At the Ocean King's shout, Fendalzous responded, spreading its magical power.
Simultaneously, the anchor was pulled up, and the sails unfurled on their own.
The Ocean King and Fendalzous had completely merged due to the Magic Sword.
“Ha ha! Do you already know what to do?”
The Ocean King controlled Fendalzous's magic and instilled his will into it.
Fendalzous began to shake violently, then slowly started to rise.
The crew, engulfed in silence, could only watch the spectacle.
“Captain! We haven’t finished the inspection!”
“Who needs an inspection? We can win now!”
The Ocean King gripped the wheel, overwhelmed by the dizzying sensation.
The rough and prickly texture remained, but the strange magic surged.
He quickly grew accustomed to it, the power flowing naturally into his body.
It felt as though he had become one with Fendalzous, soaring high into the sky.
“I was once called the King of Thieves, and now I am the Ocean King. Next, I will claim the sky! I can conquer this world!”
The Ocean King tilted his head back, gazing up at the vast sky.
While the land always had an owner, no one had ever claimed the sea.
As the King of Thieves, he had shaken the land, and as the Ocean King, he had ruled the seas.
Now, if he could embrace the sky, he would become the true ruler and king of this world.
“You’re not planning to abandon the crew, are you?”
“Ha ha ha! I wouldn’t abandon those who’ve followed me this far! Board the ship!”
“…Oooooh!”
Fendalzous, which had started to rise, began to descend.
The crew, momentarily hesitant, quickly boarded the ship.
The ship, once ochre and brown, had turned white.
White spikes had emerged on the outer parts, and a dragon’s head jutted out from the front.
“You’ve become something else entirely! Do you think you’re a dragon now?”
The Ocean King, intoxicated by Fendalzous's power, looked around.
Everything had changed—the color, appearance, smell, and texture.
It looked like an entirely different ship from the outside, but the feel of the helm revealed it was still Fendalzous.
No matter how many changes it underwent, its core remained.
“Ha ha… You can do it. With your current power, you can lead me to the sky!”
Unable to die, he had made a pact with the Demon God.
He became undead, gathering corpses to serve him.
The sky was unclaimed, so he sought to become the first and last to rule it.
“I will now… become a god. I will possess everything.”
Once he broke the pact with the Demon God, he could achieve anything.
Eventually, he would eliminate the Demon God, and humans would worship him blindly.
Who could stand in his way?
“We’re setting sail! I will now stand in the sky!”
In the drawing room of Duke Adelaira’s mansion.
This time, Enrite had come with Seran to Duke Adelaira’s mansion.
Lesia was also present but seemed unusually quiet.
Zion and Hanette served tea and snacks, arranging seats in the drawing room.
“…You mentioned merging the knight orders?”
“Yes, that seems best. I’ve already discussed it with the Sylase Knight Commander.”
Enrite had already stated his purpose through letters.
The Lychness and Sylase knight orders needed to be integrated and a command structure established.
With two Setinos Quasars present, managing them shouldn’t be a problem.
Though Zion had considered it, he hadn’t expected Enrite to take the lead.
“Are you sure about this? I’ve only managed my family’s knights, I lack much command experience.”
“That will be handled by the Sylase Knight Commander and me.”
“Who will be in charge after the merge?”
“I want to entrust it to the Black Knight. What do you think, Black?”
Enrite continued the conversation, using colors instead of names.
While he maintained formality, he partially set aside the formalities, treating Zion as a colleague and fellow Setinos Quasar.
“White might be better suited than me.”
“I must manage the knights. You should set the direction and policies, Black.”
“If the Sylase Knights agree, I will accept.”
Enrite immediately turned to Hanette.
There was no need to ask; Zion would surely consider her opinion.
“I don’t mind… but I’m not sure if the family heads will agree.”
“I will meet them and persuade them. Can I count on your agreement, Hanette?”
“Yes.”
Hanette intended to follow their lead.
Given the possibility of the Demon God and dragons resurrecting, she couldn’t interfere.
It would be good if someone else helped, but who would believe in the existence of the Demon God and dragons?
‘…Can we survive?’
Hanette finally understood Zion’s worries, feeling a vague fear.
She had thought the Demon God and dragons were merely fictional.
But they had existed, causing the birth of the Three Demon Kings and Four Calamities.
What would they do if they were stronger than the Three Demon Kings and Four Calamities?
‘Even if we survive, what if Alain Kingdom falls?’
For some reason, the Three Demon Kings and Four Calamities targeted Alain Kingdom.
She and Zion might manage to survive, but there was no guarantee they could protect Alain Kingdom.
If only the two of them remained in the world, wouldn’t that feel meaningless?
‘I’m not much help here.’
Hanette glanced at Zion and Enrite, feeling a pang of despair.
There was nothing she could do to help.
Even though she wielded the Fire Magic Sword, she wasn’t aware of it.
Why couldn’t she summon the Magic Sword like other users?
‘I’ve never obtained a Magic Sword. I’ve never seen one, or used one… Am I using it now?’
In her current state, she couldn’t get stronger.
She needed to step up to support Zion, but she couldn’t see the way forward.
Without summoning the Magic Sword, she couldn’t progress.
‘I need to ask the Blue Sage. And Cardinal Serenine…’
“What are your plans now?”
“We need to prepare starting now.”
Zion had made sequential plans based on the original content but also considered other scenarios.
Not all the Three Demon Kings and Four Calamities would invade Alain Kingdom.
Shadow Dragon Glossran and Immortal King Regina were of that sort, while Bone Dragon Beldazs was still under observation.
‘Even if Immortal King and Bone Dragon are out of the picture…’
Ocean King Mu Pendals and Slime Dragon Monzlure.
These two monsters would certainly attack Alain Kingdom.
Moreover, they could create numerous variables, potentially causing an incident similar to the Abyssal King’s.
‘Slime Dragon is the real problem, more than the Ocean King.’
The Ocean King would soon finish repairing his ship and approach Alain Kingdom.
But if the Slime Dragon had the Chimera Dragon’s power, the future was unpredictable.
If it devoured the Bone Dragon, it would become the most threatening monster.
‘How will the Demon God act?’
The Demon God would be monitoring the Three Demon Kings and Four Calamities.
He would need to reclaim power from the Demon Kings or benefit from the Calamities.
He might be planning something unimaginable, targeting Zion and the Magic Sword users.
‘I still have two artificial Magic Swords left.’
Assuming the existence of La Bler, the Magic Sword of Serenity, other artificial Magic Swords would have special abilities.
Having failed with Oz, he was unlikely to give another Magic Sword to a human.
Instead, he might use it to empower a monster.
‘If he gives it to the Ocean King or Slime Dragon…’
“Hm… Zion seems to be right. Something is coming.”
Lesia joined the conversation, her eyes serious.
Normally, Enrite would get angry or criticize in such situations.
But Enrite remained silent, turning his head belatedly.
“What’s coming?”
“How should I put it? Wait a moment…”
Lesia closed her eyes, following her senses.
Enrite quietly waited, while Seran watched nervously.
Zion and Hanette looked at Lesia with curiosity.
“Ah, I think it’s that.”
“What exactly?”
“Remember the one who fought to seal the Magic Sword?”
“Yes?”
“It seems similar to the sword that person used.”
“……?”
Enrite’s face stiffened with doubt.
He couldn’t understand how Lesia knew about the artificial Magic Sword.
If her words were true, it meant the Demon God was coming to Alain Kingdom with an artificial Magic Sword.
“Hm… I don’t know if I should say this…”
“Speak.”
“The sword is trying to communicate with me.”
“…You’re not joking, are you?”
“I’m not joking.”
Lesia answered calmly, focusing on her senses.
Zion hesitated for a moment before speaking cautiously.
“Can you tell where it’s coming from?”
“I’m trying to find the direction… it’s a bit difficult.”
“Is it coming from the ground or the sky?”
“……”
Enrite pondered Zion’s words, finally understanding their significance.
Knowing this one fact would help distinguish between the Three Demon Kings and Four Calamities.
Not all monsters approached solely by land.
“Hmm… Hmm…”
Lesia raised her index finger, then slowly bent it.
Zion, with a sharp gaze, continued to think.
If an artificial Magic Sword had granted great power, it would be outside the expected range.
“The sky… I think…”
Lesia straightened her finger and pointed upward.
Zion was immediately convinced, though his face remained stern.
The enemy would likely cross the border and penetrate deep into Alain Kingdom.
‘If it can barely get over the walls, I can fend it off with sword energy. But if it can fly higher
…’
There was no way to prevent an aerial assault.
They would have to wait until it approached and then counterattack.
If it used long-range magic attacks, it would be even more challenging to face.
‘The Ocean King is coming. Using the artificial Magic Sword, he’ll invade the capital.’