Chapter 18
I had lived a life detached from the mundane world, clinging to nothing.
“But, but if I just have a stove, I could even make a fire out on the sea…!”
“M-Master, what does this thing called a biscuit taste like!?”
“A seawater desalination device!? With that, we wouldn’t even need to collect rainwater anymore!”
After years of imprisonment, dying over and over again, I thought I had grown used to a life far removed from worldly goods. But I was gravely mistaken.
“Clothes that dry instantly even after getting wet? Just how far has civilization advanced…?”
Once my eyes were opened to modern conveniences, I realized just how much of a primitive life I had been living. And I came to a single conclusion:
“I can never go back to my old lifestyle now…”
“That’s right, Master. The jellyfish that used to eat nothing but anchovies is gone forever.”
Jelly and I looked down at the pamphlet Lloyd had brought, our smiles shadowy and sinister.
When Lloyd, who had offered to buy us what we needed, scratched his cheek and asked—
“Canoe, did you by chance live on some remote island? Were you shipwrecked or something?”
“Something like that… Not exactly an island, but on the sea.”
“…And by sea, you mean the Sea of Silence, right?”
I didn’t add that it had been a prison floating on the water. Lloyd let out a dry laugh and stared at the ceiling.
“Of all the things I’ve seen in life… a castaway from there.”
Jelly blinked proudly at Lloyd’s incredulous mutter. He no longer panicked at the talking jellyfish—apparently, he had gotten used to it.
“But these things, they cost quite a bit. Roughly about this much.”
Lloyd counted on his fingers and held them out to me. I glanced sideways at Ian.
“…You mean 2 gold?”
“Nope. 20.”
I was crushed. I had thought about getting a bigger ship, but seeing the steep prices, I gave up.
In the end, I chose a small fishing boat. Just one tiny cabin, perfect for one person.
“Thanks. This will do.”
“If you need anything, buy it now. We won’t get many chances to stop at islands.”
“It’s fine. No point in running up more debt.”
Lloyd may be Ian’s trusted friend, but I didn’t want to owe him any more than I already did. The help I had received from him so far was already burdensome.
Kindness, even when genuine, could always turn into shackles. No matter how pure the intention, a trap labeled “for your own good” could be laid by anyone.
That was why I found my relationship with Ian just right. We used each other, only when necessary—an entirely reasonable arrangement.
“Then this, and this too… Canoe?”
“Ah. Yeah.”
Ian’s voice brought me back to the present. He was giving me a doubtful look, but I shook my head like it was nothing.
“Food supplies and spare clothes will be needed. Please handle those, Lloyd.”
Ian had already drawn up a shopping list. Lloyd, who had been lounging on the sofa, sprang up and pointed accusingly.
“Ian. You’re talking as if my money’s yours.”
“Sorry. I don’t have any money right now.”
“Oh, right. You’re broke, aren’t you?”
“Yeah.”
Sighing, Lloyd snatched the list. Next to me, Jelly whispered slyly.
“Heh heh. Master, that man’s fat wallet is already in our grasp…”
“Shh.”
I scooped Jelly up and slipped him into my pocket. Thankfully, the two men didn’t notice.
“You know, I even gave up my vacation, and here I am running errands for you.”
“Think of it as sightseeing. This isn’t errands, it’s shopping. Here, sunglasses.”
“Hm.”
Lloyd accepted the black sunglasses from Ian, arched an eyebrow, and struck a pose in front of the mirror.
“How do I look? Cool?”
“Yeah. Like a tourist.”
…Not exactly a compliment.
I stared at the two of them in disbelief. But Lloyd seemed pleased with Ian’s reply, smiling lightly as he waved.
“Alright, I’m off~”
He left the inn. With just one person gone, the room suddenly felt quiet.
Humans are strange. Not long ago, I was used to silence and solitude. Yet now, the stillness left behind after the noise felt oddly unfamiliar.
And somehow, I thought I might even miss that noisiness.
“He’s a cheerful guy, Lloyd.”
“No… I’d say it’s more of… a kindness, in his own way.”
Ian avoided my gaze and rubbed his throat lightly.
“I was never good at trusting people.”
A faint smile curved on his lips.
“That’s why he shows his emotions so openly. Just enough for others to handle. And anything uncomfortable, he covers with jokes.”
“Ian, you’re a bit sly, you know that?”
I suddenly snatched the cup from his hand. His now-empty fingers waved awkwardly in the air.
“Canoe?”
He looked up at me in surprise. I recalled something Jelly once told me and smirked playfully.
“So basically, you trust him enough to exploit him, right?”
“…How did you even twist it into that conclusion?”
Well, because you’re embarrassed, and I’m kindly pretending not to notice.
I shrugged and downed the cold water. I still had no desire to pry into his past, but one thought lingered.
“At the end of the day, good people attract good people.”
“You’re awfully good at dressing up your words, Canoe.”
“Am I? Then at least I found something I’m good at.”
That’s what friends are—those who leave footprints on each other’s lives.
Even if trials come, would the signposts of these two people still point in the same direction?
I found myself curious.
“Shall we leave tonight?”
“Sounds good. It’ll be better under cover of darkness.”
We briefly went over the plan. Nothing too elaborate—after all, most of our business on Muia Island was already done.
“Oh, by the way, Ian.”
He turned his head when I called. I pointed to the table—specifically, to a wallet half-hidden under a pamphlet.
“Isn’t that Lloyd’s wallet?”
“Ha! How about that, Master! Did you see my quick hands?”
Perched proudly on my shoulder, Jelly puffed out his chest. I gave him a thumbs-up and tucked him into my loose hair.
“You were amazing, Jelly. The best.”
It was his doing that Lloyd’s wallet ended up hidden behind the pamphlet. I had needed to separate Ian and Lloyd, if only for a little while.
“But Master, are you sure it’s alright to leave just like this?”
“…Why?”
“Won’t he worry if we disappear without saying anything?”
My steps faltered slightly at that.
Worry, huh. Would Ian really worry about me?
“Jelly, you’re something else. A jellyfish with more sensitivity than a human.”
“Don’t forget, Master, I’m an empathic jellyfish!”
“Ah, right. I guess you are.”
I laughed weakly and headed toward the pier where our boat was moored.
Time was short. By the time Ian found Lloyd and returned to the inn, he’d discover I was gone—in about thirty minutes.
“Of course, I’ll follow whatever you decide, Master.”
“Why so hesitant? This was the agreement from the start.”
The reason I came to Muia Island despite the risks—
It was to finish my contract with Ian.
“But, Master… there’s actually something I never told you.”
“Jelly, sorry, but don’t expect good food for a while.”
I adjusted the straw hat on my head and glanced back at him.
The pier was now in sight. If I remembered right, Lloyd said the boat had a white flag with a yellow star.
“W-what? No, that’s not it! I mean the conversation Lloyd had with that new companion.”
“Ian already told me about that.”
When Jelly had come back caught in Ian’s grasp after his “spy mission,” Ian had relayed everything Lloyd had discussed.
The royal family’s search for us. The Frederic family also looking for Ian. That was all.
With Jelly listening too, I didn’t think Ian had lied.
“No, there’s more! Something important!”
Jelly suddenly brushed aside my hair and shouted directly into my ear:
“The new companion said they really, really like you, Master!”
…What?
I froze in place at those words.
