How badly must they have brainwashed this kid for him not to even realize that what he’s saying is strange?
‘Or maybe it’s not brainwashing, but that this kid doesn’t even know this isn’t how things should be.’
If I had grown up in Caelum as a ‘pirate,’ I wouldn’t have known that piracy was something bad.
However, Nereus raised me, teaching me that pirates can never be respected, that they are an evil group.
Furthermore, being educated in the navy made me even more certain that pirates are a band of evil.
I know the Caelum pirate gang is a social evil, but even so, because they are my family, I have chosen to love them in this life.
‘But what is this?’
Hyperion believes that all the unfair treatment he receives is his fault and doesn’t even realize how unjust his current situation is.
‘Abandoned and nearly killed, yet he acts like this? What’s wrong with him?’
Has he been brainwashed or something? I squeezed his soft, warm cheeks, which felt like freshly baked white bread.
I wasn’t touching them out of a desire to, but rather to confirm whether he had truly been brainwashed.
“What, what are you doing?”
“Relax.”
‘His reaction is quick.’
Good, if he were drugged and brainwashed, he wouldn’t react this fast. After pressing Hyperion’s cheeks once more, I let it go.
“And call me Lala.”
“La-La-Lala?”
“Not ‘La-La-La,’ just ‘Lala.’”
Hyperion blushed deeply again and murmured my nickname, ‘Lala.’ Only then did I feel like I had returned to my original place.
Before the regression, Rion used to call me ‘Lala.’ Back then, my name was Mare Akera, but after knowing him for a few years, I secretly asked him to do so.
Even now, I don’t understand why I made that request back then.
However, looking back now, perhaps even then, I longed for Caelum. Maybe, just maybe, I always wanted at least one person to call me ‘Lala,’ like before.
‘Even though our relationship can’t be the same as before.’
Even though he calls me the same nickname as before, I know we won’t ever have the same relationship.
The Rion that I knew might have realized how abnormal his surroundings were after having other experiences or meeting someone else. Maybe he realized it while being adored as an admiral.
Even so, I haven’t heard any news about that admiral breaking ties with Pharus or changing the power structure within Pharus.
That means Hyperion, after all this time, still believes that his family doesn’t love him because of him, thinking that everything is his fault.
But now that I’ve met Rion again, I won’t just stand by.
To be honest, I don’t know what’s happening inside Pharus, and maybe it’s not even something I should care about as an outsider. But this kid is only an 8-year-old child.
What could an 8-year-old possibly have done wrong? His cheeks were as soft as well-fermented dough.
I wanted to persuade Nereus to make Hyperion a member of the pirate gang, but my naval identity hadn’t died yet.
I remember the significant accomplishments of Hyperion Pharus when he became admiral. If he doesn’t become admiral, the number of civilians who will die will be the size of a small island.
It’s not like all that grand talk about the return of Pharus and all the flashy titles were for nothing.
‘If I take Hyperion away from here, not only will I give the 6th family a reason to target Caelum, but so many people will die.’
But if I let him stay in the navy, he will eventually come after us. I was torn, pondering what to do, and then I remembered the thought I had when I first realized Hyperion’s true identity.
‘We might not become as close as I was with Rion, but at least we could become close enough that he’d hesitate to come after me.’
Of course, the navy’s training is quite strict, so there’s a chance that after a long time apart, he’ll inevitably see me, a pirate, as an enemy….
But if I show him enough grace in advance, it might not be an issue.
“Rion, should we go eat?”
When I thought about the way the navy educates and trains its people, I knew the chances of success were slim. But recalling Rion’s affectionate past, it wasn’t entirely impossible.
The first thing I needed to do was clear.
I reached out my hand to Hyperion with the most loving and kind smile I could muster. Despite his hesitation, Hyperion was deceived by my expression and placed his small, delicate hand in mine.
“Gilbert’s Dad cooking is really delicious. You’ll like it too.”
“Gilbert Dad?”
“Yes, everyone here is part of my family. So, they’re all dads, moms, and siblings. It might seem strange, but that’s just how it is.”
Knowing how abnormal this might seem to others, I preemptively made this clear.
“It… it’s not strange.”
“…Really?”
“Yeah, it’s cool.”
For some reason, his words made my steps feel heavier.
‘I don’t even know how to respond to this.’
To be honest, the adults in the Caelum pirate gang weren’t exactly impressive. They’d believe anything a 6-year-old said, praising me as a genius, and acted like immature children despite their age.
And more importantly, they were pirates—criminals. So, from society’s perspective, they definitely weren’t ‘cool.’
Though Hyperion responded positively to the concept of family, it left me feeling unsettled.
‘But why does it feel so noisy?’
As I approached the door, I began to hear some commotion.
Feeling a little uneasy, I opened the door…
“You crazy jerk! Give it back! That’s my drink!”
“Whose drink is whose here? Consider this payment for saving you from that knife last time!”
“You’ve been using that excuse for three years, you bastard!”
“Hey, this is tasty! Got any more?!”
“Argh! You flipped the dish!”
“Hey, Gerard! Bring more bread!”
It was a scene devoid of any manners or decorum.
“…………”
Knives meant for cutting fruit were flying through the air, and the sheer amount of food piled up almost felt violent.
The sight of everyone grabbing food and eating it in such a haphazard manner was… very unfamiliar to me.
Thud.
I closed the door, and Hyperion, who had frozen beside me, looked at me for a cue.
‘This is driving me crazy.’
There were always incidents on the pirate ship, and since I wasn’t in good health at the time, I rarely saw such scenes. Moreover, during voyages, it was rare to have so much food piled up like this.
Because of that…
‘I’d forgotten about this.’
Completely and utterly forgotten.
The navy’s motto is justice, discipline, and humility. This was reflected in their meals, which were balanced and moderate, with proper dining etiquette being a given.
If it wasn’t about work, conversation during meals was forbidden, so the meal times were always quiet and pleasant.
‘Is this okay?’
Seeing Hyperion standing there in silence, it seemed like he was at a loss for words.
“Hey! Lala, why did you close the door, huh?!”
Then Nereus’s voice echoed from just beyond the door, and the door handle began to turn.
“Hey?! Hey?!”
I was faster than I expected. Before I knew it, my hand was gripping the door handle tightly, pushing back against it with my body.
“Hey, Lala?! Princess?!”
The door rattled as we engaged in a precarious tug-of-war over whether it would open or not.
“Step away from the door! It’s dangerous! What’s wrong with you?!”
“It’s… it’s embarrassing!”
I shouted, pushing the door with all my strength, and suddenly, the rattling stopped.
“………..”
“Em-embarrassing?”
Nereus, who had been shouting in his usual rough voice just moments ago, quieted down immediately after hearing my scream about being embarrassed. I suddenly felt a bit guilty.
“No, no, it’s not like I’m embarrassed or anything….”
Even though I’m used to it, I couldn’t help but think that this scene must be quite unfamiliar to Hyperion. He’s going to join the navy soon, and once he starts getting used to that environment, won’t he end up comparing it to us?
I’m not someone who usually cares much about what others think, but what if Hyperion becomes accustomed to the navy’s environment and looks back on this scene with discomfort?
If that happens, no matter how close we were in the past, it’s obvious that the moment we meet again, we’ll have Lamis or Dexter fire a cannon straight at his head.
I didn’t want to be the one to get rid of my friend.
“I-I mean, since there’s someone here that we don’t know, if we eat too casually, this kid might feel uncomfortable…”
“Oh.”
A short sound of acknowledgment came from my excuse.
Crash! Bang! Boom!
Loud noises erupted behind the door, and…
“Alright, come out now.”
This time, instead of banging the door down, there was a gentle knock.
When I carefully opened the door again, Nereus greeted us with a triumphant look.
“Awake now, little one? Let’s see. Your fever’s gone.”
Nereus casually ruffled Hyperion’s hair as he checked his condition. To anyone else, it would’ve looked like a heartwarming scene between family.
“So, kid, what’s your name?”
“Um, well…”
“You don’t want to keep being called ‘kid,’ do you?”
I thought it would be better if Nereus and the other crew members just knew him as ‘kid.’
“Hyperion.”
But my mouth obediently gave away Hyperion’s name.
“…Oh, that’s a nice name.”
“Hyperion Pharus.”
“…Oh.”
“I’ll joining the navy soon.”
“……….”
As Hyperion’s introduction continued, an oppressive silence began to fall upon the room. Even the rest of the crew behind Nereus had stopped what they were doing, and even the sound of utensils clattering died down.
“Ah, hello.”
Only Hyperion, unaware of the meaning of this silence, timidly greeted everyone.
“Ahem!”
“Cough, cough.”
“So, that kid is….”
“Shut up, idiot—keep your mouth shut!”
With a loud bang, I saw Lamis stuffing a roasted potato into the mouth of the crew member who was about to say something unnecessary.
Nereus glanced back at the commotion and then turned around, flashing a menacing smile that could make any child burst into tears.
‘He’s scared.’
As expected, Hyperion’s eyes were darting around nervously, searching for my reaction. I gave him a slight nod and pointed to Nereus.
“He’s my dad.”
“L-Lala’s dad?”
“Lala?”
Nereus seemed to react to me being called ‘Lala,’ though I wasn’t sure why.
“Lala.”
“Hm?”
“Well, this kid’s looks don’t compare to yours, but among the kids your age I’ve seen, he’s one of the more decent-looking ones. He shines like the new gold coin issued by Phamus.”
‘What is he talking about now?’
Before I could even comprehend the situation, Nereus crouched down to meet Hyperion’s gaze.
“But as your dad, I still think you’re too young for romance.”
His expression and voice were deadly serious.
“What nonsense….”
It was unfortunate that this was all I could say to him in response.
