Chapter 215
Chapter 215
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 215
Chapter Title: The Sirens' Betrayal
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That day was truly one of the fiercest storms imaginable. Even Sterra, Faye's grandmother who had lived for ages, shook her head in disbelief, saying she'd never witnessed anything like it in her entire life.
"With waves like these, not a single human out sailing could have made it through unscathed."
Even though the entire clan had been forbidden from swimming amid the raging sea's frenzy, Faye couldn't help worrying if any humans had been caught in the storm.
The reason was simple. Faye liked humans. Whenever she helped the ships of humans she encountered while swimming, they always showed their gratitude with gifts.
Shiny trinkets, chunks of metal, food from the land.
The humans on those ships each had different destinations and purposes, so their stories were always fresh and new.
Faye loved hearing those tales from humans—stories of their dynamic lives across the vast world, so unlike her own clan's.
That's why she fretted over any humans who might be out on the sea in this weather. She feared some dreamer full of passion might be swallowed by the waves and vanish.
But there was nothing to be done. It was a direct order from Grandmother Sterra, so no one in the clan dared swim.
All Faye could do was pray fervently that nothing had happened.
Dawn broke.
Worried that some humans might have been swept up in the previous day's storm, she was about to swim straight toward the human sea lanes when...
A ship limply approaching Ithaca entered Faye's sight.
"G-Grandma! There's a human ship over there!"
Faye gathered the younger clan members who, like her, adored humans, and rushed toward the vessel.
"W-Wait! Hold on a moment, Faye!"
But Faye and the young sirens ignored Sterra's attempts to stop them.
Torn sails, a hull shattered in places. It was clear the storm had clawed at this ship viciously.
With damage like that, the humans aboard were likely in bad shape.
When every second counted for rescue, why hesitate? To Faye back then, saving humans was the most natural thing in the world.
All the humans she'd met at sea had been good people, after all.
This time was no different.
Just as Faye predicted, the humans—dazed and battered by the tempest—were barely clinging to life.
Faye and the young sirens cared for them tenderly, and bolstered by the sirens' kindness, the humans regained their strength. In thanks, they offered some items from their ship as gifts to the sirens.
Once they'd recovered their stamina and repaired the vessel, the humans departed Ithaca, vowing to "return" someday and repay the favor without fail.
Even as they waved farewell to the drifting ship, Faye and the young sirens had no idea.
Yes. Faye and her young kin, who had only ever known human kindness, were oblivious.
They didn't know why the humans they'd met had been so friendly to sirens: because picking a fight with sirens at sea was seen as suicide.
That's why so many humans treated sirens gently, avoiding provocation.
But once they set foot on land, where they no longer feared sirens... the sirens were clueless about how cruel humans could become.
"Ignorance came at a harsh price."
I couldn't hide my inner bitterness watching Faye's anguished expression as she spoke.
They'd only helped humans in distress, yet now they faced the brink of their clan's extinction.
Humans might be the only race across the continent that repays kindness with enmity.
I could guess the rest of Faye's story without hearing it. No doubt, those humans they saved returned with a mob to stab the sirens in the back.
Brutally enough to force a desperate migration for survival.
'In the south, only one group fits that bill.'
The Archipelago Pirates, steeped in every vice imaginable. It had to be them.
"They brought reinforcements and... to our clan..."
Just as expected.
A predictably bitter end.
After finishing her tale, the siren Faye drew closer to me and bowed her head.
"I beg you, human. I have no right to ask after failing to even thank you properly for saving us, but... lend us your strength. The power that slew the kraken in an instant. Could you rescue our captured kin?"
Of course I wanted to help. Sirens knew the South Sea inside out. Plus, they could communicate with swarms of sea monsters.
Sure, some like the kraken weren't on good terms, but they commanded many types. That must be why sailors treaded carefully.
'With siren cooperation, conquering the archipelago would be one thing—dominating the southern seas afterward would be a game-changer.'
I nearly nodded in agreement, but barely restrained myself.
'No, verify first.'
The priority was confirming if Valak's home island was behind this. We couldn't wage war on the main island without even reaching Olivia yet.
"What's the name of the ones who touched your clan?"
"...I'll never forget that beast worse than any animal. His name was..."
Crunch!
I watched tensely as Faye ground her teeth and opened her mouth.
"...Samuel. Yes, Samuel."
His name from Faye's lips made me cheer inwardly.
Swoosh!
I extended my hand toward her.
"...?"
"When humans' intentions align, they shake hands."
Perched on a floating plank amid the rippling sea, I told the puzzled Faye.
"I'll help. I'll save your kin."
"...Ah! Thank you, human!"
"But."
As Faye grabbed my hand with a beaming face, I added,
"Humans don't give kindness without reason. You'll repay my help later."
"O-Of course! We'll do anything we can!"
Seeing her nod frantically, as if I'd handed her a lifeline, I furrowed my brow.
"Don't agree so lightly. You don't know what I'll ask."
"Ah..."
Sigh. These folks still had a long way to go. Even though my saving them wasn't pure altruism, they trusted so easily.
'Still...'
"Wait here. First, bring back your departed kin. They must be starved from fleeing. To save your people, you need to take care of yourselves first."
At the very least, they wouldn't betray those who showed kindness like pirates do. That was the 'good' in me.
After sending Faye to retrieve the sirens who'd fled north, we dove straight into a strategy meeting aboard the flagship, C'Maria.
"From the moment the sirens fled in fear, I suspected pirates, but Samuel... This is a big fish tangled up from the start."
Dwayne let out a groan after I relayed Faye's story.
"Who is that guy?"
Aria scowled and asked Dwayne. Perhaps because she'd dealt with orcs and lycanthropes for wyvern scales, her aversion to non-humans was milder. She was deeply disgusted by tales of pirates striking the sirens from behind and abusing them mercilessly.
"Samuel. Captain of the Neptune Pirates under the Pirate King, overseeing Ikenia's western sector. Estimated strength: Master low to mid-tier. A formidable foe. The sirens got mixed up with a real headache."
"...!!"
Shock rippled across the faces of everyone at the meeting.
And rightly so. Beskin's unsealed strength was currently mid-Master.
Considering the weight of names like Banten and Hexagon, it was hard to accept that a mere pirate captain rivaled Beskin.
But Dwayne frowned at their reactions.
"...You all still underestimate the Archipelago Pirates, it seems. As I've said many times, they're no ordinary pirates."
"Dwayne's right. If they were pushovers, they'd have been wiped out ages ago."
I tapped the Neptune Pirates' base on the table map.
"But we're not outmatched either. In fact, this works in our favor."
I locked eyes firmly with each person in the room. The home island was one thing, but we weren't so weak as to buckle against a single subordinate crew, no matter how tough.
"Before entering Olivia, let's give the Archipelago Pirates a proper wake-up call. Let them know who's arrived in these seas."
A small, nameless island visible after sailing far into Ikenia's southwest waters.
Despite its location, no Ikenian knew of it.
Perhaps some curious citizen had stumbled upon it long ago during a distant voyage.
But they died before reporting it.
This was the Neptune Pirates' stronghold—the crew handling raids on Ikenia's western domains for the Archipelago Pirates.
Any Ikenian spotted here became fish food on the spot. Or sold as slaves in Mercado—if they were lucky.
Clank, clank!
On the beach where Neptune ships were moored, iron chains linking captured sirens' necks clashed with harsh metallic rings.
Exposed to land for so long, the sirens' delicate skin cracked and bled.
Thud!
A young siren collapsed from dehydration under the scorching sun and dryness. A pirate inspecting goods arched his brow in irritation.
"Damn it, what now? Another one down?"
The pirate roughly grabbed the young siren's hair, yanking her head around like checking merchandise.
"Aaaah! I-It hurts!"
Whether human or non-human, a child's cry tugs at the heart—but this man was a pirate first.
Slap!
"Aack!"
The siren crumpled powerlessly from the merciless slap.
"Shut up and quit whining, tsk. Hey! Splash some water here!"
Splash!
A rookie pirate rushed up behind the foreman and doused her with seawater. The young siren barely regained consciousness.
Not enough to beat dehydration—just enough not to die.
No pity in the foreman's eyes watching this. Instead, mockery gleamed.
"Heh heh, hang in there a bit longer. Once the tanks are ready, we'll toss you in."
Tanks: enclosures to hold sirens. Sirens communed with sea monsters via resonant cries, so special containers blocked their voices.
With tanks unfinished, pirates kept them on land, sprinkling water only near death. A fully revived siren might fight back.
They'd used young ones as hostages for capture, but desperate sirens were unpredictable. Safer until sold to slavers.
"Boss really knows his stuff. No one's found a siren colony before—how'd he spot this goldmine?"
A sneering rookie asked the foreman, who smirked.
"Well, precisely? Boss got lucky. This jackpot walked right into his lap."
Swoosh!
The foreman nodded toward the largest central ship.
"Business has been dead lately, so he's probably antsy, but hold tight. Boss isn't one to hog it all."
"Ooh, so we're getting a big cut this time?"
The rookie's eyes sparkled; the foreman chuckled.
Without the sirens before them, they'd pass for ordinary sailors.
"Yeah, kid. With the sword folk baying for blood, a new revenue stream? He'll hook us up. Might even push for the home island."
"Ooooh!"
Dreaming of hopeful futures amid the sirens' agony, lost in sweet delusions...
They overlooked it. The patrol due back by now was late. No one noticed.