I Became an Evolving Deep-Sea Creature Chapter 111

Chapter 111. Rainini Archipelago

Before setting out, Yul needed to properly understand the current military strength of the Island of Boundaries.

After finishing a tour of the island, he set aside so ti to drink tea with Shillenwe Arkatil and discuss the matter.

“Do you an the specific status? Understood. At present, we have three sailing ships that can be used for combat. They are the Seldora, the Shalomina, and the Isilien.”

These three ships were also the vessels Shillenwe had brought with her when she first joined.

Back then, they had been fighting the kraken.

The flagship commanded by Admiral Shillenwe was nad Seldora.

By human classification standards, the Seldora was a second-rate ship of the line.

Its displacent was 1,800 tons, with 74 gun ports. It had a two-deck gun battery and a crew of 350.

"Isn't the crew a bit small?"

“That is because we only brought those who experienced the Rejection Phenonon.”

Normally, it should have had about twice that number, but those who were fine did not remain aboard the Seldora and left for other places.

The other ships were in a similar situation as well. Their crews were only about half the proper complent.

‘And they fought a kraken in that condition?’

Until Yul discovered them, they had been fiercely resisting the kraken. Whether it was precisely firing their cannons to remove its tentacles or holding their ground in battle, their skill was impressive.

“The Shalomina is a heavy frigate, and the Isilien is a frigate. Each carries between forty and fifty cannons, and both have crews at about half the optimal number.”

(T/N): A frigate is a type of warship

“What about gunpowder and other supplies?”

“We have no gunpowder. There’s barely enough for a single engagent. When we left, we loaded large amounts of gunpowder and food supplies instead of trade cargo, but because of the battle with the kraken…”

“Hm. Any issues with the ships themselves?”

“If you an durability, the ships of the sea elves are stronger than ordinary ships thanks to the use of ‘wave timber.’”

“What’s that?”

“You can think of it as wood blessed in the sea-elf way. Perhaps like ordinary trees infused with elven growth techniques.”

These sea “elves” seed to be just as familiar with trees as the elves living on land. They placed a kind of blessing on trees and refined them into what they called wave timber.

“That’s why the hull didn’t deform even under the kraken’s tentacles. It can also withstand cannon fire to a certain extent. In addition, wave timber grows on its own, so the ship repairs itself naturally.”

“Oh. I was wondering how you managed to wander the sea for an entire lifeti.”

“Ah, sotis the trees on the ship even bear fruit. The quantity isn’t large, so we either preserve them or eat them only on special occasions.”

For them, their ships were essentially living trees. Even if they were damaged, they would regenerate, and they could even obtain food from them.

“Under the Wing Vessels, there are also vessels dedicated to producing food. They produce large quantities of fruit, though they have no combat capability.”

“Is that the kind of ship even an admiral can’t obtain?”

“Fruit ships are extrely rare. Unless one is the captain of a Wing Vessel, they cannot possess one. No more can be made except those crafted directly by the High Elves.”

“A fruit ship, huh. Interesting.”

“If we had just one of those ships, our food supply problem would be solved.”

To obtain sothing like a fruit ship, they would probably have to fight a Wing Vessel captain sowhere and take it, so it sounded like a distant matter.

The staple food of the sea elves was rice, but it seed they also supplented it with fruit ships.

“Do you have a map?”

“Ah, I’ll bring one.”

Yul examined the map Shillenwe brought. Around the Island of Boundaries, located at the far north, there were no other islands.

In the worldview of the people of the Archipelago Ocean, this place was practically the end of the world.

Accordingly, the Island of Boundaries was placed at the very top of the map.

“Each map was recorded by different sea elves. So the maps may vary slightly depending on the sphere of influence, but they are generally similar.”

Shillenwe raised a finger, tapped the Island of Boundaries on the map, and drew a line downward.

If one followed the map far south from the island—very far down—several islands clustered together could be seen.

They were labeled ‘Rainini Archipelago.’

To the north, there were islands of considerable size.

“They are human islands within the sphere of influence of the Sea Succession Church. Three large islands and seven small ones together are called the Rainini Archipelago.”

“How are they with the sea elves?”

“When we were still living in the sea, our relationship was sowhat distant. Still, we could trade food and other goods with them. After the Rejection Phenonon occurred, however, they beca hostile toward us. We couldn’t even trade anymore.”

The reason was nothing special. They simply didn’t want sea elves coming onto the islands where they lived.

It was, perhaps, the human tendency to reject the unfamiliar.

“If they turned cooperative, it would be helpful when sea elves join us at the Island of Boundaries, right?”

“Yes. If the Rainini Archipelago cooperates, and in addition, this place here—if you look a bit further east on the map, the Island of the Brown Sage—also becos cooperative, then we could practically monitor all ships sailing north through the Archipelago Ocean. Further east, the currents beco extrely treacherous, so ships rarely head into the open ocean that way.”

“The Island of the Brown Sage… I’ve been there.”

Back when Yul had been an orca, the turtle Javarel, who had helped mine Krelsite, had left his own kingdom and joined there.

‘Since the turtle kingdom has essentially vanished, was Javarel’s choice the right one?’

The turtle kingdom and the orca village were representative places that had disappeared because of Heaven and Earth Resonance.

Yul wondered what thoughts Javarel might have about it, but since the island neither showed hostility nor particular hospitality toward him, he decided to put it lower on the list of priorities.

“Let’s go subdue the Rainini Archipelago.”

“Understood. I will prepare for departure imdiately.”

Yul intended to sail to Rainini with the three warships, reveal his true form, and propose that they all “get along.”

* * *

Most of the humans in the Archipelago Ocean believe in the Sea Succession Church. Even many who live outside its direct sphere of influence still follow it.

The Sea Master of this enormous religious sect is unique. Because he is a reincarnator.

When soone becos the Sea Master, practices the teachings of the Sea Succession Church, and eventually dies of old age, he is reborn sowhere in the Archipelago Ocean.

When that person dies again, he is once more reborn sowhere in the body of a child.

Through this endless cycle of reincarnation, the Order continuously expands its influence.

However, so people raised doubts.

“If he truly reincarnates, then where are his mories? If we made a promise with the previous Sea Master, what happens to it?”

“Only karma is what reincarnates. The body, mind, and soul are all left behind.”

“Then isn’t the Sea Master no longer the sa person? If the body and mories are different, we agreed to call that a different being.”

“Silence! The Sea Master is deeply compassionate and willingly chooses to be reborn for the sake of pitiful sentient beings.”

“But then how do you know that he has reincarnated?”

“That is determined by the Grand Scholar.”

When the Sea Master reincarnates, several distinctive traits appear.

These are observed and recorded by the Grand Scholar, a high-ranking monk within the Sea Succession Church. After careful examination, they officially recognize the reincarnation.

A Sea Master enthroned through this traditional thod automatically gains legitimacy.

There are also additional punishnts for those who harbor extre doubts.

“But still—”

“This fool refuses to listen! Guardian Lions! Seize him!”

The true military force of the Sea Succession Church was the Guardian Lions. Their roles were divided between the Left Guardian and the Right Guardian.

The Sea Succession Church was not rely a spiritual pillar—it was also an ard organization capable of exercising real force.

“N-no, I was just asking a question!”

“Silence! Arrest him and transfer him to the Rainini Archipelago!”

“T-the frontier!? I’ll never question anything again!”

“Too late.”

And so the exile they captured was sent to the Rainini Archipelago.

For them, Rainini was a place that had not completely left their sphere of influence, yet was far from their core territories.

The banished criminal was locked in prison. There was a window, but the place was still filthy and foul.

“Damn it! They must have punished harshly just to make an example of . All I did was say a few words, and they threw into this place!”

A stout, brown-skinned man with a bushy beard clenched the iron bars and ground his teeth.

"Guard! Guard! Hey, move sowhere else. Isn't this place too slly and dirty? I’ll pay you!"

“Just stay here for a bit.”

After saying only that, the guard disappeared. The stout man collapsed onto the floor with a thud.

The gold coins that had slipped from his pocket were now in the guard’s hand.

Hopefully, that bastard wouldn’t just take the money and run.

After sitting down and catching his breath for a mont, he soon realized soone else was nearby.

"W-who are you?"

But the other person did not answer.

A man sat cross-legged with his eyes closed.

The stout man looked him over. Six marks were etched into his forehead. Even while sitting, he was tall enough to reach the stout man’s chest—if he stood up, he would surely be enormous.

His entire body was packed with overwhelming muscle, giving off an intimidating presence just by looking at him.

Indeed, he had the six precept marks of a sea monk on his forehead, so he could only be a Sea Succession Church sea monk, not a Guardian Lion.

Curious, the stout man asked,

“Say, why is a Sea Succession Church sea monk in a place like this?”

“……”

A Sea Succession Church sea monk sitting in ditation inside a prison on the Rainini Archipelago? The stout man soon figured out the reason.

“Aha. Looks like you’re locked up here for the sa reason as . Did you also question the Sea Master?”

As if struck in the heart of the matter, the man opened his closed eyes.

“I rely clarified what should be doubted.”

“Right, right! Sa here. I asked during a lecture whether the Sea Master was real or not, and they beat senseless before exiling all the way to the Rainini Archipelago!”

To imprison soone rely for doubt—it was far too harsh.

“If one is truly upright, they would not feel uneasy even when questioned, nor would they think of harming others.”

“Exactly! Your words are absolutely right. Having a young sea monk like you here is a loss for the Sea Succession Church, a real loss. So what’s your na?”

“Sonam Rinpoche.”

“Sonam Rinpoche… Haha. Your na sounds awfully similar to that murderer who killed dozens in the village of Roilsad… though I suppose it’s just a coincidence?”

“I have not killed a single human.”

“R-right?”

At that mont, a guard approached from afar and spoke.

“That fellow really is the killer demon of Roilsad. He was captured there.”

“Wh-what?”

“They say he wiped out the Roilposa garrison alone with nothing but a single staff. That’s why the Sea Succession Church designated him a fallen sea monk. He’ll probably be expelled soon.”

“B-but you said you hadn’t killed anyone.”

“Human.”

Hearing that, the stout man felt a chill run down his spine. So that ant he had killed everything that wasn’t human?

Had he really been chatting with a murderer all this ti?

“G-guard! Get out of here quickly!”

“There’s no need to be scared. That guy’s been sitting there like that and hasn’t resisted even once.”

The guard walked over with a key in hand and opened the door in one swift motion, showing no caution whatsoever.

When the guard gestured, the stout man hesitated before stepping outside.

“I took your gold coin, so I’ll do my part. At least I’ll move you sowhere better than here.”

As the man left, he glanced back.

“He doesn’t look like soone who would commit murder.”

“They say he used to be a famous sea monk, deeply knowledgeable about doctrine. He had a great reputation, too. But why he ended up like that… I don’t know either. Even when asked, he refuses to talk about it.”

He closed his eyes again, as if enjoying the silence of the solitary cell.

Strangely enough, the sight of him looked like a fisherman waiting for a storm.