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chapter 11
If he was going to get angry, he should just get angry. If he was going to watch my every move like this, then what was the point of bringing me along in the first place?
Honestly, if Nereus kept acting like this, even the fear I’d been feeling would probably disappear completely.
Even so, whether he knew what was going on in my head or not, Nereus kept carefully watching my reactions.
“Y-you got that, right? Our Lara… un-der no cir-cum-stances are you to tell Gil or Isaac, okay? What I said in front of you is an ab-so-lute secret.”
“Mmm, I’ll think about it.”
“What kind of six-year-old uses a hard word like ‘think it over’? Are you a genius or something? No, that’s not the point. Can’t you just say you’ll probably keep it secret?”
“Uhh….”
When I hesitated, Nereus seemed to steel himself. He let out a big pwhoo of air and declared,
“If you keep quiet and let this slide, I’ll give you chocolate cake and cream puffs—all for you.”
“…….”
“Plus pudding.”
When I just stared at him in silence, he hurriedly added pudding to seal the deal.
Is a former navy officer seriously trying to bribe me right now?
I crossed my arms, stared at Nereus for a moment, then let out a deep sigh.
“Fine. I’ll let it go.”
It absolutely wasn’t because I’d fallen for the snacks—
I was just taking pity on how desperate he looked.
I’m not a kid who’d be swayed by a few sweets, okay?
“Dad, before that, shouldn’t we deal with the orchard problem first?”
It seemed Nereus had completely forgotten about the orchard keeper while focusing all his attention on me.
Only after I pointed it out did he flinch and properly grip his gun again.
“So. Do you understand the crime you committed?”
After seeing how Nereus had acted with me, you’d think the man wouldn’t be scared anymore—but the orchard keeper was still trembling, his head pressed to the ground.
“Y-yes, sir.”
Well… Nereus does look scary.
To me, he was a bumbling idiot who panicked over everything, but objectively, he had a pretty intimidating presence.
Hair as dark as the deep sea, a single visible eye glowing a vicious red beneath his eyepatch. His massive frame was crisscrossed with scars, and his already rough face was covered in coarse stubble.
Anyone who didn’t know him would immediately assume he was a criminal—he fit perfectly the image people had of a young pirate.
They said most kids cry when they first see Nereus. Honestly, if I’d seen him as a baby, I probably would’ve cried too.
“Huh?”
Suddenly, a sharp, brief headache stabbed through my head.
What was that?
As if something was on the verge of resurfacing, I saw the orchard keeper crawling toward me.
“P-please spare me….”
“Tsk.”
As the man crawled closer, Nereus clicked his tongue and scooped me back up into his arms.
“Dirty, dirty. Don’t even breathe near him.”
“Mmm, but you’re the one who brought me all the way to the orchard in the first place.”
“…….”
Nereus looked away for a moment before answering.
“I-it’s early education.”
Education for what, exactly?
When I just stared at him without responding, he cleared his throat loudly, clearly improvising.
“A-anyway! Lara, didn’t you say you needed something? Tell me that. I heard it earlier, but I forgot.”
“Dad, you’re an idiot.”
“Then does that mean our Lara’s an idiot too, since you take after me?”
“What are you talking about? I’m way smarter than you.”
“Oh yeah? Then what’s 512 plus 695 plus 124?”
“1331.”
“…Are you really a genius?”
Nereus gently pinched my cheek, awed.
We looked just like a close, affectionate father and daughter.
If only there wasn’t a man kneeling with his head smashed into the ground beneath us.
“I need the roots of a tree infected with White Dragon Blight, and sap from a healthy orange tree.”
“You hear that?”
Still grinning at me, Nereus spoke to the crumpled man.
“Hurry up and bring what our princess needs—unless you want to get buried under the roots yourself.”
The words were vicious, completely at odds with his foolishly relaxed smile.
“…!”
Only then did the orchard keeper seem to grasp the situation. He jumped up and ran off in a panic.
Watching him disappear, I asked,
“What if he runs away?”
“Don’t worry. Daddy has aaaaall kinds of ways to deal with that.”
“Like contacting other pirates who suffered the same losses and having pirates issue a bounty on him?”
“…That’s actually a good idea. Our daughter really is smart.”
Of course, pirates generally didn’t get along well enough for that to work smoothly—but even so, Nereus shook his head as if he’d never considered it.
“Our pretty little princess doesn’t need to know~”
As he teased me again, his head suddenly tilted back.
“Dad? What is it?”
“…Nothing. It’s nothing.”
Fixating his gaze elsewhere while saying that was hardly convincing.
“Are you sure it’s nothing?”
“Of course. You don’t need to worry about it.”
Still staring off, Nereus muttered, “One person… no, even smaller than that.”
What is he measuring?
I eyed him suspiciously but didn’t press further.
More importantly… I need other ingredients too. Will I be able to get them?
Most of the materials weren’t impossible to obtain. They weren’t dangerous or forbidden items.
The problem was one of the main ingredients—kako leaves. They only grew on Odlo, an island far off the western continent, and I vividly remembered how outrageously expensive they’d been back when I was in the navy.
They’re an excellent medicinal ingredient… why did it have to be Odlo?
“Laaara~.”
“…….”
As I sank into thought, a large, rough hand pressed my cheeks inward. Apparently my face looked funny, because Nereus chuckled.
“Oh wow, a crucian carp would greet you happily.”
“Thith ith unfair.”
My speech slurred from my squished cheeks. Laughing loudly, Nereus let go and set me down.
“What are you thinking so hard about, you little six-year-old? Just think about what you want to play.”
“If this six-year-old only played and did nothing, our whole family would be dead.”
“…Mm. Right. Let’s just make medicine and play. Medicine and play.”
Ah—didn’t someone say this wasn’t good for a child’s emotional development…? Nereus muttered nonsense while scratching his head. I couldn’t help but smile.
I’m not really a kid, though.
Still, knowing that to him I was nothing but a six-year-old, I just pouted slightly and let it go.
Why does this feel so strange?
The discomfort in my chest was irritating. And pirates being this devoted to childcare was something I’d never heard of, even during my navy days.
Granted, I’d once been part of Caelum too—but I hadn’t known then either.
As I pressed a hand against my chest, feeling inexplicably stifled, I saw the orchard keeper running toward us from afar.
“Oh, he’s back. Lara, want to go check?”
After the man set the items down, Nereus grinned and lightly tapped my head.
“Me?”
“Of course. Lara should check it. Daddy’s not as smart as you—if I look, I won’t know what’s what~”
Grinning mischievously, he gestured me over. I stared at his immature smile for a moment, then walked to where the materials were laid out.
He brought really good stuff.
Given that his life was on the line, it wouldn’t have been strange for him to feel resentful—or to bring inferior materials out of spite. But instead, he’d gathered excellent ones.
As I carefully inspected each item, Nereus spoke quietly to the orchard keeper.
“You’re sure these are correct?”
“Y-yes. Of course.”
“If the medicine our little one makes fails, I’ll assume it’s because you gave us defective goods.”
“…….”
Though he lowered his voice, the menace carried clearly enough for me to hear.
Which meant he wasn’t actually trying to hide it from me—just pretending to.
So that if anything goes wrong, it won’t be my fault.
No matter how many times I’d saved the family before, I still looked like a six-year-old child. And no matter how much Nereus trusted his family, there was no guarantee a medicine made by a six-year-old would work.
By bringing me here and letting me hear that conversation, he was making it clear: if something went wrong, it wasn’t my fault—and he would always stand on my side.
I was touched by his care, but at the same time… I knew this consideration came from the fact that he didn’t fully trust my abilities yet.
My heart stung slightly.
Of course. I’m six years old right now.
That sting felt deserved.
I—who had once failed to trust my own family, who had grown up wrapped in such open affection yet lived ten years resenting them without ever realizing it.
Wanting Nereus to fully trust me in a situation like this felt almost laughable.
If one day Nereus learns about my life before the regression… would he forgive me?
And would he accept me?
Even remembering the way he’d looked at me so tenderly just before my death, I wasn’t sure.
My grip tightened unconsciously around the root in my hand, dirt crumbling and falling away.
Like fragments of my emotions.
