Battle Race in the Fantasy World

EP.124 We Decided to Call This a Disaster

That’s Pardal Island over there. It’s much bigger than I imagined?

I thought it would be a small area since it’s called an island, but it’s not.

Let’s see. But where’s the port? We can’t just land anywhere.

Kyle, who’s not a ship but a person, continues swimming while searching for the port.

The reason is simple. The port is the perfect place to announce my arrival.

Sneaking ashore and barging in would disgrace the name of Jonathan.

As a son to my parents, and a brother to my siblings, I can’t do that.

I must properly reveal my identity, give them time to prepare, and then fight!

‘Oh. Found it.’

Kyle spotted where ships were coming and going, and swam towards it.

He was so fast that he could easily catch up to most ships.

“…?”

“What’s that?”

The sailors who were entering or leaving the port noticed Kyle.

At first, they thought someone had fallen overboard and tried to rescue him, but soon gave up.

He was swimming skillfully, and he had already entered the port area, so he could reach the shore.

They thought he might be someone who had been swimming nearby and came to the port.

Of course, Kyle had been swimming all the way from the Empire’s port, not just from nearby.

“Come up quickly.”

As he reached the port, one of the soldiers waiting on land extended his hand.

Grasping his hand, Kyle finally stepped onto land and smiled with satisfaction, letting out a “Whew!”

‘It feels like I’ve really pushed myself to the limit after a long time.’

Unlike the north, the water was warm, which had worried him a bit.

He had wondered if he might end up just splashing around a little.

Fortunately, the distance was quite far, so he got as much exercise as he had expected.

The soldiers stared blankly at Kyle, who was smiling contentedly.

They had thought he had fallen into the water and barely made it out, but was that not the case?

“…It’s an unfamiliar face. You’re not from around here, are you?”

“No, I’ve come from quite far. From the Empire, actually.”

The moment they heard this answer, sighs of disbelief erupted among the soldiers.

It takes half a day by fast ship to get from the Empire to Pardal Island.

And he’s saying he swam that distance, from the mainland to Pardal?

Even lies should have some effort put into them to be believable. This was crossing the line.

It might have been understandable if he had fallen into the sea just ahead and swam from there.

“That’s enough joking. Please tell us which island you’re really from.”

“But I really did come from the Empire.”

When he answered so seriously, they wondered for a moment if it could be true.

But why would someone from the Empire be swimming?

As far as they knew, even the ship from the Empire wasn’t due to depart for another two days.

The situation couldn’t even be explained as a castaway who had fallen from a ship.

“Listen, if you keep this up, it’s going to be very troublesome…”

“You say you’re from the Empire?”

One of the soldiers, who seemed to be a senior, spoke with a displeased voice.

He appeared to be someone with a rather negative view of the Empire.

The history of Pardal Island itself began with refugees from a kingdom defeated by the Empire.

Naturally, their perception of the Empire, while not the worst, was far from positive.

“Do you know what happens when someone from the Empire enters Pardal Island without a pass?”

“I’m sorry. I’m not sure.”

“We investigate, and if we find you’ve entered with ill intentions, according to our rules…”

“I came with ill intentions. So, please proceed according to your rules.”

He even extended his hands as if asking to be arrested right away.

Kyle’s actions left the soldiers completely bewildered.

What’s with this guy? Is he crazy? Who admits to such things with their own mouth?

“…I think we need to report this to the lord’s castle.”

“Let’s do that. This guy doesn’t seem to be an ordinary lunatic.”

An unidentified person from the Empire has entered, claiming to have ill intentions.

They wondered what kind of response such a report would elicit.

===

**

===

“…What did you just say?”

The face of the Lord of Pardal Island, who was in the middle of having lunch, slightly contorts.

He was having an intimate meal with his family after a long time.

The sudden news was beyond unpleasant; it was absurd.

“A suspicious person entered the island, saying they’re from the Empire?”

“That’s correct, my Lord.”

“The regular transport from the Empire wouldn’t depart for at least two more days, even at its fastest.”

“Hence, we’re considering if it might be a spy sent by the Empire…”

He wonders what kind of spy would openly declare their ill intentions.

Moreover, they didn’t come in the dark of night, nor did they arrive at a deserted shore.

They came swimming, in broad daylight, right into the harbor watched by hundreds of eyes.

‘What on earth is this?’

As the Lord massages his temples, a thought crosses his mind: ‘Could it be?’

Those rescued castaways from not long ago, the hardliners from the Western Alliance.

They claimed to have escaped before being captured by the Empire, and he’s been hiding them on the island for now.

The Western Alliance, the Eastern nomadic tribes, and the independent lords of the South.

Even without direct communication, their mere existence helps each other.

It prevents the Empire from concentrating its forces on any one place.

But now the Alliance has completely collapsed, and the pro-Empire faction has gained power.

This means the Empire’s strength, previously focused on the West, could shift elsewhere.

Wary of this, the Lord of Pardal Island decided to secretly aid the hardliners.

He hoped they would return to the Alliance and continue to keep the Empire in check.

‘…Has the Empire figured it out?’

He knew it couldn’t be kept secret forever.

So he planned to let them stay here briefly before moving them elsewhere.

He would tell the Empire it was just a rescue of castaways, that he didn’t know their identities.

After all, rescuing castaways at sea is a moral duty, regardless of friend or foe.

But this is too fast. Even if information leaked, the response is excessively quick.

They say the Western Alliance was subdued without shedding a drop of blood – are they trying to do the same to the South?

Especially when the naval power of the independent lords is not inferior at the moment?

‘I’ll need to meet this person from the Empire myself to understand the details.’

Whether it’s a deranged visitor from the Empire or an esteemed guest with knowledge.

He felt it was right to see and judge with his own eyes, rather than anyone else’s.

So he ordered the young man from the Empire to be brought in.

Naturally, with heavy handcuffs on his hands, prepared for any situation.

“My Lord. We’ve brought the young man as you ordered.”

“Bring him in.”

If he’s truly a spy, we’ll deal with him, and if he’s just an unfortunate soul with mental issues…

Well, in that case, we’ll need to think a bit more, the Lord was muttering to himself when-

‘Oh…’

The image of an Empire spy gradually fades from his mind.

The notion of an unfortunate young man with mental issues also crumbles away.

The young man approaching before his eyes was far, far removed from either of those two possibilities.

The pectorals announce their presence cheerfully. The trapezius muscles glare as if asking what he’s looking at.

The deltoids grumble that the door is too narrow, and the abdominals shyly greet from beneath the clothes.

‘This, this is supposed to be a spy?’

He had never seen or heard of a spy built like this.

With a body like that, he would stand out wherever he went.

This is hardly welcome for spies, whose life depends on being inconspicuous.

Above all, the unmistakable aura of a powerful individual.

This aura was reminiscent of seeing the Wave Tamer of Pardal Island.

“Are you the Lord of Pardal?”

He neither stumbles over his words nor shows a lack of manners.

As he asks the question in a polite tone, the Lord of Pardal Island reflexively nods.

“Ah, that’s a relief. When they said I was going to see someone important, I thought I might be meeting just a harbor master or something.”

The young man, speaking words that were hard to comprehend, steps forward.

And suddenly extends his hand, offering a handshake.

“Pleased to meet you. I’m Kyle Jonathan.”

The Lord grasps the offered hand. But as he does, something feels off.

Surely this young man was wearing handcuffs when he came in.

The type that binds both hands together, making it impossible to move them freely.

And yet…

‘And yet, how am I shaking his hand?’

Soon, the Lord could see the reason.

He spotted the steel bracelet, no, the handcuffs dangling from the young man’s wrist.

“Oh, my. It broke. Should we put it back on? If that makes you feel more at ease.”

Fortunately, the soldiers who noticed the broken handcuffs put on new ones.

Perhaps the handcuffs were defective, or maybe they were old and on the verge of breaking.

“Well then. Once again. Nice to meet you. I’m…”

Ting-. Thud-.

The handcuffs that had been restraining his wrists just moments ago now lay on the floor.

They had just put on new handcuffs, so why were they broken again?

The soldiers rush forward again, but the Lord waves them away.

He instinctively felt that no matter how many handcuffs they put on, it would be useless.

Even if they bound him with iron chains, this young man would probably break them all with a smile.

‘More importantly… he definitely said Jonathan.’

Even on an island floating in the southern sea, far removed from the Empire.

They’re not oblivious to incoming news. Rather, they’re quite sensitive to it.

He had heard of the Baron Jonathan family several times already.

Long ago, as the last warriors the Empire couldn’t subdue.

Later, as the place that half-destroyed the Academy and was plagued by all sorts of rumors.

Recently, as nobles who had resolved their awkward relationship with the Empire and were now fully cooperating.

‘The ones who brought down the Alliance, who defeated the Three Heroes. It was all Jonathan.’

The Lord of Pardal Island slowly examined Kyle.

He certainly looks strong. But there’s still no certainty that he’s the real Jonathan.

“You say you’re from the Empire.”

“Yes. For reference, this is not Empire business, but a strictly personal matter. Please don’t misunderstand.”

What nonsense, when he’s already fought on the battlefield for the Empire.

For a moment, displeasure surged, but the Lord forced himself to keep quiet.

“My Lord. Those castaways you rescued not long ago?”

“What about them?”

“Do you know that they’re part of the hardliners who fled from the Alliance?”

“…I know nothing of the sort.”

“That’s fortunate. Since you don’t know. In that case, I’d like to take custody of those castaways.”

At this, the Lord’s face twists unpleasantly.

This is not the Empire’s sea. It’s the sea of the independent lords.

Anything from the Empire is nothing more than a pretty bauble here.

To speak of taking custody of castaways at will, such words cannot be uttered here.

“You’re not in your right mind, young man.”

“Is that so?”

Kyle subtly moves closer to the Lord.

Just two steps. That’s all he took, but the Lord steps back.

Such was the enormity and fear of the aura he felt.

“Please fix your expression. It’s uncomfortable to look at.”

With a start, the Lord’s body trembles as he slowly recomposes his expression.

His pride is hurt, but his body is diligently following Kyle’s demand.

No, it was obediently complying with the monster’s threat.

“My Lord.”

Kyle leans in slightly and whispers in a gentle tone.

“This is not a request.”