A Brief Gathering

No one stepped forward to greet us first. I figured it must be because of the language barrier. Prince Alexei and I could at least communicate, but the others likely couldn’t.

“Even if they speak a foreign language, it probably isn’t Nomaic or our Polian.”

Judging by their expressions, I seemed to be right—they looked uncomfortable, their faces stiff with awkwardness. It was likely they wouldn’t even be able to hold a conversation. Just then, Alexei raised his hand and started speaking.

“Wait a second—that language…”

It sounded familiar—probably Magnian. The others reacted positively and began conversing with him. From that, it was clear they spoke their native tongues and Magnian.

“I really should’ve learned Magnian…”

Realizing I couldn’t speak it made me feel at a disadvantage. Why were so many princes naturally gifted with languages? Even the Third Prince of the Magnia Empire had learned our Polian language—or rather, Doicheun, the kingdom’s common tongue.

“I guess princes are expected to be multilingual.”

For all I knew, even my elder brothers—the First, Second, and Third Princes—might have learned foreign languages. It seemed multilingualism was considered a basic qualification. As the Ninth Prince, maybe no one had expected that much from me.

“Or maybe I just missed the chance because my school life got derailed.”

After all, I had to leave high school during the war, and my university education was only short-term. That may have disrupted the sequence of what I was meant to learn. As I thought this, Alexei gestured toward me while speaking with the others.

“He must be introducing me now.”

And I was right—Alexei began introducing me to the group. He pointed to each person, telling me which country they were from and their ranks.

The first was from the Northman Kingdom, which I had passed through on my way to Moria before. Then came officers from the Siren Kingdom, Iris Kingdom, and Jermia Kingdom. In total, I was introduced to officers and captains from four different kingdoms.

They had each arrived aboard cruisers. The fact that they crossed the treacherous Abyssal Sea in cruisers earned my respect. Thanks to Alexei’s efforts in interpreting, the mood became much more relaxed.

“At least none of these nations have clashed with the Polia Kingdom.”

That was a relief. If we’d met with a country we had poor relations with, the atmosphere might’ve been tense. The Magnia Empire still hadn’t made an appearance—it felt like a subtle power play.

“Are they deliberately trying to keep Alexei in check?”

Regardless, we were now heading inside the port facility. There stood a fairly large building—three stories high, which was rare in these parts. Judging by the open space and tables inside, it looked like a place where people drank and socialized. The upper floors were probably sleeping quarters.

“So this is where the international fishermen drink and sleep.”

It was good that such a place existed. Inside the wide first floor, tables were arranged throughout the space, confirming my suspicion—it was a tavern of sorts.

“Those must be them.”

I noticed a group sitting off to the side. The insignia they wore confirmed they were officers and soldiers from the Magnia Empire. I wondered how they would react. Just then, they stood up and approached Alexei with respectful greetings.

“As expected.”

No matter how proud they were, they clearly had no princes among them. It was only natural for them to acknowledge Prince Alexei first. While the tone didn’t feel overtly hostile, their expressions did seem somewhat forced.

“That loud and cheerful guy showing restraint? The officers of the Magnia Empire must be stiff as boards.”

It reminded Ian of his past encounter with the Magnia Empire’s Third Prince. That prince had shown proper manners—maybe he was just a unique case.

Either way, I was soon introduced to the group as well. They bowed briefly—definitely not the same level of respect reserved for Alexei, but not entirely dismissive either. Just enough to acknowledge my presence.

But my aide clearly took issue with it.

“Those bastards…”

“What’s wrong?”

“They were too rude to you, Captain. That wasn’t even a proper bow.”

“They’re from an empire. It’s just how they are.”

“Still… It was arrogant.”

His bitter tone made me smile a little. That reaction showed his loyalty to me. It was a reassuring reminder of how much he respected and followed me. At that moment, Alexei suddenly burst out laughing—PAHAHA!

He said something to the group, and while they seemed reluctant, they nodded. Curious, I looked at him as he turned toward me and spoke.

“Hey now, since everyone’s gathered, we can’t not drink, can we? I suggested a round, and they all agreed.”

“Drinking, huh?”

“Why not take the chance to show everyone just how strong your tolerance is?”

He gave me a sly wink. I realized he was doing this to lighten the atmosphere. After all, nothing warms people up like alcohol—so long as it doesn’t go overboard.

“I don’t mean to brag, but I won’t turn down a drink.”

“Hah! Great. Let’s all drink!”

Laughing heartily, Alexei confirmed once again how peculiar he was. I turned to my aide and said:

“You—take it easy this time. If you pass out from trying to compete again, it’s just trouble for me.”

“Ah, yes. Of course. Haha…”

His awkward chuckle suggested he was remembering his past embarrassment. The mood shifted instantly as the drinking began—and unsurprisingly, Alexei slammed a small gold bar onto the table to cover the cost without hesitation.

There was more than enough alcohol—plenty to go around. Why? Because the fishermen who came here often drank heavily to relieve the exhaustion from harsh sea work. So the tavern always kept a large supply on hand.

Of course, the drinks weren’t exactly fit for royalty, but Alexei didn’t care. Neither did I. And just like that, the place turned into a lively drinking hall.

At first, things were awkward and the mood was a little tense. But as the drinks kept flowing, emotions rose and soon laughter filled the room. With more people getting drunk, singing and joking around, the space quickly transformed into a boisterous gathering.

Before long, even some women—no one knew exactly when they’d arrived—joined in, turning the entire tavern into something more like a pleasure hall. Amid it all, I drank quietly. Of course, I never let my guard down.

In truth, I even saw this as a kind of discipline.

With the sudden arrival of an imperial prince and his unpredictable behavior, the atmosphere had clearly shifted. I found myself wondering whether Prince Alexei’s invitation had even been necessary.

‘Wasn’t I doing fine on my own anyway?’

Then again, with so many eyes and people gathered here, maybe it only worked out this way because of the crowd. After all, people change their behavior based on circumstances.

Three Days Later

As if the party had never happened, things on the island returned to their usual guarded distance—greetings only, nothing more. Still, the drinking session had helped break the ice somewhat.

In the meantime, resupply operations continued. Ammunition like shells was out of the question, but they were able to fully replenish coal. To do so, they had to spend gold—the globally accepted currency they’d brought in anticipation of this.

There were no banks on the island. Transactions here were done in physical goods only. Fortunately, they’d prepared a sufficient amount in advance, so the resupply went smoothly.

This island was considered a neutral zone. No supplier could favor one nation over another.

“Coal resupply is now complete.”

“Good. We don’t have to worry about fuel, then.”

“Yes. As for food, we received enough—but most of it is seafood.”

“That can’t be helped.”

Naturally, the island had limited arable land for farming, so vegetables were scarce and expensive. Livestock was also rare, so meat was only available in limited quantities.

Ian had expected that and chose not to fuss about it.

“Then we’re ready to depart.”

“Yes. The boilers have been running since this morning—we can leave at any time.”

“Let’s check with Prince Alexei about when we should head out.”

They had spent two full days here, and now it was time to resume their primary mission—finding the sea monster. Ian had spoken with Alexei the night before, and they had agreed to depart today.

“The others will probably start leaving soon too.”

The battleship from the Magnia Empire had already departed the previous afternoon. Since finding the sea monster had become something of a competition, they were likely hoping to get a head start.

With that in mind, Ian headed off to find Prince Alexei.

Despite being an island, this place housed tens of thousands of people—enough to resemble a small city. Not near the port, but deeper into the town, one could see a few cars, women, and children.

Of course, most of them avoided soldiers in fear.

“There’ve already been a few incidents here, haven’t there?”

Everywhere had its share of troublemakers. So inevitably, incidents happened. And those who suffered were always the locals. Perhaps that’s why, when Ian, his aide, and several crew members walked together, people subtly moved out of their way.

“It’s not a good feeling.”

Even if they weren’t responsible, being treated like a threat wasn’t pleasant. Trying to ignore it, Ian continued on until they arrived in front of a three-story building—something like a hotel, where Prince Alexei and his group were staying.

Inside was a small lobby, and Ian recognized several familiar officers and soldiers from the Noma Empire. As soon as they saw him, they greeted him. After spending some time together, they had grown somewhat closer—though only those who spoke Doicheun could converse.

“Where’s Prince Alexei?”

“He’ll be down shortly, sir.”

“All right. I’ll wait.”

At Ian’s words, his aide Mardin quickly brought over a chair for him to sit. It was yet another sign of how competent the man was. Ian sat and waited, and about ten minutes later, Prince Alexei appeared, descending the stairs with his aide.

“Prince Ian, you’re here.”

“Did you just wake up?”

“I woke up long ago, my friend.”

“Oh? Is that so?”

At that moment, Ian noticed someone else descending the stairs—a blonde woman, quite pretty. Alexei raised a hand toward her with a grin.

“Lindzi, let’s meet again sometime. Hahaha!”

The woman blushed, hurried down the steps, gave a quick bow, and slipped out through the lobby doors. Ian watched her go, quickly understanding the situation.

Apparently, Alexei had spent the night with her. And by the looks of it, they’d continued into the morning.

“To have that kind of energy in the morning… impressive. But don’t royals usually turn up their noses at that sort of thing?”

Given his status as an imperial prince, one would expect a sense of aristocratic pride. And yet here he was, sharing a bed with a local woman. Ian could only conclude—this man truly had an unusual personality.