Chapter 525 – #110_The Deep Sea Witch (5)
#525
1.
“Another one.”
Siwoo dragged a worn-out crate from the corner and pried it open.
Despite its shabby exterior, it was once again filled with gold and jewels.
At first, he was surprised, but since about half of the items piled up here were treasures from old shipwrecks, he wasn’t particularly amazed anymore.
Gold bars that felt somewhat crude compared to the mirror-like shine of modern ones, goblets or daggers adorned with jewels, various forms of gold, silver, jewels, and ornaments, etc.
Treasures weighing from a few kilograms to tens of kilograms were often piled up haphazardly.
They were made a long time ago, so their purity might be lower, but even if melted down and sold, this amount would fetch a considerable sum.
If the historical value unique to antiques was added, he couldn’t even imagine how much more expensive they would become.
“Let’s see…”
Siwoo flipped through the papers, looking at the inventory list that seemed to be handwritten by L’Riel.
〈2015.05.02, Cartagena, Colombia, Treasure Chest, Colorful Wooden Crate, Medium〉
The list, written in rounded handwriting, included the acquisition time, location, contents, shape, and size.
As you can see, it was very roughly organized, so Siwoo was creating a new list from scratch, as if he were completely overhauling it.
At least, he was dividing them by material, weight, and type.
Whatever the case, the second time around is always more skillful than the first.
Even if he was in a slightly different environment, his accumulated experience and years of experience wouldn’t just disappear.
In that sense, this slave life was progressing very smoothly and gently.
It had been three days since he was promoted from a cleaning slave to a storekeeper slave.
There were no special events, but he had roughly learned about the Deep Sea Witch, L’Riel Nukelavi, and the situation of this ship.
The official name was ‘Strategic Guided Missile Submarine Cruiser Project 941 Akula,’ or simply Akula for short. This submarine was a workshop given to L’Riel by the previous Nukelavi as a birthday present.
The crew members on board were also actual Soviet soldiers who had served. The previous Nukelavi must have been a very ruthless witch, as she had transformed them all into merfolk and familiars.
Of course, that was just the circumstantial evidence. He hadn’t yet figured out exactly how this submarine came into L’Riel’s possession, or how these crew members became part of the Nukelavi dynasty.
However, one thing he had confirmed was that the intelligence of familiars was definitely limited by algorithms.
He had tried to have conversations and interactions with the crew members he occasionally encountered, but they only repeated mechanical actions and lines, and no proper communication was possible.
That was normal, though.
Originally, familiars, except for the homunculi created by the witch of creation, had the intelligence of a crow. Moreover, in order to make humans immortal, a significant portion of their cognitive abilities had to be restricted.
Rather, the fact that the Akula crew members were capable of high-level tasks such as maintaining and operating mechanical devices, and that they could at least interact with L’Riel, showed that they were familiars of a fairly high level.
“It’s already lunchtime.”
After completing the inventory list for one crate, it was already 1 PM.
Siwoo left the storeroom and headed to the dining hall.
L’Riel would surely be waiting for him by now.
In this way, L’Riel was quite friendly.
Despite calling herself a queen, she had assigned a slave to be the storekeeper right next to her bedroom, spoke to him kindly, and even ate meals with him.
If you looked at the details, there were many strange things.
However, it wasn’t a difficult problem if you thought about it for a moment.
As mentioned earlier, the intelligence of familiars was at a level where ‘conversation’ was possible, but it was difficult to feel ‘emotional exchange’ through it.
L’Riel, who had been alone on this submarine all along, might have been lonely.
Perhaps Siwoo’s existence, whom she met while spending time alone, felt like her first friend.
The fact that she would peek at him while he was working, start conversations for no reason, or continue talking endlessly once a conversation started, would be in the same vein.
Of course, she would never show it.
“……”
As expected, when he entered the dining hall, L’Riel was stirring caviar with her spoon.
L’Riel glanced sideways as if she wasn’t paying attention at all, then turned her head.
However, a proper meal was prepared on the table, even for Siwoo.
“Sit comfortably.”
“Your grace is boundless.”
He bowed politely and sat next to her, using the historical drama tone that was slowly becoming familiar.
“Boundless, indeed. To be able to dine at the same table as I, the ruler of this vast ocean. It is a fortune that a mere slave would want to obtain even by sacrificing his life.”
“Your words are most wise.”
The table was overflowing with a feast that seemed freshly prepared.
For reference, the menu on this submarine, except for desserts, was always seafood, which the cook went out to the sea to catch himself.
“Eat.”
With L’Riel’s permission, he slowly moved the dishes to his mouth.
“How does it taste?”
“It is very excellent.”
“Hmm…”
L’Riel made a slightly subtle expression.
At times like this, if he increased the amount of flattery a little…
“How could a dish blessed by Your Majesty, even if it were just a seashell, not taste good?”
“Hee-eum!”
L’Riel, who immediately became happy, was complete.
Just looking at this, it was already a done deal.
If he watched the atmosphere and brought up the story of wanting to contact his worried lover, wouldn’t it end appropriately? He thought, but…
When such careless complacency bloomed, he had to force himself to regain his composure.
He could see it just by looking at the crew members of this ship.
The previous Nukelavi was a witch with the mindset of an exile.
Not only that, but the ‘Dagon’s Flute,’ which embodies the abyss and allows her to hunt humans to recharge her magic, was also hers.
There was a high possibility that L’Riel’s values, who had spent years under such a witch, had also been influenced.
So far, L’Riel seemed like a docile lion to Siwoo.
She was satisfied now because he was appeasing her, but she could turn on him at any moment if things went wrong.
“You are doing your job meticulously.”
Anyway, since they were still improving their relationship smoothly, there was only a brief moment of silence before L’Riel spoke to him without fail.
“How could I neglect the duties entrusted to me? I am only repaying your trust and serving the great Nukelavi Kingdom.”
In fact, it was more like a kind of skit where L’Riel was delighted by his sweet flattery than a conversation.
“Ho, as expected of a man who became a witch, you are wise. The greatness of this Nukelavi Kingdom is needless to say.”
And L’Riel, who was excited, went on to boast grandly.
“History praises the one who occupied the widest territory as the Great King. However, that title is a delusion that comes from ignorance. Who is the Great King who occupied the widest territory you know of?”
“Um, the Queen during the British Empire or Genghis Khan…”
Siwoo realized from L’Riel’s expression that she didn’t particularly want a serious answer.
“I do not know. Please enlighten me.”
L’Riel shook her head as if she couldn’t help it.
“Do you know that the surface of this world is made up of 70% sea and 30% land?”
“Is that so?”
“Indeed. And all the seas are my territory.”
Is that so?
He didn’t bother to voice the question that came to mind.
“I, L’Riel Nukelavi, who rules all the vast seas from the Arctic Ocean to the Antarctic Ocean, am the greatest Great King whom all people should look up to!”
“As expected of Your Majesty!”
L’Riel, as if excited, puffed out her nose and continued her long speech.
“I will only tell you this. Even at this very moment, I am slowly conquering the world.”
“Huh…?”
Suddenly, a chill ran down his spine.
Conquering the world.
To someone who didn’t know the circumstances, it would sound like a ridiculous delusion, but the Deep Sea Witch had the power to do so.
At least, unless another witch intervened, no weapon in the present world could stop L’Riel.
The present world was in chaos as Keter’s death was confirmed.
Could L’Riel be one of the public enemies running amok?
The word ‘conquest’ she had uttered contained such an ominous nuance.
They hadn’t spent much time together, and his trust in her wasn’t strong yet.
However, regardless of his personal safety, he hoped that she wasn’t a bad person.
“There is no need to be so surprised. Although the detailed reason is unknown, the sea level has been rising by an average of 3.12mm per year for the past 30 years.”
“……”
“As time passes, more territory will come under my control. Thus, even the sky is cooperating so that my rule will spread beyond the five oceans to the continents!”
“You are amazing!”
Fortunately, it was nothing serious.
He was relieved by L’Riel’s hearty laughter and praised her with a comfortable heart.
“Come to think of it, there is something I want to ask you.”
She stopped laughing and asked, while digging into the caviar again.
“Yes, anything.”
“Is it true that Keter cannot move?”
“That is the case at the moment.”
“That means you do not know the detailed circumstances.”
“Yes, I have only heard about it as well…”
L’Riel nodded as if she expected that.
“Now that Keter’s era is over, my era will come even more. If I can solve the trials left by my teacher, I will soar even higher.”
“Trials?”
“Are you curious?”
Her expression was itching to tell him, so he nodded.
L’Riel, as if she had been waiting for it, spilled the beans.
“When an apprentice witch inherits a mark, it takes time to fully utilize it. Do you know that?”
“Yes, I know that.”
“It may not matter to a comfortable witch in Gehenna, but for a witch like me who resides in the present world, that grace period is fatal. Of course, I can overcome the danger, but there is always a chance, isn’t there? My teacher has prepared a contingency plan for that.”
Just as he was about to ask what the trial was,
A siren lamp in one corner of the dining hall began to spin.
The red light, flashing silently and threateningly, made L’Riel’s expression, which had been relaxed after a satisfying meal, harden.
“It’s an attack. You come with me too.”
“Huh? An attack?”
An attack out of nowhere?
Siwoo was flustered, but L’Riel didn’t even give him a proper answer and headed to the control room as if running.
