On the balcony of Fort Mercator, a man was looking at the aftermath of the night raid while smoking. He didn't turn around despite being aware someone was approaching from behind.

“Inspector Insen,” the new arrival greeted.

“Commander Goudy,” the smoking man returned the courtesy. “Rough night.”

“This is but the prelude… My thanks.”

Insen offered a cigar to the fort commander which he took. The night was quiet with calm ocean winds. Hard to connect with the fact it was a warzone an hour earlier.

“The fine fellows of the Church helped greatly,” Goudy said.

“Just doing our duty, Commander,” Insen gave a nod.

“...And how is your other mission? Do you really think someone among them is Tanael?”

“I think everyone is Tanael,” Insen said. “But there’s no concrete proof yet.”

Officially, the Church’s presence was to help the defense of the fort but their hidden agenda was investigating Tanael. Since it did not clash with Marlin’s oath, both sides tried to look the other way so the investigation could go on. All youths that returned from the Book World were put under surveillance. The thirty or so that accepted the Governor’s invitation were the easy ones. Unfortunately, about half of the returnees didn't come out into the light. The Church tried to find the hidden ones but found only a few. The adventurer returnees got drafted to the forts where people of the Church could survey them. The ones who weren't adventurers also had eyes on them.

“If Tanael is smart, he would be long gone by now. Half of the returnees are still unaccounted for. If I was a betting man, I’d put my money on Tanael being one of the people that legged it,” Goudy puffed a wispy smoke from his mouth.

Tanael’s companions, the other members of the ‘Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse’ were prime targets. But two were unknown in identity and location while the disgraced scion of House Sigley was dead. The family was dealing with troublesome accusations at the moment.

“Or so Tanael would want us to think,” Insen answered. “Though I admit the chance of finding him normally is slim. We might have to use drastic measures.”

“The Governor requests discretion. If you make too many waves and Lord Marlin catches wind of this, he is bound by oath to intervene,” Goudy warned. “I have other matters to tend to so I’ll take my leave. Good evening, Inspector.”

“Cardinal Judith appreciates the understanding of Regidana,” Insen bid the Commander farewell then the Level 4 continued watching the entire island like a hawk. Arsène and Boram, who were in the middle of cleaning the battlefield of monster carcasses, were among those who received special attention.

In the dark waters not too close to the island, Viers, who was in the form of an ordinary red carp, decided to return to the city without making contact with Arsène because he felt the risks were too high. There were all kinds of investigative nets all over the place. Viers didn't know if it was normal or not but he didn't push through. He was being careful to not encounter any hostile water dwellers during his visit and his return.

If the seafood attacked every day, Arsène’s Victa supply wouldn't last for two weeks. If we could sync and become Level 3, it would make things more manageable but it doesn't seem possible. Tsk. Damn fish and damn mandatory quest. On top of that, there’s the matter about my PC’s weakness… Good luck, other me. You can go through this.

***

I’m rusty.

For months in the Book World, Viers -and by extension, Arsène- had been using soul sorceries for battle. The water department had been left gathering dust on the shelf. During the first clash with the sea monsters, Arsène felt he was out of touch with his watery side. Still, Viers’ progress in soul skills wasn't all exclusive to the soul side. Arsène just needed time to adjust and incorporate things into his water-oriented battle style.

Let’s not forget I now have a water 5 affinity. I have the goods to cast terribly fearsome water devastations, no less lethal than my soul arts. My water side hasn't been getting the love it deserves. I must rectify that mistake.

Arsène didn't forget that he must not use some water Artes that he used during the robbery in Marakkus city and from even further back, ones that Irene might have recognized.

So the likes of Water Chains of Silence and Water Moon Fang are out. Water Slash is fine because it is so basic that every water Pathseeker can use it.

“There are no casualties yet on any other front,” Will the scout informed the group. After the fight, came the tidying up. They couldn't simply leave the carcasses of the sea monsters to rot. The Rising Fortune gathered the monster cores while disposing of the bodies. It might be worth a fortune to them but not for Arsène.

“Well, there are no Pathseekers on the other side. Only disposable grunts. The real fight is yet to come,” Bruce warned.

Since Arsène and Boram had storage items, the cleaning up was much easier. Someone from the fort would take care of the bodies later. Burn it, disintegrate it, process it, Arsène didn't care. The monster meat was too low leveled for Arsène’s other self to find precious. He wasn't lacking in monster meat at the moment.

“Why are the fish attacking us? The reason this time is nonsense but they have been attacking this city for years… like some kind of seasonal occurrence. What is their aim?” Sandra asked while watching the mini-golems she created move the bodies.

“They have their own societies. My guess is they attacked us because it is a convenient excuse. Perhaps a big shot in the fish kingdom benefited by sending a war party to us? Perhaps their population is getting too big and needs a good ol’ culling? Who knows. I just don't fancy being killed.” Arsène was going through the motions of stuffing things into his storage item. Since it was not a special one, the space was almost full.

“My worry is what we should do if we get attacked by Level 4s or 5s. Against Level 3s we still have a chance to hold on and retreat to the safety of the fort but above that? We would die without knowing how we died.” Irene shed light on the thing that everyone was concerned about.

“Calm down, we got our own powerhouses in case that happened. No need to overthink things that we can do very little about.” Norman tried to assuage the group. “Rather than that, we should reflect and change how we fight from our usual style. Our Victa won’t last at this rate. Take a page from Avel and Boram’s book. They fought throngs of enemies the right way.”

Boram was fighting a large number of Aberrants regularly during Stage 5 while Arsène who possessed Viers’ experience didn't need saying. The battlefield they returned from was different from the regular Pathseekers.

The sun was still hidden but dawn was about to break.

While the Rising Fortune was asking Boram loads of questions and the boy was getting flustered but still giving honest answers, Arsène was worrying about his own problems.

My other self didn't come yesterday. He must have judged it was too dangerous to make contact. I have to deal with the Victa situation on my own… The best course of action is-

Arsène’s eyes suddenly widened in realization and slapped his own forehead.

I forgot the Duel With Honor Arte that the GK just gave me! It can give me Victa if I win by fighting fairly. Useless against monsters but against other Pathseekers… Might be hard on a battlefield but it is not impossible. Finally, I see a way out of this crisis. Splendid! I haven't learned the Arte yet so I should get started.

***

“Shululululu! A gill-less surface dweller dares to challenge me, Sarrashus the Strider of the Ocean Floor? Know your place, lowly human.”

The bipedal Sahagin laughed most peculiarly then delivered the usual cliched line of small fries before they died. Arsène slightly cocked his head to the right.

On the second night, the merfolk started to come out along with their army of monsters. The merfolk seemingly possessed the means to command the lesser water creatures to do their bidding. There were five Level 2 trident-wielding merfolks. They were no mindless beasts, these were Pathseekers, not at all less than their human counterparts.

Arsène had shared his plan to fight one of the Level 2 on the enemy’s side with the group and enlisted their help. After successfully trapping the lizard-like being with the Duel With Honor Arte, Boram made a big rock serpent, stepped onto its head, and raged around the translucent boundary where his master and the Sahagin were fighting. He wouldn't let other monsters intervene with Master Avel’s fight, defending with fervor. Bruce and the others also helped keep the other merfolk away.

While the Duel With Honor Arte prevented exit from the inside, the reverse was not true. In fact, if anything so much as took a single step in, the duel wouldn't be honorable and Arsène would be getting a backlash.

Normally, Arsène would have enacted a sudden attack while Sarrashus was monologing but other than Cut the Crap Arte which might be recognized by Irene, it also might be ‘not honorable’ and break the Duel With Honor Arte.

Thus Arsène must do things knight-like, just like the helmet he wore.

“I am Avel of Javia, the Slayer,” Arsène unsheathed his katana, Guren Muramasa. “I request an honorable match.”

Since there was a violent battle outside, it would be disadvantageous for Arsène to have a long duel so he attempted to defeat the fish-faced Sahagin as soon as possible. The two clashed immediately.

It proved to be a slightly more difficult affair than he thought.

Without the boost from Horizon, Arsène couldn't squash the opposition through sheer difference in power. The merfolk’s skin was also kind of slimy and oily to assist his swimming underwater, which was not great for Arsène’s slashing attacks. Furthermore, Arsène’s enemy was heavily resistant to his water element. After all, what kind of fish was afraid of water? On top of the Sahagin’s water affinity that offset Arsène’s Arte, the body itself was greatly resistant to water damage.

“Shulululu! The Human challenges the Sahagin using water? Plankton foolishness,” Sarrashus twirled his coral trident, convinced of his victory.

Just ‘slightly more difficult’.

“Your mistake is thinking I can only dish out water.”

After testing his water arts’ effectiveness against the sea dweller, Arsène changed his approach. He clasped his hand together and created some space between both palms. The arena about ten meters in diameter created by the Duel With Honor was experiencing rapid change. Sarrashus’ composure faded.

“W-What did you do?” He asked while looking at his arms. They were rapidly drying out.

Arsène forcefully gathered the moisture all around him and created a ball of water between his hands. It was getting bigger by the second at the expense of a drastic decrease of moisture everywhere else. The Sahagin screeched and attacked before it got any worse but Arsène dodged with ease. Sarrashus’ eyes soon turned brown in color and shriveled inwards like dried-out fruits. Arsène himself was not affected by the increasingly lethal aridness.

Arte - Dehydration!

The Arte wasn't almighty, like every Arte, the stronger the target, the less effective it would be. Arsène’s new water 5 affinity and the unfamiliarity of the sea dweller with dryness paved the road to Arsène’s victory.

“Gahhhck… Akkkhhh… Hhhhh—”

It didn't take long for the Sahagin to become a dried husk, wrinkled and deformed.

Arsène felt something cold and fresh flowing into him, sweet Victa. While he was refreshed, he looked at the almost mummified remains.

“...Thirsty?”