Chapter 103: The Xenophobic Stowaway
ㅤ”This way.”
ㅤ
ㅤFollowing the Captain’s guidance, I descend from the deck to the lower deck.
ㅤStepping from the bright sunlight into the shade, my eyes are momentarily blinded.
ㅤ
ㅤ（I could really use some sunglasses.）
ㅤ
ㅤI’ve heard that pirates wear eyepatches so that when they board an enemy ship, even if one eye is blinded, they can still see with the other. But I wonder if that really works?
ㅤ
ㅤThe lower deck houses the break room and mess hall for the off-duty crew, the strategy meeting room, and the command center.
ㅤ
ㅤIt seems the Captain is heading towards the strategy meeting room.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Did the stowaway cause any trouble?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”No, fortunately, there hasn’t been anything like that, or rather…”
ㅤ
ㅤHe’s being awfully vague about it.
ㅤ
ㅤ”To be honest, she’s more of a burden to deal with, being from a rough household. Minato-dono, on the other hand, is a woman, so…”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Eh, the stowaway is…”
ㅤ
ㅤJust as I was about to ask for clarification, we arrived at the strategy meeting room.
ㅤ
ㅤThe meeting room is about the size of a classroom at school.
ㅤIt even has a blackboard at the front, which makes it even more similar.
ㅤA large table sits in the middle of the room, with a nautical chart spread out on top.
ㅤ
ㅤOn the other side of that table was the “stowaway.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Any problems?”
ㅤ
ㅤThe Captain asked the marine who had been standing guard.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Sir! No, she didn’t resist at all and has been quite docile.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Have you calmed down, young lady?”
ㅤ
ㅤThe Captain’s words were directed not at me, but at the stowaway in question.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Y-yes… I apologize for the trouble I’ve caused…”
ㅤ
ㅤThe stowaway girl said dejectedly.
ㅤ
ㅤYes, a girl.
ㅤShe looks to be about the same age and height as me.
ㅤShe has quite a cute face with a lingering air of innocence.
ㅤThe embroidered black blouse and long, matching flared skirt suited her well.
ㅤ
ㅤ（Up to this point, everything seems normal, right?）
ㅤ
ㅤBut there are just too many things about her that are out of place.
ㅤ
ㅤFirst, the color of the girl’s hair and eyes.
ㅤHer long, glossy hair is a translucent blue, and her eyes are the exact same color.
ㅤ
ㅤEven in this fantastical world, the girl’s hair and eye color are incredibly striking.
ㅤ
ㅤBut there’s something even more noticeable.
ㅤ
ㅤThe impressive curled horns on either side of the girl’s head.
ㅤ
ㅤ（They kind of look like sheep horns. Maybe a bit like seashells too.）
ㅤ
ㅤFor some reason, the girl gasped when she saw me suddenly enter the room.
ㅤI don’t understand this reaction either.
ㅤ
ㅤ”This girl is the stowaway we were talking about.”
ㅤ
ㅤThe Captain tells me.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Where was she hiding?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”One of the water jugs in the food storage was empty, and she was hiding inside.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Sounds suffocating.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Indeed. She was found, or rather, rescued by the marine in charge of the kitchen when she stumbled out, dizzy from seasickness.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Are stowaways common?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Not on warships, even if they might be on merchant ships. Usually, no one stows away on warships because the destination is unknown.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”And this time?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”According to the girl, she heard the marines expressing fear about going to the Kielhen Islands and decided to board.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Eh, she knew we were going to the Kielhen Islands and still boarded?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Apparently so.”
ㅤ
ㅤI look at the girl again.
ㅤ
ㅤ（She seems…fragile, somehow.）
ㅤ
ㅤI thought she would be a more defiant type since she stowed away on a warship, but now she’s just shrinking and trembling.
ㅤ
ㅤ（Still…this girl…）
ㅤ
ㅤAside from not knowing her background, something has been bothering me about her ever since I first saw her.
ㅤ
ㅤ”… Do you… perhaps know her?”
ㅤ
ㅤThe Captain asks me.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Eh, why? I’ve never seen her before.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I-is that so? One of the marines mentioned that the stowaway bears a strong resemblance to Minato-dono.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”…Huh?”
ㅤ
ㅤI look at the girl once more.
ㅤ
ㅤCertainly, our height and build are similar, and we’re probably around the same age.
ㅤIf I examine our features individually – our eyes, eyebrows, nose, and lips – they are strikingly similar to the face I see in the mirror every morning.
ㅤThe only difference is the color of our hair and eyes; otherwise, we’re practically identical.
ㅤ
ㅤEven the way she’s overly timid and seems to attract misfortune is similar to me.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Y-you’re right. She does kind of look like me.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”She looks very similar to you from my perspective as well. I thought you might be acquainted… ”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I’m an only child, and I don’t have any relatives around here.”
ㅤ
ㅤTo be precise, I don’t have any relatives in this world.
ㅤEven in my original world, my relatives lived far away and we didn’t interact much. I certainly didn’t have any relatives who looked this much like me.
ㅤ
ㅤ”It seems we’re frightening her. I apologize for the imposition, but would you mind speaking with her, Minato-dono?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”If that’s what you want…”
ㅤ
ㅤI nodded.
ㅤI felt bad about refusing a request that was technically outside my job description, and I was also curious about the identity of this girl who looked so much like me.
ㅤ
ㅤI started by saying,
ㅤ
ㅤ”Um, hello. My name is Minato. Do you mind if I talk to you?”
ㅤ
ㅤI sat down in the seat diagonally across from the girl and addressed her.
ㅤ
ㅤThe girl stared intently at my face and murmured.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Y-yes… Who are you?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Well, that’s what I’d like to ask you. I’m just an adventurer who happened to be on board this ship.”
ㅤ
ㅤWhen I said that, she replied,
ㅤ
ㅤ”E-excuse me.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Why are you apologizing?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”J-just because?”
ㅤ
ㅤ… Yeah, this girl really is like me.
ㅤNot just in appearance, but also in her mentality.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Why did you want to go to the Kielhen Islands?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”W-well, that’s…”
ㅤ
ㅤPerhaps I was being too direct, as the girl lowered her head.
ㅤ
ㅤ（Ugh, this is kind of awkward…）
ㅤ
ㅤShe’s so hesitant that I feel like if I push too hard, she’ll close herself off.
ㅤ
ㅤShe lacks self-confidence and apologizes constantly.
ㅤShe probably thinks it’s unthinkable to express her own opinions to others.
ㅤShe fundamentally doesn’t believe in her own worth, so the mere thought of voicing her thoughts is terrifying. She’d rather just go along with what others say to avoid trouble… I can see that desire shining through.
ㅤ
ㅤOn the other hand, she’s also firmly convinced that “no one will ever understand her thoughts.”
ㅤWhile she lacks confidence in other areas, she stubbornly believes in her own worthlessness.
ㅤ
ㅤBecause of this, she has neither the desire nor the motivation to try and make others understand her thoughts.
ㅤIf there’s a 0% chance of being understood, who would willingly subject themselves to having their thoughts rejected?
ㅤ
ㅤYet, she refuses to change her mind.
ㅤShe merely goes along with others on the surface, keeping her true thoughts locked away inside her hard shell.
ㅤ
ㅤIn that sense, she believes she’s right at her core.
ㅤ
ㅤShe might appear docile at first glance, but she’s simply given up on confronting others and has shut herself away in her own little world.
ㅤ
ㅤ… I keep hearing the sharp thwack of boomerangs hitting their mark, but I’m sure it’s just my imagination.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Well, then, how about you tell me your name at least?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”E-excuse me… My name is Almirash.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”No family name?”
ㅤ
ㅤI asked because she looked like a young lady from a wealthy family.
ㅤ
ㅤ”No, I don’t have one… I’m sorry.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Well, there’s no need to apologize.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”You’re right… I-I’m sorry.”
ㅤ
ㅤUm… I’m not going to push it anymore, okay?
ㅤ
ㅤ（Am I really this difficult to talk to?）
ㅤ
ㅤFor some reason, I started to feel depressed.
ㅤ
ㅤNo, no, she’s a different person.
ㅤWe might look alike, but we’re different people.
ㅤ
ㅤI pulled myself together and changed the subject.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Okay, Almirash-san. Let’s talk about what happens next.
ㅤUm, Captain-san, what are the rules regarding stowaways?
ㅤYou’re not going to throw her overboard without a second thought, are you?”
ㅤ
ㅤMy words made Almirash-san flinch.
ㅤ
ㅤ”W-well, as a civilian who has trespassed on a warship, she is subject to punishment, but we certainly wouldn’t treat her like that.
ㅤDepending on her identity, we’ll either drop her off at the next port of call or take her back to Celesta. After that, we’ll have no choice but to fine her guardians. She doesn’t seem like a spy.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Ah, so it’s not that serious.”
ㅤ
ㅤSo they’re not going to say something like, “Throw the stowaway overboard immediately! That’s the harsh law of the sea!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Well then, since we have a long journey ahead of us, we have plenty of time to hear her story.”
ㅤ
ㅤWhen I said that, Almirash-san glanced at me cautiously and said,
ㅤ
ㅤ”… Do I really have to talk about it?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”… Overboard?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”N-no, I’ll talk!”
ㅤ
ㅤAlmirash-san trembled as I inadvertently glared at her.
ㅤ
ㅤ”H-hey, Minato-dono! Please don’t try to scare her…”
ㅤ
ㅤThe Captain’s reprimand brought me back to my senses.
ㅤ
ㅤ（It seems that when I’m dealing with this girl, my hidden aggression is unleashed…）
ㅤ
ㅤHer timid behavior was inexplicably irritating me.
ㅤ
ㅤ（Hmm… I hate to admit it, but this is that, isn’t it?）
ㅤ
ㅤ— It’s the “birds of a feather” phenomenon.
ㅤ
ㅤThey say that when people see someone who resembles them, they feel aversion before they feel kinship.
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ㅤWell, I suppose it depends on the person and the situation.
ㅤ
ㅤI wouldn’t mind if she just looked like me.
ㅤ
ㅤBut this girl resembles the very parts of myself that I dislike.
ㅤIn other words, she triggers my self-loathing.
ㅤ
ㅤI secretly sighed to release the internal pressure and tried to speak to Almirash-san.
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤAt that moment, the ship was struck by a violent tremor.