We arrived at Sharko Island about a day later than planned.
It was due to the fierce rain and wind lashing us as we approached the island.
It almost seemed like the island itself was rejecting our visit.
Still, we barely managed to reach the shore, where we took a moment to strategize.
“Where exactly on the island did you say the spirit was?”
It was Nathan’s question.
In a gathering of only the key figures—Nathan, myself, the navigator, the captain, and others—he asked this question.
As the only person who knew the spirit’s location, I answered directly.
“A secret lake hidden deep within the island… The spirit resides there. And if you follow the sound of the ocarina played by the moon, it’s said you’ll easily find the lake.”
I recited the information I’d once read in the official game forum.
That much, I remembered clearly.
But even I didn’t know the exact location of the lake where the spirit lay dormant.
The ocarina of the moon. That cryptic phrase was the only clue.
After hearing my response, Luke scoffed outright.
“The moon playing an ocarina? What on earth is that supposed to mean?”
At Luke’s mocking tone, I let out a deep sigh.
“Here we go again. This is why I didn’t want him at the meeting.”
Even though I knew this would happen, I hadn’t managed to stop him.
After all, he was technically my kin, the future duke, and Nathan’s brother-in-law-to-be.
‘I wonder what Nathan’s thinking about all this?’
I glanced at Nathan, subtly trying to gauge his reaction.
I was worried, knowing how he disliked Luke.
‘Ugh, he’s glaring at him like he’s about to devour him…’
Oblivious to the tension, Luke continued to run his mouth arrogantly.
“You didn’t seriously bring all these people here based on a fairytale, did you?”
Finally, it seemed Nathan’s patience had reached its limit.
He slid his chair back as if about to rise.
I immediately clasped his hand, signaling that I would handle it with words and he didn’t need to intervene.
“Tch.”
Receiving my signal, Nathan clicked his tongue in irritation.
He looked like a restrained mastiff, but at least he stayed put for now.
I used that moment to stare directly at Luke—or rather, to glare at him.
If I showed any weakness here, he would surely keep challenging me in the future.
“If you didn’t believe, you could’ve just stayed behind at the ducal estate. I didn’t ask anyone to come along.”
“What did you say?”
He bristled.
Instead of backing down, I gave a slight smile.
“I clearly told you not to come because you’d be a distraction, didn’t I? But you even brought Father’s letter, forcing my hand to bring you along.”
“You…”
“If you’re just tagging along, why don’t you at least keep quiet?”
As soon as I finished speaking, Luke sprang from his seat.
Then, as if about to flip the table, he reached out with his hand.
Fortunately, Nathan intervened just in time to stop Luke.
“Have you already forgotten my previous warning?”
“I was simply trying to discipline my sister…”
“How many times must I remind you that you have no authority to discipline the crown princess? Have you forgotten? Or do you simply disregard my orders?”
“…”
Luke’s face turned red and blue, clearly furious but helpless to do anything to me.
‘Should I step in and defuse the situation now?’
Just as I thought to get up, Naila intervened, wearing an expression meant to evoke sympathy.
“Your Highness, please forgive my brother. He’s only concerned about everyone’s safety.”
“Concerned?”
“Yes, if we came all this way on Claudia’s word and the spirit isn’t here, how devastated would everyone be?”
“…”
Nathan clicked his tongue in a low voice, audible only to me.
With her pleading for mercy, he could no longer reprimand Luke.
It was likely frustrating for him.
‘Well, it’s mostly settled now, I suppose. It still feels a bit unsatisfactory, though.’
In any case, thanks to Naila, the tense atmosphere cooled down a bit.
Feeling worn out, I decided to dismiss everyone, as I usually would.
But today, Naila was acting a bit strange.
“And, sister.”
“Yes?”
Suddenly calling my name, she began speaking to me in a calm tone, as if gently scolding a child.
“I know you didn’t mean any harm. But I think it was a bit rash of you.”
“What?”
“Like Luke said, you brought all these people to a dangerous place based on unverified information. It might result in serious losses.”
For a moment, I was taken aback.
Just when I thought the situation was settled, Naila had reignited the tension.
‘What’s this…? She’s not raising her voice like Luke, but she’s basically accusing me, too.’
Was she stepping in for Luke, knowing that Nathan wouldn’t treat a noble lady from a duchy harshly?
I couldn’t believe she was being that cunning.
‘No, it can’t be… Let’s just watch a little longer.’
Meanwhile, she asked me, “Can you take responsibility for this decision?”
Of course, I trusted myself.
So I responded with complete conviction.
“Yes. I’m confident, so there’s no need for needless worry.”
“…”
A strange silence fell between us.
That’s when I heard a peculiar sound from outside.
Splosh… splosh…
At first, I thought it was the sound of raindrops, but as I listened closely, I realized it wasn’t.
It sounded more like someone walking through thick mud.
I couldn’t help myself from asking, despite the serious atmosphere.
“Your Highness, what’s that sound? It sounds like wet footsteps.”
But it seemed I was the only one who heard it so far.
Luke, again, was the first to respond by dismissing my words.
“Sound, my foot. You’re just changing the subject because you have nothing to say?”
“I wasn’t asking you. I was asking His Highness.”
After shutting down Luke, I looked back at Nathan.
Nathan had sensed something too and had gripped his sword.
His words, spoken in an icy tone, only made the tense atmosphere even colder.
“This sound… it’s not made by humans.”
He said it wasn’t the sound of a human.
If monster hunter Nathan said so, it had to be credible.
“Aaargh!”
“Help! Help!”
Right then, screams from the sailors outside came one after another.
Nathan immediately drew his sword and shouted to me.
“Stay here and don’t come out!”
“Your Highness!”
The men went out to fight, leaving Naila and me behind.
I wanted to go out and see what was happening.
But the continuous screams held me back.
I lowered myself and hid under the table.
“Naila! Come here!”
I gestured to Naila, who was frozen in shock, and she snapped out of it, joining me under the table.
“Sit here and wait.”
“S-sister?”
After putting her in a safe spot, I slowly rose again.
I wanted to see outside through the window.
A fierce battle was raging out there, as I suspected.
But what I saw was far beyond anything I had imagined.
“W-what is that…?”
It was, quite literally, a monster.
I knew there were all kinds of monsters in this world.
Nathan had said earlier, “It’s not the sound of a human,” after all.
But there was a difference between imagining it and seeing it with my own eyes.
I doubted my sight as I looked at the fish monsters wielding bone weapons.
‘This is… disgusting…’
They looked like fish but walked on two legs, making them all the more revolting.
Their silvery, glossy scales, yellowish eyes, and gills moving with each breath.
The overall look made them seem as if they smelled strongly of fish.
“Wait a minute… That fishy appearance… it can’t be…”
As I muttered to myself, a brief memory surfaced.
It was a piece of information I’d read on the official game forum about a certain monster.
“[Merman: A monster that crawls on the seabed and climbs anchor chains to raid passing ships. The webbing on their feet causes a squelching sound when they walk, and they have an overall fishy smell. Their weakness is…]”
“Rum! Naila, we need to find rum!”
Naila looked at me with confused eyes.
Then she snapped at me.
“What are you talking about? Keep your head down! They’ll spot us!”
There was no time to explain.
I began searching the captain’s cabin frantically for rum.
Rum was a common drink among sailors, so I hoped it would be somewhere in the captain’s cabin.
‘Gotta hurry…!’
I grabbed a chair and started searching the high shelves.
There were so many odds and ends that it wasn’t easy to find what I was looking for.
Just then, the door burst open, and an odd wail echoed.
“Keieeeek!”
I was too terrified to look back.
Barely managing to move my frozen body, I turned around.
And when my eyes met the merman’s yellow gaze, my mind went blank.
“No… no…”
Luckily, the merman didn’t enter the cabin.
Nathan had appeared out of nowhere and sliced it down from head to fin.
“Claudia! Stay hidden!”
“I know the merman’s weakness!”
“Weakness?”
Instead of answering, I continued rummaging through the shelves as before.
Finally, among the bottles, I found a dusty one.
“
Rum! This is it!”
