Chapter 13

“Ah, the sea…” Meline took a deep breath, her arms wide as she faced the open ocean in front of them.

After finishing the duplication, Meline was exhausted. Thus, she decided to go on a brief trip to refresh her mind. When she shared her plans with Kade and Linda for the first time, Kade's expression immediately darkened. Linda, meanwhile, never came on their fishing trips.

‘It’s a fishing trip, how bad can it be?’ And thus, she made the mistake of joining them.

“A wave, a wave, a wave!”

“Miss Linda!”

Linda hugged his hand tight as yet another city-wall-sized wave slammed into their vessel.

“Hahaha! Splendid! Very refreshing!” Meline shouted, cackling. She was drenched head to toe in water. She stared at the dark clouds with delight, letting her body enjoy every sensation.

“I want to go home, I want to go home!”

Despite being a part of the heroes' party, Linda wasn't doing well. Their ship rocked left and right. The ship had been applied with magic that reduced the chances of it sinking, but said magic wasn't foolproof. Plus, that magic didn't extend to its occupants. Its passengers could very well be pulled into the sea.

Kade smiled wryly. He remembered how it was when he first came with Meline. He thought it was going to be a regular fishing trip.

And he was so wrong.

“Ahh! Ahh!” Linda’s grip on Kade tightened, while Kade grabbed the ship's helm. They sailed straight through another wave.

“Buahaha! It's fun, is it not?”

“No, it's not! I want to go home!”

“What are you talking about? We haven't even begun fishing.”

“I don't care about fishing anymore! Ahhh!” Linda let out another scream as a wave hit from the side, throwing the ship to its port.

“Be- besides! What are we even fishing for!?”

The North Sea wasn't a common place for fishing. Its harsh weather and the dangerous monsters underneath deterred any regular fisherman from coming. Adventurers occasionally came here, but it was a rare event.

“We're just fishing for regular fish, there's nothing to worry-”

“Sharks,” Kade said.

Linda blinked. “... Sharks?”

“Double Fin sharks, Miss Linda.”

“We're fishing for sharks!?” Linda shouted.

“Sharks are fish, no?”

“They're not the kind you fish! Especially not Double Fins-”

A massive wave appeared in front of them. Behind it was their target, its pitch black eyes staring back at them. Its size rivaled the size of a small fishing boat; its sharp teeth and strong jaw could crush unarmored vessels.

While they weren't uncommon, the difficulty of catching them made them a premium source of meat; thus, capturing some could net them huge profits.

“Eeep!”

“You are a member of the heroes' party, are you not? Why are you so scared?”

“Fishing ain't something I signed up for! Save me!”

“... Good luck.”

“Don't act like you have nothing to do with this, Kade!”

In truth, this really does not concern Kade. He couldn't use magic, so there's no way he could strike the shark.

“Come on, you’re a member of-”

“Stop mentioning that! It has nothing to do with this.”

“Sigh, fine, guess I’m having fun on my own.” Meline stood valiantly in the front of the ship. A dark aura engulfed her, and three black spears appeared behind her. These are the spears of the demon lord, a weapon handed down from generation to generation. A sign of the power that had its roots in the demon war.

Each spear symbolized an essential part of the demon culture. Strength, love, and connection. An essential and culturally significant weapon.

“Don’t use that for fishing!” Linda screamed. It’s the equivalent of using the hero’s sword as a kitchen knife.

“Why not? This is a powerful foe, no?”

“But it’s the demon lord’s weapon! You should treat it with respect!”

“I’m the demon lord.”

“I know that!”

Linda was baffled by how relaxed Meline seemed. Was it really fishing at this point?

Meline ignored Linda's further enquiries. She took off, the spears hovering around her as she set her course toward the shark.

The shark noticed the incoming threat. It opened its mouth, shooting a light blue laser beam at Meline. With a confident grin, Meline dodged the attack, flying side-to-side. The shark struggled to keep up. Within seconds, Meline flew above it.

She dived toward the shark, her eyes straight on the shark's back. The shark attempted to dive underwater, but a spear pierced through its fin and into its body. Blood poured out of the shark's wounded skin. Meline held the spear, keeping it on the surface.

The shark's two fins twisted. Its fin, filled with one of the deadliest poisons known to mankind, could kill a regular human within a second, and the shark would send it flying when it felt like its life was in danger.

Meline sent another one of her spears straight at the shark below. The spear flew away, dove down, and then flew horizontally above the waters. It sliced both of the shark's fins and sent them to the depths. Without any more means to defend itself, the shark attempted to escape, but to no avail. The fight ended within two minutes, and Meline brought the corpse back.

“... Wow…” Linda murmured in astonishment. Regular adventurers could take hours to fight one, while Meline finished it within a fraction of the time.

“That’s the first time I saw a shark trying to escape…”

Unlike other fish and sharks, the Double Fin was a top predator. They love playing with their prey. They would attack anyone who looks larger than them. It was the first time Linda had witnessed such a shark showing fear.

“Wow… just wow… Eeep!”

A large wave smashed the side of the boat, reminding Linda of the reality they were in.