novelraw Chapter 131: Mara’s Origins
Chapter 131: Mara’s Origins
“You picked the wrong opponent.”
Mara wore a cruel smile, raised her hand and brought the blade down, taking another pirate’s life.
Loren, who usually fought in high-stakes matches every day, had almost forgotten one thing: a Scarecrow’s power could crush the vast majority of people in this world.
So with power comparable to a Scarecrow, Mara easily annihilated this gang of pirates. Of course, Loren also played a part;
the auxiliary magic he casually provided wasn’t weak either.
“Tch, still a bunch of penniless scoundrels.”
Mara rifled through the pirates’ ship inside and out, but didn’t find much treasure — not even any decent food.
“All sorted?”
When Mara returned with the spoils, Loren had just come out of the cabin.
“All sorted. Now it’s time to split the loot.”
Mara dumped everything she had taken in front of Loren, keeping most of it on her side.“Seventy for me, thirty for you. Any objections?”
When dividing the spoils, Mara didn’t show greed, nor did she flatter Loren. That split was fair.
The enemies weren’t strong, and without Loren’s magic she wouldn’t have handled them so easily.
In a sense Mara could be called a saint of sorts: among the seven deadly sins she only had wrath, not greed or lust.
Maybe she wasn’t a good person, but she was definitely a good captain. Even after she had many crew members later on, she stayed fair, which is why the sea creatures remained utterly loyal to her.
But that didn’t change Loren’s sentence: she was still a villain. No matter how kind she was to her crew, it didn’t erase the fact she was a murderer.
If Loren spared her for that, the innocent people she killed would never rest in peace.
“No objections. That’s reasonable.”
Loren put away the portion Mara had given him. It wasn’t much, but nobody ever complains about having money.
“How far have we come?”
Loren looked out over the endless sea, unable to determine direction;
for that he had to rely on Mara.
Mara glanced at the map before speaking.
“We’re very close to the spot you marked. We’ll arrive today.”
“Good. Wake me when we get there, I’ll go rest for a bit.”
“Wait, Master Mentor, don’t forget what you promised me.”
“Oh right, ask.”
Loren stopped and turned to face Mara.
He could already guess what Mara would ask. Many people had the same question;
Loren had answered it many times.
“Can the dead... be resurrected?”
“No.”
Loren’s answer was resolute. There are too many regrets in this world. Loren himself had once tried to find a way to bring people back, and the result was nothing.
Noah had the most experience in this area;
he had tried nearly every method available.
Even the mightiest Goddess of Love could not accomplish resurrection.
“This is a fundamental rule of the world: life happens only once. Every person’s life is equal.”
With the Sensitive Heart talent, even without looking at Mara’s expression, Loren could sense her despair.
“What if I want to resurrect a Sea Witch or a Merfolk?”
“Still impossible.”
Loren understood perfectly what Mara wanted: she simply wanted to resurrect her biological mother and her foster mother.
After hearing this, Mara froze, and the hatred in her eyes deepened.
Sometimes hatred isn’t entirely bad;
it can keep a person going. Those with nothing can be sustained by hatred, but once revenge is complete, all that remains is a hollow void.
Loren knew this feeling well. When someone destroys everything you have, rage can prop up your body and fill you with strength until the moment vengeance is fulfilled.
The instant the anger fades, sorrow crashes in like a tide and drowns you completely.
Even if you slaughter your enemy’s entire family, the dead will not return. Nothing is left but grief, and that is the most despairing moment.
Still, revenge is necessary and even sacred: even if the dead cannot return, their souls must be put to rest, and evildoers must pay.
“Master Mentor, what’s happening outside?”
Naclis immediately showed concern for Loren. Loren stroked her hair to reassure her.
“It’s nothing—just some pirates attacked us. Mara’s killed them all already.”
“Pirates?”
At that word Korali shivered;
she often heard stories about humans.
In those tales, the worst were the Church, and the second worst were pirates.
“By the way, Korali, I want to ask you something. Do you know if there were ever children born of Merfolk and humans?”
Loren wanted to learn more about Mara’s background;
perhaps it would make Mara’s life clearer.
“My mother told me. Back then there was a Merfolk who liked sneaking up to the surface to play, but one time a group of pirates captured her. When she returned, she was already carrying a child...
“Later she gave birth to a creature that was neither fish nor human nor Merfolk. She had gone mad by then. She cut off the fish parts from the child and abandoned it.
“The elders locked the mad mother away, and she died a few years later.”
“...”
Loren fell silent for a moment after hearing the story.
It matched. It matched one version of Mara’s origins. There were two versions of Mara’s backstory, and Loren clearly trusted the Merfolk account more.
Merfolk were still influenced by the Dawn Princess, so they rarely lied.
“How pitiful...”
Indeed, even maternal and paternal love were likely things Mara had imagined.
“What’s wrong? Isn’t that just a bedtime scare story?”
Loren shook his head and sighed.
“No, it’s all true. The child in that story is the one who captured you...
“Never mind, it doesn’t matter. During your recovery our ship has already sailed quite far. If you don’t leave now, you won’t be able to find it again, and the place we’re heading to is dangerous.”
Merfolk have a strong sense of direction and can sense their kingdom;
even if they travel far, they can return home. Like witches favored by the world, Merfolk are blessed by the sea. Sea creatures don’t attack Merfolk, but as the ocean becomes polluted, that favor no longer works like it used to.
“...”
Korali looked at Loren with reluctance, but she knew he was telling the truth. Her wandering brought her danger.
“I will remember you... I will remember you forever...”
The sky was already darkening;
at night the sea grew even more perilous.
“Goodbye.”
Loren carried Korali to the deck and tossed her into the water.
Korali waved to Loren and then sank into the sea. Merfolk swim very fast, much faster than the ghost ship;
she wouldn’t take long to get home.
“Our farewell was so hasty. After all that, meeting a Merfolk was rare. I still wanted to taste... I wanted to make friends with them.”
Anna leaned against the railing and complained.