[Vol. 7] Chapter 12: The Ghost Ship
Seeing that Violet immediately saw through her intentions, a look of satisfaction and approval appeared on the Sea Priestess’s mature yet mysteriously elegant face.
"That’s right, it’s a partnership. A mutually beneficial one where neither side will suffer any losses."
"Hmm… I’m listening."
The priestess crossed her arms leisurely, saying nothing more as she waited for the beautiful woman before her to continue. Her expression was relaxed, as if silently saying, Go on, keep trying to convince me.
Since the other party had come to her first and wasted no time making their proposal on the very night of their arrival. It was clear who held the advantage in this conversation. Violet was fully aware that the upper hand was hers.
As expected, Silisa quickly followed up.
"Earlier today, Miss Violet, you seemed interested in certain buildings on Palut Island. You even asked the guards about them. Do you remember?"
Violet raised an eyebrow but remained nonchalant, brushing off the question with a casual response.
"Oh, that? I was just curious since so many merfolk were going in and out of that place. You already explained it earlier, didn’t you? A medical facility, right? Unless… you were lying to me~?"
Watching the black-haired girl put on an innocent act, the Sea Priestess let out a small sigh.
"Miss Violet, you’re a smart person. There’s no need to play dumb. Of course, I wasn’t lying. But the purpose and significance of a ‘medical facility’ can be quite broad, wouldn’t you agree?"
"So?"
Silisa resisted the strong urge to pinch the girl's flawless, porcelain-like cheeks and sighed in resignation. Realizing that Violet wasn’t easy to fool, she paused for a moment before finally admitting the truth.
"Alright… The truth is, the Emerald Sea is currently in a state of war. While the battlefront hasn’t yet reached the Six Islands or the waters near the royal palace, the pressure on us is increasing by the day. We need help."
"Oh? A war, huh~?"
Just as she thought.
In fact, from the moment Violet first approached these islands, perhaps even earlier, when she used her SP to scan the area, she had already sensed that something was off.
The first thing that stood out was the unusually dense and sensitive defensive forces around Palut Island.
Sure, the [Noah’s Ark] was quite large and looked imposing, but at the end of the day, it was just a transport ship, not equipped with any large-scale weapons and, at least on the surface, posed little real threat.
As a seafaring race, merfolk should be highly knowledgeable about ships. There was no way they couldn’t tell this.
And yet, despite that, the moment their ship neared the surrounding waters, still over a hundred nautical miles away from the Eastern Sea Pearl. It was already being shadowed by merfolk scouts hidden beneath the waves. That explained why they were given such an enthusiastic welcome before even reaching the island.
Wasn’t this defensive perimeter set a little too far out?
Then there was the matter of those buildings Violet had noticed earlier, near the island’s central lake while waiting for Silisa.
As the Sea Priestess had explained, they were indeed medical facilities meant for treating the wounded. But the problem was… the sheer number of merfolk going in and out was far too high. If this were a time of peace, what could possibly require such large-scale medical treatment?
And then there was the atmosphere around those buildings, something about it felt distinctly off. Almost like…
A nest.
A place where something was being nurtured.
Violet had even let a small wisp of SP energy probe the area, and for a moment, she felt something. A strange reaction, as if her energy had brushed against something hidden. But before she could investigate further, Silisa had shown up, interrupting her.
And when she went back later… that presence was gone.
Violet gave a small nod, keeping her expression neutral as she continued to probe for more information.
"So, who exactly are you fighting against? And what kind of help do you need from us?"
Silisa hesitated for a moment, as if choosing her words carefully.
"Fighting against… isn’t quite the right term. To be precise, we are resisting a calamity."
"A calamity?"
"Yes. The [Ghost Ship]. Miss Violet, have you heard of that name?"
Violet raised an eyebrow.
This time, she had heard of it.
"One of the Four Great Calamities… the [Eastern Calamity]?"
"Exactly."
"Well, well…"
Back when she had traveled to the lawless southern regions to hunt down the Southern Calamity, Illusionary Cloud, Violet had already made sure to study everything there was to know about the Four Calamities.
The Origin Realm was vast and filled with countless mysteries, many of which are deeply tied to the unknown and the supernatural. However, most of these strange occurrences tend to stay confined to one place, rarely expanding outward or causing widespread destruction.
But the Four Calamities are an exception.
Unlike ordinary creatures or even entire nations, the Four Calamities wield eerie, almost unstoppable powers. But what makes them truly terrifying isn’t just their strength. It’s the fact that they move.
All of them share this trait. They may not be the most hidden or powerful entities in existence, but their sheer ability to threaten civilization makes them some of the most fearsome disasters in the world.
Compared to the Southern Calamity, Illusionary Cloud, which Violet had previously hunted down, a force that devoured all life in its path like a swarm of locusts, the Eastern Calamity, The [Ghost Ship], might not leave behind such an obvious trail of devastation. However, it is even more terrifying and shrouded in mystery, bound by strange, almost supernatural rules.
The [Ghost Ship] roams the entire sea, only ever appearing at night. There is no pattern to its movements, no logic behind when or where it will emerge.
Any ship sailing the ocean or any coastal settlement might witness its eerie presence. Only for it to vanish in the next moment, swallowed by the thick sea mist.
If you’re lucky, you might just catch a fleeting glimpse of it and remain unharmed. But if you get too close when that ghostly vessel appears, then the shadow of calamity will silently descend upon you.
The Eastern Calamity never attacks living beings on its own.
That decayed, ancient ship is said to have no crew aboard.
But the moment any vessel, whether by choice or by accident, enters the strange mist surrounding it, it will inevitably and inexplicably sink into the ocean.
And once that happens, all contact is lost.
If the [Ghost Ship] drifts too close to an unfortunate island, then once its shadow departs, every living being on that island will mysteriously vanish, leaving behind only a chilling, empty silence.
Some say the [Ghost Ship] is the embodiment of the Sea Goddess Vier’s nightmare, punishing those who defy her rules and disrespect the ocean.
Others believe it is the cursed vessel of great sinners, banished by the goddess yet refusing to fade away. They claim the ship steals souls and bodies in a desperate attempt to one day return to life, a true phantom of the sea.
But no matter what stories people tell, the [Ghost Ship] remains a terrifying mystery, beyond the understanding of ordinary people and even entire nations. It is not something that can be fought through conventional means.
Violet found this hard to believe.
“How did you even end up fighting the [Ghost Ship]? I thought it didn’t attack on its own and just wandered the seas? Besides, I can’t imagine a normal island tribe standing a chance against something like that. It’s just a single ship, how could it turn into a full-scale war?”
The Sea Priestess nodded in agreement, her clear, water-like eyes carrying a hint of solemnity.
“This… all started a few years ago.”
…………………………………
About five years ago, an unexpected visitor arrived at the royal palace of the Eastern Sea Pearl.
That man was none other than the captain of the infamous [Sea Sovereign], the legendary Pirate King, Rashid Bachiri.
He did not bring his infamous ship, nor did he come with a crew. Instead, using some unknown means, he bypassed the outer island defenses alone and entered the royal palace directly.
But he wasn’t there to assassinate anyone.
He came seeking an audience with the leader of the Mingjiao Tribe, the rulers of the Eastern Sea Pearl and the Emerald Sea, King Willipol Mingjiao.
The Mingjiao Tribe was the most powerful faction in the Emerald Sea, essentially ruling the entire region. Naturally, they were at odds with pirates, who frequently raided and plundered island settlements.
However, despite being a pirate, Rashid had a reputation that wasn’t entirely negative. He was more of a rogue outlaw, stealing from the rich rather than indiscriminately looting the weak. Because of his unique status, King Willipol did not immediately treat him as an enemy.
Instead, he chose to meet with the Pirate King in person.
And that meeting became the spark that unleashed a series of events.