Surviving The Game As A Barbarian Episode 379

Atlante (2)

After Amelia joined, we spent some time farming around the area to gather supplies.

“Sailor, steer the ship.”

“Where should we go…?”

“To Fione Island.”

After the naval battle was over, we headed back to the treasure island.

Continuing to the next island without maintenance seemed almost impossible. In fact, just getting here had been a close call.

‘The state of the ship is worse than I thought…’

As we rowed back with the sails up, trying to compensate for the broken magical propulsion system, water began to seep into the ship from below. Apparently, the propulsion system wasn’t the only thing that was damaged.

So, we had to keep bailing water nonstop until we reached Treasure Island.

“…We can finally rest now.”

“I think it was a pretty fun experience.”

Fun? This girl’s tastes are something else. Still, it wasn’t a bad experience overall.

At first, Erwin and I were bailing out water together, but midway through, she realized something and started using water spirits to reverse the water flow out of the ship. Next time we’re in this situation, we won’t need to go through that trial and error again.

‘Yeah, all these experiences build up and turn you into a veteran explorer.’

After returning to the island, we de-summoned the ship and summoned the wrecked ones from the subspace. This time, we properly inspected the ships.

Not a single one was intact.

“…Emily, do you think it would be more profitable to repair and sell them, or just sell them as they are?”

“Hmm…”

Amelia, who had a knack for buying and selling goods, gave up on appraising them. That just showed how tricky the situation was.

“Still, either way, they’ll fetch some money. Even if we just sell them for parts, ships like these are quite expensive.”

“That may be true, but… Hey, sailor!”

“Yes!”

“Fix the ships.”

I didn’t ask if he could fix them. It was an order.

The sailor looked confused.

“Can’t you do it?”

When I asked again, the sailor flinched and quickly shook his head.

“I’ll try… No, I can do it!”

He responded with clear determination, perhaps fearing that he might end up like some of the others if he became useless to me…

“Good. Let me know if you need anything.”

“Thank you!”

The sailor immediately ran over to the ships and started carefully inspecting them, figuring out how to repair them.

With the ships left to him…

“Mage.”

“…Speak.”

“I want to transfer ownership of the ships. Do you know a spell for that?”

“I can do it…”

Oh, is that so?

I had secretly hoped he could, seeing as he hung out with the pirate-like bastards, but I didn’t expect he really could.

It’s a rare spell after all.

“Good. Start preparing for it.”

“Understood…”

“Wow, what’s with the attitude? Don’t want to do it?”

“No! I want to!”

There you go, that’s the spirit.

After convincing the mage, I started transferring ownership of the ships. First, we took over the flagship, whose captain had died. Then we moved on to the two ships owned by individual men.

However…

“This ship cannot be transferred.”

“What? Why not?”

“As you can see, it’s too damaged…”

This was the ship I had blasted with a 300% boosted lightning spear.

“More importantly, the core magic circle is broken. Without it—”

“The magic circle is broken? But summoning and unsummoning worked fine, didn’t it?”

“Honestly, it’s a mystery to me why that function still works…”

“Then I guess there’s no helping it.”

Since the expert said it couldn’t be done, I had no choice but to give up on one ship. We needed the materials for repairs anyway.

The sailor, who had been staring blankly at the wrecked flagship, overheard our conversation and rushed over.

“Um… Can I take some planks from here?”

“Go ahead.”

“And maybe… some manpower?”

“You can borrow all three of them.”

“Thank you!”

Having received ample manpower support, the sailor consulted the wizard on various things and began repairing the ship.

And we…

Shhhhhh.

We dumped all the loot we’d stuffed into the dimensional pocket onto the ground and began sorting it out.

“This… is quite the haul.”

We wouldn’t know the exact value until we sold it in the city, but at a glance, the equipment seemed top-tier. It made sense, given that it came from someone who had operated on the sixth floor.

With this, we could pay off all our debts and even buy another mansion…

‘Is it really this easy to make money?’

Thinking back to the days of fighting goblins and digging up mana stones that were barely worth a loaf of bread, it felt surreal.

A strange feeling lingered at my fingertips.

“Mister… Does that mean we don’t have to sell our house?”

“Of course! Let’s even get a better bed.”

“A… a better bed?”

Beds are important.

It changes the quality of life.

“Then can I change my weapon too? There was something I wanted.”

Amelia, thinking this was an opportunity, mentioned the item she wanted to buy.

“Of course.”

“It was worth the hard work.”

“But… how much is it?”

When I asked, Amelia glanced at Erwen, then came over and whispered to me.

An amount twice as much as I expected.

“…!”

I couldn’t help but take a deep breath, but I didn’t go back on my word.

“Alright, buy it.”

It’s not a waste to invest in a comrade…

“Well then, I’ll forget that you left me behind on the ship.”

Besides, I’ve done a lot of wrongs to her…

***

It took two days to finish repairing the ship.

I’m not sure if that was fast or slow, but the ship itself was repaired to a high standard.

Having a mage help out, plus the fact that the sailor had once worked in a shipyard, made a big difference.

‘A sailor with some ship-repairing skills… Not bad.’

He seemed like a useful asset.

“Hey, what’s your name?”

“Are you… talking to me?”

“Who else?”

“Auwen Lockrove, sir…”

Okay, at least it’s not Hans.

That’s enough to pass the first round of evaluation.

“Good name. Well done, Nguen.“

“It’s Auwen…”

“Oh, right.”

After praising the sailor for successfully fixing the ship, we launched it into the sea.

And then…

“What are you waiting for? Get on board.”

“…I’m getting on.”

The sailor, with a face as if he was heading to the gallows, climbed aboard.

Next was the mage.

“You too, get on.”

“…Understood.”

Once the mage boarded, the two remaining men looked at me with uncertain expressions.

I had spared them earlier because they possessed the summoning marks for their ships. Killing them on the ship would have caused all the ships stored in their subspace to spill out.

However, since we no longer needed repair manpower, I had stripped them of their equipment and left them alone…

“We’ll get on…”

“Yes, me too…”

As I stared at them intently, they sighed as if they had no choice and headed toward the ship.

But…

“Hold it right there.”

“…?”

“You cannot come with us.”

They simply weren’t skilled enough to be of any further use.

The two paused, exchanging confused glances as if unsure whether they should be relieved or worried.

“So… we’re staying here?”

Their expressions were torn between relief and fear. One of them, showing a bit more wit, spoke up.

“Please, take us with you! We can still be of use!”

Hmm, maybe they could be, but my decision was already made.

“No, just rest here.”

“Dammit…!”

“Dammit” — a very common last word around here.

Crack! Crack!

I smashed their heads equally and tossed their bodies into the sea. The ocean monsters would clean up the mess soon enough, drawn by the scent of blood.

Well, then, it’s time to move on.

Splash, splash.

Wading through the bloodied waters, I climbed the rope ladder back onto the ship.

Everyone except me had already boarded.

“…Hic!”

The sailor, having witnessed his comrades being discarded like worn-out shoes, began to shiver as soon as our eyes met.

Goodness, such a coward.

‘Well, a little tension is good.’

I approached and patted the sailor’s shoulder.

Then I took out the eastern sea map they had and pointed to a spot with my finger.

“We’re heading to—”

“Of course! It’s possible!!”

An immediate answer even before I finished speaking.

As a captain, it was quite a satisfactory attitude.

Yes, a subordinate should have this level of positivity.

Well, interrupting someone’s words is a habit that needs correcting.

Step, step.

Seeing the sailor take his place at the helm, I walked out to the deck and stood at the bow.

Then I shouted loudly.

“Set sail!!”

I had wanted to try saying that at least once.

***

Sailors were like beds.

Especially in the sense that they improved the quality of life.

“You’re saying we don’t have to stop at any islands along the way?”

“Yes! Only unskilled sailors need to find islands to confirm their positions!”

Responding with a spirited voice, the sailor slipped in bits of self-promotion.

“But I’d like to stop by these islands.”

“Then I’ll redraw the route!”

“Oh, you’re quite useful.”

“Thank you for the compliment! I’ll engrave it in my bones! Forever!”

Following my orders, the sailor quickly adjusted the course and started steering the ship along the new route.

But maybe that bothered someone.

“Tch.”

The mage clicked his tongue as he watched the sailor.

What, does he think he’s different from him?

Mages really do have a strong sense of superiority.

Whoosh!

The ship cut through the wind, sailing swiftly into the vast ocean.

Erwin and I had set up folding chairs and a parasol on the deck, enjoying a peaceful break.

“This is what sailing should feel like.”

In the past, there wasn’t even space for this kind of setup. Plus, I had to constantly check if we were heading in the right direction and help Amelia.

Having a sailor onboard makes everything so much easier.

“Emily, why don’t you come over and relax with us?” I called.

“…I’m fine,” she replied.

“Why not?”

“…Just because.”

I also called out to Amelia, but she barely responded and quickly returned to her spot—right next to the sailor.

Curious, I watched her for a moment. Amelia was intently observing the sailor as he operated the ship.

“Hold on, why did you adjust the rudder like that?” she asked.

“Well, see how the sails shifted slightly? That means the wind has changed its angle a bit. It’s called a ‘sharp wind,’ and in this case, it’s better to turn the rudder slightly…”

She wasn’t just observing; Amelia was actively engaging the sailor with questions.

So she can have that kind of look in her eyes too.

I couldn’t help but chuckle as I watched her nodding earnestly at his explanations.

‘No wonder she seemed a little disappointed when I said I’d leave the sailing to the sailor.’

It seems she enjoyed steering the ship.

Well, if I asked, she’d deny it to the death, claiming she was just learning in case of an emergency.

Anyway, time passed quickly like that.

They were extremely peaceful days.

We sailed forward smoothly with a fair wind, and when the sailor arrived at the destination, we disembarked to eliminate monsters.

Then we moved on to the next island.

Amelia continued to learn the ins and outs of sailing, while Erwin and I passed the time fishing.

I happened to find fishing rods while looking around out of boredom.

It’s good to try all sorts of experiences.

You never know; there might come a time when we have to be self-sufficient like this if we run out of food on the ship.

“Oh! It’s been a while since I’ve caught a big one!”

Surprisingly, even on a moving ship, if you cast the fishing rod, you might catch something.

“Wow… You’re amazing, Mister.”

What we caught on the fishing rod were mostly ordinary fish.

Well, to be precise, they should be called monsters that received a ‘no rank’ assessment, like the Deadmen we hunted at the Blood Tinted Castle.

When defeated, they don’t drop magic stones or essences, and their corpses don’t disappear.

However…

“It’s a Sea Horned Beast!”

Sometimes, monsters would take the bait and appear like this.

That’s precisely why I can’t quit fishing.

『You have defeated a Sea Horn. EXP +4』

Monsters that only appear in the ocean are harder to encounter than they are to hunt, so it was worth the time.

It’s not just passing time; there’s practical benefit.

Anyway, such routine times continued for quite a while, and as we headed east, we left the initial sea area.

I overheard a conversation between Amelia and the sailor.

“Do you know why the compass stops working from here?”

“Well, some say there’s a Sea Polar God in the Great Sea who plays tricks on explorers approaching it, but it’s probably just a legend.”

Hmm, if it’s the Sea Polar God, it’s probably Leviathan?

I have to catch that one someday too…

“Anyway, from this point, it’s hard to know the direction easily, so the sailor’s capability becomes important. In fact, this is where novice sailors often hit a wall.”

“Then how do you find the route?”

“The stars, the sun, the temperature, the weather—all those become information. Of course, the most important thing is experience.”

“Interesting. Could you tell me more in detail?”

“Hehe, of course. Ah, we’ve caught the wind now. Would you like to take the helm?”

“… Is that okay?”

“Sure. If you veer off somewhere, I’ll help you.”

“Then…”

When did Amelia become so close with the navigator?

 Is she planning to take him in like a pet, saying she’ll feed him if I don’t abandon him?

‘…Nah, Amelia wouldn’t do that.’

I chuckled to myself and dozed off for a while. When I woke up, the wind had completely died down.

We had entered one of the great sea’s special regions, the Windless Zone.

“This is where using a magic propulsion device comes in handy,” the sailor explained.

Thanks to the magic stones we’d gathered, we didn’t need to row our way out.

Oh, and by the way, the propulsion device that Erwin had destroyed wasn’t fixed—it was replaced. There were three more devices on other ships, and we had scavenged all of them to install on ours.

Since this is a medium-to-large ship, we needed three small propulsion devices to generate enough power.

“Ah, the wind is back!”

After two days of crossing the windless zone, we entered a sea filled with reefs and volcanic islands—the Far Eastern Sea.

Grand Rock.

Looking over this unique stretch of ocean, I smiled.

‘We’ve made it this far, all thanks to finding a sailor along the way.’

Now, it’s time to explore the Abyssal Island of Atlante.