the Youngsaenghwan and Ur’s magic shock had exceeded his expectations.
Grief approached Kang Seol and grabbed his chin. And he shook it up and down to make it look like he was talking.
【You waited a long time, right?】
“….”
【Quick! Wake up quickly! You’re good at rescuing people! Grief can’t do that! I don’t know how to do it! If you wake up now, I’ll listen carefully…】
Whoa!
The sound of Santos flying once again hit my ears. It felt like he would fall to pieces if he looked away even for a moment.
【Uuuh… The captain is dying… Dying…】
The death of life was not that big of a deal to the demon spirit.
Even when the black knight who had been with me for the longest time died, I didn’t feel any regret or sadness.
But now I can’t believe I feel this way.
It was really the worst.
【Hey… If you’re just going to sleep, let me go! I’m going too!】
Is this what it feels like to shout at a wall?
I was upset that no matter how much I shouted, there was no answer.
【Don’t die, Santos… You can’t die….】
Oh my god!
Santos flew away.
This time, he fell into the sea without being able to fall onto the glacier.
“Puuuuu-!”
Fortunately, Pupu tied Bitona’s body.
Kiaaa!
While Vitona was making a fuss, Santos came up with his hands on the glacier.
He seemed to have lost his will to fight for a moment. It seemed like he was very scared as his body was shaking.
“Whew… Whew… Santos is invincible… The sea man is invincible!”
Santos is not invincible.
The sea man is not invincible.
It won’t be long before you die.
Grief, for the first time since birth, stopped wishing for someone to die. That twisted everything about grief.
【I will save Santos.】
How?
The chains of restraint prevent us from moving forward.
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr even…
Regret pulled the main chain to the lantern. I tried moving it a few times, but it didn’t budge.
Heartbreak was despairing.
Taking dozens or hundreds of lives was easy enough to make you yawn, but saving one life was so difficult.
It was a path that was tens of thousands of times more difficult.
Ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssrrrrkr…
Bitan grabbed the chain and said as if she had decided on something.
【Grief will become a great sea urchin.】
Wow…
And I started devouring it from the end.
【Grief is grief!】
Grief that opens its mouth wide and eats up chains.
【Whoop….】
Then I covered my mouth and held on with all my might. I rolled on the floor in pain, but I never spat out.
【Uuuup… Uuuuup….】
This was not what Kangseol, who decided to use the demon spirit as a weapon, nor Frannan, who twisted the spirit of grief, had intended.
At least from now on, it was completely uncharted territory.
About how far a being called a demon can change.
“Aaaah!”
[The pearl accepts the change.]
[The pearl changes into a form most suitable for the successor.]
…
“Huh… Huh…”
Meanwhile, at that moment, Santos was dizzy.
Kwajajajak-!
The curved sword could not pierce Vitona’s scales and broke like glass.
“It’s so hard….”
Fuuuuuuuck-!
Beep-
Santos rose high in the air. Vitona moved to snatch him.
“Puuuu!”
Pupu tightened Vitona’s body so that he could not reach Santos, but the fight would be over in a few minutes anyway.
This was Santos’ second loss.
And I had to accept it.
“I’m sorry… everyone…”
I think I lost this time too.
But then a shout was heard that seemed to tear even the eardrums that were not there.
【Squeeze me Santos!】
Santos stretched out his hand without realizing it.
Churrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
It was in an instant that the throbbing grief was wrapped around like a chain and changed.
“What is this? Heehee… Are you trying to corrupt me?”
Santos laughed at the sight of grief.
Grief somehow remembered.
When were you the strongest?
Grief, which turned into a black sword in Santos’ hand, answered firmly.
【To save you.】