Territory Marking
Originally, Arhen was a princess raised in the lap of luxury.
For instance, if she wanted a doll, the kingdom's finest tailors would be hired to craft one just for her. If she craved some delicacy, no matter where it was, it would grace the dinner table that very evening. Everyone in the mansion adored her, but it was especially the king's obsessive affection that made it all possible.
Was it because of that?
Having monopolized all that love in the mansion since childhood, Arhen saw the entire world as nothing but beautiful. Her world was always brimming with love, after all.
Sometimes, she would gaze out the mansion's window. From there, she could see the distant shoreline in a single glance.
The rising dawn, the rippling waves, the villagers gathering in small groups—it all filled her eyes.
Arhen dreamed of racing across that vast sandy beach.
Exchanging cheerful greetings with total strangers, sharing the mansion's fine foods, laughing and chatting together—nothing could be more delightful.
So she told the king, and his reply was:
"Arhen, what nonsense is that? Haven't I told you time and again? There's no place more dangerous than the outside world!"
Indeed, the king's love was excessively intense.
Arhen understood it stemmed from affection turned to fervor.
So she simply nodded without a hint of rebellion.
Truly, it was her gentle nature that earned her love from all.
But there were times like this.
Standing there, basking in all that love, she would envy the birds soaring freely through the skies.
Arhen's gaze remained fixed on the world beyond.
And so, in the third month of Imperial Year 191.
Arhen could bear it no longer.
Just one day... I'll go and come right back...!
In the end, she diligently saved her pocket money and slipped away under the cover of night, evading the servants' eyes.
A brief escapade.
That was the lighthearted notion behind her little runaway adventure.
And honestly, at first, it was even more thrilling than she could have imagined.
For the first time, she wandered among common folk, tasting street food for the very first time, her heart pounding with excitement.
And finally, when she reached that long-dreamed-of sandy beach.
Arhen truly understood what her father had meant.
A bird that knows no sky knows no fear.
Confined in a windowless room, pecking at scattered feed and having its feathers preened—how could it comprehend the perils outside?
But birds that roam the open skies are different.
They sing each morning staking their lives.
Sometimes amid predators, sometimes in hunger.
In the terror of not knowing when death might come, with nothing but their wings to rely on, they took to the air.
"Grab every last one of these brats here!"
She was suddenly thrown into a dusty iron cage by pirates who appeared out of nowhere. That was already several days ago. How much time had passed?
With hollow eyes, counting only the days until her death.
──Thud!
The ship suddenly lurched. Arhen yelped in surprise and tumbled awkwardly.
Then came the shouts, the clash of steel, the horrific sounds of man slaughtering man echoing in her ears.
At last.
──Step... step...
Footsteps approached.
Arhen stared blankly at the prisoner hold's door.
──Creeeeak...
The door swung open.
A fateful encounter.
And the story's beginning.
Yes, the one who opened the door was the Iron-Blood Admiral of the South, or so she thought.
"Ptoo! Fuck, Jack! I told you not to hack 'em up! Now my clothes are splattered in blood."
No, it was a rough-looking man.
"What're you lot waiting for? Get out already."
He grinned as he said it.
***
"Urk, ughhh."
What a dogshit start to the day.
I stepped out of the captain's quarters and spotted Arhen puking her guts out in the corner of the deck, which sparked that exact sentiment.
Jeez, when the hell's she gonna get used to it? She looks so damn pitiful.
I'd love to hand her off to the novel's male lead, that Southern Admiral dude, ASAP. Then maybe I'd finally get some peace of mind.
Come to think of it, how did Arhen and the male lead meet in the story?
Beats me. I'll just dump her off properly later.
But if she passes out from this and I can't return her in one piece, that'd be a problem. Better look after her for now.
"Umm... Captain? You're up early."
Perfect timing, Elise.
"We still got any of that medicine kit left?"
"Well, yeah, but... did you get hurt or something?!"
"Me?"
"Just testing ya. Hehe."
I flicked Elise on the forehead—bonk—and she dashed off to the storage room, hauling back the medicine box.
"But why's this?"
"There should be some herbs for upset stomachs, right?"
"Hmm, barely any left."
"Give some to her."
I jerked my chin toward Arhen, and Elise squinted, staring intently.
"She's still at it? She didn't even drink last night."
"Dunno. Seasickness, probably."
"Oh, yeah, fair. I get it sometimes too. Our ship's such a piece of crap."
Elise shot me a glare as she said it.
Our ship is kinda crappy, sure. But we built it ourselves with blood and sweat—no need to look at it like that.
I've spoiled her rotten, and now she's grown into this cheeky little shit.
Still, she ain't wrong. It really is crap.
"We'll upgrade the ship someday, so just deliver it already."
"Nyeeeng!"
Elise saluted playfully and headed over to Arhen.
I could see Arhen panicking from afar, then bobbing her head repeatedly as she took the herbs. Our eyes met for a split second, but I looked away first.
That should do it.
I'm not her damn nanny—I can't babysit her all day.
I stretched and started walking.
After getting shitfaced yesterday, it was time to get back to routine.
"Yo, Captain."
"Sleep well, Jack?"
"Havin' some proper grub for once made me sleep like a log, it did."
"Then check the hull and round up the crew."
"Aye aye."
"Checks" just meant oiling the rusty cannons or scrubbing the filthy deck, but skip that and this crappy ship'd sink for sure.
Elise is right—we need an upgrade.
Anyway, it didn't take long.
All fifteen crew gathered on the main deck.
I'd told the prisoners to rest wherever, so it was just my mates here.
"What're we doin' with the prisoners?"
Jack brought it up the second we assembled.
"Oh, one of the prisoners had a map."
Elise jumped in.
She grunted and unrolled a map as big as she was.
"Looks like they were nabbed from Isthan, Irkan, and Irdo Island."
"Irdo Island's close by."
One of the crew said—he was our helmsman.
Though his steering sucks ass.
We nearly smashed into rocks and died because of that idiot once. Still gives me chills thinking about it.
Gonna fire him someday.
Whether he sensed my thoughts or not, he spoke up seriously.
"Probably just thirty minutes north."
"Then we'll dock at Irdo first before starting. Drop the rest off later."
The crew nodded at my words.
"Yeah, keepin' all those prisoners aboard is a hassle for us."
"And they're risky too."
"Speakin' of, where we cleanin' up this time?"
Jack asked.
"That bingsu we had last time."
"Oh, that! Fuck, it was so good. I want more."
Jack smacked his lips. Don't say that—you're making my mouth water too.
No, focus. I pointed to the sea south of Irdo Island, the Ormil Sea.
"We'll tidy up around here this time. Grab some bingsu while we're at it."
"And we're low on supplies anyway."
Elise nodded vigorously. Yeah, yesterday's feast wiped out our food.
Big appetites burn through stocks fast.
So what's the solution?
Pillaging and plundering, the pirate's true calling.
But it's not just pillaging.
"Jack, got any spare pirate flags?"
"Aye, a couple."
"That'll do."
Some fuckers keep harassing our bingsu uncle.
I love that shop's bingsu.
So I decided to clean up the whole area.
Pillage for supplies, claim territory, and get my bingsu fix—what's not to love? No idea why others don't do it.
"Alright, crew—time to mark our territory."
The thought of bingsu had me grinning already.