Volume 4 Chapter 110 Beautiful Girl Heaven, Crete
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
To Lady Linca-san,
This is Kian. I hope this finds you well. Thank you for your letter; I am deeply sorry for the delay in my response.
I’m still out here living as freely as ever. Between adventuring on various quests, hunting dangerous monsters, and trying to keep up with Lady Camilla’s constant demands, my days are surprisingly stable. Honestly, I know that’s only because you are working so hard in my stead. It’s because you’ve taken over my responsibilities that I’m able to live so unburdened.
Word has reached me from several sources about your busy days as the Acting Chief of Women’s Sorcery. Are you sleeping enough? Are you eating well? I can only imagine how exhausting it is to manage a Salon in Izerland, especially being in such an unfamiliar environment. Even with your talents, I’m sure the social politics are a nightmare, and I imagine you’re worn thin. Please, do not neglect your basic needs. Even with your sturdy constitution, everyone has a limit. I wouldn’t know what to do if you collapsed from overwork. Please, stay healthy. For me, just knowing you are smiling is enough.
I am sending Rufna-san to help you. She should have arrived by the time this letter reaches you. I hope you can support each other in your work.
Thank you for the update regarding Sarah-san and His Excellency Maribel. Sarah might be upset with you, but I believe you made the right call. I am so grateful you were there. It reminded me that my party truly needs someone with your sharp wit and broad perspective, Tsai Linca. However, I’d hate to see your talents go to waste just following my personal whims, so I think it’s better for everyone that you’re working so vigorously back there. I’m just an adventurer, and you’ve always been part of the elite; our proper places are simply different. It’s a little lonely, but I’ll be rooting for you from the countryside while you conquer the city.
You mentioned wanting ramen before – is there anything else? I can’t do much else to please you right now, but if there’s something you want that I can find out here, I’ll send it to the fortress. That said, I’m a bit short on coin lately (forgive me for being such a pathetic man), so please don’t ask for anything too expensive. If it’s fish, medicinal herbs, or warm furs, I can head out and hunt those down for you.
Take care of yourself.
P.S.
I heard a rumor that war broke out between Crete and Azrael. A traveling merchant mentioned that the House of Vahid, who were on the invading side, was crushed. There was also talk that several of their former vassals were taken into custody.
I hate to think it, but there is a chance your father is being held in the Kingdom of Crete. Please, look into this immediately. If it turns out Lord Ryoma has been captured, do not panic. Stay calm, talk it over with Rufna-san and Sarah-san, and handle it through the proper channels. I felt I had to mention this just in case.
Always yours,
Kian
* * *
A thick mist, like spilled milk, had swallowed the coast.
”Fuu…”
Kian scanned his surroundings, his guard up. With a surge of earth sorcery, he manifested a rugged sword of solid rock. His boots gripped the slick, black reef as the rhythmic thunder of the waves crashed against the shore. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. Beyond the salt spray, the air was thick with the stench of rot and the dry, choked smell of a long-abandoned cellar. It was a scent he hadn’t encountered in a while: the unmistakable reek of the undead.
The brittle clack-clack of bone meeting bone echoed through the fog. Dark silhouettes shifted within the milky white – the skeletal remains of pirates. These “Ghost Pirates” were common tavern ghost stories, but Kian was already well-acquainted with them. He’d dealt with a skeletal captain on the way to Crete; in a strange way, they felt familiar.
A raspy shriek tore through the air, followed by the sharp whistle of wind. Kian dropped low. His right hand moved in a blur, swatting a magic bolt out of the air. The arrow, fired from a golden crossbow that looked far too elegant for a rotting corpse, shattered into dust.
He spun, knocking away a second arrow from behind, then intercepted a third and fourth shot in one fluid motion. Realizing their range advantage was gone, the bone warriors lunged. Kian shifted into an iaï stance, a perfect mirror of Rita’s technique.
A whirlwind of black stone erupted.
In the space of a single breath, Kian unleashed twenty consecutive strikes. The skeletons leaping from every angle were reduced to ash before they could even land. Lines of black force cut through the mist, and the remains of the pirates disintegrated as if struck by a physical shockwave. Kian didn’t even blink. He returned to his stance and closed his eyes again.
”Come on out, Conquistador,” Kian said. “Throwing trash at me won’t wear me down. If anything, I’ll just devour your magic power and grow stronger.”
The spirit’s killing intent flared, thickening the fog. Still blind, Kian felt the enemy’s bloodlust and let a grim smile tug at his lips. This was the thrill he had been seeking.
”Let’s finish this. If I win, I’m using you as a catalyst for my incarnation.”
He let his magic power surge – a cold, visceral pressure. He coated his blade in a refined layer of Impact – the high-level application: Tear. Kian’s stone sword began to glow with a blinding, white radiance. Then, a massive, bloated silhouette emerged from the white fog.
”CONQUISTADOOOOR!”
A massive, golden curved blade swung down toward his back. Kian didn’t even turn his body; he simply pivoted his blade in a single, horizontal flash. A sharp hiss cut through the air. The golden downdraft of the enemy’s attack was sliced clean through by a streak of white light.
”Co… Conquista… dor…”
The Ghost Pirate, along with his massive golden sword, was cleaved in two. As he dissolved into nothingness, Kian pulled out a birdcage designed for capturing spirit forms. The cage hummed as it vacuumed up the lingering malice. The mass of dark magic thrashed against the bars before it was eventually sucked into the depths of the artifact.
”Nn, nbobo…? Bobobobobo? Bobyururururu?”
”It’s okay, Shark-san. You can come out now.”
The magical fog began to scatter in the sea breeze. The distorted domain vanished, replaced by a clear blue sky. The Azrael Sea was as calm as a lake. Kian looked toward a large rock near their small boat. A sun-tanned girl in a white dress peeked out tentatively.
”Nn, nbobo!? Nn-bo-bo… Bo-bo-bo-bo!”
Shark dropped her Blue Thunder Stone spear and rushed to Kian’s side, frantically checking him for wounds. Once she realized he didn’t have a scratch, she let out a long sigh of relief. She pulled a bucket from her back and used water magic to fill it with fresh, cool water.
”Lord Kian, I am so glad you are safe,” Shark-san said. “I apologize for staying on the sidelines; I was only following my father’s orders to observe.”
”Don’t worry about it,” Kian replied. “When you’re an adventurer, it’s pretty common for a client to send someone to keep an eye on your work.”
”But an order not to fight is an insult! I am a warrior of the Lightning Knights. Watching from safety while a comrade faces a powerful foe… it’s a total humiliation nbobo.”
As she spoke, Shark-san looked up. She was soaking wet, and while the situation was ridiculous, her natural beauty kept it from feeling like a farce. She set her jaw, her face a mask of frustration.
”He’s just worried about you, Shark-san. If you jumped in with me, you’d be trapped if things went south. This way, if the Conquistador had killed me, you could have retreated instantly.”
”A knight of the Lightning Order does not abandon their allies,” she insisted.
She went quiet then, perhaps remembering the incident on Cyclops Island. She dunked her face back into the bucket and stayed there in silence.
”The job’s done,” Kian said. “Let’s head back.”
”…Right. I’ll take you to the port,” Shark-san replied quietly.
Kian settled into the boat. Shark-san, already at the helm, used magic to signal the giant sharks that acted as their engine. The boat pulled away from the rocks and began to glide across the sapphire water. Shark-san sat with her long legs tucked neatly together, her sun-darkened hands resting on her lap. Her wet hair caught the breeze as she stared out at the horizon, her mind clearly on the late Rita.
”You’ve got everything, right? Blue Thunder Stone spear?” Kian asked.
”Nbobo… Yes. I’ve got it. I’m okay.”
”Are the Fishmen really planning to fight Azrael to the bitter end?” Kian asked.
”I don’t know,” Shark replied, her voice trailing off. “My father says he’ll fight, but he’s the type to change his mind in a heartbeat.”
”And what about you, Shark? Do you want to fight? Or do you think surrendering is the better move?”
”I’m for the war, obviously. Surrendering is out of the question. Screw that, desuwa.”
”You have to protect Crete, if only for Rita’s sake,” Kian said.
”Yeah. I’ll fight, and fight, and fight, until I finally shove this spear right through Gensou’s throat!”
”That’s the spirit. Good luck out there.”
”Thanks! …But… it doesn’t seem like Tiegel and the others see it that way,” Shark said quietly.
”Did something happen?”
”Actually, a demand for surrender arrived from Gensou – glp-bobo-bbth.”
Shark lifted her grief-stricken face from the water bucket. Droplets trailed from her wet hair like a string of tears. Kian gave a slow, measured nod.
”It was only a matter of time before they sent one,” Kian muttered.
”I think the word’s already hit the streets, too. No matter how much we want to fight, we can’t do it if the citizens refuse. It’s… incredibly frustrating.”
”Is the public sentiment leaning toward giving up?”
”I’m not sure. I’m off-duty today,” Shark replied after a pause. “The people who couldn’t make it to the meeting at the Castle are all gathered in the square by the merchant Guild¹ Crete to argue it out. My friends in the Knight Order who are pulling guard duty there probably know which way the wind is blowing.”
”I see.”
”Oh! That’s right! The money!” Shark exclaimed. “I still have to pay you your reward, Lord Kian! Um, I think my father offered fifty Silver Coins for the job, but taking down a Conquistador² was way harder than a fifty-coin rank, wasn’t it?”
”Well, I suppose you could say that,” Kian said.
Kian wasn’t doing this for the money, but he saw no reason to lie, so he gave her his honest take.
Compared to Sarah – who had become a Night Crier³ – the Conquistador’s raw physical stats were definitely lower. However, being forced to fight in the sea, an environment where humans are at a total disadvantage, while he threw waves of undead at you made him a massive pain in the ass.
Kian wasn’t a sorcery-user, so he was fine, but the ghost had used rituals to drain magic power from the Spiritual Vein⁴ and deployed mists to jam spellcasting – all while buffing the power and accuracy of his own side’s magic. At least, that was according to Talia, who was watching through his right arm. All things considered, it was roughly on par with the Night Crier quest. In other words, it was easily a Rank 2 party-level subjugation.
A normal party of advanced-rank Adventurers probably would’ve been slaughtered if they’d dived in without a plan. Even the Lightning Knight Order would’ve likely been wiped out depending on their numbers. At the very least, if Shark had been alone, she would’ve been slowly whittled down by the skeleton army. Her only wide-range attacks were magic-based. Kian had checked during their training; she didn’t seem to have any physical AOE. Shark was less of a ‘Knight’ and more of a Tamer-style sorcery-user who specialized in controlling sea life.
That was exactly why neither the Châtillon Adventurers nor the people of Crete could afford to play their hand carelessly. It’s why that cheapskate Chief Blue had been forced to put out the request multiple times.
”I’ll add a bonus to the reward from my own pocket,” Shark said. “How does an extra ten Gold Coins sound? Any more than that and my personal savings will…”
”No, I don’t need the money.”
”Wh-what? nbobo!?”
Shark’s head snapped up with a splash. Her eyes, normally so kind, narrowed as she shook her head.
”Nbobo. Bobo. Bobobyururu!”
”My goal was this spirit form⁵ all along.” Kian rattled the birdcage. “As long as I got this guy, I’m happy. I don’t need your money. Keep those ten Gold Coins safe. We don’t know what’s going to happen to Crete from here on out.”
”Lord Kian…”
”Instead, if I ever visit the Fishman village, just show me a good tavern. Or, I don’t know… maybe the two of us could grab lunch together right now?”
”J-just the two of us?! K- Lord Kian! nbobobobobubububb!”
”Hahaha, I’m joking. I’m not going to fleece you while the country is in crisis. I’m not that desperate for cash anyway.”
”Thank you… And, um, about how rude I was back at the Snow Mountain… I’m really sorry.”
”I like it when young girls have a bit of fire in them,” Kian said, flashing a breezy smile.
Shark was still blushing over his “just the two of us” comment, but she spent the rest of the trip chatting with him frankly. As they got closer, her tightly pressed knees relaxed and drifted apart. He caught glimpses of her side-breast peeking out from under her armpit – a bit of healthy fanservice that was a reward in itself.
A tanned, healthy, beautiful teenage girl… truly top-tier. Guria had too much of that ‘High Princess’ aura, which kind of smothered her innocence, but Shark had that unpretentious, country-girl vibe that hit just right.
I think I’ve just discovered a new fetish, Kian realized. Healthy beauties like her really do make you instinctively want to breed them.
* * *
”Lord Kian! nbobodoryuu!”
Shark waved energetically, her white teeth flashing in a grin. Kian smiled and waved back. He wondered if that was “goodbye.” They had reached the port of Water Island. He watched Shark head back toward the Fishman settlement in her boat. Her voice echoed across the quiet pier like a refreshing breeze. Standing there with her tanned armpits exposed against the dazzling sunlight, she looked incredibly hot.
Kian still didn’t speak a word of Fishman, but assuming she’d said goodbye, he gave a gentlemanly shout back: “Goodbye! Let’s meet again!”
Shark gave a bashful smile, her heart racing as if she’d just pulled off a successful prank – or as if she were facing her first love. Kian held his bangs in place against the salty wind and waved until the beautiful shark-girl was just a speck on the horizon. Only then did he turn and leave the pier.
There are two ports on Crete’s Water Island, and Kian was at the western one. It was the one closer to the economic and administrative heart of the city – the merchantGuild Crete and the Castle. While the eastern area had plenty of stalls on the way to old man Gaius’s shack, the west side was packed with cheap, local eateries. That was why he’d asked Shark to drop him here.
Next up was the quest to bind that serial killer’s ghost at the forgotten Sea Prison⁶. He’d start that one around midnight. Apparently, when the killer was alive, he’d been a total night owl in Crete – the better to hunt his prey – and he’d likely kept those habits even as a spirit form. He was probably some kind of KnightWraith variant.
The High Priest thought leaving him alone was too dangerous, which meant he was definitely a step above your average Wraith. The High Priest mentioned he was a powerful warrior in life. But his personality was the opposite; he loved tormenting the weak. Maybe he’d been abused or discriminated against as a kid, because he had a habit of mutilating the victims’ genitals and dismembering bodies into grotesque displays just to humiliate them.
Asterios, who had been sealed away with Circe, didn’t remember a thing about it. Then again, he was basically a bull-head, so what could you do. With the seal broken thanks to the fallout from Circe’s death, there was a real chance that if he got his ego back, he’d start snatching women and children from Water Island or the Fishman villages. Even setting aside the need to harvest spirit forms, he was a monster that needed to be put down for the sake of the innocent.
”- Oh, is that Lord Kian?”
He was walking down the street, thinking about a seafood grill stall near the merchantGuild Crete, when he spotted a crowd in the square – a rare sight in Crete lately. There, he locked eyes with a Dwarf girl in the Lightning Knight Order uniform.
It was Meimei.
She was carrying a Blue Thunder Stone⁷ weapon on her back, one with a design far more intricate than the standard gear. She must have been on a break; she’d taken off the ribbon holding her hair back and let it fall straight down. While Shark was the ‘gallant’ type of beauty, Meimei was the ‘small and cute’ type. They both had that Crete tan and healthy white teeth, though.
Her frilled miniskirt fluttered as she jogged over to him.
”Good work today, Lord Kian. I heard you’d gone back to the office on Grass Island.”
”Hello, Meimei. I did, but I was back here today for Chief Blue’s request to handle the Conquistador. Just finished up.”
”The Conquistador…? Wait, really?! The ghost of that pirate noble who uses land-sorcery?”
”He was a noble? Well, anyway, yeah. He was a pain, but I got him. Shark is giving the report to the patriarch now.”
Kian rattled the birdcage. Meimei didn’t doubt him for a second; she just looked incredibly guilty.
”I’m so sorry. That’s really a job we should have handled ourselves,” Meimei said.
”You’re shorthanded; it can’t be helped. The Knight Order’s lost a lot of people lately, haven’t they?”
”Yes…”
As Meimei nodded sadly, another girl in the Lightning Knight miniskirt-armor came running around the crowd. She was also small – likely a Dwarf. It struck Kian again: Crete just had way too many beauties. The nutritious food, the nature, the cultural focus on aesthetics… it was a damn paradise. Man, I’d love to spend my days railing these Lightning Knight babes, just daily, irresponsible creampies until I’m spent, Kian thought.
The girl called out, “Big sister, sorry to keep you waiting!” then froze the moment she saw Kian. She came to a dead stop, her round eyes going wide. Her face turned bright red. “K- Lord Kian?!” she squeal.
”Yeah, I’m Kian. Uh, have we met at the base before…?”
”Ah… uu…”
”That’s right. This is my little sister, Maimai,” Meimei said. “Maimai, where are your manners? Say hello to Lord Kian.”
”…Hau… H-h-h-h-nice to meet-cha! Mhyah! I bit my tongue…”
”Maimai is a huge fan of yours,” Meimei added. “Ever since you gave her that detailed lecture on Secret Techniques, she hasn’t shut up about you at the dorm.”
”Big sister!!” Maimai shrieked, her face crimson.
Just as Kian was trying to figure out how to adjust his junk without looking like a creep, a roar of fury erupted from the plaza.
”Surrender is out of the question! We are the people of the historic Crete!”
”Calm down. Even if we surrender, it’s not like Crete⁸ will simply cease to exist. Even if they force us to convert to Azraelism⁹, we can keep our faith-so long as we’re willing to pay the extra taxes.”
”That only works for the rich who can afford those yearly shakedowns!” a merchant barked. “What about us? We’ll have no choice but to convert in all but name!”
”Yeah, he’s right!” another voice joined in.
Meimei turned her attention back to Kian, pointing toward a nearby eatery as if the shouting didn’t exist. “Lord Kian, we were actually just about to grab some lunch. Would you care to join us?”
”Eh!? L-l-l-l-lunch?! With Lord Kian?!” Mai-mai stammered, her face turning bright red.
”If you’ll have me, I’d love to,” Kian replied. He flashed a brief, polite grin. Meimei took his right hand-which he’d been hiding in his pocket-and led him away from the plaza and its cacophony of angry shouts.
He followed her in silence, realizing she was trying to shield him from the chaos consuming Crete. Kian turned to Mai-mai, who was scurrying to keep up beside them. “Have you been on guard duty since this morning?” Kian asked.
”Y-yes! We’re here so we can react immediately if a riot breaks out,” Mai-mai said.
”It’s a simple task for the new recruits,” Meimei added. “I’m just here to supervise the rookies.”
”Rookies… Right. Because the ranks have thinned so much,” Kian murmured. At his words, both Meimei and Mai-mai’s expressions clouded with pain.
”Exactly. Though, even if we fill the slots, we can’t just replace the power we lost,” Meimei said quietly. “Commander Circe, Vice-Commander Medea, Amora… and Rita.”
”Rit-Rit… I guess she really is gone,” Mai-mai whispered.
”She charged the enemy lines alone,” Meimei said. “Unless you’re someone like General Asterios, you don’t come back from that. In fact, we were there at the very instant the pulses of Rita’s mana vanished.”
”I heard most of the other rank-and-file were wiped out too,” Kian noted.
Meimei nodded. “They were lured into the narrow northern base and decimated by fire-traps and ambushes. If I could, I’d take my memories and time-travel back three days just to change it all.”
”I’m not strong like Rit-Rit was, but I have the same blood as my sister!” Mai-mai suddenly spoke up with a look of fierce determination. “My body is sturdy, and I can use magic too-even if I’m not as good as Sis. We can’t let the baton Rit-Rit passed to us go to waste. We have to dig our heels in until we find a way for Crete to survive. I won’t stop fighting until then.”
”You’re very brave, for someone so small,” Kian said.
”Hey! I’m eighteen! I’m just short because I’m a dwarf!” she huffed.
”Is that so?” Kian replied, giving her a quiet smile. He couldn’t help thinking she was the same age as Natra. Guria had declared her intent to fight, but if she realized her words were sending a girl like this into the jaws of death, she would likely be more devastated than she had been when they parted.
”General Balinars wants us to throw in the towel, but the Princess is going to fight to the bitter end,” Meimei said. “I feel the same. If we surrender now, the heart of the Cretan people will just be painted over by Azrael. We have to resist the Gensou¹⁰ and show them our strength-at least enough to make sure the preservation of Cretan culture is a condition of any peace.”
”Is it true the Western Church and Chatillon are going to back us up?” Mai-mai asked.
”That’s what I’ve heard,” Kian replied.
”Then we can still win! We have to protect our home!” Mai-mai pumped her fists.
”The Princess is planning to fill the gaps in the Lightning Knights with elites to form a unit called the Centuria¹¹,” Meimei explained. “My placement is already set. Mai-mai volunteered for it too.”
”A rookie in the Royal Guard?” Kian asked, surprised.
”Ehehe. Since the numbers are down, it’s a chance to springboard up the career ladder… though I guess it’s not really something to celebrate,” Mai-mai said.
”I see…” Kian replied.
His gaze dropped, his unwanted heat smoldering with shame alongside his downcast eyes. These girls were so lovely, so innocent, and so deathly serious-and yet, looking at them had sparked a physical reaction he couldn’t control. He felt disgusted with his own nature.
After their lunch date, which Meimei insisted on paying for, Kian left the administrative district. He waited for his food to settle before heading out to rent a small skiff. The date with the two beauties had run longer than expected; the time for his departure to the Sea Prison¹² was looming.
* * *
A single, ancient tower loomed over the swaying, dark sea, silhouetted against the starry sky. It wasn’t intended as some phallic metaphor; that was simply the reality of the Sea Prison. Despite the name, the tower sat upon a tiny island-a strip of sandy beach that looked as if a single high wave would swallow it in an instant.
It was even smaller than the deserted island where he’d met the Gensou in secret. It was a place built for the sole purpose of disappearing prisoners. It was defenseless and geographically worthless, which was why it had been forgotten by all but a few.
Recalling his trip to the Sea Casino with Priscilla, Kian manned the oars and brought the boat to the island’s landing. A rotting wooden scaffold clung to the base of the sheer, black rocks. Using earth magic, Kian manifested a pole to moor the boat, tying it off securely before scrambling up the rocks to the base of the spire.
The Sea Prison wasn’t just the tower. It seemed they had used magic to delve deep into the earth. If anything, the underground was the main facility; he could sense the presence of countless spirit-forms drifting below.
”…”
His vampire sight could pierce the gloom, but he found himself craving light. Kian hooked a lantern with a mana lamp onto his belt and stepped toward the shattered wooden gates. Suddenly, a vibration-like the roar of a gargantuan beast-shuddered through the ground and into his very core.
(I feel a powerful presence. This is something else entirely compared to a Conquistador.)
A lukewarm wind brushed past him as he crossed the threshold. Sensing a brick falling from above, he swayed instinctively to the right, letting it whistle past. Several green will-o’-the-wisps flickered into existence around him, accompanied by the low, guttural moans of the restless dead.
(KnightWraith¹³s. Good. I could use a warm-up.)
Kian’s dark eyes flared crimson, and he let his knuckles crack with a sharp, rhythmic pop.
—
Summary:
Kian sends a letter to Linca Tsai expressing his gratitude and concern for her overwork, while also warning her that her father, Lord Ryoma, might have been captured in the war. Meanwhile, in Crete, Kian effortlessly defeats a powerful undead ‘Conquistador’ amidst a magical mist. He is accompanied by Shark, a Fishman warrior who feels humiliated by her father’s orders to stay out of the fight.
Kian completes the subjugation of the Conquistador and refuses a monetary reward from Shark, opting instead for the captured spirit form. He returns to Water Island’s western port to prepare for a midnight quest at the Sea Prison involving a depraved serial killer ghost. While in town, he encounters the Dwarf sisters Meimei and Maimai of the Lightning Knight Order just as the public erupts in anger over a surrender demand.
Kian lunches with Meimei and Mai-mai, learning about the devastating losses Crete has suffered and the desperate plan to form a new unit called the Centuria. Afterward, he travels to the isolated Sea Prison to infiltrate it. Upon arrival, he encounters restless spirits and senses a powerful, non-human presence within.
—
Trivia:
- Kian is financially struggling despite his strength.
- Linca Tsai is acting as a leader in a territory that is culturally ‘away’ for her.
- The Vahid family were the invaders who were defeated.
- Shark’s ‘nbobo’ tic is a persistent character trait even during serious moments.
- The spirit Kian defeated was being captured to be used for ‘incarnation’
- Kian’s right arm contains Talia’s eye/power, which helped analyze the Conquistador’s magic.
- Shark is a Tamer-type sorcery-user, not a frontline Knight.
- The serial killer ghost’s depravity includes s*xual violence and mutilation, mirroring Kian’s own dark internal nature.
- Crete is currently under extreme political pressure from ‘Gensou’ to surrender.
- Kian previously gave Maimai a ‘lecture’ that made her a fan, implying prior interactions at the Knight base.
- The heavy taxation imposed on non-converts to Azraelism.
- Rita’s death was confirmed by Meimei witnessing her mana signature vanishing.
- Mai-mai is actually 18 and a dwarf, explaining her small stature.
- The Sea Prison is primarily an underground facility despite the tower exterior.
- Kian feels guilt over his physical attraction to the girls during a grim discussion of war
—
Character Insight:
Kian displays a duality between a humble, almost self-deprecating correspondent and a ruthless, battle-hungry warrior. Shark struggles with her pride as a knight versus her father’s overprotective nature.
Kian’s internal monologue reveals his deep objectification of women, contrasting with his ‘gentlemanly’ actions. Shark shows growing romantic feelings for Kian, while the Dwarf sisters highlight the ‘paradise’ of beauties Kian wishes to exploit.
Kian continues to struggle with his dual nature—his vampire instincts and physical reactions clashing with his empathy for the Cretan people. Meimei and Mai-mai show high resilience, masking their grief with a commitment to a likely suicidal final defense.
—
Behind the Scenes:
The chapter title uses ‘Bishoujo Tengoku’ (Beautiful Girl Heaven), a common trope to contrast Kian’s dangerous reality with the presence of characters like Shark and Linca.
The contrast between the ‘healthy beauty’ of Shark and the ‘Princess’ aura of Guria suggests the author’s intentional use of character archetypes to appeal to different fetishes within the ‘isekai’ genre framework.
The author uses the ‘Sea Prison’ as a tonal shift from the political/social unrest of the city to a traditional fantasy dungeon-crawl atmosphere.
—
TL Notes:
Notes:
• Linca – Jibril’s favorite girl. High-ranking warrior monk woman from Shin, with strong abilities like ignoring attacks and poisons.
• Kian – The protagonist—a vampire exile from Azrael with super-hearing, now Chairman of the Kian Merchant Guild. A pragmatic wanderer in poverty for a decade, he mediates between the Western Church and Crete. High-minded warrior to some, threat to others; accompanied by Priscilla and Homolka, dressed simply in black coat over plain clothes.
• Camilla – A woman; the subject of the chapter; her body was used to seal Erynys’ soul.
• Rita – Female warrior monk with fox ears, last direct disciple of Nizaam, wears a fox-ear hooded jacket. A ‘killing doll’ beastman created by Nizaam.
• Shark – A Fishman girl and daughter of the village chief. Tanned brown skin, beautiful features, white teeth. A Tamer-style sorcery-user specializing in sea life.
• Gensou – Eccentric young Eastern monk-general in Azrael’s army, playful yet ambitious. Wields sun-like magic, swordsmanship, and assassination tactics. Linked to three masked wives—Seishi, Oushoukun, and Yougyokukan (Head Magician). Ally of Mansoor and Oji, serves under Jibril, proposes Operation Assassination. First appears Vol. 4 Ch. 45. Reminder: playful Eastern general with masked harem wives, always late but magically explosive, contrasting serious monks with his bathrobe vibe and schemes.
• Tiegel – A middle-aged Tiger Beastman and influential Cretan lord/official tied to the Kian Merchant Guild. Flashy with gold and jewel rings, he’s strategically cautious of Kian’s sway. A grieving father whose daughter was crippled and sterilized in war; handles key admin and logistics.
• Talia – A high-ranking vampire spirit currently possessing the body of Lyritisse. In this form, she has flaxen hair, blue eyes, and thick lips.
• Chief Blue – Chieftain of the Blue Shark-man clan—a massive fishman with a shark tail, clad in a white toga adorned with shells and bones. Stern father to Shark, he fiercely guards his tribe’s sacred view of the Great Sea as a cradle of reincarnation.
• Guria – Princess of Crete. Tall silhouette. Wears a white dress with exposed shoulders and cleavage, and a laurel wreath. Defensive of Kian.
• Meimei – Small but fierce dwarf girl‑knight from the Lightning Knight Order (Raiko Knight‑dan). Tanned skin, bright smile, and rocking miniskirt armor with a Blue Thunder Stone weapon. She’s Maimai’s older sister and keeps the rookies in line. Determined to protect Cretan culture while cracking heads and staying adorable.
• Mai-mai – Meimei’s younger sister, age 18. A dwarf with a short, sturdy build. A new recruit for the Centuria unit who can use magic. Member of the Lightning Knight Order. A fan of Kian who gets easily flustered and tongue-tied.
• Amora – Scipio’s fiance, and the knight of crete.
• Medea – A dark elf. Same as myth.
• Balinars – An associate of the Merchant Guild Kian who works alongside Madam Tiegel. General of the Cretan fleet. Former Captain of the Guard. Wears an Azrael-style military uniform. Cynical and pragmatic.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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