Chapter 294: Unearth (14)

The forest soon vanished. Beyond it stretched the open harbor. It was vast, glittering, and endless. Ten ships, thirty, a hundred... their masts swayed like a forest of spears. Some had their sails furled, anchored deep inside the bay. Others still bore taut white canvas, catching the breath of waves they had yet to release.

"What, first time seeing ships?"

"No, that’s not it..."

From the hill, I looked down at the bay. I had been chased onto ships before, but never had I seen so many in one place like this. Everything seemed so calm and utterly peaceful. It was nothing like that night I fled through a storm with the marquis behind me. The sea beyond was so still and serene that I could have stared at it for hours, thoughtless and adrift.

Nonetheless, I wasn’t here to admire colors on the water. This was a moment I could not waste. Until now, I had only partially brushed against the Merchants' Guild. This time, I had to fully bring them in.

If I succeeded, it would mean real power for Rubia. The guild was a force that could anchor her plans. As a full member, I might finally uncover the Confederation’s hidden purpose.

Money? Influence? Something deeper?

Whatever it was, I instinctively felt that it was worth seizing.

The closer I drew to the harbor, though, the more suffocating it felt. The pressure of humanity thickened with every step. I stopped, overwhelmed, watching the flood of people scurry like ants. Great ships disgorged their cargo in a frenzy. Deeper inland, countless fishing boats lay beached, sails stowed, nets still dripping.

Splash! Splash!

At either end of the bay, waves crashed ceaselessly, their rhythm echoing in the cadence of fish auctions.

"Auctions are in full swing, huh?"

The floor of the auction house by the harbor was a mountain of corpses of fish piled in grotesque abundance. Men shouted, lifted, and weighed. Small fry went by the jar, larger beasts by the cut. Each cry, each strike of the auctioneer’s hammer sent fish flying to new owners.

The sheer scale was unbelievable.

Who could possibly eat all this?

The auction house alone was large enough to lose oneself in, and it was only a fraction of Kirn Bay. I looked once more across the bay, at the endless forest of masts.

"They... smuggle here? In a place this big?" I asked Isaac.

"Hide a tree in the forest. Where else? You can’t slip a great ship into a quiet cove. A forgotten harbor isn’t worth the risk of rocks, reefs, or patrols. Better to lose yourself in the noise."

"I get that, but even a forest hides its trees from me. Out of all these ships, how am I supposed to find the smugglers?"

They wouldn’t be sitting idle, waiting for me. The docks were chaotic, with people unloading cargo, the auctioneers shouting, and ships getting rigged and readied. Any one of them could be my target.

"Still don’t get it? Don’t you know yourself yet?"

"What do you mean?"

"With your Detection skill, finding them here isn’t hard. Just remember the words I tell you..."

Isaac whispered a string of slang, or the codes used among the Merchants' Guild traders.

"Why use this nonsense?"

"Because deals happen face-to-face, quick and sharp. If the customer understands too much, you can’t bargain, can you?"

Some of the phrases bore no resemblance to their true meaning. Others were only lightly twisted. Yet, they all served their purpose. Limiting the search to those using those phrases, the task became much simpler.

Still, a question gnawed at me. "You said the patrols make the coastal waters too dangerous. So they... what, push into the open sea?"

"Heh. You’re catching on."

"I know that there are beasts out there beyond comprehension."

One example was the Kraken, a nightmare that split hulls like kindling. And that wasn’t all. The mermaids and harpies existed as well. Even a veteran fleet would perish from their combined assault.

Isaac answered as if it were nothing at all.

"They’ve got their ways. There’s an old sea route that was carved long ago."

"A sea route?"

"Stay on it, and the big predators never come near. The patrols don’t know it exists, so they never stray that far."

I was surprised that a sorcerer like Isaac knew about the hidden arteries of the sea.

"How did you find out?"

Even I could sense it. The value of such a route was priceless. For the average folk, unless they had technology like Starlight Azure Fox, such knowledge could change the fate of nations.

"Grassmere’s lord had a gift for playing both sides. He knew more than most. The Confederation isn't keeping it secret. It’s the Empire. Eavesdrop on the right words, and you’ll see for yourself."

I nodded. I didn't need to listen to every babble and bargain. With slang and the context, the threads would stand out.

[Detection Lv. 7]

[Active mode enabled.]

[Skill efficiency increased by 400%.]

[Current Health cost: 0.0014% per second.]

[Heightened senses engaged...]

It wasn’t hard. Three voices became nine, then thirty. A chorus of human words cascaded through me, a tide of chatter crashing against my ears.

One hour passed as I had scoured a fifth of the great harbor, following the scents of commerce: fish, salt, oil, and metal. At times, a trace of sugar sweetened the air. Piece by piece, the net closed.

"Hey. Hold up."

"What is it?"

"Heh. Looks like I found them first. What’ll you give me as a reward?"

"Reward?"

"What, you think the world runs on charity? You’re standing in front of an auction house, and you want to get something for nothing?"

"So tell me, then. Anything. I’ll repay you later. What did you find?"

"Good. Look at the thirty-fifth ship in the auction rows. Four masts. Check the deck."

"..."

I narrowed my focus to the vessel Isaac pointed out.

"Don’t see it? There’s one idiot standing there, pretending to be a sailor. His clothes look like he's worn them for ten years, but he’s seasick on deck. On a docked ship. That’s our mark."

I concentrated harder. On the corner of the deck, a sailor was being propped up by others, swaying pale-faced as if the harbor itself made him dizzy.

"No sailor in the world would treat a man that kindly. He’s no crewman. He’s an outsider... and an important one. It's time we pay them a visit."

That was when it hit.

Shhhhk!

A blast of an amplified voice roared across Kirn Bay, so loud I didn't need Detection.

"Border Patrol! All vessels preparing to sail will halt immediately! Cease all unloading! Any who move shall be punished as traitors dealing with the enemy!"

The cry came from the opposite side of the harbor. There, men disguised as sailors pulled their armbands tight and stormed aboard ship after ship. They were soldiers—too many of them.

"Hoo... so that’s how it is. Good. Very good."

"You call this good? Doesn’t this make it harder to reach the smugglers?"

"Harder for them. For us, it’s simpler. We’ll save the desperate ones. That’s the easiest bargain in the world."

Isaac chuckled.

"This is what they call the ruler’s fortune. Once events tip in your favor, momentum carries them forward. Luck itself flows. You’re in its stream now."

"Is that so..."

"Let’s watch, shall we? Looks like the patrol’s not kidding around."

Riiiing!

A commander vaulted onto the rail of a vessel, blade flashing, the imperial banner flapping high from the mast.

"Commence action! Quickly!"

***

Law was either the last line to be respected or a net, woven only to catch those it chose. Sailors had always leaned toward the latter. The sea had its own laws, and they rarely matched those of the land.

Ships carried the cast-off sons of noble houses, exiles who had no wish to return, and wastrels who scorned the land’s monotony. They lived by the tide and bent to no parchment writ.

"No training logs, no navigation records, and even your disinfectants aren’t regulated. A fine of five seirons. Pay it at the harbor office."

"We can train as we go. What matters is knowing the work, not scribbling it down. And the disinfectant, this is enough, no?"

"Hey, stop it! Sir... If I pay right now instead of at the office, will two seirons do?"

This was light compared to what many deserved. Few aboard these waters could endure scrutiny without stain. Elsewhere in the harbor, aboard one of the larger ships yet to be searched, a gaunt man in his thirties paced the captain’s quarters.

"Captain, what do we do?"

The captain couldn’t hide the unrest simmering beneath his expression. "What’s the situation?"

"They came prepared. Different line, different entry point. Looks like they mean to strip us bare."

"No room for negotiations?"

"None. The petty dust won’t satisfy them. The light stuff might slip through, but... not us."

The delicate captain Nexmond looked calm, but his jaw tightened. For years, they had bought their way through border checks, but this raid was too large, too deliberate. Either someone had sold them out, or the patrol already had their names. They weren’t smugglers of trinkets. Their holds carried what no imperial law could ever permit.

They were carrying augmented bodies—cold metal fused with delicate artifice that replaced limbs, granting merchants the strength to crush trained knights. The technology was so advanced that even the Confederation’s elite units barely possessed it. All of it lay hidden in the dark belly of the ship.

"Should we sink the boat?" muttered the first mate, fingers brushing the fuse of a bomb.

Nexmond shook his head. "Not in this harbor. Too shallow. They’d salvage her whole, then scour every inch. We’d only damn ourselves further."

"Damn it! Let’s think about that after we upset them. I’ve always been prepared to raise swords."

First mate Mitsy fiddled with the bomb he had taken out. It’d be closer to fireworks rather than a clash of swords, but Captain Nexmond didn’t have the leisure to correct him.

The augments deep beneath their ship were their newest model, unknown to most. It was specially designed to be complete only when attached to its owner. All Nexmond could hope for was that the soldiers wouldn’t recognize it. The crew clenched their teeth. Their options narrowed with every passing heartbeat. Then came the crash.

Thud!

Guided by soldiers stationed on every quay, the patrol swarmed aboard.

"Captain... Nexmond?"

Nexmond was more of a fighter rather than a merchant, but not strong enough to fight everyone at port.

"Yes. I am he. Here are our voyage logs, inspection records, blueprints, trade permits..."

The papers were immaculate, each prepared to the last detail. Perhaps it was enough to ward off suspicion from lazier eyes, but not the commander's. His gaze slid past the documents and then upward, toward the deckhand doubled over in feigned sickness.

"A seasick sailor... on a moored ship. Haven’t seen that in a while."

Nexmond's lips curled. "That man is unwell, nothing more..."

The commander scratched his cheek, smirking. "Don’t bother. I won’t contest it. You’ve kept the paperwork spotless, I’m sure. All the same. Open the hold, let’s take a look."

For the first time, the seasoned captain faltered. The brief but sharp flicker was enough for a trained eye to catch it.

"

Ah

, of course. I’ll bring the cargo log as well," Nexmond offered calmly.

The commander refused. "You know you won’t need to."

Steel rasped from scabbards as the patrol drew their blades in unison.

Swoosh!

Captain Nexmond shut his eyes to hide the storm in them.