Saiyan stowaways on the Ark

The judges offered an explanation.

However, this explanation did not elicit an explanation from Tomat regarding his purpose. Instead, he questioned the two men who claimed to be Iberian officials in an even more irrational tone.

"Even if you turn a blind eye to the suspicious church, you should at least help improve the lives of the citizens. There's no one here except refugees. I don't see any businesses or anyone maintaining order. It's uninhabitable, so at least you should relocate the people. But the people inside aren't allowed to leave, and the people outside aren't allowed to come in. I saw a lot of corpses on the border, some dressed as locals and some as foreign mercenaries. What exactly are you trying to do?"

This is what Tomat has observed over the past few days.

But he did not intervene. At least when he arrived, the corpses were already there, and the chaos was not something he could solve simply by intervening.

"What...what do you understand? We have a reason for doing this?"

The young judge argued against this, but the slight hesitation in her words betrayed her true thoughts.

Perhaps for her, maintaining this status quo also raised many questions for him.

While still considering Saltwind City as part of Iberia, they watched as the locals suffered and were even confined to an abandoned city that would sooner or later be swallowed by the tide.

The recent surge of religious fervor among the public is clearly linked to that bishop in the church, yet instead of intervening in the events, they are focusing on investigating outsiders...

Is this really the right thing to do?

However, the girl never voiced such slight doubts to her teacher.

"I'm guessing it's because Iberia is currently in turmoil? In a crisis, a whole bunch of coastal cities like this are facing an existential crisis, and you can't manage them all. But even though you can't improve the situation, you're unwilling to let other forces interfere with you, even with aid operations, because you consider that interference in your internal affairs. You'd rather let the people die because of official inaction than allow them to receive any other aid, or even forbid them from spreading information about the local situation?"

The biggest difference between Tomat and his fellow tribesmen is probably his knowledge of the surrounding environment, even though this environment, whether political or natural, has little impact on him.

Rhodes Island is an excellent platform for gathering intelligence, which is why it was able to make sarcastic remarks about Iberia's current situation.

"How...rude...!!"

The girl was clearly the kind of person who was consistent in her words and actions. When she saw the other party speak like that, she did not remain silent like her teacher.

“It’s alright. I’ve heard that you Iberians often claim that ‘we Iberians will always defend the holiness and purity of our country.’ As long as no one knows, then it’s true. Anyway, no one’s going to risk offending a dying government to expose these claims.”

Of course, Tomat's claim is unfounded.

On the Rhodes Island alone, there are quite a few operators from Iberia who claim that their "residents are very devout."

And without exception, none of them liked the country where they were born.

Iberia's attempt to conceal the true state of affairs is nothing more than a thin veil that can be easily torn; everyone knows that the situation there is no better than that of Bolívar.

“I admire you. At least this way, even if you lose your country, you will still be Iberia, and not become something else, at least in the eyes of outsiders.”

Thomas seemed unfazed by the young female judge's anger.

At this point, the older judge also spoke up.

"Enough with the sarcastic remarks. Besides, saying these things to us won't do any good."

He seemed to have recovered from Skadi's earlier attack, emphasizing in clearer terms that the words were meaningless, but the anger still lingered in his tone.

"Indeed, I suppose I'm being presumptuous. How could you people working for Iberia not know these things better than I do? Perhaps you have your own difficulties, but they're none of my business, and I won't interfere."

Thomas was ultimately an outsider; if even he could say something, how could these insiders not understand?

If they have the ability to make things better, why wouldn't they?

“Please tell us why you and your companions are here. This is official business. We can assume that you mistakenly thought Saltwind City was an unregulated area and entered without further investigation into the illegal entry. You know that this kind of thing would also put Rhodes Island in a difficult position, don’t you?” the judge continued to ask.

"If I let you disappear from here, even this little 'difficulty' wouldn't have happened—"

But Thomas responded to the other party's "warning" in a frivolous, joking tone. When the content of the other party's "joke" can really be done as easily as a joke, one should consider whether what he said is really a joke to oneself.

"Just kidding. Since you want to hear it, I'll tell you. You're a high-ranking official in Iberia, so you've probably heard some of what I'm about to say."

After creating a tense atmosphere that made the other person unable to relax, Tomat continued:

"It's called Haisi..."

"Elena!! Step back! I need to speak with him alone!"

As soon as the word was uttered by Tomat, the older judge shouted, making the girl's ears ring. Although she was stunned by the angry shout, she still stepped aside, not knowing what was going on, away from where the two were talking.

"Confidential matters? You and she are both judges, aren't you?"

In recent days, Tomat has encountered many strange creatures known as demons and their retinues. Apart from a few that truly possess incomprehensible special abilities, most of them are quite similar to ordinary creatures, just with strange appearances and rapid evolution. Of course, even the former, he doesn't find them particularly special. Compared to the creatures on the Demon Star, they are practically adorable.

The high-ranking officials or special operations personnel from various countries he had contacted were generally aware of it, such as the Ursus Inner Guard, the Yan Kingdom Imperial Guard, the Sargon Longevity Army, and the Kazimierz War Knights. Some of them even turned their power into their own.

These Iberian judges should also know about the relevant matters.

"...I find it hard to understand how you can mention those creatures in such a public setting. You should know that even their names are forbidden throughout Iberia."

The judge adjusted his hat brim, seemingly extremely annoyed by Tomat's unconscious revelation of Haisi's behavior, even more so than when Tomat had previously mocked his own country.

"Although she is also a judge, she is still relatively inexperienced and not yet qualified to access that information, which is why I had her leave... So, why bring it up? Could it be...?"

“Some of you have gotten involved with the Haisi, and my companions, who have a grudge against them, apparently the Agors’ sworn enemies, came and wiped them all out.”

The judge first took a deep breath at what Tomat had said—he was still trying to process the fact that Haisi had appeared in Saltwind City.

Then, after composing himself, he asked:

"Then what are you doing here...? You're not from Agor, are you?"

"Me? I came here to eat seafood?"

[Event] Beneath the Tide, Seafood abounds: Chapter Eleven - Skadi Opens the Sea

Haisi severely damaged the Agor civilization.

A portion of the Agorians migrated to Iberia, bringing Iberian civilization to its zenith.

Then the underwater Agorians launched a counterattack against the Sea Siege.

The counterattack was so successful that it triggered the legendary "Great Silence," which flooded a number of Iberian cities.

Iberia was situated along the water, and the sudden advance of the coastline nearly destroyed the entire Iberian civilization.

They were blessed by the Agorians, and they also fell because of them—though strictly speaking, it was because of the Hais. However, this did not prevent them from shifting their blame onto the Agorians, such as their failure to come to the aid of Iberia during the 'Great Tranquility'.

As for those churches that worship Haizi while hiding in the shadows—the explanation, in a superficial way, is: the Agorians are awesome, but Haizi, who crushed the Agorians, are even more awesome, so let us worship them.

It's foolish, but not without reason, and it's only natural that it caused so much trouble.

However, the judge did not take it for granted that even this land had been corrupted by fanatics.

"I understand the general situation. One of your companions infiltrated the bishop's ranks, lured out Hai Si, and then launched a coordinated attack from within to defeat him, while you waited nearby... Are there really only three of you?"

"Isn't that enough?"

"No... that punch earlier already explained the problem, and you are even better than that. Perhaps you could even handle Hai Si... Anyway, thank you for your explanation."

Thomas gave the judge a general account of their purpose for the trip, the details of which were unexpected, but the actions were reasonable.

The only problem is that, strictly speaking, this falls under Iberian internal affairs.

No one knows about this, and no one should know.

But if we still stick to the rules, or if these people have never been here before...

The entire Saltwind City will become bait in the evil deal between the Sealings and the Church, and where will the next victimized city appear?

“I can assure you personally that this matter has nothing to do with Rhodes Island, and we will not ask you for anything in return. It’s just a group of women who have a deep grudge against Hai Si and want to wipe these things out. They have no interest in anything else either.”

Even though the mask concealed his face, Tomat could tell that the other person still had some reservations, so as to offer some reassurance, he said:

"Perhaps you can still be squeezed out of some resources, but I think neither they nor Rhodes Island are lacking in these things right now. If they sell the technology they have mastered, they could build hundreds of mobile city-states."

"It sounds unpleasant, but it's certainly convincing... The Agor people's hatred for the Sea Kings is no less than our own prejudice against them. They've traveled thousands of miles just because they caught a whiff of something. They're just like the legendary deep-sea hunters, keenly sensing the scent of blood that ordinary people can't detect, and then ruthlessly slaughtering their prey."

Changing the subject, the judge turned his back and beckoned to Elene in the distance—the judge who was too inexperienced to join the conversation.

"Judge! That's a wrap. We'll head back and rest today!"

He shouted the order to leave the area.

"Huh? Go back? What about what happened here?"

Elena questioned the order with a puzzled look on her face, glancing at her teacher and then at Thomas.

She didn't understand what the other person had said that could make the matter drop.

"We'll talk about it tomorrow!"

The judge glanced at the distant church, then fixed his gaze on Tomat, saying as he left:

"Please make sure everything is resolved before the end of tomorrow. Until then, your actions will be considered legal activities permitted by the judge, and we will make our own preparations, but I don't want to actually have to resort to the final means."

Thomas nodded and prepared to turn and leave, but stopped after taking half a step and called to the judge:

"There's one more thing..."

Tomat's expression was so serious that the judge had to compose himself and prepare for the other party to reveal more important information.

"Please speak."

"Is it really impossible to catch seafood here anymore? I promised the guy who looks after my house that I would bring him lots of seafood."

"..."

Salt Wind City shore.

The sea-facing breakwater of Saltwind City is extremely high and steep.

It was as if to prevent something dangerous from climbing up from the sea into the city.

Anita was warned from a young age not to come near this place.

The same was true of the others around her, because people said there was nothing there except that the sea would bestow its bounty upon them at the hundredth tide.

But now, though not permitted, she followed in the footsteps of an outsider and walked to the vicinity of the breakwater at that time.

She gazed with curiosity at the beautiful woman who called herself a wandering singer but never sang, standing quietly before the stench-filled shore.

Skadi stood at the edge of the beach, arms outstretched, letting the sea breeze caress her palms.

The strangely colored seawater surged upwards, yet not a single wave touched her feet.

Skadi is now preparing to deal with what she "has to do".

The bleeding that occurred during the battle was unexpected.

Even a small fraction of it is enough to attract certain creatures that are also drawn by the scent of blood to her side.