Stars
The news that Bagan had destroyed the South Sea Dungeon quickly became the talk of Pandemonium.
“I heard Lord Leviathan was taken down.”
“Tsk, no need to call him ‘Lord.’ I never liked the guy anyway.”
“Why? Jealous he had Lady Ira’s trust?”
Conversations like these echoed through every corner of Pandemonium. Even now, the chatter of insignificant lesser demons proved it.
In the middle of it all, the Demon King of Wrath, Ira, was desperately tamping down her exploding fury.
She had felt uneasy entrusting the task to Leviathan from the start, yet she had believed in him. What came back, however, was nothing. If anything, the whole affair had simply become a joke.
Crack!
Ira gripped the armrest of her throne as though she meant to shatter it. Her arms were slender, but her nails and fingertips had already punched clean through the material long ago. The veins standing out on her neck from how tightly she clenched her teeth were just another sign of the rage she was crushing down to keep the entire area from detonating.
It was ironic that she was holding back when she should have been unleashing her anger. The reason she endured it was simple.
Asmodeus.
Lucifer’s right-hand man had come calling. It wasn’t that she feared a mere subordinate.
“Lord Lucifer is disappointed.”
Though no formal hierarchy existed among the Seven Deadly Sins, one being stood overwhelmingly above the rest: Lucifer. No matter how completely she embodied the concept of wrath, there was a line even she could not cross. And so Ira was now discovering the absolute limit of her patience.
Just hearing the name Asmodeus filled her with revulsion.
“You already know the extent of Leviathan’s power. He was well-suited to guarding the dungeon. It seems the invaders were simply beyond what anyone anticipated.”
Ira spoke calmly, studying Asmodeus. His appearance was so repulsive that meeting his eyes was difficult. Though he resembled a human, his twisted features made it hard to distinguish his face, as if he wore a mask. The horns sprouting wildly from both temples only added to the unsettling sight. Tattered wings hung from his back, and his mismatched hands and feet forced him to waddle while leaning on a cane. Yet he wore a purple suit and a monocle, making his entire ensemble bizarrely incongruous.
“That is not Lord Lucifer’s concern.”
“Then what do you want to say?”
Ira ground her teeth. She burned like a volcano on the verge of eruption. Each time her emotions surged, the magma around them churned, letting everyone nearby feel the raw power of wrath.
“Oh my, how terrifying. However, attacking me would constitute betrayal of Lord Lucifer. Surely one of the Seven Deadly Sins would never commit such an outrage.”
“If you push too far, even the impossible can become possible.”
“Exactly. That is what I came to say. Leviathan overstepped. And the responsibility rests entirely on you.”
Boom!
“Say that again.”
Sizzle!
Asmodeus frowned at the scorching heat. His already grotesque face grew even uglier.
“Hm. As expected, you cannot control yourself.”
Perhaps it was only natural for the Demon of Wrath.
“This is merely a warning. Fortunately, Lord Lucifer does not intend to reprimand you himself.”
Veins bulged on Ira’s forehead as she focused on Asmodeus’s words.
“We have decided to treat this incident as an unfortunate accident. However, there will be no next time. Therefore, I urge you to redeem yourself by aiding Lord Lucifer’s plans.”
“......”
Rustle.
Ira cooled. As Asmodeus said, this had been an accident beyond her control.
I simply need to make up for it next time.
She didn’t particularly need to impress Lucifer, but she wasn’t blind to her own failure.
“...Understood.”
Ira spoke with genuine calm after steeling her resolve.
“Then I shall take my leave. We will meet again at the upcoming Seven Sins Assembly.”
“Yes. See you then. Let’s hope nothing major happens in the meantime. For both our sakes.”
Ira’s final words sounded like a veiled threat. Nothing had frightened Asmodeus until now, but even Lucifer’s subordinate knew better than to dismiss a warning from one of the Seven Deadly Sins—beings who could cause any catastrophe they wished.
“Indeed. For both our sakes.”
With that, Asmodeus withdrew from Ira’s palace.
“You’ve raised quite the venomous snake, Lucifer.”
In an already infuriating situation, Asmodeus’s audacity nearly made Ira’s eyes bulge with suppressed rage. She bit down so hard on her molars that she tasted blood.
“There will be no next time.”
Planning something darkly, Ira sent Asmodeus on his way.
***
The moment Bagan stepped out of the cave, he announced his intention to return to De Marinda and rest. Selena felt the same. There was no point lingering in the cave any longer.
“We need to prepare. These people had lives before this. We should tell them.”
Selena informed the former fishermen-turned-pirates that they would no longer hunt. Their reactions were mixed. Some were delighted, while others, addicted to the thrill of the chase, looked disappointed.
Still, when Selena promised to speak with Razetta about proper compensation for their service, everyone rejoiced as one.
“Commander Selena, will I be returning to the navy as well?”
A man approached and asked. It was Gale, who had served as the pirate crew’s vice-captain.
“Ah, Gale. Of course. You’re my subordinate, aren’t you?”
Wait a second.
The name “Gale” felt far too familiar. When Bagan connected it with the title of deputy and recalled the De Marinda navy from the game, the answer clicked.
Then this clumsy guy is Dwight Gale, Selena’s deputy?
His family name was Dwight, first name Gale. One might dismiss him as insignificant, but he was actually from De Seiran—a prodigy who had graduated early from the Royal Academy Cleubil. Like Selena, he possessed outstanding command ability. In the original timeline, he had been a hero who distinguished himself during the South Sea Dungeon incident.
Thanks to his achievements there, he rose from Selena’s deputy to command his own fleet.
Bagan regretted having treated Gale like an inadequate vice-captain and hitting him. He really had forgotten something important.
In any case, the pirate hideout on Fish Island was quickly dismantled. They cleared out their belongings and collapsed the cave entrance. Though it was a natural cavern, they wanted to prevent real pirates from claiming the spot.
Bagan boarded the flagship of Selena’s fleet and stood lost in thought, gazing at the picturesque seascape. Arien approached him.
“Mr. Bagan, why aren’t we traveling the same way we arrived?”
It was a reasonable question. For Bagan, opening a portal and returning instantly would have been trivial.
But he answered, “It wouldn’t be any fun.”
“Pardon?”
“I wanted to ride a ship at least once. I was curious what this sea was like.”
“I see. In that case, I understand.”
Bagan was completely sincere. The ship was still under repair and had damaged sections here and there, but he loved the rocking waves, the deep night atmosphere, and the soft lanterns lighting the deck.
Whoosh!
A wave swept across the ship, and Bagan savored the sensation with his entire body.
“Do you like it?”
Selena had approached while he was talking with Arien.
“Not bad at all.”
Hearing his assessment, Selena nodded and shared her own feelings.
“I feel the same. I like how the waves pass without interference, washing away idle thoughts. That’s why I prefer the deck to solid ground.”
She gazed at the sky for a moment, lost in sentiment. Countless stars twinkled overhead, and the rolling waves caught the moonlight, scattering their reflections.
As she had said, when sleep evaded her, Selena would climb aboard a ship under repair, watch the stars, and eventually drift off. It was partly her preference, but her half-Siren blood surely played a role.
“I like stars too,” Bagan said. “When I look up at the sky, they’re always in the same place.”
“Hmm, I see what you mean. In that case, those two could become your stars.”
Selena pointed at Sally and Arien. Having boarded the ship, the pair were excitedly running around the deck. Perhaps they sensed how special the bond between them and Bagan was.
Bagan silently mulled over Selena’s words.
She continued, “I have someone like a wave too. It’s Lady Razetta. She’s a money-obsessed snob and incredibly stubborn, but she keeps me moving forward without letting me get stuck.”
This surprised Bagan. “I thought you hated her.”
Selena shook her head. “How could I hate my superior?”
Even while working as a pirate, she had always thought of Razetta. More than anything, it was longing. Whenever danger approached, Razetta’s face was the first thing that came to mind.
“Still, right now my resentment is stronger.”
Selena planned to give Razetta a good knock on the head when they met.
“You must have a lot built up after all this time.”
Bagan nodded in understanding.
“Haaam~ Still, you should get some sleep. We have to meet someone tiring tomorrow.”
Who else would call their boss that? Selena was perfectly polite to Razetta’s face but thought of her completely differently behind her back.
Bagan nodded and looked up at the stars again. Among the countless twinkling lights, he searched for their names.
Sally. Arien.
And the name engraved most deeply of all.
Barret.