CHAPTER 197: A DRAMA AND A REASON

"General Luvistar!" Elina cried in panic as she rushed to him, catching his body before it collapsed.

"General, are you alright?" She asked anxiously, her eyes fixed on the wound in his stomach.

The spear had pierced through his armor and into his gut. Fresh blood flowed, and Luvistar’s face instantly turned pale.

"I’m fine, Princess. Don’t—" He tried to reassure her, but his words were cut off by the searing pain.

"Don’t lie, General," Elina said nervously. "Go back to your room. I’ll call some soldiers to escort you."

But Luvistar shook his head firmly. "That’s impossible. If I leave now, who will command the ship?"

He tried to stand, but his legs gave way, trembling under the weight of his injury.

"I told you to return to your room!" Elina snapped, her face flushed. "The ship’s command and the soldiers’ leadership—leave them to me."

Although she was a princess, that didn’t mean she was ignorant of leadership.

By palace rule, every prince and princess was required to study it, and she had begun her training since childhood.

For her, directing the soldiers in this operation was no challenge at all.

"But..." Luvistar still tried to protest, but Elina ignored him.

She lifted her head and turned to the two soldiers nearby. "Take General Luvistar back to his room. Get help from anyone with medical knowledge. Quickly!"

"Yes!" The two soldiers obeyed without question, quickly supporting Luvistar.

As they carried him away, Elina turned her burning gaze toward the monster. Her face flushed with anger, she stepped forward and declared, "General Luvistar was wounded by this creature’s attack. From now on, I will take command!"

The soldiers froze in shock, but none dared to object. They only nodded in silence.

"Fifty soldiers, man the sails! Steer the ship north and lure the monster away from us! Cannon crews, keep firing—provoke it and make it chase our movements!" she shouted with authority.

"Yes, Princess!" the soldiers roared in unison before rushing to carry out her command.

On the second ship, Ruthark’s eyes widened as he noticed the sudden maneuver.

"What’s going on? Why is the first ship heading north? Did General Luvistar order this?" he muttered in disbelief.

But he had no time to dwell on it. The monster’s next strike was already incoming.

"All soldiers, follow the first ship!" Ruthark commanded sternly. "Cannon crews, maintain fire—don’t let up!"

"Yes, Captain!" The soldiers responded, their cannons thundering as relentless fire rained down on the monster.

"Young Lady Rafine, it’s too dangerous. Please, let me handle the cannon," a soldier urged nervously.

But Rafine, standing firmly behind the weapon, didn’t even glance at him.

Her reddened eyes locked onto the monster, burning with fury as if she could rip it apart herself.

"No need," she replied coldly. "Just load the Lucite into the cannon. Leave the rest to me."

The soldier didn’t dare argue and quickly loaded the Lucite he had brought from the storehouse.

The moment it was ready, Rafine yanked the rope behind the cannon.

Bang!

A blazing sphere of energy burst from the muzzle, striking the monster square in the eye.

Boom!

The explosion echoed as the beast let out a thunderous roar of agony.

"More," Rafine ordered flatly.

The soldier scrambled to load another Lucite, and Rafine fired again without hesitation.

Boom!

Boom!

Each blast struck the monster’s weak points, forcing its massive body to writhe in torment.

The soldiers around her froze, their faces pale with fear.

Their gazes shifted to Rafine, whose cold expression betrayed not the slightest hint of emotion.

Horrifying... the thought echoed in all their minds.

...

Dark and lonely...

Nolan opened his eyes to find himself sinking into the depths of the ocean. His body drifted downward, further and further from the surface.

So this is what it feels like to be cast away? How pathetic, he thought with a wry smile.

He hadn’t expected things to turn out this way. Rafine had nearly fallen from the ship, but he managed to save her.

In exchange, he was flung from the deck and now drifted into the ocean’s depths.

Whether anyone would search for him, he didn’t know—but honestly, he hoped they wouldn’t. It would only be a wasted effort.

Searching for someone in the vast, dark sea was like looking for a needle in a boundless haystack.

Hah... Nolan sighed inwardly, regret clouding his expression. So this is really the end. Am I going to die here?

Just as he shut his eyes, a familiar, doubtful voice echoed in his mind.

My lord, what are you doing? Why aren’t you swimming to the surface? Don’t tell me... you enjoy drowning in the ocean?

Nolan: "..."

The corner of his lips twitched. He opened his eyes, annoyance flashing in his gaze.

Could you not interrupt my dramatic moment? Nolan grumbled in exasperation. I’m acting drowned, just like the main characters in online novels.

Online novels? Arnold asked in confusion. What is that, my Lord? Is it some kind of text I’ve never heard of?

Nolan went silent. Of course, no one in this world could possibly know what an online novel was. He had only himself to blame for mentioning it in front of Arnold.

With a resigned sigh, he rubbed his temples. "Never mind... just forget it."

Color slowly returned to his pale face as he started swimming upward.

"Huff!" He broke through the surface, gasping for air as his eyes darted around.

The waves had already carried him far, leaving him separated from the two ships.

My Lord, I’m confused about one thing, Arnold’s doubtful voice echoed in his mind. Why did you sacrifice yourself instead of simply pulling Lady Rafine back onto the deck? With your strength, that should have been easy.

Nolan wasn’t just a wielder of magic—his physique alone far surpassed any ordinary human. Lifting a girl should have been nothing to him.

What Arnold couldn’t grasp was why his lord insisted on creating drama that, in his eyes, was utterly pointless.

Nolan chuckled softly. "Actually, there wasn’t any real reason. I just wanted to know what it feels like to fall off an ocean liner, that’s all."

Arnold went silent for a moment before finally asking, Are you certain that’s the only reason?

With his lord’s wisdom, it was hard to believe he would do something so ridiculous without a hidden motive.

"Pfft!" Nolan chuckled. "I was joking. The truth is simple—I just needed an excuse to get off that ship."