HEO 82

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“What are you taking off?”

The man flinched. Silver drew a dagger from inside his robe.

“You were about to ask where this is, right? Answer: Pirate Island.”

“Oh. I see.”

The man’s tone immediately became deferential. Silver pointed the dagger at him.

“You. What’s your name?”

“Um, well…”

The man trailed off. Silver narrowed his eyes.

This bastard is racking his brain to come up with a fake name.

There’s something here.

“My name is, Cute Little Mouse By The Beach …”

“Give me your real name. Before I cut off your fingers one by one with this knife.”

Silver’s voice fell like a whip. The man’s expression froze.

“Well… actually, my name is so weird… It’s really, really strange, so I couldn’t even get a nickname. My life is ruined because of my name…”

“Let me put it another way: this is Pirate Island. It’s a place swarming with pirates who’ll strip your skin off before your pants if you don’t behave yourself.”

He quickly replied.

“Die Quickly You Little Rat. I’m not cursing at you, Captain. This really is my real name.”

“……”

It was the first time he’d ever heard someone’s name and doubted his own ears.

“I said tell me…your real name.”

“This really is my real name.”

Die Quickly You Little Rat lowered his head.

“I was born from my mother’s affair… My father took his anger out on my name.”

“You have a father?”

“Yes. Well… he hated me, but he still raised me until I was sixteen.”

Silver didn’t say another word. He remembered Wolf, who had once spoken with a smile as he gazed into the distance.

‘My fathers were out on the streets. The neighborhood big brother who made a name for himself as a legend of the alleyways. The bookstore owner who turned a blind eye when I secretly took out anatomy books. The old man at the antique shop who would nag me whenever he saw me. They were all good fathers.’

“Newbie! What are you doing?!”

A shout came from afar.

“That bastard is still alive? Wow! Surviving that storm is amazing!”

Three pirates rolled a barrel like a ball and raced toward him; each vying to be first. Silver grunted and sheathed his dagger.

Die Quickly You Little Rat’s eyes darted from side to side.

“Newbie? You’re not the pirate captain?”

“Why? Are you disappointed?”

“I thought you were the captain… You looks so strong…”

“I get it. Anyone would be fooled just by looking at this. Actually, I get fooled myself sometimes.”

Silver tapped the skin mask covering his face with his fingertip. Just then, the pirates arrived. The smell of drugs stung his nose, they must have been getting high somewhere. Silver held his breath and took a few steps back.

The pirates’ eyes widened in shock when they saw Die Quickly You Little Rat.

“Whoa! This is top-notch!”

“Even the storm has a good eye for people. It has spared a guy like this instead of killing him.”

“If we sell him as a slave, we’ll have gold coins piled up like mountains. Hey, you, stand up!”

The pirates looked at Die Quickly You Little Rat like they were appraising meat. They tapped his shoulders with the backs of their hands, kicked his calves, and pressed down on each of his ribs one by one.

“Wow, look at the size of this bastard’s dick.”

“He’s got some serious muscle… And all his fingers and toes are still intact?”

“Are you some chieftain’s son? What’s your name?”

One of the pirates punched Die Quickly You Little Rat in the stomach. Die Quickly You Little Rat took a step back and said,

“Die Quickly You Little Rat. That’s not an insult to you pirates. It’s really my real name.”

“What?”

“Huh?”

“Huh?”

The pirates froze simultaneously; they couldn’t believe their ears. They’d apparently been expecting some grandiose name like “Blood-Soaked Raven.”

“This really is my real name.”

Die Quickly You Little Rat repeated exactly what he’d said to Silver earlier. A gloomy resignation, characteristic of someone who’d been asked the same question countless times, seeped from his voice.

“I was born from my mother’s affair… My father took his anger out on my name.”

“That’s… your real name…?”

The pirate clutched their sides and rolled around laughing.

“Hahahaha! That’s his real name! That fucking name is his real name!”

“I’ll probably still be thinking about that bastard’s name when I die!”

“Hey, I like you! I’ll sell you specially to that rich widow in Atania!”

One of the pirates slapped Die Quickly You Little Rat on the back.

“You’re a warrior, right? You look like you’re pretty tough.”

“I’m a slave now. I lost a tribal conflict and was on my way to being sold to Atania… Whether I die this way or that way…”

Die Quickly You Little Rat paused for a moment, a fleeting calculating look clouded his features. After a while, he straightened his back and spoke up.

“Brothers! I’ve got a great idea!”

“A great idea?”

The pirates glanced at each other.

“Take me into your crew! As you can see, I’m in great shape. I’ll fight as hard as you feed me, and I’m confident I can destroy everything you tell me to! I’ll become a vicious pirate and run wild, so you’ll never regret taking me in!”

Die Quickly You Little Rat raised his fist in a show of defiance. But the reply he received was:

“No.”

“You’re full of yourself. But you’re too expensive, so it’s a no.”

“Our Shark Teeth Gang only takes in guys who aren’t worth a single penny. So you’re out of the question.”

“No way. Just go be a stud for some rich widow.”

The pirates all waved him off in unison. Die Quickly You Little Rat hastily replied.

“Please let me see the captain! If the captain turns me down too, then I’ll gladly throw myself into the arms of that rich widow. But until then, I want to swing an axe!”

“No way.”

“Please…! Being a pirate is my lifelong dream! I mean it, I really do! Ever since I was a kid, I’ve wanted to be the captain of a pirate crew!”

“Every kid in Stoll dreams of being a pirate captain.”

“Even as an adult! Being a pirate is still my life’s dream! So please, let me see the captain! Please, brothers!”

“Ah, this bastard’s persistent.”

One of the pirates scratched his head and shrugged.

“Alright, that’s not too hard. Let’s walk over to the captain’s house.”

“Let’s tie his hands for now.”

With both hands bound, Die Quickly You Little Rat crossed the beach with the pirates. Silver followed about ten paces behind.

“If you looked any worse, we would’ve stepped in and taken you in ourselves. We went out to raid a ship not long ago, and a bunch of our guys got their heads bashed in. We’re so short-handed we’re about to have to tell the seagulls to row.”

“I’m confident in my strength. I can do the work of five men.”

“We don’t need to be told that.”

“I’d like to change my name while I’m at it! I want to get rid of that name now.”

“No way. It’s funny, so keep the name.”

“I’ll change it to a name that’s just as funny as my real one. How about ‘Stuffy-Nosed Mouse’?”

“Stuffy… Hahaha! Hahahaha!”

“The more I look at this guy, the better he is!”

“Alright, let’s go with Stuffy-Nosed Mouse! I’ll introduce you to the captain that way too!”

The senior crew members doubled over with laughter. Silver, who had been watching, let go of all his doubts. The handsome man who had just been renamed Stuffy-Nosed Mouse wasn’t Wolf.

His Stoll language skills were on par with a native speaker. No, he was definitely a Stoll native. No matter how gifted a linguist he might be, he couldn’t have reached that level in just three years. Maybe he really was a distant relative, just like Starry Eyes said.

And he seems like dimwit…

He was getting along just fine with those bizarre pirates who even made Silver cringe. Was his head filled with sawdust instead of a brain?

They were nearing the entrance to the pirate village. A narrow dirt path led into the village, where the smell of pine resin and fish oil was heavy in the air. Shabby wooden houses lined both sides of the road. Ropes and bundles of nets hung from every porch. Oars, planks, and open crates were scattered haphazardly across the dirt floor. Pirates were slumped wherever they pleased, guzzling liquor or engrossed in gambling.

Stuffy-Nosed Mouse, who had been looking around constantly, pointed to the back of the alley.

“Is that a dining hall?”

“You’ve got a nose for it. That’s right, if you turn down the alley, you’ll find the communal dining hall and kitchen. There’s a vegetable garden behind that, too.”

“The ones we’re going to sell off as slaves are stashed in that warehouse over there.”

From the warehouse the pirate pointed to, the sound of a person’s desperate wailing mixed with grunting erupted.

“Ah, that warehouse doubles as a pigsty. If you don’t catch the captain’s eye, that’s where you’ll be sleeping tonight.”

Upon hearing the pirate’s explanation, Stuffy-Nosed Mouse swallowed nervously.

“We’re here.”

The captain’s house stood crookedly atop a hill, with its back to the sea. It was a blackened log cabin. Instead of glass, each window was hastily boarded up, and at night, red lanterns were hung inside, making it look from a distance as if a skeleton’s eye sockets were flashing. If this were an ordinary tribe, it would likely serve as a test of courage for young children.

“It’s really cool!”

Stuffy-Nosed Mouse exclaimed loudly. He looked like a passerby who had just spotted a “Beware of Dog” sign on a wall.

“Wow! You don’t even need to put up a sign saying ‘Pirate Captain’s House,’ everyone would recognize it just by looking at it! The exterior alone is so overwhelming!”