The Lord Just Wants to Have Fun

‘There’s no need to fight if we don’t have to.’

If a battle broke out, the ship he had painstakingly built could be damaged, and his crew or passengers could be injured.

Moreover, this ship wasn’t just carrying any passengers—many high-ranking nobles were aboard.

If any of them got hurt, the consequences would be severe.

“Increase speed!”

At Philip’s command, the crew rushed to adjust the sails.

However, the Tritons were faster than the ship.

It wasn’t going to be easy to outrun them.

‘It looks like escaping won’t work…’

As Philip debated whether to fight or keep running, a semi-transparent scroll appeared before his eyes.

[Sudden Mission: Repel the Tritons]

A horde of Tritons, wielding weapons infused with dark power, has invaded Lake Valhas.

Defeat them before innocent civilians fall victim.

Reward: 12,000 points
Time Limit: 1 day

‘Of course, we have to fight!’

After seeing the mission, Philip made up his mind.

If escape was difficult, it was better to prepare and fight on his own terms.

Besides, defeating the Tritons would earn him more points than even building an ironworks.

He couldn’t afford to pass up this mission.

“Throw overboard any unnecessary weight! We need to lighten the ship to—”

“Wait!”

Philip interrupted the captain, his expression resolute.

“We’ll eliminate them here.”

“My lord, it’s too dangerous!”

His bodyguard, Terry, immediately objected.

Andy was just as opposed.

“Sir Terry is right, my lord. Tritons are no easy opponents. It would be wiser to retreat and gather a proper extermination force.”

However, Philip shook his head.

If they waited for reinforcements, the mission deadline would pass, and he’d lose the reward.

Of course, he couldn’t say that outright.

“Do you really think we have time to gather a force? Even if we escape, those creatures will chase us all the way to Solein Village. The villagers will suffer if we don’t stop them here.”

“There’s no guarantee they’ll pursue us to the village—”

“Captain, are you saying you’re afraid to fight? Where’s the fighting spirit of a seafaring man?”

“That’s not it. I’m just concerned that if something goes wrong, the ship could sink—or worse, you could be injured, my lord.”

Philip grinned confidently.

“I can protect myself. And my guards are far from weak!”

His elite guards stood behind him—handpicked from the best of the garrison.

They were clad in Damascus steel armor and armed with muskets, specially designed with rifled barrels for improved range and penetration.

Each soldier also carried healing potions to tend to injuries mid-battle.

‘Plus, we have Terry, an upper-rank Expert, and Andy, who recently reached lower-rank Expert. With them, I doubt we’ll lose—even against those monstrous fish-heads.’

Seeing their lord’s confidence, the guards thumped their breastplates and roared with determination.

“Yes, my lord!”
“Trust us!”

They had already loaded their muskets the moment they saw the Tritons.

Though Terry and Andy sighed, they began preparing for battle as well.

Meanwhile, Francesca turned to her elite elven mercenaries and issued an order.

“We fight alongside Baron Brandel.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

Philip nodded gratefully.

“I appreciate your assistance, Madam Francesca.”

“It’s only natural to help a business partner. But first, we should secure the passengers in a safe place.”

Philip agreed and quickly ordered the nobles to take shelter below deck.

However, a few noblemen refused.

Instead, they drew their swords and stepped forward.

“Baron, I shall fight alongside you!”

“Hiding in fear of hideous monsters? The war god would never forgive such cowardice!”

Some wanted to protect their own entourage.

Others simply refused to be seen as cowards in front of noble ladies.

Either way, their support boosted morale.

Philip wasted no time.

“Clear the deck! Musketeers and archers, prepare to fire!”

The captain and crew gripped their cutlasses and axes, standing at the ship’s railings.

Meanwhile, the Callisto Trading Company’s mercenaries and sword-trained noblemen armed themselves with crossbows and blades, ready for battle.

As Philip loaded his rifle and pistol, he suddenly noticed Francesca still standing on deck.

Startled, he called out.

“Why haven’t you taken shelter below?!”

“Don’t worry about me, my lord. I’m stronger than I look.”

She didn’t seem particularly strong, but there was a confidence in her stance.

Philip didn’t press further and turned his gaze back to the Tritons.

By now, they were within musket range.

“Aim! Fire!”

At Philip’s command, his guards pulled their triggers.

Tatata-tang!

The loud crack of gunfire echoed across the lake.

Screeeeeech!

The lead Tritons, once charging confidently toward their prey, suddenly spurted blue blood and collapsed into the water.

They had never encountered ranged attacks that could pierce their scales before.

The sudden devastation left them stunned.

‘So these are the weapons I’ve heard about…!’

Francesca, having instinctively covered her ears, stared wide-eyed at Philip.

Before she could process it further, she saw him rallying his men.

“Keep firing! There are still plenty of them left!”

“Yes, my lord!”

The musketeers reloaded swiftly, continuing their barrage.

Amidst them, one stood out—Andy.

Not only was he hitting the Tritons’ weak spots—their eyes— with deadly accuracy, but his reloading speed was remarkable.

While a regular soldier managed to fire one shot, Andy had already fired three.

Philip couldn’t help but be shocked.

‘Wait… that’s tap-loading! Just like the 19th-century British riflemen! I never even taught him that…’

Tap-loading was a technique where the butt of the rifle was struck against the ground to compress the powder and bullet more quickly—eliminating the need for a ramrod.

Somehow, Andy had figured it out on his own.

“Wow, they’re taking down the Tritons so easily!”

“At this rate, we might actually win!”

The sailors and nobles were astounded by the effectiveness of the “Weapons of Eldir” they had only heard about in rumors.

However, the Tritons weren’t about to retreat easily.

“Kyaoooohhh!”

A massive shark-headed Triton, presumably their leader, let out a ferocious roar, smacking its underlings aside and forcing them to charge forward again.

This time, they were using their fallen comrades’ bodies as shields as they advanced.

Philip scoffed.

“Hah, these fish-heads actually have some brains.”

“More importantly, that one seems to be their leader.”

Terry pointed toward the massive Triton, towering over the others.

Philip nodded and looked toward Andy.

“I’m already aiming.”

Andy smiled faintly, as if to say, “Leave it to me.”

Bang!

The gunshot rang out as his bullet soared toward the Triton leader’s head.

But in that very moment, a black light shimmered—

And the bullet was deflected.

Both Andy and Philip looked on in shock.

“W-What the…?”

“Damn black magic!”

Philip gritted his teeth.

Now that he thought about it, the sudden mission had mentioned that the Tritons had obtained dark-infused weapons.

‘How the hell did they get black magic weapons?’

Not all monsters were servants of the demonic forces.

This was highly unusual.

Just as Philip was piecing things together, the Triton leader raised its black trident high.

Suddenly, massive bubbles erupted from the water—

And shot toward the ship like deadly projectiles.

“Damn it! That’s dangerous!”

Philip’s face paled.

He could tell at a glance—this was a devastating black magic attack.

But before the attack could strike—

Francesca suddenly pulled a small leaf from a sachet attached to her fan and tossed it into the air.

“Dryad, protect my ally!”

As the enchanted leaves infused with the power of tree spirits fluttered through the air, they expanded dramatically, forming a shield-like barrier in midair.

BOOM! SPLASH!

The dark magic-infused water bullets struck the barrier, causing a heavy downpour onto the deck.

Several sailors and guards were knocked off balance by the impact.

But that wasn’t the worst of it.

“My lord! My rifle won’t fire!”

“Mine won’t either!”

The gunpowder in their muskets had gotten wet!

Philip’s expression hardened as he grasped the dire situation.

Meanwhile, Brigol, the Chief of the Black Shark Clan, grinned wickedly.

‘Lord Vargas’s weapons are truly powerful!’

He had come to attack Baron Brandel’s territory under Vargas’s orders—

And had retaliated against the humans’ strange magic using the dark magic-infused weapon Vargas had provided.

Their magical leaves had blocked his attack, but the real victory was in the consequences—

The humans’ noisy magic weapons had fallen silent.

KIIIIEEEKK!

Encouraged by their leader’s counterattack, the Tritons renewed their charge, swarming toward the ship.

Though elven mercenaries fired crossbows, the Tritons deflected the bolts with their tough scales, climbing onto the deck.

“Not so fast!”

SLASH!

Terry’s aurora-infused sword gleamed as he decapitated three Tritons just as they were about to board.

A short distance away, a Triton lunged at Philip—

Only to have its eye pierced by an arrow from Andy.

“It’s a good thing we didn’t discard our bows.”

“Indeed, that was close.”

Terry and Andy exchanged nods of approval, while the nobles, emboldened by their courage, fought fiercely against the invading Tritons.

Though the wet muskets were useless, the guards swiftly fixed bayonets and engaged in melee combat.

Philip swung the butt of his rifle, knocking a Triton flat on the deck.

“Not so fast, fish-head!”

But the monster shrieked and started getting back up—

Philip immediately thrust his bayonet into its neck—

“Huh?”

The blade barely pierced the Triton’s tough scales.

Philip’s eyes widened in shock.

Before the Triton could retaliate, Francesca swiftly drew a dagger from her sleeve—

And stabbed the creature in the eye, finishing it off.

“Their scales are too tough—aim for their weak spots!”

Before she could say more, Philip suddenly shoved her aside.

A Triton lunged forward, jaws wide open.

Philip swiftly kicked it away—

Then followed up by driving his bayonet into its eye, just as Francesca had advised.

“Thanks.”

“Just repaying the favor.”

Philip helped Francesca up and surveyed the battlefield.

The battle on deck was raging.

Though the guards and nobles were struggling, they were holding their own.

At the center of the fight, Terry stood out.

Now a high-ranking Expert, he sliced through multiple Tritons with each swing of his blade.

His masterful swordsmanship had already prevented any fatalities, and even the injured had suffered only minor wounds.

With some breathing room secured, Philip immediately issued orders.

“Dry off your weapons, NOW! And heal the injured—use the potions! Don’t hold back!”

“Yes, my lord!”

In most armies, healing potions were reserved for knights, never wasted on regular soldiers.

But Philip was different.

‘These are my elite troops. If I can save their lives with potions, I’ll use as many as I need!’