Murmur—
A stifled unrest spread among the soldiers.
"An operation at sea...?"
"If we go out into the middle of the ocean, we can't even run away."
"Damn it, then are we just bait?"
'So they didn't hear about it either.'
I hadn't realized even the soldiers were in the dark.
A mercenary standing in the back row let out a hollow laugh and muttered.
He was one of the few remaining mercenaries.
"This is basically saying we should all drown together."
I steadied my breath for a moment, then stepped forward toward the commander.
"Wait."
The soldiers who had been murmuring fell silent at my voice.
The commander's gaze shifted to me.
"Fighting on the sea—we'll need more of an explanation."
I spoke slowly, but clearly.
"Even on land, our lines are pushed back every single day. Yet you want us to face creatures that have the advantage in the water, from aboard ships—the gap will be even greater."
A brief silence.
Only the sound of wind brushing over the sandy beach could be heard.
I took another step forward.
"What you're saying now sounds like nothing more than driving every soldier into danger. What conviction do you have? Or else—"
I narrowed my eyes slightly and glared at his expression.
"Are you trying to use us to test something?"
In that instant, the surrounding soldiers' murmurs grew louder again.
The unrest was on the verge of turning to anger.
The commander's face hardened.
His fingers slowly brushed over the scabbard at his waist.
The moment the commander's fingertips grazed the scabbard, he slowly drew in a breath.
Then he looked around, confirming the dozens of pairs of eyes fixed on him.
Everyone watched him with a mixture of doubt and anxiety.
Finally, he raised his head and spoke lowly but firmly.
"...That's right. It's dangerous. I know it's a mad plan."
The soldiers' murmurs burst out again.
But this time, it was closer to surprise than fear.
Because no one had expected him to concede this far.
"Have you thought about why they swarm the shore every day?"
He continued, drawing a rough circle in the sand with his fingertip.
"Somewhere beneath that sea is their spawning ground. As long as it doesn't fall, they'll keep coming no matter how many times we repel them."
I steadied my breath and narrowed my eyes.
'...Spawning grounds? How does he know they exist?'
"So you're saying you'll lead us to their stronghold."
The commander nodded at my words.
"That's right. Any later, and it'll be beyond our hands. It won't stop at this island—the mainland will be swallowed too."
A brief silence passed.
The soldiers exchanged glances and murmured, and Baldik ground his teeth and muttered lowly.
"Damn it... so that's why they've been sacrificing us every day to buy time."
In the end, they had been grinding down soldiers and mercenaries to buy time for the kingdom's safety.
And in exchange, they had somehow found the creatures' stronghold.
"Now is the only time we can stop them. We have no choice but to cut their roots on the sea."
I stared directly into his eyes.
His bloodshot eyes were steeped in exhaustion, yet at the same time held a resolute determination.
'...So this is what Jackson meant.'
At the very least, he was a man who possessed the resolve befitting a commander.
The lesser being sacrificed for the greater. Perhaps that was the nature of an organization called an army.
Of course, from our position as those being sacrificed, nothing but fury welled up; yet at the same time, it made sense.
"Where exactly is it?"
His resolve was well and good, but the information had to be verified separately.
I wasn't an idiot; I had no intention of following along knowing nothing.
"Sail northwest, and you'll find a reef shaped like a turtle. Beneath that reef is presumed to be their stronghold."
"...You mean it's at the bottom of the sea? Fighting on the sea is already absurd enough, and you're saying we'll descend to the seabed?"
I asked, making no effort to hide my doubt. The commander nodded.
"Yes. I can't show you right now, but there is a way. You can trust me."
"......"
I couldn't continue speaking.
I couldn't completely believe him either.
But it seemed we had no right to choose in this place.
"...I shall take the lead on this journey."
The commander stepped forward. His cloak flapped in the sea breeze, and his shadow stretched long across the sand.
"Gentlemen, will you follow me?"
For a moment, a murmur rose among the soldiers and mercenaries.
The one who had only commanded from the rear all this time would step to the front himself?
With that single sentence, the atmosphere changed.
"Huh... the commander is really going?"
"Unbelievable."
Unrest spread, but at the same time, a subtle light began to return to the darkened faces.
Because it meant the superior who had only demanded sacrifice was finally prepared to die alongside them.
I looked straight at the commander's eyes.
They were filled with weariness, yet at the same time, a resolute light permeated them.
"...Very well."
I nodded slowly.
"If your resolve to lead is sincere, we'll follow. However—you must tell us now what this 'way' is."
At my words, the surrounding gazes focused on the commander again.
He pressed his lips tightly for a moment, then spat out lowly,
"You'll know soon enough. Prepare yourselves. We depart."
With that, he turned and began giving orders to the soldiers.
Those of us left behind could only exchange heavy silences, looking at one another.
***
We moved along the coast following the commander.
"There."
The place he pointed to was beneath a coastal cliff.
From the outside, it looked like an ordinary cliff with stacked jutting rocks, but as we drew near, a strangely resonating metallic clang mixed with the sound of waves crashing through the rock crevices.
And then, once the soldiers moved the rocks,
a massive hull was revealed.
"...So you had a ship hidden."
Ranseun muttered lowly.
It was different from the fishing boats or merchant ships we usually saw.
Its long prow stood suited to cutting through the current, and oar holes lined its port and starboard sides.
It had but a single mast, yet the thick mast and triangular sail showed it was no mere coastal vessel.
Iron plates were partially riveted over the hull, and ballista mounts were installed atop the gunwales.
It was a typical military galley, prepared for war.
Not particularly large, but a battle-ready ship capable of carrying dozens of soldiers and equipment.
"To think something like this was hidden here."
Baldik said in an admiring voice.
"Now that we've found their stronghold, it's our turn to go and sever their roots."
The commander spoke resolutely, and commotion spread among the soldiers.
He gave orders without hesitation.
"All aboard! Today, we end this battle!"
We boarded the galley one by one.
The damp wooden deck creaked under our feet.
Soon, the sail unfurled, and the soldiers took up the oars at the gunwales.
Splash— Splash—
The oars cut through the water, and the ship began to move slowly.
Once we emerged from behind the coastal cliff, the wide-open horizon was revealed, and far in the distance, a massive rocky islet spewing white foam came into view.
A reef that looked like a turtle baring its shell.
That place was their stronghold.
We sat gathered on one side of the deck, silently staring at the horizon.
Tension and fatigue intertwined; no one could easily open their mouth.
Baldik was the first to speak.
"Damn it, are we really going in there? The seabed, of all places..."
"Surely you're not telling us to dive to the bottom of the sea."
Sailleon forced a smile and said.
Ranseun cut in coldly.
"We wouldn't have the strength for that. There is probably a hole near that reef where the creatures crawl out."
I chewed over those words and nodded.
Certainly, the commander's plan was reckless. But perhaps it would be impossible without us, who had held back the waves without fail this past week.
"Isn't it funny?"
I muttered lowly.
"What is."
Baldik turned his gaze.
"That he's only now saying he'll smash their stronghold. If he'd known, he should have done it from the start."
Everyone nodded silently. No one refuted it.
Because too many had died.
It was then.
"Slow the pace!"
The commander's low but firm voice echoed from above the sail.
The soldiers rowing simultaneously slowed their movements, and the ship gradually decelerated.
Nervous soldiers exchanged glances, and a heavy air weighed down the deck.
I raised my eyes and looked ahead.
Over the sea, a dark silhouette was slowly being revealed.
A massive reef.
Like a turtle baring its shell, irregularly jutting rocks sparkled silver in the moonlight.
Spray scattered from the crashing waves, and a deep, breath-like echo reverberated over the sea, as if a monster were catching its breath.
"...Is that it?"
Someone's low sigh seeped across the deck.
The ship stopped, the turtle reef directly before its bow.
A heavy anchor fell into the sea with a splash, and the whole ship shook slightly.
The commander stepped forward and opened his mouth.
"Beneath us lies the monsters' stronghold. Our objective is to descend beneath the sea and destroy their spawning grounds."
The deck stirred.
The soldiers looked at one another and murmured, and even my companions glanced at me with stiff expressions.
'...Are we really going down there?'
Surely they weren't going to tie us to ropes, give us rocks to hold, and throw us into the sea.
The moment I was about to open my mouth, the commander unfastened a leather pouch at his waist and drew something from within.
Click—
Revealed in the moonlight, it was a mask.
A strange object that looked like wood and crudely joined crystal, something you might see in a cartoon.
"...What is that?"
I asked.
He held the object up high and spoke.
"It's a respirator. An item issued by the Blue Magic Tower. It allows you to breathe underwater for a set amount of time."
'Blue Magic Tower? A magic artifact?'
He said that while glancing at me subtly.
The soldiers on deck stirred.
"Then, we're really going down?"
"To the bottom of the sea... He's insane."
I shook my head too.
Being able to breathe was not enough.
Water pressure, visibility, and above all, a means to maneuver underwater were the issues.
"Surely that's not all."
I lowered my voice.
The commander looked at me for a moment, then drew another device from the leather pouch.
This time, it was an iron bracelet worn on the wrist. A faintly glowing blue gem was embedded in the bracelet.
"This is a buoyancy stone. When worn, your body won't sink and can remain at a certain depth. If you learn the adjustment method, even diving is possible."
"...And you had these prepared all along..."
The soldiers' faces turned ashen.
No matter how impressive these mystical items were, being told to enter the den of sea monsters sounded like nothing short of madness.
Whether sensing the soldiers' unrest, the commander added resolutely:
"We can't hold out any longer. If we don't destroy their spawning grounds, this island is finished. There is no choice."
At that moment, from beneath the turtle reef came a bizarre sound—crack, crack—as if stone were splitting.
The soldiers held their breath, and the air on deck froze cold.
"As you know, that method won't help at all. What do you plan to do about visibility—"
My words couldn't be finished.
Without even answering, he slowly took off his upper garment.
His body, exposed to the cold sea wind, was covered in countless wounds and scars.
He donned the equipment one by one, and lastly wrapped a rope around his ankle.
Then he walked to the edge of the railing, raised his head, and swept his gaze over all of us.
"Gentlemen, you may resent me. You may curse me."
His voice rode the waves and rang out, and his eyes blazed over the dark sea.
"But remember this one truth. What we protect is not merely land. If we retreat here, tomorrow our homelands will burn, and our families will become food for those monsters!"
He shouted as if tearing at his chest.
"There is nowhere left to retreat! So I will prove it first!"
In an instant, his silhouette standing at the railing's edge glinted silver in the moonlight.
He looked straight at us one last time and spoke decisively, as if throwing everything he had away.
"Tonight, I will carve a path through this sea!"
And without hesitation, he threw himself into the dark blue abyss.
A great spray of water erupted, and the sound of rope whizzing through the air spread across the deck.
"..."
As the fierce spray subsided, only a heavy, cold silence flowed over the deck.
No one could easily open their mouth.
The commander's words had certainly carried power, but his sudden action had seized everyone's breath.
'Had he been feeling guilty?'
Sailleon's lips trembled, and Baldik glared at the railing, his fists tightly clenched.
Even Ranseun was speechless, his eyes following only the rope.
Creak... Creak...
The rope tautened and groaned, as if pulling at something.
In an instant, the gazes of everyone on deck turned toward the end of the rope.
It was then.
Gurgle—
Dark blue seawater seemed to burst upward, and crimson mixed with the foam as it rose.
Everyone held their breath in that moment.
"T-that is... blood?"
Bloody foam churned atop the seawater and scattered.
And soon, the severed rope floated limply to the surface and drifted powerlessly beside the ship.
Thud—
The end of the rope hauled onto the deck was crudely frayed, as if it had been cut away.
The jagged cross-section writhed ominously, as if someone had deliberately sliced it.
"...Damn it."
Baldik spat lowly.
Despair and emptiness rose simultaneously on the faces of those remaining.
The commander's resolute cry, his heroic gesture—all had been swallowed in futility beneath the sea.
All that remained now was the warning of the abyss we had just witnessed.