Chapter 146

We arrived at the Port of Marinseu.

There, as scheduled, our home, the pirate ship Golden Cross, was docked with a confidence one might find excessive for broad daylight.

Normally, that ship would be surrounded by a scene where the port was half-engulfed in flames and people were fleeing, but at this moment, it had peacefully awaited us, attracting the interest of many onlookers.

And in this moment, I looked at the person who made this possible… and who had permitted it to continue in the future.

I asked Napoleona in a calm voice, “It’s not too late, but are you really considering not going?”

“Yes. Of course, thinking of the grace I’ve received from the Pirate King makes me want to leave immediately… but as you know… I still have too many things to do here.”

“…Huh. I understand.”

With a hint of regret, I accepted Napoleona’s words.

Honestly, if Napoleona had decided to follow me at this point, it would have been a welcome turn of events for me.

No one knew her talent better than I did.

Even though she wasn’t a player character, her presence was as significant as any character’s.

She was someone I would meet endlessly, both as an ally and an enemy, and whether the best or the worst, in a way, she exuded a stronger presence than the protagonist, being treated as the true protagonist among the original players.

Given that Napoleona was such a figure, despite already having Ambasha, Magellan, and Zebby under my command, I found it hard to let go of my desire for her.

In fact, I could have walked away from this situation long ago, yet I stuck around to the end exactly because of that.

But… in the end, I had no choice but to respect her choice.

The primary issue was that Napoleona’s growth was not yet complete.

Her strength was still far from that level of the original work.


In such circumstances, if I stubbornly insisted on dragging her into piracy, I might just cut off her potential for growth.

Moreover, forcing her to come with me now would, instead, serve to foster a sense of regret, ingraining a deeper grace within her, making it more advantageous for the ‘completed’ version of her to eventually become mine.

Especially considering her personality, which demanded clear repayment of debts.

Thus, I decided to respect her wishes and take satisfaction in the thicker leash I’d crafted on her, at least for now.

*

One by one, the pirates boarded the ship.

As I saw them off, Napoleona felt a deep sense of regret once again.

“I’ve already made my decision, but… sigh… still, I can’t help feeling it’s such a shame…”

Ultimately, Napoleona could not abandon her duties as a general and a citizen of this country.

Although there were many in the world who would betray their nation for personal gain, even sell it out, Napoleona could not bring herself to do such a thing.

If she were to whisk away with the Pirate King right now, it was obvious what would become of the Kingdom of Frantz.

Robe Fiora had begun executing nobles throughout the kingdom, starting from Pare.

In a situation where everyone had placed their trust in the Pirate King, if even the only one with the power to check Robe Fiora left, the fate of the country would surely plummet into ruin.

And in that case… thousands upon thousands of citizens would be left shedding blood tears.

To leave such a situation unchecked for her own goals was something that Napoleona, with her extraordinary sense of responsibility, simply could not accept.

Of course, this did not mean Napoleona had given up on everything.

No… in some sense, her desires were burning even more fiercely in another way.

“Right now, I must hold back. And… grow stronger. I need the power to stand beside him…”

At that moment…

“!”

“…Hmm…”

In that instant, just as she was about to step onto the ship, she accidentally made eye contact with him.

The pirate, as usual, emanating a foul presence.

Franklin.

In a way, given the closeness in which he had lived, Napoleona forced a smile reflecting a feeling that had become somewhat automatic.

“…Thank you for everything until now.”

“Yes, thanks to you, I’ve had quite the rough time.”

“…Isn’t it customary to decline even empty words at such times?”

“I guess I’m not smart enough to know any better, since I’m a stupid pirate. It was messy having you around, and I hope to never see you again.”

“Regrettably, I have no intention of doing that. Let’s try to meet as often as possible, Franklin.”

“If you can, by all means, try. Napoleona.”

With that, they exchanged smiles that were more like grimaces, and Franklin climbed aboard, disappearing from Napoleona’s view entirely.

And…

Watching Franklin’s departure, Napoleona steeled her resolve once more.

“Just wait… for now, I’ll step back due to circumstances, but in the end, I will be the one who laughs last.”

She knew full well that it would be difficult to defeat him through conventional means.

So she would have no choice but to utilize unorthodox methods to achieve her goals.

And… to do that, she needed immense power.

Determined to acquire it, Napoleona waved goodbye to the departing ship.

“I’ll see you again soon… until then, may you find peace… my… love…”

Feeling bittersweet, she watched the ship disappear over the horizon.

And finally, once that sight vanished from her eyes, Napoleona slowly turned back.

“Now then, let’s head straight back to Pare…?”

But…

“…Huh?”

A sense of something empty suddenly washed over her.

Feeling strangely awkward, Napoleona began to sense the peculiar weight… yet she never realized what it was.

‘…What is this?… I feel like I’ve forgotten something… is it just my imagination?’

*

“Phew~ We’re finally back.”

“Yeah, sis. I don’t even know how long it’s been.”

In the kitchen of the pirate ship, which I hadn’t seen in such a long time, it looked surprisingly okay, as if the others had cleaned it up well in the meantime.

At least, on the surface…

“Oh dear… as expected…”

“…It’s clean, sis…”

“Sigh… I expected this, but it’s almost completely empty.”

“Did they really just eat meat with pepper three meals a day?”

“I think they must have just cranked out an immense number of failed dishes…”

“As Auriel said…”

“Just as she said…”

“Quack…”

“Hmm… it does look that way.”

The teacups, visibly empty as the floor, had once been filled with various spices.

Seeing that it was completely empty, those in the kitchen began to voice their thoughts.

In fact, it was somewhat of a predictable situation.

Franklin, who had been in charge of cooking, and the kitchen staff had all left in unison.

Although there were a few people who remained on the ship, they, being human, needed to eat to survive.

Not just for one or two days, but for several months at sea.

No matter how strong their patience, after getting used to Franklin’s cooking, they couldn’t keep eating the tasteless meals they made themselves.

However, the ingredients were in sufficient supply, and they could easily buy whatever they lacked at the port.

Ultimately, they tried to create “new dishes” in their own way, attempting to stave off the inevitable mutiny brewing within their taste buds.

And such attempts at novelty always came with sacrifices…

Which inevitably became a huge sacrifice for the “spices” that yield flavor.

Essential conditions for delicious cooking, spices are fundamentally in small quantities and are difficult to procure compared to other ingredients.

Watching the tragic result of their demise, Franklin brushed his aching forehead and spoke in a calm voice.

“It seems we need to procure spices as soon as possible. We should inform the Captain and head to the Island of Cyprus.”

“Though we have some provisions we brought from Marinseu… it looks like we have no choice but to go there now.”

Ambasha nodded in agreement with Franklin’s words.

At that moment…

“Is that where we procured spices until now? As far as I know, it’s quite far from here.”

“Well… yes, but it’s awkward to go elsewhere, and given our occupation, there are many things we need to keep an eye on.”

Magellan spoke up, expressing his annoyance at the hassle of such work.

And then…

“I personally think… instead of that, why not try going to a place I suggest?”

“A suggestion?”

“Do you know something?”

They expressed doubt and a bit of anticipation.

Receiving the gaze of every kitchen member of the pirate crew…

“Yes. If it’s that place…”

In response, she was still called Chomski, and having yet to reveal her true identity, she naturally found herself on this ship.

Queen Louis would perhaps tell her ‘friends’ a story that could help them.