Damn, I recarneted As A Judge in Fantasy World

The deep sea of the eastern continent.

A red light from the hydrothermal vent grew and shrank repeatedly.

Soon, something huge suddenly appeared there.

Kurrururur!

A body full of things like barnacles and coral.

The sinister gaze made all living things tremble in fear.

Small creatures swimming around the hydrothermal vents died instantly just from being exposed to the hot air.

―Finally… … . The best prey is coming to the sea.

A single tentacle on the monster's head stood upright, flashing.

It looked just like a lanternfly.

It seemed to sense something with that, but I couldn't figure out what the ultimate prey meant.

Soon, the creature began to move slowly forward, moving its webbed feet.

But then suddenly a fairly large guy was wandering around.

A monster that is said to be virtually invincible in the sea.

It was the Sea Serpent.

Perhaps because he was such a vicious guy, he approached me without any fear.

It seemed like he was trying to protect his territory.

Then a purple light poured out from the devil's eyes.
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―I woke up after a long time, and a strange guy had taken over.

Soon, the serpent that had been approaching with its mouth wide open suddenly stopped moving.

Then, suddenly, a loud explosion erupted from the water.

I was just watching, and the body of the Sea Serpent exploded.

As blood and flesh spurted in all directions, hundreds of fish rushed in.

A party broke out out of nowhere, but the demon monster turned away as if it was not interested.

-That's not prey. The real thing is coming.

The creature kept its gaze fixed on the west, and vigorously moved its flippers.

The speed was slow, but the limbs never stopped moving.

* * *

All the way to the southern villa, Abel was troubled.

'I really can't understand. Why did that person give me a vacation instead of work?'

The Emperor was never such a sweet person.

Even though he was Abel's only cousin, he would only ever consider him a pretty useful tool. But suddenly, a month-long vacation?

"It's clear there's something going on."

The problem was that no one could discern Emperor Shuguri's intentions.

What could Abel do when he had come all this way without even knowing why?

"Your Highness, the Duke."

"Why?"

"Don't worry too much, just enjoy it."

The person who suddenly offered advice was Cordell McNeill.

Normally, it would be expected for Cordell to appear gloomy when separated from his lady, but today, for some reason, he seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood.

"You look happy to be away from your lady?"

"Well…"

Cordell opened his mouth and let out a long sigh.

It seemed that Abel's mention of the girl at the beauty salon had brought her to his mind.

Of course, it was natural to think about her. Some of the customers who frequented the store would often steal glances at him.

But Cordell McNeill was proving to be a much worse troublemaker than Abel had expected.

"Why are you talking like that? People are curious."

"There were so many reasons that came to mind that I didn't know which one to choose."

"So, why do you feel good?"

"There are many beauties in the South. They wear really light clothes. Isn't it thrilling to imagine them?"

"…."

Abel could only think that Cordell was truly the craziest guy ever.

There was no need to delve into what exactly he was crazy about.

Shaking his head, Abel turned his attention to the scenery outside the window.

They were clearly nearing the South, as the atmosphere had changed significantly.

The occasional coniferous tree had disappeared, replaced by forests filled with tropical plants.

The temperature seemed to have risen considerably, and Uncle Brandon was sweating profusely.

'It's not that hot—perhaps because we've reached the extreme level.'

The beast's heart was incredibly effective in maintaining homeostasis, meaning Abel's body was hardly affected by heat or cold.

Maybe that was why he could fully enjoy the beautiful scenery, looking at it without being preoccupied with anything else.

"The peaceful sea and the insanely clear weather. It really feels like another world."

As Abel muttered, Cordell McNeill suddenly shook his head.

The way Cordell snapped his fingers indicated that he wanted to refute something.

"No way."

"What now? What could you possibly be dissatisfied with?"

"It's no different from Perias. There's always danger lurking everywhere."

"It's just the sea."

"Sea monsters are even more frightening than you think."

"Yes?"

Clear, shallow waters and endless white sandy beaches stretched out before them.

It seemed like the only thing to eat there was clams.

What kind of monster could possibly live in a place like this?

As Abel pondered this, bubbling spray erupted in the distant sea.

Kururur! Pfft!

Then, with an explosive sound, something enormous emerged.

A long worm with hundreds of segments rose, its wide-open jaws snapping shut as it caught an animal resting on a rock.

"Kuuuung!"

With a loud splash, the walrus-like creature, easily over 4 meters long and weighing more than 3 tons, was dragged into the sea in an instant.

"What is that?"

"It's a monster called a giant bobbit worm. It hides at the bottom of the sea, and its bite is both poisonous and paralyzing."

"I guess anyone bitten wouldn't stand a chance of survival."

"Probably not. Maybe that's why the white sandy beaches here are so pristine—because of them."

The beautiful coastline seemed like the perfect spot for a villa, and developing it as a tourist destination didn't sound like a bad idea.

But there was always a reason things were left undone.

Shaking his head as he listened to Cordell's explanation, Abel thought:

'I almost forgot again. This damned dark fantasy world.'

The Imperial capital and the Duchy of Carriers were becoming increasingly livable.

Social infrastructure was being built one after another, and livelihood crimes had drastically decreased.

Because of this, Abel often forgot that this world was still a terribly savage place.

The appearance of the giant bobbit worm sent a chill down his spine.

There was no way the Emperor would send him on a vacation out of pure kindness.

'There's no way this is innocent. Something incredible is definitely waiting for us.'

Unable to fully enjoy the trip because of his growing nervousness, Abel adjusted himself into the most comfortable position possible, hoping it would calm his mind.

A few hours passed.

When the bright sunlight began inducing a sense of languor, a rumbling sound suddenly broke the tranquility.

"What?"

Seoosh—!

Opening the window, Abel saw people bustling about on the streets.

They had finally arrived at 'Grand Cape,' a major maritime city in the southern empire.

"It's smaller than I expected."

"The Duchy of Perias and Carriers is abnormally large. This is more like an average provincial city."

"What about Deliart and Northern Arc?"

"Those are exceptions. Deliart was originally a kingdom, after all."

"Fair enough."

In truth, Grand Cape was about the size of the Marquisate of Yates.

Because it was located on a coastal promontory, it appeared a little narrow.

However, including the fields behind the city, it was actually quite expansive.

"By the way, it's really cool here."

"If you head further south to the Villa Island area, it'll be even more amazing."

"How do you know the South so well, Sir McNeill?"

"I spent my youth here. Haha!"

"Espionage work?"

"No."

"Aren't black agents the ones who do that?"

"At that time, I hadn't joined the Imperial Guard yet. I was just a free knight wandering around."

"Traveling and courting women everywhere, I assume?"

"Naturally. Your Highness wouldn't understand. Women don't like remaining single forever."

"Who exactly are you referring to?"

"You, of course. I've never heard of you dating anyone."

"And…."

Abel paused.

Even if he mentioned his past life's relationships, there was no way this punk would believe him.

It would only become a laughing matter.

As he chuckled at the absurdity of it all, the carriage came to a stop.

"We've arrived, Your Highness," Uncle Brandon announced.

Cordell McNeill's sly grin persisted, but Abel quickly exited, refusing to give him the satisfaction of teasing him further.

However, just as he stepped out, someone unexpected greeted him.

"Your Highness, the Duke."

"Huh? You?"

To Abel's surprise, a familiar yet unfamiliar face stood before him.

"Who are you?"

Of course, he didn't actually remember the person. He had only seen the face a few times.

The man, however, burst into laughter and introduced himself.

"This is Rufus Schultz."

Ah, it finally dawned on Abel.

This was the man who had first supplied him with paper.

"I heard you run a top in the South. What a coincidence…" Abel muttered.

Abel was momentarily stunned, his gaze fixed on Rufus Schultz. The man was smiling, his sun-weathered face bearing the relaxed confidence of a successful merchant.

"You seem surprised, Your Highness," Rufus remarked, his tone casual. "Didn't expect to see me here, did you?"

Abel composed himself quickly, his expression returning to its usual calm.