As for how they ended up adrift in the middle of the ocean with only a kayak, Kai Adler had long since crafted his story.
According to him, they were traveling to Egypt with an attendant when they encountered a shipwreck. The family's attendant sacrificed himself to get them onto a lifeboat, but perished at sea, leaving the two children to drift, separated from the rest of the group.
Hermione, head down, focused on her meal to hide her expression.
For some reason, every time Kai started putting on that aristocratic, pompous act to lie his way out of trouble, she wanted to laugh. Maybe it was because of the Chamber of Secrets incident—every time she thought of his exaggerated wails after Harry struck him with the sword, she couldn't keep a straight face.
Meanwhile, Cruise's eyes narrowed dangerously. The story, quite frankly, was full of holes.
First of all, what kind of respectable family would let two children cross the ocean with only a single attendant? What kind of shipwreck conveniently left just the two children alive, especially when they appeared completely unscathed? Their clothes were pristine, faces calm, showing no signs of surviving a disaster.
What's more, Cruise was observant. His years of experience sizing people up weren't wasted. The boy, Kai, had mixed European-Asian features, with a clear German accent. The girl was as British as they came, her English accent polished and unmistakable.
Why would two young Europeans, supposedly en route to Egypt, appear in the middle of the Indian Ocean?
The logical route to Egypt would've been through the Mediterranean, not halfway around the world.
But Cruise didn't expose him immediately. Instead, he continued to probe for details, especially regarding the Ivor Family. The name was rattling around in his mind like a loose coin. He'd heard it somewhere before, but couldn't quite place it.
Soon, one of his men approached and whispered something into his ear.
Cruise's expression didn't change. He simply waved the man off and casually adjusted his hair.
But that tiny gesture shifted the atmosphere in the room like a blade cutting through thin fabric.
The false sense of cordiality shattered. Around the room, every pirate—whether sitting, standing, or leaning against the walls—looked at Kai and Hermione with open greed and hostility. The same two pirates who'd escorted them earlier were now stationed behind them.
Hermione, still a child after all, instinctively set down her cutlery, eyes darting to Kai in fear.
But Kai? He acted like he hadn't noticed the tension at all. He was still methodically cutting pieces of fish, carefully removing the bones before setting them onto Hermione's plate.
Cruise frowned. That level of composure wasn't an act—it was too effortless.
He considered this for a moment, curiosity mounting.
"How was lunch?"
"Delicious, Mr. Cruise," Kai replied, dabbing his lips with a handkerchief, looking perfectly content.
"That's good." Cruise smiled, though his hand under the table moved toward the pistol at his waist. "You mentioned a shipwreck earlier?"
"I did," Kai admitted, tilting his head slightly with a faint smile.
"But… you've probably already figured out I was lying, haven't you?"
A cold wave rolled through Cruise's chest. His hand gripped the pistol tighter.
"Why confess so easily, little guest?"
Kai shrugged. "It's pointless to keep up the act. You're the boss here. Your men must've already checked the nearby sea routes. No reported shipwrecks, right? And now you've got men digging for any records of two children floating around out here…"
He paused, smiling wider. "I can't decide if that makes you cautious, or just a little paranoid, big man."
Cruise blinked, then laughed—a loud, unfiltered sound.
"Cautious, paranoid—call it what you will. That's exactly why I'm still breathing today."
Despite the rising tension, he made no move to strike.
It all came back to the boy seated across from him, calmly dissecting fish like he was in his own dining room, not a den of pirates.
Either Kai Adler was a fool… or he had something formidable backing him.
Cruise wasn't foolish enough to assume the former.
After setting the prepared fish on Hermione's plate, Kai met Cruise's stare with ease.
"Mr. Cruise, you're sharp."
"What do you mean?"
"You've been asking yourself the same question since I stepped aboard." Kai leaned in slightly, eyes glinting. "You want to know how I can sit here so calmly, don't you?"
Cruise's smile faltered for a fraction of a second.
"That's exactly what I'm thinking."
"The Ivor Family, you've heard of them," Kai stated matter-of-factly.
A flicker of confusion danced across Cruise's face.
He had heard the name—somewhere distant, buried under foggy recollection—but every time he reached for the memory, it slipped away, like smoke through fingers.
Kai's lips curled knowingly.
"Mr. Cruise, let's settle your curiosity."
With a snap of his fingers—
Click!
The chilling sound of a pistol being cocked echoed through the hall.
Cruise's heart stopped.
Turning in disbelief, he found two of his own men standing behind him, guns pressed to the back of his head.
The same two who'd escorted Kai and Hermione. He hadn't even considered them a threat—they were his crew.
Madness? Mutiny?
The pirates in the room tensed immediately. Weapons were drawn, aimed in every direction—some at the traitorous subordinates, some at Kai and Hermione.
Hermione, terrified, trembled beside Kai.
Kai, his expression cold, turned his eyes toward the men foolish enough to point weapons at Hermione.
A dark, swirling power ignited behind his gaze. Black Magic crackled in the air.
"Put them down."
His voice carried unnatural weight, like an anvil falling on the mind.
The pirates aiming at Hermione recoiled as their skulls felt like they were being crushed by invisible force. Eyes rolled back, they collapsed onto the floor, weapons clattering beside them.
Shock and fury surged among the remaining crew, fingers tightening on triggers.
"Don't shoot!"
Cruise's shrill voice sliced through the chaos, halting them just in time.
His eyes were wide with horror, locked onto Kai like he was staring at a mythical creature.
The moment Kai unleashed his magic, something snapped in Cruise's memory. The fog—scattered, fragmented—allowed pieces of buried knowledge to seep through.
"Oh… You…"
Kai smiled, predator-like.
"Mr. Cruise, remembering something?"
Beads of sweat trickled down the pirate's temple. His mouth went dry.
"You… You're a—Master Wizard?"
Kai Adler's smile only deepened, the air around him charged with that same suffocating, unmistakable aura of Dark Magic.
"Smart man," Kai replied coolly.