Chapter 44
Chapter 44
Saint, You’re So Vulgar! – Chapter 44
From Asher's perspective, it was utter nonsense.
But he couldn't deny that this lie could frame his relationship with this pirate in a friendly light.
Above all, it wasn't a complete lie.
Kyle Riguelthat was indeed the name of the self-proclaimed 'man of the sea,' one of the mercenaries who had raised him.
That made the shock hit Asher even harder.
But the realization came quickly.
'Now that I think about it...'
It finally all clicked into place.
From the sea, a runaway pirate, and strength far beyond the ordinary.
'Hwaran,' the Eastern martial artist and assassin, had mocked him as a mere mortal swept up in the tides of the era, but in truth, Kyle had been a powerhouse who led the vanguard alongside the mercenary captain.
Pirate King.
The Pirate King.
Facing an unexpected truth in the heat of a dire situationthe shock was anything but small.
But he couldn't afford to stay dazed forever.
After a brief moment of deliberation, Asher decided to go with the flow.
Of course, it was more accurate to call him a 'son or disciple (important!)' rather than a daughter.
After that, things proceeded smoothly.
"Hey! Everyone, cease the attack! From now on, treat these guests like VIPs!!!"
"Waaaaah!!!"
The man who had introduced himself as Black Hawk Lykers bellowed loudly.
The pirates looked up at him with eyes full of admiration and cheered.
Asher shrank back at their whispers.
"The Pirate King's daughter...? Does that mean the archipelago will unite once more?"
"But she's a woman. Can she fight?"
"Didn't you see? That swordsmanshipit's the Pirate King's 'Wave Rider'! No wonder she was leaping around on deck like that...!"
"Pirate Empress! The Pirate Empress has arrived!!!"
Is this really okay?
The thought came too late.
The prodigal daughter returned, the blood of the king who would rule the chaotic archipelago.
Asher stood on the pirate ship's deck amid a flurry of grandiose titles.
She sat demurely in an ornately decorated chair and received cries of "Ooooh!!!"
She shot pleading glances for help, but no one responded.
Judith sent back a telepathic message: 'Yes, just like that.'
Melbun laughed boisterously and clapped without a clue, while the priests who had been manning the ship were too busy hugging and crying in relief at being alive.
Versia? She was the farthest from Asher right now.
'Ugh...'
Asher lowered her eyes.
Versia's gaze, arms crossed in a corner as she watched, was chillingly cold.
Asher had a feeling that if they were alone, the scolding would be on a whole new level compared to before.
Is this what sitting on a bed of thorns feels like?
Amid the chaotic cheers, without fidgeting too much, they soon reached the outskirts of the archipelago.
They arrived at Black Hawk Island.
"Hey! Bring out all the remaining booze! Today, it's a festival!!!"
Lykers looked more excited than anyone.
From what she'd heard on the way, he was Kyle's subordinate and friend.
Feeling a pang of conscience, she'd even asked, 'Aren't you considering the possibility that I lied?'
And his response had been:
-I can tell just from the swordplay! He copied that guy's habits to a T!!!
Was it too naive to be moved by that?
The fact that even his closest friend could see how perfectly she'd preserved his swordsmanship was a small comfort to Asher.
In any case, the place Asher and her group were led to was the most splendid building in the archipelago.
It was vast enough to resemble a banquet hall, with one wall removed to connect to the outdoors, allowing the island's pirates to join together.
There, Asher sat face-to-face with Lykers.
He downed half a barrel in one go, then belched with a satisfying "Kaaaaah!!!"
Right after, he said bluntly:
"So, did that bastard Kyle go off well?"
Asher flinched, her fingertips trembling.
Lifting her head, she saw a bearded man smiling like a boy, yet with the eyes of an adult.
It was hard to get any words out.
Naturally, since the news she had to deliver was a death notice, and the other party already seemed to know.
As she hemmed and hawed, Lykers added:
"It's fine. I know better than anyone that he wasn't the refined type to die of old agewe grew up together since we were snot-nosed kids."
"Ah..."
"'I'll be back after a bit of fun.' That's what the guy said the last time I saw him. Since he hasn't come back yet, I figured he might be dead..."
Thud
He cracked open another barrel and continued.
"...If his daughter shows up instead of him, the answer's obvious. I was too hyped on deck to think that far."
He chuckled wryly.
After smacking his lips bitterly for a moment, he suddenly brightened and repeated his initial question.
"That's why I'm asking. Did that bastard go out having his fun, like he said? Did he meet a glorious end?"
Asher felt she couldn't lie about this question.
So, she finally voiced the end of a memory from over ten years ago.
"...I don't know if it was glorious. He threw himself to protect me."
His last words were still vivid.
"Live without regrets. Even if you turn the whole world against you, follow the path you believe in. A real man doesn't back down even for a tidal wave."
"......"
"That's what he said."
Lykers fell silent at that moment.
He chewed on his lips as if savoring something.
Then, he broke into a wide grin.
"...That's the best."
Kuhuhu, he let out a laugh.
"That's a glorious end."
He stood from his seat.
"That's Kyle Riguel for you! He lived gloriously!!!"
Then he raised the barrel high.
"Everyone, raise your glasses! To our departed king!!!"
"Wooooh!!!"
With that, he emptied the second barrel in one go.
His complexion didn't change a bit.
There was no drinking like this.
He didn't ask any more about how Kyle died.
Instead, he urged her:
"Hey! Niece! You drink too! You're old enough now, right?!"
Asher didn't enjoy alcohol.
She thought losing control and staggering around was undignified.
But maybe just one drink today wouldn't hurt.
There were moments that only left bitterness when recalled.
Names she hadn't even properly honored before leaving behind.
Now, she could finally commemorate one of them, meeting someone who remembered the same face.
"Yes, just a little."
Asher took a sip.
"...Hehe."
She got drunk just like that.
Versia de Astarion.
Her body had the awful trait of passing out from even a single sip of alcohol!
* * *
At least up until they arrived here, not a single situation had reflected Versia's opinion.
That fact itself didn't irritate her.
What truly frustrated Versia was Asher's handling of everything.
'Things that didn't need to be done that way.'
All his actions could be summed up like that.
Sure, it had worked out in the end, but what if it hadn't?
Venturing out to sea and jumping into battle was far too reckless.
She might have won somehow since it was Asher's body, but what about his safety?
If the enemy had been a third-party pirate instead of Lykers, the moment they lunged straight for Asher, the situation would have turned dire.
In blocking a mana-using knight with her frail body, she might have even gotten injured.
Though how the prayer that enabled the body swap would manifest in that moment was questionable, in Versia's eyes, all of Asher's choices were wrong.
Thus, her displeasure had built up to an indescribable level.
It was then.
"Asher! Come have a drink too!"
Melbun offered her alcohol.
Versia smiled sweetly and gently refused.
She didn't understand why she'd have to drink something like that anyway, and right now, something else demanded her attention more.
Her gaze fell on Asher.
Seeing that flushed face giggling sloppily made her chest tighten.
Judith, sitting nearby, should have stopped him, but she was just sipping her drink while listening to the chatter.
'This won't do.'
With that thought, Versia moved to approach him.
But Asher was faster.
"Ah!"
He shot to his feet and beamed at Versia.
Then he staggered over.
He was clearly drunk.
She didn't like it.
Wanting to bolt from the scene or spew some curses to vent, Versia strode toward him and grabbed his hand.
"You seem drunk. Let's go."
"Thaaat's..."
"We'll head out first."
Versia nodded to Judith and Lykers, then dragged Asher toward their assigned lodgings.
A small village at the edge of one of the archipelago's islands.
All the pirate residents were at the feast, so the noise faded and silence settled as they walked.
The shadows of night and starlight wove through the dim path.
Laughter turned to distant echoes, whispers dissolving into the sound of waves filling the void.
In the stillness and peace, Versia's heart raged.
In such a spot, at a dark alley's bend, Versia stopped and ground her teeth.
She whirled around to snap at Asher.
"Knight, let's talk for a moment..."
It was then.
Poof
Asher collapsed into her arms.
Whether he'd lost his balance or sought a place to lean on purpose, she didn't know.
But one thing was certain: Asher's head buried into Versia's chest.
Her fluster was brief.
Asher peeked up.
In that instant, another emotion overwhelmed her surprise.
Everything felt... off.
"Hehe..."
Asher grinned hazily with half-lidded eyes.
His scent seeped through the salty sea air and booze, tickling her senses.
The waves, his breaths, and laughter teased her ears.
It all felt distant, dreamlike.
Even though she was furious moments ago, she found herself lost in such sentiments unbidden.
"Your frown..."
He poked her furrowed brow with his index finger.
"...doesn't suit you..."
All her emotions unraveled.
Versia stared into his eyes, drawn in.
In their reflection, her own face brimmed with confusion.
Versia knew why.
The rage boiling to her scalp had faded, her words disintegrating without a trace.
Everything erased, leaving only the person before her.
'Why?'
She knew that answer best of all.
Her lips pressed tight.
In that moment, Asher slid down limply.
Versia supported him.
Looking up, she saw Asher fast asleep.
Versia gazed long at his peacefully sleeping face.
She thought it over many times, but the conclusion never changed.
That was how it was.
Asher was terribly sly, and Versia liked him so much she was helpless against it.
If even this could melt her heart, what would become of her in the future?
The thought filled her with genuine dread.
Versia grimaced, her lips curling up.
What spilled out was no longer resentment, but something soft.
"Really..."
Judith was right.
"You're so cunning. You."
Asher was far too cunning and outrageous.