Chapter 170: Voyage (1)

It took Valkran several hours to recover from the shock. Once he finally regained his composure, he went to persuade the pirates.

The pirates were initially bewildered. Sailing into the middle of the ocean with an Inquisitor to hunt down demonic creatures from the Demon Realm sounded like a suicide mission.

However, once they heard the terms of the deal, the pirates accepted. These were men who, instead of following Valkran’s original seafaring intentions, had chosen to stay in the estate and enjoy the comforts of land. They weren’t about to miss the chance to gain official recognition from a holy follower and walk the earth freely.

Thanks to Valkran’s persuasive speech and the excellent rewards offered, he convinced the pirates without much trouble.

The next step was repairing the ship. Although the galleon hadn’t suffered major damage from the tornado, years of neglect had left various parts worn out and in need of repair.

Still, the repairs wouldn’t take too long. With all the pirates pitching in, the work could be finished within a few days. Compared to the time it would take to acquire a ship from scratch, this was practically instantaneous.

“I’m glad things worked out,” Ketal commented.

“Yes,” Aquaz acknowledged quietly, nodding.

“The estate should remain stable without any major disruption,” Ketal continued. “The citizens will likely continue their satisfying lives.”

Unlike in the past, the Bulkan Estate was now rich in resources. There was no need for them to rely on plunder anymore. The pirates, now potential citizens, could make a decent living by taking on maritime escort missions.

In fact, this was beneficial for the citizens too. Having pirates living right next door had to have caused some anxiety, even if the benefits outweighed the unease. Resolving that underlying tension was certainly a positive development for them.

“And it’s a huge gain for the pirates. They’ve gained the chance to live legally on land. While they can’t resort to their old ways of plunder and lawlessness, they can enjoy a peaceful life with access to the territory’s proper welfare. Ketal paused, then noted, “It benefits us as well. We might have been stuck in the estate for months trying to find a ship and crew. Cutting that down to a few days is good for our journey.”

“And I imagine it’s not bad from your perspective either,” Ketal said, looking at Aquaz.

“That’s correct,” she affirmed. She could now protect the peaceful estate she regarded with such warmth. Beyond that, there was a practical benefit for her as well.

Traditionally, converting non-believers had always been a path of great honor for followers of the faith. She had essentially guided an entire pirate crew toward rehabilitation and the Sun God’s baptism. If this became known, it would bring her significant renown. While she hadn’t sought it personally, it objectively enhanced her reputation.

“It’s a win-win for everyone involved,” Ketal concluded.

What about me?

Baker thought sourly as he listened to the conversation nearby. For Baker, whose sole purpose on this trip revolved around Aquaz, there was no benefit whatsoever. But it wasn’t the time or place to complain, so he kept his mouth shut and grumbled inwardly.

After a moment of silence, Aquaz spoke softly. “I... I believed the pirates had to be punished.”

The option of rehabilitating them hadn’t even crossed her mind. She would have punished their evil and erased their presence from the estate. If Ketal hadn’t intervened, that’s precisely what she would have done.

“If I had done that, what would have happened?” Aquaz asked Ketal.

“You likely would have achieved your immediate goal,” Ketal replied. “Even without me, that basic fact remains. You would have dealt with the pirates and eventually secured a ship. If things got difficult, you might have forced them to atone for their sins by aiding your voyage. You likely would have tracked down information about the galleon swept away by the tornado and found a way to retrieve it.

“There probably wouldn’t have been much outcry either. An inquisitor punishing pirates is seen as a perfectly natural execution of justice. The kingdom would remain silent, and the citizens would likely look the other way. You would have accomplished your objective.”

“But the outcome wouldn’t be the same as it is now,” she said.

Whether one liked it or not, the pirates had become deeply involved in the estate. Having stayed for over a year, they were already part of its fabric. Their sudden disappearance would destabilize the estate significantly. The lord himself might have been punished for consorting with pirates. An estate without its leader would surely descend into chaos.

Furthermore, she would have struggled to find a ship and crew, potentially being delayed in the estate for a long time. That would have been the simple result of applying a black-and-white view of good and evil.

Aquaz bit her lip. “During my travels, I once visited a village...”

She began to recount a past experience. Near the village, an uncleared Dungeon had been spawning monsters that ventured out, causing various degrees of harm to the villagers. So, she decided to help them. She entered the Dungeon alone, defeated the boss, and caused the masterless Dungeon to vanish. The monsters that had plagued the people stopped appearing.

However, she received no praise or thanks from the villagers. Instead, they resented her.

The reason was that the Dungeon had been a source of valuable materials. For a village with no other special products, these materials were a major source of income. They had been deliberately hiding the Dungeon’s existence, enduring the monster attacks just to continue harvesting resources. Naturally, they weren’t pleased with Aquaz for destroying their source of income. She left the village accompanied by resentful glares.

Aquaz had been saddened but felt it couldn’t be helped. The Dungeon was undeniably evil, and she firmly believed punishing such evil was justice. She had undoubtedly done a good deed, but the result was far from positive.

“You are certainly good-hearted,” Ketal acknowledged. “You strive to enact justice. That fact is clear.”

“But there’s no guarantee that good intentions always lead to helpful outcomes,” he explained. “Is the one who catches and punishes a child stealing to feed a starving sibling the good one? Or is it the one who understands the circumstances and overlooks the theft? Nobody can truly know.

“This world operates in shades of grey. Good isn’t always purely good, and the same applies to evil. I hope you understand that.”

“I see....” Aquaz let out a soft groan, as if a realization had dawned on her.

Ketal smiled, satisfied.

That was fun,

he thought.

His reasons for persuading Aquaz were simple. He just wanted to talk to the pirates. He was curious about negotiating with those who lived outside the law. Pointing out the contradictions in Aquaz’s stance was merely a means to prevent her from punishing the pirates immediately, which would have precluded any chance for conversation.

However, for Aquaz, it was entirely different. To her, Ketal was the one who had opened her eyes, making her realize she had been acting childishly, blind to the complexities of the world.

Aquaz looked up at Ketal with a peculiar expression in her eyes. Taking a breath as if she’d made a decision, she spoke. “Ketal.”

“What is it?”

“Your words hold true. I don’t understand this world. I’m merely a naive person who has blindly followed the divine will in a human body.”

“No, that’s not quite right,” Ketal countered. “You are a good person.”

“No, it is true,” Aquaz insisted. “Therefore, I need to learn more about the world outside my faith. But as naive as I am, that’s difficult alone. I need someone to teach me.”

This conversation is taking a strange turn,

Ketal thought, bewildered.

Aquaz’s eyes shone with determination. “Ketal, would you allow me to address you as my master?”

“What...?” Ketal sputtered, taken aback.

***

The pirates continued with the ship repairs. And among them worked a large barbarian.

“Oh ho. So that’s how you do it,” Ketal remarked.

“Y-yes...,” a pirate stammered.

“Can I give it a try?” Ketal asked him.

“S-sure, as you please...”

Ketal cheerfully watched the repair process, sometimes even joining in himself. The pirates were baffled by the barbarian’s behavior. They didn’t know the details, but since he was with the Inquisitor, they assumed this barbarian must also be quite powerful. Normally, individuals with such strength had no interest in manual labor.

Yet, Ketal observed and participated in the repairs with genuine enjoyment, looking as if he found the process itself fascinating.

The pirates stared at Ketal, bewildered. However, Aquaz watched him with an expression of dawning understanding.

“Working hard alongside others,” she mused. “Such an attitude must be necessary to understand the world.”

“Well, that’s not really true...,” Ketal replied.

I'm just doing it because it’s fun,

he thought, looking awkwardly at Aquaz.

“As I keep saying, I’m not so great that I can be your master. Wouldn’t it be better to find someone else?” Ketal insisted.

“No, Ketal,” Aquaz replied firmly. “You enlightened me when I was ignorant of the world. I wish to learn much from you.”

She didn’t back down; her determination to learn something by his side was clear.

“You can ignore me, Ketal,” she added. “I will simply observe and follow you personally. You don’t need to concern yourself with me.”

“Uh... If you insist.” Ketal relented awkwardly.

It was unexpected. He had only persuaded Aquaz so he could talk to the pirates, but now she was following him around with shining eyes, seemingly having had some grand epiphany. This was completely outside Ketal’s calculations. Since she showed no sign of yielding despite his words, Ketal eventually gave up.

From then on, Aquaz trailed Ketal like a shadow. She didn’t just observe the ship repairs; she watched everything he did—wandering the estate, entering taverns to eat, purchasing daily necessities—marveling silently at each action and assigning profound meaning to it. She looked just like a duckling following its mother.

At first, it felt a bit burdensome, but as it continued, he started to find it somewhat endearing.

It’s been a while since someone looked at me like this,

Ketal mused.

It wasn’t as if no one had ever called him

master

and followed him around before. Back in the White Snowfield, he was the tribal chief. He possessed immense strength, and plenty of children had looked up to him with awe and sought to follow him.

Speaking of which, I wonder how that kid is doing.

Ketal remembered one child in particular from the White Snowfield who had followed him even more closely than their own parents.

When Ketal left, the kid had thrown a tantrum, insisting on coming along, and Ketal had to knock some sense into them to calm them down. He suddenly wondered what they were up to now.

Aquaz continued to follow Ketal, joining him in the ship repair work. Not wanting to be left out, Baker reluctantly participated as well, wondering why he was helping with the ship repair. He longed to rest comfortably in his lodging and felt deeply aggrieved.

In any case, with three Transcendents working together, the ship was quickly restored to its former state. They began preparations for departure.

“That man...” Aquaz’s gaze fell upon a particular pirate. It was the same one she had initially apprehended and handed over to the guards. If Ketal hadn’t been there, she would have executed him on the spot.

Valkran spoke up. “He’s our navigator. The only one in the crew. We can’t set sail without him.”

“Is that so?” Aquaz shifted her gaze to Valkran. “Valkran, you are strong.”

The speed with which he had ambushed Ketal had surprised even Aquaz. In her judgement, he was at least an Intermediate warrior in skill.

“With that level of power, you shouldn’t have needed to resort to piracy to survive. Why would someone like you live as a pirate?” she asked him.

“Because I was born into it and raised that way,” Valkran replied indifferently. “My parents were pirates. I naturally grew up to be one. Life flew by in a chaotic blur, and before I knew it, I was the captain. I often wanted to abandon all the responsibility and duty and just leave, but I couldn’t desert the crew who called me captain and followed me. It’s a common story.”

“I see. A common story, indeed,” Aquaz murmured, then straightened up. “It’s time for prayers with the citizens of the estate. I shall take my leave for a moment, Master.”

“I told you to stop calling me Master,” Ketal grumbled, but Aquaz had already departed.

Valkran’s face twisted into a bizarre expression. “I’m actually witnessing an inquisitor of the Sun God calling a barbarian

master

.”

And it was not just any inquisitor, but Aquaz—the unparalleled genius touted as the next Chief Inquisitor. Even Valkran knew of her reputation. For someone like her to call a barbarian a master was hard to believe, even seeing it with his own eyes.

If word of this gets out, it won’t be good,

Valkran thought. There would surely be those who disapproved.

Though, with this barbarian's strength, he could probably crush any dissent.

Ketal spoke up. “So that’s how you lived the pirate life. It’s quite pitiful not being able to choose one’s own path. You have my condolences.”

“Are you really a barbarian?” Valkran asked him, dumbfounded. Offering condolences was incredibly unfitting language for a barbarian. “Well... whatever. In the end, I’m benefiting thanks to you. You must be the one who convinced the inquisitor, after all. Thanks. I’ll do my best to guide you.”

“Don’t worry,” Ketal replied. “I’ll also do my best to ensure you don’t die.”

“That’s reassuring,” Valkran said dryly, before turning to leave and giving orders to the pirates.

Left alone, Ketal gazed out beyond the ocean horizon.

The City of Merfolk...,

Ketal thought. He then thought about the primates from the Deep Sea lurking in the abyss that blocked the way. They were creatures from a Demon Realm, just like the White Snowfield.

This wasn’t his first time facing beings from another Demon Realm. He had fought Nano before. However, the Nano hadn’t held much interest for Ketal.

I wonder how this time will be different.

As Ketal looked out at the sea, a flicker of anticipation touched his features.