Wolland loved the sea. He was born on a ship, but there was a time in his life when he ventured outside the village and lived as an adventurer. However, upon returning, he found himself longing for the life he left behind.

Now, they were on another voyage to catch some fish. The village fleet embarked on two voyages each year— one near the end of spring and the other at the end of summer. The fleet consisted of four smaller ships and the mother boat. The small ships would catch fish and deposit them onto the mother ship.

Wolland was on 12-04 duty, sipping tea specially brewed from the fisherman village, and even enjoying a few dried squid.

As they sailed back to the village, a journey that would take 3 to 4 days from their current location, they traveled from the far south of the known seas. A lighthouse on the northeast edge of the first island of the Whirlpool Islands served as their marker, indicating their approach to land.

“Wolland! It's my turn now. Take a break!” another fisherman climbed aboard the mother ship. The four small boats were now being towed by the mother ship, filled to the brim with their catch, even needing to fill the small boats.

“Okay... I'll be going now. Keep a good watch,” Wolland stood up, the wind blowing quite favorably for them.

<--->

Simon and Percival finally arrived at the fisherman's village, still early in the morning. The driver mentioned that the boat on the fish trip would arrive the next day.

The village was bustling with activity—merchants and individuals who were looking to stock up, especially nobles. Carts and carriages filled the fields surrounding the village.

Seafood was considered a luxury item across the continent, and the fishing trip only occurred twice a year. This would be the final voyage of the year, with the next one scheduled for early summer after winter.

The driver who dropped them off planned to sleep outside the village. Percival decided they should explore the village. They encountered numerous stalls selling dried seafood.

Despite their limited time, Percival made the most of it. Simon couldn't help but notice similarities between him and the old man.

Simon and Percival sampled food at the stalls; the dried fish was particularly good, though it required soaking in vinegar, creating a complex flavor. After perusing the market, they headed to the village chief's house.

It was an old house made up of large wooden planks, these planks were a material from large trees called Mangaron that populated the southern ridge of the Craig Mountain range. The two had to climb up since it stood on top of a large dead coral mass.

A few knocks and an old man went out to meet them.

“Simon... You've grown, huh?” The village chief recognized him. Simon recalled that the old man had asked a favor from the village chief during their previous visit before they crossed to the island where the old man's grave lay.

“I presume that old bastard is dead?” the village chief asked. Simon simply nodded with a blank expression. He then used his hands to guide them inside, down the stairs. The lower floor was literally a hall inside the dead coral.

“So, what brings a northerner here?” the village chief directly questioned Percival, the village chief still had to bend his head upwards to look at him.

“I’m looking for a man... Wolland of Cold Heart,” Percival replied. The nickname ‘Cold Heart’ made it clear he was seeking an adventurer.

“He retired recently, so you've come to talk him out of retirement?” the village chief inquired.

“Not quite,” Percival replied, launching into a detailed account of the impending siege in the north. It took some time for him to lay out all the facts. Finally, he showed the crest, hopeful for a favorable outcome.

“I can send you some of my men, but only those who are willing. That crest you're carrying is only for nobles... We are not nobles; we are villagers. That's why this place is called a village,” the village chief mocked Percival and the crest.

“Of course... The hero of the era said he could greatly help us,” Percival persisted.

“They will be arriving in the village tomorrow, and it will be busy. If you have time, you can meet him then. You can stay at my house for a while,” the village chief offered with a smile.

<--->

Night time.

“Hah! Alcohol and dried fish! I’m a northerner, but I’m loving this combo!” the wife of the village chief poured him some drink.

“You can hold your liquor, northerner! Haa! How about the boy?” the village chief was already red, he breathed a stingy odor that the boy didn’t like.

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“I don’t drink... It dulls the mind,” Simon answered with a straight face.

The two suddenly burst into laughter, Simon didn’t know if they were mocking him but he just didn’t care. “You are right, boy... Don’t you ever drink!!!” the wife of the village chief added. The two would probably continue drinking the whole night.

After finishing his meal, Simon stood up, he bowed to the only lady inside the hall, and left to go up stairs. The fisherman’s village consisted of straw-like houses built on beach rocks and a strange formation of rocks they called corals. The village chief's house basement was actually a cavern.

The boy walked outside, inhaling air to remove the annoying smell of alcohol.

Simon had been in the village before, so he knew his way around. The cavern where he hid his boat was just northeast of the village along the coast. He wondered if it was still there...

After finding a good spot, he began a shadow fight, combining his experience against the armored bandit that used a spear and the hero of the era. After a while, two children started watching him. He noticed them from afar since the boy was carrying a lantern, and he hid his eyes again.

“Brother, what are you doing?” the boy asked. Another little girl was sucking on a dried fish, they were holding hands.

“I’m practicing swords?” Simon said, but he couldn’t explain it properly since he wasn’t holding a sword.

“Brother, you are strange. Mimi, give him some octopus legs,” the boy said, and the girl named Mimi reluctantly gave Simon a dried leg of an octopus.

“Suck it!” Mimi said.

“My name is Ron... You?” the boy introduced himself, even extending his hand for a shake.

“Simon... Why are you two here? It's already dark,” Simon asked. The village was actually dark, and he used his eyes to navigate to where he was now.

“Brother... Are you really blind?” the boy asked again.

Before Simon could answer, Mimi burst out.

“Papa!! PAPA!!!” Mimi suddenly pointed out into the sea. Simon and the kids were actually standing on a plank that served as the port for the fisherman’s village. With his back to the kids, he opened his eyes... There was nothing in the dark, but after a while, he finally saw a small light on the horizon.

It was just below the familiar lighthouse on the Whirlpool Islands.

“Brother, just wait with Mimi for a while. I will go tell the village chief!” the boy said. Mimi nonchalantly held Simon’s hand; she was a good girl who did what she was told.

“I can give you more. I will have more octopus legs tomorrow,” Mimi said. She was around 5 years old, while the other boy was 7.

“Are you two siblings?” Simon asked.

“No... He will be my husband when I grow up,” Mimi answered.

“I see. Good for you,” Simon replied.

“I love him...” Mimi said, not even bashful, and Simon didn’t have any words to answer that.

The two then continued to suck on the dried octopus leg.

<--->

The ship arrived, and four small boats were taken to the dry docks just a little bit west, on the wide beach of the village. Even though it was dark, the sailors started unloading baskets of seafood from the mother ship. Mimi and Ron excitedly watched the sailors, who were even singing as they worked.

“We are tough”

“So tough” “Heave ho” “Heave ho” “Heave ho” “Heave ho”

“We are the man of the seas”

“Proud man of the seas”

“Break the waves”

“Bring home to the babes”

The village was practically thriving, even though it was almost midnight, thanks to the freshness of the catch the village was preserving. The village chief cast ice magic to create storage for the fish.

Along with the village chief and his wife, more villagers started creating boxes of ice for storage. The whole village was using ice magic. Even the two very young couples, who were also singing along with the sailors, created small boxes of their own.

Simon watched from a roof. He had been in the village many times before, but this was the first time he had seen the community work together. It was amazing. The two kids waved at him.

“Amazing... This is the first time I’ve seen something like this,” Percival said, already sober from the alcohol.

“Yeah,” just one word from Simon.

“Let’s get some sleep. The village chief said he would arrange the meeting tomorrow,” Percival added, pointing out where they would spend the night.

<--->

Ron knocked on Wolland's cabin, which was more of a floating boat with a room. Wolland, who loved the sea, lived on this boat. Opening the door while scratching his head, he had been taking it easy for a day now. A small girl handed him a paper, which he opened and read.

Wolland tried to complain, but when he looked at Mimi's face, he just couldn’t. The appointment was already set; it was a promise made by two drunkards, but a promise is a promise. The meeting had been waiting for two days already. Wolland sighed, walked out of the boat, and started heading for the village chief’s house.

The whole village was silent, everyone already resting after a great haul yesterday. The village saved food for consumption and traded the rest to merchants and some nobles.

With everyone resting, Wolland didn’t have much motivation, but still, he followed the small footsteps of the two kids.

…

It's not his first time seeing a northerner... but that man was large. The boy beside him seemed to be blind since he kept his eyes closed the whole time... or was he asleep?

Wolland sat along with them at the table. The village chief was also there, and his wife instantly served him warm water, for which he thanked her.

“Wolland, this is...” but even before the village chief could start.

“Whatever it is, I refuse,” Wolland instantly denied.

He then drank the water and tried to leave, but the chief’s wife instantly refilled his cup, and he lost all his momentum. “Listen to them first. Sir Percival is quite a prominent man!” the lady said.

“Thank you, my lady,” Percival smiled at the chief’s wife, and she blushed a little.

“Did you just call him Sir Percival?!!!” the chief asked his wife, but she just shrugged him off with a glare. The chief looked at Percival for answers.

“It was just a hot topic... you'll thank me after a while,” Percival said.

The village chief was completely confused.

“Okay... for the sake of the lady, I will listen!!” Wolland said after a few moments of silence.

<--->

Hearing the dilemma made Wolland think. He was already retired, but he was a hero once. He could understand why Percival would try to go to villages instead of directly to nobles... Actually, he was saving time by asking for help from those who had a higher chance of aiding him.

This problem has persisted for a long time now: the people’s loss of trust in the nobles who were supposed to govern them.

“But... I don’t fight anymore,” Wolland said.

“I’m not even asking you to fight... It's about your clan... You led a famous clan before,” Percival said. Wolland opened his eyes wide. He was also a clan leader. Clans were actually very rare these days because adventurers tended to wander wherever they wanted. He was one of the few who created a clan and became famous.

“I... understand, but NO!” Wolland still denied.