Chapter 14
One of the southernmost islands on the continent, Muia Island.
This small island, with a population of less than a thousand, is surprisingly popular as a tourist destination, with many visitors coming each year.
The reason for its popularity lies in the legend that if you touch the “Rock of Luck” on the island, you will conceive a child. Because of this, the island is well-known among newlywed couples as a prime vacation spot.
And the good news for us is that most of the islands in this area are owned by pirates.
The pirates have been laundering illegal money and using it to purchase private lands, making them their strongholds.
“…It was a troublesome issue during my time in the navy, but now it might actually be to our advantage. The navy’s attention is focused on the pirates,” said Ian.
There’s a saying that if you want to hide a tree, you should hide it in a forest. The pirates’ presence itself serves as a smoke screen for us.
Choosing Muia Island as the meeting place was a brilliant decision. If it had been any ordinary location, evading the navy’s gaze would have been difficult.
However, there was still a sense of worry. If we were misunderstood by someone, we could end up being entangled with the pirates and attract the navy’s attention.
“Still, despite being pirate-owned, this is a tourist spot, isn’t it?” I asked.
“That’s right. The tourist district is filled mostly with regular people. They’ve likely heard the news about us,” Ian replied.
“If we dock here, won’t it be too obvious?” I asked.
We were on a shabby raft, looking as though we had been shipwrecked. Before we were caught as criminals, we were already standing out as strange individuals. Even I could tell that it was suspicious.
“Ian, do you remember what I told you about the island?”
“You said people come to touch the rock on the island, right?”
“Yes. Just remember that,” Ian said.
Are we really pretending to come here just to touch the rock?
I hesitated for a moment. Since we were already pretending to be a couple, pretending to be on our honeymoon wouldn’t be that difficult. As long as I followed Ian’s lead, it should be fine.
“Master, what should I do?” asked Jelly.
“Want to hide in my pocket? Try shrinking even more,” I said.
“Understood!” Jelly replied.
With a pop, Jelly shrank to the size of my palm.
I carefully opened my pocket and placed Jelly inside. After a bit of squirming, Jelly curled up into a small ball and settled comfortably.
“Ian, let’s get rid of the raft here,” I suggested.
It’s better to dispose of the suspicious raft. It made perfect sense.
“I’ll get you a better one,” Ian said, noticing my hesitation.
I chuckled and responded, “I don’t need anything too fancy. Just enough space to ensure my privacy.”
“Something like a two-story would work,” Ian added.
“Anything would be better than this,” I replied.
Just as the ferry ahead was about to dock, we stepped onto the island.
At the same time, we created a wave that pushed the raft further away. The raft, hidden behind the ferry, drifted away toward deeper waters.
Then, it happened.
Whoooosh!
A strong wind, filled with moisture from the sea, blew fiercely. It was so strong it scattered the attention of the people around.
In the fierce wind, I suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of familiarity.
‘This feels like something that happened before…’
A strong yet gentle wind. And at the moment people’s gazes turned elsewhere, I felt it.
“This way,” Ian said, pulling me gently. Seeing that Ian remained unaffected by the gusts, I knew who was behind the wind.
“Aaargh! My hat! I only wore it once!” a woman cried.
“Oh, dear. Miss, would you like to see our shop’s hats?” a local vendor called out.
Tourists were in an uproar. Mixing in with the local residents, they stumbled off the ferry into the strong wind.
I moved quietly toward their group and whispered to Ian.
“Ian, don’t you think our faces are already known? Is it okay to get any closer?”
It was all over the newspapers, especially your face.
“…It should be fine,” Ian responded.
“Do you have some sort of plan? Were you using your powers just now?” I asked.
“No, that’s not it,” he replied.
“Oh, then you must be relying on your friends on the island!” I said.
Ian, while keeping an eye on our surroundings, placed his arm around my shoulders.
Though we were on the run now, Ian had been in the navy. He must have some other means of contact, like the encrypted Pelican communications we used.
However, contrary to my expectations, he spoke in a stern tone.
“We’ll go for a direct approach.”
“Wha-what do you mean?” I stammered.
Wasn’t he supposed to have a plan?
Ian carefully wrapped his arm around my waist. His tender touch made me dizzy with the unexpected answer.
“We’ll wait until people pass by, then…”
“No, that won’t work. Even though it’s a tourist island, they still patrol.”
“Then we’ll find another entrance.”
“That’s probably a pirate’s passage,” Ian muttered, his voice lowered.
As we spoke in hushed tones, the group of tourists had already gotten quite close.
Damn, if I had known, I would’ve dyed my hair with squid ink.
“Alright,” I sighed.
There’s no other way. As Ian said, blending in with the tourists was the best option. We needed to act like we were just another group of vacationers.
“Welcome to Muia Island!”
Several vendors welcomed us as we walked along. A man in a flower-patterned shirt, wearing dark sunglasses, caught our attention.
He seemed too muscular to be just a vendor.
“Oh, are you on your honeymoon?” he asked, smiling broadly.
“Yes, we are,” Ian answered promptly, as if we were just another couple.
“Ah, then you must be here to touch the Rock of Luck!” the man said.
“…Yes,” Ian replied.
Was this a conversation meant for our cover?
I tried to ignore the man, but Ian answered him without hesitation.
“Is that so? Does your husband prefer a son or a daughter?” the man asked.
“Both would be cute,” Ian responded casually.
“…Shall we go now?” I interjected.
I couldn’t stand waiting. While Ian was answering shamelessly, I looked at him with a sideways glance.
I smiled. He probably knew what I meant.
“My, my, the groom seems in a hurry! Come now, let’s enjoy the island!” the man continued.
From his large bag, he pulled out a big necklace made of red hibiscus flowers and handed it to us.
“As a welcome for honeymooners, we give this!” he said cheerfully.
I’d heard of this custom before, how in southern island nations, they greet tourists in such a way.
‘But this feels… excessive.’
I glanced at Ian, who had been given a matching flower necklace. He silently nodded.
“And here’s a special floral crown for the bride!” the man added, placing a straw hat decorated with white flowers on my head. Finally, he handed us two pairs of black sunglasses.
That was the end of the man’s little ceremony.
‘So, that was the plan.’
It worked perfectly. From being worn-out fugitives, we’d transformed into tourists in an instant.
“You look great! Now, shall I guide you around the island?” the man asked with a bright voice.
He began recommending mango iced tea, but Ian turned to me and asked, “Honey, you must be tired from the long journey, right?”
“Ah, yes,” I responded.
What’s with this guy?
Why is he such a good actor?
Ian naturally took my hand. The warmth of his touch was so awkward that I felt like curling up, but…
If I acted awkwardly, it would blow our cover. I had to play along with Ian’s act.
“Shall we head to the inn and rest?” Ian asked.
I see. That’s the plan?
We had successfully disguised ourselves as honeymooners, so now we needed to move to the meeting spot.
To move naturally without suspicion, we needed to create an alibi.
I looked at Ian’s golden eyes, which glowed with a warm light, and gave him a knowing glance. Pretending to be newlyweds wouldn’t be difficult. There were plenty of couples around.
I followed his lead, wrapping my arms around his waist. As I looked up to meet his eyes, I said, “Yes! Let’s go rest. I don’t even know when the last time was I got to sleep on a real bed with you.”
Thinking back to the nights we spent on the raft, Ian nodded with understanding.
Then, he gently pulled my head toward him and whispered in my ear, as though we had been together for years, with no hesitation.
“I guess you’ve been wanting to lie down with me, huh?”
…Was this level of detail really necessary?
Perhaps it was the tropical heat. The warmth from his fingertips felt strangely vivid.
Feeling a bit awkward, I turned my head slightly and answered, “Well, I’m tired.”
“Alright. Let’s spend today at the inn,” Ian said, leading me along the path.
The exotic scent of the island wafted on the wind, and the palm leaves above swayed gently.
With my other hand, I fiddled with Jelly in my pocket. Jelly gave a little protest, as though swatting at the pocket. Though it was just a small jelly, it still made me smile.
“Hah, couple goals,” someone muttered from behind.
It seems our cover was successful.
