HEO 87

That was true. Silver glanced over at his own body. It was exactly the same as it was in his teens. The only difference was that his baby fat had completely disappeared. His libido was still nonexistent. Seeing any man or woman did not cause him to get an erection, nor did he feel any interest in sexual activity.

How did I end up being born a mutant?

It is a foolish question. Just as no one chooses to be born, one cannot choose misfortune either. He just got unlucky. Out of all the people, why him?

During the eleven years he spent wandering across the entire Stoll with Black Weasel, living as a lowly beast at the bottom, Silver learned a few tricks. Accept absolute misfortune. Give up quickly on things that cannot be overturned no matter how hard you try. Don’t even glance at things that yield no benefit. Don’t try at all in the first place.

I have to accept it. It is absolute misfortune that won’t change even a little bit no matter how hard I fight against it. This much is already fortunate enough. I wasn’t identified as a mutant and killed the moment I was born. Thanks to my quick-witted biological father and a competent doctor, I had obtained medicine as well.

Silver slowly closed his eyes. His cluttered thoughts vanished one by one.

Darkness.

***

The next day.

As soon as he woke up, Silver headed to the harbor. At the dock where pirate ships were moored one after another, he grabbed the first pirate he spotted and asked.

“When are we going out to plunder?”

“Plunder? What’s that?”

White drug powder glittered in the snot of the pirate who replied blankly. Silver grabbed the guy by the ankle, held him upside down, and shook him.

“Are you finally coming to your senses? You are a pirate. You’re my senior bastard.”

“Ah, really? I see, I am a pirate…….”

“When are we heading out? You really don’t know?”

“Ah, um……That’s right!”

The pirate slapped his forehead.

“Thanks to the storm, we got a whole lot of gold and treasures while sitting around. They said there are no plans to set sail for the time being.”

“How long is that ‘for the time being’?”

“They said they won’t do anything for a week. After that, it depends on the Captain’s mood.”

“Fuck.”

Silver let go of the pirate’s ankle. The pirate flopped onto the ground and hummed a tune gleefully while pretending to swim.

How dare you postpone our departure? When I escape, I’ll throw the fur you cherish so dearly into the sea, Charcoal Bear.

He considered going to the new recruit quarters, but he changed his mind. Sleeping rough was better than seeing a face that resembled that servant’s.

He headed toward the mountains. Even before joining the Shark Teeth Gang, the mountains and beaches of the entire world had been Silver’s sleeping quarters. He roamed the mountains and beaches for two days. Thanks to Starry Eyes, the food was always delicious, and he was never bored. At night, he would fall into a deep sleep beneath rocks or trees, lulled by the sound of waves, the wind, and the chirping of insects. Under the full moon, he even performed a ritual to the Long-tongued Frog God, praying for the mole on his elbow to be removed.

On the fourth day, a torrential downpour began from the sky.

“Damn it.”

He waited while praying it would just be a shower, but the raindrops grew heavier. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a single cave on this island to shelter from the rain. Even the mountains and beaches, which had served as his cradle, were nothing but dangerous battlefields when hit by a downpour. A house with a roof was the only shelter.

Shit. To think I have to see that bastard’s face again.

Eventually, he trudged down the mountain path. Just as the new recruits’ quarters came into view, Silver stopped inadvertently.

Huh?

The roof, which had been riddled with holes just before he left, had been completely transformed, looking like a patchwork garment. In other words, it had been repaired. New planks had been added to every hole, the gaps filled with wood chips, and then coated with pine resin and mud to create a meticulous double seal. The stubby stakes that used to stick out at every edge of the roof had also been driven back in. Thanks to this, the rope-bound planks held the roof firmly in place and prevented it from wobbling in the wind and rain.

Silver could not close his gaping mouth. He almost stretched his arms out toward the sky and shouted, “It’s a miracle!” The rainwater was dripping only from the edge of the eaves. Not charging furiously into the holes, but orderly only from the edge of the eaves!

There was no way the drug-addicted seniors would show such warm consideration. Was this the work of Stuffy-Nosed Mouse?

It appeared he had put great effort into fixing it up. The entrance door, which had flopped over from Stuffy-Nosed Mouse’s kick, was back in its place. Silver opened the door, feeling much more relaxed. The hinges, which used to creak deafeningly, were now silent.

Stuffy-Nosed Mouse lay with his back turned, covered up to his waist by a blanket. He seemed to be asleep, as only the sound of his breathing could be heard. Next to him lay another clean, folded blanket.

Is that a blanket you washed and prepared just for me?

It seemed he had rashly misjudged Stuffy-Nosed Mouse. He was a fellow who would diligently suck the ass of not only the strong but also the easy targets. What a well-mannered little bastard!

Silver looked around the interior with a heart full of emotion. It was completely different from before he had left.

Not a single drop of rainwater had leaked! The rags that used to be scattered haphazardly on the floor were nowhere to be seen. The rainwater buckets had been completely cleared away and were stacked high in the corner. The wooden floor even gleamed, as if it had been polished with great care. Before, he had to hop across puddles to get around, but now, wherever the eye could see, there was nothing but pristine floors. The clutter was organized and tucked away in a corner. Dry cloths were stacked on the shelf.

The room even contained an old brazier and a charcoal jar that hadn’t been there before. Red-hot lumps of charcoal in the brazier crackled and burned. Thanks to the heat from the fire, the room was warm and cozy.

Even a subtle scent wafted through every corner. It smelled like finely ground, sun-dried sandalwood bark. A subtle yet heavy sweetness covered the musty smell of the water.

Silver closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. The scent of sandalwood penetrated deep into his body. A sweet yet bitter aftertaste lingered in the back of his throat. His body, frozen cold from the rain, instantly felt lethargic.

Silver opened his eyes and looked at Stuffy-Nosed Mouse. He was silent and motionless. He was so quiet that he wondered if he were dead.

That guy, with his broad back plastered with tattoos, seemed less annoying now. Honestly, he was impressed. Repairing the house, tidying the room, and even burning incense. He should quit piracy right now and go into the arms of some wealthy widow in Atania. With this level of flair, he could easily snag a butler position.

The burning brazier bathed the wooden floor in an amber glow. Silver took off his robe and tossed it carelessly. He shook his damp hair as he headed toward the bed.

Even as Silver approached, Stuffy-Nosed Mouse did not turn around. He was as motionless as a stone at the bottom of a river, but upon closer inspection, the black tattoos covering his broad back moved slowly with every breath he exhaled.

He must be fast asleep.

Silver covered himself with a blanket and lay down beside Stuffy-Nosed Mouse. He quickly started feeling drowsy. As his body warmed up, his limbs grew heavier.

He was about to fall asleep. Just as he arrived somewhere where consciousness was fading, the person beside him moved. Silver reflexively opened his eyes.

Ah…

Amber-colored eyes stared at him. At some point, Stuffy-Nosed Mouse had turned his body toward Silver and was staring. The shadows beneath his eyes were unusually deep.

Silver couldn’t even breathe for a moment. It felt as if he had been struck on the back of the head. That handsome face was clouded with illness.

The face of the fellow, who had been jokingly calling him brother just a few days ago, was flushed with fever. His complexion was red like a fire poker heated by a stove. The hot breath escaping from his lips reached Silver.

Well, he had been tossed about by the freezing waves all night. He had washed dishes in the dining hall and even repaired the quarters without eating properly. He had accumulated the conditions to cause illness one after another.

Silver sat up. As he grabbed Stuffy-Nosed Mouse’s shoulder, heat immediately seeped into his hand. His body temperature was alarmingly hot.

“Hey.”

A rough voice rang out.

“Are you alright? Are you sick?”

A foolish question to ask someone who looked sick at first glance. Suddenly, At that moment, a thought pierced his mind.

Tomorrow, or perhaps in a few hours, he might die.

It was not surprising. After all, there were more people in this world who died of fever than those who were killed by an axe. Half of the graves across Stoll belonged to those who had sweated themselves to death. It was the most common way to die.

Stuffy-Nosed Mouse’s eyes were unfocused. Is this the look a person has when looking up at the surface of the water while sinking? A look that seemed to stare at the light pouring down beyond the rippling waves.

Stuffy-Nosed Mouse’s lips parted slightly. A sound so small it was hard to call a voice escaped.

“It hurts.”

“I know.”

Silver withdrew his hand from his shoulder. He stepped back and sat down, resting his arms on his knees.