The method of leaving the Sea of Ashes was similar to the way of entering it. I flipped the boat over at the spot where the sphere had risen.
The process was the reverse of when I entered. Instead of the sea, waves of ash enveloped the boat, and there was water at the place where I had descended.
When I resurfaced, I was above the western sea again.
I had returned to the island of Casmak. Since I hadn’t changed my departure date just because I had found something, the evening was another drinking session.
“Why are you eating so well?”
“I’m a bit hungry today.”
“This is the first time I’ve seen you eat so well, brother.”
“Same for me. Boss, you used to have a very small appetite.”
Casmak, Aron, Osten, and even Mary were all looking at me with wide eyes.
When I was traveling outside, I only ate enough to survive. It was the same when I cooked outside.There was a limit to how cleanly I could make the environment, no matter what method I used.
I knew it wasn’t very helpful for my body in the long run, but there was nothing I could do about it. It had been that way since long ago.
‘At least Duke took pretty good care of me when I was in Haisen.’
But now that I had obtained purification, I didn’t really need to bother with that. Because I knew it had been purified.
I didn’t bother telling the others about the Sea of Ashes and purification. There was no need.
The Sea of Ashes. There would be nothing good if word about it spread. While I have the key to letting Casmak and his group enter…
If the story leaks out, it could give my enemies a means to attack the continent.
‘Shahri had left because she didn’t know if it really existed, so she gave up.’
But if the Archmage knows of its existence and keeps searching, she may really find the Sea of Ashes.
Even with ancient Great Magic, opening the door would probably be possible.
I only learned the basics of magic, so my knowledge isn’t extensive, but it’s definitely something that could happen.
There’s no need to create unnecessary risks.
Apart from that, on my way back, I experimented with purification. The effects were definite.
It made muddy water clear and removed the rotten parts of fallen, discarded trees. It wasn’t restoration.
‘And it seemed to only work on inorganic things.’
I tried using it on my body, to see if it could remove Worst Conditions and internal waste, but there wasn’t much change.
The exposed skin did seem a bit cleaner, but I couldn’t define the exact limits yet. It didn’t seem all-powerful, and there were definitely some limitations.
Although it was a bit disappointing, my satisfaction level was still very high. Initially, I had just stumbled upon it by chance.
If I hadn’t gotten the bracelet from the Leocran ruins while chasing after Shahri through the sea, I would never have discovered it.
The manifestation of purification didn’t even show any signs. Unless I was conscious of it, no light came from my wrist.
I could consume food and water freely without worrying about other people’s gaze.
“So where to next?”
“I’m thinking of heading southwest.”
The plans I had made after leaving the imperial palace had all been successful. I had brought Osten and Aron along, and deepened my friendship with Casmak.
There were still some talents I hadn’t met in the West, but I decided not to spend any more time on that.
It’s because I can’t trust them completely. They may be good people, but that’s exactly why they could develop an aversion to me.
When I first headed west, I had hoped to at least make an acquaintance if I had the chance, even if I couldn’t recruit them.
But now, I felt that time was too precious. Objectively speaking, my time knowing the future was invaluable.
It’s better spent elsewhere than just making acquaintances. It’s possible to bring them over through other routes later on.
“The southwest? You mean south of the Melain River?”
“Yes.”
“So you have business with the natives too.”
“I have connections from the past.”
The reason for heading southwest wasn’t just because of Ines. I had to forge another link with a named individual.
The natives dislike people from the continent, whether it’s the Empire, the West, or the South.
The people currently living in the West may have driven out the natives when pushed by the Empire, but afterward, all the surrounding nations exploited the natives. Of course, they hated the Westerners who directly took their land the most.
But they didn’t always side with the devil worshippers either. Their allegiance depended on the situation.
Which side most of them took was decided by the victory or defeat of the named native individuals.
Even among the tribes of natives living that lifestyle, there were power struggles. In fact, they competed with each other more because they had so little.
The people of the continent had made it that way.
I intended to bring the natives to my side as well. To do that, I had to help their named individuals.
“I’ll help with the transportation.”
“Thanks.”
It was what I had hoped for. If he hadn’t offered, I would have asked to borrow a boat from his side. A boat is faster than walking.
I changed the subject and gave a different warning:
“You need to keep a tight watch internally.”
“I’ll make sure there’s nothing to worry about.”
In the long run, these islands can’t avoid the reach of the devil worshippers either.
For the past few days, I’ve been taking time every night to scout the island with Winds. They haven’t shown up yet, but there are probably one or two around.
It’s difficult for the devil worshippers to extend their reach to these isolated islands given their traits, but you can never be too careful.
Casmak may be exceptional, but regular outsiders tend to be ostracized even if they have abilities.
I wasn’t too worried. In the game, these islands didn’t face major problems from the devil worshippers either.
Casmak will manage things well. What’s more, I had even given him a warning now.
“Anyway, congratulations on becoming the ruler of the western islands.”
“Ruler of the western islands? Isn’t that a bit too grandiose?”
“It’s not really wrong, is it?”
That’s what he was called in reality too. Casmak showed uncharacteristic humility, but his face looked quite satisfied.
“Oh, I gathered some information about the southwest region. But I’m not sure how useful it will be.”
This was one of the things I had requested before traveling around by sea, since I didn’t have any information about the southwest.
Even though I was supposed to be on an important mission at the Haisen intelligence agency, I didn’t receive much information.
Of course. From Haisen’s perspective, I was just a crucial tool. My only role was to fulfill my duties.
So I only received information related to the Empire. For me inside the Empire, information outside of it wasn’t very important.
‘I don’t have high expectations.’
The information about the southwest that could be heard from the western islands was unlikely to be accurate. The natives were extremely exclusive towards outsiders as well.
But I still needed at least a rough idea of the situation, since I would be heading to the southwest soon.
It wouldn’t be a complete shot in the dark either. Casmak had done business with Haisen for a while.
That means he knows how to obtain information and what constitutes good information.
“Let me hear it anyway.”
“The atmosphere between the tribes is looking grim.”
“You mean a civil war is about to break out?”
“From what I’ve heard, yes. With the Empire’s succession in turmoil and the West experiencing a civil war, the natives probably see this as an opportunity.”
Hmm. This is happening sooner than I knew from the game, where it occurred a few years later.
It’s probably one of the butterfly effects I’ve caused. It seemed I would need to head to the southwest sooner rather than later.
The boat cut through the sea as we advanced. I discreetly pushed the boat forward to propel it at high speed towards the southwest.
Despite being on a pirate ship, I felt extremely satisfied. Casmak had put in quite an effort.
Throughout the voyage, the crew didn’t raise their voices even once. They didn’t bother speaking to me either.
The food was so well-prepared that it was hard to believe we were eating on a ship.
‘It was good that we got help.’
With time being so precious now, if I had gone by land it would have taken much longer, and if I had taken another boat, I wouldn’t have been able to enjoy such luxury.
After a long, boring journey, we were able to arrive at Derenet. We would go up the Melain River, which divides the west into north and south.
The reason I came to Derenet instead of heading straight to the southwestern plains was one thing.
The Western natives don’t welcome people from the continent. A guide is essential to travel the southwestern plains.
In the past, Ines’ bodyguards had said that if anything happened in the southwest, they should look for someone named Patrac.
But if I really tried to travel the southwestern plains alone, problems would definitely arise.
‘It has little to do with force.’
The natives would attack first. To them, travelers from the continent are just easy prey to plunder.
I don’t have to worry about being killed, but the aftermath is the problem. Even if I kill them in self-defense, there’s no chance of leniency.
This is not a land friendly to people from the continent. No one will listen to our side of the story.
The ones I kill will become our nemeses and create new enemies. If we kill those seeking revenge, even more avengers will arise.
The number of enemies could increase until we have to face entire tribes. As it was in the game, unless it’s someone whose name could be widely known, it’s better to avoid the hassle.
It would be faster to find a guide among the Patrac tribe that Ines belongs to.
“Be careful, Brother!”
Casmak’s subordinates bade me farewell with respectful postures. It seemed Casmak had warned them, as they couldn’t even meet my gaze properly.
With those Viking-looking fellows acting that way, it felt like I was a gang boss. The gazes around me were a bit embarrassing too.
“Thanks. You all be careful on your way back too.”
I waved my hand to hurry them along, conscious of the gazes around us, but Casmak’s subordinates only shouted louder.
“Yes! We’ll see you again!”
I gave a small sigh and headed to the best accommodation in Derenet.
The Derenet Hotel. It carries the name hotel, but it’s nowhere close to a hotel on Earth. Still, in this world it’s considered quite good.
Derenet was also a trade hub between the Empire and the Southwest, so a lot of money circulated there.
In front of the table laden with almost every dish on the menu, my group marveled in pure amazement.
“Woah!”
It was a place that sold native food from the West. It had a fusion feel, mixed with food from the continent.
I had eaten such food at the Duke’s mansion and the Imperial Palace before, but for the kids, it was their first time.
Osten was one thing, but Aron and Mary had been orphans.
“Don’t worry about leaving any behind, just eat a lot.”
Leaving food behind wasn’t important. Eating well was more important – one of the things I had learned from the Chief of Intelligence.
Aron and Mary particularly enjoyed it.
“The taste is so unique!”
“It’s so delicious! A bit oily though!”
I gave some appropriate advice too.
“You should eat it with the vegetables on the side. That helps cut the greasiness.”
“Oh! As always, you’re right Brother! It tastes even better now!”
I wondered if I should discourage their tendency to be amazed by obvious things.
But I just let out a small sigh and tried to think positively.
“Eat a lot. Eating is good. If it’s not enough, order more.”
“Yes!”
The first time I bought them a meal, they were all very conscious of appearances. They weren’t used to eating well.
But not anymore.
Seeing them being so cautious, I had ordered more than they could eat. After that, they ordered additional portions without hesitation.
As we ate, Osten took advantage of a brief silence to speak up.
“Boss, are you okay with the clothes?”
“You did a good job making them. Well done.”
“Ah, that’s not what I mean.”
I had separately asked Osten to handle making a new cape coat for me. My previous one was too distinctive for me to keep wearing.
But I was quite satisfied with the coat’s performance itself, so I asked Osten if he could make something similar.
I didn’t have high expectations. No matter how skilled Osten was, this was clothing, not a magic item.
Still, he managed to recreate it as closely as possible.
He even made some improvements. There were pros and cons. From the perspective of clothing quality, it was inferior to the previous one.
However, the magic imbued in it made it more convenient despite the lower material quality.
‘Hmm.’
As we conversed, I decided to reveal my identity to my companions. It was something I had been mulling over during our voyage.
Actually, I had initially planned to wait a bit longer.
The nature of the matter meant there was a risk they could develop a strong aversion to me.
And I had thought that time was on my side anyway. These weren’t noble scions I had brought along.
Osten, who had been treated like a slave. Aron and Mary, who had lived at the very bottom as orphans.
Just treating them well and feeding them was enough to deepen our bond.
‘But it seems their feelings towards me are better than I expected.’
It was no light matter to consider.
I examined whether they were just showing false emotions to flatter me, and considered how their feelings might drastically change after I told them.
After comprehensively weighing it all, I concluded I would tell them.
For starters, even in the game they had never betrayed me, and I had also saved them.
In truth, there was no definitive right answer. Telling them later could even lower their trust in me.
In any case, I gathered my group that evening.
Truthfully, I couldn’t predict what their reactions would be. Even I found it difficult to foresee exactly. After all, I am the Empress’ Slayer.
Still, considering their personalities and backgrounds, I had roughly envisioned some possible reactions.
“There’s something I need to tell you all.”
“Please go ahead.”
“I am Carl Schurtafen.”
“Pardon?”
“To be precise, that was the name I operated under before.”
Osten was the only one who reacted. Aron and Mary just looked bewildered.
Perhaps when your life is so deprived, even news like this couldn’t capture your interest.
Though Mary seemed to have belatedly recalled something, opening her eyes wide and whispering to Aron.
As Aron heard it, his eyes grew wider by the second. And then he let out an exclamation.
“Wow….. The Empress’ Slayer? Isn’t that insanely amazing? As expected of you, Brother!”
Uh, well.
That wasn’t one of the reactions I had envisioned.
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