Four years before… (Special Chapter) _______________________ My sister gave me a call. Even though my sister said nothing from the phone call, her voice trembled. She croaked and finally said a word, only to hang up and turn the damn technology off from the world. My chest pounded as if acting like a drum. I didn’t know what happened, but I was sure as fuck something terribled occur while I was out from my part-time job. Today was supposed to be the day where Kirameki would meet a few people around her age in the neighbourhood, wanting to make new friends along the way. It was the happiest day for my sister. But after what had happened - what I had heard - I rushed out from the convenience store where I was working and went straight back, only to find Kirameki huddled up in a blanket. She refused to show her face to me. But despite Kirameki having buried her face behind that blanket, her expression was as clear as day. “Why are you upset? What happened?” I asked. My phone kept v

Even if it was in the middle of the night, the town of Horizon was still beaming with life. Every pirate and civilised person roamed around the place without showing any fear from bandits or neighbours that could ruin their lifestyle. I had no idea if it was thanks to Captain Israel’s leadership or because of her people. Regardless, it didn’t concern me.It was the ideal life back from my hometown. Some streets were filled with crime, while others worked thousands of hours, day and night, just to provide what little amount of money they could on the table. I couldn’t imagine living in a world without war or disputes, but this mere town alone proved my thought wrong…‘What if these pirates chose to follow Captain Israel's chivalrous effort and genuinely wish to shape the town into something new?’ I couldn’t help but think about that possibility. But alas, I brushed those thoughts aside and carried on bearing the weight of my own problem. This world was nothing to me, and I just had to

As soon as Margarette ended her explanation, she bid me farewell and went straight towards the town. She had left me alone in this place, beside the graveyard where she had mourned. But the words Margarette said remained inside my head. The sun finally showered me with its rays, telling me I should return to the place where I belonged… The place where I could see my sister. In spite of these lingering thoughts, those words Margarette uttered somehow calmed my raging emotions. This journey was worthwhile, I could say that. And I found a conclusion.While I was walking down the street where Margarette and I had trod, the family I saw a while back met my eyes. The boy was in front of me, and his father was at his side. When the two noticed my gaze, they bowed and offered me their vegetables. This town was poor, and everyone lacked the resources to live an abundant life. And yet, the old man and his son generously gave me a gift. Even though they had less, the family offered me their al

“Follow me, and I’ll show you how much you got… But I want information. For the slaves,” I stated. After which, I didn’t mind throwing them a bone - reward - or two. The merchants managed to catch a few of the diamonds I had. But they wanted more. As soon as they learned how fucking rich I was, probably richer than that man wearing a costume of a bat, they huddled up together and talked to themselves. The shopkeepers were wary about my wordings, status, and my presence. One guy from the left argued to his comrades that this was a terrible idea, and I was a suspicious person that the Kingdom might want to collect… akin to the bounties posted on the pieces of paper on my way here. But the posters never clearly illustrated my face. However, something was written on it. It had the lines… “The person who has this much power shall be questioned by the authorities.” That was a stupid line, to boot, but it was something the Kingdom did best. And now, these merchants wanted to take advantage

While this was happening, my system alerted me about the presence of the Kingdom soldiers slowly creeping beside us. When I viewed the map, red dots circled on our figures. It was a warning. Those red markings painted on the map symbolised the enemies or the Kingdom guards, and the blue and green ones were harmful… for now. So I couldn’t help but pick up the pace. But since I was dealing with people and squeezing information, speeding things up could lead to a disaster. “Now, for my second question, mister lefty,” I said, whilst clearing my throat. “Where and when can I find you guys if we… the group I knew wants to trade items with you? We are in dire need of exchanging goods from merchants. You people are just the guys we need.”“I know that you’re siding with the merchants right now. But if the people backing me up could provide you more opportunities than living in this place, there’s no point in working with the Kingdom, right?” I continued. “I’ve seen enough while roaming aroun