Money Laundering (1)
How long had I been asleep?
The voyage so far, the suffocating schedule, and perhaps the sudden release of that constant, suffocating tension of not knowing when death might come.
Even after a full day had passed and the sun once again poked its head above the horizon.
“…Mmm.”
Ines’s body still felt heavy as a quilt.
Yet the noise drifting in from outside the window was enough to drag her awake.
—Hey! Pull the rope harder!
—Cannons checked? Verify the powder magazine!
Rowdy, chaotic sounds from beyond the glass.
“….”
Ines forced her leaden body upright and approached the window.
Outside, Morg Bay was bursting with life and energy unlike anything she had seen before.
‘…What’s going on?’
Haydam’s sailors scurried about the ships like children preparing for a picnic, while the harbor itself heaved with the departure preparations of massive vessels.
‘Are they leaving already…?’
Ines couldn’t quite understand it. Haydam was the lord, after all. Why would he rush off to sea instead of tending to his domain?
Just as the confusion lingered in her mind—
“Oh, you’re finally awake?”
A voice spoke from directly behind her, without so much as the sound of a door.
“Eek…!”
Ines flinched and shrank back. She was still terrified of people, and someone had appeared without warning.
She started to retreat in panic, but then—
—As long as you wear this ring, none of our sailors will look down on you.
She touched the green-gem ring on her left ring finger and recalled Haydam’s words.
“….”
A quiet confidence stirred within her. Even in his absence, it felt as though he were shielding her.
With that newfound steadiness, she lifted her chin and asked, “Who are you…? And what is it? Everyone seems to be preparing to leave somewhere.”
Yona’s lips curved slightly, amused by the change in Ines.
“I’m Yona, captain of the Whisper of the Deep. I believe I’ll be staying by your side while the captain is away.”
“…Pardon?”
“There’s no need to be frightened. Captain Haydam is simply setting sail. While he’s gone, it falls to us to keep the domain running smoothly.”
“Sailing? We’ve only just arrived…”
Fear crept into Ines’s chest—the fear that Haydam would leave and never return.
Yona paid it no mind.
“Captain Haydam is a pirate, my lady. And quite the extraordinary one.”
Her eyes shone with reverence.
“Honor, treasure, gold—if you stand with him, there is nothing this sea cannot give you. You know that as well as anyone, don’t you?”
…In truth, she didn’t. All Ines had learned in the south were noble manners and basic common sense. To her, Haydam was simply her husband.
“Every captain under him once called themselves monsters or disasters of the sea.”
Yet through Yona’s words, Ines began to learn more.
“But we all knelt before him. The moment we faced him, we understood—we could never stand as his equals.”
Yona pointed toward Haydam’s ship visible through the window.
“King of the Sea. King of Kings among pirates. His true worth shines only on the waves, so of course he must sail.”
“….”
“And if I’m not mistaken, you agreed to lend your strength to his grand design, didn’t you?”
Ines understood at once: dominating the south, and exacting revenge on the father who had locked her away.
“So let us help as well. While he sweeps the sea clean of those ruffians, we will make this place stronger than ever.”
Ines nodded. Haydam had saved her. Helping him was only natural.
“…Yes. What should I do?”
Yona grinned and gestured behind her.
“Old Snake, please come in.”
An elderly figure radiating an eerie presence stepped through the doorway.
“Just as the captain said… I’m curious myself what sort of strange constitution she possesses.”
Old Snake’s hazy eyes slid toward Ines like a shadow.
—Let’s have a look.
*
Setting sail was always a pain in the ass, yet not entirely unpleasant.
Back when I was just a deckhand, my palms were ruined from climbing ropes and smearing tar everywhere. Now I simply issued orders from the captain’s cabin—orders I usually delegated to Gidmen anyway. Unless something unusual happened, I spent my days sleeping or training. Physical labor was no longer an issue.
This voyage, however, demanded far more caution than usual.
The southern waters were a maze of countless small islands. Pirates guarded their territories, while nobles and merchants slipped in to launder money and evade taxes. Any naval skirmish could drag on for days. To avoid that headache, we had to move carefully.
“Libia, what do you think?”
I spread the map across the table and looked at her.
“Here—the Grave of Fog archipelago and the smaller islands behind it. Southern nobles frequent the place. We’ll probably pass through, won’t we?”
Libia had once run information from a neutral pirate island, buying and selling secrets from brothels and taverns. She knew the dealings between nobles and pirates inside out.
“…Why summon me when you already know everything?”
“Cross-verification is necessary. My memory could be wrong.”
“…The spots you marked are exactly where the Draund bastards launder their dirty money.”
Hmm. Just as I remembered.
“That stretch is notorious for its treacherous currents. That’s why they use it so often.”
“Because others can’t reach it easily. That’s why we avoided it too.”
Libia traced the narrow strait on the map.
“The real problem is that ownership changes constantly, so it’s unclear who currently controls those waters.”
“…Hmm.”
“And they’re not idiots.”
“If they weren’t idiots, they wouldn’t be laundering money in the first place.”
“…That’s beside the point. They hired escorts, which is why I said they’re not fools.”
“Hah. Escorts.”
“Rayden. Remember him?”
“Rayden? Who’s that?”
“About three years ago he got smashed by you, floated around at sea, then Draund picked him up and turned him into his dog.”
I searched my memory but drew a blank. Clearly the man hadn’t been worth remembering.
“Even if he shows up on a ship of the line, he won’t stand a chance.”
I sneered.
“…True, but I thought I should mention it anyway.”
Libia gave me an exasperated look, but facts were facts. We had six ships. Few could match that number or our firepower.
Still, knowledge was power.
“It was helpful. Worth knowing, Libia.”
“…Oh my? Praise won’t get you anything from me.”
She smiled seductively, about to continue, when—
—Bang!
“Captain!!!”
Gidmen burst through the door.
“Two o’clock! Two ships spotted between the islands!”
“…!”
I rushed onto the deck with Libia.
“Here! Telescope, Captain!”
Lorens handed it over. I raised it to my eye.
“…Ho.”
Two ships with no flags, no markings, no visible affiliation—slowly weaving between the islands while hiding their identities.
My mouth watered.
With a grin, I rested my hand on the hilt at my waist.
“At this hour, in such a remote spot, ships skulking about can only be pirates or people with something to hide.”
I gave the order to Lorens and Gidmen.
“All ships, spread out. Box them in before the rats slip back into their holes.”
A most welcome time for the hunt had arrived.