I was on the deck, where a small table was placed. Yeah, they found a table, using it to drink liquors at night. And by the way, I was still wearing a piratey outfit. Coat and all. I checked myself in the mirror, and indeed, I looked nice. Anyway, placed on the table were what remained of my daggers.

Two medium-sized daggers, and my special one. Considering that there was nothing else to do, I decided to check my available ammunition. I was surprisingly low on that front.

“Princess, I think I found the daggers you were looking for.” Velar approached me with daggers covered in cloth.

I told him to check and find my daggers that the former occupants of this ship could have taken. Considering the fundamental designs my daggers had, he should be able to tell if they were mine. And as he placed the daggers on the table, he did find them. I couldn’t help but smile.

I used three back at the palace, so I was missing some slots. One small dagger I threw at an enemy back at the palace, which he parried away, then a small and a medium blade, which I stabbed into that fog monster, Heneis. Then I lost one medium when I fought the demon. I bought ten small daggers and five mediums from the smith, so I had a couple of spare small daggers and one medium back home. Fuck, someone might have already found it if they weren’t obliterated into pieces when a firework exploded into my room.

I grabbed a small dagger.

“Where did you find them?” I asked.

“From one of their armories.”

“I see. Thanks for finding them.”

I pulled in my straps on the table. On the left thigh strap, I sheathed three small daggers around it, then one medium dagger to the side. Then on the right strap, another three small daggers, and one medium.

“You carry a lot of daggers, Your Highness,” Velar said, kind of surprised.

“Can’t be too careful…”

How I wanted to slot in all my daggers, but there were only so many that I could equip. And this was after I did some modifications to my thigh straps and belt just to fit all these.

“I imagine you throw the small ones.”

“Yes.”

“And the bigger ones you use in the melee. Are princesses trained to fight with these?”

I glanced at him for a second. He seemed truly baffled. This was something you wouldn’t expect a princess to have, after all. But they had no royalty whatsoever, so I imagined they might have some image of what a royal was in their mind. Should I scare him a bit? Nah, like that would work.

I shrugged. “Nope. I’m self taught.”

“... I see…”

“Although I can’t say the same about the kingdom of Myra.”

“Myra?”

“It’s a nation of knights and chivalry. Being a warrior is part of their culture. It wouldn’t be strange if their princesses were officially trained. I know a princess of theirs that can fight.”

Remember Lillie? I could still remember how frustrating it was when she could fight and I couldn’t.

“I have heard of that nation. Are their warriors strong?”

“I guess so. Their princess was quite competent herself.”

“Hm. I wonder if I am on par with their average knights.”

“I’m not sure. I never saw you fight all out. You held back when you fought previously.”

“You noticed that? Just from watching me?”

“Of course.”

He blinked, surprised. “I suppose it is to be expected you can assess me just like that.”

What do you mean to be expected?

“Are you not one of the elites in where you came from?”

“I am considered an elite. In fact, I have not lost to anyone in a duel from recent memories.”

I could tell this guy was strong. He was so confident, and the way he moved all over the place. His observing eyes. In a direct flight, he might be more or less stronger than Rogan. Of course, that was just a guess. I would need to spar with him to confirm. But this place was not exactly a good place to do that. And I was sick.

“Awesome. You trained hard, I suppose?”

“I did. But people tell me I develop all too fast.”

I tilted my head. This reminded me of how Mera could progress faster when practicing Physical Enhancement. She could beat me on that if she kept training. But still, it would seem with my vast mana, I could overpower her. But she would also grow faster.

“Then you must have a high affinity in your current field.”

“Affinity?”

“Some can grow and develop faster in magic, others in Physical Enhancement. Meaning that they have a high affinity for that aspect.”

“I am somewhere average in Physical Enhancement. But… My Armament Magic and swordsmanship skills are my best assets.”

“Then perhaps that is where your strength truly lies. You are meant to be a warrior.”

“I see.” He smiled proudly. “Somehow I’m happy to hear that.”

I grabbed my fancy special dagger and caressed the blade. Barely any damage or anything, considering that I only used this to deliver the killing blow. Keep being special, my blade, by being used on special occasions!

“What about you, Princess? I guess you have a high affinity for magic?”

“You heard what we were talking about, Velar? I, being divinity.”

“What’s this about divinity?” Suddenly, the poet chimed in. Poking his head in the conversation.

“Hartwin, you were listening?” I said with a displeased frown.

“Yes. I heard a little bit when you were talking to the three guests when they first arrived. But I really couldn’t understand it all. So, you are a god or something?”

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

“Don’t talk to anyone about this.”

“I won’t.”

“... Yes, I am technically a god.”

“Wow!” Hartwin’s eyes widened, glimmering with excitement. “Should we kneel and pray in front of you or something?”

Hm, they took that truth very well.

“Yes, you must also confess all your sins before me.”

Hartwin awkwardly chuckled. “Well then, better find a chair, goddess. We’ll be here the whole day!” He laughed.

I smiled and let out a brief chuckle. “Never mind, then. I don’t want to hear all about your adulteries.”

“Hey now. Hehehe. Is it okay telling us about that?”

“Of course. I’m sure you wouldn’t tell anyone.”

I was a bit certain of that. These two were a pair of strange characters. Velar was a pretty subservient man. Almost like he was serving people his entire life. That was why he easily adjusted when talking to me, one with the highest authority.

Hartwin, on the other hand, was strange. He seemed interested in me, but not in a romantic way or anything. He was interested in something else entirely. He indirectly helped me. Almost like he wanted favors from me, or just for me to acknowledge him.

All in all, they weren’t men that would spill important information just like that. Velar, the soldier without a master. Hartwin, inhibited and easygoing poet, who was interested in me. Although, Hartwin would be the one we can imagine that would blab. But he would likely express it in a story.

Besides, he already heard a bit of this and that, which he only needed to put the puzzle pieces together to realize what I was. That curiosity had to be sated or it would lead to more annoying situations. In short, the stakes of telling them were pretty low and tolerable.

“Although, if you babble to just anyone, I can easily kill you.”

Hartwin wryly smiled. “I keep a lot of secrets, Princess. So there’s nothing to worry about me.”

I imagined so.

“I don’t intend on telling anyone,” Velar said.

“Good.”

I turned towards the bow of the ship. The two Cursed Children were there, standing. During the night, they seemed to just disappear. I couldn’t track where they could have gone. But considering the encounter in the palace, maybe they really turn into some kind of monsters.

I had been trying to avoid them ‘cause I didn’t want to talk to potential enemies. And I was in a terrible mood. However, now that I had a clearer mind, I couldn’t avoid them for long. We would be venturing around the archipelago once we arrived there. However, I still didn’t trust them at all. But I needed to know their true motives in all this.

“What’s up?” Suddenly, someone stepped beside me. Does it need to be asked who it was?

“Taneva…”

“Oh, what’s this?” He suddenly grabbed my fancy dagger, tilting it around. “So these are the weapons you went shopping for in the city.”

My eyes widened in shock. “Don’t tell me you have been watching me for that long.”

“Yes, I was.”

I recoiled away as if showing I was crept out. Goddammit, how did I never notice his presence? Was he truly that more powerful than me? And I was supposed to be the very stealthy one.

“Creep. And don’t touch that.” I retrieved my dagger from him. “You don’t know how valuable this is.”

It’s basically my signature weapon.

“Fine blade, I have to say.”

“Of course it is.”

“Good for you.”

I frowned. “By the way, your friends over there.” I cocked my chin towards the two Cursed Children.

“They’re not my friends.”

“Yeah, I can sense that. Should I be worried about them trying to kill me?”

“Oh? That’s surprising. You’re asking for my opinion. You trust me already?”

I narrowed my eyes. “Don’t be mistaken, in the entire people on this ship, you’re the only one that’s close to them, at the very least. You know them.”

He smirked. “My opinion. You don’t have to worry about them too much. They need you alive.”

“What do they want from me?”

He looked away. “Hmmm. Shouldn’t you ask them? It’s kinda personal to them.”

“And you can’t just answer me that?”

“I can, but it would be more sincere if you heard it from them.”

“You think I will be touched and grow sympathy or something?”

“We suffer in our own ways, Princess. But sometimes, our suffering overlaps, and we tend to sympathize.”

“You sympathize with them.”

“A little. But it’s up to you if you want to trust them or not. Even I don't. We have our own interests in mind.”

“I doubt I will ever sympathize or empathize with them.”

“If you insist on me talking about it, I might talk. But eventually, you will have to confront them.”

I sighed, a little exasperated. “... Fine.” He was right. Sooner or later, I would still have to directly talk with those two.

“You’re so wary.”

“I have a bad feeling about them.”

Taneva faintly nodded. “... Perhaps, in some ways, your feelings are right.”

I stepped back from the table and looked at Velar. “Please look after my weapons for the moment.”

“Of course.”

I then made my way to the two Cursed Children. They turned towards me wearing curious expressions.

“It’s about time we have a talk,” I said as I sat down on the railing, a stern expression on my face.

“Princess…” The man named Heneis nodded.

“When we first met, you warned me about the dangers in my midst. And ever since that day, I have been wondering about who you are. Who are you and what do you really want from me, Heneis?”

The two of them looked at each other. They seemed hesitant.

“What’s the matter? I don’t see the point of keeping anything. Unless there’s a good reason for it.” I narrowed my eyes suspiciously at them.

Heneis heaved a long sigh. “We are cursed, Princess. The most heinous of curses. And we only want to be free from this and the reason for this curse.”

“The curse is that you turn into monsters? Is it only during the night?”

He nodded. “We are in agony all the time. And we cannot be relieved from it no matter what we do. We cannot die.”

Hm. Immortality was a good thing. But I guess turning into a monster was not exactly a good way to live forever. Even I wouldn’t like that. Just remove the monster part and let me become immortal, you know.

“And what do I have to do with it?”

“You can free us.”

“Free you?”

He stepped forward. “Only you, Princess, can free us. That is what we ask of you when you inherit true divinity.”

I frowned. “What a daring request, considering how you tried to kidnap me.”

“... It was to save you.”

“I did not need you to save me.” I clenched my fists. “Because of your interference I…” I cast my gaze downward. “I was too late.” If only I wasn’t delayed, even for a second, perhaps I could have changed what happened. I raised my eyes. “Your curse… who cast it on you?”

He fell silent, as if avoiding the question. Neither of them seemed to be comfortable answering it.

Then…

“You need me to free you. The Goddess of Serenity, it was her, wasn’t it?”

Heneis paused for a moment before nodding weakly. “... Yes.”

Not that was suspicious. Why would my goddess mother curse them? Weren't curses done to someone when they did something they shouldn’t have?

“Why?” I asked. “Why were you cursed? What did you do?”

He looked into my eyes. “... We sought freedom. And therefore, a choice was made.”

His colleague looked at him, surprised.

Now that was just a vague answer, wasn’t it? Almost like he didn’t want to answer with specific details.

“It was a choice made for our people a long time ago.”

“Does it still stand now?”

“Yes. We still want freedom. That is why I implore you, Princess, free us. Only you can do it. We will help you achieve true divinity, and in exchange, free my people.”

“Are you sure that I can do it? I am not the goddess.”

“As you inherit her power, you will inherit the power to rid us of the curse.”

Why didn’t they approach me from the start? It was strange. They could have told me all about this before, and could have reduced all the trouble. The power, the curse, divinity. And yet, slowly, they only did the bare minimum. Warn me. To save me. They didn’t show themselves until the most critical point.

Critical point…?

They wanted something from me. And only I could give them what they wanted. Could it be…? They were trying for me to look at them in a good light? The people that warned me of danger, the people that saved me from danger. They have been observing me; I was sure of that. There was no way they wouldn’t watch over me, considering how important I was to them.

Then why didn't they try to help me in the other times I was in outright danger? Where my life was threatened.

They wanted to act on the most critical point.

Motherfuckers. If what I was thinking was true, then they were clever little shits.

I jumped down from the railing. “We will see.”

“What do you mean?”

“We will see if I can free you from your curse.”

But would I?

“But don’t get your hopes up.”

Without waiting for anything else, I left them and headed back to the table.

Taneva grinned. “The talk went well?”

I merely glanced at him as I collected my equipment. Afterward, I began walking back to the captain’s quarters. Taneva trailed beside me.

“You learned what you needed?”

I stopped in place. “You know why they are cursed, right?”

“Hm? Yes.”

“Answer this one, please, Taneva. What did they do?”

Taneva turned away at the ocean for a moment before leaning a bit closer to me. He formed a small smile as he whispered.

“The murder of a particular baby.”

My eyes widened, and I froze. A memory flashed into my eyes. A blade coming down at me in the darkness. And I was powerless to do anything. For I was still a small infant. My body stiffened. A memory of death.

Taneva tilted his head as he gazed at me with puzzlement. “Estelia? Are you alright?”

I took a deep breath, regaining a bit of calm. “... Yes.”

“Oh.”

“Thank you, Taneva. Now I understand. I understand completely…”

“... Oh?”

There are consequences in making choices for what we seek. And some are severe, while others are just well-deserved.