Galliant Island (6)

Shirone felt a lump in his throat. How severely abused must a child be to utter such words?

"Since that day, those words became a sort of spell. Every time my foster father beat me, he'd say that. 'It's fine to be killed.' Then my foster father stopped beating me and left with an angry expression. Ha, I just lived like that. Even when I was twelve, thirteen, until I left home at seventeen."

"You were about my age then."

"Yes, the right age to open your eyes to the world. Then, one day, I finally realized the meaning behind my foster father's actions. No, maybe I already knew. That's why I didn't ask for anything."

Shirone could now guess. Marsha's foster father had a terrible thought that he should never have had.

"Idiot. If you wanted to, why didn't you just go ahead and do it? Then you wouldn't have entangled me messily for 17 years. In the end, he was a pitiful coward who couldn't do this or that. From then on, I carried a knife on my chest. One day, I saw my foster father's eyes while he was beating me. Ah, I couldn't bear seeing him so pitiful, so I just told him."

"You can hug me."

"...Did your foster father do that?"

"Ha, strangely, there's no twist in this story. He pounced on me as if he'd been waiting, and I stabbed him in the throat with my knife. Honestly, I didn't feel anything. After that, I left home and wandered the world until I arrived here."

Shirone was heartbroken. When he heard from the concerned person the story he had only heard in books or rumors, an unknown resentment filled him.

"Um, I don't know what to say..."

"It's okay! Now I just have to eat and live. My foster father died, but my kleptomania didn't disappear easily. This isn't the first or second time I've been in trouble because of it. Ugh."

When Marsha smiled brightly, Shirone also felt better. He thought she was amazing, knowing how to consider others despite going through such an experience.

"If it's an unforgettable pain, embracing it is also a path. Noona doing her best to overcome pain. I'm sure Noona's kleptomania will soon disappear."

"Thank you for understanding. If you were thinking of doing something to me tonight, you would have had a hard time."

"No! I really...!"

"I know. Don't blush for no reason. It wouldn't be boring if I had a younger brother like you."

"I feel the same. In fact, I also thought that Noona Marsha was really like my biological sister."

"What! Really."

Shirone was sincere. The other day, he thought about how he wished he had a brother while observing Rian and Reina's relationship.

If he had had a sister, would he feel the same as he did now? Each of her words and actions made Shirone's heart feel at ease.

Meanwhile, the waiter who had entered the room came out.

He didn't know the details, but it seemed that all sorts of information were being gathered in the room he came out of.

"Gamose's alarm is off. It seems he found a woman he likes and returned to the mansion to have a party."

"Phew, fortunately it's not too late."

Marsha looked at Shirone with stern eyes.

"Hmm, do you seem to hate being with me so much? A moment ago, you were begging in a baby voice, 'Marsha, please become my real older sister'."

"...I didn't say it like that."

Shirone also felt regretful. It was the first time he, who was not used to being around women, had a conversation without noticing the passage of time.

However, for the sake of his friends in the village who were waiting with growling stomachs, he had to leave.

"I think I should head back. Can I see you again?"

"Of course. What, are you going to swim back? If you're bored, come visit us. I'm planning on staying here."

"Haha! Sure, agreed."

As Shirone hastily exited the bar, Marsha ordered a strong drink with a light expression on her face.

As expected, two men who had been waiting for their chance approached as if they had been waiting.

"You're pretty. Maybe because I was drunk with you, I paid more for my drinks than usual."

"Are you getting a room? This is a place where you never know what might happen to a woman alone. What do you say, should we go in together?"

Marsha didn't even turn her head.

"Get lost. Before I kill you."

"What? Did you say something? Do you really want to understand it tonight?"

The man held the bottle upside down on the table. People turned their attention back to the bar with a sudden sense of tension.

As the focus shifted, Marsha sighed inaudibly. Then, suddenly, she changed her attitude and let out a biting laugh.

"Ho Ho Ho! Alright, let's go to the room. But, can you handle it just you two? If you have friends, why don't you bring them?"

"Bring them along. 10 people? No, even 20 is fine. I'll play with you all night, so bring them. I hate it when things get cut in half."

The men felt uncomfortable without even knowing why. But Marsha knew. She knew that when sexual competition intensifies, men reveal their innate weakness.

"What the hell. Seems like she's crazy. Let's get out of here."

"Yeah, what bad luck."

Marsha looked at the departing men as if they were pathetic, then turned her body.

Before she knew it, the drink she ordered was ready. She downed it in one go, and heat surged in her throat, warming her mind.

"Huuu, this is how alcohol should be. Bartender, one more."

Instead of bringing a new glass, the bartender approached and poured directly into Marsha's glass.

"...Are you Marsha?"

"Huhu, is there another Marsha around?"

"I heard that the Magic Association is looking for you, but you've been avoiding them so far. Have you decided to join?"

"No. I'll be leaving soon. I just came to settle things."

"I would appreciate it if you could proceed quietly. If a big shot like you causes a disturbance, the island will be in chaos. We don't want to break the agreement. If you promise to cooperate, you can stay here for a while."

"Okay. I had no intention of staying here in the first place."

The bartender cleaned the beer glass until it squeaked. After being silent for a while, he casually made a comment.

"The boy must be disappointed."

"Hehe. It's fine. It's normal to experience distress at that age."

"I thought you liked him?"

"It was fun. Haha, to be honest, it was a bit risky."

Marsha crossed her arms and looked up at the ceiling.

"How can such a repulsive human being exist?"

***

The villa was silent, as if there was nobody there.

Amy was seated on the couch by the fireplace, and Rian and Tess were too preoccupied staring at her to utter a word.

Shirone hadn't arrived. It had already been two hours since he went to buy groceries. Unless he was out catching fish in the sea, he should have returned by now.

"S-Shirone is running late, huh?"

Tess, who spoke to break the icy atmosphere, startled herself. Her voice seemed louder than usual.

However, Amy kept staring into the darkness, not moving at all.

'Uh, it's like walking on fragile ice.'

Tess shivered. Amy didn't seem to be in a good mood, as if she could feel the cold.

Of course, as a woman, she could understand perfectly. Beyond the significance of a couple's trip, weren't these supposed to be exciting first holidays for both of them?

'Shirone, you were so thoughtless. This is disappointing for me too. Tsk!'

Tess sided with Amy, thinking, 'One crab sticks to another.' (This implies that people with similar traits or interests often gravitate towards each other and form close relationships).

As a woman, she knew how much Amy had conceded for Shirone.

Despite a disagreement at the port, she offered to cook. Men might think it's not a big deal, but for a woman, it was an action that honestly expressed the feeling of 'I want to reconcile with you quickly'.

But Shirone was an hour behind Rian. If he got lost, there might be a reason to worry, but Amy hoped that even those small concerns would be attended to with a sense of responsibility.

"Ah, I'm hungry. Why isn't he coming? Should I go look for him?"

Rian muttered, clutching his stomach inadvertently. Since he wasn't the type of person to eat a fixed number of meals per day, an hour's delay was a long time to wait.

Here is the translation of the text:

"It's okay. They might miss each other."

"Really? Then, can I eat the potatoes I brought?"

Tess glared and shouted...

"Why are you so inconsiderate? Think about Amy."

"What's the big deal? Shirone did more shopping than I did. It's normal for him to arrive later."

Tess was astonished. Even though Shirone wasn't her own partner, she already resonated with Amy, but Rian seemed to hate her.

"Even if Shirone has a lot to buy, it's natural for him to arrive earlier because he's smarter than you. So it's a very serious matter! You can eat potatoes or scallions in the corner."

"Why are you so upset? What did I do?"

Rian scratched his head like a bear. He couldn't be called selfish as he was indifferent even to insults.

Amy opened her mouth for the first time. She was trying to smile, possibly feeling sorry for ruining the mood.

"I'm sorry, it's my fault. Just cook and eat first. I'll eat when Shirone comes."

"That's not possible."

"But Rian is hungry. It's because Shirone is late anyway. Let's say we lost."

Tess reassured Amy with a tearful expression.

"It's okay, Amy. I'm actually not hungry at all. We just have to figure out what to do with that food addict."

Rian was truly munching on raw potatoes in a corner. He was a man who couldn't even use Schema but possessed equivalent strength.

In a way, it was unfortunate for him, as his calorie intake would be several times higher than a normal person's to maintain his tremendous strength.

Unable to reach a conclusion, silence fell, and Amy rested her cheek on her knee while putting her feet on the chair.

'Why isn't he coming? Did something really happen?

He's not the type to break his promises. He wasn't so foolish as to make a mistake and delay the time.

Perhaps there were unavoidable circumstances.

However, no matter how much she consoled herself, she couldn't help but feel disappointed.

You brought me here. Apart from you, everyone I'm going to meet today is new.

She was alone. Even though they had become close, Rian and Tess had a mutual understanding as companions. There was no place for Amy to interfere in their relationship.

Knock. Knock.

Someone knocked on the door. Tess's face lit up, and Rian clenched his fist, thinking he could finally eat.

"Is it Shirone? Wait a minute...!"

Before Tess could finish her words, Amy walked to the door. She impulsively opened the door and shouted.

"Hey! Where the hell are you and what are you doing now... Huh?"

Amy stood there blinking with the door wide open.

It wasn't Shirone. But it wasn't a stranger either. The truth was that it was someone who shouldn't be there.

Jiss, with whom they argued at the port, was there.

"What? Why are you coming here?"

Jiss's face turned red. He never thought it would be this woman who would open the door and come out.

He gritted his teeth as he remembered the events of the day, but his heart skipped a beat when he saw her unfamiliar figure in comfortable clothing.

Gathering his senses, Jiss blatantly inspected the inside of the villa. His abdomen, which was hit by Falkoa, hurt, but there was no distortion in his expression.

"Wow, this place is really nice. It's different for nobles, isn't it?"

"I asked what's going on? How did you know we were here?"

"I found out by asking around. If the ruler of the port, Jiss, decides to do it, it's no big deal. Now you know how sharp I am on this island, right?"

"So? Did you come here just to show off that trick?"