"Are you sure you should be doing this prince Walter?! I'm the representative of King Heinrich in this country! Anything you do to me will be desecrating the kings name! So you better be prepared for it!"
The fat man who was laughing at Tiffania earlier now crawled to the ground like a fat slug.
"Tell the king? How will you be able to get there? Are you gonna swim?"
I asked him as I crossed my arms and stepped into one of his foot, so that he couldn't crawl much further.
Meanwhile Tiffania still looked astounded, if I didn't arrive earlier it would have been too late… just look at the skirt of her dress!
Seeing Tiffania at such a state makes my blood boil to a certain level.
"Tie up those knights!"
I commanded the sailors who came with me.
HOURS AGO, RIGHT AFTER TIFFANIA IMPULSIVELY LEFT WALTER TO RESCUE THE KIDS
After Tiffania disappeared from my sight, I immediately ran towards the ship, to find the captain, he's the only noble I could rely on at the moment.
Supposedly I should have left her alone, Tiffania's behavior and thought process is so incomprehensible , however the vision I saw when she left me left a deep impact on me.
Throughout our relationship in our past lives I have always been ruling her out as incomprehensible, annoying, illogical, and these are the times when I totally forget why I am dating her in the first place.
Then shortly after I calm down I realize that its because of her strong will and kind heart that I was attracted to.
Unlike me who from time to time looks down on people, even though I don't think ill of it, as if I was born to be this way.
Yuri has found a way of living where other people's happiness becomes her happiness too.
To be honest that past me have cringed on this idea and I told her honestly about my opinion on it, she got embarrassed at first, however she strongly believed on it.
And then I asked her a question one day after a normal school day.
Usually I, Kazu, Ann and Yuri would have went home together, however this day was an exception as Ann and Andrei the power duo had something to do that day as student council members.
So I and Yuri went ahead and held hands when we crossed the outer school gate. Her way of living have always been mysterious to me so I tested her out.
"With that way of living of yours, how will you be happy? I mean… if your parents tell you to go to med school, that will make them happy right? But you want to be an accountant, if your way of living makes them happy would you go to med school instead?"
At my question she simply continued sipping her glutathione strawberry jelly that she have bought at the convenience store, then looked up the skies thinking of an answer while crumpling the jelly pack as she made squeezing sounds.
And when she thought of an answer she took off the jelly pack from her mouth and simply told me.
"I'd probably still go to economics school. My way of life isn't really that precise like how you think of it.
Thinking of it long term if I become a "yes girl" to my parents do you think they'll be happy when they got older and see me suffering in a profession I didn't really like in the first place? I know my parents well, and I know they won't like it, so if ever they become demons who will push that career path to me, I would give all my best to decline"
"Then, it deviates from your so-called "way of life" in the middle of it right?"
"Well… you may be right, it's complicated right? For a logical person like you, it will seem childish, uncertain, and vague. But I like it that way, I think it makes me more human, following my heart as I think of others."
She responds to me as she passes on the emptied jelly pack to me, pointing at the trashcan that was at my side.
I then take it from her and throw it.
After wiping my hands I then put my arms around her neck, and made sure it was under her chestnut colored hair that was braided perfectly by her best friend Ann. She easily gets angry when I mess it up so I do my best not to touch it.
In response she leans to my right shoulder and we walked at the streets while the color of the sunset made it more romantic for us.
"You don't have to think too much about it, you have to feel it… its not something that can be analyzed"
"Yeah, just thinking about it boggles my mind, it doesn't makes sense, but when you say it, for some reason it sounds true"
"It is true though, you are just too calculative for your own good. Such a waste... if you only used that on your studies, you wouldn't be struggling in academics right now."
"I'm sorry but if it doesn't interest me, I'm average at everything"
It was her who taught me how to think of other people and how not everything can be explained by simple logic.
After reminiscing that short after-school date, I arrived at the deck, seeing the captain sleeping, I woke him up by shaking him up.
I told him the whole plan and about the people involved who might be King Heinrich's men, hearing my explanation the captain became anxious, afraid to lose his position or lose face.
But when I gave him a rundown on why Heinrich might be selling children, due to his slowly waning power, and how his relatives and his children might experience the same treatment soon on the war, he finally steeled up and came aboard with my plan.
We didn't waste anytime, the plan was simple with some objectives.
One, is to infiltrate the ship and commandeer it, to make sure the ship doesn't get back to Heinrich, nor the people involved.
Next, is to find the noble representing Heinrich.
And the final objective was to find Tiffania and help her save the children.
"But how are we gonna commandeer it? Unlike our ship the sailors there would probably have better equipment, we don't even have swords your highness!"
The worried captain wiped the sweat at his forehead as I made drawings using charcoal on a parchment to visualize my plan.
There were bulky men of different sizes and ages around us, but one noticeable thing was that they had black armbands around their arms, forehead or on their pants, I just didn't notice it before because I stayed at the cabin. The oldest sailor I can see is the one mopping the deck, with his arched back.
Why is he even working this hard labor at that age?
Seeing the dark cloth on their hands reminded me of pirate of old times who had a flag with such color.
"It's easy… this place has… pirates right?"
At my question the poor captain jumped in nervousness, however this was the only way the plan can succeed.
If we can't do the job I just need to hire people who can do it for me, and luckily I still have some money in my coffers.
When I said this the captain was panicking, making hand gestures as if he wants to tell me something but he couldn't until one of the sailors held my shoulder, it was a voice of an old man.
"What a strange prince, to think you would resort to hiring pirates for the job to save your woman"
When I looked at him earlier he was the poor old man who seemed to be forced into sailorship even at his old age.
Earlier he had demeanor of your everyday calm old sailor, but now he seems to be full of energy, and his back wasn't arched anymore, he stood snappy and tall with muscles bulging around his body, he looks more stronger than the younger men.
"Hey old man don't just casually touch the prince!"
The captain protested, but I wanted to hear more from this mysterious old man so I held out my hand to the captain to stop him.
"It's okay, its fine, continue old man"
The old man flashed a big smile, as he tapped on the black armband on his arm.
"Pirates is it our prince? Then you've got the best pirates on this part of the seas! You are a lucky guy indeed!"
I never thought I was a lucky until I found out that the right people for the job, at the most critical time, was just by my side, traveling with me all along as if its a miracle.
Giving up to how fate plays with me, I smiled as I made my response.
"How much?"
He showed me his index finger and pointed to the target ship.
"A gold piece, the ownership of the target ship we will commandeer, and the weapons we collect from the guards inside."
"Its a surprise and its a wonder on why you didn't rob me of it instead since you all are working on this ship anyway. I would like to have a long chat with you, but unfortunately we are out of time.
Okay, sure, let's do it. Deal"
"As pirates we still have our own pride! We fight on the seas, take ships and take their treasures!
Why would we rob from the guests of the captain who fed us and got us into another ship when we lost ours years ago.
In other words, this ship is our own turf!
Okay boys! Let's help our prince take back his princess! It's an odd turn of events but are you with me?! You haven't been slacking while working here right?"
All the sailors cheered with him with their loud laughs, leaving the captain astounded with the sudden reveal.
This time, oddly, I realized what Yuri meant that day, just like this old sailor, as a pirate he also has his way of life, which was to take from others as he makes it his enjoyment.
However, he also cares for his people and the captain who took care of them when they had nothing.
The human heart is difficult to understand but when it tells you something, it becomes the truth and when it is swayed it makes you want to take action.
Come to think of it, aren't I just doing the same?
Why would I save that unreasonable woman who won't even listen to what I am saying? She even walks away before I could finish talking.
It doesn't make sense, if I was the old me I wouldn't even bother.
Driven by the mix of emotions, I made a deep sigh as I felt something more important than the irritating feeling I felt inside after Tiffania just left me without even letting me finish talking.
The answer is rather simple, boring, and would make myself cringe in my past life.
No matter how I lived all my lives, my heart is already swayed, and right now its telling me what I should do.
Its also unexplainable, but it's the truth and it's right.
I have promised myself already, many times in this world, that in this second life, I will never ever let her go.
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