4.

The sun rises as the new journey begins, Akari, Ryuu, and Reiko meet up at the traveler’s post to rent a ride towards the east side of Pangeku. It is the common form of transportation in this world wherein adventurers will be riding a wagon driven by a man with his ground dragon. Though some people prefer raising a different type of beast which can also pull a wagon.

Guided by the information given by the guild master, the party heads out. Since it will take some time to reach the said destination, while riding on the wagon, they decided to formulate a plan on how they will convince Hokori Kane with a little knowledge about him.

“Sooo, how are we going to convince him? Going straight at him won’t work based on my experience” Akari opened up.

“I guess we need to lure him with things that will be also beneficial for him if he joins us” Reiko replied.

“Yow nee-san! What if you seduce him? I mean you are quite popular among men in our guild!” Ryuu suggested.

“Have you ever tried using your brain before opening your mouth? I suggest you try it” Reiko added.

“I also think it wouldn’t work because I cannot sense any form of life in his eyes” Akari replied.

“I understand, hmmmm… What if we trap him and threaten to kill him? We will use bloodshed to force him to join our party!” Ryuu suggested.

“The guild master said he was the strongest person on our guild, if anything he's the one that is capable of doing that, not us…” Akari replied.

“Can you just shut up Ryuu? Anyway, I think we should investigate more details about him before confronting him. Finding his agenda and also his weaknesses will help us during the table talk.” Reiko responded.

After an hour of travel, the carriage reached the town of Mashira, compared to Bysstal, the town where they came from, Mashira is a little bit smaller in land mass occupancy. Since the town is near the sea, it is known for ships docking after a successful haul of fishing. Different water adventures were also allowed like underwater treasure hunts, though destroying marine minerals is extremely prohibited, only a certain list posted on the town’s guild can be collected and traded.

Based on the guildmaster’s tip, he said that Hokori Kane is looking for a mythic gem named adamant sapphire located at the depths of the sea. Numerous treasure hunters gave up on finding the myth stone but for some reason Hokori is desperate on finding the gem.

“Where do you think we should start looking?” Akari opened up.

“To be honest, I don’t really have that much information about this town, I know it geographically but this is actually the first time I visit this place.” Reiko added.

“Maybe we should ask the locals here about the most visited place or most famous tourist spots here in Mashira” Akari suggested.

“But why are we doing that? The guildmaster said Hokori does not like populated places and probably won’t visit those spots” Ryuu replied.

“Exactly, It is called the process of elimination! We will mark those places on our map to narrow down the places that we should go to, plus it will be a little odd to ask them the most not visited place as a tourist right?” Akari answered.

“Woooooahhhh, THAT EXPLODES MY MIND HINATA-CHAN! LET’S DO IT!” Ryuu replied with stars in his eyes.

“Are you sure you have that thing you mentioned ex-plo-ding? Anyway, I think it’s worth trying, though I suggest that we should also go to a shop that sells products related to underwater treasure hunting” Reiko responded.

As they gather information from different street vendors, they slowly formulate a good pathing on where they should and should not go to save some time.

“Yosh, so the townsmen said that the town’s square, marine trading center and Ship’s dock were the most visited places here. I guess we will be heading to some alleys and the local blacksmith, we will visit the blacksmith shop lastly because he might not visit there yet, I think it is advisable to go there before it closes.” Reiko explained while holding on the map.

Several hours have passed, the party already scouted and located every single area of the town but they couldn’t find any trace of him. As the sun sets, they went through the local blacksmiths shop to ask if a black cape man with a katana entered their shop but no one with their description came by the store. With zero luck on their favor, the party proceeded to the inn and called it a day.

“Uuuuugggghhh, this is exhaustinggggg, Nee-san heal my sore leeeegss” Ryuu complained.

“I’m not wasting any mana on a cry baby like you” Reiko replied.

“You’re so mean nee-san, no wonder why nobody tries to court you despite of your fame on the guild” Ryuu replied.

*Akari stood up and opens the door*

“Where are you going Hinata-chan?” Reiko asked.

“I kinda want some fresh air, don’t worry I’ll be back soon” Akari replied.

Akari walked outside to catch some air, with a heavy heart, she went to the town’s square where a beautiful fountain was located. Later that time, she heard a small ruckus nearby. She carefully sneaked closer to find out what was going on. From a distance, Akari saw Kane fighting a masked man.

-IT WAS HIM, FINALLY! I FOUND HIM.

The battle continues but it is obviously shown how Kane has the upperhand on the duel based on the skill gap. The battle ends and Kane is the clear victor, he steps on the masked man’s chest and points the sword on its neck. Kane swung the katana and as the sword came closer, the execution was interrupted by Akari.

“STOP! Don’t do it!” Akari shouted.

“It’s you again? Is being annoying part of your magical aspect?” Kane responded.

“Don’t kill him? EVERYONE DESERVES TO LIVE” Akari stated.

“Okay, let’s do that logic. This man holds the record best fisherman in the town for 9 consecutive years. When he knew that his son caught a record breaking haul, which he would never be able to beat in the few remaining days before the festival, he killed his own son and stole its harvest. I shouldn’t be interfering with their relationship but I already formed a contract with his son for my water expedition. It irritates me because he ruined my day. Now tell me, does he deserve to live? Does his son also deserve it?” asked Kane while holding the katana pointed to the masked man.

Akari was stunned by the story, she couldn’t say a word and the confusion grew when the masked man begged for his life.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to do it, I was so afraid that my long lasting fame will be over. The jealousy eats me, please spare my life. I will give my ship just let me go!” begged by the masked man.

Kane observed Akari’s reaction, he saw that Akari was trembling and confusion prevented her from speaking even a single word.

-I guess she is not mentally prepared for this kind of situation.

“Fine, I’ll let you go but mark my words. You'll never be able to live the same way before. You’ll eventually die one way or another.” Kane lifts his foot and puts back his katana.

The masked man ran as fast as he could while sobering with tears and fear. On the other hand, Akari is still speechless about everything. Kane casts a shroud and walks away.

With a shock on her face, she walked back to the inn and went to her bed. Reiko and Ryuu noticed the unusual aura of Akari, they asked them what happened but it seems like she can’t hear a word. The question from Kane bugs her badly.

-Where do we draw the line? How can we define that a person deserves to die…

Reiko and Ryuu decided to give her space. They eventually rest but everyone is bothered about the happenings that night.

5.

The morning rises and Akari overslept. She headed down and saw Reiko and Ryuu eating their breakfast.

“Good morning Hinata-chan, it seems like you did not rest well last night, that’s why we did not wake you up” Reiko greeted.

“Are you feeling okay now Hinata-chan? Come, join us! The food is great!” Ryuu added.

“Thank you guys, also I’m sorry that I made you guys worried about me last night. I met Kane at the town’s square and I was shocked by the happenings, I was not able to explain yesterday” Akari replied.

Akari joined Reiko and Ryuu’s table and told them about the story last night. They were frightened by the happenings but that also proves that most probably he was the one who saved the elderly from the small town at the west side valley. The fact that he can, and will definitely kill is a good proof that he is the black hair guy who killed 4 robbers to save the old lady. After the discussion, they decided to take action.

“I am definitely sure we can find him at the ship’s dock, he is probably dealing with someone who has a boat” Akari stated.

The party headed out and went to their destination. Along the way, they noticed that the crowd was gathered on the newsstand. They got curious and came closer to read the news posted on the board. It is not a wanted poster, rather a public announcement. The news stated that “Nuezca, the greatest fisherman, killed his own son.”, no one knows who posted it but the majority believes it because they haven’t seen Frank in 2 days, even though his ship is still at the dock.

The party resumed their way to the ship’s dock. From a distance, they saw people throwing garbage at a small house. They have a vague idea that it may be the place where Nuezca lives and that was the result of angry mobs mourning at the death of Frank. “YOU ARE THE WORST”. Those words can be heard from a distance.

Akari, Reiko, and Ryuu reached the ship’s dock. Shortly, they saw Kane loading a ship. The party wasted no time and approached him in that instant.

“Hokori! Is that your ship?” Akari asked.

“Before, no, I think it’s mine now.” Kane answered.

“I know you let Nuezca live but it doesn’t permit you to steal his ship!” Akari replied.

“Relax, when Frank died, his crew figured out that I was the one who posted the announcement. They were grateful for giving justice to their captain, that’s why they gave me this ship” Kane replied.

“They were surprisingly communicating well” Ryuu whispered to Reiko.

“I thought it would be hard to directly confront him, I guess this will make it easier for us” Reiko whispered back.

“I guess it will be pointless if Hokori denies it because Hinata-chan was there last night” Ryuu replied.

“You two, what is your business here? Get lost or I’ll force you to” Kane threatens Reiko and Ryuu.

“I take back what I said” Reiko whispered.

“Chi-chill bro! I think yo-you will be ne-neeeding a ku-crew on your ship! I c-can w-work for free!” Ryuu nervously replied.

“Can you steer the wheel and navigate the sea?” Kane asked.

“Of course! I used to fish with my Dad before I became an adventurer with my sister” Ryuu replied.

“Okay, you’re in” Kane responded.

“I suggest bringing my party too! Nee-san has healing and water magic while Hinata-chan has light and fire magic. Their magic will provide good assistance as we sail!” Ryuu suggested.

-hmm.. Hinata?

“Fine, just shut your mouth and start working” Kane replied.

“Nice one Ryuu” Reiko whispered.

6.

Luckily, Hokori kane do not have any experience in sailing. With a successful deal with Kane, the party boarded the ship and started to sail.

“So captain! Where do you think the adamant sapphire is located?” Ryuu asked.

“How do you know that I was looking for that stone?” Kane replied.

“Aah… Wild guess? I-I mean everyone was looking for it he he he…” Ryuu nervously laughed.

“Anyway, we are going here” Kane showed the map and pointed his finger at the middle of the ocean.

“Are you sure about that? There’s no land there captain” Ryuu replied.

“I heard some rumors that there is a strong whirlpool in that area, that’s why some sailors prefer the longer route rather than traveling straight from Gilword to Mashira.” Reiko added.

“Yes, We are going straight through the whirlpool” Kane replied

“WHAAAT? ARE YOU INSANE?” Ryuu and Reiko shouted.

“Don’t worry, I trust Hokori-san on this one” Akari responded.

“If you don’t want to join this sail anymore, feel free to jump out” Kane replied as he headed back inside of the ship.

“I thought the ship is way too big for the four of us, but now I’m pretty much sure we are doomed…” said Ryuu.

“I read a book about a hidden underwater cave beneath a whirlpool. It stated that it is located near the eye of the whirlpool. Besides the author of the book, no one ever survives going through it because if you missed the exact timing, the whirlpool will eat the whole ship.” Reiko replied.

“What bothers me is the fact that he proceeds to load the ship, planning to set sail even without a crew…” Akari added.

“Maybe there’s a special day today? I mean that will only make sense if he truly insists on going without a crew” Ryuu replied.

Even with doubts at the back of their minds, Akari, Reiko and Ryuu decided to trust Kane and followed the said course.

As the night approaches, slowly, the full moon can be seen at the pitch black sky. The moon luminates the calm sea and the whole place was silenced by the whispering wind. Akari approached kane.

“Why do you sail today rather than finding a new crew to hire before sailing?” Akari asked.

“Every time the full moon rises, the possibility of entering the myth cave becomes a reality. Usually the chances are 3% but because of the change of tides during the full moon, it roses to 50%, I can’t wait for another moon rotation, it has to be today.” Kane replied.

“But it is still risky don’t you think? 50% of surviving also means 50% of dying, plus you don’t have a crew.” Akari added.

“Supposedly, I shouldn’t be alive right now, even if it’s below 50%, I’ll take my chances.” Kane responded and walked to the ship’s helm.

“Oy Blue hair guy, be ready we are almost near” said Kane.

“AY AY! Captain!” Ryuu replied.

“Looks like Hokori-kun has been through rough times” said Reiko as she approached Akari.

“I wish he would tell us about his pain, he looks like someone who experienced death and lived through it…” Akari replied.

The calm sea suddenly changed, the tides began to move as if their ship was being pulled. The whispering wind started to roar and the clear skies luminated by the moonlight were converted into thick haze; indeed, they had reached their destination.

“Fold the mast, keep the steering wheel at the center, we must approach the whirlpool as slow as possible” Kane instructed.

Akari and Reiko lowered the mask, Ryuu stood firmly and held on to the helm, and Kane looked at the surrounding, hoping he could see the entrance of the cave. As they come closer, the current goes faster, the pull gets stronger, and the wind blows louder as it sets everything flying above the surface. They are getting closer and closer. The haze fades and a huge hole at the center greets their sail, it was the center of the whirlpool. That instant, two giant pillars of rock can be seen near the center.

-THAT MUST BE IT! IT’S THE ENTRANCE TO THE CAVE!

Kane saw the entrance but things got complicated when they heard a loud scream from Reiko.

“HELP!”

A barrel hit Reiko and the wind set them both flying. Ryuu immediately jumped and grabbed Reiko’s hand. He was able to grab at the edge of the ship while holding her sister on his other hand. Meanwhile, Kane moved and held on the steering wheel.

Akari put a rope on her waist, slowly walked where Ryuu was holding on and grabbed his arms. Kane was torned, thinking whether to go straight to the entrance or move away to the current. If they come any closer there will be no turning back, the wind blows stronger as they approach the center.

With all strength on his body, Kane turned the steering wheel away from the current.

-DON’T FAIL ON ME NOW! SHOW ME THE SHIP THAT BROKE THE 9 YEAR FISHING RECORD!

Some parts of the Ship started to get cracked, the wood on the ship’s deck slowly getting torned apart as the ship endures the current. The moment of desperation comes and everyone is trying their best to survive. Kane holds the steering wheel on his left arm and uses his right arm to create a smoke. He continuously summoned a thick shroud of smoke to his right side to create a force that will push their boat away from the current and at the same time redirect the momentum of the wind. He stood firmly and used his body as a propeller.

-I did not come this far to be eaten by a whirlpool… THIS IS NOTHING!

With every bit of strength that Kane exerted, eventually the ship returns to the surface. Everyone catches their breath as it all calms down. The journey failed but they all survived the grave danger. No one was creating any noise. Akari, Reiko, and Ryuu couldn’t believe that Kane saved them rather than going to the myth cave. It also makes them wonder how strong Kane is. They all lay down on the deck and rest to regain their strength.

The sun rises and they return to Mashira. Eventually, they reached the dock even though the ship was barely moving. Akari invited Kane to join them in a meal to properly thank him for saving them. Because of his guilt for putting them in insane danger, Kane agreed to the offer. The party goes down the ship and heads to a nearby cafe. From a distance, they saw the house of Nuezca still surrounded by people.

“Looks like they won’t forgive him easily” Reiko opened up.

“They were planning to starve him to death by not letting him go out of his house. They were taking turns on guarding the house, that’s why I couldn’t find any crew.” Kane replied.

“I guess that’s what he gets for killing his own son. The fishermen will never forgive him.” Ryuu added.

They entered the cafe, sat down comfortably, and enjoyed their meal. As soon as they finished their meal, Akari opened up a discussion.

“Yosh, now let’s go down to the business. Hokori Kane, please join our party.” Akari bowed her head as she offered Kane.

“I know you will say no but please listen to me first.” Akari added.

Reiko and Ryuu were shocked by the bold move of Akari, offering Kane straight up without any hesitation.

“I’ve been thinking about the question you asked me that night. We are weak, we couldn’t do what you are capable of, we have so much to learn and only you can teach us to grow more. I know, in this world, there is no place for someone who lacks resolve. That’s why I am begging you please join our party.” said Akari.

Afterwards Reiko and Ryuu also stood up and bowed their heads.

“If it wasn’t for you, that whirlpool probably had eaten me, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.” Reiko added.

“You were the strongest man I’ve ever seen. That move you pulled last night was insane, captain, please join our party.” said Ryuu.

“What is your next plan after this?” Kane replied.

“We will collect the ticket to the summer expedition as a reward from getting you back to the guild” Ryuu rapidly answered.

*Reiko immediately punched Ryuu’s face.*

“YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO SPILL THAT” Reiko furiously shouted.

“I knew you have an agenda, you won’t be doing all of these simply because you wanted me to join your party” Kane responded.

“To be honest yes, at first we were chasing you because the guildmaster offered us a ticket to the summer expedition. But after all of the things we have witnessed, I’ve realized that we truly needed you on our party, not just because of the ticket. And to prove it, we won’t claim the reward even if you join us and we will quit the guild as well, so please… let us travel with you” Akari explained.

Kane felt the sincerity and the desperation coming from Akari, it reminded him of the desperation that he had experienced before.

“Fine, but we are still getting those tickets. Summer expeditions have a double experience gain and the drop rate of rare items there is higher than usual. It’s a yearly event, it would be a waste to not be part of it. Prove me your worthiness there.” Kane replied.

Akari, Reiko and Ryuu burst into tears when they happily heard the answer of Kane. They attempt to hug him but Kane immediately dodges because he does not like physical contact.

“We will not disappoint you captain!” said Ryuu.

“I will also do my best!” Reiko added.

“Thank you Hokori…” Akari said with a genuine smile.

-I guess there is still a little spark of hope in his pitch black shroud of coldness.