Return To The Homeland, A Shock Delivered.

Gresia Island.

A massive silhouette stood off the coast, illuminated by the light of three moons. Ian watched it with curious eyes.

‘To think such a creature existed in this world… this place really is bizarre.’

In a way, he felt fortunate to have been born in this era. In a previous age, capturing something like that would have required enormous sacrifice.

‘In the past, they say there were Swordmasters and Great Mages, so maybe human civilization managed to endure even with things like that around.’

Thinking that, Ian realized his abilities were still far from enough. Even though he had surpassed the power of his past life, this battle had made him feel that power was not as great as he once thought. Realistically, the most he could do in naval warfare was alter the trajectory of shells and torpedoes.

‘I know even that is impressive… but still, it feels like I hit a massive wall.’

He felt he needed to become stronger. Honestly, he wondered—was the Kraken truly the end? A massive sea monster long absent from history had appeared. Who knew what would come next?

To win against such beings, he had to become much stronger. Just then, someone approached. When Ian turned his head, he saw Prince Alexei walking toward him, holding a bottle.

“You’re here? Not drinking inside?”

“You weren’t there, so I came out here. Hahaha.”

“You’re quite drunk.”

“Wouldn’t you be, on a night like this? We just killed the Kraken—a legend from mythology. When we return home, it’s going to send shockwaves.”

“Yes, absolutely. Things will be very noisy for a while.”

Hearing Ian’s reply, Prince Alexei smiled broadly. He knew that this event would secure him a favorable position in the line of succession. And he was certain the same would happen for Prince Ian.

‘Even though he’s the Ninth Prince, given his accumulated achievements and this recent victory, he’ll soon gain solid ground.’

Unlike the others, Ian and Alexei were royal by birth. The consequences for them would carry a different weight. Staring at the massive wounded corpse of the Kraken, Alexei spoke.

“To be honest, when I see that thing, I still feel like I’m dreaming. That thing really existed, didn’t it?”

“It’s right in front of us, so I’d say yes.”

“True. But I’m curious—how did something like that appear?”

Hearing that, Ian realized Alexei was wondering the same thing. Something unprecedented was happening. If the Kraken were the last, there’d be no problem. But if more things like it appeared… the world might be changing.

“Maybe it had been trapped somewhere in the deep sea and escaped by chance?”

“Hmm? Is that even possible?”

“I don’t know. There are novels, right? About the hollow earth theory and such.”

“Ah yes, those kinds of stories do exist. They sound far-fetched, though.”

“I agree. Still, I thought maybe something like that could explain it.”

“Sure, it’s worth considering all possibilities. But how do we even transport that thing?”

“We’ll probably have to divide it up, don’t you think?”

Since this was a multinational fleet operation, no one could claim it entirely. It was only fair to share it. The problem was whether the body would rot before they could transport it. There was also the risk of sharks biting chunks off during the journey.

“We’ll need to preserve it somehow. At the very least, I’d like to take one leg in its full form.”

Taking something visibly intact would be the most impactful. So the conclusion was to try drying or smoking the parts for preservation.

And so, the next day arrived. Dismantling began. First, the legs were cut one by one. Thousands of people were mobilized for this task. The islanders, already gathered in large numbers, now came out in even greater crowds to witness the spectacle.

Even to the islanders, the Kraken was a shocking sight. They had heard of it through photos and videos, but seeing it in person was overwhelming. Some even dropped to their knees before the creature.

One by one, the legs were severed. Each group took charge of a leg and began the smoking process. They gathered coal and wood from the island to produce smoke and dry out as much moisture as possible.

Over time, the legs shrank in size. It was unfortunate, but inevitable. Fortunately, the original size had been documented in photos and videos, so the shrinkage didn’t matter much. Meanwhile, a meeting was held to decide ownership of the torso.

Despite various opinions, the torso ended up with Ian—unexpectedly. He had contributed significantly to the battle, and Prince Alexei had even supported him intentionally. When Ian asked why, Alexei said he was repaying a debt.

Apparently, Alexei still remembered how Ian had stayed behind to help when they first encountered the Kraken. With Alexei’s strong influence, Ian was able to claim the Kraken’s torso without issue.

Ian immediately began smoking both the torso and one of the legs. Ideally, they would’ve done a more advanced preservation process, but this was the only option available on the island.

The smoking process alone took over ten days. By then, it was already December 15. Only 15 days remained until the end of the year. During this time, they received a welcome visit—the supply fleet finally arrived at the island.

They had been running low on essential goods and fuel, so its timely arrival was met with cheers. However, when the late-arriving supply ships saw the massive smoked Kraken at the harbor, they were startled.

Though smoked, the original shape remained intact. The crews were shocked to learn that the Kraken had actually appeared—and had been hunted. They soon realized that the earlier supply fleet, which had departed ahead of them, had never arrived.

They understood then that the first fleet had been destroyed by the Kraken. A moment of silence followed. Some trembled at the thought that, had they left earlier, they might have been the victims instead.

Meanwhile, they were pleased by the presence of five large and mid-sized cargo ships. It meant they might actually be able to transport the Kraken’s head and legs with ease.

The cargo ships were unloading coal and other necessities. Ian made a proposal to the captains.

“You want us… to transport those Kraken parts back with us?”

“That’s right.”

“But we already have contracts. We’re supposed to carry exports that were prepared here.”

Hearing this, Prince Alexei didn’t scold them but instead reasoned gently.

“Because of the Kraken incident, fish stocks around this island have plummeted. There isn’t much left to export. If you let us fill the remaining space with Kraken parts, we’ll compensate you fairly.”

As the prince of the Noma Empire, his words held weight. The captains could hardly refuse. And when they saw the amount of gold the allied fleet commanders offered, their minds changed quickly. The amount of gold offered by each nation was substantial.

And it didn’t end there—they were promised even more upon returning. Realizing this deal was more profitable, the captains quickly became eager.

Three days after arrival, unloading was complete, and the freed-up space began to fill with Kraken pieces.

The cargo ship that brought coal loaded Ian’s giant Kraken head. The smoking process had done well—its reduced size allowed it to be crammed inside.

And so, time passed. It was now around December 20. All that remained was to depart.

“Prince Ian. Let’s meet again someday. I truly hope to see you once more.”

“Of course. I’ll be sure to see you again.”

They shook hands in farewell. If there was one major achievement from this expedition, it might well be meeting Alexei, the Fourth Prince of the Noma Empire. His unpretentious manner made Ian feel they had genuinely grown close.

‘If he had been arrogant or prideful, we never would’ve gotten along.’

And so, they said goodbye, and each of their ships began returning to their respective homelands. Among them, the survivors from the Iris and Vane Kingdoms were also aboard transport ships to return home. Naturally, their sacrifices were not forgotten—they were allowed to bring one of the Kraken’s legs back to their nations as their share.

As everyone departed, Ian took a brief walk through the bridge. Most crew members bore minor injuries—leftovers from the shock of the Kraken’s ramming attack. Ian still had a wound on his forehead, and the officer next to him was wearing a splint on his broken arm.

‘I really did go through some crazy experiences out here in the Sea of Paradise.’

“We should begin our journey back.”

“Yes, we’ll depart now.”

Soon, with a loud BWOOONG—! the battleship Mythos began moving toward the homeland, accompanied by the large cargo ship carrying the Kraken’s torso and leg. Fortunately, the seas were relatively calm, making the journey easier.

World Era 1910, February 3rd.

In Pullea, capital of the Polia Kingdom, one rumor was spreading like wildfire: Prince Ian had ventured into the Sea of the Abyss and hunted down a creature from myth itself—the Kraken.

Of course, when this was first heard, most dismissed it as nonsense. To others, the Kraken sounded too absurd. But the rumors didn’t stop, and before long, word spread beyond the Polia Kingdom—multiple nations claimed to have witnessed the Kraken hunt.

The world was already interwoven with telegraph networks. Not only were continents connected, but communication between countries was nearly instantaneous. It took less than a day for news to circulate.

Nations all over the world had begun reporting on the Kraken. It was speculated to be a mysterious sea monster, and navies from many countries had been dispatched to investigate. And eventually, it was confirmed that the Kraken was real—and had been hunted.

This news spread rapidly because the resupply islands they stopped at were connected via telegraph to the mainland. Those aware of the events used these lines to send word back even before the fleet returned.

Naturally, the entire kingdom was abuzz. It wasn’t just that the Kraken had been discovered—many warships were lost in the process. Yet it was Mythos, the ship representing the Polia Kingdom, that had delivered the final blow.

And when it was announced that part of the Kraken’s remains were being brought back, the entire nation erupted. Nobles from all across the kingdom, as well as those who could afford to travel, flocked to the capital just to catch a glimpse of the body.

The unexpected influx of people threw Pullea into chaos. And as Prince Ian’s arrival neared, excitement only grew. Then came the news that shook the capital:

“Hey! Did you hear? Prince Ian is already near the capital!”

“Is that true? So he’s really bringing the Kraken remains?”

“Of course he is!”

“I can’t wait to see it myself.”

“The Kraken actually existed… how could something like that still be around?”

“Yeah, and didn’t the Doicheun Empire lose a battleship to it? I heard other countries’ cruisers sank too.”

“That’s what I heard. They had no choice but to hunt it, and they succeeded. Our Prince Ian brought great glory to the Polia Kingdom.”

“They say he fought alongside ships from other empires?”

“Exactly! How honorable is that—our prince taking part in such a battle. And while other nations’ ships sank, our navy survived.”

“True. This is something that’ll go down in the history books. Our kingdom made its mark by taking down the Kraken.”

People began to gather near the port to welcome Prince Ian. With the crowd growing, city police were dispatched to manage the swelling mass.

It was said that even more people had come than when the fleet returned after the war with the Doicheun Empire. Amidst the roaring crowds, ten ships finally appeared on the horizon, sailing into the capital’s port.

Mythos led the formation, followed by a large cargo ship and accompanying cruisers and destroyers from the 1st Fleet. They had gone out to sea to escort the arriving ships.

As Mythos entered the harbor, it let out a deep BWOOONG—! to announce its arrival. The people roared in excitement. And soon, under the guidance of tugboats, the battleship was docked safely.

Journalists crowded the port. Citizens cheered wildly for Prince Ian, the Kraken slayer. As Ian disembarked, the cheers grew even louder.

Ian responded with a raised hand, waving to the crowd. His officers followed with dignity. All eyes then turned to the cargo ship carrying the Kraken’s remains.

The upper deck doors of the ship opened, and something was slowly being lowered by a steam-powered crane. Everyone’s attention focused on it, and police had to hold the crowd back. Even the officers watched in curiosity.

Slowly, bound in thick steel chains, the Kraken’s corpse was raised by the steam crane. When it finally appeared, gasps erupted. The torso, massive enough to fill the cargo hold, revealed itself to the world.

But few realized that its size had shrunk significantly from its original form. Even so, the sight was nothing short of astonishing. The torso and one of the legs were now being mounted onto an enormous steel platform specially prepared for display.

An hour later, the official parade began. Ian led the way, followed by the deputy captain and officers, with the rest of the crew marching proudly behind. Trailing them, mounted on special wheels, was the Kraken’s massive body on the steel platform.

CHUG CHUG—! CHUG CHUG CHUG—!

It was pulled by no less than seven giant steam tractors. As the parade rolled through the city, the people stared in awe and erupted into cheers for Prince Ian and the brave crew who hunted the beast.

“WOOOOAAAH!”

“All hail Prince Ian!”

“All hail the Polia Kingdom!”

“A man who brought glory to the realm!”

Praise rang out from all directions. And thus, Ian’s parade came to a triumphant end. This event firmly engraved Ian in the hearts of the people.