Children of the Rune – Winterer - Chapter 436

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 206.
The Face of an Angel and
the Blood Flowing Through a Demon’s Heart (15)
“If they’re singing and dancing in the middle of the Sea, who exactly is supposed to watch them? Are flying fish and tuna supposed to throw coins at them?”
“Well, I suppose they meant they sail around nearby harbors….”
“For that to make sense, there would have to be harbors in these waters! But all this Sea has are reefs and uninhabited islands, doesn’t it?”
“That’s certainly true, but….”
While the two Sailors scratched their heads in confusion, the other three exchanged their own observations. Joshua spoke first.
“So traveling Theater Troupes that wander the Sea actually exist. I thought the people of Kalayso were just making fun of how ridiculous our Ship looked.”
“Whether such things actually exist or not, that doesn’t prove the other Ship is really a traveling Theater Troupe.”
Maximian’s words prompted Riche to chime in.
“Right. With this much light, we can’t even see the shape of the Ship, can we? We can’t even tell if that Ship looks like ours.”
“A Ship doesn’t have to look like the Beauty’s Pinnacle to be a traveling Theater Troupe.”
“What I mean is, since we can’t tell if it looks like our Ship, it might not be a traveling Theater Troupe even if it does look like ours, but it also might not be a traveling Theater Troupe if it doesn’t look like ours either… that’s what I’m saying!”
Joshua tilted his head.
“Is that what you meant?”
At that point, the Sailor who had been exchanging signals turned back with a suspicious expression.
“Um, they’re asking if we’d like to spend the night on their Ship and eat, drink, and have fun with them?”
“Please, no!”
It wasn’t a Ship belonging to someone we knew, nor was it a registered vessel of Periwinkle. There was no basis for guaranteeing they harbored no ill intentions. A night of revelry with a traveling Theater Troupe might be entertaining, but there was no reason to take unnecessary risks just because it seemed like it might be fun.
There was someone who would take unnecessary risks just because something seemed fun.
“There’s no need to cry out so desperately. What’s so dangerous about this?”
“You don’t think it’s dangerous to board a strange Ship we’ve encountered in the middle of the night at Sea?”
When Riche countered, Joshua corrected himself to something closer to the truth.
“Well, I mean, compared to the things I’ve done so far.”
Soon all the awake Sailors gathered at the rail. Each craned their neck toward the other Ship, but between dozens of lanterns, they could only see shadows wavering in the distance. One Sailor spoke.
“Look at those lights. Do they really keep them burning all night?”
“Maybe they’re fishing for oil barrels instead of fish in the Sea?”
“Why not? There’s a way. If you catch a whale, you get plenty of oil. Enough to make the Ship rock.”
“If that Ship caught a whale, it would be worth going to see.”
The Sailors didn’t seem to take it as seriously as Riche did. Perhaps they still didn’t know much about what kind of person Joshua was.
The First Mate on watch arrived last. A stocky man in his fifties, he had spent more time on the Deck since becoming an apprentice Sailor at twelve than he had on land. He listened halfheartedly to the whole story before speaking bluntly.
“So, they’ve extended an invitation from that Ship, is that right?”
“Yes, they say it’s the Ship’s birthday and they’re holding a celebration aboard.”
Riche looked at the First Mate, hoping he would talk Joshua out of it. The First Mate winked at Riche.
“That’s good. These days, there are few Sailors who remember their Ship’s birthday. So, what’s the Ship’s name?”
“It’s the ‘Star of the Homeland.'”
“That’s a lovely name. So who’s going?”
“Pardon? We’re going?”
“Listen, there’s no such thing as refusing an invitation at Sea.”
Riche gasped and stared at the Sailor with her mouth agape. The Sailor winked at her once more. Unable to contain herself, Riche cried out.
“Sir! Or rather, First Mate! Are you speaking in earnest?”
“Did it sound like a jest?”
“But that ship could be pirates!”
“Of course, it’s possible that ship came specifically to carry a coffin to escort you to heaven.”
Riche grew even more agitated.
“But can we really go to Oranda without any preparation?”
“That wounds me. We are always prepared.”
“Prepared for what?”
“To use the heads of rude fellows as bowling pins.”
While Riche, not knowing what bowling was, could only roll her wide eyes, the Sailor wove through the crew with sweeping gestures and shouted.
“Now then, make ready! Our Young Duke has graced the Traveling Theater Troupe’s ship with his presence—we must show proper decorum!”
Joshua quickly approached and tapped the Sailor’s arm.
“That’s not necessary. I’d prefer to look like an ordinary sailor, blending in with everyone else.”
The unspoken reason—that it would be more comfortable to enjoy himself freely—hung in the air, but the Sailor raised one eyebrow and winked at Riche as he had before.
“Heh heh, what we’re preparing isn’t anything special—merely bowling pins, you understand.”
Riche made one last attempt to salvage the situation. In other words, she grabbed Maximian, who had been standing with his arms crossed, and poured out her unfinished words.
“You say something to him. Joshua listens to you at least.”
“He only pretends to listen.”
“Is that so? But even so, shouldn’t you at least try to dissuade him? Shouldn’t you?”
Maximian’s response was even more unexpected.
“When it’s nothing serious, let him do as he pleases. Trying to stop him over every little thing is troublesome for the one doing the stopping too.”
“Is this nothing serious?”
Maximian glanced at Riche and spoke.
“Why don’t you go too.”
“What?”
Joshua, surrounded by sailors and chatting animatedly, deliberately turned to look at Maximian and offered a slight smile. Maximian responded with a grimace before looking back at Riche.
“Think about it this way. If you were a pirate and decided to rob a passing ship, but it’s the middle of the night—would you first sail around with all your lights blazing so they’d spot your ship?”
“Well, no, I suppose not.”
“Second, wouldn’t it be more logical—or rather, more rational—to fire cannons than to invite them aboard our ship for a drink, whether through deception or otherwise?”
“What logic applies to pirates? They might be taking hostages to force our surrender. After capturing some sailors and extracting our surrender—”
“Listen, Riche. When you fall into pirates’ hands, you’re usually all killed. No captain would surrender just because a few sailors were captured—they’d know everyone dies anyway. Besides, what good are hostages to pirates? There’s no pirate captain important enough to trade a ship for.”
Riche lifted her chin.
“But we have Duke Joshua von Arnim aboard!”
“How would they know that? Why would they know the Young Duke is here, or why he’s important, or anything about him? A traveling theater troupe ship from Lemnoscode?”
“Do you even know where Lemnoscode is?”
“I know it’s some backwater village so remote I’ve never even heard of it.”
Riche tilted her head, gradually wavering between holding her original position and being persuaded. Then she suddenly asked.
“By the way, what exactly is bowling?”
“It’s a game from Anomarad. You roll a ball the size of a human head and knock over the pins they’ve set up.”
7. Red Lanterns and Black Flags
Hang the criminal from the mast’s height.
Bind him tight so he cannot escape.
No rope around the neck is necessary.
He shall become food for the sun.
Those who climb the rigging
must give no food to the criminal.
Not even a single drop of water.
Unless you wish to hang beside him—
if rain comes, he will live a while longer.
Then hang him upside down instead.
Curse the fluttering sails
as he dries to brittle dust.
Dozens of red lanterns greeted the party as they boarded.
Ten hung along the low boom, five more strung along the ropes connecting to the triangular masts, two flanked the cabin entrance, and a dozen or so dangled from the railings. Their design was peculiar too—spherical wireframe structures covered in paper felt utterly unfamiliar. Moreover, ordinary lamps, no matter how ornate their shades, would never burn so steadily in such windy conditions. Yet these red lanterns hung in neat rows along the boom, dancing without a single one extinguished. The ship itself seemed to float within that reddish glow as though intoxicated.
Had they been real flames, they might have caught the sails and consumed the entire vessel in moments. Joshua asked, having formed his own suspicions.
“How do those lanterns work?”
The young man who greeted them laughed with a knowing smirk.
“That’s our secret.”
Someone beside him chimed in.
“We can’t reveal it so easily. But rest assured—there’s no danger of fire.”
To Joshua, it seemed not unlike the illumination magic that had become commonplace in theaters these days. He merely feigned admiration out of courtesy. But the sailors, ignorant of theatrical lighting principles, thought differently.
“Hey, I’m worried about that.”
“Are you sure there’s no real fire?”
“Why are you boasting like that? What if it actually catches fire?”
The young man and Joshua spoke almost simultaneously.
“It’s not that kind of fire.”
“It’s not that kind of fire.”
The young man looked at Joshua with eyes that asked, “How would you know?” Joshua smiled evasively.
Eight people had crossed to the ship from the Homeland. Joshua, Maximian, Riche, the Second Mate, and four sailors who enjoyed entertainment. The First Mate, who had seemed certain to go, remained aboard instead, citing the reasonable excuse that the watch officer could not abandon his post when emergencies might arise at any moment. Instead, he had roused the Second Mate and ordered him to escort Joshua.
Joshua asked what he was most curious about.
“By the way, who was that person singing so loudly earlier? I’d like to meet them.”
“Singing? Ah, yes, singing.”
The young man descended beneath the upper deck and knocked on the cabin door. A man burst out, removed his hat, and bowed. Wearing a bowler hat that seemed out of place on a sailor, he was a thin man with a lanky frame and bones that jutted prominently at every joint.
“Welcome, welcome! What an honor you’ve graced us with! Since you’ve come all this way, we mustn’t hold back—let’s put on a show! What would you like to see? We have puppet theater, tightrope walking, wheel acrobatics, singing and dancing. Would you prefer something amusing? There’s ‘Kojubu and the Hunchback’—it was a huge hit at the harbor we left yesterday. Of course, since we’ve had a bit to drink today, the content might be somewhat—or rather, quite—different from usual. Hahahaha!”
Before Joshua’s party could respond, two women leaped down from the upper deck and bowed again. They wore wide-brimmed hats adorned with dyed feathers—not exactly the latest fashion.
“Welcome, welcome! Our barrels overflow with drink, our crates overflow with apples! Soggy biscuits abound, and the hold teems with rats! With everything under the sun aboard our ship, we simply cannot allow you to have a dull evening.”
“It seems about time for a midnight snack, wouldn’t you say? We have fresh beef loaded just yesterday in the hold. Fresh meat on a ship, you ask? Ah, the salt cured into that meat is what keeps it fresh, you see! In any case, would you care for a taste? The meat is so salty it’s become sweet. Absolutely delicious!”
Children of Rune – Winterer
Author: Jeon Min-hee
Published by: 14 Months Publishing
The rights to this book belong to the author and 14 Months Publishing.
To reuse all or part of the contents of this book, written consent from both parties is required.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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