Volume 4 Chapter 81 Whale Eater
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Whale Eater!”
Kamea’s angry shout came through the voice pipe. The hell was that?
The ship, tilted from the impact, slowly began to right itself.
”All stations, report damage.”
Fredys — the deck crew foreman — barked the order, and it was relayed down the line.
I was sharing visual data from Katarina’s fixed-wing drone.
From above, a massive black shape was visible beneath the water. It twisted its huge body, moving away from the Izumo’s bow.
Body length: about half the Izumo’s, maybe twenty meters plus.
At that size, it wasn’t a fin whale. The way it swam was different.
Katarina’s field of vision expanded to the ship’s stern.
The white wake trailed behind. No one seemed to have fallen into the sea around there either.
But — the next one was coming.
”Grab onto something!”
I shouted, but I was too late.
This time, the impact came from the opposite side. Anyone standing was thrown onto their butts.
The second black shadow picked up speed, rising gradually toward the surface. Its dorsal fin broke through the waves, and it twisted past the pointed snout to slam its body into the ship.
Thankfully, it wasn’t as powerful as the first hit. But this was a massive shark — half the Izumo’s size.
Rows of jagged teeth exposed, its eyes betraying nothing but pure aggression. Terrifying.
So this was the Whale Eater — the shark that ate whales.
Wait — this is a Megalodon, isn’t it?
’Professors, look — beneath the ship.’
Huh?
Three shadows, each about the same size as the one that just rammed us, passed beneath the Izumo.
Thankfully, they didn’t make contact with the ship.
’I’ll go follow them.’
I said “yeah” to her telepathic message and pulled away. Then I relayed what I’d seen from above and reviewed the incoming damage reports with Fredys .
So far: no structural damage to the hull, no flooding. But several asphalt casks that had weathered the Roaring Forties’ waves had cracked open, spilling their contents. Four servants sustained minor injuries. Beyond that, some food stores in the dining hall were damaged and had to be discarded.
Still — with impacts like that, an exterior inspection was mandatory. But the sun was already setting, so it’d have to wait until tomorrow.
’Professors.’
Katarina reached for my hand for telepathy.
’That sinking ship back there, the Seed Ship Fleet, and the Izumo — they’re all roughly on the same circle. And those sharks are moving right along that line.’
But the sinking ship aside — the Izumo and the Seed Ship Fleet were both moving. How?
’I know it sounds like coincidence, but… the sharks are heading straight for the Seed Ship Fleet.’
She said it with certainty.
”Someone get Kamea up here.”
I wanted to hear from the woman who’d shouted “Whale Eater” at that ridiculously huge shark. She came up from the crow’s nest to the bridge, and I asked her about the Whale Eaters.
”They won’t attack unless provoked.”
Apparently, as long as we didn’t make the first move, they wouldn’t come for us.
”But why aren’t they going for that whale carcass the other sharks are eating?”
Kamea tilted her head, like she didn’t understand the question.
”Whale Eaters — always here?”
”In spring and autumn. Sometimes come in groups. Usually stay beyond Southern Great Island — Lemurian Sea.”
Southern Great Island — that seemed to be the Australian continent. So they normally lived off the western Lemurian Sea coast, occasionally migrating here in spring and autumn.
”So we just keep going? Do nothing?”
She tilted her head again, not understanding.
”This ship — do nothing. Go. Not attacked.”
I lined up the words for her. She nodded firmly.
”Noise — they hate it. Startle. Attack. Escape.”
It was like walking past a house with a scary dog — move quiet and casual, and it won’t bark. Something like that.
I exchanged glances with the dwarf bridge squad leader and Fredys, the deck crew foreman. Both nodded firmly.
The Izumo pressed on — same speed, same course.
”A large ship in the Seed Ship Fleet is being attacked.”
Katarina’s words caught me off guard. What the hell had those Seed Ship bastards done now?
I grabbed her hand quickly, sharing her visual feed.
Even at this distance, the situation was clear.
A twenty-meter-plus shark had launched itself onto the foredeck of a fifty-meter junk ship. Just that alone tilted the ship forward — and then the shark thrashed, twisting its body, and the bow section snapped off.
The shark slipped back into the sea through the break. The recoil tilted the ship backward, and then the ship rolled sideways, dragged by its raised accordion sails.
Just one shark boarding — and that large ship was going down.
Another shark ramped onto the foredeck of another large ship.
Had the sharks learned how to sink junk ships? Were they remembering?
”Sharks that came from our direction are engaging the Seed Ship Fleet.”
Katarina’s voice was flat — like she was suppressing her emotions. She must have wanted the others to hear too.
”Two sharks have boarded the super-junk ship.”
A super-sized vessel — over a hundred meters long. Surely that would hold.
But then the two of them thrashed, twisting their bodies — and the ship’s railings shattered. The deck cracked.
You’ve got to be kidding me.
One shark slapped a mast with its tail and dropped back into the sea. The other arched backward and followed.
To be fair, the super-junk’s bow section didn’t completely separate — but the mast supports must have broken at their core. Freed from the sharks’ weight, the ship rocked from the recoil. The massive accordion sail tilted backward, bringing the supports with it, and the next sail collapsed like dominoes. Dragged by the weight of the fallen sails, the hull heeled over — and in the end, the hundred-meter ship capsized.
And because they’d been sailing in tight formation, a large junk ship was caught in the chaos — that one capsized too.
”Acting Captain,” Roland, the squad leader, cut in, “I recommend we withdraw.”
”Yeah. Fire up boilers two and three.”
At this point, our only option was to get the hell out. Once the turbines spun and alternators kicked in, I ordered full speed north.
The remnants of the Seed Ship Fleet — after losing that super-junk — were down to three large ships. They began pulling away from the area where the super-junk had rolled.
Not even stopping to help their comrades, huh.
At first, the three ships headed east. The wind was coming from the west, so that would give them good speed.
”Engine room reporting. Third boiler’s bypass pipe was damaged in the last impact. Shutting it down for repairs.”
So we couldn’t make full speed. With possible hidden damage, we’d have to reduce output and proceed cautiously.
”Three large ships are heading this way. Distance, five kilometers.”
Report from the crow’s nest. They’d changed course — from east to toward us.
”Acting Captain,” Fredys said, “they’re trying to push the sharks onto us.”
Possible. But the super-junk wasn’t fully sunk yet. Would the sharks really follow those three ships?
Still — those junk ships might have heavy crossbows or rocket fireworks prepared. If they attacked us, we’d be crippled, and they’d buy time to escape the sharks. That seemed more likely.
I recalled Katarina’s reconnaissance fixed-wing drone — her mana was depleted, so we swapped it out and sent it toward the three ships.
”Tatyana — call two flight crew members.”
They arrived quickly.
”Three large junk ships are approaching. Katarina’s recon will check for crossbows or rocket fireworks. If they’re armed — shoot them down without hesitation. Engagement points: one-kilometer radius around this ship.”
The two of them plus me — we’d eliminate those three ships.
”Acting Captain — if we sink them, may we rescue survivors?”
Fredys asked. But did we have the luxury for that? Fuck around too long and we might get sunk by sharks ourselves.
”Not until safety is confirmed.”
I shot her down — but she pressed further: “And what counts as confirmation?”
You can’t confirm anything against wild animals. I said it hoping she’d give up.
But she wouldn’t let it go.
”Then — no sharks in sight, and nothing happens for an hour.”
I figured that’d be vague enough to blow off.
”Here they come.”
Katarina’s voice ended the conversation. I grabbed her hand, accessed her visual feed, and focused.
Five black shadows were trailing behind the three ships.
That was unexpected.
”Large junk ships have entered two-kilometer range — Suicide drone effective range.”
”Suicide drones can launch anytime.”
Tatyana answered in response to Katarina’s report.
”Not yet. Wait till they’re within fifteen hundred meters. Then we launch.”
But before that — something terrible happened.
One of the sharks looped around — wide — and launched itself onto the foredeck of the lead junk ship.
Then the same pattern: bow smashed, capsized.
These sharks — they were learning.
After the capsizing, the sharks began swallowing the drowning people, one after another.
The Seed Ship Fleet’s purpose was transporting refugees from dying nations. The large junk ships — comparable in size to the Izumo — carried emigrants. Mostly young girls and children.
As they were thrown into the sea, Whale Eater mouths — nearly two meters across — descended on them, one after another. Several people were devoured at a time.
Sometimes, someone caught on the sharks’ teeth was torn apart, dyeing the sea red.
”Have these bastards developed a taste for humans?”
I asked Kamea — but she just shook her head. She didn’t know.
”Junk ships — inside fifteen hundred meters. Crossbows ready. Fireworks set.”
I didn’t distrust Katarina, but lives were on the line. I checked her visual feed again.
”Suicide drones — launch. Targets: the two junk ships ahead. Aim for the hull — the waterline.”
The order was repeated, then executed.
Two fixed-wing drones launched from the Izumo. They climbed once, locked targets, then flew just above the sea surface — per protocol — and slammed into the junk ships’ waterlines, detonating.
With a massive roar, debris scattered high into the sky.
Then seawater slowly flooded in. The junk ships heeled over, becoming sea-waste.
”The large sharks — they’re gone.”
Katarina said in surprise. And they were.
”None near the super-junk either.”
At her report, Fredys and the others cheered.
”The dynamite scared ’em off! Big bodies, sure — but still sharks, am I right?”
Hold on — didn’t Kamea just say noise made them attack? They were smart. They might pretend to flee, then attack again.
But whether it was the dynamite or not, an hour passed without another attack.
In that time: one ship wrecked by dynamite, one sunk by sharks, fully submerged. The remaining ship didn’t last much longer either.
Rescued: twelve girls and three infants.
”Acting Captain — the super-junk still isn’t fully sunk. Let’s go.”
I had things I wanted to confirm myself, so I agreed and we went.
The super-junk’s poop deck remained above water. From there, we took on about a hundred people — from young Eastern-style girls to adult women — plus a dozen boys.
The bowl-cut girl I’d seen off the Southern Continent wasn’t among them.
And “rescued” was technically accurate — but once they reached port, they’d be sold as slaves.
Fredys , I later learned, had been so insistent on rescue because she’d blown a fortune in the trading city Takere and wanted to recoup.
With more than double our previous passenger count, we headed for Oceanus.
Per Kamea, it would have been two days — but with so many more aboard, we arrived on the morning of the fourth day.
By then, food and water were nearly gone.
”This way — go.”
Following Kamea’s directions, we didn’t dock at the bustling slaver’s port. Instead, we guided the ship into a lagoon channel — and there it was: a massive, pure-white viscount’s palace.
”Palace — beneath it, a pier. Bring ship alongside.”
There was indeed a harbor under the viscount’s palace, with a pier extending out.
”Please back us in — ready to depart at a moment’s notice.”
I asked Roland, and he handled the docking beautifully.
Several officials — Amazonesses, by the look of them — spotted us and rushed over to the Izumo.
”I am Leakle. I’ll be handling Mr. Larry’s affairs.”
An Amazoness with a completely different aura from Kenze greeted me in Schweilitz language.
Dozens of civil servants worked at this viscount’s palace, but apparently she was the only one who spoke Schweilitz.
”Those women — what about them?”
I recounted our journey from the trading city Takere in the Land of the Fire Ring. As I spoke — especially when I got to the Whale Eater part — Leakle’s expression grew hard. When I finished, she whispered something to a fellow official, who turned pale and ran into the palace.
—
Summary:
The Izumo survives multiple Whale Eater attacks, but the Seed Ship Fleet loses its super-junk and several large vessels to the sharks’ coordinated assault. Earnest deploys Suicide drones to neutralize approaching junk ships that were attempting to draw the sharks toward the Izumo. The crew rescues over a hundred survivors, but the discovery that they will be sold as slaves upon reaching Oceanus casts a shadow over the victory.
—
Trivia:
Kamea’s contradictory statements about Whale Eater behavior—they attack when startled but fled from dynamite explosions—remain unresolved.
The bowl-cut girl from the Southern Continent is conspicuously absent from the rescued survivors.
Fredys’s rescue insistence is financially motivated—she spent heavily in Takere and wants to recoup losses.
The Whale Eaters demonstrated learning behavior, targeting ship foredecks in a coordinated pattern.
The super-junk’s collapse triggered a domino effect that capsized an additional large ship due to tight formation sailing.
Leakle is the only official at the Viscount’s Palace who speaks Schweilitz language.
The Izumo carries more than double its previous passenger count, causing food and water to run out by the time they reach Oceanus.
Katarina’s mana depletion required swapping reconnaissance drones mid-operation.
Notes:
• Kamea – Amazoness sailor and Larry’s physical partner. Brought rice to the trading city. Unrelated to the syphilis outbreak’s origin.
• Al – Alberto (Al), a massive red‑haired man recently wed to Mary, lives near the Dish Basin. He’s a companion of Hans, helping intimidate and rally elders as a villager and leader.
• Fredys – Izumo’s deck crew foreman and squad leader is a battle-hardened former slave with a formal, pragmatic bearing. Related to the Ullmans via Uncle Torge and living with Roland, she serves as the Acting Captain’s voice of reason, calling out his behavior while remaining loyal. Refusing command while Larry lives, her sharp judgment makes her an indispensable advisor focused on rescue operations following the Whale Eater attack.
• Katarina – Katarina, a voluptuous 30-year-old Izumo flight squad leader and volatile telepathic mage, is a complex handful who enjoys teasing protagonist Earnest by listing his exes. An older former Magic School student, she pressures subordinates while advocating for Gida. Often the target of Eida’s frustrations, she is known for being after Larry and refusing orders unless they involve a rescue.
• Izumo – The iron-hulled primary vessel, named and personified as a character herself, who loyally carries the protagonist and his crew throughout their journey.
• Ho – Ho is the family name of Oliver, a 17-year-old deck crew member and comrade of the protagonist. As a member of the military unit that defended Garao Village, the young man was ultimately murdered during a night watch, slaughtered alongside Marx-san.
• Captain – The middle-aged commanding officer of the Izumo is outwardly calm, experienced, and traditional, masking a ruthless, pragmatic leader who prioritizes vessel survival over subordinates and civilians. While rarely reprimanding his men, he will execute deserters. Bebel reports directly to him, holding orders to return to Kure should the protagonist fail to return from their mission.
• Roland – Roland is a dwarf bridge squad leader, former ship captain, and indispensable navigator for the Acting Captain’s crew. Practical, cautious, and authoritative, he expects clear communication, uses telepathy, and advises tactical withdrawals. Implied to be gay, he lives with Fredys and a young boy, and is the only male unmoved by bikini-armored Amazonesses. His unmatched precision is proven by his remarkable ship docking maneuvers at Oceanus.
• Tatyana – A polite, pragmatically blunt 31-year-old divorced mother, Magic Academy Assistant Professor, and former Golems Battalion mage. As the Izumo’s Torpedo Department Head and Section Chief, she coordinates flight crews and weapons (drones/dynamite). Loyal to her Captain and Larry’s superior, she acts on roommate Katarina’s recon reports and is rumored to have a relationship with Nikole.
• Leakle – Amazoness official assigned to the Acting Captain. Displays formal, respectful speech. Becomes visibly alarmed when informed about the Hole-Eaters and quickly mobilizes to take action. Serves as the primary intermediary between the Acting Captain’s crew and the Oceanus authorities. Amazoness official at the Viscount’s Palace in Oceanus. Speaks Schweilitz language. Assigned to handle Larry-san’s affairs. Reacts with visible concern to Whale Eater accounts.
• Larry – Larry is a dark-haired, weary 16-year-old reincarnated Second Lieutenant, cynical Acting Captain of the Izumo, and Associate Professor. A pragmatic, sardonic narrator and Mana user, he founded the Fee Grand Principality, carries Philip IV’s sword, and seeks to protect his companions. Haunted by past trauma and complicated relationships, he struggles with moral conflicts while awaiting his next assignment.
• Schweilitz – This kingdom, featuring towering academy spires and a full military arsenal of Royal Army troops, forces the protagonist to return. Ruled by a king involved in a hostage exchange, this political power holds a captive feared for execution. It also ordered the confirmation of Princess Rosa’s corpse, driving a scheme that the Queen has caught onto.
• Kenze – Kenze is a muscular, brown-skinned Amazoness and former Takshurgan operative turned research student. A dragon-tattooed guardian and crew member, she rooms with Larry, whom she would prioritize over any mission. Once deeply bonded with Earnest, she is now quietly wasting away while nursing her egg and larva. Despite declining health and a rural background, she remains a strong, warm, and sea-wary presence.
• Earnest – Reincarnated as a young, high-Mana militia soldier, a 40-year-old professor serves as the pragmatic acting captain of the Izumo. Hiding a compassionate core behind a dry, cynical guise, this magic-tech expert balances tactical decisions with moral weight. He uses authoritative speech to lead his unit of slaves and war orphans, while sharing a telepathic link with Katarina.
• Viscount – A noble of the Rus who insisted on bringing reinforcements to the defense of the city.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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