Chapter 19: The Frozen Sea and the Wrath of the Unknown

The harbor of Rupen was filled with countless ships.

From large trading vessels to fishing boats heading out to sea, there were all kinds of ships docked. Among them, what naturally caught my attention was the grand cruise ship with its dazzling exterior.

Of course, I couldn’t board that ship—it wasn’t bound for the Karma Empire.

I gathered various pieces of information from the sailors. One ship heading to the Karma Empire was scheduled to depart today, and if I missed it, I wouldn’t find another one for at least a week.

Determined to catch that ship, I set out to find its captain.

I tracked him down to a tavern, where he was slumped in a corner. As I approached, he recognized me and greeted me warmly.

“Oh! Isn’t this the Ogre Slayer!”

His exaggerated gestures and loud voice immediately drew everyone’s attention in the tavern toward me. Most of the onlookers stared with interest.

“Ogre Slayer?”

I frowned at the title. I wasn’t the one who took down the ogre—it was the knight, Lycan.

Just as I was about to correct him, the captain, as if it didn’t matter, started humming a strange, rhythmic song.

“Oh, Seris, the small and beautiful mage, if you earn her wrath, her cold magic will freeze even your heart!”

It was a spontaneous song, seemingly made up on the spot.

The sailors around us began tapping their mugs and tables in rhythm with his tune. I crossed my arms and observed quietly, curious to see how far this would go.

The captain burst into laughter at my reaction but continued his song.

In the song, I was portrayed as a proud mage of the Tower, involved in some kind of intriguing relationship with an unnamed knight. Yet, the song showed no sign of ending.

With a sigh, I finally addressed him.

“When are you going to stop?”

“Ah? Not fun? My bad, then.”

The captain chuckled lightly and sat down, his demeanor now calm and composed—a stark contrast to his previous lively performance.

The tavern was still filled with chaotic, off-key songs, making his sudden change seem even more out of place.

“So, you’ve come to board my ship?”

“How did you know?”

“If someone comes looking for a ship’s captain, there’s only one reason, isn’t there?”

“Yes, I’m here because I want to board your ship.”

The captain gave a bright smile and suddenly stood up with such force that his chair toppled backward.

He pressed a tricorn hat firmly onto his head and said to me, “Since a distinguished guest has arrived, it looks like we’ll have smooth sailing. Are you ready for the long voyage?”

“Is there anything I’ll need?”

“Oh, of course! Were you planning to cross the rough seas without any preparation?”

The captain listed the essential supplies needed for the month-long journey: personal food and water, spare clothes, and, most importantly, preserved foods packed with nutrients—like fresh fruit or something similar.

He even warned that without proper nutrition, one could fall victim to a terrible disease that could lead to death.

In short, he was advising me to take enough vitamins to avoid scurvy.

Though I was a bit uneasy about the fact that he had been drinking heavily on the very day of the voyage, it was clear that he knew what he was doing when it came to sailing.

Following his advice, I went about gathering all the necessary supplies.

However, a problem arose. The heavy ogre hide and the goods I’d need for a month were too much for me to carry on my own.

If I strengthened my body with mana, I could make a few trips between the inn and the ship, but the mana cost would be extremely inefficient.

As they say, having more money makes you spend more freely… and it seemed I was learning that lesson firsthand.

I stepped out onto the street and handed money to a few sturdy-looking men, asking them to carry my belongings to the ship. Thankfully, they agreed without hesitation, and none of them had any ill intentions or tried to run off with my things.

Once we arrived in front of the large trading vessel, I sought out the captain to ask about the cost.

However, he responded with a hearty laugh, declining any payment.
“Money? Forget it. No sane captain would charge a mage for boarding. Just use your magic to help us if things go south—that’ll be more than enough.”

“And what kind of help are you talking about?”

“For example, if we encounter pirates or if the sea god becomes angry and a fierce storm strikes!”

I wasn’t sure about calming a storm, but I could certainly assist if we faced pirates.

I nodded in agreement. With that, my boarding was officially confirmed, and the captain, overjoyed, extended his hand for a handshake.

But the strong smell of alcohol on his rough hands made me instinctively tuck my arms behind my back.

“Hah! Just like they say.”

The captain didn’t seem offended. He merely nodded, as if my behavior fit the stories he had heard about mages.

My belongings were moved into a small room, separate from the crew’s quarters. When I asked the captain about it, he explained that it was a special room reserved for important guests.

The room was cramped, with barely enough space for a bed, a chair, and a small table, just large enough to hold a single bag. Once all my things were placed inside, the space felt even more crowded.

The captain then took me around the ship, introducing me to the sailors, proudly announcing that I was a mage.

Naturally, some of the crew seemed skeptical.

“Is this person really a mage?”

“Of course! Do you think the lord’s knight would lie about that?”

“But… they’re not even wearing a mage’s robe…”

Before I could respond, the captain was already scolding the sailor, his face flushed. Whether it was anger or the alcohol reddening his face, I couldn’t tell—but the fact remained: he was defending me.

“Yes, I am a mage.”

A mage is someone who can wield magic.

I raised my hand slightly, channeling the starlight mana that flowed from my heart. It surged through my arm and emerged as a gentle breeze.

The faint wind shimmered with a soft starlight, drifting like the Milky Way across the night sky.

The captain and the sailor’s stunned expressions told me all I needed to know about how they saw the display.

“This is…”

With that simple demonstration, their doubts were put to rest.

I dispersed the wind with a small smile.
“See? I am a mage.”

“Ah… yes…”

The sailor nodded blankly, as if entranced.

By the time the sun hung overhead, the sails were unfurled, and the anchor was raised.

The large vessel surged forward, cutting through the waves with ease.

Standing at the ship’s edge, I watched the port city shrink in the distance.

Though my time here had been brief, a lot had happened. Without meeting Rain, I wouldn’t have awakened to the power of mana or captured the ogre.

Though I didn’t believe in destiny, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I would cross paths with Rain again someday. A faint smile formed on my lips as I recalled her gentle expression.

They say the horizon is where the sky and sea meet. Now, as the ship sailed far from land, we were surrounded by the horizon on all sides. Everywhere I looked—north, south, east, or west—there was nothing but an endless expanse of blue.

The open sea gave me a sense of liberation, as if everything around me had been set free.

A cold ocean breeze brushed against my skin like a blade, but even that sharp sensation felt pleasant. My brown hair fluttered in the wind, revealing faint traces of gold—the dye fading away.

Closing my eyes, I focused on the surrounding mana. It stretched out quietly, peaceful and vast like the sea itself. The deeper I immersed myself in it, the more distant the surrounding sounds became.

It felt as though I were sinking into a sea of mana, my mind slowly descending into its tranquil depths.

The mana flowed steadily, forming a new circle—my third mana circle was complete.

A week into the voyage, I was on deck as usual, enjoying the breeze. Suddenly, the bright sky began to darken, and the mana around me shifted, as if in response to the changing weather.

“Huh…”

The captain rushed out, looking up at the sky. The once-clear blue expanse was now shrouded in ominous dark clouds, heavy with the threat of rain.

“Looks like we’re in for a storm…”

The captain noticed the unsettling shift in the wind and ordered the crew to furl the sails. The sailors moved quickly, preparing for the storm they expected.

But the storm never came.

Instead, the change began beneath the ocean.

Crack! Crrrack!

From the depths, a massive surge of mana stirred, and the sea began to freeze.

Ice spread rapidly across the water’s surface, locking the once-swaying waves in place and halting the ship’s movement entirely.

I turned to the captain, as did every sailor aboard.

They all looked to him, trusting that someone with his experience would know what to do in such an unprecedented situation.

But the captain was at a loss for words.

“Is this… the sea god’s wrath?” I asked.

“It… could be,” he muttered.

“Have you ever seen the sea freeze like this before?”

“Not in all my years.”

“So, what do we do now?”

The captain remained silent, clearly overwhelmed by the strange phenomenon. It was evident that even he had never encountered anything like this before.

He quickly gathered the crew and ordered them to assess the situation. They decided to leave the ship and inspect the frozen surface beyond.

To ensure the ice was safe, they first hurled a heavy log onto it. It hit the surface with a thud—but the ice didn’t crack.

Once the ice was deemed solid, the sailors cautiously disembarked, one by one. I followed them, stepping onto the frozen sea.

The ice felt solid underfoot, its cold seeping through my boots. It wasn’t an illusion or a trick—it was real ice.

As we explored, we noticed fish beneath the ice, frozen in place mid-swim, as if time itself had stopped for them.