By Zephyria =======
Suddenly, a naked man appeared, tearing through the fog. A long, sharp spear had pierced through his lower body and emerged through his wide-open mouth. He had three eyes on his face; both eyes on the sides were closed, and only the single eye in the center of his forehead was wide open. It was a ‘Bone Stake,’ something Silver had seen only three or four times in his life.
While ordinary tribes usually decorated their prows with animal heads, the warships directly under the Stohl royal family were different. An ominous statue, shaped like a man impaled by a spear with arms spread in a cross, guarded the prow. The Bone Stake, aimed straight ahead with the tip of the spear, exuded a thick scent of death by its very form. In fact, it was said that the people of Atania would flee in utter panic the moment they spotted that prow from afar.
The current surged in all directions. Following the prow, the sails revealed themselves. Four masts stretched straight up like spear shafts, with grey cloth billowing tautly. It looked as if a membrane had been stretched over the ribcage of a giant beast. Then, the dark red hull, resembling a deep bruise, emerged. The massive hull pushed forward, trampling the waves. With the first ship leading the way, a second, third, fourth… dozens of warships followed in a line.
It was an overwhelming spectacle, but Silver could only think that the Bone Stake was creepy. Back when the Stohl royal family was merely a tribe called the ‘Crows that Burn the Night Sky,’ the Bone Stake was passed down as a holy hero who sacrificed his own body to protect the tribe. Since then, descendants had decorated the prow with his image to show respect, but in Silver’s eyes, he looked like nothing more than a dead man being eternally tortured. Anyway, was the Prince’s mother on those warships?
Silver nudged Black Weasel in the ribs with his elbow.
“Hey. Those are the royal direct warships.”
“You think I don’t know that?”
“Didn’t they say the Prince’s mother and his older brother were staying at some lakeside castle for a while?”
Black Weasel shrugged one shoulder.
“That’s what I heard, but… who knows. White Deer and that Prince’s brother are too old to be fluttering over a honeymoon. Maybe the future royal couple set out by sea to tour the eastern region. The Stohl royal family only represents the tribal confederation; they don’t possess centralized power like Atania. That Prince’s brother, now that I think about it…”
The following words were naturally converted into ★×∽ as they passed through Silver’s ear canal.
“Stop talking out of your ass. It’s boring.”
“Seriously, this guy, the moment a slightly difficult topic comes up… Whatever, change direction. We’re following them.”
“What if we come up empty?”
“At the very least, we’ll find out where the future royal couple is staying. It won’t take long. Those guys will want to eat on land too.”
Silver shut his mouth tight and rowed. His palms were slick with sweat. To think he’d encounter the Prince’s mother this quickly… this wasn’t in the calculations.
If things go south, Wolf will be kidnapped by the Ice Armor Warrior today. Damn, what do I do?
Wolf and Red Eagle were holding hands tightly. They seemed vaguely anxious at the sudden situation of the rowboat following the warships. Silver’s mind raced. The situation was messed up, time was running out, and when communication was impossible, what was the most useful solution? There was only one answer: fists.
He would wait for an opportunity, then smack the back of Black Weasel’s head to knock him unconscious. A sucker punch. Then, he’d feed him drugs and let him make love to a big-bottomed woman in his dreams for a few days. In the meantime, he would safely evacuate Wolf and Red Eagle. End of story.
Wait, a parting…?
The last time with Wolf?
Suddenly, Silver’s chest felt cold. A sharp pain surged from within, as if he had swallowed a piece of metal. Following the sudden emotional confusion that rippled through him, a question followed a beat late. Why am I like this?
It was similar to that time. When he had misunderstood that Wolf had gone mad at the stone needles, he had been helplessly swept away by a strange emotion, like a blue fallen leaf. His fingertips trembled as if he’d run out of liquor, and a piercing pain, like raw flesh being torn, overwhelmed him. Even though Wolf was just someone he would pass by for a short while.
Silver lowered his gaze to his toes while rowing. He looked at himself as if staring at a bare wall with the wallpaper torn off. Why did I act like that then? And why now do I feel so empty, desolate, and stiff in my fingertips?
The answer came immediately. Because he was afraid of parting with Wolf. Because he didn’t want it to end like this. Because he didn’t want to face the end.
Certainty rushed in. This aching heart wasn’t the manipulation of some evil spirit. It was his true feelings. Just as the tip of the tongue recognizes strong liquor first, doubting this emotion was like insisting that the fire burning one’s fingertips wasn’t hot. The sense of loss that flooded him the moment he imagined parting with Wolf was that clear.
I… I like Wolf. Did I secretly want to go to Atania together?
Silver’s gaze wandered aimlessly. His eyes, which had been tracing the nearest warship, fell upon the undulating river. The surface of the river reflected him like a half-broken mirror. In an instant, the back of his neck turned cold. A pale face under a deep black hood. A single tattoo line near the eye. In the swaying waves, that face stretched long and distorted.
You’re going to Atania looking like that?
A hollow laugh escaped him. He had truly had an idiot’s thought. The ‘less bad place’ Wolf spoke of was a world permitted only to those with two eyes. Even there, a one-eyed person would leave home every morning wondering whose silver coin purse to steal. A corner of his heart grew damp. He felt like a fool who had secretly peeked at the last page of a play’s script and became disappointed in a conclusion that differed from his expectations.
Soon, Silver lifted his head. He shut his mouth tight and rowed with all his might. His gaze remained fixed on the warships beyond Wolf’s shoulder. His heavy breathing was trapped without a trace by the sound of the massive waves. The wind was exceptionally cold.
* * *
Enough time passed for two segments of a candle to burn down. The fleet of warships advanced, looking only forward. The fog grew thicker.
Silver stopped rowing and sniffed the air.
“Hey. I think we’re screwed. They’re eating on their ships.”
At those words, Black Weasel closed his eyes and flared his nostrils.
“You’re right. Hmm, honey wine and dried cod with butter, cheese and jerky… slurp…”
“Is this the time to be salivating? If those guys keep using the waterway, we’re the only ones who’ll suffer. We didn’t bring any food.”
“So impatient. They’re probably just having a snack because they’re peckish.”
“Who eats a snack that grand? That’s a combined lunch and dinner.”
“Let’s bet, Silver. The river port where we stayed last night is right in front of us. I bet those guys will stop there and enjoy a dinner banquet. If I lose, I’ll take one flick to the forehead.”
“I’m winning.”
Silver’s confidence paid off. The fleet of warships slid right past the river port. Silver delivered a sharp flick to the back of Black Weasel’s head.
“See, I told you it wasn’t a snack! Now what! Dammit, I’m hungry!”
“Ow, this guy’s punch is really…”
Scratching his head, Black Weasel suddenly snapped his head up.
“There’s only one way! Let’s beg the warships to take us aboard.”
Silver didn’t even have time to let out a sigh. Black Weasel jumped up and waved both arms.
“Warriors over there! Please save this pitiful widower! I’ve been robbed by bandits and have nothing to eat! See? I’ve got three sons depending on this old father, three!”
For the first time, signs of life emerged from the previously silent warships. The sound flying through the fog, even if one washed their ears before listening, was laughter. Moreover, it was blatant, snickering ridicule. Well, it was only natural.
“The atmosphere feels like they won’t even throw us a piece of cheese. Stop begging for food and just ask if the Prince’s mother is there.”
“I know the future royal couple is on board! If you don’t throw a piece of jerky to a pitiful widower with three kids, the warriors are going to get in trouble!”
The laughter grew louder. Even through the fog, the middle fingers being raised toward them by the warriors at the rear of the warships were clearly visible. Just then, Wolf suddenly kicked Silver’s shin. What is this guy? I’m already pissed off, and now he’s kicking my leg… Ack.
Silver flinched. Wolf’s two eyes looking at him were like balls of fire. From that blazing gaze, a silent scream erupted: ‘Translate! Explain the situation!’ Silver spat toward the river.
「The Ice Armor Warrior is begging to be taken on the ship.」
「On that ship? Why?」
Wolf asked back with a bewildered face. Silver gestured with his chin toward the warships.
「They’re warships directly under the Stohl royal family. The Prince’s mother might be on there. This waterway leads to the Prince’s mother’s tribe.」
「That’s a bit…? Even if White Deer has made peace with the Prince’s older brother, returning on a royal direct warship seems like a stretch.」
「What’s a stretch?」
Black Weasel interrupted provocatively.
「It’s a reasonable judgment, you attendant brat. Since White Deer married the Prince’s half-brother, it’s only natural she’d use her husband’s ship on the way back to her tribe…」
「What did you say!」
Wolf and Red Eagle shouted in unison and jumped up.
62 – Hell Execution Order