As they stepped out of the tavern, Edward spotted the boy jogging after the four nobles. He paused a moment, then followed at a distance.
The group quickly noticed someone trailing them. The young man in the black windbreaker stopped and frowned. "Why are you following us?"
The boy looked a little embarrassed. After a moment's hesitation, he confessed honestly, "The bartender just now said…if I didn't stick with you, I'd be dead."
The black-cloaked youth glanced past him toward Edward and Lilith. "And what about you two? You've been watching us from the sidelines since earlier."
Edward replied, "You offended those pirates back in the tavern. They're bound to retaliate—I thought I'd come along to lend a hand." Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he added, "Oh right, I'm an adventurer."
"An adventurer?"
The youth gave Edward a long look, then turned his gaze toward Lilith. His expression softened slightly.
"We appreciate the sentiment," he said flatly. "But you don't need to worry about the pirates. We're boarding a ship soon and leaving this place."
Leaving?
Edward blinked. "Well then, best of luck to you."
"As for you..." The youth turned to the boy. "Come with me."
"Thank you, thank you!"
As the group walked off into the distance, Lilith turned to Edward, curious. "We're really not going with them?"
"Of course not," Edward grinned. "But we can beat them to the dock."
With a twist of space and a pop, the two of them apparated directly to the Harbour, entering a weathered, near-deserted terminal building.
Compared to the bustling ticket hall at Pritz Harbour, Cecil Harbour's station was eerily quiet. The place had been semi-abandoned for years—these days, the occasional ship only stopped in to restock supplies.
And lately, with pirate activity rising, most of the incoming traffic didn't bother with buying tickets anyway.
At the sole ticket window, they inquired and got their answer—next civilian passenger vessel wouldn't arrive for another week.
With nothing else to do, the two of them sat down on the steps outside, watching dockworkers and passing vessels come and go.
——
Half an hour later, five figures appeared in the distance, heading straight toward a small white passenger steamer docked nearby.
When the young man in black spotted the pair sitting on the steps, he looked briefly surprised, but said nothing. Just then—
"Waaahhh!" Lilith burst into exaggerated sobs.
"I wanna go home! I don't wanna stay here! I want to go home!"
Edward gently patted her head, coaxing in a soft voice, "We'll go, we'll go. Just one more week and the next passenger ship will come. We'll go home then."
"Nooo! I don't want to! I'm scared! There are pirates everywhere! I'm scared!"
"There, there, it's alright."
"Waaahhh—sniffle, sniffle—waaahhh!"
One of the girls in the group looked visibly sympathetic. She started to say something, then held back.
Meanwhile, the black-cloaked youth's brow creased into a sharp line. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply before saying coldly, "Enough. You want to tag along so badly you're using a child as a prop?"
Edward blinked. "What?"
"…We're headed to Bayam. If it's on your way, come along."
Edward's face transformed—confusion gave way to surprise, and finally to joy. He scooped Lilith up into his arms and walked over quickly. "Thank you! Really, thank you!"
The black-cloaked youth didn't even glance at him. His gaze drifted instead to Lilith's tear-streaked (faked) face and pitiful expression.
He said flatly, "The sea is dangerous. If you don't care about your own life, fine—but don't drag a child into your recklessness."
...You're one to talk.
Edward thought it, but didn't say it. Instead, he replied earnestly, "You're right. I won't make the same mistake again."
"Hmph."
With a cold snort, the youth turned and walked away.
The girl who had earlier shown sympathy now stepped forward. She pulled a candy from her pocket and handed it to Lilith. "Here. Big sis got you something sweet. Don't cry anymore, okay?"
Lilith glanced at Edward. Seeing him nod, she obediently accepted it. "Thank you."
The girl smiled and asked casually, "Where are you two from?"
"Backlund," Lilith answered.
The girl blinked in surprise. "What are you doing here, then? As far as I remember, it's been years since any route from Backlund passed through Cecil Harbour."
Edward scratched his head awkwardly. "We got off midway through a longer journey. Took a few fishing boats and made a bunch of transfers before finally ending up here."
"Wow…you've got guts."
She looked like she wanted to say more, but in the end just muttered, "To borrow our leader's words…you've got too much free time and a death wish."
She frowned. "I've seen a lot of thrill-seekers like you, but dragging a little kid into it…that's a first."
"…What about you guys?" Edward asked. "You don't seem like ordinary folk either."
"We're not."
Confidence flickered in her eyes, though she didn't elaborate. "Once we reach Bayam, you two should find the next passenger ship and head straight back to Backlund."
"Of course, if you really want to become an adventurer…then leave the child in Backlund and come find me. I'll have your back."
"Uh…thanks."
Soon, the group boarded the small white passenger ship—the Crimea.
The crew, already on standby, sprang into action the moment they were aboard. Within ten minutes, the steamship began pulling away from the dock, setting sail southeast across the sea.
Not long after the Crimea left Harbour, three pirate ships that had been idling nearby also cast off, clearly tailing behind—making no effort to conceal their pursuit.
And so, the small Crimea led the way, with three large pirate ships following close behind, all sailing into the vast and untamed Berserk Sea.
At the stern of the Crimea, Lilith sat on the rail, eyes sparkling, fists clenched in excitement.
"Edward," she whispered, "the pirates have all gathered. Is it time for us to make a move?"
"Let's wait a bit longer," Edward said quietly. "Who knows, there might be even more coming."
He looked at the three pirate ships in the distance as though he were gazing at treasure chests brimming with experience points.
Suddenly, the voice of the young man in the black windbreaker rang out sharply, "How could you let her sit somewhere that dangerous? Don't you know how strong sea winds are? One slip and she could be overboard!"
He strode over quickly, lifted Lilith off the railing, and set her down firmly on the deck.
"Uh…"
Under the weight of the man's stare, Edward inexplicably felt guilty—like he'd committed some unforgivable sin. "Sorry," he murmured.
The young man let out a snort. "You should be apologising to her, not to me."
"…Right."
Edward turned toward the confused Lilith and said awkwardly, "Sorry, Lilith."
Lilith scratched her head, and replied in a small voice, "It's okay~"
But it was Miss Lilith who told Edward to lift me up there…Why is that man making Edward apologise to me? So weird.
Just then, the boy from earlier pointed toward the horizon and shouted, "Sir! The pirates—they're following us!"
"I see them."
The black-cloaked youth's gaze remained steady as he looked into the distance. He called toward the helm, "Maintain acceleration."
"Aye!"
Soon, the Crimea shuddered slightly as its speed increased again. Yet, perhaps due to favourable winds, the pirate ships behind them maintained a consistent distance, trailing them steadily.
The two sides held this strange formation for several more nautical miles, until the pirate ships suddenly surged forward, accelerating rapidly. Shouts of excitement and cheers erupted from the decks.
Some pirates waved their weapons and howled, while others swung the ship's cannons around, aiming squarely at the Crimea.
One of the young man's companions ran over, his voice serious.
"Boss, we've spotted two more pirate ships closing in from both flanks. One of them's the Ironblood—our primary target—and aboard is its captain, Fire Fist Ace."
Fire Fist Ace again?
Edward blinked in surprise.
A smile crept onto the black-cloaked youth's lips. "Signal the fleet. It's time. All artillery—load up. The moment those pirates enter firing range, blast them out of the water."
"Yes, sir!"
A series of flares shot into the sky, bursting into bright, colourful fireworks.
"Doris, take them below. Make sure they stay safe."
"On it, boss."
The girl named Doris walked over. "This way, you two. Follow me."
She took Lilith's hand and said gently, "Don't be scared, little one. It'll be over soon."
Lilith blinked innocently. "Miss Lilith isn't scared at all~"
"What a brave and strong girl you are!"
"That's right!"
At that moment, realisation dawned on Edward. "Wait…you lured those pirates here on purpose?"
The black-cloaked youth chuckled, "What, did you really think just scuffling with a few low-level pirates back in the tavern would provoke this kind of full-scale retaliation?"
He smiled thinly. "We've been setting this trap for days—arranging every step. This is the moment we spring it. They're all going down in one sweep."
"You're…Loen Navy?"
"Not exactly," the young man replied, eyes glinting. "We're just doing an old comrade a favour."
There was a trace of mockery in his voice. "Why? Surprised?"
Then his tone turned cold.
"I don't care what you were planning or what your background is. I'm not interested in digging into your true identity. But for the sake of that child—if you sit still and stay out of the way, I'll guarantee your safety until we reach Bayam."
Edward frowned slightly.
"So…you're planning to kill all the pirates?"
The youth shot back, "What, leave them alive to keep preying on merchant ships and pillaging coastal villages?"
"…"
Edward felt a headache coming on.
This isn't going at all how I imagined.
He had thought he'd stumbled upon a few rash noble scions off on a rebellious adventure. He'd even been preparing for a moment of grand display—stepping in at a critical moment to defeat the pirates, leaving behind stunned expressions as he made a dashing exit.
But now it turned out he'd walked straight into an anti-pirate operation. These seemingly reckless youngsters were no amateurs at all—probably elite operatives, if not full-blown officers.
And the worst part is…all those pirate "XP bags" I worked so hard to gather are about to go to waste!
What was he supposed to do? Just walk up and explain the truth?
"Hey, could you spare the pirates for a while? I need to teach them some mystical knowledge first."
They'd definitely think I was insane.
Before long, three warships appeared on the horizon.
The pirate ships quickly noticed them—and without a moment's hesitation, began to turn and flee.
"Block them off."
With that command, the Crimea veered sharply, cutting across their path and exposing its side-mounted cannons. The gunners swiftly loaded the weapons and took aim.
But just as the cannons were about to fire—each of the six barrels shimmered strangely, twisting and warping…
And then—pop! pop! pop!
They transformed into enormous balloons, which floated lazily up into the sky.
The gun crew stared in stunned silence as their heavy weaponry bobbed upward, drifting higher and higher, farther and farther away.
"C-Commander," one of the gunners stammered. "The cannons turned into balloons…and flew away."
———
[Note]: Don't forget to VOTE. It keeps me motivated.