MTFBMP Chapter 32

“Everyone is waiting for Master to prove his worth and qualifications. I’m just telling you that this ship has its own rules.”

 

“I see what you mean.”

 

As an outsider, I couldn’t interrupt. For now, I nodded in agreement.

 

“One more thing.”

 

Thud—

 

Jade took another step in front of me, closing the distance. The distance rekindled a tension I’d forgotten.

 

“We’re going to dock at a pirate island.”

 

“…What?”

 

Expecting to hear a threat or a warning, the words that came out of Jade’s mouth were unexpected.

 

“I don’t suppose you’d be so lacking in thought as to tell the Master this.”

 

I was stunned. Jade had told me he didn’t trust people, and how could he share a confidential detail?

 

“Why would you tell me if you don’t even trust me?”

 

Before Jade could answer, I realized why.

 

“You don’t think there’s a need to go to the Empire’s black market?”

 

He hadn’t been desperate, not like Dion had been from the beginning. Even at the inn, he’d given the impression that he was just waiting for Dion to arrive.

 

“You don’t want him to reach his destination?”

 

Jade’s eyebrows arched as if I’d hit the nail on the head.

 

They were treating Dion as if he were a runaway juvenile who’d suddenly rebelled and needed to be escorted home.

 

“I’m not saying anything back to you, since you’re so perceptive.”

 

Now he’s showing his true colors. I glared at him, determined not to lose.

 

“Just before we reach the pirate island, I’ll drop off a small boat for you.”

 

“What?”

 

What the hell was he talking about?

 

“But…, does that mean you don’t need my information at all?”

 

At this point, I asked him, not letting go of my suspicion.

 

Even if this was what Jade meant, Dion had a different idea.

 

The Dion I had seen so far was pure enthusiasm, genuine in this, but Jade was just as adamant.

 

“Yes. I don’t want the information, I don’t want your help.”

 

With those words, Jade gave me a curt bow, turned, and walked away.

 

It felt like I’d been hit over the head with a sledgehammer.

 

💫

 

‘I never get a day off.’

 

My original goal was to take a break in my cabin after lunch. After all, a sailor on a ship of this size needs all the food possible.

 

But when I saw Rhodon’s name and heard Jade’s story, my head felt like it was going to explode, and I couldn’t sit still.

 

And so I concluded…

 

“He might like apples?”

 

And with that, I headed straight for the basement where Adelaine was waiting.

 

I quickened my pace, tossing and catching the apples I held in my hands. Two apples was all I could manage to get out of the kitchen, not much for such a large man.

 

After everything I’d seen and heard today, I finally made up my mind.

 

‘Let’s make Adelaine my pet.’ 

 

It was a gamble, knowing that Adelaine’s memory wasn’t intact, but it was also true that there was no other option.

 

‘They say keep the enemy close.’ 

 

I could keep an eye on him to make sure he didn’t wander off.

 

As soon as I reached the stairs, the first torch was lit, and Adelaine’s feathers still glistened as they rustled and fluttered about.

 

I found myself comparing it to the blue light in my cabin.

 

They were both beautiful, and both reminded me of Adelaine.

 

“I’ll be right down.”

 

I said, as if in anticipation, and slipped the apple I was holding into my bag. I was careful not to let it fall out of the bag and roll around like it had before.

 

The apple was a bribe of sorts. So far, he hadn’t accepted any food, but I couldn’t leave empty-handed.

 

The door slammed shut with a loud bang, but from then on it was a very soft, respectful closing. I gently turned the doorknob and it turned back.

 

‘Okay, this is a big day, and we can’t afford to be caught off guard. We’ve been good so far.’

 

With that, I turned around with one last resolve. I shouldn’t have had to focus on anything else to keep my center in the rocking boat, but…

 

Perhaps I’d been lulled into a false sense of security by Adele’s recent welcoming of me.

 

I had only taken a couple of steps down when the doorknob behind my back clicked, but then stopped short of opening, as if caught in a latch, and I didn’t hear it at all.

 

💫

 

It was only a matter of time before I reached the bottom of the basement. As long as the boat didn’t rock suddenly or play tricks with the lights.

 

Things were a little lighter. Even more so than when I’d walked into the bustling kitchen with Rhodon or Dion’s ornately decorated private chambers.

 

Part of me couldn’t wait to get downstairs and check on the beasts.

 

Remembering how I’d wanted to put off coming here at all costs in the first place, I shrugged to myself.

 

I shifted my thoughts to another subject, watching the yellow flame of the torch begin to burn furiously in front of me, occasionally sending up sparks.

 

‘Maybe he has anger management issues.’

 

The fact that his name kept flashing red, the color of threat, meant he was holding back the urge to attack me.

 

‘It’s supposed to be yellow.’ 

 

If a yellow name implies a certain level of force, that was another no-no.

 

‘It’s all about that fire.’ 

 

Still, securing the boss’s identity was a big win.

 

‘Surely there isn’t another boss?’

 

Jade’s face flashed through my mind for a moment, but I decided against jumping to conclusions. 

 

Based on their last conversation, Jade’s loyalty to Dion seemed genuine.

 

As long as they were all in the same boat, she wouldn’t rush to do anything that would hurt them.

 

“I need someone on my side here to level the game, don’t you think?”

 

There was only one step left to Adele’s prison cell. I deliberately spoke out loud, but the beast didn’t answer, but I was sure of it.

 

The beast here was still waiting for me.

 

Adelaine, of course, could not be caught off guard. I realized this the hard way as I faced him again.

 

“Evil!”

 

He was in human form, but he wasn’t wearing any clothes again!

 

“What happened to the clothes I gave you? Why aren’t you wearing them?”

 

The first thing I did when I finally saw him was to hastily cover my eyes.

 

Adele was in human form. The pants I gave him were on the floor!

 

He was straddling a wooden plank nailed to the middle of the prison wall. Several chains with handcuffs were dangling from the plank. 

 

There were also hollow spots where a louse was missing, but maybe Adelaine had smashed those too.

 

‘What a raggedy place…’

 

Adelaine didn’t want to just sit on the tattered wood. Great shiny wings wrapped generously around his body. 

 

I shook my head vigorously to clear my retinas of what seemed to be peeking out from between them.

 

I squinted, determined not to lose; he had leaned down in the middle, so our eyes were roughly level. 

 

If anything, it felt like Adelaine’s gaze was just slightly below mine.

 

“…I forgot.”

 

“You were wearing it when I gave it to you, you didn’t take it off, did you?”

 

“What a troublesome order, to have to take care of my clothes every time I change into this form.”

 

No, it wasn’t a command, but… I cringed and barely swallowed the words that almost came out as a retort. It was better to think of it as a command.

 

“You mean you turned into a beast and then forgot?”

 

Adelaine did not answer the last question. 

 

As if in place of an answer, he gently moved another wing to cover himself more thoroughly.

 

I’ve seen all I need to see!

 

Taking the silence that fell between us as an affirmative, I nodded slowly, ‘I’ve made up my mind, and I can’t lose sight of my purpose!’

 

Today’s meeting was different from most.

 

Seeing a human being I hadn’t seen in a long time, rather than a sickly-looking beast, disconcerted me, but that made no difference.

 

‘Don’t be afraid of the beast, it’s still the same beast, even if it looks different.’

 

I reminded myself of what I had promised myself on the way down.