novelburst
Chapter 66
Chapter 66
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Chapter 66
Just as I was about to depart with their send-off—
"Mother!"
From a distance, Isna Mielephon’s voice rang out, calling for the head of the family.
If one were to ask whether she was dressed in an eccentric manner again, the answer would be ambiguous.
It was an outfit commonly seen.
Of course, it wasn’t something a duke’s daughter would typically wear.
It was the kind of light attire one would expect at a resort.
If she were to toss aside her outer garment, what would be revealed was akin to the swimsuits noble ladies wore at vacation spots.
However, swimsuits were only acceptable at swimming pools—anywhere else, they were inappropriate.
"Sigh... Isna, what is that outfit again? Are you in your right mind?"
"The knights are going to the resort, Belrest! I want to go too!"
At the mention of "Belrest," Luna’s ears perked up.
"What’s Belrest?"
"It’s the continent’s finest resort—a city of luxury with breathtaking beaches, stunning sea cliffs, and a grand hotel run by the Lavren family, the most prestigious house on the continent."
Hearing my words, she showed an expression of eager anticipation.
"We’re not going, you fool. Do you even know how expensive it is?"
"But Leon, aren’t you rich now?"
She wasn’t wrong.
Money wasn’t an issue at all.
Even if we stayed in a luxury suite there, eating lavish meals three times a day for an entire year, we’d still have plenty left.
Not to mention, the funds currently deposited with the Lavren family placed us beyond VVIP status—showing up with nothing but the clothes on our backs would still be more than enough.
But that wasn’t the point.
"Melissa would be devastated if she heard about this."
Melissa had an almost obsessive fear of being left behind when family members traveled.
It was more than just anxiety—it was a trauma.
Because both she and I lost our parents and youngest sister to a kraken at that very place.
It had only been about seven months.
That was why I once told her—
If I ever heard any news about the kraken’s whereabouts, I would hunt down that wretched monster and tear it apart.
I may not be strong enough yet, but I had fought that thing countless times in Labyrinthos.
I had died to it tens of thousands of times.
And I had slain it even more times than that.
I knew its weaknesses.
I knew how to attack, what to be cautious of—
Every detail was burned into my memory.
The only reason I hadn’t gone after it yet was that it wandered aimlessly across the vast seas of the continent, making it nearly impossible to track.
Understanding my meaning, she didn’t push the matter further.
"Your Grace, we’ll take our leave now."
The Duchess, who had been watching her daughter with a dazed expression, nodded.
"Misha, accompany the young master. Attend to him and serve as his escort for the time being."
"Yes, my lady."
Misha, the head maid, looked momentarily surprised but quickly returned to her usual blank expression.
She didn’t ask for an explanation.
It was likely because I was now officially engaged.
"And Isna, the knights' destination isn’t the Belrest resort—it’s a small fishing village nearby."
Why would a duke’s daughter go to a fishing village?
That question barely had time to form before she blurted out something unexpected.
"So what? It’s still squid hunting—Kraken!"
At that one word, my steps came to a halt.
From the way they were acting, it seemed to be classified information.
Before I could react, the Duchess grabbed Isna by the ear and dragged her away as she screamed.
"You and I need to have a little talk."
"We’ll be on our way now."
The Duchess nodded.
"Forgive the scene. Travel safely."
"Yes, ma’am."
With Misha now in tow, I boarded the carriage.
The moment we left Mielephon’s territory, I pulled out the communication artifact I had kept tucked inside my coat.
—Leon? What’s up? Are you done with your business?
"Yeah, I just finished and I’m leaving Mielephon now."
—Alright. Trip once on your way back.
"There’s going to be a slight delay, Melissa."
Hearing that, she sounded puzzled.
—A delay? Hey! Don’t tell me you’re planning to run off with all the money?!
"I think I found something."
—Found what? Your fated escape route?! Quit the nonsense and get back—
"I found information on the kraken."
A suffocating silence followed on the other end.
—The... kraken?
"Yeah. I’m heading there now."
—Are you insane?! No! Absolutely not! Come back immediately!
Her voice quivered with unmistakable fear.
She had lost her entire family to that thing.
And now, she was terrified of losing me too.
Beep!
[Fourth memory transfer commencing.]
[The transferred archive is...]
As the Librarian’s message appeared before my eyes, my determination solidified.
"I’ll kill that wretched cephalopod bastard."
—Leon?! Stop this madness!! If I lose you too, I—!!"
"I’ll bring back something tasty on the way home."
—HEY!!!
Beep!
The communication artifact shut off.
[The Hall of the Sage is transferring.]
[The essence of magitech, the Heart of the Machine God, is being implanted.]
An unbearable headache struck from the overwhelming memory transfer—
But I was already broken enough.
Pain like this was nothing.
* * *
Sea King-Class Kraken.
The very creature responsible for preventing my mother, father, and youngest sibling from returning after they set out on a journey seven months ago.
The cause of my family’s ruin.
The reason Melissa was unable to return to the academy for six months, forced instead to dedicate herself entirely to rebuilding our household.
There was no way to confirm whether my parents had truly been killed by that thing.
However, shattered debris had washed up on the shore, bearing the Kraken’s slime and distinct markings of destruction.
Its size was befitting of a deep-sea creature—massive.
Its power was unparalleled in the ocean.
In the past, countless warriors and heroes had gathered in an attempt to hunt it down, yet they all failed.
Moreover, the Kraken had no fixed habitat.
It roamed the coasts of the continent periodically, bringing disaster wherever it went.
Finding it, let alone ambushing it, was nearly impossible.
[Translator - Night]
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However, there was one known exception.
Once every 500 years, it would come near land to lay its eggs.
Originally, the location of its spawning ground was unknown, but thanks to unexpected information from a small fishing village, its whereabouts had been pinpointed.
That was why Isna and Mielephon had been making such a fuss in their light travel attire.
The Belrest Resort actually existed within the Empire’s territory.
Thus, eliminating the Kraken wouldn’t lead to international disputes.
‘Spawning, huh… It’s true that a Kraken carrying offspring is fierce, but during spawning, it becomes significantly weakened.’
Indeed, the last time a Kraken laid eggs 500 years ago, a total of eight offspring were born.
All were successfully eliminated during the spawning period.
Now, only the mother Kraken remained.
If it were dealt with, the tragic disasters it caused would come to an end.
Of course, to the Kraken, it was merely hunting, feeding—instinct.
But to those who suffered because of it, that didn’t matter.
Still, I had no obligation to stop such calamities.
I wanted to hunt the Kraken down for one reason only—revenge against the damn monster that had destroyed my family.
“Leon, what are you thinking about?”
As I sat in the carriage, silently staring out the window, Luna, who had been nibbling on a snack across from me, spoke up.
“Nothing much… Just thinking about the Kraken.”
“Hmm?”
“I just don’t understand why Mielephon is so eager to hunt it down.”
The Kraken wasn’t like some land-dwelling monster.
Its difficulty level was on an entirely different scale.
It was a sea creature.
Even if it was the Kraken’s spawning period, why was Mielephon attempting to take it down in secret, and alone at that?
“There must be a reason they have to kill it.”
“For example?”
“The Kraken possesses immense mental power. It’s one of its greatest weapons.”
She calmly continued munching on her snack.
“To save someone affected by the Kraken’s curse, the creature itself has to be eliminated. Maybe it’s something like that.”
“That’s impossible. The Kraken’s mental attacks don’t function like a curse that takes root and gradually eats away at a person.”
While the Kraken’s mental attacks were diverse, that kind of ability was extremely rare.
At least, if this Kraken was the same species as the one I knew.
“Either way, with your current strength, it’s out of reach. The advantage of being in the ocean is too significant.”
“There’s a way.”
Before, we had to rely on the unique opportunity of the spawning period.
But things were different now.
I opened my palm slightly so she could see.
A mysterious blue light gathered in my hand, like a hologram.
“That’s not necromantic mana, nor is it aura. Wait a minute… Leon, why has your heart changed?”
She quickly noticed something was off.
“A structure that can’t be analyzed… Created, yet infused with something beyond mere craftsmanship… This is…”
She suddenly pressed close to me, leaning in until her ear rested against my chest.
She listened to my heartbeat, then lifted her head while still nestled in my arms.
Our faces were so close that it was a little disconcerting, but her expression was serious.
“This wasn’t here before. What did you do?”
“You have your secrets, right? I have at least one of my own.”
She frowned, clearly dissatisfied with my refusal to explain further, but eventually pulled away.
“I need to get used to it first. I’ll show you later.”
Even though the memories were settling in, my body still wasn’t fully accustomed to the traces left by this newfound power.
This had never happened before.
Was this an unusual case?
“Young Master, we are approaching the crossroads leading to the Kingdom of Bata.”
Outside the carriage, from the driver’s seat, came the voice of Misha, the head maid.
The carriage was large enough for her to ride inside, but she insisted on staying up front, saying that she was just a mere maid.
For the time being, she would no longer be in Mielephon.
She would be following me.
Because of that, her manner of speaking and the atmosphere around her had slightly changed.
She might have to leave her homeland and live in a foreign country, which couldn’t have been an easy decision.
Yet, she showed no signs of concern.
“Misha, take the left road.”
“Huh? But the left road doesn’t lead to the Kingdom of Bata… Don’t tell me, Young Master?!”
She immediately caught on to my intentions.
“Yes. We’re heading to a port town near Belrest. But before that, I heard there’s a magical city along this route.”
“A magical city? Ah, yes. There is the city of Gaifen, where the Magic Tower is located. Gaifen’s magic market is full of rare and new magical artifacts. Of course… there are many experimental items, so accidents are frequent.”
“Misha, can you procure the items I’m about to list?”
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