HEO 75

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁣⁣⁣⁠⁣⁣⁠⁠⁣⁠⁠⁠⁠⁣⁣⁣⁣⁠⁠⁣⁠⁣⁣ ⁣⁠⁣⁣⁠⁠⁠⁠⁣⁠⁣⁠⁠⁣⁠⁣⁠⁣⁠⁣⁣⁣⁠⁣⁣⁣⁠⁠⁣⁣⁣⁠“Your Highness. Should we shoot him?”

The warriors beside him asked and aimed their crossbows at the man. Wolf took off his helmet. His whole body was drenched in sweat.

That strange feeling from earlier… What was it?

“Leave him be. It’s not like we would hit him.”

He was confused. A jarring memory came to mind as he saw that figure moving through the water. On a dark night, a nameless warrior whose head had been severed and thrown in the river after a drunken brawl on deck. Someone pushed Wolf aside and jumped into the river. Wolf stared blankly down at the river.

‘Who is that? What is he doing?’

A throbbing headache pulsed through him. It felt as if an iron ball were rattling inside his skull. Wolf threw his helmet aside.

* * *

The following night.

Torrential rain and fierce winds crashed down. Every time a wave battered the hull, there was a cracking and banging sound. The sails and ropes creaked. Rainwater flooded not only the deck but also the hole that the madman had blasted through. Depending on the direction of the waves, the warship tilted like a paper boat. The warriors lined up from the lower decks to the main deck, bailing water with buckets.

“Faster! Faster!”

To make matters worse, the accident had happened in the hold. More than half the grain sacks were soaked through. The musty smell of straw and wood permeated every corner. In the lowest compartment, the water rose up to the warriors’ ankles, so they walked around barefoot.

At times like this, being a prince guaranteed certain conveniences. In the dimly lit cabin, Wolf sat shoulder to shoulder with veteran warriors who had surpassed fifteen years of sea experience, poring over a map. His wet hair clung to his bare back. The lamp spinning on the ceiling cast red patches across the black tattoo stretching from his shoulders to his abs.

“We’ll get out of these waters by dawn tomorrow. If the ship capsizes before then… that’s where our fate, as decreed by the gods, ends. Our destination is here, the mid-route supply port.”

A warrior pointed to an island with his finger. His face was a patchwork of scar tissue, but his fingers were intact, not a single one missing. He was the captain in charge of the ship’s helm.

“Well, from now on we’ll be fighting the sea, so the prince should go play with the parrot.”

The captain stood up. That was when Wolf spoke up.

“Do pirates often appear in these waters?”

“Huh?”

The captain raised an eyebrow.

“Pirates crawl out of the ground wherever there’s water. Well… once these guys run out of supplies, they’ll probably start targeting passing merchant ships.”

Someone chuckled. The captain tapped Wolf on the shoulder with the back of his hand.

“Prince. In Stoll, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly who qualifies as a ‘pirate.’ When the people of Stoll run out of food, they grab an axe and set sail. It’s the same with any tribe.”

“That’s just petty theft.”

Wolf swatted the captain’s hand away.

“I’m talking about professionals whose only livelihood is piracy. I’m asking if there’s a specific pirate crew operating in these waters.”

“Well…”

The captain and the warriors exchanged glances. After a moment, one warrior pointed to a spot on the map.

“I’m not sure if there’s actually a professional pirate crew, but probably… here.”

The spot his finger pointed to was an archipelago with a distinctive shape even at first glance. On either side of a long, narrow channel leading from the open sea, numerous islands, reefs, and shallow sandbars were marked.

“It’s only here. The terrain is too rugged to establish a proper port, and fog rolls in frequently, making it a blind spot that sailors avoid. It’s called the Shark Teeth Archipelago, and it’s quite close to here.”

The warriors continued in hushed tones.

“Rumors have been circulating for a long time that there’s a pirate crew over there…”

“They say they make new recruits pull out their own teeth as an initiation rite…”

“There’s also a rumor that if you added up all the slaves they’ve sold, it would easily fill a small town in Atania…”

“And those slaves say they heard the wails of evil spirits coming from the pirates’ island every night…”

“It’s all just rumors…”

The cabin suddenly fell silent. Only the shadows cast by the lamp flickered across the map. The sound of rain grew clear once more.

Wolf gazed at the archipelago in question. The islands and reefs, lined along the crescent-shaped waterway, did indeed resemble shark teeth. On land, it looked like a forest where no light penetrated, even at midday. Swamps lurked in the damp darkness, and the rotting carcasses of beasts lay scattered here and there.

“So everyone knew the identity of the uninvited guest?”

Wolf looked at the captain.

“I was the only one who didn’t.”

The captain cleared his throat and averted his gaze. Wolf chuckled.

“They must be quite something. Even veterans are reluctant to speak their names.”

“Your Highness, you’re mistaken. As I said, that pirate crew is just a rumor…”

“Those bastards have no value in this world.”

“What… What did you say?”

Once again, the cabin fell silent. The captain stared at Wolf without blinking.

“Your Highness.”

After a long pause, the captain spoke.

“I’m just asking, just in case. Are you planning to track down that pirate crew?”

“And if I were? What’s the problem?”

Silence engulfed the cabin. Even without using magic, Wolf could see clearly into the minds of the old hands. They were all thinking of one person. That madman wearing the skin mask.

That one man was more terrifying than the entire pirate crew. Perhaps he was the pirate crew itself. With his skill and that grotesque appearance, he was clearly the leader.

“Don’t get so tense. I was just joking.”

Wolf raised both hands and waved them.

“I was just curious. Even in the eyes of a ruthless Stoll warrior, those people don’t seem worth existing in this world?”

The captain and the warriors looked at each other. After a moment, someone gave an awkward smile.

“I suppose so. But then again, are those kinds of people only found among pirates?”

One by one, they chimed in.

“I actually hate the riffraff causing trouble in the harbor more than I hate pirates.”

“Ah, I agree. Those are the ones who really need to disappear from the world.”

“To those idiots from Atania, every single person from Stoll must be a demon who should vanish from the world.”

“Ha! That’s true.”

Three or four of them laughed, then quickly covered their mouths. They’d belatedly remembered Wolf’s background. Wolf didn’t react. He just tapped the map once with the back of his hand.

“Get back to your posts. Good luck.”

Shortly after the warriors left, Wolf also stepped out of the cabin. Red Eagle, who had been circling in the hallway, flew over.

“Wolf! It’s a storm!”

“Wow. We’re screwed.”

“Don’t talk like it’s none of your business! What are you going to do if the ship wrecks? I can at least fly, but you…!”

Red Eagle landed on Wolf’s shoulder. Wolf headed for the hatch.

“Don’t make such a fuss. The warriors here are seasoned sailors.”

Wolf walked along the wall to avoid the warriors drawing water. As he stepped outside the hatch, the wind swept over him. Rain lashed against his skin. Thunder roared.

In the distance, a white bolt of lightning struck. To his eyes, it looked as small as a drop of milk, but the successive claps of thunder were so destructive they made his ears ring. Every time a wave battered the hull, golden hair stuck to Wolf’s face. Rainwater running down his shoulders slid onto his pectoral muscles.

“Aaaargh!”

The fierce wind swept Red Eagle off Wolf’s shoulder. The parrot fluttered away like a linen handkerchief. He vigorously flapped his wings and rose into the air.

“Wolf! It’s dangerous! Grab the railing!”

Red Eagle shouted. Water droplets splashed from his rain-soaked white wings.

Wolf looked up at the night sky and slowly walked toward the stern of the ship. Sailors usually say the ship “rides” the waves. But right now, this warship was being pounded one-sidedly by the waves.

Someone hung from the mast to rewind the grappling hook and rope. Another slipped and tumbled across the deck. The sails fluttered as if they might tear, and the warriors clutching the shrouds gritted their teeth and braced against the wind. Everyone was fighting a desperate battle. With survival as their sole goal.

This scene of struggle evoked hellish memories. The skeleton evil spirit. A friendly guiding voice. Strange yet cute fairies. Five chests. And…….

There were comrades. Everyone except the prince and me died.

“Wolf! It’s dangerous!”

Red Eagle shouted again.