By Zephyria =======
“Prince. Should we shoot that bastard?”
Beside him, warriors asked as they aimed their crossbows at the figure. Wolf, who had remained silent, took off his helmet. His entire body was drenched in sweat.
That strange feeling from before… what was it?
“Leave him. We couldn’t hit him anyway.”
He was puzzled. A random memory overlapped with the sight of that back receding as it cut through the current. A nameless warrior on a dark night, whose head was sent flying into the river during a drunken brawl on the deck. Someone pushes Wolf and leaps into the river. Wolf looks down at the river blankly.
‘Who is that? What is he doing?’
A throbbing headache surged. It felt as if a steel ball were violently shaking, trying to break through his skull. Wolf flung his helmet aside.
* * *
The following night.
A torrential downpour and fierce winds struck. Every time a wave slammed into the hull, there were loud cracks and bangs. The sails and ropes creaked violently. Rainwater took over not only the deck but also the interior of the hole that the madman had punched through. Depending on the direction of the waves, the warship tilted like a paper boat. Warriors formed lines from the lower decks to the main deck, hauling buckets of water out.
“Faster! Even faster!”
To make matters worse, the site of the accident happened to be the storage area. More than half of the grain sacks were soaked and sagging. The damp smell of straw and wood spread into every corner. In the lowest compartment, water rose to the ankles, forcing the warriors to walk around barefoot, splashing through the flood.
In times like these, the status of a Prince guaranteed convenience. In the dim cabin, Wolf sat shoulder-to-shoulder with veteran warriors who had over fifteen years of sea experience, staring at a map. Wet hair clung to his bare back. The lamp spinning from the ceiling cast red stains over the black tattoos stretching from his shoulders to his abdominals.
“We leave these waters by tomorrow dawn. If the ship capsizes before then… then that is where God decided our fate ends. The destination is here, the mid-way supply port.”
A warrior poked a certain island on the map with his fingertip. His face was a patchwork of knife scars, but his fingers were intact, without a single one missing. He was the captain responsible for the ship’s helm.
“Now, we will be fighting a battle against the sea, so the Prince should go play with the parrot.”
The captain stood up. It was then that Wolf spoke.
“Do pirates frequently appear in these waters?”
“Hmm?”
One of the captain’s eyebrows arched.
“Pirates crawl out wherever there is water. Well… the fellows around here will probably target passing merchant ships once their storages run dry, right?”
Someone chuckled. The captain tapped Wolf’s shoulder with the back of his hand.
“Prince. In Stohl, it’s ambiguous to pinpoint someone specifically as a ‘pirate.’ When Stohl people run out of food, they grab an axe and launch a boat. It’s the same for any tribe.”
“That’s just petty theft.”
Wolf brushed the captain’s hand away.
“I’m talking about professionals whose only livelihood is piracy. I’m asking if there is a specific pirate crew operating in these waters.”
“That is…”
The captain and the warriors exchanged glances. Eventually, one warrior pointed to a spot on the map.
“It’s not certain if a professional pirate crew actually exists, but probably… here.”
The fingertip pointed to an archipelago with a unique shape, evident even at first glance. Along a long, narrow waterway leading from the outer sea, various islands, reefs, and shallow sandbars were densely marked on both sides.
“Only here. The terrain is too rugged to make it a formal port, and it’s a blind spot that sailors avoid because fog often settles in. It’s called the Shark Tooth Archipelago, and it’s quite close from here.”
The warriors continued in low voices.
“There have been rumors for a long time that a pirate crew is based there…”
“And that they make newcomers pull out their own teeth as an initiation…”
“There are rumors that if you add up all the slaves they’ve sold, they could easily fill a small city in Atania…”
“And those slaves said they heard the cries of wraiths from the pirate island every night…”
“It’s all just rumors, though…”
Suddenly, the cabin fell silent. Only the shadows cast by the lamp flickered on the map. The sound of the rain became distinct again.
Wolf stared silently at the archipelago in question. The shape of the islands and reefs lined up densely along the crescent-shaped waterway indeed looked like shark teeth. If it were land, it would be like a forest where light never reaches even at midday. A place where swamplands lurk in the damp darkness, and animal carcasses rot here and there.
“So you all knew the identity of the unwelcome guest?”
Wolf looked straight at the captain.
“I was the only one who didn’t.”
At those words, the captain cleared his throat and averted his gaze. Wolf smirked.
“They must be quite something. Even veterans are reluctant to mention them.”
“Prince, you misunderstand. As I said, that pirate crew is just a rumor…”
“Those bastards. They have no value in existing in this world, do they?”
“What… did you say?”
Once again, the cabin fell silent. The captain stared at Wolf without even blinking.
“Prince.”
After a long moment, the captain spoke.
“I’m asking just in case. You aren’t thinking of tracking down the pirate crew, are you?”
“And if I am? Is there a problem?”
The cabin was engulfed in silence. Even without using magic, the thoughts in the veterans’ heads were clear to Wolf. They were all thinking of one person. That madman wearing the human-skin mask.
They weren’t afraid of the entire pirate crew, but of that one man. Perhaps he was the pirate crew himself. With that skill and that bizarre appearance, he was clearly the mark of a leader.
“Don’t shrink back. I was just joking.”
Wolf raised both hands and waved them.
“I was just curious. Whether in the eyes of a ruthless Stohl warrior, such people also seem to have no value in existing in this world.”
The captain and the warriors looked at each other. Eventually, someone gave an awkward smile.
“That is true. But well, are pirates the only ones like that?”
One by one, they chimed in.
“I hate the riffraff hanging around the ports more than pirates.”
“Ah, I agree. Those are the ones who should please disappear from the world.”
“To the idiots in Atania, all Stohl people are probably demons who should disappear from the world.”
“Puhah! That’s true too.”
Three or four of them burst into loud laughter before quickly shutting their mouths. They seemed to have remembered Wolf’s origin belatedly. Wolf didn’t react. He simply tapped the map once with the back of his hand.
“Go back to your posts. Good luck.”
Shortly after the warriors left, Wolf also exited the cabin. Red Eagle, who had been circling in the hallway, flew over hurriedly.
“Wolf! It’s a storm!”
“Wow. We’re fucked.”
“Don’t talk like it’s someone else’s problem! What if the ship is wrecked! I can at least fly, but you…!”
Red Eagle perched on Wolf’s shoulder. Wolf headed toward the hatch.
“Stop overreacting. The warriors here are experienced sailors.”
Wolf walked along the wall, avoiding the warriors hauling water. As he stepped out of the hatch, the wind assaulted him. Rain streaks lashed his skin. The sound of thunder.
A bolt of white lightning struck in the distance. To his eyes, it looked as small as a drop of milk, but the following thunder was destructive enough to make his ears ring. Every time a wave hit the hull, golden hair clung to Wolf’s face. Rainwater flowing over his shoulders slid down his pectoral muscles.
“Aaaagh!”
The fierce wind swept Red Eagle off Wolf’s shoulder. The parrot, flying away like a linen handkerchief, hurriedly flapped its wings to rise back into the air.
“Wolf! It’s dangerous! Grab the railing!”
Red Eagle shouted. Water droplets sprayed from its rain-soaked white wings.
Wolf walked slowly toward the stern of the ship, looking up only at the night sky. Sailors usually say they ‘ride’ the waves. However, this warship was currently being unilaterally beaten by the waves.
Someone clung to the mast, winding back grappling hooks and ropes. Someone else slipped and rolled across the deck. The sails fluttered as if they would tear, and the warriors holding the sheets gritted their teeth to withstand the wind. Everyone was struggling desperately. With one single purpose: survival.
This scene of a desperate fight brought back hellish memories. Skeleton wraiths. A kind guiding voice. Bizarre yet cute fairies. Five chests. And…
There were comrades. Though everyone died except for the Prince and me.
“Wolf! I said it’s dangerous!”
Red Eagle shouted again.
76 – Hell Execution Order