‘But this is strange.’
Even with over a hundred naval branches across the Western Continent, the complete eradication of pirates seemed far off.
The reasons were numerous, but one of the most significant was ‘The End of the Sea.’ A pirate had once reached what was known as the End of the Sea, the land of the gods.
The existence of ‘The End of the Sea’ had a substantial impact, not only on the Western Continent but also on the Eastern Continent. It was such an influential notion that, despite it being a pirate’s claim, it was recorded in history books.
Originally, only officially authorized individuals could research the End of the Sea. However, after that event, unauthorized individuals began pursuing it.
This was where Odlo Island adopted ‘*coexistence’ as a survival strategy, much like the maritime city we visited previously.
‘Before the war, and even after it started, Odlo Island relied heavily on pirates.’
Even if the pirates visited Odlo Island under the guise of adventurers, it was merely a pretense. It was like saying, ‘We won’t report you, so just pass by quietly.’
And yet, these people decided to attack Caelum, a pirate crew known for being one of the most friendly to civilians?
This meant there was trouble within the island itself. If they had the Navy’s support or were acting on orders, they wouldn’t have needed to use sleeping agents. Even without that, the way they used the drugs and handled the aftermath seemed oddly sloppy.
If they planned to ambush us using sleeping agents, it would’ve been normal to have at least one or two people keeping watch. But even now, there wasn’t a single sign of life.
“Polaris.”
“Huh?”
Ethan called me, breaking my train of thought.
“There’s someone over there.”
Could it be the person who had been hiding all this time? I turned my head in the direction Ethan gestured toward.
‘That’s…?’
Standing there was the same little boy from yesterday. He froze upon seeing Ethan and me standing upright, his face pale with fear.
“Hah.”
“Why is a six-year-old sighing like that?”
The kid, whose face had gone pale, opened his mouth as if to say something, then closed it again. He repeated this a few times before suddenly turning around and…
“Ah!”
“Huh? What’s wrong?”
He bolted.
“E-Ethan! Catch him! That kid!”
“That little boy? Why?”
“Look at him! His face screams I know everything! and now he’s running away!”
“…His face screams, you say…”
Ethan looked at me as if to say, Why are you so rough with words? Then, letting out a small sigh, he quickly leaped into action.
“Polaris, remember, I’m a doctor.”
“I know.”
“That means I’m not as physically capable as the other sailors. Got it? I’m older and—”
“Yes, yes, but compared to others your age, you’re still fit~ Amazing~”
Despite his grumbling, Ethan already had the kid securely tucked under his arm.
‘I knew he could do it.’
“Huff, huff! Let me go! You old geezer!”
“…That’s harsh on an old man’s heart.”
The kid, caught by Ethan, was panting heavily, his face flushed red from running so hard. But Ethan, who had theatrically placed a hand on his chest as if hurt by the remark, looked as calm as ever.
‘At times like this, Ethan doesn’t seem all that kind either.’
Ethan, though the oldest among us, was still remarkably youthful compared to others his age. As I mentioned before, he maintained a well-groomed appearance, always keeping his beard neatly trimmed. Unlike other pirates, he didn’t indulge in drinking or partying. He was the type to take excellent care of himself.
He was the epitome of a reliable, good person, which made me wonder how someone like him ended up as a pirate. But seeing how he was teasing a child, it seemed like he might have been putting on a facade in front of me all this time.
“Polaris, why did you want me to catch this kid?”
“I thought he might know why everyone’s asleep.”
“Really? Hey, kid, do you know anything?”
“Ethan, do you think he’d spill everything just because you asked—”
“Y-Yes, I know something.”
“…What?”
While I was still contemplating whether to threaten—no, persuade—him, the kid unexpectedly opened up, his face looking unusually solemn.
“I-I know. But…”
“But?”
“Can we move further into the forest first? It’s getting dangerous.”
Ethan and I exchanged glances at the child’s words.
‘Could this be true?’
‘It doesn’t seem like he’s lying.’
‘Are we being deceived?’
‘Do you think I’d fall for a little kid’s trick at my age?’
“What are you two doing?! I said it’s dangerous!”
The child yelled, clearly unaware that Ethan and I were silently communicating with our expressions.
“Polaris, let’s go.”
“Okay.”
The kid, still firmly in Ethan’s grasp, now wore an expression of resignation. Once we hid behind the bushes, he spoke again.
“Be quiet.”
“Your voice is the loudest.”
“You little…!”
“Polaris, even if you’re right, there’s a time and place for such comments.”
“Y-You little brats…!”
The child, likely too young to know many harsh words, simply gritted his teeth and fell silent, staring back at the spot where we had been.
Not long after, a group of people approached from the distance.
‘What’s this?’
They were the people of Odlo Island. It wasn’t hard to tell since they were all wearing traditional Odlo attire, unlike the child who was caught by Ethan.
‘This is strange.’
It wasn’t the fact that they were approaching the area where Caelum was that felt off—it was the child’s reaction. Odlo Island was known for its tight-knit community. Despite the small size of the island, the villages were close and everyone got along well.
So why did the child look so pale?
“…………!”
The people of Odlo Island began checking on our crew, who were still unconscious from the drug, and started binding them one by one.
“What are they doing…?”
“Shh, Polaris. Be quiet.”
Ethan placed a finger on my lips and gestured toward the child. The child remained silent, watching the actions of the Odlo people with a disturbed expression.
‘Now that I think about it, this is odd.’
We had hidden in a hurry, so we weren’t that far from them. Despite this, the child didn’t call out for help.
It wasn’t as though he was keeping quiet out of fear that we might harm him. His cautious gaze wasn’t directed at us at all. Instead, every time the Odlo people tied up one of our crew members, his eyes trembled violently.
***
“You’d better spill it now.”
I crossed my arms and glared at the boy.
“Alright, first, what’s your name?”
“Ethan, is that really important right now?”
“We need to exchange names, or it might get confusing later.”
Even in this situation, Ethan chuckled lightly, while I pushed forward more directly. The boy sandwiched between us finally spoke.
“M-My name is Tirkan.”
“Your speech is a bit short.”
“And you are…?”
“Me? What about me?”
“………..”
At my sharp tone, Tirkan flinched, unable to offer any retort, his demeanor shrinking immediately. It was quite a different impression from the kid I had seen in the forest yesterday.
‘A different impression?’
I squinted, narrowing my eyes as I looked at Tirkan.
“You’re not the kid from yesterday, are you?”
“N-No!”
He shouted in denial, but it was pointless trying to fool me.
“Your hair is 3 millimeters shorter.”
“Polaris, can you actually notice something like that?”
“Of course.”
A 3-millimeter difference is significant—how could I not notice?
Tilting my head slightly, I spoke to Tirkan.
“Were you twins pretending to be the same person and got caught? Anyway, hurry up and tell me. Why are the people of Odlo Island acting like this? Are they planning to hand my family over to the Navy…?”
“No, that’s not it!”
Tirkan quickly interrupted me, shouting with urgency, before correcting himself with a pale face.
“N-No, that’s not it.”
“Then?”
“Well… um…”
“What is it?”
The boy looked at me with eyes that suddenly seemed heavy with defeat.
“If… if I tell you, will you help me?”
In his youthful eyes, there was a depth of despair and hopelessness that didn’t match his short life.
🍓; *’Coexistence’ refers to the strategy or approach of living and functioning together harmoniously with others, despite potential differences or challenges. For Odlo Island, adopting ‘coexistence’ as a survival strategy likely means working collaboratively with other groups, adapting to their environment, or finding ways to thrive alongside neighboring communities, cultures, or natural ecosystems, similar to the approach taken by the maritime city.
