Chapter 2
Chapter 2
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: Why Are You Here?
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8 years.
That was how much time had passed since I, an ordinary college student from South Korea, arrived in this world.
The RPG game I used to play all the time.
‘Slay Me If You Dare: Forest of War’
It was praised as a masterpiece with a ton of effort put into it, featuring numerous playable characters, each with their own unique storylines.
True to its name, the game was set in an era of brutal wars where countless nations clashed in bloody battles.
The main storyline followed the playable characters rising as war heroes from their respective countries and positions.
However—whether it was the developers' preference or their way of showing the cruelty of war—no one knew for sure, but every playable character's main story ended in death.
They might save their nation, but in the end, the protagonists themselves met their demise in a bittersweet conclusion.
For players like me, who got deeply immersed in the game, it was a heartbreaking ending in many ways.
But then,
Right after I fell into that very world, I realized something.
Sure, it was the same world, but the chances of me ever crossing paths with those protagonists were incredibly slim.
And that made sense.
In a game where the main stories revolved around wars on mountains, fields, and wastelands, the body I possessed wasn't a playable character, a castle guard, or even a simple farmer tilling his fields.
The moment I woke up, all I saw before me was an endless, boundless ocean—not a speck of dirt in sight.
And my profession…
was a pirate.
I was Ezra Drake, a pirate in his early thirties, just a regular crewman on a small pirate ship.
Our area of operation was limited to the seas, islands, and maybe coastal areas at best. Unless I deliberately changed professions, there was almost no chance of encountering the protagonists.
Not only was our turf completely different,
but the original story wouldn't even begin for another 10 years.
From my position, there was no reason to crawl into the bloody land wars and suffer like a dog in place of the protagonists.
So, I cleanly gave up on any contact or interference with them.
Instead, I decided to focus on enjoying this rare fantasy world.
My past life experience as a navy serviceman turned out to be surprisingly useful,
but what helped me even more
was the translucent window that appeared right in front of me after possession…
the so-called Status Window, visible only to me.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
Quest Activated: An Insignificant Pirate of the Mediterranean You are an unnamed grunt in a small pirate crew. Establish merits in the upcoming battle. The blood of your enemies will become your strength. Their deaths will become your fame. Goal: Kill 4 or more enemies in battle. Reward: Experience, a bit of fame, Combat Skill [Wave Sword]
A quest similar to those in the original game—simple objective, generous rewards.
Thanks to it, I grew stronger much faster than others, and it provided immense convenience for living in this world as a pirate.
Plus, my rising fame was a bonus.
Now, eight years after living as a pirate with the help of the quest Status Window.
I started as an unknown pirate in his early thirties,
became first mate, then captain,
united a fleet,
and declared my territory.
And now,
in my forties,
I had become the pinnacle ruler of these seas,
the very thing the monkey protagonist from some pirate manga aspired to…
the Pirate King.
The ruler of the five seas that encircled the continent.
Honestly, even while progressing through quests, I had some hints.
My combat power kept skyrocketing, and the quests scaled up accordingly.
When I got the quest to wipe out the Barbary Pirates—who had dominated the Mediterranean for centuries—I vaguely realized where this was heading.
Now, after crushing all the major pirate crews across the five seas and pacifying the region,
at this very moment,
after brazenly raiding a slave ship flying the flag of some Franz Kingdom noble that dared pass through our home turf of Crete Island,
I felt genuine bewilderment as I looked at the young girl I'd just rescued, stretching my limbs for the first time in a while.
Ambasha—a name that was anything but ordinary, even by this world's standards.
And the small cross-shaped scar on her forehead.
In my mind, only one person in this world fit that description.
Slave Knight Ambasha Abigail.
A playable character from the original game, treated as the de facto protagonist due to her popularity and central role.
She started as a slave knight in the Franz Kingdom and became the emperor's sword, forging countless legends.
But right now,
that protagonist girl was standing before me in the seas near Crete, over 1,000 km from her home Franz Kingdom.
And she was two years younger than in the original— just 16 years old.
A wild protagonist had popped up out of nowhere.
As I sensed this casual job taking a weird turn, I fell into thought.
Then.
-Ding!
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
Special Quest Activated: Slave Girl You have picked up a slave girl. Take this child to her original destination, the Franz Kingdom. Goal: Deliver the slave girl to Marnseu Port in the Franz Kingdom. Reward: Help in the future.
“…”
The Status Window usually triggered quests at appropriate moments.
After becoming Pirate King, main quests seemed to end, so they became rarer, but it still issued them for minor events.
Like quests to free slaves,
or to hunt sea kings at merchants' requests,
It felt like I'd hit max level, but the quest window kept things lively, and I'd relied on it heavily until now.
However.
At this point, I was gripped by doubt.
Should I follow the Status Window's guidance, take her to the Franz Kingdom, and let the original story unfold?
Or choose a different path?
To preserve the so-called "flow of the world," following the quest and delivering her to the Franz Kingdom made sense.
Right now, Ambasha was just a small, fragile girl.
But soon, she'd awaken her sword talent and become a hero.
She'd play a pivotal role in transforming the Franz Kingdom into an empire, then shine in the continental wars.
And…
‘And in the end, she'll die…’
13 years from now.
This girl, barely 16 now, would lose her life on the battlefield before turning 30.
A life that began with war and ended with war.
The world would call her a hero,
but all she'd leave behind was a bloodstained sword and a pierced uniform.
No one she could call family.
No chance to even taste happiness…
Just fighting on command, over and over, until she was buried in the mud without a proper funeral, amid countless corpses.
That was the fate awaiting her if I sent her to the Franz Kingdom as is.
Was letting that happen…
the right thing to do?
I felt I had to make my own choice.
Let her get crushed by the wheels of fate?
Or smash those wheels to save her, no matter the cost?
‘Maybe… it would've been better if I didn't know the original story…’
My prior knowledge was making me hesitate.
I couldn't even imagine the ripples my choice here would cause.
And finally.
I reached a decision.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The massive pirate who had saved her.
A man with such a terrifying visage that she'd collapse in tears if she saw him at night.
And now, he was looking down at her, silent for a moment.
Ambasha simply watched him without a word.
A demeanor ingrained in her body from a lifetime as a slave.
She wouldn't speak until her ‘master’ opened his mouth.
Though freed, her instincts as a slave remained.
Acting on her own thoughts and will was still beyond her in many ways.
And now,
those instincts were accepting the man before her—
her rescuer—as her new master.
So she waited.
For what command he would give her.
With a faint, uncertain hope that he wouldn't just hurl violence and abuse like her previous masters.
And then…
Toward such an Ambasha,
the pirate slowly extended his hand and said,
“Become my daughter.”
“!”