Chapter 73
She didn’t seem very accustomed to using honorifics with April.
April, considering that this wasn’t one of her sailors, brushed it off casually.
“I’m just glad to see a sailor after so long.”
“Well. I suppose you would be, being from the Lunos family.”
“By the way, did they pay you for giving up your cabin like this?”
Irsa gestured with her chin toward the lined-up wooden barrels. She seemed to have received beer to drink her fill in exchange for watching April.
Grabbing another barrel of beer, Irsa said,
“If you’re going to ask me to help you escape, don’t bother. It won’t happen.”
“I understand. I’ll ask for something else then.”
“What else is there to ask? Aren’t you going to your death?”
“They won’t kill me. They can’t. If I die, the police who arrested me would be suspects.”
Though April spoke without any real confidence, as she said it, the logic of her own words made her feel somewhat more at ease.
Listening, Irsa seemed to find it reasonable enough and nodded. Then, after emptying another barrel of beer, she pointed at April’s clothes.
“Did you wear red clothes after going to the Left Island?”
“What does the Left Island have to do with red clothes?”
When April narrowed her eyes in confusion, Irsa slapped the floor in disbelief.
“How can a Lunos person not know even that?”
“It must be related to ships.”
“Port side red, starboard side green.”
“Oh, I didn’t know that at all.”
“Well… that’s possible.”
After thinking more, Irsa shrugged as if not knowing wasn’t such a big deal.
April gestured at Irsa and said,
“You’re left-handed.
“If my parents had lived until I was eight, they would have corrected it.”
When Irsa grumbled, April asked,
“Is it inconvenient for a sailor to be left-handed?”
“More than that, Right Island sailors don’t like it. Pirates originally changed direction by rowing with oars designed for right-handed helmsmen.”
April nodded.
Irsa shared surprisingly various stories. Especially when talking about the Lunos family’s thieves, she showed self-loathing despite having no connection to those events.
“It was incredibly stupid. Miss Lunos is probably going to die here because those thieves wrecked everything…”
“I’m not going to die.”
“You don’t know how many sailors starved after that. With Lunos finished, there’s no hope for sailors anymore.”
“I told you I’m not dying. You understood well enough earlier.”
Irsa grinned at April’s jab. It seemed to have been her version of a joke.
Well, sailors believed in the god of death. To calm even a little of their fear of death.
So talk of death was a relatively light joke to sailors.
Irsa said,
“Even if Miss Lunos returns alive, would you hire those thieves again?”
“I’d have to. How else could I sail ships without sailors?”
April finally smiled, remembering her parents’ words for the first time.
“Originally, the Lunos family could sail to distant seas because we neighbored pirates. When people need each other, there’s no choice.”
“…”
Irsa glanced silently at April, then rolled up her sleeves and said,
“Alright.”
“What?”
“If you don’t die this time, I’ll help you escape.”
“And in return, I’ll hire you when I’m able?”
“That’s right.”
April nodded and this time sat closer to Irsa.
She asked about ships, something she had shown no interest in until now.
Irsa was three years older than April and had considerable experience, having worked on ships since she was old enough to labor.
Though not entirely smooth, their conversation made time seem to pass faster than usual.
At Irsa’s suggestion that she should get some sleep, April lay down on the bed and dozed off briefly.
The ship circled aimlessly on the sea before finally reaching the Left Island after a long time.
Irsa sniffed sharply and said,
“We’re here.”
“…It’s hot.”
April furrowed her brow. Compared to the Right Island’s winter that easily dropped below -20 degrees, her attire was far too heavy.
April removed her coat. The outer clothes she wore underneath were sufficient for this weather.
She felt the ship stop as it arrived at port.
April watched the door, expecting someone to come for her.
As she watched, she tensed at the sound of a lock being opened outside.
It was Imperial police who entered through the door. The Grand Duchy police seemed to no longer be involved after delivering her to the ship.
“Excuse us, Miss April.”
An Imperial policeman, far more polite than the Grand Duchy police, spoke thus before blindfolding her. Then in an almost careful tone, he said to her,
“Investigation Headquarters stationed on the Right Island sent us a report about you, Miss April. They said you alone remained perfectly fine in the mist that made even Imperial police collapse.”
“And?”
“An Imperial academy wants to understand how you could stay healthy in the Right Island’s mist. His Majesty the Emperor is deeply concerned about the Right Island’s mist problem. That’s why he sent Commissioner Deus, whom he cherishes so much, as headquarters chief.”
“Is that idiot’s only discovery that I was fine in the mist?”
“Miss Lunos.”
The carefulness vanished from the policeman’s voice, replaced by firm resolution.
“I know you two have known each other for a long time, but you shouldn’t speak carelessly about the Commissioner. This isn’t the Grand Duchy anymore.”
April narrowed her eyes at his words and asked,
“Does a person change when the place changes?”
“The treatment changes.”
Being blindfolded, April could only read the other’s emotions through his voice.
The policeman’s voice remained calm.
“As I said, Commissioner Deus is one of His Majesty’s most cherished people. He was raised almost like the Crown Prince.”
“…I understand. Enough about that, the academy.”
“Yes. We apologize for bringing you this way, but please consider it for the Right Island’s future.”
With that, the conversation ended, and the police helped her up.
April soon boarded a car and was taken somewhere.
Around then, she realized that the heat she felt wasn’t just from the Left Island’s temperature. Cold sweat was suddenly soaking her back.
Of all times.
A cold and body aches were hitting her on a day when she couldn’t afford to be sick.
April wanted to wrap her arms around herself and curl up, but pride kept her sitting straight instead.
