Warning: Its going to be hard to imagine the route of the 'Python' without a map. I'll upload it sooner or later. :)

Thanks for reading!!!

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Chapter 9: Mare Nostrum

The .

Literally translated as 'Our Sea', it was the great sea that divided four great empires, namely the Romanum Imperium, the Hellenic League, the Kingdom of the Demon King, and the Kingdom of Aegyptus.

The Imperium was once the sole superpower on this sea, but due to the passage of time, its power declined, and the hold of the four empires on the Mare Nostrum were on a stalemate.

There were lots of ships that travel the Mare Nostrum. The were used both as transport and small time merchant vessels, as both for main military vessels and huge scale trading vessels, and the monstrous that served as a flagship of every navy.

Currently, a Trireme was sailing faster than any vessel ever did. If observed carefully, a sigil of an hourglass in the center of a Magic Circle was on top of the Trireme.

"Gold! Are you still alright?"

A black haired boy asked worriedly. He was looking at a young girl that was probably around 11 years old, but her true age was not what it seemed. And yet her complexion looks worse as time passes.

"Yes, master. Gold can.... still continue."

"Don't overexert yourself."

The golden haired girl named Gold was currently maintaining her Time magic that accelerated the ship's travel speed. Alter, the black haired boy wearing black coat, helped her by easing up the burden using Magic Mod. Altering the magic sequence, he decreased the consumption of energy while increasing its potency.

"We have a lead and currently able to escape the 7th Legion. But what worries me is the 11th Legion. Unlike the previous police force, the 11th is fully equipped and designed for naval warfare."

"Why do I have to be so unlucky......"

The girl in white travel clothes, with a hood and a short cape hanging cutely at her back was Tishia, the goddess of Justice. The one who spoke miserably was the captain of 'Python', the name of the Trireme they were in.

They have traveled for days, but they were unable to completely outrun the pursuit force led by the goddess of War of the Imperium. From a distance, the red sails with the golden eagle sigil could be found, relentlessly in pursuit.

The trio of gods have promised to pay up the Python crew a large sum as long as they reach the shores of the Hellenic League, which the captain unconditionally agreed, since now that they had helped these fugitives, even though they were threatened, the Imperial Army would have no mercy in their jurisdiction.

"!!!!!!!"

Tishia perked up, as she felt unnatural presences approaching fast to both the port and starboard side of the Python.

"ENEMIES!!!!!!"

As she screamed, something large spouted on the waters, a few distance from both sides of the ship.

"Ooooh!!"

"Master......"

Blue-green scales, infested with corals and marine growth. Deep dark slits for eyes. Sharp rows of teeth. And a serpentine head and body.

"Gods save us...... Sea Serpents...."

The captain of the 'Python' muttered in despair. They were one of the most feared creatures by hardened men of the sea. A single one could coil around and make easy workings against a trireme. But they have now two as their enemies.

"Tishia defend the starboard side!!"

"Y-yes!!"

Alter positioned himself to the port side of the ship. The two serpents both bashed their heads against the Python, but the Trireme suddenly disappeared, reappearing a few meters away from its current position. Due to Gold's time magic, they luckily avoided any damage.

But Gold was already at her limits. Apart from weakness to sea travel, her true powers have not yet recovered. She cannot use time magic like that the second time.

"Let justice be done, though the heavens fall!!!!!"

Chanting her lines, Tishia decided to use her divinity. Her outline glowed white and light particles gathered, her eyes shined brightly.

"God-mode!!!!

With her sleek white armor, the goddess of justice engaged the sea serpent on the left. Her majestic sword of light, Claiomh Solais, burst forth its energy blade and attempted to cut through the serpent's head.

"Hiyaaaaaa!!!!"

But the serpent twisted its head and narrowly avoided the slash of the sword. Its small enemy is now within its domain, the waters.

Tishia used floating magic to run temporarily on the water surface, avoiding the serpent's tail that thrashed about, trying to hit her. A small magic circle appeared on her feet. Looking back, she sensed Gold who was leaning on the railings of the ship, giving off short bursts of aura as if telling her not to lose.

"....Of course."

Inwardly she smiled. It seemed that Gold's prior hostility to her lessened to an extent. Using the time magic to accelerate, Tishia dashed with god-like speed along the waters, and used her special move.

Mortal Judgement

Tishia seemingly disappeared from the vision of the serpent. Her first slash seared the hard scales of the monster, but her second and third slash already penetrated its flesh. The remaining eleven slashes shredded it to bits, its head cut into two. She catched the crystal orb that flew from its head, hoping for a rare loot.

While Tishia was engaging the first serpent, it was Alter's duty to hold off the second one.

"You guys look too similar to the ones we fought back then in the game."

He said amused. He was observing the sea serpent, who was currently waiting if Alter would attack it.

"Inventory"

Alter used storage magic to access his inventory, and rummaged through it using his mind. A smile adorned his face as he found out what he was looking for.

He took something similar to a flute.

"What's the best way to fight a monster?"

And played a mystical tune that echoed through the surface of the sea.

"It's using a monster yourself."

The sea rumbled. It was a sign that his summoning was successful.

"I wonder. I wonder what would come out."

He excitedly anticipated.

It was called 'Hera's Vanity'. A flute he got from defeating a rogue NPC god. The flute that can only be used thrice. He had already used it twice, against the monster Typhon.

Its effect was to summon a random monster and makes it swear its allegiance to him. He had summoned an ancient and a Hudred Handed Giant , which were very instrumental in the battle against Typhon, and now he was expecting something more overkill than them this time.

Something plopped out of water. It was a small head of a snake.

"......Huh?"

Contrary to his expectations of a monstrous dragon or at least giant octopus, a small figure of a snake appeared from the water, looking at Alter with curious eyes.

"D-did it fail??"

"Master! Look out!!!"

The sea serpent lunged at the frozen Alter. He managed to recover from the shock of his failure and jumped at the side. A large part of the deck was missing where Alter was standing before.

"Crap!!!"

Alter drew out Tyrfing, which vibrated as if laughing at its owner's failure. The monster's tail went upward, ready to slice the wooden ship in half.

"Gold!!!"

".....Y-yes!"

Gold used time magic to narrowly avoid the large, heavy tail that went down, creating huge waves upon impact on the sea surface. But she cannot anymore draw her powers, and fell down, unable to move. Only Alter was left to defend the ship, since Tishia was currently rampaging against the other Sea Serpent. But the monster he was facing did not move anymore. It only stared at the trireme.

"Huh? Its not following?"

Alter was surprised. Did it gave up, he thought. The Sea Serpent's head wobbled, swaying back and forth. Its huge long serpentine body fell slowly, and with a load sound, it crashed to the sea surface.

"""EEEEEEHHHHH?!!?!"""

Alter, the Captain and the other sailors were dumbfounded at the crazy spectacle. The sea serpent's body floated, the white of its eyes showing.

"...Master, what did you do?"

"Wasn't it you Gold??"

".....No."

The two gods were baffled as they saw the little snake swimming towards the ship, hissing happily. The only difference that added to their confusion was the fact that there were two snake heads bobbing out of the water.

Tishia, on the other had saw with her perception what had really happened. The little snake bit the Sea Serpent, and the monster wobbled and was knocked out dead. It also sucked the life energy of the Sea serpent after injecting something from its teeth. Upon returning to the ship, she questioned Alter, who was being coiled around playfully by the two-headed snake.

"What the heck did you do?! What is that?"

"......Master. That snake....."

"Alter, that thing simply bit the Sea Serpent, and now its Dead!!!"

"R-relax! Its completely tamed!!"

Alter tried to reassure them, but he was also curious. There was only one way to identify this little creature.

"World's Truth"

After invoking the words, his mind was shown the identity of the two-headed snake.

{

Multi headed snake that increase its heads as it gains experience. The poison from the main head is a very potent poison that could kill most creatures regardless of size. It could develop different kinds of heads with different attributes.

}

"What the heck!"

He gave up upon seeing the snake for the first time, but who would have expected this little guy to be a strong monster. Alter, now smiling, decided to raise it. The hydra's two heads hissed happily, sensing acceptance from its summoner.

"I'm gonna call you Snake."

Snake hissed as it recieves its name,

"....... Master."

"Hmm? What?"

"Think of another,"

"I should agree with her, Alter."

Tishia said, agreeing with Gold. Alter's naming sense was too simple.She immediately guessed how Gold got her name. It was probably Alter's doing. The poor girl.

"Oi kid!! Stop dallying there! The 7th fleet is catching up!"

The ship captain of the Python scolded them, forcing them to return to their battle stations. He never thought he would become a fugitive of the Imperium. But to go against these kids that could even defeat Sea Serpents was not a good decision.

"Tsk.... as long as I get paid enough."

He could only say in resignation.

"I sense it......."

Tishia declared, as she felt something bad along the horizon.

"What is it?"

"A mass of red auras... its a seaborne Legion, probably the 11th?"

"It can't be.... they barricaded the nearest land?!!"

The captain screamed, worried at the new trouble that followed.

"Our... our only way through would be by land by travelling north, or southeast, passing through the strait between Cretan Island and the tip of the Hellenic League's mainland."

"Its going to be suicide to attempt to pass through that strait!!"

The captain protested. He'd rather be caught by the Legion than that.

"No, we will force our way through."

"But, Alter. At this time of the year, that would be the most dangerous area of the Mare Nostrum!!!"

"Really? In what way?"

"Its home to two large monsters."

"Monsters again? We'll just do the usual."

"You seemed so confident......"

"Worry would just hinder your judgement."

"As expected of master."

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Pursuit force of the 7th Legion, aboard a Hexareme.

"How is that even possible?!"

General Antiochus exclaimed as he watched the fight between the small trireme and the two Sea Serpents. He could not believe that two people could do short workings against such monsters.

"They are even more formidable than what I have assumed."

He now knew why the Princess Lilliana would care to follow in a pursuit mission like this. Though they could easily corner the little ship, It would be very difficult to face those aboard it.

"Are they gods!?"

If so, drastic measures were necessary. The princess already ordered the 11th fleet to blockade the nearest coastline of the Hellenic League, which she had assumed was their destination. But if the trireme shifted course to the southeast, instead of heading east directly, it would have to pass through a very dangerous area. He had a bad feeling about it.

"Princess!"

He shouted to Lilliana who was at the fore of the ship.

"We will continue pursuit."

"But that part of the Mare Nostrum is....."

"We will continue pursuit."

The princess firmly stated. Even though Antiochus was a General, he couldn't say no to the war god of the Imperium.

".............. very well."

"They could be smuggling Imperial secrets to the Hellenic League."

She convinced herself of this. What could that traitor do except for this, she thought. Even if they pass through the dreaded strait that leads to the island archipelago that the Hellenic League owns.

She was the goddess of war. What could be able to stop a goddess? She, who has the power to singlehandedly destroy an army of invading savages.

"She is being too rash. Perhaps the spirit of war made a mistake choosing a young girl."

General Antiochus could only murmur worryingly, as the darkness of the Straits of death could now be seen on the horizon.

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The Strait

It has no official name, but the old sailors would call it the Strait of Death.

The small trireme Python, skimmed through its dark borders, entering it. The Hexaremes of the 7th Legion that were very close also followed. There were reasons why hardened men of the sea would fear this part of Mare Nostrum.

And the fools who entered it would be experiencing it first hand.

-Chapter End-