After confirming the direction to proceed, Turan tossed a silver coin onto the deck before returning to the pirate ship on Bize.
The knights and sailors blankly watched the departing figure in a half-dazed state, recording this in their minds as one of the incredible things to tell others later.
After repeating this process several tis over three days.
Confirming they were approaching their target island, Turan stopped the ship to recover magical power while checking on the people's condition, which he hadn't had ti to verify while keeping busy.
"A few people complain of seasickness, but otherwise they're fine."
"If that's all, then that's fortunate."
Given how he'd forcibly increased speed by constantly blowing wind, the ship's ride couldn't help but be quite rough.
It would have been sowhat better if he could properly steer to catch currents, but Turan's learned sailing skills were only crash course level, making that difficult.
After finally checking everyone's condition, Turan sailed straight toward the distant Anik Island.
As they approached, two sailing ships of similar size ca out to et them, presumably to respond.
"Hey, where are you from? Stop the ship!"
"Know that if you keep approaching, you'll sink!"
Unfortunately, since there were no wizards among the pirates who jumped out, Turan reached out to raise an appropriate amount of seawater and poured it over the two sailing ships.
The pirates, instantly soaked like drowned rats, trembled.
"I've co to see your captain on business. Go back and report this."
At Turan's words, the two sailing ships fled back to the island literally as fast as their tails could carry them.
Soon after, presumably having received news of an attacking pirate wizard, the returning ship carried soone with noble-level magical power.
Standing at the bow was a large man with red hair and beard, holding a long harpoon in one hand.
Turan recognized him as Red Whale and imdiately projected his magical power.
The other briefly groaned before shouting in a frivolous tone befitting a pirate.
"What kind of character are you to co to where kids play with such power! No, though your face is young, you're not really a kid, right!"
Such an attitude even after confirming Turan's power - it was hard to tell if he was ignorant or just had strong nerve.
"Are you Red Whale?"
"That's right!"
"I've co with a request, but first, as per custom, I demand treatnt as a guest. Though you're a pirate, as a noble you should know such protocols, right?"
"Uh..."
Red Whale wore a blank expression at Turan's words.
His face seed to say, what's that?
Perhaps being fundantally a pirate despite being noble ant his ignorance couldn't be helped.
Turan clicked his tongue lightly and quickly explained the usual customs of noble hospitality on the continent.
Hearing this, Red Whale quickly nodded and shouted.
"Ah, of course, of course! I already knew all that! I, Tasan, as one who inherited the gods' blood, how could I refuse to host noble blood!"
Though his words were awkward to the point of being theatrical, his subordinates behind him praised this with exclamations of how cool it was.
Truly pirate-like behavior.
==
Red Whale Tasan's residence, while quite large and grand, fell far short of continental nobles in terms of refinent and luxury.
Leaving the kidnapped people on the pirate ship, Turan formally t with his counterpart in the widest hall as a guest.
While Red Whale's officers lined up behind Tasan and Turan was alone, the latter's side dominated in presence.
Naturally so, as even their strongest, Tasan's magical power was less than half of Turan's, and the rest were rely knight-level.
"So, you said you had a request? Don't know which house you're from, but soone of your skill must be quite famous on the continent - what would you need from us?"
"Regardless of my strength, I'm still just one person. That's why nobles bother maintaining houses and training knights. Unfortunately, I don't belong to any house."
Judging by the doubt in Tasan's eyes, he didn't quite trust his words.
Turan shook his head lightly and got to the point.
When he told the story of an island about four days' sail north or northwest from here, and the people kidnapped to work there as miners and sex slaves, Tasan roared.
"Cobinus, you bastard!"
Along with his thunderous shout, his huge harpoon pierced the floor with a bang.
Though he knew Tasan didn't order kidnappings, he hadn't expected such a fierce reaction to kidnappings by other pirates.
After fuming for a while, he looked at Turan and asked.
"So, are you suggesting we subjugate Cobinus together?"
"Since you operate relatively nearby, you must have seen how strong Cobinus's magic is. How does it compare to mine?"
At Turan's question, Tasan tilted his head with an "hmm" before speaking.
"Well... I'm not very good at asuring strength, and it's been a while since I t Cobinus, but while you're probably stronger, I'm not sure."
"Really?"
It was strange considering Turan's current magical power was unmatched among single-bloodline wizards.
Could he possibly be an illegitimate child inheriting a major house's bloodline?
Though unexpected, it wasn't enough to disrupt his plans.
With his outstanding magical skill plus fire spirits, Turan was confident he could easily win even against an equal-level wizard.
"Among the pirates of this South Sea, he's one of the strongest. Though I pride myself on my skill..."
His attitude suddenly turning timid, so different from his hot-blooded behavior earlier that it felt like changing masks.
Perhaps he'd been badly beaten by Cobinus before.
"Anyway, my request is simple - return those kidnapped people to their hos. I'll pay the passage fee."
But for so reason.
Not just Tasan but all the Red Whale pirate officers looked at him as if he were a strange person.
Tasan asked as if representing everyone.
"Why?"
"Why am I paying? Well, if I force you through threats, you probably won't do it properly-"
"No, why are you doing such a thing at all? What do you gain from doing this?"
"At least it'll make feel good."
He didn't ntion how pleased he was at the sight of the sheep showing gratitude at being told they'd be returned ho, and thus he didn't want to see them disappointed and frustrated.
That would expose too much of his inner self.
Tasan's face hardened as if angry at the answer, and he waved his hand behind him.
Soon after, a subordinate brought sugarcane alcohol like what Solif had given.
"You said your na was Turan. Did you investigate beforehand?"
"I only checked that you're a relatively moderate pirate who just plunders rchant ships without kidnapping or massacring civilians. With others, they'd sell them again rather than send them ho."
Tasan stared at Turan suspiciously for a while after hearing the answer, but since he was speaking the truth, there was nothing to be concerned about.
After a mont, he held out a cup and spoke.
"My parents were fishers. My father drowned when I was eight, and my mother was kidnapped by pirates when I was ten."
In other words, Tasan was a noble-level magic possessor born to commoners.
Though extrely rare, such cases were surprisingly common because while the probability of nobles being born to diluted commoner blood was extrely low, the much larger number of children born ant it happened occasionally.
Probably going back several generations in Tasan's parents' line, there must have been at least one illegitimate child of a knight or noble.
"Though I beca a pirate due to my lowly birth, I never kidnapped people though I've robbed rchant ships all my life. But you say you're just doing it because you want to, making feel ashad of myself. By those words, you're my elder brother from now on! Accept this drink!"
Faced with this middle-aged man's request, his face covered in stubble, Turan had absolutely no idea what expression to make.
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