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Chapter 170: Voyage (1)

It took several hours for Valkran to recover from the shock.

Once he had composed himself, he went to persuade the pirates.

Initially, they were bewildered.

Setting sail to the middle of the sea to exterminate the existence of the Forbidden Land with an Inquisitor?

It sounded like a suicide mission.

However, upon hearing the terms of the deal, the pirates accepted.

After all, they were the ones who had stayed on land enjoying the comforts of life instead of following Valkran to the sea.

They wouldn’t miss the opportunity to walk proudly on land with the recognition of the faithful.

With Valkran’s excellent speech and the promise of a handsome reward, he was able to persuade the pirates without much trouble.

The next task was to repair the ship.

Although the sailing ship had not suffered significant damage from the tornado, it had been left unattended for a long time and was aged in several places.

It needed repairs.

But that wouldn’t take too long.

With all the pirates working on it, it could be finished in a few days.

Compared to having to procure a ship from scratch, this was almost instantaneous.

“That’s good.”

“…Yes.”

At Ketal’s words, Aquaz nodded slightly.

Ketal continued.

“The territory will be maintained without much disturbance. The citizens will continue to live satisfactory lives.”

Unlike in the past, the resources in Vulcan’s territory were abundant.

There was no need to rely on looting.

They could make a living by taking on escort missions with the former pirates now as citizens.

This was actually beneficial for the citizens.

Although there was some unease about having pirates living right next to the territory, the benefits outweighed the risks, so they had endured it.

With that unease now resolved, it wasn’t a bad thing for them.

“And for the pirates, it’s a huge benefit.”

They gained the opportunity to live legitimately on land.

Although they couldn’t engage in the same plundering and criminal activities as before, they could live peaceful lives under the proper welfare of the territory.

“It’s a benefit for us too.”

Otherwise, they might have been tied to the territory for several months to procure a ship and crew.

Now, that time was reduced to mere days, which was good for their journey as well.

“I think it’s not a bad thing from your perspective either.”

“Yes, you’re right.”

She was able to protect the peaceful image of the territory she had been watching with warm eyes.

There were also practical benefits for her.

From ancient times, converting non-believers and making them believers was one of the most honorable deeds for a believer.

She had converted an entire pirate group and had them baptized by the Sun God.

When this became known, she would gain great honor.

Although she didn’t particularly desire it herself, it was objectively a deed that would elevate her honor.

“It’s beneficial for all of us.”

‘…What about me?’

Baker, who had been listening quietly from the side, thought grudgingly.

The journey’s purpose was Aquaz, so there was no benefit for Baker.

But since it wasn’t the right time to say anything, he kept his mouth shut and grumbled internally.

Aquaz, who had been silent, began to speak softly.

“I thought… the pirates should be punished.”

For her, the option of converting them didn’t exist.

She would have punished the evil and erased their existence from the territory.

If it hadn’t been for Ketal, she would have actually done so.

“If that had happened, what would the outcome be?”

“You probably would have achieved your goal.”

Even without Ketal, that fact wouldn’t change.

She would have dealt with the pirates and procured a ship.

If necessary, she could have forced the pirates to atone for their crimes by making them help with the voyage.

She would have found a way to bring the sailing ship that had been swept away by the tornado back to the sea.

There wouldn’t have been much noise about it either.

An Inquisitor dealing with pirates was an act of justice so obvious that the kingdom would remain silent and the citizens would turn a blind eye.

She would have achieved her goal.

“But the outcome wouldn’t be the same as now.”

The pirates, for better or worse, were heavily involved in the territory.

Having stayed for over a year, they were already part of the territory.

If they disappeared, the territory would be significantly shaken.

The lord could also be punished for colluding with the pirates and dragged away.

The territory would fall into chaos without its lord.

Aquaz would also have struggled to procure a ship and crew, being tied to the territory for a long time.

It was a simple result of good and evil.

Aquaz bit her lip.

“…I once visited a village during my journey.”

She began to talk about her past.

Near the village, a dungeon had been left unattended for a long time, causing monsters to come out and harm the villagers.

So, she helped them.

She entered the dungeon alone and defeated the boss.

The dungeon disappeared without its master.

No more monsters came to torment the people.

But she didn’t receive praise and gratitude from the villagers.

Instead, they resented her.

This was because the dungeon had been a source of valuable materials.

The village, which had no particular specialty, relied heavily on the dungeon’s resources.

They had hidden the dungeon’s existence and endured the harm to gather materials.

Naturally, they didn’t appreciate Aquaz, who destroyed such a source of income.

She left the village under resentful gazes.

Although she was sad, she thought it was inevitable.

The dungeon was a clear evil.

She believed without a doubt that punishing such evil was justice.

She had undoubtedly done good.

But the result wasn’t favorable.

“You are indeed good. You are enforcing justice. That fact is undeniable.”

But there was no guarantee that good would necessarily be helpful.

Is the one who punishes a child stealing for their starving sibling a good person?

Or is the one who understands the circumstances and overlooks the theft a good person?

No one could know for sure.

“This world lives alongside shades of gray. What is good is not necessarily good, and the same goes for evil. I hope you understand that.”

“…Ah, aaah…”

Aquaz groaned as if she had realized something.

Ketal smiled with satisfaction.

‘That was interesting.’

Persuading Aquaz had little meaning for him.

He just wanted to talk to the pirates.

He wanted to make a deal with those outside the law.

That was all.

Persuading Aquaz and pointing out her contradictions was just to prevent her from punishing the pirates before he could have a proper conversation with them.

But it was different for Aquaz.

To her, Ketal was the one who had made her realize her naive behavior and lack of understanding of the world.

Aquaz looked up at Ketal with a peculiar gaze and, as if making a decision, spoke up.

“Mr. Ketal.”

“Yes?”

“Your words are valid. I do not know this world. I am merely a naive person blindly following the will of the gods in a human body.”

“No, that’s not true. You are a good person.”

“No, it is true. Therefore, I need to know about the outside world. But for someone as naive as I am, it is difficult. I need someone to teach me.”

“Hmm?”

Something seemed off about her words.

Ketal was taken aback.

Aquaz’s eyes sparkled.

“Mr. Ketal, may I have you as my teacher?”

“…What?”

Ketal responded, bewildered.

* * *

The pirates continued to repair the ship.

Among them was a large barbarian.

“Oh, so that’s how you do it.”

“Y-Yes…”

“May I try it?”

“S-Suit yourself…”

Ketal cheerfully watched their repair process and sometimes participated himself.

The pirates were flustered by the sight of the barbarian.

They didn’t know much, but since he was part of the Inquisitor’s group, they assumed he must be quite strong.

Typically, such powerful individuals weren’t interested in labor like this.

Yet, Ketal was joyfully observing and participating in the repairs as if he found the process itself enjoyable.

The pirates looked at Ketal with puzzled expressions.

Meanwhile, Aquaz was watching Ketal with a look of realization.

“Working hard alongside others. Such an attitude is necessary to understand the world.”

“No, that’s not it…”

‘I’m just doing it because I find it fun.’

Ketal looked at Aquaz with a bewildered expression.

“I keep telling you, I am not great enough to be your teacher. Why not find someone else?”

“No. Mr. Ketal, you have enlightened me, who does not know the world. I want to learn a lot from you.”

Aquaz was resolute.

She was determined to learn something by staying by Ketal’s side.

“Mr. Ketal, you can ignore me. I will simply observe and follow you personally. You don’t need to mind me.”

“Oh… if that’s the case.”

Ketal reluctantly backed down.

‘I didn’t expect this.’

He had only persuaded Aquaz to talk to the pirates, but now she had realized many things and began to follow him around with shining eyes.

This was unexpected for Ketal.

Since she showed no sign of backing down even when he told her off, Ketal eventually gave up.

From then on, Aquaz started following Ketal closely.

She observed and marveled at every little thing he did, whether it was repairing the ship, walking around the territory, entering a tavern to eat, or buying daily necessities.

She attached great significance to each action.

It was like a baby duck following its mother.

Although it felt a bit burdensome at first, the repeated actions soon seemed somewhat endearing.

‘It’s been a while since someone looked at me like this.’

It wasn’t that there had never been anyone who followed him around, calling him their teacher.

In the white snowy plains, he was the chief of his tribe.

He had immense power, and many children revered him and wanted to follow him.

‘I wonder how that kid is doing.’

The white snowy plains.

There was one child there who especially followed him, even more than their own parents.

When Ketal left, the child made a huge fuss, insisting on coming along, and Ketal had to beat him to calm him down.

He suddenly wondered what the kid was doing now.

Aquaz, who was following Ketal around, helped with the ship’s repairs.

Baker, not wanting to be left out, reluctantly joined in as well.

‘Why am I doing this…’

Baker, who had wanted to rest comfortably in their quarters, felt very wronged.

Nevertheless, with the three superhuman individuals working together, the ship quickly regained its original form, and preparations for departure began.

“…That man.”

Aquaz noticed a pirate.

It was the pirate she had captured and handed over to the guards.

Without Ketal, she would have executed him on the spot.

Valkran spoke up,

“He’s our navigator. Without him, we can’t sail. He’s the only navigator in our crew.”

“…I see.”

Aquaz looked at Valkran.

“Valkran, you are strong.”

His speed when he ambushed Ketal had surprised even her.

She judged him to be at least of second-rate level. W

ith that level of strength, he didn’t need to be a pirate to survive.

“Why does someone like you live as a pirate?”

“Because I was born into it and raised that way.”

Valkran spoke indifferently,

“My parents were pirates. Naturally, I grew up as a pirate. Before I knew it, I was the captain, despite wanting to leave behind all responsibilities and duties. But I couldn’t abandon the crew who called me their captain. It’s a common story.”

“…I see. It is a common story.”

Aquaz murmured as she moved away.

“It’s time to pray with the citizens of the territory. I will be absent for a while. Master.”

“Stop calling me ‘Master.\'”

Aquaz left, and Valkran’s face twisted in a strange expression.

“…A Sun God’s Inquisitor calling a barbarian ‘Master.\'”

And it was Aquaz.

The genius touted to become the next chief Inquisitor.

Even Valkran knew her reputation.

It was hard to believe that such a person was calling a barbarian ‘Master.’

‘If this gets out, it will cause quite a stir.’

There would undoubtedly be those who didn’t view it favorably.

Although with this barbarian’s strength, he could suppress them all.

Ketal spoke.

“So you lived the life of a pirate. It’s a pity that you couldn’t choose your own path. I offer my condolences.”

“Are you really a barbarian?”

Valkran was dumbfounded.

Offering condolences was not something one would expect from a barbarian.

“Well… whatever. In the end, I’m benefiting because of you. You must have been the one who persuaded the Inquisitor. Thanks. I’ll guide you as best as I can.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll do my best to ensure you don’t die either.”

“That’s a comforting thought.”

Valkran left to give orders to the pirates.

Ketal, left alone, gazed beyond the horizon of the sea.

‘The city of mermaids.’

And the primates living in the depths of the sea blocking the way.

They were akin to the demonic beings of the white snowy plains.

It wasn’t the first time he had faced such beings.

He had dealt with the Nanos before.

But the Nanos had not piqued his interest much.

How would this encounter be?

A hint of interest appeared on Ketal’s face as he gazed at the sea.