We agreed to set sail, so you'd become the ruler of the deep sea?

Chapter 36 Loyalty, No Need for Words
"What the hell is this?"

Xia En had just woken up and was still a little groggy, but after seeing the two lines of notifications, he was no longer sleepy.

He couldn't recall doing anything that would earn him the admiration and worship of the sea creatures.

If I had to name one, rescuing the sea creature siblings would count as one.

But it shouldn't be elevated to the level of "sea creatures," right?
Xia En checked the specific information about this status.

Sea creatures' worship

Quality: Poor

【Type: Status】

[Description: The sea creatures of Coral City are spreading your tales.]

Most sea creatures will respect you, but a very small minority will hate you for it.

Your influence in the specific region "Coral City" has increased!

Every step leaves a trace.

"Oh?"

Xia En raised an eyebrow, seemingly lost in thought.

Unlike [Knight's Guardian], this status seems more like something like "regional legend" or "reputation" in some games.

In his memory, some secret paths seemed to require meeting implicit reputation requirements in order to advance to a higher level.

After thinking it over, Shane felt that the only possibility was that someone had seen the scene after he speed-cleared the church dungeon, which led to some kind of misunderstanding.
It's a good thing overall.

Xia En didn't take it too seriously.

Stepping out of the captain's cabin, Shane realized it was already evening.

In the distance, the setting sun slowly sinks below the horizon, bathing the clouds and waves in golden light. The layered mountains, shimmering with golden light, are filled with a magnificent beauty.

"It looks like the next few days will be sunny."

While admiring the beautiful scenery, Shane drew conclusions based on his nautical knowledge.

Suddenly, he smelled a strange, salty, fishy odor.

Turning his head, Shane saw a row of salted fish hanging on the wooden rack on the deck.

There were fish of all sizes, and much of it was leftover fish meat from previous meals.

The young cook, Joey, was busy working nearby, her fair face glistening with sweat.

Xia En's lips twitched. "How do you even know this?"

"Captain, you've arrived."

Upon seeing Xia En arrive, Joey quickly stopped what she was doing and said somewhat embarrassedly.

"I noticed the fish on the boat was about to spoil, so I thought I'd pickle it into salted dried fish to preserve it longer, but... I used a lot of salt."

"It's okay, you did a great job."

Xia En praised him gently.

As is his habit, storing some food that can be stored on the ship would make him feel safer.

Then, Shane's gaze swept across the deck, but he didn't see the conspicuous armored figure, which surprised him.

"Wait, where did An go?"

Joey hesitated for a moment, but then told the truth: "Mr. Knight has gone into the sea."

"Ok?"

Xia En was stunned for a moment, then quickly understood the meaning of the sentence, and his expression changed slightly.

"You mean, Anta went diving into the sea alone to retrieve it?"

"Yes."

Joey continued, "I also tried to persuade him, but the knight said that a mature knight should learn to take the initiative to contribute to his master."

Shane: "..."

These crew members are so dedicated!
In his past life, when he was a corporate slave, he was someone who seized every opportunity to slack off. He would never voluntarily work overtime for the company; he would even wish he could take eight hours a day to defecate for a fee.

Could this be the legendary King of Scrolls?
But upon further reflection, Xia En realized another reason why An had voluntarily entered the adult entertainment industry—

Too idle!
This is not meant to be derogatory, but rather to describe an objectively existing state.

With the presence of the Captain's Majesty, the Black Swan requires almost no sailors to steer it.

Upon arriving at the waters where Coral City is located, Shane immediately anchored the Black Swan there.

There weren't many forms of entertainment on the ship.

When Shane didn't show up, there were only two crew members, and they couldn't even get enough people together to play cards.

Even if Ann is a knight who can endure loneliness, he will inevitably feel somewhat bored. Over time, this may even lead to mental and psychological problems.

The same reason.

Joey was drying salted fish on the deck, partly to keep himself occupied.

Thinking of this, Xia En couldn't help but feel a little ashamed.

He was obsessed with speedrunning and monster killing in "Deep Sea Diving," but he neglected the feelings of his crew.

Wow!

Just then, a remarkably clear sound of water came from the sea.

Wearing armor, Ann emerged from the seawater, clung to the hull with both hands, and nimbly climbed onto the deck.

Upon seeing Xia En on the deck, An paused for a moment, then pressed a button to exit the "diving suit" mode.

Immediately afterwards, Ann skillfully pulled out a cardboard and a charcoal pencil from inside the armor.

Captain, I'm back.

Does this thing even have internal storage space?
Although Shane had been amazed by Anne's armor many times, it always managed to come up with something new for him.

I apologize for entering the sea without your permission.

But I believe it's part of a knight's duty.

[These are the findings of my trip; please take a look.]

After writing these words, Ann took off the burlap sack tied around her waist and respectfully handed it to Xia En.

I opened the bag and took a look.

Inside were dozens of coins with blackened surfaces, likely silver coins that had oxidized and changed color.

There are also several antique copper and silver ornaments.

Although it doesn't look very appealing, with special treatment it can be restored to its original shine and sold for the price of a dozen silver snake coins without any problem.

Xia En was somewhat touched.

For ordinary salvage workers, Coral City is an extremely dangerous place.

The complex environment, the eerie monsters, and the terrifying legends surrounding it—any one of these factors is enough to deter people from venturing there.

But An was still willing to actively explore it and even handed over the findings to himself.

Loyalty, needless to say!

At this point, Xia En made up her mind and said, "I don't mean to blame you. How you act is your freedom."

"But if you consider me a companion, it would be best to let me know in advance so that I can come to your rescue if you encounter any danger."

An was stunned. Even through the armor, Xia En could feel his silent gaze.

It took him a while to come to his senses. He clenched his right fist and pounded it twice on his left chest before writing.

I understand, my master.

This is an ancient ritual passed down through their Karlov family, signifying—

I would offer my heart to you!

"And one more thing."

At this moment, Shane smiled and said, "Come to the deck tomorrow at noon. I have an important task for you."

……

……

Noon the next day.

The sun was shining brightly, and the sea breeze was gentle.

An arrived on the deck on time, but Xia En was nowhere to be seen.

He was about to wait for the captain to arrive when Joey, who was drying fish on the deck, suddenly spoke up.

"The captain asked me to tell you that he will be exploring the Coral City with you today."

"Moreover, the captain is already waiting for you at sea."

'Captain, you can actually dive?'

A fleeting doubt crossed An's mind.

Without much thought, he switched to his armor and leaped into the sea.

As the view was submerged by the deep sea.

A strange figure gradually appeared before An's eyes.

Happy New Year!


(End of this chapter)