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The firstborn of the Felwinter Family.

The Grand Prince of the Duke of Iceland.

Godwin Felwinter, as the owner of these two titles, fell into the category often referred to as “Your Esteemed Self” in society.

However, Godwin was not oblivious to the happenings beneath him, even at the pinnacle of the social pyramid.

This was largely influenced by the vivid memories of the Richard-Alfred generation of retainers, who had all too clearly experienced hunger, regardless of status.

They often exerted themselves to avoid the situation where the first-generation conglomerate’s heir, the second generation, failed in their education and ruined the family business.

Of course, that did not mean Alfred and his retainers drilled Godwin mercilessly to become a great heir befitting the Duke’s family.

The saying goes that if the opponent is rude, one should split their head in a duel.

Excessive training might have turned Godwin into a wastrel instead.

Fortunately, Godwin diligently followed all this training.

Though he still fell short compared to Alfred.

But compared to someone who was fundamentally uprooting Iceland, it would be hard to find anyone who wouldn’t be lacking.

Usually, such a situation would crush the heir under the weight of their extraordinary father.

However, Godwin’s nerves seemed too robust for that.

As a result, Godwin had no particular thoughts about this practical dispatch.

“So then, what exactly is the situation here?”

But the scene upon arrival.

The Ship’s Claw Crab, decorating the swamp as if it were the ocean.

Moreover, the sight of his kin being captured by the Steam Phalos and ignoring it made Godwin ponder in a different manner.

Thus, upon arriving, Godwin was guided by the village chief to survey the surroundings.

To the west of the village sprawled a small coastline with sandy beaches, where Ship’s Claw Crabs were rising in real-time.

The crabs that emerged headed toward the swamps to the north and east of the village, undeterred by the aerial monsters that were capturing them, busy feasting on mud.

The southern ground was solid enough to create pathways.

Ishikobaharten was also situated on that solid ground, but conversely, the only road leading to safety that connected to the village was the path heading south to Obsidian Berry.

“Alright, Viktor. You’ve heard about the Ship’s Claw Crab before I came here, right?”

“Indeed, my lord.”

“But I don’t think I’ve heard that these guys eat mud? And what about those birds?”

“Those birds?”

Viktor looked at where Godwin pointed. A metallic bird soaring through the sky dove down like an eagle, snatching away a Ship’s Claw Crab.

“Steam Phalos. A bird-like monster covered in bronze feathers. They mostly inhabit swamps.”

“So, they’re predators. Do these things remain calm even when confronted by hunters?”

Viktor shook his head vigorously.

“This is clearly an abnormal situation. These sea creatures originally lived in the ocean and threaten the sailors’ settlements.”

“Then what’s going on here?”

Viktor paused, looking from Godwin to the village chief, then finally uttered a word.

“Exactly.”

Viktor.

A name that is common yet rare in Europa.

Add the prefix of ‘Smuggler King’ in front, and the implication changes entirely.

No power holder or criminal would be unfamiliar with the six characters of ‘Smuggler King Viktor,’ indicative of experiences far beyond what ordinary people could imagine.

Yet even Viktor had never witnessed such a sight before him.

In this world, could there really be so many crabs?

“I never imagined I would realize just how vast the world is in such a manner.”

“This Ship’s Claw… What a name. I hear these crabs attack ships?”

“Yes. They’re a group that swims over whenever a ship passes by, especially those whose diet consists of seaweed, clams, and fish.”

“Those claws look remarkably sharp.”

“That’s why they’re quite troublesome for larger but slower ships and ports.”

“Even if we cover the bottom with metal plates?”

“If there’s a large number of them, they’ll pile on top of each other and attack the hull.”

“They exclusively target the hull?”

“Yes. They have a peculiar fixation on wood. That’s why captains are always required to load a certain amount of timber.”

Godwin gestured towards the Ship’s Claw Crabs avoiding the village’s wooden fence while looking at Viktor.

“I’ve never seen such a sight before. Yet there isn’t even a major port nearby.”

“Well, anyway, with monsters this close by, chief. Have there been any damages?”

Suddenly addressed, the chief jumped in surprise.

“Oh dear, how could there not be, my lord?”

“My lord is my father. Just call me ‘Lord.’”

“Yes, my lord.”

The chief had sent people to Coldon multiple times regarding this issue.

All were ignored, but the chief understood.

Honestly, if such a situation hadn’t arisen, he would have scolded himself for speaking foolishly. Those crabs swarming the swamp, after all.

So, the chief acted. He mobilized the villagers to transport the captured Ship’s Claw Crabs to Coldon, under the pretense of submitting the tax in kind.

There were plenty of carts to make the transport. Since the swamp was in such a state, the village’s traditional industries had collapsed, so there was no need to hire anyone.

But then, an unexpected person visited the village.

While Ishikobaharten may be a direct control area, the Duke’s heir?

Moreover, who is he with? The Grand Wizard?

The chief’s heart trembled from the shock.

“Fishing was just a casual job for some villagers, but with the swarm of sea creatures rising from the coast, and the Steam Phalos coming this far, there’s no way to be at ease.”

“Are there any victims from the monster Steam Phalos?”

“Well… No, there aren’t.”

The Steam Phalos is a monster with a strong sense of territory.

They originally wouldn’t leave the depths of their swamp habitat.

Godwin understood that typically, it was not normal for a territorial monster to venture out.

There is, after all, the peculiar detail that they were focusing only on the crabs while ignoring the village and its people.

“They disregard any fishers approaching nearby crabs.”

“With the monster so close, are they actually catching crabs?”

“One cannot starve, can they?”

“Chief, what is the main product of Ishikobaharten?”

“We process the black clay dug from the swamp for sale.”

Godwin’s eyes dimmed at those words, prompting Viktor to quickly add an explanation.

“If you dry the black mud from the swamp, it can catch fire like firewood. This is referred to as wood fuel.”

“Is that so?”

“It’s nothing extraordinary; it’s just mud that’s been hardened.”

Curiously fascinating, but the problem remained unresolved.

Godwin still knew not why the Ship’s Claw Crabs were climbing onto land, nor why they had flooded the swamps.

Since even Viktor claimed he didn’t understand the reason, there was no choice but to ask someone who might.

“Viktor, where is Atanitas?”

*

*

*

West, the coastline.

North, the swamp.

East, the swamp.

Season, cool summer.

Conclusion, humidity is unbearable.

It felt as though Ishikobaharten and the nearby air were wrapped in an invisible water barrier.

Like a cat fallen into water.

The sensation of breathing with a humidifier right in front of one’s nose.

It was as bad as the worst experiences encountered in Obsidian Berry.

Karem had already grown to despise this village.

Truly, a hellish experience.

The sensation felt excruciating against the skin when the wind blew.

“But, Mary. Why are you fidgeting over there?”

As always, the expressionless Mary continued to fidget her hands unlike her face, as if she had seen a room left unattended for a month.

“Look at these crabs.”

“Yes, Ship’s Claw Crabs. They’re crabs.”

“Isn’t it like seeing a giant insect, with so many of them you can’t even see the bottom?”

At that remark, Karem fell silent for a moment.

…

He turned his gaze from Catherine, who was harvesting mud from the swamp, to the countless crabs eating dirt beyond her, and lastly to Mary.

“Are you really going to say something like that after looking at these crabs? They’re crabs, not bugs.”

“My hands are itchy. It’s hard, you know.”

“Wait, are you joking?”

“I-I just want to clean up!”

At that, Catherine looked up from shaking the mud in her reagent.

“Why’s she acting like that now?”

“She seems to have developed a work addiction. The dirty story is just a bonus.”

“Nothing out of the ordinary, then.”

Catherine quickly grasped the situation. Even if she didn’t know what the dirty story was.

“So, you’ve been doing just that for a few days? What exactly are you up to?”

“I’m detecting the earth’s magic you mentioned.”

“Seems like that’s not a task for just a few days.”

“Cross-validation is always better with more samples.”

Catherine held two reagent bottles in her hands and shook them. Each contained the soil from the swamp and a Shell Crab’s shell, which soon turned yellow.

“And now it’s done. Yes, the reaction from the earth’s magic from the Ship’s Claw Crab is identical.”

Catherine’s soft, purple eyes turned to Karem.

“The soil from the swamp bears a strong magic of the earth.”

“So what does that mean—Ah, Miss Catherine.”

“I understand as well.”

A claw about to swing was struck by Catherine’s ghostly ice arrow, freezing it entirely. Catherine watched, then silently flicked her fingers a few times.

“No other reactions were detected. This means it’s a natural phenomenon, with no outside interference.”

“That’s not good news for Ishikobaharten.”

Mary was right. This was far from good news.

If some unknown factor had led the Ship’s Claw Crabs to the village, there would have to be a way to send them back to the ocean.

All one had to do was command the bumbling sea creatures driven only by instinct to retrace their steps back.

“And those birds in the sky weren’t original inhabitants either, right?”

“Exactly. They primarily inhabit the deep swamp.”

“They came out for an easy meal from the territory?”

“Based on the chief’s words and the situation, that’s correct.”

There was even the potential for habitat disturbance due to external food influx.

The Ship’s Claw Crabs unintentionally became something like a cat mom, attracting the Steam Phalos like a cat.

However, if the Ship’s Claw Crabs that flooded the nearby swamp had come here for their own reasons?

Then there is only one option left.

“Does that mean we have no choice but to capture them all until these vermin finally stop crawling up?”

“Knowing the cause could allow us to take some measures, of course.”

“If we don’t know, we must catch them all then.”

Karem shifted his gaze from the perplexed Godwin to the crackling campfire. The frozen Ship’s Claw Crab was slowly roasting over the flames.

Sizzle sizzle sizzle—

“Direct fire grilling. The smell is exquisite.”

“But where the hell did this campfire come from?”

Karem rummaged through the kindling on the campfire. Unexpectedly powerful flames were roaring, and something solid was being hit by the end of the tinder.

“Hmm, this was lit to show the first lord what wood fuel is.”

“Wood fuel?”

“Yes. If you harden the black earth from the swamp, it will burn longer than regular firewood.”

“…Hmm?”

Karem hesitated, stopping as he rummaged through the campfire.

Swamp, black earth, usable as firewood.

Karem recognized an object that possessed all three characteristics.

“Isn’t this peat?”

“Karem, what did you just say?”

“Nothing. Is that what it is?”

The puzzle pieces of thought seemed to fall into place.

The Ship’s Claw Crabs regard ship timber as a delicacy for some reason.

Peat is formed when remnants of trees, grass, and moss in the swamp do not decay but instead stack and undergo fermentation and carbonization.

If so, wouldn’t it make sense that these creatures, crazy for ship timber, would be equally crazy for nutrient-packed peat, resembling pure plant essence?

“That’s the case. But we can’t just leave all these Ship’s Claw Crabs lying around.”

“If they swarm out to the sea, surpassing thousands, catastrophes will occur in other coastal cities, villages, and ports.”

“Especially since their numbers are increasing in real-time.”

“If the Duke of Atanitas uses magic—”

“That’s a last resort. After all, this is also my practical task.”

Godwin whispered to Viktor while watching the villagers vigorously capturing Ship’s Claw Crabs covered in the swamp’s mud.

“It would be fastest to devour them like how horned rabbits increase in numbers.”

“Well, that would cause issues with preservation and transport… But…”

Godwin trailed off, and Viktor gazed keenly as well.

“First lord?”

“I think I’ve just found a way.”

“Already telling me?”

“Yes, it might not be profitable, but it’s worth a shot.”

At the end of the gaze lay Karem, roasting a Ship’s Claw Crab over the campfire.

So thick was the smoke from the campfire that the crab’s shape wasn’t even visible.

“Miss Catherine. For a frozen one, it seems we need to grill it a bit longer, huh?”

“Guh… Cough… Hehe… Hahaha!”

“Um… Mary? Why is Miss Catherine acting that way?”

“Pfft. You should really wipe your face.”

“Oh, geez. It’s actually black soot!”

 

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