On a reef beach along the northern shore of Corona Island, Aselos opened its jaws and stuck out its tongue. Everyone who had been inside stepped out one after another.
Inside Aselos's mouth was a mucosal chamber that sealed shut once passengers entered, keeping out the sea currents, then opened periodically when the beast surfaced to breathe, letting in fresh air.
This chamber was quite dry, though unfortunately bare of any furnishings, leaving everyone to sit on their luggage.
In Purr's memory, the exact same spot in the mouth of Aselos's father had once been fitted with tables, chairs, nautical charts, and a terrain sandbox. In those days, the Allen family had used Aselos as the flagship of their pirate armada.
Yet now, in the very same place inside his son's mouth, there was not even a single stool.
Once ashore, Madam Jenny turned toward Aselos. "Thank you for your assistance. The Allen family will forever cherish our friendship with you."
Aselos gave no response, diving straight back into the sea and vanishing beneath the waves.
From a pet of old, to an ally, down to settling an old favor today—it was a descending curve of relationship, and the clearest testament to the Allen family's decline.
A few figures appeared on a distant hillside. Soon after, a group of men wearing leather jackets with pistols strapped to their waists walked over. At their head was a middle-aged man with a full beard.
"Jenny, you're back. Oh, my precious Eunice, you've grown even lovelier."
The bearded man greeted Jenny and Eunice warmly, yet his gaze remained fixed on Karen.
"Elder Brother, thank you for coming to meet us in person," Madam Jenny said.
"Uncle," Eunice greeted him.
"And this must be Young Master Karen?" The bearded man extended a hand to Karen. "Greetings, young master of the Inmerlais family. You may call me Wood from now on."
"A pleasure to meet you."
Karen reached out and shook his hand, but in the next instant, a searing, fiery pain surged through his palm.
Alfred stepped forward at once, a bloody crimson light on the verge of welling in his eyes.
Just then, Wood let go. Karen shook out his hand with some effort.
"A young master through and through, indeed." A faint smirk curled the corners of Wood's lips.
Karen held Alfred back, his expression as mild as ever. "I apologize for disappointing you."
Perched on Karen's shoulder, Purr looked at Wood as though staring at an idiot.
*Here it comes! Here it comes! Here it comes!*
*The iron law of the Allen family—if there is any chance to do something stupid, they will unfailingly do it!*
*I kept my feline breath held in suspense the entire voyage on that passenger liner. Jenny and Eunice didn't drop the ball, yet the moment we set foot on Corona Island, the family fool shows up right on cue!*
*Idiot, moron, imbecile! Are you laying the groundwork? Paving the way for Karen to have a perfectly justified excuse to cut ties with the Allen family?*
Beside them, the golden retriever shed its carefree grin from when they first landed, shutting its muzzle and glaring at Wood.
Wood shifted his gaze to Alfred and offered him a smile. Then he glanced down at the golden retriever and reached out to tease it, but the dog ignored him entirely, curling back its lips to bare its teeth.
"This dog seems to have quite a temper."
Right after, he pointed a finger at Purr on Karen's shoulder. "There's something Young Master Karen might not know—the Allen family does not permit cats."
Karen merely smiled and nodded. "This cat carries a different meaning for us."
Karen used the word "us." After all, this was the Allen family's very own ancestor. Furthermore, barring any surprises, the family tradition forbidding cats was almost certainly tied to Purr.
"Even a whale must pull in its belly when entering shallow waters," Wood said with a smile. "I trust Young Master Karen will respect our Allen family traditions."
"Uncle, I believe such matters should be left to my father and grandfather to decide."
Eunice walked over to Karen's side and naturally slipped her hand around his arm—the standard posture of a lady companion toward her partner in social settings.
Purr glanced sideways at Eunice, feeling immense relief in her ancient heart.
*Good great-great-great-great-niece, as long as you aren't foolish, everything is fine. As long as you keep this up, this boy surnamed Inmerlais won't have an excuse to fly solo.*
Wood shrugged, showing no offense at his niece's words. He waved a hand to signal the men behind him to help carry the luggage, then said to Madam Jenny, "Jenny, we have a short walk ahead of us. Once we reach the town, I'll arrange a place for you all to rest."
"Thank you for the trouble." Madam Jenny's tone toward Wood had cooled considerably as well.
Led by Wood, the group walked along a mountain trail and entered Corona Town.
The town was built along the harbor. Several medium-sized cargo ships were currently docked there, along with an even denser swarm of smaller boats clustered around the harbor's outer perimeter.
Wood and his crew clearly held significant authority in town. As he swaggered in with his entourage, all sorts of townsfolk greeted him respectfully.
Their lodging for the night was a guildhall, an inn belonging to the Allen family.
Directly across the street stood another Allen family establishment—a four-story building with a tavern on the ground floor, a casino on the second, and a brothel on the third and fourth.
After entering the guildhall, Karen went to his room, walked into the bathroom, and tried turning on the showerhead. After a moment, hot water actually flowed out, so he stripped down and took a shower.
After washing up, he felt much more refreshed and comfortable. As he sat on the bed straightening the pillows, he discovered a booklet tucked underneath. Opening it, he found a roster of prostitutes complete with prices and services. The most expensive tier featured photographs, while the ones after that had only text descriptions. Not only did they span various ethnicities, but the final few pages even listed male escorts.
Karen tossed the booklet onto the nightstand and leaned back against the headboard.
The golden retriever lay sprawled on the sofa, facing toward him.
Purr hopped onto the nightstand and began flipping through the booklet's final pages.
"Is this a smuggling island?" Karen asked Purr.
Purr turned a page with her paw. "It should be now, yes."
"And in the past?"
"In the past, this was a fief of the Allen family. A few centuries ago, when Wien had not yet become a great power, it relied on privately formed pirate fleets to expand and harass enemies abroad. Back then, renowned pirate captains could even receive noble titles from the royal family."
"Is that how the Allen family started out?"
"Strictly speaking, not entirely, but that era was undeniably the Allen family's zenith. When I left Wien, Corona Island was the Allen family's fiefdom, and all the islanders were their feudal subjects. Back then, the Allen family used this place as a base. Pirate dreadnoughts rested here, and the combat strength of our pirates and warships was by no means inferior to an actual royal navy. As for now, well, you've seen it yourself—it's all gone. This place is nothing more than the family's smuggling waypoint."
"Is it far from the Wien mainland?"
"Not far at all. We should be departing tomorrow along with the cargo ship. York City sits on the coast, so we'll take the sea route straight into York City, disembark, and then take a carriage out into the suburbs to reach Allen Manor. Once you're here, you're basically home. That was how I always felt in the past."
"Understood."
"Also, don't lower yourself to Wood's level," Purr reminded him. "Although this is my first time seeing him, I know very well that anyone assigned to this island to manage a smuggling post has virtually no standing within the family. He was probably exiled here by Eunice's father and grandfather. For someone like that, having a bad temper and being passive-aggressive is only natural, isn't it?"
Karen held his right hand up in front of his eyes; the back of it was still slightly red. "I don't hold any ill will toward him."
Purr paused, then snorted. "In fact, you kind of like his style, don't you?"
"That is because I have always maintained plenty of goodwill toward the Allen family."
"Karen, why didn't I notice you being so hypocritical back in Rojia?"
"Because at home, sincerity was all I needed." Karen leaned back further, settling into a more comfortable posture. "When sincerity is enough, who would willingly pick up hypocrisy?"
"You sound just like a poet right now."
"That is because most poets only write their most splendid verses after leaving home."
*Knock, knock, knock...*
A knock sounded on the bedroom door.
Karen rose from the bed, but before he could reach the door, it was pushed open from the outside.
Wood leaned against the doorframe, a cigar between his lips, looking at Karen.
The golden retriever slipped off the sofa, glaring at Wood.
Purr lowered her head, thinking to herself, *Here comes this foolish nephew again, delivering another assist on a silver platter.*
Outside, Alfred, who stayed in the adjacent room, had already stepped into the corridor behind Wood.
"Mr. Wood, is something the matter?" Karen took the initiative to ask.
Wood studied Karen, took out his cigar, and exhaled a ring of smoke. "I came to invite you to dinner."
"Certainly. Thank you, Mr. Wood."
Karen offered no objection. Now that he was on someone else's turf, he naturally followed their arrangements. He picked up his coat and asked while slipping it on, "Have Madam Jenny and Miss Eunice already gone ahead?"
"No, just you and me. What, do you mind?"
"Not at all, it would be my honor."
Karen followed Wood out of the room. Purr leaped onto him, scrambling up to sit on his shoulder, while the golden retriever trailed behind his heels. Bringing up the rear was Alfred.
Looking at the cat on his young master's shoulder and the dog at his feet, Alfred furrowed his brow slightly.
In the past, he would have been satisfied merely being depicted on a mural. Now, he had begun to consider positioning and angles.
He wasn't sure whether this was because his ego had inflated or because he had found a dream of his own. But glancing down at the dog he had personally sealed, Alfred's brow smoothed out, his gloom dissipating.
Wood brought Karen into what looked like his office. It was a spacious room with a table set by the window, laid out with brandy and thick cuts of roasted meat drizzled in dark sauce.
Karen had originally felt quite hungry, but seeing such a hefty platter of coarse food made him feel somewhat full before he even started.
Wood carved off a slice of meat and tossed it straight to the golden retriever. "What's its name?"
"Kevin."
The dog didn't even glance at the large piece of meat on the floor.
"Tell it to eat."
"Eat, Kevin."
The golden retriever picked up the meat with its jaws, lay down on the floor, and began eating.
Wood then glanced at the black cat Karen had brought along. At that moment, the cat was lying on the windowsill, its feline eyes looking back at him with an expression tinged with melancholy and sorrow.
It was hard to imagine a cat's eyes could convey such rich emotion.
Assuming he was overthinking things, Wood began pouring Karen a drink. "Do you drink?"
"I don't."
"Well, the first cup must be drained."
"Very well."
Wood drank his in one gulp, and Karen did the same.
"And you said you don't drink?" Wood chuckled, picking up the bottle to pour another glass for Karen. Karen reached out and lightly covered the rim with his hand.
"Do you have orange juice?"
Wood froze, still holding the bottle, staring at Karen.
Karen kept his hand over the glass, a polite smile on his face.
The two reached an impasse.
Purr let out a sigh, unable to bear watching. She turned her head toward the bustling town street outside the window: *I'm tired of this. Let the world burn.*
To her surprise, Wood chuckled, set down the bottle, and shouted toward the doorway, "Get some orange juice! Any fruit juice will do, or soda! Bring it over quickly!"
"Drinking less is good, especially when you're young," Wood said, pouring himself a full glass and draining it. "When you're young, you have a lot to accomplish. Once you're older, you can do as you please."
"Actually, drinking isn't good at any age; it harms the body," Karen pointed out. Of course, he knew that offering such advice to someone who loved drinking could easily cause offense.
"Aye, you're right." Wood pointed toward the distant docks. Even at this hour, many stevedores were still unloading cargo. "But sometimes, a man can't live a completely comfortable life. Heavy labor like hauling cargo ruins the body just as easily. I just treat this as compensation."
"That does make a great deal of sense."
A remarkably shapely woman with purple hair walked in, carrying a tray with three kinds of juice.
"What would you like to drink?" she asked. "We have orange juice, apple juice, and grape juice."
"Orange juice would be fine."
"Would you like ice with that?"
"That would be wonderful."
"Of course."
The woman placed ice cubes into Karen's glass before pouring the orange juice.
"Thank you."
"You're quite welcome."
Wood gestured to her and said, "Elena, my wife."
Karen stood up and gave a polite half-bow. "Madam, a pleasure to meet you."
"Please, sit, there's no need to be so formal." The woman shot her husband an affectionate glare. "I'm simmering soup in the kitchen; I'll bring some over for you both shortly."
"Thank you for your trouble, Madam."
"Darling, this handsome young man truly has impeccable manners."
"Hahaha!" Wood laughed heartily as well.
"Father, what did you call me here for? Oh, Mother is here too."
Just then, a girl dressed in bold attire with a nose ring walked into the room. Two blades bearing peculiar patterns were strapped to her hips.
"Come, let me introduce you. My daughter, Camila."
Camila caught sight of Karen sitting opposite her father. When Karen turned to greet her, this girl, who was normally fierce and brassy, suddenly grew flustered and bashful.
Corona Town was mostly populated by crude sailors and drunken louts. When had she ever seen a boy with such clear, refined grace? Standing before him felt like admiring a fine painting.
"Ahem," Wood coughed, offering a reminder. "Camila."
Elena draped an arm over her daughter's shoulder and said to Karen, "Please don't take offense. My daughter grew up on this island and has never seen a young man as handsome as you."
"Ah, Mother, what are you saying!" Camila finally snapped out of her daze, her entire face flushing crimson.
Fortunately, none of her subordinates were around to witness this. If they ever learned that their fierce boss lady—who enjoyed personally slicing the tendons of unruly smugglers—possessed such a girlish side, they would lose their minds.
"Hello, Camila. I am Karen, from Ruilan across the sea."
"H-Hello. I'm Camila, from Corona Island across the sea."
*Wait, what on earth am I saying?!*
"All right, all right, let your father and our guest have their dinner. Let's head out first." Elena guided her daughter out of the room.
Karen sat back down.
"Forgive us for making a fool of ourselves," Wood said.
"Not at all. Camila is very lovely."
"It's been nearly ten years since I last heard anyone call her lovely. Perhaps the last time was when she was still swaddled in blankets."
"Every girl is made of water; all of them have a lovely and gentle side."
Beside them, Purr turned to look at Karen. Truly, ever since he left home, he had sounded more and more like a poet!
"A rather philosophical way to put it." Wood raised his glass again, and Karen raised his orange juice. "I'm sure no shortage of girls fancy you."
"No, that isn't the case." Karen shook his head. "In the past, I had some psychological issues. Have you heard of autism? For many years, I preferred shutting myself away from the world and disliked socializing."
Purr frowned. *Do you really need to be this honest with every single member of the Allen family? Even confessing what illness you used to have?*
"Oh, so that was it. I'm sure walking out of that couldn't have been easy," Wood said.
"The truth is, no one can be certain if one has truly walked out of it. There is always a chance of slipping back. With this sort of condition, no one can say for sure."
Purr: "..."
"*Sigh.*" Wood sighed. "I must apologize to you for my behavior when we first met this afternoon."
Saying that, Wood stood up and bowed to Karen.
Karen immediately rose to his feet as well, only for Wood to reach out and press him back down by the shoulder.
Purr looked up at Wood in mild bewilderment, a glimmer of hope quietly stirring in her heart.
Wood sat back down and motioned for Karen to be seated as well.
"I only learned about your grandfather and the current state of the Inmerlais family from Jenny. Living on this island, communication is often inconvenient for me.
"When we met this afternoon, I wanted to take you down a peg. In my eyes, you were a pampered young master hailing from the great Inmerlais family, and I worried you would look down on our Allen family."
"I harbored no such intentions."
"Yes, I realize that now. It was my own pettiness. You know, to the south of this island lies another small island with a town of its own, controlled by the Raphael family.
"A short while ago, a massive upheaval struck the Raphael family, throwing their house into utter chaos as factions turned on one another. The day before yesterday, I led men to storm that island and seized the town, returning both islands to the Allen family's fold—even if the law would never recognize it as such."
"Congratulations."
"It wasn't particularly difficult, as they had already fractured from within. When I arrived with my men, we had insiders aiding us from the start. Chasing them off was never the hard part; what held us back before was fear of retaliation from the Raphael family. Now that they can barely keep their own house in order, there is no chance of retaliation.
"In his last letter, my younger brother mentioned that the Raphael family might fall into turmoil within the coming month and told me to prepare early.
"Although my brother didn't state it outright, when I learned that Jenny had returned from visiting relatives and had Eunice bring along a young man named Inmerlais, I pieced things together.
"Am I right?"
Karen did not answer.
"It seems I guessed correctly," Wood said. "It was a trade, wasn't it?"
"Yes," Karen said. "Merely a trade."
His grandfather had given Madam Jenny a purple bookmark, which, barring any surprises, bore the name Raphael.
"Indeed." Wood nodded. "Even so, I must thank your family. You must know that over the years, the Raphael family has squeezed the Allen family's living space in every possible way. On this very island, many of my brothers died in our clashes against them.
"Years ago, I actually had the chance to return and inherit the position of family patriarch."
"Oh?"
"During a shipping run, I was ambushed by bandits under the Raphael family's banner. My ship was destroyed, and I was forced to dive into the sea wounded to escape with my life. In the end, Elena's parents pulled me from the water."
"A harrowing ordeal, but also the start of a wonderful romance."
Wood gave a wry smile and continued, "The Raphael family began scouring the nearby islands for me. To keep me hidden, Elena's parents were murdered by their men."
"I'm sorry."
"It's fine. Back then, Elena was several years younger than me, like a little sister in my eyes. But I knew I owed her—I owed her dearly. Later, after my family's men rescued me, I insisted on bringing Elena home to meet my father, and I told him I wanted to marry her.
"First, my father had been grooming me to succeed him as patriarch. Second, Elena was an immigrant—not only was she not Wienese, she wasn't even of Maclay descent." Wood pointed to his own hair. "You saw it just now; her hair is purple."
Karen nodded.
"My obstinacy infuriated my father. From then on, I was stripped of my status as heir and banished to Corona Island to oversee the business here. Aside from visiting the manor once or twice a year to see family, I have to spend most of my time on this island. But..."
Wood smiled. "Elena and I have lived happily here ever since."
"You are a man of true conviction." Karen raised his glass of orange juice.
Wood raised his glass as well.
"In truth, I deserve no praise. I only understand and remember one thing: when you owe someone a debt of gratitude, no matter what, you must repay it."
On the windowsill, Purr slowly stood up, looking at Wood with brimming anticipation. She suddenly felt that this bearded descendant of hers was actually rather endearing.
"So, I had initially assumed you were an arrogant young master stepping out from a major church family. But once I learned about your grandfather and what happened to your family, I knew I had to come and apologize to you."
"There was truly no need, Mr. Wood."
"No, it was absolutely necessary!" Wood slammed his fist against the table. "It has been far too long since I spent time with my father and younger brother. My father is somewhat rigid, and my brother... I don't know him well anymore after he became patriarch. But sitting in those positions of leadership, they will inevitably prioritize the family's interests above all else."
"Yes, I can understand that," Karen replied with a smile.
*Crash!*
"To hell with understanding!" Wood hurled the half-empty brandy bottle straight onto the floor, shattering it into pieces. "I can't understand it, and I don't care to!"
On the windowsill, Purr raised a paw: *Splendid, bearded fellow! Keep going, keep going, keep going!*
Wood rose, walked over to Karen, threw an arm around his shoulders, and leaned in close, his breath heavy with the scent of alcohol.
"Promise me this: once you go to the family manor, if you find my father and brother mistreating or slighting you, don't bother dealing with them. Come straight back to Corona Island!
"I will hand over my position and every bit of wealth I've amassed here to you! The businesses here, my men, my ships—everything I have will be yours!
"What's more,
"I'll give you Camila as your wife!"
Karen: "..."
Karen blinked. How had things taken such a bizarre turn?
Purr stood almost completely upright: *Well done, bearded boy! Your grand-aunt is proud of you!*
"Mr. Wood, there is truly no need for this. All I require is a place to settle down..." Karen tried to explain.
He had enough money to buy a small apartment, establish a few side ventures, and begin attempting the cultivation of the "faith system."
Purr had actually been right all along: compared to a so-called political marriage, Karen far preferred staying quietly in a corner, developing at his own pace.
Wood scratched his neck with some embarrassment. "Well, to be frank, I know Camila isn't as pretty as my niece Eunice."
"No, Mr. Wood, Camila is very lovely."
"When a man only describes a woman as 'lovely,' it means she isn't your type." Wood clapped Karen on the shoulder. "I was young once, too."
"Uh..." Karen murmured.
"Or do you prefer someone quieter? I'll make Camila take off that nose ring and forbid her from wearing those strange accessories, turning her into a proper, gentle lady."
"There really is no need, Mr. Wood."
"How could there not be? It is an absolute necessity! Your family helped ours. You have no idea what a terrible menace the Raphael family—once mere household thralls of the Allen family—has grown into today.
"Now, that illustrious grandfather of yours has fallen into an eternal slumber, and your kin can no longer enter the church system.
"You have lost everything;
"You have come to Wien;
"You have come to the Allen family;
"And I will never allow such ungrateful betrayal to take place before my eyes!
"Because many of my clansmen—perhaps including my father and my brother—have already forgotten;
"The creed of the Allen family from the days when we roamed the boundless seas;
"And that is..."
Wood clenched his right fist and thudded it firmly against the right side of his chest.
Purr also raised her right paw and thudded it against her feline chest.
"The Allen family always repays a kindness!"
Chapter 81