TPBP Chapter 65

 65

Nereus’ eyes widened at those words.

“The Navy?”

Nereus wasn’t exactly fond of the navy, understandably, since he was a pirate. After all, Caelum was a pirate, and running into the navy usually meant trouble. Still, even Nereus had a certain level of trust in the navy.

Ekati didn’t need to ask what that trust was based on—she already understood.

“Yes, the navy. Hard to believe, isn’t it?”

The navy doesn’t commit crimes.

In fact, far from that, they were almost obsessively devoted to upholding 'justice.' So much so that, outside of the Pharus family, there were multiple prominent families known for sending generation after generation into the navy.

“I don't know about your side, but every now and then, a bad apple shows up in the Navy. Still, up until now, it’s always been on an individual level. But something like Angel? That’s not something a single person could be that deeply involved in, not in both distribution and manufacturing.”

Nereus fell silent, lost in thought. Could just one or two navy officers really be involved in something like that?

“They, too, have reputations they've built and pride that comes with it.”

Who could be prouder of their work than navy personnel? Their strict and rigorous training was at least somewhat known outside the organization. Though, to be fair, the navy was quite closed-off, so only a few details were publicly known.

“I don’t know the exact details. The person died before I could find out.”

“With your abilities, can’t you do something about it?”

“Unless someone is truly loyal to me, even if I summon them back, they won’t retain their will. It’s unfortunate.”

With that, she turned to look out the window.

The dark forest was filled with countless lifeforms. In a way, the whole forest resembled a graveyard. It was so vast that instead of individual headstones, massive rocks were placed like markers—making it a burial ground in its own right.

“What’s important is that those involved with Angel aren’t just some nobodies.”

“…True. If the navy is willing to cooperate with them, they must hold considerable power.”

“Let me make you a proposal. Have your pirate crew act as bait.”

“Huh?”

Nereus stared at Ekati as if she’d lost her mind.

“Hey now, Head of the House, whatever my daughter may be, she saved your life, didn’t she? And if I remember right, she saved a whole lot of people in your territory too. And now you’re repaying her tenfold with betrayal? Is this how the Sixth House operates?”

Nereus rattled off sarcastic jabs, but Ekati didn’t flinch.

“I’ve barely had any dealings with the rest of the Sixth House, so I wouldn’t know. But I don’t think it’s a bad offer.”

“Then give me a good reason. We stand to lose a lot.”

“First of all, this incident isn’t limited to just Angel. These people have been making deals regularly. And the cycles of illegal trade and human trafficking were disturbingly consistent.”

“How do you know that?”

“I summoned someone buried out there and asked them.”

“What a practical ability.”

“How disrespectful to the dead.”

“Still seems better than making the dead work after death like you do.”

Nereus didn’t back down, replying sharply to every word. Ekati raised one eyebrow, then lowered it.

“The problem is that they don’t remember everything—there are holes in their memories.”

Unless summoned by the Head of Terminus, those souls remained in slumber. The fact that she had obtained even this much information was already fortunate.

“But even this is enough. A mysterious group has been periodically producing and distributing illegal drugs. Since you’re a pirate, I imagine you’re well aware of this.”

“Well, we don’t deal with that stuff, but yeah, I’ve heard about it. The timing of when certain illegal substances appear is telling.”

When you sail the seas, you naturally come across certain bits of information.

The periods when one drug would disappear and another would appear overlapped perfectly. It was as if when Drug A disappeared, Drug B would seamlessly take its place.

More strikingly, looking back, all of those drugs had something in common: they were never produced on the western or eastern continents—but always on island nations.

“…Wait a minute.”

Nereus paused, realizing something.

“Do any of those islands still exist?”

“No. Except for Odlo, none of them function as countries anymore.”

What all those islands had in common was that wars had broken out, rendering them no longer functioning nations. Officially, it was said that the islanders had fallen into excessive luxury and hedonism, but Caelum had already seen firsthand the example of Odlo Island.

And to be exact—before Polaris regressed, Odlo had also faced that very future.

The people here might not be regressors, so they wouldn’t know that—but anyone with half a brain could deduce it.

“If we hadn’t caught this now, Odlo could’ve ended up in the same war.”

A chill ran down Nereus’ spine.

Many in Caelum had barely survived in environments ravaged by illegal drugs. They had witnessed and lived through those tragedies.

Ekati knew one of Caelum’s ironclad rules: “Never touch illegal drugs.”

To test this, she had deliberately placed bait in a warehouse Dexter frequented. Not only did he not touch it—he didn’t even glance at it. Instead, he amusingly went around cleaning the dusty guns tucked away in the corners, his face lighting up as he did.

‘That’s what makes them the perfect trading partner.’

Not navy. Not involved in drugs. Yet, as pirates, they weren’t bound by the “Laws of the Sea.”

The “Laws of the Sea” referred to the complex web of strict regulations governing this world of countless islands. Anyone who violated them was automatically deemed a criminal.

If word got out that the Sixth House was colluding with pirates, it would certainly stir up some bad rumors, but at worst, it would only result in a minor loss of prestige.

Ekati knew the true value of Terminus. Other houses wouldn’t dare challenge her without reason, so no one would carelessly provoke Ekati.

“The fact they used the Black Forest as a trading hub, and even planted spies here, makes it clear that I was also a target. That’s why I want you to raise your infamy a little and help uncover who’s behind all this. This problem will take years to resolve—and we need outsiders’ help.”

“If we raise our infamy, won’t our bounty go up?”

“Do you not already have the strength to withstand all that pressure anyway?”

At Ekati’s words, Nereus feigned ignorance.

But Ekati could see right through him.

From the fact that he hadn’t fled from her summons to the castle—and had even brought only a few men—it was clear he had confidence.

“If you help us, I’ll make it worth your while. If there ever comes a time when you need the name of Terminus, I’ll lend it to you—within reason. Just don’t go around selling it left and right.”

She meant, don’t openly sell it like a pirate would.

Still, it was quite the beneficial offer, and Nereus chuckled contentedly.

“The mighty Sixth House needing help from a bunch of pirates. What a fall from grace~”

“They might be targeting the Tenus Territory. I am the lord of this land. It is my duty to protect the people here.”

The stolen letters that had been intercepted while Evelyn was acting as a spy, and the disruption of communication with the residents—none of it felt like coincidence.

They were clearly after Terminus.

“Hmm.”

Nereus didn’t find any of this particularly disagreeable. Though they weren’t saints of justice, the profits from tracking down the real mastermind behind this would be substantial.

And if they entered into this kind of deal, he could more easily station some of his people and maybe even some families in Tenus. After all, there were those within Caelum who were starting to want a place to settle.

“Then can I make a few requests of my own?”

“Of course. Go ahead.”

“First, financial compensation is a given.”

Providing financial compensation, assisting a few colleagues with stable resettlement, and ensuring that word spreads about Caelum’s involvement in the recent Angel incident.

As he listed off his requests, Nereus removed the locket he always wore around his neck and held it out.

“This has a magical seal on it.”

It had been enchanted in a way that made it impossible to open without the correct magic keystone.

“I want you to find the family related to this locket. If you have a rough idea of the design, you can probably figure it out, right? Just… avoid Barkinfo. It’s easy to get information there, but just as easy to get robbed.”

“If I were to look into it myself… it would take years, but it’s possible. Whose is it?”

Nereus put the locket back around his neck and mumbled.

“…That’s none of your business. Take your time.”

He then thought of his daughter.

Was Polaris sleeping peacefully by now?

***

《SIDE STORY — From Steve Adeba's Perspective》

Steve looked at the medicine delivered by special dispatch with a curious gaze.

‘This is supposed to be a cure?’

Even the instructions for use were written out in detail. It was hard to doubt it, especially since it included explanations for the prescribed treatment—it seemed too thorough to be a lie.

In truth, Steve hadn’t helped Polaris out of sheer belief in her words.

Sure, he didn’t believe her completely but there had been a bit of personal interest involved when he chose to help. He had been desperate back then, after all.

There were many kinds of confessionals. The reason he gave Polaris a lavish and spacious confessional was because he himself hated the ones used by the navy for counseling.

The standard confessionals used by civilians were at least twice as large as the navy’s. Still, their atmospheres were similar enough that priests who handled navy confessions rarely wanted to deal with civilian ones either.

That’s how draining those sessions were even for the priests.

The navy’s confessionals were extremely small and dark. Like cramped boxes devoid of any light, they seemed designed to crush one’s spirit the moment the door shut.

Steve could never understand why every naval officer feared those suffocating, narrow spaces so much. The moment they stepped inside, they would stiffen, inhaling sharply.

And once the confession began, it was as if they’d been drugged—they would start blurting out their secrets. All their little rebellions and deviations from protocol, hidden from their superiors, would come pouring out.

The temple recorded all of it and handed the transcripts to the navy, who then punished their personnel based on those records.

It was said to be 'for justice,' but the entire system felt warped and wrong. Even if the civilian confessionals were different from the navy’s, Steve didn’t want to place a small child anywhere that could evoke those kinds of memories.

Thankfully, the little girl, Polaris, seemed relieved when she saw the elegant interior of the confessional.

‘How could I ignore a voice like that?’

The child had approached him with a slight tremble in her voice. That kind of raw desperation couldn’t be faked.

Steve recognized what it meant to be desperate. When he opened the door and saw her so stiff and trembling with fear, he couldn’t help but be reminded of his own younger sibling.

And from that moment, Steve found he couldn’t refuse Polaris’ request.

Even if the child had lied.

How could he possibly turn away from such a tiny life, with such an unchildlike expression, her face full of fear?

‘So this is the result, huh?’

What he had accepted half-believing had returned as a bottle of medicine. Somehow, instead of feeling happy, a complicated tangle of emotions stirred in him.

Steve stared at the medicine in his hand with a conflicted gaze.

《SIDE STORY END》

🍓; A bounty refers to a monetary reward placed on an individual often by a government or authority for their capture, typically due to criminal activity. In pirate contexts, bounties are used to incentivize their apprehension, with higher bounties reflecting greater perceived threat or notoriety.