I Became a Veteran Who Has to Stir Up Trouble to Survive - Chapter 68

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

[068] The Trident That Cleaves the Ocean
‘A Sacred Relic!’
I recalled a faint verse buried deep within my memory.
Once the spear is wielded, the angry waves part in its wake,
Twice the spear is wielded, the azure abyss embraces the city.
Where the spear’s point touches, the sea splits asunder,
Where his wrath lingers, enemies shall be submerged.
Oh, the magnificent form that cleaves the ocean!
Behold, Neptune’s Trident!
‘It was said to have been lost during the war… yet it was preserved here all along!’
A sacred relic so potent that merely gazing upon it sends one’s soul trembling.
Unlike Andira’s Jewel, which specializes in curses and has yet to fully unleash its potential, this is a pure instrument of destruction—devoted entirely to annihilating enemies.
With that artifact, I could certainly inflict a fatal wound upon Leviathan and drive it back into the depths of the sea.
However, there is one gravely critical problem with this plan.
‘This sacred relic is incomplete….’
Neptune’s relic is originally a trident-shaped weapon, yet the most crucial part—the spear blade itself—was nowhere to be seen.
Where could the other half possibly be?
“…We must find the whereabouts of the spear blade.”
I pressed this discovery upon my companions with conviction.
Yet Radi responded with a reluctant expression.
“Wait a moment… We came here to investigate the mermaid anomaly, so why must we suddenly search for a sacred relic?”
“That’s because….”
“Why else? Obviously it’s because he—mmph!”
Radi quickly covered Karen’s mouth.
I offered the excuse that had come to mind.
“Well, actually… remember that book we obtained from the Distorted Space before?”
“Yes.”
“It was written there that a great catastrophe would soon befall Liberta. Investigating the mermaids was to verify whether that content was true.”
“Hmm… Is it something like a prophecy? Could we possibly see it as well?”
“I’m sorry. The book vanished into the Distorted Space as soon as I finished reading it.”
“I see….”
Radi nodded reluctantly, though her expression remained unsettled.
Malton tapped my shoulder and spoke.
“Doran. I’m sure you have your reasons, but if such circumstances existed, shouldn’t you have consulted with us beforehand? We are companions who share life and death together.”
“That’s… I’m sorry.”
It was a perfectly sound argument—I had nothing to say in return.
If I fail to prevent this catastrophe, everyone will ultimately be in danger, but regardless, I’ve dragged my companions into a desperate situation without a word.
Should I have a serious conversation about my origins soon?
As I turned toward Karen, she let out a sigh and opened her mouth.
“You’re curious about the whereabouts of the sacred spear blade, right? Wait a moment.”
Karen walked steadily toward the gathering of Neptune’s Temple priests.
As she approached, the priests eyed her warily, but upon spotting the family crest embedded in her robe, they began to stir with recognition.
“The… Ignas Family…?”
“Hello. Would you have a moment to speak with me?”
Karen asked with a gracious smile, and the priest spread both arms in response.
“Of c-course! We welcome your visit to Neptune’s Temple! Thanks to the Ignas Family’s generous donations last year, we’ve been able to maintain our operations smoothly! Rather than here, perhaps we should move to the reception room…!”
“No, that won’t be necessary… I’d like to ask about the sacred relic. Where is the other half of the Holy Spear?”
“Haha. The spear blade is safely kept in a place deep within our temple, known only to us. If it were displayed in its complete form and fell into the hands of the wicked, it would be catastrophic.”
「Antagon’s Rune has detected the other party’s agitation!」
「Intellect temporarily increases by 1!」
‘Hmm…?’
As I watched the priests nervously fidgeting with their sleeves, Karen returned and opened her mouth.
“…So that’s what they said. Did you hear the conversation?”
“Yes, but… that priest is lying.”
Given the circumstances, there was only one answer.
‘The spear blade of the Holy Spear isn’t underwater right now!’
I understood why they would hide it—if word spread that they’d lost a sacred relic, it would severely damage the Religious Orders’ reputation.
But to prevent the catastrophe that would soon arrive, we absolutely needed the complete Holy Spear.
Bringing up Leviathan out of nowhere would only get me branded a lunatic, so securing the Religious Orders’ cooperation seemed impossible.
How could I possibly extract information about the other half of the Holy Spear?
“Karen, do you have any good ideas? Like using the family name to pressure them for answers like before…?”
“That would backfire. No matter how much we invoke the Ignas Family’s name, if the conversation turns to sacred relic management, it could escalate into questions of responsibility—they’d clam up even tighter.”
“Damn… So the only way left is to sneak in and find out ourselves…?”
Somewhere deeper in the temple, there would surely be documents detailing the whereabouts of the lost sacred relic.
But I couldn’t fathom how to breach the temple’s formidable defenses and reach that location.
Moreover, with the mermaid attacks creating a state of emergency, security would be even more reinforced.
‘Layered barrier magic is woven throughout the temple…’
Infiltrating by transforming into creatures like Lesser Rat or Radgit was out of the question.
Barriers were packed so densely underground that tunneling beneath them was impossible.
Just as I was pondering what to do, a massive bell chimed and the Temple Guide called out.
“All guests, please exit! It’s now time for the Blessing of the Catch!”
“The Blessing of the Catch?”
“Yes, our temple’s priests hold a grand feast once daily with fresh seafood caught that day. It’s a ritual to give thanks for the sea god’s blessings and to pray that fishermen will avoid storms and return with bountiful catches!”
As the Temple Guide continued his explanation, I rested my chin on my hand, observing the excited priests around me.
‘So basically, it’s like a restaurant’s break time—everyone clears out.’
In that moment, a brilliant idea suddenly struck me.
“Everyone, come here!”
I led my companions out of the temple and up into the carriage parked in the plaza.
“Where shall I take you?”
“To the place in Liberta where they source seafood!”
“Pardon? That’s not a tourist attraction, and I doubt you’d have business there.”
“I’d like to see how the locals of this city live their daily lives. I’m also curious about what food the priests of Neptune’s Temple eat.”
“If that’s the case, I’ll take you there at once!”
The Carriage Driver cracked his whip, and the carriage lurched forward with a jolt.
After some time had passed and we arrived at our destination, a landscape vastly different from the opulence of Liberta came into view.
Muscular fishermen were sweating as they unloaded cargo, and the gutters were strewn with discarded fish scraps, emanating a pungent fishy odor.
Among the unloaded goods, particularly large wooden crates caught my eye.
Empty now, they bore the emblem of Neptune’s Temple carved into their surface.
“Those are the supplies delivered to the Temple, aren’t they? What sort of food do the priests mainly eat?”
“Octopus, cod, sardines… ah, and Rapid Crabs too! They’re a flower crab monster mainly caught in the Tidal Flats of this region. Their shells are hard as stone, and they move so swiftly that no person can catch them.”
“How do we reach the habitat of the Rapid Crabs?”
“Just follow that beach for a while and you’ll find it. It should be low tide soon, so you’ll be able to see them directly. Liberta has quite a dramatic tidal range, you see.”
“Thank you.”
I pressed a tip into the Carriage Driver’s hand and made my way toward the beach.
“Are you going to hunt the creatures the Carriage Driver mentioned?”
“Yes. I think I can infiltrate by disguising myself as foodstuffs.”
Just as Odysseus had clung beneath a flock of sheep to evade the Cyclops’ gaze, if I transformed into provisions and mixed myself among the supply boxes, I could slip naturally into the Temple’s interior.
After walking a bit further and passing the Harbor, I arrived at a White Sandy Beach bathed in dazzling sunset light.
A sight so breathtakingly beautiful it could steal one’s very soul.
Beyond the horizon, the setting sun painted the entire sea in gold and crimson, while the breaking waves sparkled like jewels at their crests.
Radi watched my expression carefully, then timidly removed her shoes and wandered across the sand, crying out in an excited voice.
“Th-this is such a strange feeling! It’s cold… and the sand is seeping between my toes. So this is the sea I’ve only heard about….”
“Don’t wander too far. Stay around this area.”
Since there was still some time before the tide would fully recede, I settled onto the White Sandy Beach and spent the time in leisurely contemplation.
‘This is… rather curious.’
The sea of Belheim was originally a realm overflowing with monsters.
Relaxing leisurely along the coast like this was unthinkable, and venturing even slightly out on a boat would bring forth maritime beasts the size of houses.
And the turning point for that was the emergence of Leviathan, who could be called the supreme leader of the seas.
‘…Could it be that if I vanquish Leviathan, the sea will remain freely accessible from now on?’
If I were to eliminate Leviathan, the other deep-sea monsters wouldn’t awaken sequentially, so it was certainly a plausible notion.
Once maritime content was unlocked, cargo transport via sea routes would become smooth, which would greatly aid in preventing the catastrophe that would unfold hereafter.
But as I gazed solemnly across the sea, Karen standing awkwardly came into my field of vision.
“Karen, aren’t you going into the sea?”
“I’d rather not.”
Karen turned her head away reluctantly.
‘Could she be wary of falling into the water and causing a mana rampage?’
She likely had similar experiences in the past where her condition had endangered those around her.
…A mana rampage constitution.
After pondering for a moment, I offered her a piece of advice.
“Well… this is just something I heard from an acquaintance, but it’s not good to suppress your magical power too much.”
“What did you say?”
“Until now, you’ve only been trying to suppress your mana, haven’t you? If you keep your magical power locked away in a constrained state, your control ability might actually become duller. Since the pathways for circulating your mana finely are blocked, it all bursts out at once.”
“…Then what should I do?”
“Rather than suppressing your rampaging mana, try releasing it at full power instead. In doing so, you might find the thread of control. And if you collapse from exhaustion, we’ll protect you reliably.”
I gazed at Karen with a deliberately gentle smile.
I too had once lost control of my abilities in the past, and I’d grasped the knack by recklessly casting spells in desperation.
The odds were slim, but if Karen succeeded in controlling her mana output, she would become an incredibly formidable asset.
“…I’ll give it a try.”
As time passed in this manner, the seawater soon noticeably receded.
When the waves subsided and the barren tidal flats were exposed, black eyes suddenly protruded from various spots in the mud.
Crabs and lobsters with thick carapaces.
｢You have encountered a group of Rapid Crabs & Rapid Lobsters!｣
｢These are crustacean monsters known for their exceptional agility! According to seafarers, they taste exceptionally delicious!｣
I immediately leaped into the tidal flats and swung my sword, but the crabs and lobsters were far too swift.
Their carapaces were equally formidable, leaving only futile blade strikes in my wake.
“Hmm… Catching them by jumping around won’t work. How do the locals here hunt these creatures?”
“It seems they rake the sea bottom with nets during high tide, but that’s impossible for us.”
“Then it’s my turn to step forward.”
Radi stepped out confidently with his new weapon in hand.
A precision crossbow with its power maximized through a pulley system.
It took considerable time to load a single bolt, but there was no better weapon for delivering a devastating strike from a distance.
“Don’t worry. I’ll avoid the vital points so you can finish them off, Doran.”
Thwang—! As a heavy bolt was fired with a sound that tore through the air, half of one crab’s body was obliterated.
I approached the creature writhing and spilling its entrails, then quickly delivered the finishing blow.
｢You have defeated a Rapid Crab!｣
｢You have acquired considerable experience from hunting a new monster!｣
“Can you transform now?”
“No, I think I need to catch a few more.”
“Hmm… Then for efficiency, it would be better to target multiple at once. Malton, Karen—could you herd them to one side?”
“Of course.”
“Got it.”
We scattered and focused on our respective roles.
As Malton and Karen herded the monsters to one location and Radi picked them off with his crossbow, then I finished them off, a notification soon appeared in my vision.
Ding—!
｢You have acquired the ability to transform into a Rapid Crab & Rapid Lobster!｣
“…Excellent!”
With this, the foundation for infiltrating the temple was now laid.

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