At the harbor, the heroes and their party members waited to be boarded on the ship. And just arrived were The Shield Hero group.
"Only so many ships can depart in a day. They're such idiots." said Naofumi.
"By the hammer of Thor! Is that what I think it is?" said a cheerful booming voice coming towards them. "Are you the mighty Shield Hero many have spoke of?"
"If you're looking to hire me, then you're too late."
"No no. I just want to meet you." said the viking clad in chain mail armor, and a big braided beard evey viking have. "I am Rollo of the Warborns!"
"The Warborns?" said Marius.
"Well, I was until my boat sank during the Great Raid. And lucky for you, I was called by The Order to provide my boating services to you, shield brother."
"Thanks, but we've already have a ship to board."
"Oh, it's okay. I'll be sailing to Cal Mira to provide my boating services whenever you need it... For five silvers."
"That's good enough."
"Wonderful! Now if you excuse me, I must get her ready for Cal Mira. May Odin give you strength, shield brother!" Rollo turned around and walked away with a joyful manner.
"That is one cheerful viking." said Marius.
"We're terribly sorry!" said the sailor escorting the Shield Hero group to their room. "We prepared a private room for you, but the other heroes arrived early and took over all the cabins."
As they strolled through the hallway, a cloaked person exited out of a room and walked towards the group. As the cloaked person got closer to them, they realized the mysterious person was alot taller than any of them. Except for Marius, who barely matched the person's height.
While the person's face was hidden by the hood, the person's blonde braided hair sticked out from the collar. Marius could hear the clanking of armor underneath the person's cloak. The cloaked person's walked closer to Marius and bumped his shoulder as they walked pass each other.
"Hey!" Marius yelled. But the person ignored his calls and continued walking away. "Malaka."
"Who was that?" said Filo.
"I do not know."
They then stopped near a door to their room, which was where the cloaked person emerged.
"You'll be sharing this room, but we really hope you'll make do." said the sailor.
Naofumi knocked on the door and they could hear a male voice coming inside telling them that they could come in. As he walked inside, he was surprised to see two familiar faces he met when they visited Raphtalia's village.
As they continued introducing themselves, Marius looked at the cloaked person walking far away before disappearing to the corner.
"And what about you, big guy?" said the red haired man.
"Hueh?"
"Don't worry about her. She's can be rude sometimes."
"You mean that person with the cloak?"
"She's just going out for some fresh air. Anyways, what's your name?"
"Marius... The Masked Hero."
"Masked Hero, huh? So what's with that mask?"
"It is... Was... A symbol of the centurion. I used to command armies."
"A commander. How did you get your hands on an army commander, kiddo?"
"We found him dying on the road. Now's he's with us." said Naofumi.
"I see. Well, it's nice to meet you, Marius. My name is L'arc Berg, the Scythe Hero."
"And I'm Therese Alexanderite." said the light blue haired woman. "Are you all headed for Cal Mira to level up, too?"
"Yes." said Raphtalia.
"That's right." said Filo.
"Oh? Wanna team up, then? A bigger party would make things more efficient." said L'arc.
"Team up with you three?" said Naofumi.
Then, they heard knocking on the door and the sailor's voice outside.
"Excuse me!"
Marius walked outside to the upper deck with Naofumi and Filo. They looked around the ship and saw the three other heroes at the edge of the ship, sea sick.
"How are you okay, Naofumi-san?" said Itsuki.
"That overpowered shield again?" said Ren.
Marius chuckled, then moved to the edge of the ship and rested himself while watching the view.
"I wanna go swimming!" said Filo, standing on top of the edge.
She then jumped to the ocean and it shocked Marius. There was a splash when Filo dove into the ocean. After a few seconds, a large filolial queen emerged out of the water waving at Marius.
"By the gods." Marius then noticed Motoyasu approaching him.
"I don't believe you." said Motoyasu.
"Pardon?"
"I don't believe what you said that day. I think you're just trying to throw me off."
"If that is what you think, then yes. I was... Throwing you off. But I thought you be more satisfied with your concubines?"
"They are not..." Motoyasu quickly turned and lowered himself at the edge, before vomitting his guts out.
Then, a large fish-like monster landed on top of Motoyasu, followed by another one landed near Motoyasu's party.
"We're having grilled fish for dinner!" said Filo.
Marius watches the large fish flopping on top of Motoyasu. He took his spear and plunged it on the fish to kill it. After it stopped moving, Motoyasu pulled himself out of the dead fish.
"You are welcome." said Marius with a bloodied spear on his hand.
Marius then grabbed the dead monster on the jaw and pulled it aside. He walked towards the other fish monster and finished it off with his spear.
The room they were staying in rocked back and forth as the storm outside rages on. The Shield Hero group, L'arc and Theresa, were all asleep in one single room. Outside, the cloaked lady peeked through the slightly opened door, looking at Marius who was sleeping with Filo in his arm.
After the cloaked lady left, Marius opened his eyes. He slowly got out of the bed while being careful not to wake Filo up. Quitely, he took his sheathed gladius and strapped it around his hip. He gave Filo a kiss on the forehead then left the room without waking up anyone.
He followed the path where he thought the cloaked lady might took. This led him to a stairs to the upper deck. As he climbed up the stairs he opened the hatch and saw several sailors working to keep the ship afloat, all soaking wet from the storm.
"Sir! You can't be here right now! Its too dangerous!" said one of the sailor who noticed Marius.
"I am looking for a woman wearing a cloak! Have you seen her?" said Marius, raising his voice due to the loud storm
"There's no one here but my crew members! Please, just stay in your room until-"
A loud and bright thunder strucked the ocean just beside the ship. Marius and the rest of the sailors was in total shocked.
"It's just a bit of thunder, lads! Continue your work!" said the captain commandering the ship.
Then, there was a loud roar. And it deafened even the sound of thunder. Marius clutched his gladius and waited for whatever made that roar to appear.
And just after a few second of waiting, the ship was tilted to the side as if something heavy was clawing its way to the upper deck. Sailors quickly armed themselves with whatever weapons they have before they positioned near the side of the boat.
"Sir! You need to get to safety now!" said the sailor.
"Not when something is going on!" said Marius.
Suddenly, a large hand emerged gripping on the edge of the ship followed by another hand. Then emerged a cyclop monsters climbing on the upper deck. The towering beast roared at the sailors, terrifying them while the braver ones stayed to fight it but was swatted away by the cyclop's mighty arm. Marius drew his gladius and charged at the beast.
The cyclop was ready to grab the warrior but Marius slashed the cyclop's hand away then slashed the cyclop's belly, cutting its hide. The cyclops recoiled by the attack before it swatted Marius away.
"Get the heroes now!" said the captain.
One of the sailor rushed towards the hatch but was quickly grabbed by the cyclop, and it threw the unfortunate sailor at Marius who just got up on his feet. He quickly dodge the thrown sailor and then readied himself.
The cyclop let out a loud roar and Marius responded with a war cry. With a boat oar on one hand, Marius charged towards the beast. As he got closer he threw the oar like a javelin and it hit the cyclop's eye. The beast roared in pain then swung his arms aimlessly.
Marius dodged the blinding attack and ran pass between the monster's leg while he slashed its genitals. The cyclops bended down and put both its hands on its bleeding genitals, and Marius stabbed the cyclop's leg joint. As the creature fell on one knee Marius brutally stabbed the monster's spinal cord on its waist.
The cyclops fell flat on its face after being paralyzed from its waist. Marius then leaped on the monster's back. As the monster lifted itself up with its bloodied hand, Marius stabbed throught the nape of the beast.
The cyclop flopped on the floor, now dead by a stab on the nape. Marius looked down on his dead opponent, all bloodied from his relentless attack. As the sailors got close to observed the beast, Marius got down from the large corpse.
"Are you okay?" said one of the sailor.
"It is done." said Marius. He wiped the blood off his gladius with his bare hands before sheathing it back.
Marius then walked towards the hatch and climbed down to the passenger's quarter.
"What are you all waiting for?! Throw that monster to the ocean and clean this place up!" said the captain.
Soaking wet and partially covered with cyclop blood, Marius walked along the quarters to his room. Naofumi and the rest of his roommates ran towards Marius.
"What's going on?" said Naofumi.
"There was a beast attacking the ship, but I got rid of it before it could do any damage." said Marius. And just behind L'arc and Theresa was the cloaked lady.
"What kind of monster?"
"Cyclop. One I knew from stories, but I never thought I would slayed one."
"And what's a cyclop doing in the middle of the ocean?"
"I do not know. But it is dead now. And I must rest."
"If we could have got up early we could have help you fight that thing." said L'arc. "But looks like you handled it pretty well. Even without your armor."
Naofumi then walked passed Marius. "I need to see this cyclop myself, and figure out how it got here."
"Hey, can I join you? I wanna see this beast myself!"
"I guess you can help me out."
"That's the spirit!" L'arc put his arms around Naofumi's neck as they make their way to the upper deck.
Behind them, they were followed by Theresa and the cloaked lady.
"I have a bad feeling about this." said Raphtalia.
"About the cloaked one?" said Marius. "I saw her watching us while we were asleep."
"Really? What do you think she wants from us?"
"I do not know... Maybe Naofumi will find the answer soon. Let us rest for now."
"Right. Just dry yourself first before going to bed."
"That was my intention."
Naofumi observed the mutilated cyclops, laying on its pool of blood.
"This cyclops doesn't look like an aquatic type." said Naofumi. "Either it learnt to swim, or someone sent it here."
Naofumi then saw Theresa, who seems to be scolding the cloaked lady, but could not hear their conversation clearly due to the storm. He was about to walk closer to them when L'arc put his hand on Naofumi's shoulder.
"Find anything, kiddo?" said L'arc. He noticed that Naofumi was staring back at the two women. "Oh, don't mind them. They always argue alot."
"Do you find any clue about the cyclop?" said Naofumi.
"It's ugly, that's all I can find."
"Do you think someone might have sent it?"
There was a few seconds of silence from L'arc before he start talking.
"Well, if someone did sent that monster, that person would be really dissapointed. Thanks to Marius, of course."
Upon mentioning the centurion's name, the cloaked lady turned her head slightly before looking back at Theresa.
Naofumi saw this, and started to grew suspicious.