A boy raised by a demon king and a dragon king seems to be peerless in his school life.

Volume 10 Chapter 32 Kevin Crusoe, the great adventurer

“I’ll have the items ready; I’ll stash them at the back of the store, so come by later on the ship to pick them up.”

After being told this by the shopkeeper Asha, Ruisha and the others temporarily left the “Songstress’s Sea Treasure Hall” and walked towards the center of Oafuru.

“Hey Cindy, where are we going next?”

“I have a meeting with an acquaintance. It’ll be quick, so I’d like you to accompany me.”

“Sure, understood.”

As they approached the city center, the security in the area deteriorated rapidly.

Pirates noticed the unfamiliar figures of Ruisha and his companions, directing various gazes toward them. Some were out of curiosity, some with ill intent, but in any case, it felt unpleasant. If Cindy, a well-known pirate, weren’t by their side, they wouldn’t have known how many times they might have been bothered.

“Indeed, it’s a good thing we didn’t bring Sharo and Iris to a place like this. It’s even uncomfortable for me as a male.”

“Those scoundrels over there… lusting after Brother Ruisha. Shall I deal with them?”

“Ugh, that’s disgusting…”

Looking in the direction Viness mentioned, Ruisha noticed indeed a few men were leering at him with lewd smiles. Feeling their gazes all over him, Ruisha shuddered.

“It’s better not to attract too much attention. Things can get complicated if you catch their interest.”

“Yeah, I’ll be careful…”

Trying not to look around much, the group advanced, focusing on what was in front of them.

They arrived at a moderately-sized tavern.

The place had a slightly run-down look, with signs of wear and tear on the walls and pillars, but it seemed to be bustling with people coming and going. It appeared to be doing well.

Opening the creaky door with a loud sound, Cindy entered and scanned the interior. She found the person she was looking for and headed straight to the table where the person was sitting.

“Hey, Kevin. You’re still alive.”

“Huh? Oh! Isn’t it Cindy? I thought you’d never show up again.”

The man, who was loudly slurping spaghetti, looked delighted when he saw Cindy’s face and gestured for her to sit.

He appeared to be in his late twenties. He had a rugged charm that suited the brown fedora he wore.

“Who are the kids behind you? Weren’t they not on the ship?”

“These guys are new companions. Well, it’s temporary.”

“I see. Well, if you’re Cindy’s crew, then you’re my friends too. Nice to meet you.”

Saying this, the man named Kevin extended his hand to Ruisha and the others.

Ruisha and the others shook hands with him as they were swept along and exchanged introductions.

“Ruisha, Wolf, and… Viness, right? Okay, got it. I’m the adventurous Kevin Crusoe, a renowned figure who can make crying children hush. Nice to meet you.”

After introducing himself, Kevin flashed a confident smile, showing off his white teeth.

Upon hearing his name, Ruisha was taken aback and exclaimed, “Eh!?”

“Kevin, is it really you, that Kevin!?”

“Oh, didn’t expect to meet a fan in a place like this. Happy to see you. Want an autograph?”

Ruisha vigorously nodded his head.

Kevin received a book from a person who seemed to be his companion and smoothly signed it, handing it to Ruisha.

“Thank you so much! I’ll cherish it!”

Ruisha happily received the book.

Not knowing about Kevin, Wolf asked, “Hey, Captain, who is this guy exactly?”

“Kevin is a famous explorer. He has written many books, and they are all incredibly interesting. I particularly like ‘Luknasia Labyrinth Expedition Chronicle.’ It’s a story about being trapped in a labyrinth, but it’s really fascinating.”

Ruisha explained quickly, enthusiastically. He had always admired strong individuals, and he loved reading adventure and exploration stories. While he had many favorite works, those written by Kevin Crusoe ranked high on his list.

“You like labyrinth expeditions, quite the enthusiast. If that’s the case, you’ll definitely like the upcoming ‘Potarika Underground Ruins Expedition Chronicle.'”

“What! A new book is coming out!? I’ll buy five copies!”

Leaving the others behind, the conversation between the two flourished.

Seeing this, Cindy cleared her throat and gathered their attention.

“Sorry to interrupt your excitement, but can we finish our conversation first, Ruisha?”

“Oh, s-sorry…”

Reflecting on getting carried away and losing sight of his surroundings, Ruisha stepped back hesitantly.

Kevin also turned towards Cindy, apologizing, “My bad, my bad.”

“Shall we get to the main topic? After we parted ways, you went to the ‘Death Sea Point,’ right? Did you find any clues?”

“Well, yes. I practically found them already. I’m planning to make a move right away.”

“Hmm, that’s impressive.”

Kevin smirked, looking genuinely amused. As an explorer traveling the world, Kevin had naturally pursued information about the Pirate King’s treasure. In the process, he had encountered Cindy’s pirate crew and had traveled with them for a short while.

“You’ve finally reached the starting point of your journey, your goal. That’s something to celebrate.”

“Yeah, finally. I’ll definitely find it.”

Cindy asserted with a serious expression. Watching her in profile, Ruisha couldn’t help but wonder what was driving her so passionately.

“So, Kevin, don’t you want to come along? It would be reassuring to have you with us.”

“I’d love to go… I’d like to say that, but I’ll pass. I’m busy on my end too, I need to leave here and head to another place by tomorrow.”

Saying so, Kevin placed something shining on the table.

It was a large, shining gold coin. It had a distinctive design of a mysterious tree on the surface.

Ruisha wasn’t particularly knowledgeable about precious metals, but even so, he couldn’t help but be captivated by its beauty and brilliance.

“The ‘King’s Goldland Lemuria.’ This is considered one of their coins. We’re pursuing this now, and we don’t intend to make any detours until this journey ends.”

“…I never really believed in ‘King’s Goldland,’ but after seeing this, I might start thinking it could be real. You found something remarkable. ”

Cindy, intrigued by the gold coin, handed it back to Kevin. Being knowledgeable about treasures, she quickly realized that this gold coin was extraordinary.

“The gold is five times heavier than ordinary gold, and the design of the World Tree dates back two thousand years ago, coinciding with the time when the King’s Gold Land flourished.”

“Impressive, you know a lot.”

“Not as much as you do.”

Kevin carefully returned the gold coin to his pocket and stood up. Then, two individuals who seemed to be his companions sitting nearby, a woman dressed like a clergy and a silent man with a strong physique, followed suit.

“Well then, I guess it’s time for us to head to the next adventure. Take care, Cindy.”

Saying so, Kevin shifted his gaze to Ruisha and the others.

“She tends to be reckless, so it’d be helpful if you could look after her. Nice to meet you.”

“Y-yes! Leave it to me!”

“Well, the captain is quite reckless too.”

“Hey, stop it, Wolf!”

Watching them make noise and chatter, Kevin, satisfied, smiled and left the tavern.

Seeing him off, Cindy also stood up and said, “Well.”

“We’ve finished what we needed to do, so let’s head back to the ship. By now, they should be ready with various preparations.”

Following those words, Ruisha and the others also stood up to leave the shop, but there were those who were not pleased with this.

“Wait, Sindbad. Can’t we adventurers talk and get along with fellow pirates?”

Blocking their way was a group of pirates, grinning creepily. There were about thirty of them. It seemed they weren’t going to let them leave without some trouble.

◇

Volume 10 Chapter 33 Hostage

“A group of rough-looking pirates suddenly appeared. Despite the rule of non-aggression, Ruisha was on guard.

The pirates seemed to have business with Cindy, and they all turned their eyes to her, but she remained unfazed and looked back at them with cold eyes.

“What do you all want, showing up together? Do you have something to say to me?”

“Yeah, that’s right. Frankly, we’re annoyed by your selfish actions.”

The person who seemed like the leader among the pirates said while glaring at Cindy.

“For pirates, you sure attack other pirates. Thanks to you, we’re losing business! And now you’re after treasure hunting? Seriously, cut it out, you little girl!”

“Hmph, isn’t it normal for pirates to fight other pirates? Or what? Are you too scared to steal in a single pirate crew?”

“The times have changed. There’s no such thing as cool pirates outside of fairy tales. We’re sea outlaws, just plain criminals. That goes for you too, Sindbad.”

What he said wasn’t entirely wrong.

After the disappearance of Pirate King Captain Bat, no charismatic pirates were born in the sea of Lasisco. As a result, the current pirates no longer fought among themselves, only attacking civilian ships.

Hidden Island Oafuru was once the only place where the pirates who used to compete with each other didn’t fight, but now it had turned into a place where comrades socialized with each other.

The rule of non-aggression hardly functioned, and the island was used more as a place to hide from the outside world.

For such pirates, Cindy behaving like the pirates of those days was a thorn in their side.

“Abandon such foolish dreams and join forces with us, Sindbad. With your power, our pirate strength would be solid.”

“Sleep talk should be said while sleeping. I’d be a million times better off as sea garbage than teaming up with the likes of you.”

Sindbad said with a mocking tone and tried to leave the shop, ignoring the pirates.

However, they stood in her way, blocking her path.

“…I have no intention of talking to the likes of you, so step aside.”

“Hey, hey, we’re not forcing you if you don’t want to talk. But in return, we can’t say the same about him…”

The pirate pointed with his thumb towards the entrance of the shop.

Then a person, held by two burly men on both sides, entered. The person had no visible injuries but looked exhausted. On closer inspection, the face was slightly reddened, indicating the influence of alcohol.

(…That person!)

Ruisha had seen that person on the ship before. He didn’t know the name, but he worked on Sindbad’s ship.

“You’ve crossed the line…!” Sindbad said, showing a face full of anger as her comrade was captured.

Among the pirates, some were intimidated by her expression, but the main instigator had a smug smile on his face.

“Hey, hey, don’t misunderstand. We haven’t violated the ‘rule of non-aggression.’ We just treated our fellow pirate to a drink as pirate comrades. It seems the alcohol was a bit strong, and he ended up knocked out, but there’s no serious harm to his life.”

On this island, it was commonplace for people to drink strong liquor and fall over. If they were forced to drink against their will, it might violate the rule of non-aggression, but if they willingly drank due to some persuasion, it wouldn’t breach the rule.

Exploiting the loophole in the rule, they engaged in wrongful actions. This was their usual modus operandi.

“…You lack courage but sure have a knack for wickedness. Go ahead, lay a finger on him, and at that moment, you’ll bid farewell to your head and body.”

“Don’t act tough, Sindbad. If you break the rule of non-aggression, you’ll be promptly expelled from the island. If that happens, who will protect the comrades on this island?”

“Grr… you scoundrels.”

Sindbad gritted her teeth. She was so close to her dream. To be interrupted by these people in such a place…

However, she couldn’t abandon her comrades. Doing so would make her no better than the people in front of her.

But no matter how much she racked her brain, she couldn’t think of a way to get through this situation.

Then,

“Um, would it be possible to let go of that person?”

Unexpectedly, Ruisha approached the man who had been captured, speaking to the two men holding him. The pirates were unsettled by this sudden action from the unfamiliar boy.

“What’s this, a kid? You’re not involved in this.”

“I am involved. I’m Cindy’s ally, you see.”

“And what does that mean? Are you going to punch us on behalf of Sindbad?”

The pirate sneered at Ruisha and provocatively brought his cheek closer.

Seeing this, Ruisha clenched his fist and without hesitation, struck the pirate, sending him flying.

“Ugh!?”

The pirate who was sent flying in a twirling motion crashed through the shop’s wall and bounced on the ground a couple of times before collapsing. It was evident to anyone that he was out of commission.

Amidst the shock of the other pirates and Cindy, Ruisha declared boldly, “When my friends are harmed, I don’t hesitate. It’s a big mistake to think I’ll abide by the rule of non-aggression!”