Episode 478
Chapter 133. Moments of Choice (5)

“Mary’s ship, you say?”

“Yeah. It’s been ages since I last saw that ship. Its name is… probably ‘Puberty.’ Hehe, that’s what it’s called.”

“That’s a strange name.”

“Mary didn’t name it herself. It was Deepus who gave it that name.”

Mary’s small sailboat didn’t even have a ship number painted on it. There were no crew members on deck either, making it look like a ghost ship.

‘Why would Mary come looking for me… Oh, right.’

A duel.

Jin and Mary had a contract stating they would duel once every three months. Their last duel was back in late August of last year, when they took down Ozdok, so it was about time for another match.

Hmmm. Jin shook his head awkwardly.

A duel with Mary was a completely different matter from taking a walk with Yona.

He needed to find a bigger opportunity than Amela and jump in quickly, but if he fought Mary, his body would be completely worn out.

“And Mary’s ‘Puberty’ rarely sails alone.”

“Why not?”

“Because she always brings along the subordinates she’s subdued. Hehe.”

A figure appeared on the deck of the Puberty.

Though it was too far to confirm if she was wearing a pirate eye patch, the confident stance at the bow, theatrically raising a sword, made it clear it was Mary Runcandel.

“Jiiiiin, Ruuuun, Kaaaaan, Deeeel!”

Then, with a voice so loud and powerful it was almost destructive, Mary called out to her younger brother.

The shockwave from her immense energy violently shook the surrounding waters. It was no surprise that all the residents of Tikan opened their windows, wondering what on earth that noise was, and looked toward Mary’s ship.

Jin couldn’t help but press his forehead, suffering a headache from the spectacle.

“Wow, Mary’s got an incredible voice, huh?”

“That’s putting it mildly. Anyway, luckily it seems Mary’s alone for now… Huh? What’s that?”

Swoooosh!

White foam began bubbling up around the lonely Puberty, as if something was about to burst forth.

The next moment, what emerged from the foam was a fleet of over fifty ships.

‘What is this? Submarines? They don’t look like it at all.’

The ships surfacing were far too large to be submarines. Their grandeur made the already modest Puberty look even more insignificant. Ironically, this only made the Puberty stand out more.

How such a fleet had suddenly appeared from beneath the sea was a mystery, but the important thing was that Mary had chosen this exact moment to show up.

“Ha ha ha! Rise up, fleet of Mary Runcandel! Hoist the sails!”

At Mary’s command, the ships swiftly raised their masts and spread out like wings on either side of the Puberty. Each fully unfurled sail bore Mary’s face.

“Fire the celebratory cannons!”

Bang! Boom! Bang! The entire fleet fired salutes into the sky.

Despite the bright midday sun, the loud explosions painted the nearby sea in a kaleidoscope of colors.

“Wooooah!”

“Awesome, Mary Runcandel!”

“What a sight to behold!”

“Everyone, come out and see this!”

Though initially intimidated by Mary’s booming voice, the residents of Tikan couldn’t help but be thrilled by the sudden naval spectacle.

Tikan was structured like a tower, and soon all the residents had gathered, waving and whistling toward Mary’s fleet.

Jin’s headache only worsened.

So he decided to ignore Mary.

“Well, let’s just get on with our walk.”

“Yeah, hehe. We should finish before Mary gets here.”

“Mary’s an uninvited guest, but you’re my guest. So Mary should wait, not you. Why worry about that?”

“Well, I don’t think Mary likes me very much. She probably hates me. Heh…”

Except for Jin, Yona had never formed a bond with any of her siblings.

After committing her first murder at eight years old, Yona had always been alone—whether in the Storm Fortress or the Garden of Blades.

She hadn’t even been able to act as a cadet until she was sent to Samil, and until then, she had never shared a proper meal with any of her siblings.

That was Siron’s will.

Though the hierarchy war was important, Siron wanted to prevent all the children who grew up with Yona from dying in vain.

Young Yona was far more vulnerable to chaos back then.

At that time, she could have killed all her siblings. She was already one of the world’s deadliest assassins and an uncontrollable sword.

Yet Yona knew the story behind Mary’s ship, Puberty, and how Deepus had named it because she had been watching her siblings whenever she had the chance.

The others didn’t know this. They didn’t know Yona was curious about them, or that she had impulsively tried to kill some of them a few times. Just as Jin didn’t know who the true owner of the Green Rose was.

It was because of Yona’s ability. Even if she tried to approach, only Siron could sense her presence and track her location at any time.

‘I’ve been so close to her that I hadn’t really thought about it. Come to think of it, Mary or Deepus probably don’t even know that Yona knows the name and story of the Puberty.’

A bitter feeling welled up in Yona’s chest.

“I think Mary would like you, not dislike you.”

Jin wasn’t just trying to comfort Yona. He genuinely thought the two unique sisters, Mary and Yona, would get along well.

“Heh, really?”

“Yes.”

“I’m glad you say that. But Mary’s never come looking for me.”

-You’re really putting me on the spot.

-Just think of it as her loving you too much. You have no idea how surprised I was when you came to Samil. Even kind Luna never came to see Yona.

-That’s sad. Does Luna dislike Yona?

-I don’t think she likes her much. I broke a few promises with her. Actually, quite a few…

Jin recalled the conversation he had with Yona back in Samil.

As she said, no one except Anne in her past life and Jin in this one had ever visited Samil.

‘The biggest reason was Siron’s strict order not to touch Yona, but that wasn’t the only reason.’

Bond.

There was no way any kind of bond or relationship could form between people who had never even shared a meal.

Besides, Yona was extremely dangerous. So the siblings had no reason to risk being killed by seeking her out.

“Hehe, I don’t have much time anyway. I’m fine! Don’t make that face.”

You should meet her sometime. Mary would like it too.

Jin swallowed the words. It probably wouldn’t happen, but if Mary showed any sign of discomfort, Yona would be hurt again.

He thought of a better plan—one that would allow the two to build a safer relationship in the future.

“…Alright.”

Yona glanced at Mary’s fleet.

The fleet was rapidly approaching Tikan.

“Ugh, she’s getting too close too fast. I’ll have to get straight to the point! Listen carefully, little one.”

Jin nodded. The ‘point’ she was about to make concerned chaos.

“First, Amela will never betray you again. More precisely, she can’t betray you. I’ve completely subdued her chaos. So you can use her without worry.”

Yona spoke quickly, growing more uneasy as Mary drew nearer.

“Ha ha ha! Little one, you brat! Come out and greet your sister! It’s a duel! A fight!”

Unaware of Yona’s feelings, Mary kept shouting like that. Yona was now twitching her fingers and toes.

“And! Amela’s speech and behavior will become childlike. Though she’s about the same age as the Black King Commander, she’s really just a kid. She was born like me, with a self that hasn’t been consumed by chaos despite her age.”

Yona grabbed Jin’s arm and stepped backward. Mary was almost at Tikan.

“There you are, little one! Jin Runcandel, my proud little brother! You’re not even answering me. Row faster! I want to see my brother up close!”

“Ha ha ha! Captain, did you hear that? Row faster, you idiots!”

The voice of the pirate who answered was very familiar.

‘…Pirate King Cosmos? Has he joined Mary’s crew?’

As the bizarre situation grew more confusing, Yona was already pulling herself away, ready to flee.

“Yona, are you really going to leave like this?”

“Hehe. If you have any other questions, ask quickly, Jin!”

She didn’t seem like she could be stopped.

“What exactly is chaos, sister?”

“I can’t tell you that! Anything else?”

“How can I ask if you keep moving away like that? Anything else? Ah, just explain it later when we meet again in Samil!”

By then, Yona was already far away.

“Alright! Hehe, then I’m off!”

“Wait, before you go—green roses! Do you have any green roses?”

“Yeah!”

“Leave those behind!”

“You’ve already got a few tucked in your pocket!”

I checked, and sure enough, there were five pairs of green roses bundled together in my pocket. All this time, Jin hadn’t even noticed that Yona had slipped them in.

Looking up again, I caught sight of Yona’s back as she climbed over the mansion’s wall. She turned around one last time, locking eyes with me and giving a cheeky wink. I couldn’t help but smirk.

‘Yona really is something else.’

No sooner had Yona left than Mary’s fleet arrived at Tikan.

They didn’t dock at the harbor or anything—they just stopped right where Jin was. Ignoring all the usual formalities for entering the city, they were ready to leap off the ship and meet Jin directly.

“Maknae!”

“Mary noona!”

“Finally answering! Hold on a sec, I’m coming up! You ready to go one-on-one with this sister of mine—”

“Warning! Do not climb up here!”

“What!?”

“Have you forgotten Father’s orders? Without my permission, no Runcandel is allowed to set foot on Tikan soil!”

“…You’re not seriously planning to break our contract, are you? We agreed to fight at least once every three months!”

Though the fleet was docked close to Tikan, Jin was on the top floor, so they had to shout to be heard.

Naturally, all the townsfolk who had come out to watch overheard the whole exchange.

“It wasn’t unconditional! Check the contract. Anyway, today’s not happening. I’ll contact you soon, and then we’ll fight!”

Mary scowled, clearly disappointed, but she’d come prepared for this kind of response.

Then she cracked a sly smile.

“Is that so? Fine, I’ll head back then!”

Her sudden compliance made me uneasy.

“Even if we can’t duel, at least have some tea before you go!”

“No, I’m busy. Take care of your business!”

“Well, if that’s how it is, I understand! Take care!”

“Alright! Oh, by the way—too bad! If you’d beaten me this time, I was going to introduce you to a big opportunity!”

That hit me like a hammer to the back of the head.

‘This is more important than Lady Amela’s matter…!’

Mary had come with an offer Jin couldn’t refuse from the start.