3 idiot chapter 118

FUI: Guess who's back bois and gurls!

 

Episode 118. Phantom Whale

That night, despite knowing it was magic beast meat, every last one of them dug in like there was no tomorrow.

The ones on night watch were rubbing their eyes as they kept guard.

Seriously, stuffing yourself like that is exactly how you end up nodding off.

…Or so I thought, as I stifled a yawn myself.

Ahh, damn, I’m sleepy.

My belly's full, and to top it off, I’d just gorged on something truly delicious.

That stuff was dangerous.

It was so good, I genuinely regretted all the times I’d tossed away magic beast meat until now.

Our entire understanding of the world just got flipped on its head.

From now on, we’re gonna have to be real careful the gluttonous crew doesn’t go doing anything reckless… that’s how good it was.

Seriously, that damn Hearty Eater’s gone and done something crazy.

“Captain, the mist’s starting to roll in.”

“Yeah… not a good sign. Tell everyone to stay sharp.”

“Roger!”

Mist at sea.

It’s a real pain—and worse, it’s considered bad luck.

Stories abound: meeting ghost ships, encountering horrific monsters in the fog.

I’ve heard more than I can count.

Which is exactly why, as sailors…

“I don’t believe in superstitions, but… I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

We’re dragging a giant shark carcass behind us as it is—wouldn’t be strange if other big ones showed up.

That unpleasant thought started turning into an actual omen.

That prickling sensation running up my spine wouldn’t go away.

I was just about to turn in for the night, and this had to happen.

“Anything bigger than that last one and I’m done for... Just that higher species of ‘Big Eater’ was enough to make me want to curl up and die...”

As I muttered and looked toward the rear of the ship...

“Huh?”

Was it just my imagination? Thought I saw the sea swell oddly for a second.

But now it’s calm as ever, the usual scenery laid out before us, gentle waves rolling along.

So yeah, no abnormalities.

That’s what I should be able to say, but...

“Damn it, not again.”

“With all this hostility in the air, no way we’re getting any decent sleep.”

“What is it this time... Giant squid?”

“I’m sleepy…”

“Minami-san, c’mon, wake up~”

“It’s breakfast time~ Get up~”

Muttering things like that, the Hearty Eater bunch emerged from the ship.

So this really is one of those situations, huh?

“Hey, what’s going on?”

“What’s going on? We’ve got a visitor. Minami!”

“…Ha! I’m awake! Everyone, here you go!”

The beastkin girl tossed out gear to everyone, and fully equipped, they all turned their sharp gazes to the silent sea.

Oh come on, give me a break.

What now?

And seriously, what the hell could even be out there in this dead-quiet ocean?

As I stood beside them, eyes locked on the water...

“...It’s here.”

The moment Kitayama muttered those words, something burst upward from the sea behind the ship, shooting out a plume of water.

…………………………

“One whale spotted! Nothing else in sight! Stay alert!”

“Same tactic as the megalodon!?”

“Hold it, Nishida! It’s still a ways off!”

Everyone stared at the sea, weapons ready, but the whale didn’t show any signs of attacking.

It just kept swimming through the mist, not even looking our way.

What the hell is that thing?

And this fog—it’s getting thicker by the second. Is that its doing too?

As I mulled it over…

“Tch… Hearty Eaters, you guys alright? That thing’s mist messes with people’s heads. Throws off your sense of direction, makes you see illusions. Nicknamed Phantom Whale. It’s the stuff of fairy tales—encounter rate’s absurdly low. Of all the damn days… Guess we went too wild on the ocean, huh?”

Well, yeah. We have been going pretty wild today.

Wouldn’t be surprising if we attracted some big attention.

I mean, a megalodon has already set its sights on us.

We tried to stuff the shark’s corpse into a magic bag, but the dragon carcass was taking up too much space, so now we’re just dragging it along.

We knew hauling bait like that might draw in something even bigger, but… never thought we’d hook a whale.

Still—what’s this about it messing with people?

Yeah, the fog’s thick and visibility’s trash, but…

"Can any of you see something other than the whale? And where do you see it?"

"Behind the ship, a huge whale."

"Same here, it doesn't look like an illusion… but it does look like a whale with a horn."

"I can only see the same… Kana, do you know anything?"

"I’ve got no idea. I was in the sky or on land most of the time."

As expected, this so-called "illusion" the Captain mentioned didn’t make much sense to us. It’d be bad if what we’re seeing is a mirage and the real one attacks from the side yelling "It was just an afterimage!" or something. But judging by the waves it's making, it sure looks like it’s really there.

"I dunno, but it doesn’t look like some illusion to me."

"Probably a matter of level or title… I can feel it coming from right behind us, but my vision's shaking and I can’t pin down where it actually is."

"Like a chaff grenade?" (Metal Gear Solid reference : basically downgraded EMP bomb but pocket sized)

"The hell’s that?"

"Ah, just talking to myself."

I see. Makes enough sense, I guess. Though I’m not sure if it’s due to our levels rising, but it’s weird how magic doesn’t seem to affect us. Maybe it’s not even magic, or maybe we’ve developed some kind of resistance. Eh, I’ll worry about it later.

"Alright, you lot. Time for some whale hunting."

"Sashimi, huh? Always wanted to try it at least once."

"Something that big… bet it's really satisfying to eat."

The two of them readied their weapons and stepped up to the deck railing. Yeah, they’re totally fired up now. Compared to the Megalodon, it doesn’t look nearly as terrifying. It’s about the same size, but… it's swimming real slow, doesn’t seem like it’s going to charge any time soon. Maybe it's trying to weaken us with the mist first, then enjoy a nice slow meal?

Foolish beast, licking its lips before the hunt.

But there's one problem.

"With something that massive… what shall we do, Master?"

Minami peered up at me, clearly grasping the problem we’re facing with a troubled look. Yeah, I get it. This is a bit of a pain.

"Should I build a floor again with 'Protection'?"

"Do you need my breath? Should I?"

I placed a hand on Kana’s head as she beamed with excitement, and she twitched stiffly in response.

"I-I was just joking… I wasn’t gonna use magic that’d ruin the good parts—"

"Kana, do it. Just the head though. Leave the body."

I flashed her a wide grin, and she stood frozen for a moment, mouth slightly agape, before slowly curling her lips into a mischievous smile.

"You sure? No getting mad later, okay?"

"If you shoot from here, you’ll hit the body too. Hit it from the side. I’ll carry you, leave the movement to me."

"Wow, rare of you. My breath will make it inedible, you know?"

As I slung her over one shoulder, she looked puzzled, but I just grinned with a low chuckle. Because right now, we’ve got a bit of a problem.

"I’ve burned through too many of our weapons without thinking ahead. We’ll definitely run out before the hunt's over. And while whales supposedly have all sorts of edible parts, I’ve got no clue how to cook the head. Never heard of anyone doing it either. Can’t even imagine how it’d taste. So yeah, we’ll sacrifice that part. There’s plenty from the neck down to gorge on anyway. Any objections?"

"None."

"Pfft. I like that decisiveness, all of you. It’s not like that shark that kept diving and dodging. We can take this one."

With that, prep was complete.

I carried the saintess on one shoulder and held a harpoon in the other. Azuma had a pickaxe as large as a scythe and a shield, while Nishida dual-wielded long kitchen knives. Minami quietly positioned herself behind me, hand on the magic bag, ready to support at any moment.

"Alright, let's do this! Seafood feast incoming!"

"”””””””Ooohhh!!”””””””"

And just like that, we leapt once more into the night sea.

Nice, nice—whale, shark, and a bunch of other seafood delicacies. First mission of the day and already a jackpot.

………………..

………………..

Once we arrived at the port, a line of national soldiers had already formed around the area. Well, yeah. That figures.

With a sigh, I hauled the "haul" we’d dragged in by ship up onto land.

One was the biggest “Gluttony” I’d ever seen—probably a higher-tier species or something. The other, a “Phantom Whale” with its head blown off.

Even at a glance, it was absurd. Defeating either of them should earn us a massive reward. And if we sold all the materials from them, we could probably live a life of luxury from here on out.

Well, not like these two will end up in my personal stash anyway.

"Mind giving us an explanation, Captain Daryl?"

From among the soldiers, the one with the most intimidating mug stepped forward.

Someone that’d normally make you shrink back just from the pressure—but to me, he was an old acquaintance.

Soldiers and Walkers of this country tend to get along pretty well, after all.

"Yo, Captain-san. As you can see, we’ve taken down a monster-sized 'Gluttony' and a 'Phantom Whale.' We also hunted a bunch of the smaller 'Gluttony' that were part of the request. Wanna see?"

I grinned, but he just gave a sour look and shook his head.

"No need. If it’s you, I wouldn’t doubt you’ve taken down plenty of 'Gluttony'... but what is this? How did you manage to hunt down monsters like these?"

Of course he’s curious.

Those two monsters tied to the back of the ship—it’s insane. The fact they’re the size of a boat is one thing, but what’s really crazy is that we killed them.

Which is why I can only say one thing.

Those guys are nuts.

"I just traveled with monsters even worse than these on a ship. I was just the one running away with my tail between my legs."

"A fast 'Black Dog' like you might be able to run... but this wasn’t running. You hunted them. What the hell is going on here?"

He looked up again at the two beasts we hauled in.

Yes, looked up. That’s how massive the corpses were.

No one would believe we killed things like these—unless they saw it for themselves.

"Captain-san, something crazy just arrived in this town. Idiots who went out to sea for the first time and came back with this kind of record. Idiots who do the kinds of things that no one would believe even if they tried to explain. But I’ve seen them. I was with them. They’re out of spec—completely insane, living outside the bounds of common sense."

"And you’re the one saying this—even though people already call you insane. Then these guys must be seriously dangerous. Worse than you?"

"I was made to realize I’m just a small fry. They’re the real 'predators.' Not just hunters—they’re monsters that devour everything."

"And where might these individuals be now?"

The Captain looked around, then suddenly flinched.

Ah, yeah. That makes sense.

Everyone does that the first time they sense their presence. That aura’s just that intense.

"...Haaaah, damn it. We finally get back on land and we’re already surrounded by soldiers."

"This time we didn’t do anything, alright? Just hunted a shark and a whale. Nothing bad."

"‘This time,’ huh? Makes it sound like you have done something before."

Leaving that comment behind, the “Black Pirates” wearing black helmets disembarked.

No matter how you looked at them, they were total villains.

Even I, who constantly gets flak for my appearance, was taken aback. They were textbook bad guys.

And they were stretching out, all casual, as they stepped off the boat.

"So, what’s up, Captain? More trouble again?"

Their leader called out to me in an easygoing tone.

Seriously, no sense of tension at all.

I sighed.

"...Daryl, explain this."

The Captain was trembling and sweating like crazy.

They’re actually friendly, and once you get used to them it’s fine, but yeah—first time, that’s always the reaction.

"That is the Walker who hunted down these 'monsters.' The party name is Hearty Eaters. You’d best remember it. Because this probably won’t be the last time something like this happens."

Saying that, I gave the Captain’s armor a pat and started walking toward the “monsters.”

Toward my dear, fellow “monsters.”

"Alright! Time for a celebration! I’ll treat you all to anything! What do you want!? Ramen from a food stall, high-end restaurants, izakayas that serve local specialties—you name it!"

...Which may have been my mistake.

They ran at me like predators after prey, eyes gleaming, and grabbed my shoulders hard.

"Did you say ramen!? You said ramen just now, didn’t you!?"

"I-I did! I definitely did! You don’t see it much in neighboring countries, but... think of it like hot pasta soaked in broth, with a different texture and—"

""Ramen, please!""

"O-oh..."

I’m not really sure how it happened, but it looks like tonight’s celebration is going to be surprisingly cheap.

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