Ch. 1: Invitation to a Ship
Country of Pirates, Ancula, Month of Brilliance…-.
The sea spread out far beyond the horizon, beautiful and clear…-
On the land beside the world’s most beautiful sea, a prince whom I’d just awoken was now smiling at me.
Douglas: “Thanks for the rescue. I’m Douglas. And you are…?”
His extended hand was so broad that it completely swallowed my own.
OO: “…I’m OO.”
Douglas: “OO…a beautiful name. Nice to meet you.”
I looked at his sturdy frame and noted how his silver hair sparkled and swayed in the sea breeze.
Douglas: “OO, I’m in your debt for saving me. You have my utmost thanks.”
OO: “Oh, that’s alright…”
Douglas: “No, words aren’t enough. I know! Come to my country…my ship.”
OO: “Your country…is a ship?”
Douglas smiled with pride as he saw my expression.
Douglas: “That’s right, I’m a pirate after all.”
(Pirate…? The prince?)
As I held on to my doubt, I was invited to Douglas’ ship…-.
…
……
I arrived at the harbor that had been pointed out to me, and the shimmering, blue sea stretched on before my eyes.
(So beautiful…)
I walked out onto the wharf and looked down, seeing the tropical fish swimming in schools through the coral at the bottom of the sea.
(Oh, clownfish! How cute.)
The sea was so beautiful it took my breath away, and the sight of the fish made my heart dance. Then I heard a voice that I recognized.
Douglas: “Sorry to keep you waiting.”
OO: “Douglas!”
Douglas: “Glad you made it. We need to stock up on supplies and food here in the town before we set sail, so do you want to go for a walk through town?”
Douglas shot me a casual wink and I felt my cheeks heat up slightly.
OO: “S-sure.”
I tripped over my answer, then he grasped my hand…
(Eh! My hand…!)
OO: “Um…!”
Douglas: “Hm? What’s wrong?”
OO: “N-nothing…!”
Douglas: “I’ll show you the best seafood restaurant in town.”
I slowly placed my other hand over my pounding heart as I walked beside Douglas, who was practically beaming.
Ch. 2: The Land of Pirates
A pleasant sea breeze caressed my cheek…-.
I walked through the harbor town, my hand wrapped around Douglas’ arm.
Feeling the heat from his arm made my heart pound while my eyes were captivated by the bustling town.
Douglas: “This place is always busy and full of people. Are you alright with crowds?”
OO: “I’m fine, I’m just enjoying watching everything.”
Douglas: “I see, that’s good then.”
Douglas met my smile with a gentle one of his own.
OO: “This is your country…right?”
Douglas: “Yup, it is. The land is one part of it.”
OO: “The land?”
Douglas: “There’s not a lot of land around here. And within the sea are the underwater kingdoms like Lorelai and Coralia.”
OO: “There are kingdoms under the sea…”
I found myself listening attentively, unable to even imagine what those places must be like.
Douglas: “The sea is magnificent when looked at like this from the land, but underneath the water is even more beautiful.”
(If there’s a kingdom, that must mean there are people there too, right? I wonder how they breathe under water…)
Many questions came to mind as I thought about people living under the sea, and I ended up staying quiet longer than I had planned.
Douglas: “Haha!”
OO: “Eh…Douglas?”
I came back to myself hearing that boisterous laugh from beside me.
Douglas: “You’re pretty interesting OO. I never tire of seeing the expressions on your face.”
Douglas laughed as if he found something interesting.
Douglas: “Just now, you were lost in thought right?”
OO: “Eh, you could tell?”
Douglas: “Yeah, though it’s my first time seeing a girl’s expression change through so many things that quick.”
Douglas’s expression relaxed as he looked at me and spoke.
OO: “W-was I making a face again?”
Douglas: “You say ‘again’, but you’re always doing it.”
His voice rose to a laugh after he said it.
Douglas: “How do they breathe under water!? That’s what you were thinking, right?”
OO: “Y-yes…”
I nodded meekly, Douglas having hit the nail on the head.
Then Douglas’ gentle look grew distant and he began to tell me of the world beneath the waters.
Douglas: “There’s a unique film stretched within the seas here, creating pockets of oxygen. It lets you breathe just like you would normally. Of course the people that live in the water can breathe in the water too. Like merfolk. If you’re lucky, you can see the merfolk and the others that live in the water while you’re on my ship.”
OO: “…! I’d really like to see that.”
Douglas: “Good, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.”
Kingdoms within the sea like I’d never seen, and the people that live there…
My heart fluttered as Douglas talked about these places that were like out of a dream, and we set an easy pace as we walked through the town on the coast.
Douglas: “My country…well, my ship is kind of like the capital. A fortress town that moves along the water.”
OO: “Fortress town…?”
Douglas: “Yeah. Before, there were horrible battles everywhere as peopled vied for the narrow strips of land.”
Douglas’ expression, which so far still held that gentle smile, clouded over slightly with sadness.
Douglas: “Those disputes started to ripple and affect the kingdoms in the sea–. Originally my ancestors came here to do trading on their merchant ships, and they unified the pirates on land-… no, rather they culled them.”
Douglas stopped speaking as he gazed across the sea into the distance.
Douglas: “That’s why… I have to take care of it.”
OO: “Douglas…?”
I spoke his name, and his gentle smile fell on me.
Douglas: “You’ll understand if you come with me.”
The two of us continued walking, listening to the excited cries of the seagulls.
Ch. 3: A Well-Informed Hostess
I walked through the port town with Douglas, listening to the history of this country surrounded by the beautiful sea.
After a while, I spotted a lone restaurant.
Douglas: “Alright, here we are. We’re going in.”
OO: “Alright.”
Inside, the enticing smell of food drifted on the air.
Douglas: “The seafood here is the best.”
OO: “It smells good…”
Douglas: “And it tastes even better.”
OO: “I can’t wait to try it!”
Douglas saw how excited I was and smiled at me in delight.
OO: “It’s making me hungry.”
Douglas: “Haha, you sure are upfront OO. Well then, eat your fill.”
OO: “Alright!”
He escorted me over to a table with a view of the sea.
OO: “Thank you.”
Douglas: “You’re welcome.”
Douglas pulled out a chair for me, then took the seat opposite.
(He seems like he’s experienced in playing the escort.)
I realized Douglas was a bit different from what I had always imagined a pirate to be.
I thought of how easy he was to talk to, and the beautiful sea, and felt my heart pound when…-.
??: “Oh, if it isn’t Douglas.”
A woman wearing an apron was smiling at Douglas and coming towards us.
(She’s so beautiful…does she…work here?)
The woman sat menus in front of us, then started casually speaking to Douglas.
??: “I was starting to miss you, haven’t seen your face around here in a while.”
Douglas: “I’d have stopped by but I’ve been pretty busy. My ship should have brought in a good haul of fish today, so I assume I can expect something masterfully crafted?”
??: “You leave it to me; I’ll bring you something that’ll melt in your mouth! By the way…”
The woman turned her gaze to me and seemed quite interested in what she saw.
??: “Ah, are you the Princess of Traumere?”
Douglas: “As expected, you’d hear about it first.”
??: “Douglas, you know I’m well-informed!”
Douglas: “Haha, yeah you’re right.”
(She speaks with him so casually, so they must be close…)
That’s what I thought to myself as their laughter echoed inside the shop.
At that time, I was shocked from my thoughts as I felt a heated gaze fall on me, and found the woman was looking directly at me.
??: “She’s a cute princess isn’t she.”
OO: “I-it’s a pleasure to meet you… I’m OO!”
Douglas: “Haha… you don’t have to be so formal with her. This girl’s one of the restaurant’s hostesses.”
Hostess: “Nice to meet ya. Make sure to eat up while you’re here!”
Douglas: “You know, you really should have more manners when addressing a princess.”
Douglas let out a little sigh as he muttered those few words.
OO: “Oh no! That’s not…”
As I spoke, the lunch rush must have hit as there was a shudder and the shop filled with people.
Douglas: “See, this isn’t the time to be slacking off, you’ve got work to do.”
Hostess: “Fine, fine. You two take your time alright?”
OO: “Yes, thank you.”
The hostess grinned then turned and left.
Douglas: “Sorry it got so loud.”
OO: “No, it’s fine…”
My eyes followed the hostess as she rushed about the shop, and I felt an odd haze fall over my heart.
(For someone like Douglas, it’s only natural he’d have a lot of female friends…but…then why do I…)
Suddenly, I realized Douglas was staring at me and he tilted his head slightly.
Douglas: “OO, what’s wrong?”
OO: “Ah…nothing, it’s nothing.”
Douglas: “…you sure?”
Douglas examined my expression in concern.
OO: “That woman, she looks pretty busy.”
Douglas followed my gaze and noticed the hostess.
Douglas: “Yeah, this place is a lively spot, so it’s crowded at lunch and dinner.”
He spoke with a kind smile.
So I swallowed down what I wanted to say before I could start into such a silly conversation.
Ch. 4: A Pirate's Job
I felt my shoulders droop slightly at seeing the friendly relationship between Douglas and the hostess…
Then, dishes were brought out to our table one by one.
Douglas: “Around here, the sea has a low temperature, so the fish are resilient and extremely delicious.”
OO: “I see, and they all look delicious…”
Douglas: “Don’t hold back, eat as much as you want.”
I took in the rows of seafood that had been set on the table, all the plates thick with food.
OO: “I’ll try this one.”
I took a bite of a large shrimp, and the rubbery body split open in my mouth.
OO: “It’s so good!”
Douglas: “Good. Go ahead and eat up.”
OO: “Right!”
Seeing my reaction, Douglas smiled happily.
OO: “This is my first time eating such delicious seafood. I’m really grateful.”
Douglas: “It was worth bringing you then if it makes you that happy.”
Douglas looked at me in delight as he spoke.
Relishing the taste of the delicious food, Douglas let out a chuckle as he swirled his wine glass.
Douglas: “I’m glad you’re feeling better.”
OO: “Eh…-“
Douglas: “You were looking a little down.”
OO: “!”
(He noticed…how embarrassing.)
When I realized he’d seen right through me, my cheeks heated up.
Douglas: “…”
I wondered if Douglas knew what I was feeling, but he just cheerfully took a sip of his wine.
Douglas: “Truth is… When I introduced myself as a pirate, I thought you might be too scared to come meet me.”
OO: “That’s not…”
(Actually, I did think he might be kind of scary but…)
Douglas: “Hehe… You’re honest OO. You really were scared huh?”
OO: “Eh…-“
Indifferent to my shock, Douglas let out a boisterous laugh.
Douglas: “I’m just kidding. We aren’t like you were thinking OO. Our main goal is to stop poachers from abusing the resources in the area, and to maintain the order both on land and in the water. See? I’m not scary right?”
OO: “No…actually, I did think you might have been a little scary.”
Douglas: “Haha, you really are upfront.”
OO: “I’m sorry…”
Douglas: “Don’t apologize.”
As Douglas swirled his wine glass, he looked on at me with interest.
OO: “But…in the end you’re still a pirate, right?”
Douglas: “Yup, a justice-loving pirate…or something like that.”
OO: “H-how does that even…-“
He looked at me, my eyes having gone wide.
Douglas: “Haha, your reactions really are interesting OO.”
We hadn’t known each other long, but the time I had spent with Douglas was so enjoyable…-.
(How strange…)
Gradually, the desire to know more about him had filled my mind.
OO: “So other than being a pirate, you defend the seas too.”
Douglas: “Well, that’s close.”
——————–
Douglas: “Originally my ancestors came here to do trading on their merchant ships, and they unified the pirates on land-… no, rather they culled them. That’s why… I have to take care of it.”
——————–
(He said something like that earlier.)
I felt myself admiring Douglas for how he would protect the peace of the vast, deep sea, when…-.
Douglas: “But at the same time, there’s also treasure hunting.”
Suddenly, his eyes filled with mischief.
OO: “Treasure hunting?”
Douglas: “Right, looking for gold and jewels. That’s more pirate-y yeah?”
OO: “Treasure hunting… yes, that’s the image I had of a pirate!”
With each word from Douglas, I found myself newly surprised, and it made my heart pound.
Ch. 5: Sad Eyes
Douglas: “Right, looking for gold and jewels. That’s more pirate-y yeah?”
Douglas told me of how he defended the peace of the sea and the land, but also that he hunted for treasure, and at that I felt my eyes sparkle.
Douglas: “That’s a good look… I figure most of the time girls don’t have any interest in this kind of thing.”
Douglas moved closer, his chin resting in his hand.
Douglas: “Do you… fancy yourself a pirate?”
OO: “Uh, I…”
Douglas: “Sorry, I was just teasing you a little.”
Douglas took another sip of wine with a small smile but…-.
Douglas: “…”
(Huh…?)
The smile gradually slid from his face, and his gaze looked forlorn.
OO: “Douglas?”
Douglas: “Ah…sorry. Just lost in thought.”
I could see a profound sadness in his eyes.
Douglas: “… are you worried about me?”
OO: “!!”
I realized I had been staring at him for an unknown amount of time, and I hurriedly looked away.
Douglas: “You really are cute.”
Douglas took a deep breath, then turned his gaze out at the sea beyond the window.
Douglas: “I’m actually looking for something from my old man.”
OO: “…your father?”
Douglas: “Yeah, as a present… for my mother.”
With that sadness hanging over his eyes, Douglas quietly continued his story.
Douglas: “When I was little, there was a terrible storm and the ship was wrecked. Everyone lost their lives in the tossing sea. It was then that my old man risked everything to protect my mother and me… but to this day I don’t know what happened to him. I’m sure… that somewhere in this wide sea, my old man is alive. When I would see my mother thinking about him and how sad she would look, it would break my heart.”
(That’s so awful…)
I watched Douglas in profile as he turned a distant gaze back to the sea, and it made my heart ache.
OO: “…”
I couldn’t find the right words to say, then suddenly Douglas turned and gave me a gentle smile.
Douglas: “…OO, don’t look at me like that.”
OO: “…”
Douglas: “I see… could it be you’re disappointed to find out I’ve got such a mother complex?”
OO: “No, that’s not it! You’re only thinking of your mother…”
Thinking of his intentions, I found myself wrapped in sorrow and rather forcefully bit my lip.
Douglas: “You’re very kind.”
I looked up, and Douglas was looking back at me kindly.
OO: “… I can understand how you feel. If the same thing had happened to me, I’m sure I’d feel the same…”
Douglas looked at me, slightly surprised, then his expression softened.
Douglas: “Maybe… if I find any good treasure while you’re here, I’ll give it to you, as a present.”
I met his gaze, then grinned to hide my embarrassment.
At that time…-.
Hostess: “By the way, I got an interesting bit of info.”
The hostess spoke to Douglas in a quiet voice, coming over to apparently move empty plates.
Douglas: “Interesting info…?”
The hostess slipped Douglas a note.
He read it over, then grinned.
Hostess: “Well?”
Douglas: “I’ll pay whatever you’re asking.”
Hostess: “You got it!”
All I could do was watch their exchange, having no idea what was going on.
Then…-.
Douglas: “OO, it’s about time we headed back to the ship.”
OO: “Ah…r-right.”
(Just what was written on that paper…?)
I watched Douglas’ broad back as we made our way to the restaurant’s exit.
Ch. 6: Treasure Hunting
———–
At the end of the meal, a suspicious shadow watched as OO and Douglas left the restaurant.
Man 1: “…finally, that damn Douglas is on the move.”
Man 2: “Looks like it… we should head back to the harbor, try to get ahead.”
As the two spoke in hushed tones, they continued to watch the prince and his companion…-.
———–
Afterwards, we said goodbye to the hostess and left the restaurant.
Full on delicious seafood, we walked with the evening sea breeze blowing around us…
(Douglas and that hostess were talking about something quietly earlier but…)
Suddenly curious about the matter, I chanced a glance up at Douglas as he walked beside me.
Douglas: “Hm? What’s up?”
Douglas had caught me and tilted his head slightly in confusion as he looked at me.
OO: “Ah, well… I was curious about what you were talking about back in the restaurant with the hostess…”
Douglas: “Ah, well actually she’s an information broker. She serves food now, but before she would sail the sea treasure hunting, just like me.”
OO: “Eh!? That beautiful woman?”
Seeing my reaction, Douglas smiled in amusement.
Douglas: “Shocking right? She’s actually pretty terrifying.”
OO: “I wouldn’t say she’s scary, more like strong.”
Douglas: “Really?”
OO: “Yes, I think she’s amazing, treasure hunting like that just like all the men.”
Douglas nodded slowly as he listened to me.
OO: “That’s kind of unexpected. So even women can do things like hunt for treasure?”
Douglas: “Of course. There just aren’t that many of them.”
As he answered in the affirmative, I nodded slightly.
(Then maybe she was like a colleague to Douglas…)
At that thought, I let out a little sigh of relief.
Douglas: “Hehe…”
I looked up in surprise, hearing Douglas laugh.
Then…-.
Douglas: “It’s so interesting seeing your expression change so much… I really don’t think I could ever get tired of it.”
Douglas placed his large hand over my cheek.
OO: “…”
Shocked and embarrassed, I ended up swallowing anything I could have said and…
Douglas: “…”
His eyes sparkled as something flitted through them.
Douglas: “I know, OO, how about you come treasure hunting with me?”
OO: “What!? … it’s alright for someone like me to come?”
Douglas: “Yeah, I’m sure you’ll be my Goddess of Fortune.”
Douglas gave a hearty laugh and smiled, and it seemed to shine brighter than the sunlight reflected off the sea.