Chapter 139: Returning Home
ㅤWhen I disembarked at Celesta’s harbor, Celesta’s navy sailors-san were lined up.
ㅤThe sailors-san, perfectly aligned, saluted me in unison.
ㅤI involuntarily recoiled.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Minato-dono! Thank goodness you’re safe!”
ㅤ
ㅤThe one who approached me, saying that, was a familiar face.
ㅤA tanned, rugged seaman in his late thirties.
ㅤA sword scar running diagonally down from his right forehead looked cool.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Captain-san. You too, I’m glad you’re safe.”
ㅤ
ㅤHe was the captain-san of the warship I had been on when I went to investigate the Kielhen Islands.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Thanks to Minato-dono drawing the Oceanus and Kraken away, we were unharmed. However, the damage to the hull was severe, and we couldn’t go searching for you.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”So, what’s with this welcoming party?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Naturally, we are welcoming the benefactor who saved our lives.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Ahaha… you didn’t have to do this.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”We couldn’t have it any other way.
ㅤSpeaking of which, where is the young lady who was with you?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Almirash-san is safe too. Well, a lot has happened, and it’s going to be a long explanation. I’ll explain to Harriet-san later.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”If that’s the case, I won’t ask now. For now, I’m relieved that you’re both safe.”
ㅤ
ㅤThe captain-san smiled on his stern face.
ㅤ
ㅤ”So, are you heading to Madam ・ Harriet’s place now?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”That’s important too, but I have something to do before that, so I’ll have Harriet-san wait a little.”
ㅤ
ㅤWhile I was talking, the residents of Hope Village disembarked from the ship.
ㅤGrunblin-san was standing in a position to subtly protect them.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Hm? Who are they?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Well, to put it simply, they are people who drifted to the Navel of the World and couldn’t return.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”W-What?! The Navel? Does that mean they are residents of the Kielhen Islands?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”No, further beyond that, in the very center of the Navel, there’s an area where the seabed is exposed, and they were living there as castaways. Some have been there for decades. I don’t know if they have relatives or acquaintances in the outside world, but I brought back those who wished to return.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”How could this be…”
ㅤ
ㅤThe captain-san was astonished.
ㅤ
ㅤThe Hope Village Village Chief-san saw the captain-san and frowned.
ㅤ
ㅤ”━━Hm? Could your name be Kuznets?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Y-Yes, but… could you be Captain Wolf!?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Yes, I was once called that.
ㅤEven so… you’ve grown, Kuznets-bou. You even have a formidable sword scar, you’ve become quite impressive.”
ㅤ
ㅤThe Village Chief-san muttered with deep emotion.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Um, are you acquainted?”
ㅤ
ㅤWhen I asked,
ㅤ
ㅤ”Yes. Captain Wolf is the one who taught me the ropes when I was a child. He was swept away by the currents during a battle with pirates and went missing… I can’t believe he was alive. As expected of the immortal captain.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Cut it out, there’s no such thing as immortal after screwing up like that.”
ㅤ
ㅤThe Village Chief-san said so, even his tone changing.
ㅤ
ㅤ”So, Captain-san, do you know anything about the Village Chief-san’s family?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”W… Well, let’s see. Of course, I know them, but…”
ㅤ
ㅤThe captain-san suddenly averted his gaze.
ㅤ
ㅤ（Oh… this is a bad feeling…）
ㅤ
ㅤShoot, I shouldn’t have brought it up so carelessly.
ㅤI knew this was a possibility.
ㅤ
ㅤThe Village Chief-san, perhaps sensing something from the captain-san’s demeanor, said with a stern expression.
ㅤ
ㅤ”…Kuznets. It’s not your fault. I just want to know the truth. If she’s happy… that’s all I’ve ever cared about.”
ㅤ
ㅤThe captain-san nodded at the Village Chief-san’s words.
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤGuided by the captain-san, we arrived at a certain area on the outskirts of Celesta.
ㅤIt seemed to be a residential area where high-ranking naval officers lived, with quite impressive mansions lined up.
ㅤ
ㅤ”This is it. The captain’s wife lives here.”
ㅤ
ㅤThe captain-san said to the Village Chief-san.
ㅤIt’s confusing because the captain-san calls the Village Chief-san “captain.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”This is… a military officer’s residence. So, that means she’s made another family…”
ㅤ
ㅤThe Village Chief-san muttered with a complicated expression.
ㅤ
ㅤ（The Village Chief-san also remarried in Hope Village and has children.）
ㅤ
ㅤIt’s not a matter of who betrayed whom.
ㅤEven though it was called Hope Village, hardly any of the residents had any real “hope” of ever returning to the outside world.
ㅤThere’s no way his former wife could have waited for her husband, swallowed by the Navel of the World, believing he would one day return.
ㅤ
ㅤThe Village Chief-san lowered his eyes and shook his head.
ㅤ
ㅤ”…Let’s forget it. I died twenty-three years ago. That’s enough. There’s no need to spoil her happy life…”
ㅤ
ㅤ”C-Captain… But, she…”
ㅤ
ㅤThe captain-san faltered.
ㅤThe Village Chief-san’s face… how should I put it? Sadness, loneliness, regret, various emotions mixed together, and he even looked like he was about to cry.
ㅤ
ㅤThen, I heard a voice from behind me.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Y-You…”
ㅤ
ㅤThud!
ㅤLooking back, I saw an elderly woman, about the same age as the Village Chief-san, appearing from the road.
ㅤHer hair was starting to show some white, but she was a beautiful woman with a composed air.
ㅤThe woman dropped her shopping basket and stared blankly at the Village Chief-san.
ㅤ
ㅤ”N-Nina…”
ㅤ
ㅤ”It is you! Is it really you!?”
ㅤ
ㅤThe woman approached the Village Chief-san.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Yes… I drifted to the very center of the Navel of the World. I couldn’t escape because of the whirlpool, and I left you alone.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I don’t care about that! Oh… thank goodness. You’re really safe! I knew you wouldn’t die so easily!”
ㅤ
ㅤThe woman hugged the Village Chief-san.
ㅤThe Village Chief-san hugged the woman tightly.
ㅤ
ㅤ”You too, I’m glad you seem happy. I was worried. I thought you might never be able to let go of me. Heh, what a conceited thought. You’re a much stronger woman than that.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I waited, for years… I couldn’t believe you were dead. If you were dead, I thought I would live alone.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Eh, but you…”
ㅤ
ㅤJust then, the gate of the mansion opened, and a middle-aged man in a military uniform appeared.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Captain!”
ㅤ
ㅤThe man also called the Village Chief-san “captain.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”You’re… could you be Sains!?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”It really is you, Captain!”
ㅤ
ㅤThe middle-aged man seemed to be of high rank.
ㅤYet, his attitude towards the Village Chief-san was like that of a rookie soldier.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Back then, the captain stayed on the ship and let us escape… I never thought the immortal Wolf would die, but…”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Yes, it took a ridiculously long time, but I’m back. No, maybe there’s no place left for me to return to…”
ㅤ
ㅤThe Village Chief-san muttered sadly.
ㅤ
ㅤSuddenly, the middle-aged man threw himself to the ground.
ㅤThe so-called dogeza.
ㅤ
ㅤ”H-Hey, what are you doing, Sains? You’re a captain now. A man of your position shouldn’t be doing that.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”B-But… I made advances on the captain’s wife… I survived thanks to the captain, and now I can’t face him!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Well, it’s not like I forced her to be with you when she didn’t want to.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”T-That’s true! She was the woman I admired!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Then, it’s fine. Rather, I should be thanking you. Thank you for not leaving her alone.
ㅤNow, will you get up already!”
ㅤ
ㅤThe middle-aged man slowly got up.
ㅤ
ㅤThe Village Chief-san turned to the middle-aged man and the woman – the man who had been his subordinate and the woman who had been his wife.
ㅤ
ㅤ”I’m the one who should be apologizing. I was trapped in the Navel and despaired. I wanted to drown my sorrows in alcohol, but I couldn’t even get my hands on any. There was no way to get out, and I didn’t know why I was living anymore.
ㅤThen, I met a woman who liked me. My current wife. We have children. No matter how you look at it, I’m the one who betrayed you.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”But, I too…”
ㅤ
ㅤ”No, you thought I was dead. I wasn’t.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”It can’t be helped if you were trapped in the Navel of the World. So, are you getting along well with your current wife?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Yes. If it weren’t for her, I might not have been able to come back like this…”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Then, I should be thanking her. Introduce me to her sometime.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Will you meet her?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”We’re both the same. We’ve just gotten older. Life doesn’t always go as planned, but since we were able to reunite like this, maybe things turned out alright.”
ㅤ
ㅤThe Village Chief-san and his former wife laughed together.
ㅤThey seemed more like old friends who had reunited after many years than a married couple.
ㅤ
ㅤ”I’m glad. I’m really glad you didn’t become seaweed or wash up on a deserted island and die alone.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I’m glad you didn’t throw your life away out of grief.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Your hair has turned white.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”You have more wrinkles too.”
ㅤ
ㅤAs I watched the two of them laughing, the middle-aged man |（The Village Chief-san’s former wife’s current husband and the Village Chief-san’s former subordinate） beckoned me and the captain-san.
ㅤ
ㅤWe left the reunited couple and were invited into the garden of the mansion.
ㅤ
ㅤ”They were a really good couple.”
ㅤ
ㅤThe middle-aged man, the former subordinate, said.
ㅤHis uniform bore a splendid rank insignia.
ㅤYet, he spoke like a low-ranking soldier.
ㅤJust for now, he must have returned to the time before the Village Chief-san disappeared.
ㅤ
ㅤ”It seems so.”
ㅤ
ㅤI nodded.
ㅤ
ㅤ”I admired them too. Not in a jealous way. I just purely thought it would be nice if I could be like that couple.”
ㅤ
ㅤThe former subordinate had a servant bring us tea.
ㅤWhile sipping tea, I told the former subordinate about how we returned from the Navel of the World.
ㅤ
ㅤAfter a while, the Village Chief-san and his former wife came into the garden.
ㅤ
ㅤTheir eyes were red.
ㅤHowever, the distance between them was slightly further than that of a married couple.
ㅤ
ㅤ”What are you going to do?”
ㅤ
ㅤThe former subordinate asked the Village Chief-san.
ㅤ
ㅤ”There’s nothing I can do. Sains, I leave her to you.
ㅤNo, I don’t even have the right to say that anymore. She’s your wife now.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Are you sure about that?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”We both have families. Children. We have a history as long as that. We can’t erase it, and we don’t want to.
ㅤNow, I’m just an old man with white hair, not the captain of the Samantha.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Is that so…”
ㅤ
ㅤThe former subordinate, with a worried look on his face, was smiled at by the Village Chief-san.
ㅤ
ㅤ”I have no regrets about who I am now. Even though I have some bitter memories. Swallowing those down with amber wine and living on is what being a sailor is all about, right?
ㅤHumph, I’m not a sailor anymore. I’m the Village Chief of Hope Village. No, even that will soon be over, thanks to Minato here.”
ㅤ
ㅤSuddenly brought into the conversation, I almost choked on my tea.
ㅤ
ㅤ”You’re still the captain to me.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Stop it, stop it. Don’t say such things, you’re a grown man. Be a man and support your wife.”
ㅤ
ㅤAfter that, the Village Chief-san, his former wife, and the former subordinate talked slowly about what had happened to each other over the past twenty years.
ㅤ
ㅤAs for me, due to the negotiations with Celesta, I had to leave midway.
ㅤ
ㅤThe captain-san, who left with me, said with a sigh.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Life is truly a mysterious thing.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”…It is.”
ㅤ
ㅤWhile trying to come to terms with my sentimental feelings, I headed to the Council Hall where Harriet-san was waiting.