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Chapter 9
‘I can’t believe my family is this, no, that stupid.’
I shook my head, feeling gloomy as I worried about their future.
‘I need to explain this quickly while the opportunity is here.’
At least the wind was blowing in the direction I wanted. If I didn’t act now, I’d lose my qualification as a pirate.
“Everyone, shut up and listen to me.”
Suddenly, the shouting stopped. I was slightly intimidated by their unity, but I spoke as confidently as I could.
“R-right now, not everyone is fully treated, so we need to reach the harbor quickly.”
“So, do you know what it’s caused by?”
“Yes. You know how we have to eat fruits at least once a week, right?”
“Right, because of scurvy.”
Actually, the disease in question could be considered a derivative of scurvy.
Scurvy. Once known as a nightmare of the sea, it was a dreadful disease that tormented sailors. However, it was discovered that eating fruits could cure it almost instantly, and fear of scurvy gradually faded.
Since then, sailors always carried fruits, often preserved in salt. Around this time, a magical item arrived on our Kaelum pirate ship.
“You’re not talking about scurvy, are you?”
I shook my head at Nereus’s question.
“Dad, everyone who caught this disease is female except for Gerard.”
Upon hearing this, Nereus’s face stiffened immediately.
‘As expected, he knew.’
Superstition held that having women or children on board was unlucky. Because of this, even in the navy, it was hard for women to get promoted, and those actually sent on missions were especially rare.
‘Funny that the sea god Cormare is usually depicted as female, yet such superstitions exist.’
It wasn’t just the navy that was bound by superstition. Pirates also hesitated to take female crew members. In that sense, the Kaelum pirate crew was truly exceptional.
They welcomed not only female sailors but even a little child like me, treating us all as family.
On a ship with such a family-like atmosphere, if this mysterious disease was gender-specific, it could shatter the trust we had built among us.
‘But it’s not just Nereus, it seems.’
My words darkened the expressions of not only Nereus but also the other healthy sailors. It seemed everyone had noticed but hadn’t spoken up, perhaps fearing that someone would blame a female crew member. After all, before the regression, their family had died in conflicts, so everyone was still sensitive.
‘Ugh, what am I supposed to do with these overly caring criminals.’
“But if only women were affected, I would have collapsed too, right? I’m weaker than the moms or brothers, so I might have been the first to die.”
“You shouldn’t speak carelessly about dying.”
“Pirates like saying that, aren’t you guilty? And—”
I pointed at Gerard and continued.
“Gerard got it too, right? Why do you think that is?”
“Lara, do you know the reason?”
“Of course I do, that’s why I’m asking as a quiz.”
I said boldly, and Nereus let out a soft, deflated laugh.
“Well… Gerard is close to Clara, so maybe he caught it instead of her?”
“Yes.”
“Yes?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Although Nereus meant it as a joke, it was, unfortunately, the correct answer. Nothing else made sense given the circumstances.
“Nereus, before we set sail this time, didn’t you buy something expensive for the ship?”
“A refrigeration device?”
“Yes, that. Why did you buy it?”
“Well…”
As Nereus answered, he suddenly spotted Clara standing among the crowd with wide eyes.
“Clara, you didn’t…”
“C-Captain, I’m sorry.”
Clara paled and fidgeted with her hands.
“The day Polaris collapsed, Gerard blamed himself so much, so I gave him my share.”
“…!”
‘As I thought.’
Unlike in ancient myths, people in this era couldn’t use magic. Instead, they could create magical tools called madogu, using mysterious stones from nature to defy natural laws. This field was known as madology.
In the Western Continent, these tools were particularly expensive compared to the Eastern Continent. The refrigeration device Nereus brought didn’t just keep things cool—it was a magical tool that preserved freshness for as long as possible, even slowing time, which made it extremely costly.
The only fruit that justified Nereus bringing such an item was one special fruit.
‘The White Sun, wasn’t it?’
The White Sun was a plant disease called Baekryong disease, which devastated all orange orchards. It whitened trees from root to leaf, leaving only shriveled, disease-stricken fruit.
Highly contagious, it had to be destroyed quickly. Yet, one day, fresh fruit appeared among these white trees.
Such trees were rare, and their fruit became known among sailors as “The Miracle Fruit That Defeats Death: White Sun.” It was likely called “sun” because the fruit was orange.
The White Sun became particularly popular among sailors, as scurvy was intimately linked to citrus fruits. This fruit had survived a fatal disease, making it highly coveted.
‘Who could have imagined that the Sun would endanger everyone? Not even in their dreams.’
Nereus had brought the refrigeration device knowing that one of the female crew members secretly worried about superstitions. He wanted to show he always supported them.
His care for the family inadvertently endangered them. Nereus regretted and agonized over this day the most.
Unable to protect them, he had, in effect, caused harm with his own hands.
“I often get sick, so Grandpa Ethan helps me a lot. His room has tons of picture books, so I sometimes secretly read them when he’s not around.”
Ethan’s eyes widened.
“You looked at dictionaries? That must’ve been difficult.”
“Yes, yes. At first, I didn’t understand anything, but after I got better, I realized what I had read.”
I lied in the innocent voice of a six-year-old, even though I was actually 26. Saying I became a genius after recovering was more believable than saying I had regressed.
“From there… oh yes, the Lambot fruit. It must be harvested within three days of ripening.”
“That’s right. Lambot is good for headaches, but after three days, it absorbs toxins from the tree…”
Ethan’s expression stiffened as he realized something, and I smiled at him.
“The White Sun trees were supposed to be very sick. How did they bear fruit?”
“My, my goodness. How could this happen?”
Harvesting Lambot is tricky. The tree absorbs environmental toxins, and the fruit is a potent headache remedy. Any delay in harvest would result in the fruit absorbing the toxins.
Although I didn’t determine the properties of the White Sun directly from Lambot, their principles were similar.
Ethan’s face gradually filled with astonishment.
“Of course there was no cure. Oh, my. Sea God Cormare, thank you. Lara, I don’t know how you discovered this cure, but we can only say the sea god helped us.”
I smiled, showing my teeth.
“Not everyone is fully treated yet. For now, we’re just suppressing the disease in their bodies.”
First aid is just first aid. Once we reached the Western Continent, proper treatment would be required.
‘Luckily, the medicine neutralizing the toxins absorbed by the tree was similar to cold medicine.’
While things were finally going in my favor, Nereus called me.
“But Lara…”
“Yes?”
“I saw you mixed the medicine with alcohol. Why?”
“Oh, that…”
I rolled my eyes and glanced at my family before answering.
“The other dad said it tasted awful. And good medicine always tasted bad. So, that’s why.”
Again, there was no other way to explain it.
‘No matter how I think about it, the people of Kaelum must be idiots.’
A few days later, I leaned on the ship’s railing, looking up at the clear sky.
‘Otherwise, how could they have believed all that nonsense?’
“Or maybe it’s just me acting foolish.”
No way. I chuckled softly to myself.
‘Even if they like me, not that much.’
“What are you muttering to yourself?”
Suddenly, my body slipped from the railing and landed on the deck. A shadow fell over me.
“Mom Nancy…?”
“Hehe, our little savior.”
“Mom Nancy, is it okay if I get up now?”
“Of course~ You’re the healthiest patient, aren’t you amazing?”
Nancy smiled, reaching for me. I raised my arms, and she naturally lifted me up.
‘Nancy must have been the only survivor.’
Nancy was the first to show symptoms of the disease but survived alone. Not because she was healthier, but because when sharing the White Sun with her comrades, she gave pieces to Dalia, who enjoyed them. That act saved her, while others succumbed faster.
‘Actually, if you eat plenty of other fruits within a week after the White Sun, it’s fine, but that’s hard on a ship.’
Moreover, symptoms appear at least a week after consumption, making the cause difficult to identify.
“……”
“Why are you so quiet? Our Lara.”
“I’m happy Nancy woke up.”
I gazed at Nancy and hugged her, feeling her warm presence.
‘I’m really happy.’
A different, elevated emotion from a few days ago filled me.
Nancy had survived before regression, but her face always bore a shadow, even when smiling.
The Nancy I knew was gone; this Nancy carried untouchable pain and sorrow. I didn’t understand it as a child, but now I did.
‘Not just Nereus, Nancy must have suffered too.’
Seeing the sole survivor, everyone aboard remembered that day.
‘This life, live happier, Nancy.’
Years later, Nancy would meet a man, fall in love, and leave the ship. In my previous life, I cried helplessly while holding onto her, but this time, I could smile and let her go.
‘Then, I’ll definitely let you go with a smile.’
I closed my eyes, feeling Nancy’s hand gently patting my head, letting out a tender laugh.
‘I changed things. I really did it.’
I truly felt destiny had shifted. Much more would change in the future…
‘I will be in it.’
A warm, comforting feeling filled my heart.
“The harbor is approaching, switch the sails!”
The bustling sounds of many moving people reached my ears. Though busy, the air was filled with happiness, relief, joy, and anticipation.
