Chương 148

The salty wind blew across the Stormbreak coastline. The dark water of the Red Sea crashed loudly against the rocks. Mumud raised his pale hands. He cast two glowing blue bubbles, wrapping them perfectly around his own head and Silas's. Rudra didn't need one. Thanks to his past quests, he had titles that let him breathe underwater perfectly, nullified all water resistance, and even boosted his stats by ten percent while submerged. The ocean was basically his second home.

"I'll see you at the bottom," Rudra grinned. He gripped his crackling black staff, Extortion, and casually hopped off the cliff.

"Last one down is rotten meat!" Kratos roared. The divine beast, now a massive, intimidating lion, cannonballed directly off the cliff, sending a massive splash of salt water into the air. Silas did not jump. The young clerk was clutching his thick leather ledgers to his chest, hyperventilating into the magical bubble. He stared down at the dark, churning water.

"My Liege, I cannot do this. Humans do not belong in the sea. The ledgers will get wet. I will get eaten by a giant squid."

"The bubble protects the ledgers," Rudra called out from the water.

"And I'll eat the squid. Now jump." Silas squeezed his eyes shut and furiously shook his head. Rudra sighed, reached up, grabbed Silas by the ankle, and pulled him in. Silas screamed the entire way down. But as they sank deeper, the dark water slowly lit up. The breathtaking, bioluminescent glow of the Siren Kingdom appeared. Massive coral towers stretched across the ocean floor, glowing in soft pinks and bright blues.

By the time they reached the ocean floor and walked through the city gates, Silas had stopped screaming. He was just clutching his books, keeping his eyes squeezed shut, and walking blindly behind Rudra. A squad of royal guards escorted them straight to the grand coral palace. The Siren King sat on his throne of polished shell. He smiled warmly as Rudra walked in. Then, the King's eyes narrowed slightly in surprise. He felt the undeniable, quiet weight radiating from the young Duke.

"You feel different, Duke Rudra," the Siren King noted respectfully.

"Your presence carries the weight of a true ruler."

"I hit a milestone," Rudra said casually.

"It's good to see you again. We came to finalize the trade route." Rudra stepped aside, pushing Silas forward.

"This is Silas. He handles my money." The warm atmosphere in the throne room instantly vanished. The Siren retainers standing near the throne stiffened. They glared at Silas with open disgust. The Sirens had isolated themselves for centuries because they knew humans were deceitful—a fact that was freshly proven when the Saharan Empire brutally exploited and kidnapped Princess Nerissa. Kratos ignored the heavy tension completely. The giant lion saw a glowing green jellyfish float past the palace window.

He pawed at the magical glass, his massive tail swishing back and forth.

"Can we fry that?" he asked no one in particular. A tall Siren retainer stepped forward, looking down his nose at Silas.

"We respect you, Duke Rudra, for saving the Princess and our kingdom. But we do not trust your kind. The surface only cares for exploitation and theft. We will not let another human empty our vaults." Silas stood in the middle of the room. The terrified, shivering kid from the ocean drop was completely gone. The moment business was mentioned, his demeanor shifted. He clicked his golden abacus. His eyes went totally blank and focused.

"I am not an merchant," Silas said flatly.

"I am the Administrator of Stormbreak. And we do not steal." Silas didn't try to haggle. He opened his ledger and pulled out the exact contract he had just signed with Cecilia's Silver Crest and Ves company. He slapped it right onto the coral table in front of the King.

"This is our surface distribution contract," Silas explained, laying out the numbers with zero hesitation.

"We are selling your abyssal silk and pearls to the continent for exactly this amount of gold. We are keeping sixty percent of that gold to build our city walls. We are hiding absolutely nothing from you." Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. The retainers blinked, completely caught off guard. A human was willingly showing them his exact profit margins?

"Furthermore," Silas continued, sliding the golden beads on his abacus rapidly.

"You do not covet surface gold. So we are dealing purely in equivalent exchange. In return for your goods, Stormbreak will provide premium, high-vitality wheat grown by our farming division, and high-tier health and poison-resistance potions crafted by our alchemy tower." Silas slid a second piece of paper forward.

"We calculated the exact production cost of the wheat and the potions. There is zero markup. You get everything at base cost," Silas stated firmly.

"You never have to deal with surface merchants. Stormbreak acts as your absolute shield. If anyone tries to cheat you, they deal with our Vanguard Knights." The room went dead silent. The Siren King stared at the papers. He looked at the perfectly transparent math. He had only ever heard horror stories from his ancestors about human greed, but this young clerk prioritized absolute, systemic fairness. The King nodded slowly, a deep look of approval settling on his face.

"You have a sharp clerk, Duke Rudra. He does not speak with honey, but with solid numbers. We accept these terms." The retainers, completely disarmed by Silas's brutal honesty, quickly gathered around the table to sign the logistics paperwork. Silas immediately started barking orders about cargo tonnage and crate sizes. While Silas organized the first massive shipment, the Siren King motioned for Rudra to step closer.

"My scouts have been busy since your last visit," the King said quietly.

"We have investigated the ancient lore you asked about. We successfully located eight more hidden temples belonging to Asterion, the Ocean God." Rudra's eyes lit up.

"Where?"

"They are scattered across remote islands in the Red Sea," the King explained, pointing to a map carved into the coral wall.

"However, the sea routes leading to them are incredibly treacherous. They are shrouded in thick magical fog and deadly currents. A surface boat would be torn apart." The King gestured to a sleek, athletic Siren standing by the door.

"I am assigning one of my elite Siren Scouts to act as your personal navigator. He will guide you safely."

"I appreciate it," Rudra nodded. While Rudra checked his gear, Mumud slipped quietly out of the palace. The silver-haired magician wandered through the bustling underwater streets. He avoided the newer, bright coral towers and walked toward the older, quieter district of the city. He stopped in front of a small, beautifully preserved coral house. Mumud stood frozen. This was it.

This was the exact house where he had spent his final, peaceful days hiding with his beloved wife, long before his flesh failed him and he was enslaved by Braham. An elderly Siren woman was sweeping the path nearby. She stopped and gripped her broom tightly, eyeing Mumud's pale, human-like appearance with deep suspicion.

"Surface dwellers are not allowed in this district," she warned, her voice sharp. Mumud didn't step closer. Instead, he raised his hands and offered a very old, deeply traditional Siren gesture of respect—a greeting that hadn't been used in centuries. The old Siren's eyes widened slightly. She lowered her broom just a fraction.

"Forgive me," Mumud asked, his voice trembling slightly. He gave her his wife's name.

"Centuries ago, a woman named Lia lived in this house. Did... did she leave any family behind?" The old Siren studied his face. Seeing the profound, quiet sorrow in his eyes, her posture finally relaxed.

"Yes," the old Siren answered softly.

"She grieved for a long time after her first husband died. But years later, she married a Siren guard. She had three children. Her descendants still live in the upper districts today." Mumud slowly let out a breath he felt like he had been holding for three hundred years. She was safe. She had moved on and lived a full, happy life. He hadn't failed her. A single tear rolled down Mumud's pale cheek. He reached up and wiped it away. A profound, absolute sense of closure settled over his heart.

He finally let go of the tragic past that had chained his soul. He gave the old Siren one last, grateful bow, and turned his back on the old coral house, fully ready to dedicate his second life to Stormbreak. An hour later, the group reunited at the city gates. Silas was currently bossing around a group of massive Siren guards, organizing a mountain of cargo crates holding silk and pearls.

"I'm leaving you in charge of the shipment, Silas," Rudra said.

"Mumud will stay with you to provide magical transport back to the surface. Just don't drop the ledgers." Silas didn't even look up from his abacus.

"Do not worry, My Liege. The math is perfect." Rudra grinned. He cracked his knuckles and gripped Extortion. The heavy legendary staff sparked with blue lightning.

"Alright Kratos, let's go," Rudra said. Rudra and the giant lion hopped onto a small, incredibly fast aquatic vessel waiting at the edge of the city. The elite Siren Scout took the helm. With a sharp flick of the scout's tail, the boat shot forward, speeding out into the dark, foggy waters of the Red Sea to hunt down the Ocean God's lost temples.