novelraw Chapter 66 : A Big Catch
Chapter 66 : A Big Catch
Chapter 66: A Big Catch
When he opened his eyes, he saw not a ceiling but a bed.
A bunk bed.
A gently swaying room.
‘How long had I been asleep.’
The pain left behind after the fierce battle last night had eased as if washed away.
When he raised his body, bandages were wrapped around the places where wounds should have remained.
Not knowing what had happened, he turned his head and saw a girl sleeping on the floor.
“Serena.”
Rubbing her sleepy eyes, Serena got up.
She let out a long yawn, then suddenly approached and placed her hand on the bandages.
“It looks like it healed well.”
“Did you treat me, Serena?”
“Yeah. With the herbs in your backpack.”
“I didn’t know you were knowledgeable about herbal medicine.”
“Grandpa taught me.”
Looking closely at the bandages, they were stained green.
Thanks to the old man and Serena, he no longer had to worry about infection and necrosis.
“Thank you. But how did you get in here? The door should have been locked.”
“I found the key. It was in the captain’s cabin.”
Even after going through the chaos of last night, Serena had not fallen asleep right away.
To wander around the ship by herself—how very Serena-like.
“I was going to head out right away, but I must’ve fallen asleep without realizing it. There’s nothing unusual outside, right?”
“Grandpa’s guarding it, so it’s fine. More importantly, are you really okay?”
“The pain’s gone down, and I can move without any trouble.”
“No. I don’t mean that.”
Serena hesitated for a moment.
Since this kind of attitude was new, Robin felt puzzled.
“I could hear you groaning even through the door.”
“Ah… I guess I was talking in my sleep.”
Robin brushed it off and searched through the cabin.
He found clothes to cover the bandages.
“Here.”
Serena held up a shirt.
‘She’s more delicate than I thought.’
“I’ll put it on you.”
“No. I can put it on myself…….”
“It’s better not to overdo it for now. You know yourself that you’re the focal point of this ship right now, don’t you?”
With her putting it that way, he simply accepted the kindness.
She had a natural, untamed side, yet Serena had a strange way of striking right at the core.
“You looked frail, but your body’s actually pretty good.”
“Pardon? What did you say?”
“It’s a compliment.”
When Serena snickered, Robin, suddenly feeling awkward for no reason, quickly buttoned up the shirt.
Once Robin had changed, Serena held out two swords.
They were Robin’s swords that the pirates had taken at will when they seized the merchant ship.
Strapping one to each side of his waist gave him a sense of stability.
“Honestly, it’s unexpected. That you’d grasp everything I needed like this.”
“Ah, it wasn’t my idea. Grandpa told me.”
Just as Robin was about to raise his evaluation of Serena, he stopped short.
She had simply followed exactly what the old man had pointed out.
‘Figures.’
“If you’re ready, let’s go out. Grandpa’s waiting.”
Serena flung the door wide open.
When they stepped out onto the deck, bright weather greeted them.
The pirates were not resisting and were focused on sailing.
In a corner where the weapons had been gathered, the old man sat on a chair, fishing.
“Sir, you went through a lot. I heard you guarded things well.”
“Huh? Do I know you?”
“…Please don’t joke around. That doesn’t work anymore.”
“Keh heh heh, how did you know?”
“Those pirate bastards aren’t even turning their heads this way.”
By the old man’s presence alone, the pirates did not even dare to reach for their weapons.
He had subtly done something.
‘It’s similar to killing intent, but different somehow.’
The old man smiled gently and reeled in the fishing rod.
A mullet thrashed about, struggling.
“A big catch. This is why I fish.”
“This atmosphere right now. If you thought I wouldn’t notice, that’s a mistake.”
“That said, do you think I’d tell you?”
“Just who exactly are you, sir?”
“Theodric.”
The old man said as he organized the fishing rod.
“That’s my name.”
“You only tell me your name after we’ve been together for two weeks.”
“I told you because I took an interest in you.”
“That’s a compliment, right?”
“It is.”
Theodric put the mullet into a bucket filled with seawater.
After winding up the fishing line and setting it down on the floor, he shouted.
“Bring a cutting board!”
One pirate rushed out holding a cutting board.
He was sweating buckets of cold sweat, to the point it was pitiful to see.
‘What happened to him.’
Theodric looked the pirate up and down, then flicked his head with a thump.
“You should’ve brought a kitchen knife too.”
“I’m sorry!”
The pirate who had brought the cutting board disappeared to fetch the kitchen knife.
Theodric placed the mullet on the cutting board and struck its head with a thud.
The thrashing mullet was knocked unconscious.
Watching from the side, Serena spoke up.
“What are you going to do, Grandpa.”
“Stop yapping and wait. I’ll make something delicious for you.”
The pirate came running back, panting, and presented the kitchen knife.
Theodric began cutting into the fish laid out on the cutting board.
Robin did not panic at the bizarre behavior he was seeing for the first time and asked instead.
“Was everything you’ve shown until now all an act?”
“Not all of it. The dementia is real.”
“Why go that far?”
“You said you wanted to become a knight, didn’t you?”
Theodric’s hands, dismantling the fish’s flesh and bones, were deft.
He lowered his voice and spoke.
“I can help you, Robin who’s been branded a traitor.”
“I don’t understand. You know who I am, and yet you’re saying you’ll help me?”
“Weren’t you planning to reclaim your name anyway?”
“That’s true, but…….”
“If you clear the false charges, I’ll help you.”
The fish that had been thrashing was already sliced into bite-sized pieces.
Theodric put it straight into his mouth without any cooking and lifted the corners of his lips.
“It tastes good.”
“How exactly are you going to help me, sir?”
“Become my squire.”
Robin’s eyes widened.
There were two ways to become a knight.
The first was to pass the knight examination held every year.
The second was to serve as a knight’s squire and earn recognition.
Theodric and Serena amicably picked up raw fish and ate.
As if it wasn’t fishy at all, satisfaction settled on both their faces.
“Why are you doing this much for me?”
“Just… it reminded me of an unlucky bastard I met before. Anyway, will you do it?”
“Yes. May I call you Sir Theodric?”
At Robin’s immediate reply, Theodric snorted a laugh.
“What ‘sir.’ Just do as you’ve done until now.”
“Then I’ll call you sir.”
“Once we arrive in Runeberg, things will get busy, so take care of your body on your own.”
It seemed trivial, but it was an enormous opportunity.
Not just anyone could become a knight’s squire.
Regardless of what the two talked about, Serena kept eating the raw fish.
Chewing away, Serena asked,
“It’s my first time eating fish like this. What do you call it?”
“Sashimi.”
“It’s good.”
Even though she must have heard the entire conversation beside them, Serena remained unfazed.
Robin asked to make sure.
“Is it really okay for you to go to Runeberg, Serena? You were originally planning to go to Lutri.”
“So what. You just go where the wind blows, where the water flows.”
Unlike Robin, who was drawing up various plans in his head, she had no thoughts at all.
Why did an inexplicable envy and bitterness arise?
‘I want to live like that too.’
Whether she knew Robin’s thoughts or not, Serena held out a slice of sashimi to Robin’s mouth.
He was quite hungry, so he bit down without hesitation.
The chewy texture clung perfectly to his mouth.
After taking two, then three bites, he looked at Theodric.
“Sir, can’t we do one more fish?”
“I need to sleep too.”
Theodric handed the fishing rod to Robin and went into the cabin.
Serena stayed by his side, her eyes shining with expectation.
Robin let out a breath and took hold of the fishing rod.
‘It’s my first time fishing. How did sir do it again.’
The float plopped into the sea.
Two days later.
A medium-sized vessel and a merchant ship arrived side by side in Runeberg.
More precisely, the territory of Count Wilcock.
They docked at a tiny port compared to Bellaruka.
‘It’s small in scale, but there are a lot of ships.’
From a day before arrival, ships headed for Runeberg had stood out.
Though the routes differed, many ships were coming to the same destination.
When they disembarked and stepped onto land, Admiral and Imelda greeted them.
“I’m glad you arrived safely, Roy.”
“Roy, it’s been a while.”
Over the two days, Admiral’s complexion had improved, as if his wounds had healed.
Imelda looked somewhat shaded, but she had no injuries.
As they were exchanging brief greetings with Serena and Theodric as well, a group approached.
‘Knights?’
A figure clad head to toe in plate armor led guards and laborers.
Robin and Imelda tensed.
They had not failed to anticipate such a situation, but the wariness engraved into their bodies did not simply vanish.
The knight, moving with crisp steps, bowed to Admiral.
“Welcome, Admiral. But who are these people?”
The knight looked over Robin’s group and narrowed his eyes.
Admiral replied with a hearty laugh.
“They’re the ones who saved my life. Thanks to this lad here, I was able to make it safely.”
As Admiral spoke while pointing at Robin, the knight bowed his head to Robin in greeting.
“I don’t know what happened, but it seems the young master was indebted to you.”
“Young master?”
“Ah, you didn’t tell him?”
Admiral laughed awkwardly.
With that, Robin was certain his guess had been right.
‘Admiral was Count Wilcock’s child. Not someone working under a noble, but a noble himself…….’
Imelda was thinking the same thing.
Serena, seemingly uninterested, looked around at the ships, and Theodric remained silent.
“Roy, Miss Melida. If it wouldn’t be an inconvenience, I’d like to invite you to our home.”
“All right.”
He accepted without a moment’s hesitation.
That was the reason he had faced the pirates, prepared to die.
“That’s unexpected. I didn’t think you’d accept so readily.”
“I’m not in a position to refuse help.”
Admiral nodded as if it didn’t matter either way.
The knight who had been watching from the side spoke up.
“Young master, I don’t see the crew. What’s the situation here?”
“They’re dead.”
“Dead… don’t tell me you ran into pirates.”
Admiral raised his left hand.
At that, pirates burst out of the ship and ran toward the city.
“It was Roy’s promise, so I can’t interfere.”
The promise to give the pirates a chance to live was kept.
The knight looked flustered and ordered the guards to chase them.
About twenty pirates ran with all their might.
‘I don’t really care. Well, this isn’t bad either.’
The knight spoke in an apologetic voice.
“The situation is urgent, so we will unload the cargo now.”
“Sir Collie, take care of your business. We’ll head to the house on our own.”
“I’ll see you later.”
The knight climbed back onto the merchant ship together with the laborers who had come with him.
The cargo loaded at Bellaruka revealed itself one by one.
Most of it was carefully wrapped, making it hard to tell what the items were for.
“Sir Roy, I won’t forget this kindness.”
“You are our hero.”
“I’ll bless the path you walk.”
The passengers who disembarked from the merchant ship each left words of gratitude to Robin.
They also clasped Imelda’s, Admiral’s, and Theodric’s hands and bowed their heads.
Dozens of people praised their names.
Some offered to repay them, but Robin refused.
The disappointed passengers left after saying they would always step forward with outstretched arms if they were ever in trouble.
“Roy, Melida, Elder. Since the greetings are over, shall we be on our way?”
“I want to go too. That’s okay, right, Admiral?”
“Miss Serena is…….”
Admiral cast a questioning look toward Robin, as if asking what he wanted to do.
“Serena is coming too. She’s a companion.”
“Ah, a companion. I apologize for my rudeness. I’ll go get a six-seater carriage.”
Admiral gave Serena a light bow and headed toward the main road.
The carriage that appeared with a clattering sound was large and cozy.
“How long will it take to get there?”
“It won’t take that long. At most, about thirty minutes?”
‘What?’
Robin hid his flustered reaction and asked again.
“If it’s thirty minutes, isn’t that nearby?”
“That’s right. We live nearby.”
“…Aren’t you a noble? The castle where Count Wilcock resides should be quite far from here.”
At Robin’s blunt question, Admiral laughed.
“Ahahaha, you already thought that far?”
Unlike Admiral’s laughter, Robin was serious.
Whether Admiral was a noble or not mattered to Robin.
It determined whether he could reclaim his name through his authority.
“It’s true that my father is Count Wilcock. But that doesn’t mean I’m a noble.”
“What do you mean…….”
“I’m the third son. The title goes to the eldest, doesn’t it?”
‘So that’s how it was.’
If every noble’s child inherited a title, they would increase endlessly.
Children who did not inherit a title became commoners from the next generation onward.
When Robin showed a crestfallen expression, Admiral, perhaps feeling awkward, spoke up.
“I don’t know what you were expecting from me, but go ahead and tell me. Even so, thanks to you, Roy, our supplies weren’t cut off.”
“I’ll tell you once we arrive at your home.”
“Saying it like that just makes me more curious.”
With a look that said he would not ask any further, Admiral turned his gaze out the window.
Robin also sank into thought.
Suddenly, someone he wanted to see came to mind.
‘If I show up out of nowhere, they’ll be surprised, right?’
“Fight! Trample them! Win!”
“Waaaaaaah!”
Hundreds of humans clashed, shouting battle cries.
Countless blades collided, and arrows poured down.
They killed and were killed.
The evenly matched tide of battle slowly began to tilt to one side.
Among the many humans, there were those who stood out.
A woman who swung a curved blade and scattered throwing knives.
Mirian paused for a moment and looked up at the sky.
“Mirian!”
Whoosh!
A thrown axe lodged itself in the brow of the soldier who had been aiming for Mirian’s back.
Torgen frowned and retrieved the axe.
“Keep your head straight!”
“Sorry, sorry. I just had a good feeling for some reason.”
“Your intuition is shit. What is it?”
Whoosh!
A handleless blade pierced the neck of the soldier behind Torgen.
Torgen spat on the ground and shrugged both shoulders as if to say it was a tie.
“I wonder what that bastard Robin is doing. He doesn’t even write letters.”
“With a warrant out across the entire Empire, would he have time to write?”
“After this battle is over, I should look for him.”
“How?”
“A woman’s intuition?”
Torgen snorted in disbelief.
Mirian paid him no mind, drew another throwing knife, and hurled it toward the enemy lines.
“Captain! Stop holding back and deal with that thing already! Our people are all going to die!”
A man wearing an eyepatch over his left eye cut down an enemy soldier and lifted his head.
A massive monster, easily five meters tall, was advancing.
The air around the swords it held in both hands wavered.
Calimacos grinned and spoke.
“Shall I stir up a blade wind.”
The one-eyed mercenary surged toward the enemy lines like the wind.