The unidentified red sauce had been prepared in the traditional style of Grand Cape.
Its name was Kogu.
Adding a little vinegar and honey gave it a flavor remarkably similar to gochujang.
Of course it was not exactly the same, but it paired surprisingly well with raw fish.
I casually named it fake chojang.
“Krraaaah……. To think I’m eating raw fish.”
“It tastes good, so why the long face?”
“I’ll get sick from this. Sick!”
“You can’t even handle something like this? What a weakling you are, Sir McNeil.”
“What did you say?”
I made the provocative remark as I dipped a piece of fish into the fake chojang and ate it.
Deliberately, of course.
Cordell’s expression gradually hardened.
It seemed the word weakling had struck right at his pride.
He might be a spy specialist, but a Black Agent was fundamentally a knight at heart.
He placed great importance on honor and had a macho disposition as standard equipment.
So it was only natural he would flare up at even this level of provocation.
“Damn it, what’ll happen if I eat it?”
“I’m eating something delicious—what do you expect me to do about it?”
“That’s a lie!”
“Then how would you explain this?”
I had already eaten about half the fish I had sliced myself.
I did not know what kind of fish it was, but the flesh had a wonderfully crunchy texture.
Truthfully I did not really want to give any to someone like Cordell.
Still, I had to spread this beautiful food culture.
For the time being I can make good use of this slick bastard.
He would probably end up begging me to slice more sashimi for him.
Honestly it was much better than what I had eaten back in Korea.
Of course my reaction might just be because it had been so long since I had had seafood.
“Krrruuu! Here I go!”
Cordell McNeil placed a piece of sashimi on his spoon and timidly dipped it into the fake chojang.
Then he squeezed his eyes shut and shoved it straight into his mouth.
Chomp! Chew chew!
“……!”
Soon a look of confusion appeared on Cordell’s face, which had turned deathly pale.
“Huh?”
“It’s better than you expected, right?”
“It’s tangy and sweet with a slight bitterness—the texture is really great?”
“See? There’s nothing for me to—”
I was in the middle of speaking when I had to furrow my brow.
It was because Cordell McNeil, after tasting one piece, suddenly began wielding his spoon like a madman.
As expected of a knight his movements were astonishingly precise.
Only a few seconds had passed yet the table was completely cleaned out.
He even scraped the small bowl of fake chojang clean.
It must have tasted pretty damn good.
“Excuse me, Your Grace?”
“What is it.”
“Could you catch just one more fish for this…… no, two more?”
“Empty-handed? First let’s hear about the results of today’s activities. I will make my decision after that.”
“Ahaha! Of course!”
Cordell McNeil began his report with more enthusiasm than ever before.
Even though he had only been active for a single day the information he brought back was quite substantial.
As expected of a Black Agent’s skills.
“I could not locate Billigert’s hideout but I was able to identify a few of his underlings.”
“Not a bad result.”
“Plus the rumors are already spreading everywhere.”
“What rumors?”
“The fact that the pirates are only targeting the Schultz merchant fleet. That is why the other merchant ships are avoiding them.”
“They usually help each other out I suppose?”
“Yes. When danger approaches the merchant ships stick together.”
It was unfortunate but an unavoidable reality.
If they got involved with the Schultz fleet for no reason they could end up as targets too.
“Then shall we go after those underlings first?”
Even if they had once been citizens of the Empire pirates received no such consideration.
Naturally collaborators could be dealt with the same way.
There was no need to follow procedures; they could simply be crushed.
But I shook my head.
“No. I do not think that would be wise.”
“Is there any need to take the difficult path?”
“Thinking it over there is one problem. While Billigert harasses the Schultz merchant fleet what has the navy been doing?”
“Huh?”
The Imperial Navy was strong enough to dominate the seas completely.
Especially the southern sea which teemed with pirates and therefore received considerable attention.
Yet they were letting only the Schultz fleet get pummeled?
“Something definitely feels off.”
“There may be insiders in the navy as well. If we move carelessly Billigert will simply hide.”
“If he is determined to hole up in his hideout we will not find him before our vacation period ends.”
The archipelago spread across the southern sea was a perfect natural fortress.
Most pirate ships were small and fast so they slipped between the islands.
They knew the currents far better than the navy so destroying their base was nearly impossible.
That was why the navy only hunted pirates who ventured into open water.
“I finally understand why even the big shots in the Giovanni noble faction are struggling so badly. That was the issue.”
“Then there is only one option left.”
“What is it?”
“Storm their base directly.”
Cordell McNeil looked puzzled.
It was as if he were asking whether I had heard a single word he said.
I gave a small smile and shrugged.
“It is not that difficult.”
“Surely you do not have a problem with comprehension?”
“Hey! You are crossing the line there?”
“No no not in a bad way. I was just worried about Your Grace. Haha!”
“It seems it is Sir McNeil who lacks comprehension. How do pirates usually make money?”
“By selling plundered goods or turning decent people into slaves…… huh? You do not mean?”
Cordell’s mouth fell open and he shook his head violently.
“I refuse! I have heard stories about people captured by pirates and it is insanely filthy there.”
“Would you not make soy sauce because you are afraid of maggots?”
“What kind of saying is that!”
“There is an old proverb like that. Stop being so picky and just follow me.”
“You will really get sick if we go there!”
“You ate the raw fish and did not get sick. It will be fine.”
Cordell McNeil stretched his legs out like a child throwing a tantrum and refused to move.
I paid him no mind and walked on.
His wrist was caught so Cordell had no choice but to be dragged along.
My strength was several times greater to begin with.
Ah but he really is stubbornly persistent.
In that case I had no choice but to offer a carrot instead of the whip.
“If you stop whining and come back properly I will slice two plates of sashimi for you.”
“I can just slice the fish myself. A knight can handle any blade.”
“But if you prepare it wrong it will smell fishy as hell and moreover I will not give you the fake chojang?”
In the end Cordell McNeil had no choice but to shut his complaining mouth.
Really this guy needs some kind of restraint.
Cordell McNeil and I disguised ourselves as laborers on a Schultz merchant ship.
“Everyone seems tense because it has been so long since our last trading voyage.”
“No way. With Your Grace aboard and everyone knowing we are deliberately getting captured that is why.”
“Ahem!”
I felt the awkwardness so I sent all the unnecessary crew below deck.
I really kept only the minimum number aboard.
And every one of them was not an ordinary laborer but a knight of the Schultz count house.
This way they would not be afraid even though they knew the plan was to be captured as slaves.
As expected these people were different.
“Actually it is even weirder. They are sailors yet they do not know how to sail?”
“Wow this is not easy.”
“Why not just rough up the underlings a bit?”
“We cannot do that! Let us train hard and pull off the disguise operation!”
I genuinely learned how to sail.
After selecting the essential crew for operating a merchant ship I began one-on-one intensive training.
Naturally I took the role of captain.
Some might say I was slacking off but that was not the case.
Since I had to oversee everything that happened on the ship I had to learn far more.
I had to know how things worked before I could give orders.
“His Grace is going this far so slacking off feels……”
“Can’t help but feel watched.”
“Since he has mastered every field his instructions are spot on.”
“Instead of chatting get moving. Unless you want to be nagged like Sir McNeil?”
“Cough cough!”
The knights who had been huddled in the corner gossiping scattered in a hurry at the warning.
I knew perfectly well they were slacking.
But I did not bother pointing it out.
Originally this sort of thing only required disciplining the example.
“You cannot unfurl the sail that fast? If it tears will you pay for it, Mr. McNeil?”
“But unfurling it all at once looks cooler.”
“Oh? I admit that is true…… Wait what are you even saying? Stand with your forehead against the mast there for thirty minutes. Punishment.”
“What? I am not a child—does standing facing the wall make any sense?”
“Then do your job properly.”
“Hmph!”
“What kind of way is that to talk to the captain?”
“It is hmph. By the way what is a mast?”
“The sail pole. Please study a bit. Since you did not even know the basics you get thirty more minutes.”
“Wow! This is tyranny!”
“Be quiet.”
Tap tap!
When I struck his back with my baton Cordell McNeil finally moved in a hurry.
It seemed the spot I hit hurt more than expected.
That was only natural.
They were pretending to be sailors so everyone had taken off their tops for training.
The seawater kept soaking them and it was too hot so they had no choice but to wear as little as possible.
Of course I wore a pitch-black tricorne hat and a red coat.
Dressed like this I somehow felt I should stroll elegantly across the deck.
Plus it feels like the majestic tune of He’s a Pirate is playing.
Bam bam! Ba ba bam bam! Ba ba bam bam! Ba ba bam!
How many people actually got to play captain on a medieval sailing ship?
Everyone else would only have indirect experience from movies.
I patted the helmsman’s shoulder and said.
“Just do it as usual.”
“Yes? Yes.”
The answer came in a slightly trembling voice.
This man was a veteran sailor who had worked for the Schultz merchant fleet.
Turning the wheel and operating it required both intuition and experience.
The knights could not take his place so I had included him but he seemed quite nervous.
When it was finally time to set sail I stepped on the railing with my right foot and shouted.
“Raise the flag!”
But there was no reaction from the deck.
Everyone simply stared at me blankly.
As expected they had only trained in swordsmanship and aura so they were still clumsy.
With no other choice I gave direct orders to each one.
“Deck hands raise the anchor! Release the lines and lower the sails halfway!”
“Yes sir!”
The knights finally began to move.
The helmsman who had been watching the situation looked surprised.
“How do you know all this so well, Your Grace?”
“I studied so I could do the role properly. And from now on call me Captain.”
“Yes understood, Captain!”
Soon the One-Shot we were aboard slowly moved away from the dock.
The destination was the island nation of Jude where the Schultz merchant fleet frequently traded.
It was a voyage no different from any other.
But several days passed and not only Billigert but not a single other pirate ship appeared.
It felt as if we were the only ones out on the vast ocean.
“There is no way……”
I scanned all directions with a serious expression.
But there was only the endless sea and scattered small islands.
The peaceful voyage continued.
Then suddenly I sensed something strange.
Not on the surface but beneath it.
Whoosh~!
The seawater swirled into a circle as something enormous surged upward.
At that moment I realized.
Exactly why we had not encountered a single ship until now.
“Ah so it was because of you?”
Its identity was the overlord of the sea.
Kra……
“Huh? But what does it look like?”
The being that suddenly appeared and looked down at the One-Shot was not an octopus-like sea monster.
It had a vivid red body and a round torso.
Anyone would say it resembled a nautilus.
Soon the helmsman’s panicked cry rang out.
“U-uaaaah! It is a Nautilus!”
Captain Jack Carius