In the days that followed, Elliot no longer faced open hostility.
Of course, no one treated him especially warmly either.
Everyone simply minded their own business, and no one went out of their way to cause trouble.
That kind of peace suited him just fine.
He planted all the grain he had brought, chopped down a good number of trees, and built a fenced enclosure for raising animals.
When he wasn't tending to those things, he trained, drank tea, and enjoyed a calm, unhurried life.
From time to time, Rina would bring her children to play and sometimes gift him fresh-caught fish.
On the whole island, her family was the only one truly close to him.
Everyone else was… ordinary—neither friendly nor unfriendly—just normal coexistence.
"Big brother, big brother! Guess what? Uncle Miyagi went fishing today and rescued someone!"
The little girl was perched on Elliot's back, grinning as she spoke.
"Yeah! Imagine that—catching fish and saving people," the boy riding with her chimed in immediately.
"Was he saved? A man or a woman?"
Elliot asked while doing one-armed push-ups, responding casually to their chatter.
"He survived. A man—and they say he's a merchant," Rina answered.
"A merchant? From which country?" Elliot's curiosity was piqued.
"I'm not sure. We can ask him another day. He's staying at Miyagi's house now and says Miyagi saved his life. He promised to repay him in the future."
"That's good news." Elliot didn't think much more of it.
If he was a merchant, there was a fair chance he'd come from Liyue—after all, Watatsumi Island lay directly south of it.
"Was he the only one?" Elliot asked.
"He was the only one we pulled out of the water. I don't know if he had companions."
Normally, a merchant wouldn't set out to sea alone—there would be sailors aboard. Ships weren't something one person could manage by themselves.
If only one was rescued… then the others had probably already drowned.
But that wasn't Elliot's concern. To him, it was just an interesting story to hear.
"It's getting late, sir. We won't disturb you any longer," Rina said, preparing to leave.
"Alright. Come by whenever you like," Elliot replied, rising to his feet.
After seeing them off, he returned to his training routine.
When night fell, he meditated as usual and then slowly drifted into sleep.
...
Late at night, in the early hours before dawn—
Elliot's eyes opened.
He sensed someone approaching.
The intent was clear—they were heading straight for his cabin.
Only one person.
They stopped at the door and lingered there for quite a while before finally putting a hand on the doorknob.
Elliot shut his eyes again.
The door creaked open.
The figure slipped inside quietly, taking only two steps before stopping—not coming any closer.
They stood there, doing nothing.
After a moment, they slowly backed out, closed the door softly, and left without a sound—
as if they had never been there at all.
Elliot's eyes opened once more.
Ever since he had berated them for stealing, no one had dared to come near his cabin.
This was rare—and unexpectedly bold. To open his door and walk right in...
He had even been expecting them to try something, but instead, they left without doing a thing.
From the scent they left behind, he could tell it wasn't anyone he knew—not Rina, and not her children.
Those three were the only ones he was familiar with.
"I'll look into it tomorrow..." he murmured before closing his eyes again.
...
The next morning, Elliot skipped his usual training and strolled leisurely toward the village instead.
He wanted to see who had visited his cabin in the dead of night to watch him sleep.
Anyone that interested in him was worth getting to know.
With that thought, he wandered from house to house until he had passed by almost every home.
At a dwelling on the outskirts, he caught the scent from the night before.
He walked over unhurriedly.
"Lord Sasayuri…?"
"What brings you here?"
A middle-aged man with stubble asked curiously.
Beside him stood a slightly younger man—and in that man's eyes, Elliot caught a fleeting flash of surprise.
There was no mistaking it.
This younger one was last night's "visitor."
"Just out for a stroll," Elliot said with a faint smile.
"Lord Sasayuri, this is a merchant from Liyue I rescued while fishing yesterday—his name is Yide," the middle-aged man said warmly, introducing the youth.
From that, Elliot realized this must be Miyagi, the very man Rina had mentioned yesterday.
"Yide, this is the Lord Sasayuri I told you about—currently the highest authority on our island," Miyagi added, introducing Elliot in turn.