The Pirate King's Daughter - Chapter 58

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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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Chapter 58
Kies lifted Basil by the scruff of his neck.
“Ugh, w-wait, please!”
He thrashed about, but there was no escape from that iron grip.
“Where are you taking him?”
“To interrogate him and hand him over to the Security Force.”
“That won’t do!”
At Kies’s flat tone, Basil cried out in alarm, then fixed those wide, gleaming eyes on me.
“Captain…”
“I’m not a captain, so call me by my name.”
After finishing the correction I’d been meaning to make anyway, I turned my attention to Kies.
“Why not just interrogate him here? I’m curious too.”
“It could be dangerous.”
Being cautious and vigilant was fine, but…
‘Is it because he’s friends with Lucas?’
The pathetic figure before me wasn’t remotely threatening.
“Then promise me something.”
Berto, who’d been watching the situation silently, finally spoke.
“Promise what?”
“That you won’t meet with that demon alone.”
I felt a small jolt of guilt and rolled my eyes.
‘He’s uncanny.’
I should have answered at once, but my hesitation made Kies’s eyes flare like a man losing his mind.
“You really are…”
He dropped Basil without ceremony and approached me with a menacing expression.
“Why do you keep doing this? The only reason you’re alive is pure luck. Please, at least now—”
I glanced at Berto in confusion.
I hadn’t told him about my ability to not die when I was kidnapped by Dilshard.
“I won’t. Don’t worry.”
Once again, I had no choice but to lie.
I still hadn’t decided what to reveal about the demon, or how much. I didn’t know what impact this information might have on the heroes.
And wasn’t there a reason Lucas had specifically chosen me—and only me?
“If you’re caught, you’ll have to accept the consequences.”
“I understand.”
I’d need to plan any contact very carefully.
Kies approached Basil with eyes that looked ready to tear a demon apart.
“Speak. What’s your purpose in disguising yourself as an inn employee?”
Basil, tensed and wary, knelt on the floor and began explaining calmly.
“I wanted to live among people. The stronger a demon’s power, the more pronounced the typical demonic temperament becomes—but mine is rather weak.”
This was new information.
Lucas had only told me that demons had to be fought directly; he hadn’t taught me anything beyond that.
“The Demon King’s Land is peaceful, but I wanted to see the outside world.”
“The Demon King’s Land?”
Kies frowned and tilted his head quizzically.
“Ah, it’s where the Demon King first descended and established himself. These days, obsolete demons—those whose power has weakened over generations—live there.”
Where Lucas had fallen.
“We call it Atlantis.”
“So the Demon King is there?”
“…I wonder why you’re so curious about that.”
When I asked with the idle thought of stopping by on our way, Basil—who’d been answering freely until then—suddenly grew defensive.
“I’m just curious.”
“The Demon King is a good person. Humans can’t reach Atlantis anyway. It’s the rebels who are bad—the Demon King has a kind and warm heart.”
Why was he reacting like that? When had I ever said I’d organize a subjugation party?
“By rebels, you mean demons who rebelled against the Demon King?”
“Yes.”
I had a strong feeling—a very strong feeling—that those rebels were the demons in the Empire.
I could ask about that separately.
“I truly have no intention of harming humans. I don’t have the strength for it anyway. I’ve lived here for five years. Everyone around me treats me kindly.”
Basil appealed to Kies.
“But you’re still stronger than most humans, aren’t you?”
“…To be honest, yes. You could think of me as Upper-Ranked Knight level.”
Not a knight captain, but strong enough to sit in executive meetings.
If everything Basil had said was true, the situation was grave. A weak demon at Upper-Ranked Knight level—so what level were the strong ones?
“If you truly sided with humans, why have you hidden information about demons all this time?”
“Because I love demons as well as humans. My race has some troublesome aspects, but they’re not purely evil.”
Kies, lost in thought, was the only sound filling the silence—the soft tap of his foot.
“Tatiana.”
Pudding, keeping herself hidden, spoke only so I could hear.
“Pretend to let him go. I’ll watch him.”
‘You, Pudding?’
I didn’t open my mouth, just widened my eyes and stared at her.
It was actually a solid strategy. If they thought we trusted him, he’d either run or try something suspicious, and we’d catch him.
But I was worried about Pudding.
“Don’t worry. I can handle someone like him.”
The way that marshmallow spoke so confidently made me think I’d genuinely be lost without her from now on.
“Kies.”
I decided to trust Pudding and called out to him.
He turned from his relentless stare at Basil to look at me.
“Let’s trust him once.”
“It’s not a decision to make so lightly. A demon could reduce this entire area to rubble if it wanted to.”
“If he really had other motives, he wouldn’t have given us information in the first place.”
To my seemingly casual remark, of all people, Perian voiced his agreement.
“I agree too. He already had a chance to escape, but he just followed us quietly.”
Basil could have slipped out the back door with the excuse of getting ingredients.
But Kies still wasn’t ready to decide.
“I’m in favor for now. I’d like to talk more with that demon.”
Dilshard raised his hand as he spoke.
With that, it was three to one, and all eyes naturally turned to Berto.
“Fine. But if you step out of line, I’ll kill you without mercy.”
Finally, Kies.
“…You’re all out of your minds.”
He warned Basil as if resigned to the decision.
“Watch yourself. I won’t make it a clean death.”
“Y-yes, thank you.”
Basil hurried out of the room, clearly worried the decision might be reversed.
“Pudding went after him, didn’t she?”
Perian promptly asked me.
“How did you know?”
“Your face said everything while you were staring at nothing.”
A true master of disguise stands apart.
“…So I was the only one who didn’t notice?”
Kies looked flustered as he asked, ready to bristle with indignation.
“No, I didn’t know either.”
“Neither did I.”
Dilshard and Berto answered in turn.
“So two of us weren’t thinking straight.”
Kies cast a silent curse with his eyes, his embarrassment melting away.
And in that moment, I caught Dilshard and Berto exchanging a subtle glance, and I understood.
‘They let him go because they knew I wouldn’t die.’
At this point, I thought I should just tell everyone. If they found out later, they’d feel pretty hurt.
“So, shall we take care of the most pressing matter now?”
Perian clapped his hands sharply, drawing everyone’s attention.
“The most pressing matter?”
“We need to buy clothes.”
Without anyone saying it explicitly, we all quickly prepared to head out.
* * *
“Don’t wander off. Come straight back to the inn.”
Kies gave stern instructions in front of the clothing shop.
Since men’s clothes were further down the street, we’d decided to split up here.
“Do I look like a child?”
I shot back tersely, and the moment I saw Kies open his mouth to nag again, I shut the door behind me.
“Welcome.”
The shopkeeper, her hair pinned up, approached with a bright smile.
With the typical features of someone from Rabet, she had a slightly dark complexion and wore a flowing sleeveless dress.
“It looks like you need something light.”
Nobody but our group would be wearing long sleeves in this heat, dripping with sweat.
“Could I see the lightest fabrics you have?”
“Of course. This way, please.”
Where the shopkeeper led me, bright dresses hung in a row—red, blue, orange, and other vivid hues.
“I’d like to try this one, and this one, and this too. Oh, and this one as well.”
I was immediately charmed by every single one.
I’d thought it might be lonely to shop alone without Pudding, unlike the others, but I barely had time to dwell on that.
“Do you happen to have swimwear?”
Lost in the joy of picking clothes, I asked the shopkeeper.
I’d become a proper seafaring person by now, though my swimming experience was limited to falling into the water once.
“Swimwear?”
The shopkeeper repeated the word as if hearing it for the first time in her life.
‘Does this world not have swimwear?’
Even in the Empire, I hadn’t known the word, though I’d always assumed nobles considered playing in water undignified.
“I need clothing that doesn’t get wet in water.”
“Ah! You mean a Water Garment. This way, please.”
Thank goodness they exist. Since Pudding loves to swim, I should get one later so we can do it together.

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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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