Chapter 86: The Pirate Queen’s Gentle Heart

What kind of person was Irina?

To truly speak of her, I must begin with that day.

It was a day long, long ago.

The human traffickers who had been transporting me were attacked by a band of pirates.

As their ‘cargo,’ I was finally able to leave the putrid hold.

I could finally breathe fresh air.

Strangely enough, these pirates, who had seized the ship, seemed rather amiable towards the wealthy passengers.

‘Perhaps it was a shared understanding?’

Just as I pondered this, a series of footsteps echoed nearby, drawing my gaze.

Ah, I remembered her. She was the leader of those pirates, a woman with gray hair and a long fringe that obscured half of one eye.

“How are you today? Will you still get seasick when the ship rolls?”

She approached me and patted my back.

For a woman, she possessed surprising strength.

“No, not anymore. Perhaps it was just that the cabin I was kept in earlier was too foul-smelling.”

“No wonder those fellows were so unwilling to go in at first.”

She leaned forward, resting her arms on the ship’s rail. Her beautiful bosom, soft as a pillow, pressed against the wood, rising and falling gently with her breaths.

“Today is roughly when the ransom will be handed over. You mentioned a few days ago that you wanted to participate, and I told you to reconsider… What about now?”

“It’s still the same. I want to help.”

“But if you help, you’ll surely regret it…” She sighed. “Helping us means you’ve boarded a pirate ship. Our vessel is dilapidated and uncomfortable. You’d be better off taking the money we give you and returning home honestly.”

“No matter how dilapidated your ship is, I can endure it. Besides, I no longer have a home.”

I answered her calmly.

“…”

We fell silent for a moment. After a long pause, the woman let out a soft chuckle.

“If you’re so determined, then give it a try. But be warned, once you’ve boarded this pirate ship, there’s no turning back. Anyone who tries to quit will be thrown into the sea.”

Thus, at merely twelve years old, I joined this pirate crew, becoming one of that woman’s subordinates. I also learned her name: Irina.

Initially, I felt the name Irina didn’t quite suit this pirate captain.

Such a gentle name, after all, was one I typically heard associated with scholarly ladies.

How could this ‘Big Sister’ with her bandit-like aura, always presenting herself in masculine attire, possibly suit such a name?

Perhaps she herself realized this, which was why she generally had her subordinates address her as ‘Captain.’

Aside from her name, I found Irina to be an exceptionally cunning and capable woman.

She possessed a strategic mind that rivaled any man, and with only rudimentary ships and weapons, she was able to ambush heavily guarded merchant fleets and seize their wealth.

Yet, at times, I also found her too ‘kind.’ After distributing the plundered wealth among her crew and using some to improve the ship and weapons, she would typically give her own rightful share to the poor people she knew.

“Those glittering gold dragons, things so many people dream of, how can you just scatter them among the poor without a hint of heartache?”

I asked her this, and she replied,

“Most of these rich people’s gold dragons are ill-gotten gains, tainted with foul sins… I can’t bear to keep them. It’s better to distribute them to those in need. At least then, these dirty things can serve a small purpose.”

At first, I dismissed her words, thinking, ‘How can gold dragons be dirty or clean? Once mixed together, how can one distinguish which coin is tainted and which is noble?’

But one day, I unexpectedly came across her with a group of orphans.

The woman who was usually so boisterous and decisive was now surrounded by children, like the sun encircled by flowers.

She sat there quietly, needle and thread in hand, her fingers nimble, as if she were quite skilled at such tasks.

Occasionally, when she looked up, I saw a soft glow in her eyes. Her heroic face also held a touch of maternal tenderness.

In that moment, I suddenly felt that if that money passed through her hands, perhaps it truly could become noble.

That was also the first time I felt that the name Irina and this woman were not at all incongruous.

One day, much later, as I was cooking on the ship, Irina suddenly appeared behind me, looking at me with a peculiar expression.

“Hey, kid, you saw everything, didn’t you?”

“Saw what?”

I feigned ignorance.

“Just… just me sewing clothes for those kids… uh… that sort of thing…”

The pirate leader, usually so bold and resolute, was now, for the first time ever, showing a bashful expression towards me.

After a moment’s thought, I said,

“I saw it… but it doesn’t seem like a big deal, does it? Even if others knew…”

“You can’t let anyone else know!”

Irina’s face drew close to mine, her gaze serious. “Do you think this image of a decisive leader is easy to maintain? If those fellows found out about this, there’s no telling what they’d say behind my back!”

“Then, I…”

“You have to keep my secret!”

Irina grabbed my collar, pulling me close to her chest. She looked down at me from above.

“If you dare to speak a word, I’ll throw you into the sea to feed the fish immediately. Understood?”

Judging by her expression, she wasn’t joking.

I sighed and said, “Understood…”

Upon hearing my answer, the woman’s face revealed a satisfied expression.

“Excellent. Now that’s my obedient subordinate. Ahem—”

“I’m not an unreasonable leader. How about this: you can make any request you have, and I’ll try my best to fulfill it.”

“But let’s be clear first, don’t ask for anything excessive, alright?”

At that time, upon hearing her words, I seemed to have paused for only a moment before giving my answer.

“Then, you make me a piece of clothing too.”

“Eh?”

I saw Irina’s expression freeze, then she turned her head slightly and nodded softly.

“Alright… then.”

Looking back now, if the request I had made that day hadn’t been this one, perhaps my relationship with Irina would have remained simply that of a pirate captain and her subordinate.

Just a simple transaction between two people, followed by going their separate ways, each living their own life.

Because one day, Irina suddenly summoned me to the captain’s cabin.

Having just concluded a boarding battle, she was still covered in seawater and blood. Her gaze, as it flickered towards me, carried a hint of killing intent.

“Did you receive the clothes I made for you?”

“Yes, I did.”

“Where are they?”

“In the house on shore, at the very back of the wardrobe.”

The next moment, Irina lunged forward, grabbing my collar and slamming me against the wall with a resounding thud.

“You brat, are you messing with me!? I worked so hard to make something for you, and you! You just waste it like that!?”

The remaining eye beneath her fringe opened into a furious slit.

“Do you believe I’ll feed you to the fish right now!?”

“I’m not messing with you…” I patiently replied. “Because I believe wearing it would be the real waste.”

“Excuses!”

“It’s not an excuse. Just look at the clothes you’re wearing. After merely one boarding battle, they’re cut to shreds. If I were to wear the clothes you made into battle, I’d probably be asking you to mend them again right now.”

The hand clutching my collar loosened instantly.

“Just because of that?”

Irina looked at me with a complex expression.

“Just because of that.”

I met her gaze calmly.

“Hehehehe hahahahaha…”

Irina suddenly chuckled, then, in the next instant, pulled me into a fierce embrace.

“It’s alright. I can make clothes for you for a lifetime.”

Even though the woman’s grip was so forceful, her voice was as gentle as a girl’s.

From that day forward, I knew I was no longer merely her subordinate.

Our interactions grew more frequent. Even during battle, we would always be mindful of each other’s positions, unreservedly entrusting our backs to one another.

And after battles concluded, we would also meet privately and talk for hours.

We spoke of our past experiences, our life ideals, and all the unfortunate and interesting things we had encountered.

At such times, I felt she was more like a simple girl, hidden beneath the mask of a pirate queen.

Later, we broke through our respective boundaries, and things progressed naturally.

After I came of age, I used my years of experience to become her first mate, effectively the true leader of the pirate crew.

However, the valiant pirate queen, due to accumulated old ailments, gradually receded into the background…

“So, that’s the story of your late wife?”

The witch before me, possessing a similar aura to Irina and looking at me with eyes much like hers, asked,

“What happened after that?”

“After that, you ask…”

I slowly sighed, then looked at her solemnly.

“She was captured by a noble she had once offended, while trying to save a child. They branded her a witch… and burned her at the stake.”

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