Children of the Rune – Winterer - Chapter 443

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

Episode 213.
An Angel’s Face and
The Blood Flowing Through a Demon’s Heart (22)
“Listen well! There is only one Duke of the Sea. He would never sail aboard a vessel like yours!”
The man holding the megaphone appeared to be a Sailor or navigator, with what looked like a captain standing behind him. Though dressed in a faded gray shirt, I recognized him at once. He had the broad frame and towering shoulders befitting a pirate’s reputation, and despite the ship’s sway, his feet remained planted as though rooted to the deck. A tilted hat obscured most of his face.
Joshua replied without hesitation.
“I’m grateful for your confidence. I’ll accept that goodwill.”
“What? What are you saying?”
“The fact that you know there is only one Duke of the Sea tells me you are my friends. If I’ve misunderstood, speak plainly. That way I’ll know how to treat you.”
The Sailor on the other ship lowered the megaphone and turned to exchange a few words with the captain. Soon the captain took the megaphone in hand.
“Surely you’re not claiming to be the Duke of the Sea, Icabon von Arnim?”
The captain’s voice was thick and hoarse, as though he hadn’t yet smoked his morning pipe. Instead of answering, Joshua burst into laughter.
“Hahahaha….”
His cheerful laughter left the other man visibly flustered. Then Kelsniti spoke without bothering to take the megaphone.
“The Duke finds this amusing, for which we are grateful. Had he not, we could hardly overlook your discourtesy.”
Though Kelsniti’s voice was not a shout, it carried naturally across to the other ship. Even our own crew was startled by its clarity.
“Who are you?”
“I am merely a humble Priest in service to the Duke.”
After a brief exchange among themselves, a somewhat different voice called out.
“A Priest? Valmiad?”
Kelsniti pressed his palms together in the traditional Priest’s greeting, though his tone remained curt.
“I’m surprised you know even my name. In any case, show proper respect now. The Duke was in excellent spirits this morning and extended his goodwill to you first, yet you have not yet reciprocated that courtesy.”
Standing beside Joshua in his crimson jacket, Kelsniti was nearly the same height. His long hair hung loosely bound, and his cloak and wide sleeves billowed in the wind. The collar of his cloak and the hem of his dalmatic bore embroidered patterns that resembled script. Despite their clarity, because I had only heard his voice until now, it seemed as though he might fade away at any moment.
Yet this was a ship that revealed what was hidden.
Since Joshua was still young, Kelsniti did not appear as a brother-in-arms as he had beside Icabon. Instead, he seemed a careful guardian. He carried no weapons and wore no armor. And yet there was an unmistakable sense that he stood very close to Joshua, protecting him. I had never seen such a presence before….
No—he must have always stood that way. I simply hadn’t seen it.
“Now, now, wait. I’m still confused. First, there—I am Captain Rascol Detolang of the Red Sails.”
At last the other man’s tone shifted. As Kelsniti swept his sleeve once, something like gold dust scattered through the darkness before coalescing into the outline of a large folio volume. The pirates were visibly shocked. Those of us watching from this ship had our eyes nearly bulging from their sockets.
Kelsniti drew a monocle from his breast and held it to his eye, then slowly turned the pages of the book floating in the air. With each turn, the outline seemed to scatter and dissolve before settling again. At last he pointed to a page and spoke.
“You spoke no falsehood, Captain Rascol Detolang. You hail from Tiatland, married Rosalind Detolang four years ago, and your two sons still live there with your parents. I understand you’ve been salvaging wrecks from Ganapoli in these waters and achieved some success recently. Even had you not reported it, the Duke already knows. I believe a pirate of such renown should certainly be informed of why he is called the Duke of the Sea.”
As Kelsniti closed the book, it transformed back into gold dust and scattered away. Detolang swallowed hard and cried out.
“Of course I know! The Duke appointed by the Sea itself to rule the South Sea and all its pirates! Though I have not entered your service, I have always held you in the deepest admiration in my heart. I never imagined meeting you in a place like this, and I confess I was startled, but….”
He hesitated. The mention of “not having reported” weighed on his mind.
“We were about to make our report. Had there been no complications… we intended to offer the Duke the finest thing we obtained from the wrecks we salvaged. That’s why we hurried… But that, well, actually, we’ve been pursuing that ship, and, well, might I ask why the Duke sails in such a vessel?”
Joshua, his laughter faded, spoke.
“This ship is small and elegant and worn. Like a well-played instrument.”
That was all the explanation offered. The others leaned forward expecting more, but Joshua merely smiled. Before they could ask again, Maximian stepped forward.
“Ah, ah, enough chatter. Why so many questions? The Duke has destinations he must reach without announcement, places he must go. When such occasions arise, he uses this method. He acquired this ship at the last port—purchased the vessel and crew outright. Not the first time he’s done such a thing, mind you. People are like you, all of them, and would never dare guess that the Duke sails aboard a traveling Theater Company’s ship. The ship’s small size aided the deception. You have business with this ship? Now you must ask the Duke himself, whatever it may be. Speak. What business do you have?”
“That is….”
The pirates seemed to hesitate, unsure whether to speak honestly, but at last they opened their mouths.
“One of the men on that ship stole the treasure we obtained and fled. That’s why we were planning to capture him and bring him to the Duke… That item was what we intended to offer the Duke… We heard rumors that the Duke was searching for such a thing… and since the Duke has obtained it one way or another… it seems to have worked out well enough….”
“Ah, is that so? A fortunate turn of events. But what was your reason for offering something so precious?”
“Ah, yes… In other words, we were hoping you might take us into your service.”
Maximian couldn’t help but chuckle to himself. Things seemed to be unfolding better than expected. Joshua had already turned his gaze away as if it were of little consequence, and Kelsniti spoke.
“The Duke will give consideration to your petition. First, we must find the man who allegedly stole your belongings, hear the full account from him, and determine his guilt. He will face the pirate’s justice—the penalty for betraying his own crew.”
It was an answer the pirates could accept. Rascol Detolang asked.
“Begging your pardon, but where is the Duke headed?”
Maximian replied.
“If you have any sense, think about it. A place where one must deliberately choose a small vessel.”
Of course, the skiff Icabon had used to escape the storm at Sunset Island was far smaller than this, but such details hardly mattered. When people solve even a light riddle, their spirits brighten. A note of vitality crept into the answer.
“Then… Sunset Island?”
“You have a decent head on your shoulders.”
How Icabon had pierced through the storm of Sunset Island that no one could pass, and what he had obtained there—these were matters of great interest in these waters at the time. It was a legend vivid enough to grasp in one’s hand. The pirates instinctively scanned the deck of our ship. There she was. A red-haired woman sitting on a crate before the sterncastle, glaring in their direction.
Riche, arms crossed, swept her gaze across the Red Sails’ deck with an expressionless face. That was enough. As the pirates watched her eyes pass over each sailor’s face, then traverse every corner of the ship, the rigging, and the very top of the mast before descending, they went pale as if they’d seen a ghost. As if they believed that whatever she fixed her gaze upon would be utterly destroyed.
Maximian spoke again.
“You would do well to keep your mouths shut. If word of the island expedition leaks later, we can only hold you responsible. The Duke wishes to come and go quietly. Now, the Duke is willing to consider you friends—does anyone object?”
“How could we possibly object!”
Thus far, matters had proceeded smoothly. But then a man who appeared to be a senior sailor conferred with the captain in hushed tones, then took up a trumpet.
“It is an honor beyond measure to encounter the Duke of the Sea so unexpectedly. We are also proud to be part of the journey to create yet another legend. However, we have long been curious about something. We heard that the Duke has received a mysterious blessing, but for simple country folk like us, it is a tale we find difficult to believe without witnessing it ourselves. Of course, I believe in the Duke without the slightest doubt, so I could not let those who dared to question him go unpunished. It was a wager from several months ago—two fingers were riding on it, no less.”
A sudden tension fell over the deck. Yet Maximian replied without hesitation.
“Ah, so? Spare me the tedious explanations. What exactly do you want to know?”
The sailor offered a servile smile.
“We were hoping the Duke might show us that blessed ability of yours. If that is too ambiguous, we would be equally grateful if the great Mage would demonstrate it instead.”
At that moment, Riche rose from the crate.
Simultaneously, everyone standing on the opposite deck flinched visibly. Riche walked slowly and ascended to the upper deck. Then, gripping the rail, she looked toward them. Maximian glanced back at Riche, began to sigh, then caught himself and remembered his role.
“You dare speak such words and still feel fear? She is in a foul mood this morning.”
“….”
“Your words have only made it worse.”
Joshua crossed the deck and promptly climbed to the upper deck. He tapped Riche’s hand, which gripped the bow ornament, then suddenly began to sing.
A sprout that will not bud, a forest that will not grow
You stood at the corner and shook your head
A country person’s eyes cannot lie
When I harvest the spring wheat, I will return
When the mint flowers bloom, I will return
Fallen leaves pattering, a red forest with its fires dimmed
You held my hand once and let me go so easily
The crooked path shows no end in sight
When my wings have grown, I will return
When I have grown into an adult, I will return
The pirates were startled by the voice, clear as a young boy’s. Whatever the lyrics meant, the sound was utterly pure. No one had asked for it, yet no one could refuse such a song. As far as Maximian knew, Joshua had not sung with such a voice since his days in Kotzboldt. Maximian himself had never heard it directly, but it was the voice of a soloist from the Mona Sid Choir.
Joshua ceased his song and gazed intently at Riche’s face with a smile. Riche offered no response, yet found herself averting her eyes without realizing it. It was remarkably difficult to meet Joshua’s gaze without thought clouding her mind.
From a distance, it would have appeared that Icabon was soothing an displeased Anarose. Soon after, Joshua turned toward the pirates.
“Sunset Island is Anarose’s homeland, so I have no wish to disturb the waters before it. However, the moment she abandons such thoughts, it will be you who suffer. I trust you will earnestly pray that such a day never comes.”
It was a warning of the price to be paid for rashly demanding to witness their power. The surroundings fell silent. Only the sound of waves lapping against the ship’s hull could be heard.
“In exchange.”
Joshua looked toward Kelsniti. Kelsniti nodded.
“You are fortunate. Among curiosities, some carry a steep price. Ordinarily, when the Mage reduces you to dust, I can only watch empty sleep and pray for your souls. That is all I can do then. The Duke has commanded me to reverse that order, so today I am granted the privilege of praying for you while you yet live. Even I find some meaning in that.”
Kelsniti raised both hands high, then slowly brought them together. Simultaneously, a powder similar to what had formed the book moments before now became a silver veil that spread forth in an instant.
“Weary souls who have wandered long now rest in the whispers of the silver river.”
The veil stretched as far as dawn’s hem and descended like twilight upon the world. The pirates of the Red Sails watched as the luminous curtain approached, enveloped them, and gradually dispersed into the sea. It was a sight beyond words. All fell silent.
Moments later, the sweetest sleep in all the world found them.

Children of Rune – Winterer
Author: Jeon Min-hee
Published by: 14 Months Publishing
The copyright of this book belongs 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.

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