A long while after Seol and the others left…
Shuro’s blown head was covered with a bloodied handkerchief.
They had placed it there so that no one else would have to see that gruesome sight.
Shuro was capable of surviving any injury as long as his head wasn’t cut off.
Which also meant that Shuro would survive as long as his head remained intact.
Twitch…
However…
Twitch…
Shuro began twitching and shaking like a fish out of water. At first glance, it seemed like rigor mortis.
Wooosh…The shadows slowly gathered around Shuro’s head, reconstructing his organs.
This was something neither Seol, the world, nor even the Church of Eternal Life expected.
Shuro was regenerating his destroyed head.
While Bria would certainly have been happy if she saw this, she would also have been terrified.
She would even begin to doubt, thinking that the Immortal had returned through Shuro’s body.
This was a level beyond just regeneration, this was nearing restoration.
Shuro should have died from that attack just now.
Gather gather…
However, a series of fortunes followed Shuro, who should have died.
First, Karuna bisected him before this incident.
Having gone through that experience increased Shuro’s regeneration massively, essentially serving as practice for what was happening now.
Additionally, he was lucky to have been poisoned.
The poison that spread through his body helped activate his regeneration before Seol's final blow.
Thanks to that, Shuro’s body was able to start regenerating immediately.
Wriggle…
All of these factors combined to create a miracle.
“Bwaaaaaah!”
There was no one to witness Shuro’s revival.
“Haah… Haah…”
Throw!
He quickly tossed aside the handkerchief that had been on his face.
“Krgh…”
Shuro began to cackle.
“I lived… I survived again!”
Each encounter with death made Shuro stronger. Through this experience, he had taken another step forward.
“Next time… I'll win.”
Shuro then began to laugh once more, looking toward the direction that Seol was headed.
“I am immortal.”
* * *
Frion, a maritime nation.
If one had to identify the largest gathering of lawless people, everyone south of Nevenia would point to Frion.
Naturally, Frion had an abundance of marine resources, and its large ports facilitated the flow of goods year-round.
Fwooosh…
“We’re in Frion!”
“The sea… Isn’t this your first time seeing it, Your Highness?”
“It is!”
Fwooooosh…
To reach the city where the promised ships of the Zonia Kingdom were docked, they needed horses.
They also needed horses as their pursuers were also undoubtedly on horseback.
“There’s a stable near here,” Seol told Riona. “I’ll go buy some horses.”
“Please be careful.”
“He’s not even looking back at us.”
“S-Sorry…”
The stables were roughly ten minutes from where they were.
Seol headed there, walking along the seaside.
Fwirl!
Fwirl!
Karuna and Karen both appeared to look at the sea.
“I... can’t believe it,” Karen bubbled, her jaw completely dropping, continuing to stare at the sea and the waves.
“It’s beautiful, right?”
“And all of this is water?”
“Yeah, it’s all water.”
“C-Can I touch it?”
“Sure.”
Karen quickly ran toward the sea and ran her fingers through the water.
Seeing her, Seol couldn’t help but smile.
“It’s so pretty…”
“I really wanted to show you the sea,” said Karuna.
“Yeah, I like it! It would have been so sad if I died without knowing what the sea looked like. Well… I guess I am already dead!”
Fwoooosh…
Karen reached for a seashell and held it to her ear, smiling childishly and mischievously after hearing the waves.
“I think I like the sea!” laughed Karen.
“Even with the smell?”
“I still like it! It’s different from the land,” said Karen before looking at Seol and Karuna directly. “Thanks… for taking me here.”
Karuna then thanked Seol as well.
“Thank you for bringing us here, Master.”
Seol awkwardly scratched his nose.
- It’s nothing… The little kid wanted to see it.
- I-I didn’t really do anything…
- Want to try riding a swan boat? Those are fun.
- Why does it feel like they’re saying goodbye?
- Stop making me worry!
Seol had fulfilled Karen and Karuna’s first wish.
It wouldn’t have been strange at all if they had passed on after that as if they were ghosts. In fact, it weirdly felt like they were leaving.
“What… do we do now?”
“My only wish after coming back was to bring you here.”
“I know, that’s why I’m saying this. What do we do now, Karuna?”
Often, when people visit the sea, they become lost in thought while silently watching the waves.
It feels as if, when the waves pull back, their worries go away with them.
And now, what were they thinking?
Karen thought for a second before laughing.
“I’ve decided! I’m going to mooch off of him!”
“I came to the same conclusion as well,” answered Karuna.
“I knew you were my brother!”
- NOOOOOOOOOOO!
- GET OUTTTTTTTTT!
- What did Snowman do to deserve this??????
Karen and Karuna both looked toward Seol.
“We want to stay with you. Is that okay?”
Seol responded by meeting their gaze.
“Of course.”
“Phew… Thank god you let us stay. I was planning on staying with you even if you rejected us, though.”
Agony clicked his tongue from within his lantern.
[Tch! I thought you two were going to finally disappear! What a shame!]
“And I’ll definitely never leave with you around!”
Karen quickly grabbed Agony’s cheeks and pinched them.
[Stop it! Stop iiiiiiit!]
Rumble rumble…
Seol and the others quickly rode through Frion and made it to Laven, the harbor city.
[Your Rest location has changed to Laven.]
[You have moved to a different location. The Travel Luck Dice is rolling.]
[Travel Luck Dice has rolled a 5.]
[You are very lucky.]
[The Adventures you undertake near Laven now will proceed smoothly.]
[The Adventures you undertake near Laven now will have an easier difficulty.]
[The Adventures you select near Laven now have a near zero chance of forcibly changing to a Sudden Adventure.]
[If you are forced into a Sudden Adventure, your luck will apply.]
[Your luck is good to take on the Adventures nearby.]
After tying their horses to the tavern’s post, Chadorf turned to Riona.
“Rine, aren’t you glad you didn’t give up?”
“I really am.”
“We really made it, though,” said Earl Brispin. “It was a miracle.”
“Yes,” said Riona, turning to Seol. “It really was a miracle.”
“Let’s go. The ship is apparently at Pier 18.”
The four of them quickly moved without wasting time on sightseeing, let alone stopping to drink water.
All of them were motivated to see this journey through to its end. They were desperate to reach Zonia.
Pier 10…
Pier 12…
Pier 15…
Their hearts began to race faster with each pier they crossed. This was especially the case for Princess Riona.
“Haah… Haah…”
She then began to shake her head in disbelief.
Her hopes had been crushed.
There was no ship at Pier 18.
“......”
“This is…”
“I’ll look into it, Rine.”
Squawk…
Squawk…
The docks were filled with the sounds of seagulls.
A few seconds later, a man with a bandaged eye approached them.
“Princess… Riona?”
“Who…”
“My name is Sicorze. I am the individual in charge of the ship Zonia has sent for you, Your Highness. Well… I was in charge.”
“What do you…”
Sicorze defeatedly drooped his head before leading them to a quiet spot.
After entering a smelly tavern, he carefully and quietly opened his mouth.
“The ship was anchored to the dock as was scheduled.”
“Then why…”
“It’s because of them…”
“Them?”
Sicorze closed his eyes with a somber expression.
“There were… some individuals who gave us a ridiculous offer, saying they wanted to buy our ship.”
“...Who were they?”
“I don’t know. I refused to talk to them because not only were they wearing masks, but they also refused to identify themselves. I sent them away, saying I would never sell my ship and to never ask me again, but…”
Thud!
Sicorze slammed the table.
“A few nights ago… Our ship was set ablaze.”
“......”
“It was probably them. All of my crew tried to put the fire out, but it was already…”
Seol wanted to stop Sicorze from continuing.
‘This is a bit…’
Seol worried for Riona, afraid that if Sicorze continued to talk, it would only deepen her despair.
He prayed she wouldn't succumb to it.
But then, surprisingly, she posed a simple question.
“Were your injuries also from…”
“It’s just a small burn.”
“What about the other crew members?”
“None of them are injured.”
“That’s a relief. How many men do you have?”
“About a dozen…”
“You’ve all been through so much.”
“Your Highness…”
“All we have to do is just get a boat now, no?” smiled Riona.
“......”
“We’ll… make it back. Don’t worry.”
Riona did her best to reassure Sicorze, but everyone knew the truth.
It was not as simple as that.
‘We’re stuck without a ship, and we have pursuers on our trail… And even if we do somehow find a ship that can fit all of us, we would need to leave immediately…’
They were in an extremely dangerous position.
“So… Our next move should be…”
All eyes naturally turned to Seol. After all, it often seemed as if his golden eyes were always peering one step ahead into the future from behind the crow mask.
And as always, Seol had a plan.
“There is still one more method we can try.”
“Really?”
“But… it will be a bit dangerous.”
Riona nodded in response.
* * *
Where there is honey, pests are never far behind.
While bees produce honey, wasps, bears, and other bugs also vy for it greedily.
In the case of Laven, pirates, and smugglers were those pests.
And currently, Seol and the others found themselves in a "dangerous street" in Laven, a hideout for pirates.
It was a place that often appeared in harbor cities, a street filled with unknown alcohols and contraband.
Even just finding one’s way here required a considerable amount of concentration.
“Your Highness, please remember what I told you about the rules. This place has its own set of regulations.”
“Okay…”
The largest establishment on this disorderly street: The Wet Boot.
Seol and the others entered the bar.
Creaaaak…
“Bwahahaha!”
“You tricked me, didn’t you?”
“I didn’t do anything! Pay me now!”
“I know you did something!”
“...Are you trying to fight?”
Fwoosh!
A chair flew by as hot food and alcohol were tossed everywhere.
‘They’re all weak.’
Seol could instinctively tell from their auras.
“Woah!” shouted a pirate wearing a bandana after spotting Riona. “You’re really pretty! Are you a newbie?”
“You idiot! She’s obviously a noble!”
“Oh! A noble? A… noble…?”
“A noble?”
“There’s a noble here?”
This dangerous street was a place where even Laven gave up on managing.
A place where murders, robberies, arson, and theft occur daily. While the city should have been trying to reign it in, the pirates here were stronger than the guards of Laven.
As such, they let it slide as long as they stayed within these streets and didn’t go anywhere else.
Regardless, a noble entering these streets was an unbelievable situation. No one in their right mind would do such a thing. The pirates then looked at the others who came with her with dumbfounded looks.
Someone then asked the princess a question.
“Oi, what’s your name?”
Rule 1: Do not lie.
The moment you got caught lying, it was over.
“Riona.”
“What?”
“She said her name was Riona…?”
“Bwahahaha! Isn’t that the runaway princess’ name?”
“It is! They have the same name!”
“Wait… her face…”
“Oh shit… It’s the real one.”
“I am her,” Riona exclaimed resolutely. “I am the Princess Riona who was chased out of Nevenia.”
“......”
“What the fuck.”
The pirates all turned their heads. It had been a while since something so interesting happened.
“It really is her…”
“Why’d she come here?”
“I guess she’s trying to die here instead of being caught by the knights…?”
A deep voice resonated from the second floor, hidden by curtains.
“Everyone, shut up.”
“......”
“......”
Seol was relieved.
‘I guess there was at least one person.’
Only big-shot pirates were allowed onto the Wet Boot’s second floor.
And because of the curtain, you could only tell who they were from their voices; their appearances remained a mystery.
“What do you want?” asked the voice.
“I’m looking for a ship to Zonia,” answered Riona.
“Why a pirate ship? Didn’t Zonia send their own?”
“Well…”
Do not lie.
“Someone burned down our ship.”
“Ah. Who did?”
“It must be them!” shouted a pirate. “Those fuckers trying to buy our ships!”
“Oho… And where are they now?”
“At the bottom of the sea. How dare they try to buy our ships?! Our ships may be old, but they still run well.”
“Hahahaha!”
Riona continued to talk.
“And for those reasons, I’m asking for your—”
Fwip!
An egg hurled at Riona’s head left its whites and yolk dripping down her hair and onto the floor.
Chadorf’s eyes grew red, and as he reached for his sword, Seol stopped him.
‘You can’t unsheathe it.’
Rule 2: You must endure any humiliation.
“Fuck off.”
“Bwahahahaha!”
The pirates began to laugh and point.
Normally, such a situation would make anyone cry.
In fact, Riona, from the beginning of their journey, would have definitely cried.
‘But you can’t.’
Rule 3: If you cry, you must leave.
As they were pirates who sold even tears, they despised showing weakness.
“...Why?”
“I despise nobles. They’re way too brazen. I can even smell it off them.”
“Hahaha! He’s right! That smell makes me want to barf!”
Riona continued to stare back at the curtains, not blinking at all.
“I see. But shouldn’t it be fine since I smell like raw eggs now?”
“.......”
The pirates stopped laughing.
The big shot on the second floor, the one who threw the egg, paused briefly before answering.
“Not interested. Die on your own if you have a death wish.”
As Riona bit her lip, another voice echoed out.
“I’m interested, though. Riona, was it?”
A female voice.
It was cool and chilling, far from welcoming.
Seol focused on her voice as well, especially the fact that it was a woman’s.
‘There was another big shot? A woman? Don’t tell me…’
Seol had a feeling that he knew her.
There was only one woman like that who could become an influential pirate.
“Why are you trying to go to Zonia? Because you want to live?”
There were no second chances if the pirates did not like Riona’s answer; once they lost interest, no one would be willing to help.
“Well…”
“Answer me.”
Riona turned to the direction of the voice.
“I plan to challenge the throne.”
“......”
Zonia chose their rulers in a rather unique way.
Riona was likely trying to use that to her advantage to become queen.
However, that was not the right answer.
“Hm… That’s unfortunate. I’m not particularly interested in that.”
Seol suddenly interrupted, addressing the female voice.
“I have news, Julia.”
“...How do you know me?”
“There aren’t many pirates allowed onto the second floor, and even fewer with a voice like yours.”
“I wasn’t particularly interested in any news, though?”
“No, there is something.”
“There isn’t.”
The pirates began to shout at Seol.
"Stop messing around and get lost!"
“Miss Julia’s about to run out of patience!”
Seol calmly addressed the voice he believed belonged to Julia once more.
“Santos is dead.”
“......”
The bar quieted down once more.
“I will tell you what happened if you take Her Highness to Zonia. But if you don’t accept my offer, you won’t ever know what happened to him.”
“...How do you know how Santos died?”
“Because it’s something that only I know.”
Santos was Seol’s piece, a pirate known for his nonsensical behavior.
However, he also had a connection with Julia.
Pull…
Julia stepped out as the curtains pulled back.
She slowly stepped down the stairs, her peg leg creating a dissonant sound.
Tack…
Step…
After making it down to the first floor, she asked Seol a question.
“So that idiot… really did end up dying. How did… How did Santos die?”
Seol shrugged.
It was a gesture prodding Julia to accept his offer.
She gritted her teeth as she took another puff of her pipe.
After calming down, she glared at Seol with alluring eyes.
“Money.”
Toss!
Seol tossed a pouch filled with money. As he had more than enough already, this amount was insignificant to him.
After confirming the platinum coins, Julia stepped outside the bar.
“We’re setting sail,” said Julia, her voice slow and deliberate.
The tough-looking pirates began to spill out of the bar in droves.
“We’re setting sail!”
“Julia is setting sail!”
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