Episode 111. Hope Comes (1)
“… … Are you asking me to believe that now?”
Two huge black axes that claimed hundreds of lives.
growled Henry ‘Harpy’ Morgan, the one carrying it on his back.
Drenek and his men in front shuddered.
“Only five priests, two of them female and one blind? Are you telling me that you were afraid of me after being beaten by those guys? yes?”
“That, that… … harpy! Really! One of them deflected a shell with his shield! It’s all his fault that the ship turned like that!”
One of his subordinates quickly pointed to the half-destroyed ship.
But Henry Morgan didn’t seem to believe it at all.
“Nonsense! How does a man hit a shell?! If it’s the Paladins from the legend, wouldn’t they know?!”
“gulp!”
Dranek swallowed.
The legendary paladin the harpy just talked about.
Hearing that word brought to mind the face of a priest.
‘I was such an amazing guy… … !’
A tremendous sense of intimidation, as if facing a huge mountain or the sea!
The ignorant priest who hit the shells with his shield is also a problem.
However, the slender blonde priest who was called the captain was even more amazing.
It wasn’t like that when I first met Henry Morgan… … .
But even talking about it might make your throat run away.
Dranek quickly calmed down.
“Harpy, do you remember the rumors that the guys from the eastern city were talking about some time ago?”
“Is that a rumor?”
Henry Morgan showed interest.
“It means that a priest who handles divine power has appeared in Meirium in the easternmost part. A priest named ‘Terry’ who says that any disease can be cured with just one touch.”
“… … Wasn’t it Tyra?”
“Is that so? Anyway, I think they’re just them. Because they said that they were the Dawn priests of Meirium.”
“So what?”
“yes?”
“So what?! What are you going to do!? If they’re from Meirium and they’re priests who use divine power, are you saying you’re going to give up all of this Harpy Island and the Pinas Islands? Are we going to be captured and hanged by the Imperial Navy for piracy? Drenek, is that what you want to say?”
“ah… … no! harpy!”
“Remember! All that kind of divine power control is nonsense. Besides, even if it actually happened, we are the rulers of this Pinas Islands! They say that the pirates will only die the moment they leave here. Got it?!”
“yes! harpy! I will keep that in mind!”
“I will keep that in mind!”
“I will keep that in mind!”
“I will keep that in mind!”
At Dranek’s words, even the other subordinates shouted in unison.
It was urgent to calm Henry Morgan’s wrath somehow.
When the men answered in unison, Henry Morgan seemed to have calmed down a bit.
“Okay, Dranek.”
“Yes, Harpy.”
“Go and make up for this mistake. Go to town and collect your taxes.”
“… … All right. Shall we go with Sigian?”
“That would be nice too.”
The pirates’ eyes were focused to one side.
There was a man who was quite old.
“Sigeon, come with me too. Go and collect your taxes from your old colleagues.”
His name is Siyeon.
Before Henry Morgan came, he was the man called the King of the Pinas Islands.
What is different from Harpy is that he became king after being promoted by the natives.
However, pushed by Henry Morgan’s overwhelming power, he was now living a humiliating life.
Henry Morgan, of course, wanted to have him executed as an example of his conquest, but his influence over the Pinas Islands was so great that he was spared and made his left arm.
some kind of trophy.
The horse was the left arm, and it was like a symbol of conquest.
“… … I understand, Harpy.”
“You don’t look good? Surely you still don’t think you’re the king of the Pinas Islands?”
“… … Of course not.”
“Whoops, let’s go. Go and collect your taxes as much as you like! We, the Harpy Pirates, need funds to occupy the eastern part of the Empire and become the strongest pirates. Got it?”
“Yes, Harpy.”
“and.”
Henry Morgan said to Dranek and Sigeon about to leave.
“Come and set a good example. So that no one has useless hopes just because the priests have arrived. If there is, I will step on it!”
***
“It seems that as soon as he arrived, he made a lot of noise.”
“Heul heul, I think so too.”
“Hmm… … .”
“But what kind of cuisine is famous on this island? Wouldn’t it be nice to have seafood?”
Each of the four priests said what they wanted to say.
Of course, their gaze was focused on one place.
It was a knife preparing to disembark.
“Once we anchor at a nearby island. Ask for the understanding of the residents and stay for a few days to observe the situation.”
“Captain, are you planning on defeating all the pirates?”
Maysa asked.
“It would be nice if we didn’t miss a single one, but since we don’t have a lot of numbers, that would be difficult. Instead, let’s capture the leader.”
“Well, no matter how huge a snake is, it can’t survive if its head is knocked off. The pirates on board are all shackled and watched, so it’ll be fine. Huhuh.”
Old Crete laughed.
The small boat with the five priests was getting closer and closer to the shore.
On the beach, there were residents sitting on the sandy beach, mending nets or preparing for fishing.
However, their expressions were dark.
Slap-, slap-.
The sound of waves repeating calmly and loudly.
Soon after, the boat with the sword arrived at the shore and five priests disembarked.
Then an old man approached.
“Are you crazy? Are you anchoring at a board that would not be enough even if you ran away quickly?! If you’re sane, go back! If you stay here, you will be killed by harpies!”
An old man who throws a warning without even saying hello.
Carl politely bowed his back.
“nice to see you. My name is Carlos, the priest of the Temple of Dawn in Meirium.”
“Kuhm… … that, i guess My name is Mediel, and I am the chief of this island.”
“You must be Chief Mediel. But what do you mean by what you just said?”
“Are you asking because you don’t know?! Haven’t you guys destroyed one of the pirate ships of the Harpy Pirates in half? They’ve retreated before, but they’ll be back soon with dozens, no, hundreds of gangs. I don’t know what kind of magic he used to drive Dranek and his crew out, but that’ll be a different story then.”
“You don’t have to worry about that.”
“… … ???”
Even though his life is at stake, Carl is so calm.
Mediel felt embarrassed.
‘It’s not like a priest, but like an old man with thick bones on the battlefield… … .’
he said again
“Obviously I warned you. And I hope you understand that our village cannot provide you with any accommodations. If you provide food or shelter, a gang of harpies will come and slaughter all of our villagers. I cannot allow that to happen.”
Carl nodded.
“I understand what you are saying. Then why don’t we catch and eat the fish ourselves? After that, we will build a bonfire and make a shelter on the sandy beach. No help from anyone.”
“… … that’s fine It is true that we are the natives of the Pinas Islands, but the waves and sand are not ours. All belong to the sun god.”
“thank you.”
Carl looked back at the group.
“Hanson, try catching some fish with old man Crete. Take Tira with you.”
“Yes, chief.”
“Wow! fishing!”
The three of them walked away.
Carl spoke to Meisa this time.
“Meisa will join me in the woods to find something to eat.”
“Yes, chief.”
“Let’s go and find some.”
“all right.”
Meisa, far away from the village chief Mediel, glanced at the people who were watching her with wary eyes.
Then we moved towards the island’s lush forest of palm trees.
Carl was still looking at the chief Mediel.
“But, chief.”
“… … ?”
“I would like to ask you one more question.”
“Try it.”
“Are you and the people of this Pinas Islands voluntarily under the rule of pirates? Or are you forcibly dominated by their power?”
“… … Are you asking because you don’t know? The Pinas Islands were originally a great seafood producer. It was a peaceful island that made a living by bringing and selling dried fish and pearls in large quantities. But they… … .”
Anger flashed across the village chief’s face.
“But I couldn’t help it. they were so strong In particular, Henry Morgan, the pirate king called ‘Harpy’, brutally slaughtered the island’s guards with two huge axes. That ax that glows with black light every time you swing it… … Thanks to that, everyone has lost their will to fight. There are no men left on the island who can fight anymore.”
“It was like that. Then how about we help you?”
“Help, do you mean you’re going to fight a harpy?”
“If you need.”
“You are so crazy, or you will all die. Don’t throw away the lives of precious priests like that. Stay for a while and then go back quickly.”
“Did you hear the rumors about Derdrang?”
“Rumors about Derdrang? You mean you fought against a different race?”
“yes.”
“Of course that is what we heard. Derdrang isn’t far from here, and the pirates who come and go around the area bring news. Not too long ago, I saw ten pirate ships excitedly plundering, saying that the security of Derdrang had weakened.”
“okay. Then do you remember that ship?”
Carl pointed to the boat they were on.
A large ship that is worn out and broken in places, but has been repaired in time to maintain its function.
Above it fluttered a huge sail embroidered with the Divine Mark of the Bridge of Dawn.
“Uh, that boat… … !”
The village chief Mediel finally found out the ship’s true identity!
The flag of the Dawn Bridge was hanging, so of course I thought it was a ship built by the temple.
However, looking at it, it was one of the ships pirates boarded and left for plundering a while ago.
In particular, it was the same ship that the captain commanding ten ships had boarded.
“Isn’t that the same boat that left then?”
“Where are the other nine ships?”
“I think they said they were going to catch slaves, but the pirates are nowhere to be seen!”
People who were far away were also slowly noticing the identity of the ship.
Surprised, the village chief asked Carl.
“Hey, look. That boat… … What the hell happened?”
“The pirates plundered the coastal villages near Derdrang and took slaves. They’ve all been swept away. Nine out of ten ran away crippled, and the rest were captured and locked up in that boat. They will never return to this archipelago. never.”
“omg… … !”
“You said you heard the rumors about Derdrang, right? Didn’t any of those rumors mention priests who use divine power?”
“There was! Due to their miraculous progress, not only DerDrang but also the sea lizard clan were able to protect their nests! Even the great witch who disappeared 200 years ago has reappeared, but it is said that she bowed before the holy power of the priests!”
“We are those priests.”
“… … !!!”
Village Chief Mediel widened her eyes.