I Became a Veteran Who Has to Stir Up Trouble to Survive - Chapter 5

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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[005] Death Knight Orgillian
“Haah….”
I stared down at my blood-soaked palms, exhaling a trembling breath.
My second murder since arriving in this world.
The shock of the first killing hadn’t even faded, but I had to do this to survive.
‘Don’t weaken, Doran. You swore to become ruthless.’
I was merely one among countless villains.
I clenched my blood-stained hand, fighting to suppress the trembling.
The viscous sensation clinging to each knuckle felt like it would torment me eternally.
Yet the deeper part of me accepted this act as something familiar, only deepening my confusion.
This was my first murder, and yet why did my inner self calmly accept the situation?
Whose were these surging impulses and this sense of déjà vu?
Was this truly a world within a game?
But now wasn’t the time for trivial thoughts—I needed to make a decision.
Compared to what I was about to do, killing one or two people was nothing.
「The cooldown for [Disguise] has expired. You can cast the skill again.」
“…Disguise.”
I vividly imagined the Captain I’d just killed in my mind.
His authoritative tone, the habit of twitching his mustache at the end of each sentence, his gaze that looked down on others.
Soon I confirmed my reflection in the mirror had changed, hid the Captain’s corpse in the wardrobe, changed clothes, and left the cabin.
Combat still raged there.
Shouts erupting everywhere, screams, the metallic scent of blood mingling with the sea spray, vibrating through the air.
‘Their numbers have decreased significantly….’
It wasn’t my concern that the Pirates were dying, but I needed them alive to complete my objective.
After making my decision, I walked slowly onto the Deck, and the First Mate—nearly the only one maintaining reason on this Ship—shook off a Skeleton and shouted.
“Captain!! The Undead assault is too fierce! At this rate, we’ll all die!! The lifeboats for escape were taken by some idiots who fled…!”
“Take the helm.”
“The rudder…? But sailing against this headwind to escape is impossible!”
“We’re not escaping. …We’re advancing toward the Mary Celeste!”
“Sir…? Are you insane, Captain?! Even if we find some way to survive, you want us to march directly into an Undead den?!”
“Silence. This is the only way we can live. Or… do you have another option?”
On the Sea, the Captain’s word is absolute.
As I commanded forcefully, the First Mate, torn by conflict, gritted his teeth and steered the Ship.
I passed him and shouted so all the crew on the Deck could hear.
“Listen up, all of you!!! Lower your weapons!!”
“Sir…? What do you mean!!”
“I won’t repeat myself. From now on, anyone continuing to fight will be considered insubordinate and executed. …All of you, lower your weapons!!”
Even if I were clinging to a thread-thin probability.
I would absolutely survive and escape this place.
* * *
It didn’t take long for Doran to confirm that his judgment had been correct.
“I… the undead really did stop attacking…?”
The moment he steered the ship toward the Ghost Ship Fleet, the Skeletons ceased their assault as if it had all been a lie.
As the frenzy that had swept across the deck subsided and the full horror of the carnage became visible, the Pirates froze in place, trembling violently on the Deck.
The horde of undead that had lunged as though ready to tear them apart halted mere inches away, their teeth chattering as they glared with malevolent hunger.
But not everyone had been fortunate…
On the captured vessels that had been dragged away, executions were in full swing now that the battle had ended.
“P-please…! Spare me! My wife and children are waiting at home…!”
*Schwick!*
“You cursed undead bastards!! Even in death, I’ll curse every last one of you…!”
*Schwick!*
With each swing of the massive halberd, human heads fell as though detached by some cruel illusion.
Had it not been for the anguished expressions and screams of agony, the scene would have been as surreal as harvesting fruit from an orchard.
When only Doran’s ship remained unscathed from the undead’s assault, even the First Mate and Pirates who had initially doubted his orders now gazed upon him with eyes glimmering with reverence.
“C-Captain… our ship alone has been spared from the undead… how is this even possible…?”
“H-how did you even think to sail straight into the heart of those undead…?”
“…”
Doran, disguised as a Pirate Captain, ignored his crew’s questions and remained vigilant of his surroundings.
By nature, the undead possess minimal intellect and are drawn to the warmth of life.
They are demons whose rationality has been stripped away, leaving only primal instincts carved into their very essence, pursued to their absolute limit.
Driven by a hunger for blood and flesh that death has denied them, they inflict tragedy upon the living through no fault of their own.
But when a Lich—one of the highest-tier undead—becomes involved, everything changes.
‘The Lich’s aura effect.’
The Lich’s aura not only amplifies the abilities of the undead but also grants them intellect.
Through the Lich’s power—a crystallization of wisdom itself—fragments of their former lives are restored to them.
Originally intended to cultivate undead commanders for easier management of large forces, it could also serve as a means of negotiation if wielded correctly.
Doran’s plunge into the heart of their ranks was an act designed to stimulate the Lich’s insatiable hunger for knowledge.
From the perspective of a Lich that greedily covets the principles of all things, those who willingly leap into the abyss of death would appear as incomprehensible beings.
If individual Pirates eating alongside Skeletons and harming other crew members had been mere acts of rebellion, this decision was an act of mutiny on the scale of the entire ship.
“Captain, how exactly did you…?”
“Silence and observe.”
What happens next is what truly matters.
In that tense moment, a Death Knight leaped onto the Deck where Doran stood.
Bending one knee to show respect to the Lich’s proxy, the First Mate and Pirates who had been staring blankly followed suit, lowering their postures awkwardly.
The Death Knight ignored the Pirates and approached directly toward Doran.
｢You have encountered the Lich’s proxy, the Death Knight!!｣
｢He harbors grave suspicions about you!｣
｢You have witnessed a powerful boss monster!! Your mental fortitude is overwhelmed, reducing the activation rate of all your skills!｣
｢If you were to tell the Black Mages of the Royal Capital about your encounter with the Death Knight of the Ghost Ship, they would welcome you with free meals and drinks!｣
｢That is, if you manage to escape alive!｣
A bone-chilling voice scraped out from within the Death Knight’s helmet, like nails dragging across steel.
―Human… what possessed you to approach us…?
“….”
A confrontation event with a top-tier Undead.
My life or death hinged on how I answered here.
I rolled my eyes subtly, studying the knight’s appearance before me.
Armor flecked with tarnished gold leaf, a golden aura seeping through the gaps, accessories strung together from gold coins.
Orgilian the Golden—the commander of the 3rd Fleet guarding the Mary Celeste.
‘Thank the heavens.’
Had it been the Destroyer Mordred or Arcturus of Suffering instead, I’d have been slain without a chance to negotiate.
I knelt on one knee and spoke with measured composure.
“I am Barbo, captain of the Barbo, a humble human who stands before Orgilian, the golden calamity of the seas. To witness with my own eyes the glory of ages past and the legend of this era fills me with awe!”
―Glory of ages past… you speak as though you knew my days of life.
“Of course. As a man who once pursued martial prowess and justice, how could I not know of the legendary knight Orgilian! Your achievements are immortalized on the memorial of the Teuton Knights Order, passed down through the ages!”
―What…? You know of the Teuton Knights Order…?! That was where I served in life!
“I visited there last year. Though my martial skills fell short and I failed to join their ranks….”
―Hmm….
The Death Knight gazed down at me with newfound interest.
Though his grip remained firm on his greatsword, his demeanor had visibly softened.
‘…Excellent, it’s working!’
I concealed a smile within.
In Belheim, brute strength alone does not suffice.
To survive in a place where even Four Heavenly Kings-tier bosses occasionally visit beginner villages to play cards, one must master diverse schemes and cunning.
In that regard, my complete mastery of Belheim’s history and power dynamics gave me an extraordinary advantage.
My thorough knowledge of this Death Knight came from my days as a top ranker, when I had meticulously studied the Mary Celeste during my conquest of it.
―But… you are far too weak to aspire to knighthood. And piracy, no less. How has one who dreamed of chivalry fallen so far?
“You speak truly, Orgilian. Yet this ship is no mere pirate vessel.”
―…Then what?
“A privateer ship! We plunder the vessels of the Novenheim Kingdom—that wicked heathen power and sworn enemy of the Teuton Knights Order! In peacetime, we escort warships and rescue drifting vessels at sea!”
―Hmm… I find that rather agreeable.
The Death Knight looked down at me with a hint of approval in his gaze.
Since the words were improvised on the spot, he would immediately recognize the lie if he saw the plunder stacked in the hold….
‘…Now is the moment!’
I slowly rose and pressed an object into the Death Knight’s grasp.
In my outstretched palm lay a gold coin I had found in the captain’s quarters of the Barbo.
―…What is this.
“A humble gesture of sincerity. Please accept it.”
―What?! How dare you offer a knight tainted gold!! Did you think a pittance of a bribe would spare your life?! I shall strike off your head this instant and…!
Clink.
―…it is rather substantial coin. No, but still… a knight’s pride….
Clink. Clink.
―…Pride doesn’t fill one’s belly, does it? Hmm… no, but I could just kill you and loot your corpse anyway….
“But then you’d have to surrender everything to Lich Mortemius, wouldn’t you? If you pocket some now, no one will ever know.”
―Hmm… I suppose… no, that’s true… that’s true….
With each gold coin I slipped between the Death Knight’s armor plates, his demeanor visibly softened.
This was why the undead earned the epithet Orgilian the Golden.
‘He’s obsessed with money!’
In truth, it wasn’t particularly strange.
Undead who regained intellect had unnecessary memories purged, intensifying their earthly desires.
And this undead’s defining trait was avarice.
When I’d conquered the Mary Celeste, the standard route was always to bribe Orgilian separately and then betray him.
Even now, the Death Knight’s reaction spoke volumes about his true feelings.
―…Thank you. Truth is, even the undead need gold sometimes. Lich Mortemius said if we have any money for reagents this time, we should hand it all over….
“…Again? Did an experiment perhaps fail? Since summoning a Kraken consumes so much mana, it might be better to attempt a different summon first. Something like a Devouring Fish, perhaps….”
―Exactly what I’ve been saying!! I told him repeatedly that our current finances can’t support summoning high-tier monsters indiscriminately, but it’s like fish bones are lodged in his ears…! He just keeps spouting nonsense about tentacles being romantic! Wait—how do you, an outsider, know about that?
“I deduced it from the ambient mana and the monsters lingering near the Ghost Ship. The mana seems scattered from a recent powerful summoning spell, yet the number of creatures is surprisingly sparse.”
―Hoo… sharp eyes you have. You seem knowledgeable about magic? It’d be a waste to just let you go—care to join our fleet?
“Why would you say such a thing?”
Clink. Clink.
―Hmm… perhaps there’s no need to kill you after all. If you just labor on our ship for about a hundred years….
Clink! Clink! Clink!!
―Actually, on second thought, letting you go seems like the better option!
Orgilian the Golden grinned contentedly as he pocketed the coins.
Yet despite his satisfied expression, the ghostly flames burning within his helm fixed their gaze quietly upon me.
‘…A curious human indeed.’
The undead are inherently sensitive to souls.
Having already experienced death and now standing with one foot in the River Styx, they cannot help but be attuned to the essence of spirits.
High-ranking undead like Orgilian even sustain themselves on the trembling of terrified souls.
Yet from the human before me, I sensed no such spiritual tremor.
Ordinarily, when a common mortal meets my gaze, they tremble and can barely draw breath.
Though it shouldn’t be possible, this one carries himself as though he’s spent ages dealing with beings like myself.
What manner of courage allows such brazen composure?
‘O Three Fates, I offer this gold—weigh the soul upon your scales and reveal the truth.’
Orgilian felt a strange sensation as he manifested his power.
His unique skill—the ability to discern the true nature of an opponent’s soul.
And his jaw dropped in absolute shock.
‘What… what is this?! Such an impossibly powerful soul…!’
A spirit burning so brilliantly it could incinerate all the seawater around him.
Within it dwelt the wisdom of a grand sorcerer versed in the principles of ten thousand transformations.
The valor of a rakshasa harvesting enemy heads upon the battlefield.
Within me coexisted the freedom of an explorer traversing mountain ranges and the honor of a nobleman.
‘Hmm… but why is the timeline all jumbled together like this…?’
Beyond that, something reeking of blood and grotesque seemed mixed in—as if multiple souls had been layered on top of one another….
―…Good! Our business on this ship is concluded. Everyone returns to the fleet! I’ll inform Mortemius myself, so don’t kill this one.
―What… what about the rest of the, the humans…?
―A handful of pirates or so won’t be a problem. I won’t hear any objections. Everyone, return now!!
The undead moved with perfect coordination, gathering their plunder and heading toward the Ghost Ship.
Just as I breathed a sigh of relief watching the undead depart, Orgillian turned back and spoke.
―Wait, you have something to attend to later, so come to my cabin afterward. It’s a sailing ship with a bow decorated in gold.
“I have no choice in the matter. I’ll visit you immediately after finishing the ledgers.”
I bowed respectfully to Orgillian in farewell.
Thinking of the gold coins I’d handed over to that bastard made me feel like my stomach had a hole torn through it, but right now I should be grateful simply to have preserved my life.
And there was an unexpected fact I’d learned from this conversation.
「The Passive Skill [Eloquence] allows you to easily gain the favor of Death Knights.」
‘So this skill applies to boss monsters too….’
When I think about it, it makes perfect sense.
Just as Loki gave birth to Fenrir in Norse Mythology, Antagon in Belheim is a deity extremely close to boss-class monsters.
When I obtained [Antagon’s Rune] in the game, I never had the chance to converse with monsters, so I didn’t know such an unexpected application existed.
‘Wait… if that’s the case, maybe a completely different growth path is possible…?’
Compensating for the mage’s Achilles heel of tanking with summoned monsters… supplementing the warrior’s weakness in one-versus-many firepower with creatures like krakens….
I’d thought it was a completely useless rune, but if I looked carefully, there might be ways to utilize it.
But as I was recalling the skill’s effects, the pirates lined up on the deck stared at me as if they’d seen a ghost.
“D-did you… did you see that…?”
“The, the Captain conversing so casually with that terrifying Death Knight…! He’s absolutely not the type to do such a thing….”
The pirates made the sign of the cross and fussed about it.
I sighed and spoke.
“…Everyone, settle down. And until this matter is resolved, no one is to enter my cabin for the time being… First Mate!”
“…Yes?”
“Make sure the crew doesn’t unnecessarily provoke the undead.”
“Yes, o, of course! Understood!!”
I gave the First Mate a stern warning, then entered my cabin and locked the door firmly behind me.
Soon I closed my eyes quietly, and when I opened them again, a blue window materialized in my vision.
On the faintly glowing skill window, a new string of text had appeared that wasn’t there before.
「As the Active Skill [Disguise] increases in level, you can transform into monsters!」
「Current transformable monsters: Lesser Sailor Skeleton」
Now it was time to cause some chaos inside the Ghost Ship.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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