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'What… what is this?'
We were just about to begin preparations for departure.
Then Ethan suddenly called for me, so I followed him to where he led me...
"Do you like it, Polaris?"
"L-like it? That’s not even the issue here!"
The reason I reacted like that...
It was because right before my eyes was a utopia anyone in the medical field would dream of.
"Is… is all this really for me?!"
"Who else would it be for?"
Selene had mentioned she prepared a gift for me back in the carriage. But I never imagined it would be this.
“T-this microscope is state-of-the-art! Isn’t it even newer than the one in Ethan’s infirmary?”
"Haha, you’re right. It seems we got our hands on something not even released on the market yet."
That wasn’t all. One wall was completely filled with medicine cabinets stocked with all kinds of medicinal herbs, and rows upon rows of pharmaceutical encyclopedias lined the shelves.
There were syringes, beakers, cylinders—every tool necessary for medical treatment and research was there. And every single one of them was top-of-the-line, beyond any doubt.
Given the prices and the rush to match Caelum’s departure schedule, it was obvious they’d paid twice the value for all of it. When I saw the same Mahot brand dryer that I used back at Terminus Castle, I nearly teared up.
'There’s even a separate space to grow plants?'
Was this… heaven?
“Polaris, you’re about to cry, aren’t you?”
“I-I’m not crying.”
Though truthfully, I was right on the verge of it.
Back in the navy, I was never given this kind of environment, nor could I ever have it all to myself. They claimed it would make me complacent.
I always had to share a space with three or four others. Because I had been adopted by a high-ranking naval officer, others often treated me with suspicion or kept me at arm’s length.
Even when I reported it to my father or higher-ups, they told me that I just wasn’t fitting in because I wasn’t working hard enough, or that I shouldn’t bother with such trivial things. So I pushed myself endlessly. It was only much later that I was finally granted a private infirmary.
‘And then… not long after that, I ended up dying anyway.’
So really, this kind of personal space felt like a first for me.
“To think they’d invest this much into a six-year-old... The Sixth House really is on another level.”
“And how do you think it makes me feel hearing that come from a six-year-old?”
I examined every corner of the room. It was partly to check for any defects, but by the time I finished, I felt like writing at least a hundred thank-you letters to the head of the Terminus family.
Realistically, I shouldn’t have earned the right to have a personal infirmary on this ship for a long time. Even if my family acknowledged my achievements and trusted me, I was still just a six-year-old.
But the head of the Terminus House had negotiated with Nereus to give me this space. Moments like this made it clear.
Money and power really are everything.
‘I have no idea how much the Terminus family spent to create this space…’
But for someone who can produce the only known neutralizer for Dark Poison, an investment like this isn’t wasted. Especially if there's potential to further develop the antidote.
‘Then what I need to do now is obvious.’
I reached over and firmly grabbed Ethan’s hand.
“Ethan!”
“Hm?”
“Be my teacher!”
I could see his violet eyes widen in surprise. But this was something I couldn't back down from.
In truth, based on pure knowledge alone, I had more than he did. After all, I had returned with twenty years of experience from the future.
Still, you can’t ignore the weight of experience.
In medical circles, it's common to have a teacher-mentor figure, what we call a master-apprentice relationship. They support each other and grow together. It's similar to the 'brotherhood ties' between naval officers and junior apprentices.
And a teacher and apprentice… share a very special bond.
‘As far as I know, Ethan didn’t stay at the Medical Association headquarters for long.’
Before the regression, Ethan once told me this, the reason he took the Medical Association exam in the first place was because there were no proper doctors on his home island at the time. But his knowledge and skills turned out to be far beyond expectations, and I heard he even placed second in the association exam.
Normally, after passing the exam, candidates would spend a few months at the association headquarters or work under an affiliated doctor to learn the ropes as an apprentice. But Ethan was an exception, he had to return to his hometown.
And before the regression, he used to say things like that to me from time to time.
- “I suppose things would’ve been better if I had made a different choice back then.”
“What choice?”
“Not returning to my hometown. If I hadn’t, fewer people might’ve died… and maybe someone would’ve been there to carry on my work.”
Ethan might be a pirate, but he's deeply committed to his profession. I could also tell that, deep down, he secretly wanted a disciple.
‘I never had a mentor either.’
The fact that I earned a medical license from the Wittar Association was more of a special exception. It wasn’t even during the official exam period, they practically held the exam just for me.
Ethan wanted a disciple, and I longed for a teacher. If we could become mentor and student, there would be no better relationship for either of us.
'And being known as Ethan’s personal disciple would help build trust in Caelum, too.'
A six-year-old genius is one thing. But a six-year-old genius who trained under Ethan for years? That’s a much easier sell.
'…Why isn’t he saying anything?'
Ethan was staring down at our joined hands, looking flustered.
“D-Do you not want to?”
I never imagined he’d refuse. After all, Ethan had always been kind and warm to me. Even before the regression, he was the gentlest adult in my life.
“It’s not that I don’t want to… I’m just a little taken aback. I’m not even sure if I’m qualified to teach you.”
“Then what... Nereus is going to teach me?!”
“Well, I suppose I’m more qualified than the captain…”
Naturally.
“Ethan, I’m going to earn my medical license from the Association in a few years. But I want you to teach me things beyond just medicine.”
“…”
“Okay? Teacher Ethan.”
His hand twitched at the word teacher. His trembling eyes met mine before he leaned down to face me directly.
“You used to only call me by my name. Now it’s ‘teacher,’ huh?”
“Well, I’ve always thought it’d be nice if you were my teacher.”
And I meant it. I’ve felt that way since long ago, even from a timeline you don’t remember.
Ethan stayed quiet for a long moment, looking conflicted.
“…I’m not sure I’d make a good teacher.”
Was that a rejection? I opened my mouth to try and convince him when..
“But… maybe it wouldn’t hurt to take on one last student.”
He said yes.
***
My relationship with Ethan had become common knowledge aboard the Caelum. At this point, you’d have to be living under a rock not to know though, to be fair, there were barely twenty people left on the ship anyway.
I often wrote to Hyperion about my lessons with Ethan and how he’d become my teacher. He congratulated me and even sent a gift, a deep ocean-blue ribbon.
[It may not be quite as nice as the one Lala gave me, but it was the best I could find. I hope you like it.]
'So he’s finally learned to use proper spelling.'
Well, it had been a few months since we met. Considering how strict naval training is, he’d probably mastered basic grammar ages ago.
Anyway.
Ethan’s lessons turned out to be more thorough than I expected. Even though he hadn’t renewed his medical license, his foundational knowledge was solid enough to impress even me, and he never overlooked even the smallest detail.
On top of that, he was well-versed in various folk remedies, things you’d never find in medical textbooks and he knew the underlying principles behind them too. It showed just how genuinely dedicated he was to saving lives.
“Next time, I’ll teach you about ancient diseases. You have to handle them more carefully. Do you know why?”
“Because even if all the people who carried them are gone… the disease itself might still remain?”
“Exactly. Well said.”
Ethan smiled, clearly pleased. Honestly, with such a bright student like me, being a teacher had to feel pretty rewarding.
“Ethan! Lala! We’re almost there!”
At that moment, Gerard burst through the door.
“So we’ve finally arrived.”
The Eternal Compass Teminus gave us was pointing to the so-called 'Hidden Island.' These were islands that couldn’t be seen unless you crossed a certain threshold, shielded by some kind of oceanic force.
Even if you could read the compass stone’s flow well, if the island didn’t appear, it cast doubt on your interpretation—making it a real headache.
Not that Nereus would ever misread a compass stone.
Still, islands like this were always trickier. Decoding the stone took longer, and it was undeniably annoying.
“Isn’t there some kind of lighthouse?”
“Nope, I don’t see anything glowing. And they’re not sending any signals either.”
Maybe it was because our arrival was unannounced, but as Ethan and I climbed onto the deck, we saw the crew quickly lowering the pirate flag.
“Hopefully we can restock some supplies while we’re here, we’re running low on fish.”
“Let’s just hope they don’t start shooting at us. This might be someone’s stronghold, so stay alert!”
“Ugh, I hope there’s at least a tavern.”
Everyone seemed cheerful, expecting a well-earned break.
I hope they have dessert or something.
But as we approached the island and finally disembarked, those hopes were swiftly crushed.
“W-What is this…?”
“There’s no sign of life anywhere…”
The entrance looked like it was once grand, gilded in gold, but much of it had been torn away. Gems had been pried out, leaving gaping holes in the structure. It felt desolate and abandoned.
The crew hovered close to the ship, too wary to wander far. Near the entrance, I spotted an old, tattered flag flapping in the wind.
That’s…
I knew it.
It was the banner of the Kingdom of Laos, a nation long lost to history.
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