HEO 125

I imagined the tattooists squatting before my naked lower half with solemn faces, debating symmetry and patterns. The chuckle that had been escaping my lips quickly died down. Suddenly, a cold thought took root in my mind.

Did I… actually kill Silver’s father?

The face was one thing. I believed that while my physique had grown grotesquely large, my face still retained the freshness of a seventeen-year-old boy, but apparently, that wasn’t the case. What if I had been mistaken about something, relying solely on the guarantee of my own memories?

Silver’s father died three years ago. Around that time, Wolf was an Atanian novice who didn’t even know how to properly hold an axe or a sword. It was a period when he was struggling just to keep his life using the <self-protection right>, and a time when assassination threats from half-siblings were frequent.

If that were the case…

Wolf blinked. A hypothesis instantly formed in his head.

One deep night three years ago. A tavern where even the owner had left the counter to go to sleep. Wolf is slumped over a table, dead drunk. A man drinking in the next seat stands up and suddenly brings an axe down on Wolf. He is a hired assassin commissioned by one of Wolf’s half-siblings. Detecting one or more fatal attacks, Byeoruki activates the <self-protection right>. Even with alcohol filling his head to the brim, Wolf exercises his survival instinct and accepts the protection right.

If Silver had been there. If he had witnessed his father’s head leaving his shoulders by Wolf’s greatsword while wearing a deep robe hood. If his memory had been distorted due to the shock of his father’s futile death.

His heart pounded. Wolf raised his hand and signaled Red Eagle to be quiet.

“Hey.”

〔Yes.〕

“Open it. That thing.”

〔Question range is too broad. Please re-ask specifically.〕

“The reward payment history. Open it.”

〔Executing.〕

A translucent window bloomed before Wolf’s eyes. It was the mirror document he hadn’t opened in over ten days, having been too preoccupied since arriving at Pirate Island.

〔Accessing mirror document…〕

〔Connection complete—Starting document viewing〕

〔Target: You〕

:: Payment History: 〔Self-protection Right〕

:: Remaining Uses: Unlimited (Always on standby)

:: Activation Requirements:

— Accumulation of 5 instances of clear murderous intent and attempted murder by the same individual or group

— Detection of one or more fatal attacks…

〔Progress History〕

:: 1st

— Target: ……|……|……|……|……

Numerous names followed beneath those fishbones. It was Wolf’s killing record spanning three years.

Silver’s father might be on that list.

I need to know his name.

The next day. Early morning, with the sunlight reasonably warm.

The Shark Tooth Gang’s harbor looked as haphazard as if it had been built by gathering wreckage from shipwrecks. Some parts were straight, some leaned into the water, and the areas swept by the tide overnight were slippery with moss and seaweed. Ships were tied to stakes with decaying hemp ropes. Seagulls fought, feathers flying, over a single cod head someone had thrown away. The smell of herring and seaweed floated everywhere.

Wolf looked down at the pirates while standing atop a wooden barrel. A white parrot perched on his shoulder. The hem of his black robe, reaching down to mid-calf, fluttered in the wind. It was a perfect theatrical stage. Except for the fucking stench.

Silver wasn’t here. He had headed out as soon as he woke up this morning, saying he was going to look for the mantis fairy, and there had been no word since.

Charcoal Fire Bear frowned and asked back.

“You want us to take all the main ships out for reconnaissance?”

“Yeah.”

Wolf nodded with his arms crossed. He wore the coldest smile possible, hoping to look like a ruthless villain in the eyes of the pirates. Act 1 begins.

“All three ships. Deploy with a full crew of three hundred.”

“Why go that far for reconnaissance?”

“Winter is right around the corner. Usually, around that time, those starving land-tribe bastards load axes onto boats and crawl out to sea.”

“True, it’s the off-season for us.”

A female pirate missing her front teeth chimed in.

“They charge in thinking it’s a merchant ship, only to end up in a dogfight with beggars who have nothing but axes and shields. I hate winter.”

“Exactly. So let’s try a reverse approach.”

From here, the turning point of Act 1. Wolf made eye contact with each pirate. In the plays he often watched during his time in Atania, the lead actor would always put strength into their eyes and scan the audience right before a decisive scene.

“Question.”

At the right moment, Wolf curled the corner of his mouth upward.

“When wolves go hunting, what’s left in the den? Anyone want to answer?”

“Rabbit bones—!”

Some guy shot his arm up and shouted. Wolf abandoned the metaphor without hesitation and pivoted to a direct approach.

“When the young warriors head to sea, what’s left in the tribe? Answer: the elderly, children, and storehouses packed full for the winter.”

He paused. Wolf waited until the pirates understood the meaning of a ‘village where only the weak and elderly remain.’ ‘Break the sentence. Then the listeners will fill in the blanks themselves.’ It was something his mother, White Deer, used to blather about often.

Contrary to the directorial intent, no matter how long he waited, no sign of understanding appeared on the pirates’ faces. Only glares containing the question ‘So?’ rained down on him. Fuck, [unauthorized copy]style="font-size:0;color:transparent;display:inline;">stolen contentthese empty-headed bastards. Do I have to spell everything out for them?

“In short, we’re hitting empty houses.”

He gave up completely and got to the point.

“We won’t raid them immediately. We’re just figuring out where to raid once the snow falls. We’ll go in along the inland river routes. We’ll mark the tribes on the map that have full granaries, plenty of fat livestock, flimsy fences, and far too few men to defend them.”

“Ooh!”

Only now did the cheers erupt.

“Our new captain’s teeth are quite sharp!”

“Not only clever, but cold-hearted! Raiding empty houses!”

“Let’s raid! Let’s kidnap! Let’s kill!”

The pirates jumped around. The pier planks rattled, and the seagulls perched on the stakes flew off with a flurry of wings. As the excitement peaked, Wolf raised one arm. stolen contentstyle="position:relative;display:inline;">[visit [visit our site]our site]It was a gesture his father, Bronze-beaked Hawk, often used to calm excited warriors.

“Settle down, settle down. As I said, this time is just reconnaissance. We’ll row along the inland river by day, and when the sun sets? We’ll fill our bellies at inns that provide delicious meals and liquor, and sleep in real beds. If we’re lucky, even under a roof that doesn’t leak.”

Wolf paused, then added with strength in his voice.

“Enjoy the sightseeing trip to your heart’s content. It’s my appointment gift to you.”

“Ooooooh!”

“A gift!”

“Sightseeing! Trip!”

The pirates’ eyes sparkled with joy. Riding the momentum, Wolf delivered the final blow.

“You’ve suffered through training lately. So, during this trip, I’ll lift the ban. I permit you to use hallucination herb.”

A moment of silence passed.

The pirates looked at each other with faces of disbelief, then simultaneously stretched their arms toward the gray sky and leaped into the air. A deafening roar of cheers exploded. Some even fell to their knees, clutching their faces and sobbing.

“Uwoooo—!”

“Sweet leaves! I shall meet my love again!”

“I love you, Captain! You are a god!”

Preparations for departure began immediately. The harbor turned into a chaotic mess of bustling pirates and loud swearing. Oars were pulled from storage and slotted into pins. Water barrels rolled up the deck ramps, and food was loaded into the hull in sacks and crates. Tar was applied to the hull seams. Sails were unfurled wide. Shields were tied firmly along the railings, and weapons were tucked under the rowers’ benches.

All preparations were finished around noon. Only then did Silver appear, strolling leisurely. A perfect entrance just as the hard labor had ended. It was clearly intentional.

“You lagged behind on purpose because you didn’t want to do the dirty work, didn’t you?”

Wolf said a word to Silver as he approached. Silver silently scanned Wolf from top to bottom and then simply flicked up his middle finger. Wolf gave a light shrug.

“You think I look cool too, right? I dressed up since it’s the first voyage.”

“Tch.”

Silver turned away. Wolf climbed onto the flagship and stood at the bow. The mooring lines slid away, creating a spray of water. The moment the last rope fell from the stake, the ship pivoted sharply like a living beast. The hull surged up and down with the crashing waves. Despite the violent shaking, Wolf did not buckle his knees and shouted powerfully.

“Advance—!”

Wolf stretched out one arm and pointed his finger toward the sun. This dramatic gesture was also a direct copy of how his father, Bronze-beaked Hawk, used to pose before the warriors. He captured as much of his father’s majesty as possible in his expression and gaze. The fluttering robe and flying blonde hair further enhanced the theatrical effect. The white parrot also fluttered up and screamed.

“Forward! The Master of the Sea charges—! The Shark Tooth Gang shall destroy and conquer the North Sea—!”

To think he’d deliver lines he wasn’t even told to say; it seemed the Prince was quite immersed in playing pirate.