"Life is full of surprises,"
"Like how the girl you liked turned into a kid,"
"If you bring it up one more ti, I won’t talk to anyone for a week. I’ll be in my room, alone, with the door closed. And I’m going to cry," Situ said, his voice completely deadpan. "You make a grown man cry with your words. Isn’t it such a horrible and terrible thing to do?!"
Crystal couldn’t hold back her laugh, but she rolled her eyes. "All right, all right. I won’t joke about it anymore," she said, raising her hands in surrender.
Crystal, one of the slaves Tyler had freed and employed on the ship.
"These n never get the hints." She sighed in frustration, shaking her head as Situ glanced at her, clearly oblivious to whatever signals she’d been trying to send.
Suddenly, both Crystal and Situ froze mid-conversation, their faces quickly dropping into serious expressions. They bowed in unison as a little girl with blonde hair and a flowing white dress passed by. It was Astrid. She rarely appeared on deck, usually keeping to herself in her room, ditating and practicing, but her occasional presence still demanded respect from the crew.
Astrid nodded slightly in acknowledgnt, her steps light and graceful as she continued on her way. She wasn’t one to engage in idle chatter, her mind always preoccupied with her training or thoughts of her holand.
anwhile, in the kitchen, Taka, the octopus fishman, was moving swiftly, hiding all the food in a storage unit. He glanced around cautiously, hoping no one would catch him stashing away supplies.
He sighed in relief, thinking the coast was clear, but then heard a quiet rustling. His tentacles moved to open the storage he had just sealed, and there, inside, was Zuzia—a small girl with dragon horns and wings, munching away happily on the food he thought he’d hidden.
"Zuzia! Not again!" Taka groaned, rubbing his forehead in frustration as the little dragon girl grinned up at him, her cheeks stuffed full of food.
On the deck, despite the lighthearted exchanges and the excitent of reaching Cedar Island, Tyler’s mind was elsewhere. His copper pot, the mysterious artifact that had accompanied him on so many journeys, had never acted the way it did earlier. The subtle but unmistakable vibration ant that sothing on Cedar Island was connected to it—sothing important. He didn’t know what, but he could feel it deep in his gut that this was no ordinary coincidence.
As the ship docked at the port, the crew’s anticipation mixed with Tyler’s curiosity. Cedar Island lood ahead, its towering cedar trees casting long shadows over the water. The city stretched out in the distance, bustling with activity, but Tyler’s focus remained on the unexplained resonance from his copper pot. Whatever it was, he was determined to find out.
"What are we going to do now?" Lily asked, her gaze sweeping across the unfamiliar shores of Cedar Island.
Tyler folded his arms and, after a brief pause, replied, "Just like always... But this ti, instead of renting a mansion, let’s buy a house." He pointed toward Situ and continued, "In his na. After that, we’ll start a new business, leave him in charge, and then we move on."
Situ was moved to the point of tears, his eyes widening as he processed Tyler’s words. "Captain, you’re too kind..." he mumbled, clearly overwheld.
"But Situ needs an assistant," Mathilda chid in, her voice thoughtful as she cast a glance at Crystal, who stood nearby.
"I don’t really need an ass—" Situ began to protest, but Mathilda cut him off before he could finish his sentence.
"Let Crystal be your assistant. She’s the right person for the job," Mathilda said, her tone leaving no room for argunt. She winked at Crystal, as if giving her a hint, and Crystal’s face flushed red.
Crystal nodded shyly, her blush deepening. She had already decided to follow Situ, feelings for him having blossod over ti. Unfortunately, Situ only had eyes for Darla, and Darla, well, her heart seed to be set on Tyler. It was a love triangle that left Crystal feeling stuck, yet determined to stay close to Situ no matter what.
"You guys do your stuff. Mana is going to find Uncle!" Mana said excitedly, barely waiting for a response before disappearing in a blur of energy.
Tyler shook his head with a sigh. "She forgot she’s a ghost now. I wonder how her uncle will react." His tone was light, but his thoughts were complicated. Mana was betrayed by her loved one. Her father died in front of her. She was thrown into another planet but destiny brought her back.
The following morning, after purchasing a magnificent mansion made entirely of the high-quality cedar woods Cedar Island was known for, Tyler gathered the crew for a serious discussion. Seated before him were Lily, Mathilda, Astrid, Silvia, Tuman, Situ, and Crystal, each one curious about what was to co.
"Tuman, I don’t plan to stop the White rchant Group’s operations. I want you to sail the ship across the waters and reach Ixalaria Continent. It’s a long journey; it’ll take more than a year to get there," Tyler said, his tone decisive.
"Thanks to Situ’s training, everyone onboard is capable of handling rchant business now," Tyler continued, giving a nod of appreciation to Situ, who had diligently ntored the crew during their travels.
"It’s my duty," Situ replied with modesty, but a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
Still, Tyler couldn’t help but think to himself, ’The profits will be lower without around.’ The Copper Pot he possessed allowed him to duplicate items effortlessly, which he would then sell to adventurers in the sea or at islands they passed. This unique ability had been the source of his imnse revenue thus far. Yet, at this mont, Tyler was more focused on other goals. "Once I finish at the Academy, I can pick up expanding my business empire," he thought silently.
Suddenly, Tyler’s expression shifted. His eyes twitched, and his body tensed.
Lily, ever perceptive, imdiately noticed. "What’s wrong?" she asked, concern evident in her voice.
"It’s Mana... She’s in distress. I can feel it," Tyler replied, his connection with Mana allowing him to sense her emotions from afar.
Without wasting any ti, Tyler, Lily, Astrid, and Silvia, along with Zuzia—the small winged cat perched on Tyler’s shoulder—left the mansion. Tyler concentrated, using his Ghost contract with Mana to guide them towards her location.
The sky above Cedar Island began to darken. Three moons—one red, one white, and one purple—slowly rose, casting eerie hues across the land.
---
anwhile, just as Tyler Crew landed on Cedar Island, sothing stirred far out in the heart of the open ocean. The scene was surreal—endless waves rippling beneath the pale light of three glowing moons, one red, one white, and one purple. Floating amid the expanse was a massive vessel, painted a striking shade of red, cutting through the sea with purpose.
Inside the captain’s quarters, a man stirred from his slumber. His sharp eyes opened as an unsettling sensation washed over him. "What is this feeling? Is disaster approaching?" he murmured, his gaze drifting to an old, weathered picture of a young Mana that rested on the table.
"Captain, we’re approaching our destination," a crewmate’s voice echoed from outside the cabin.
The captain tore his eyes away from the picture and sighed. "I’ll deal with this later. For now, the Orion Cube Fragnt is our priority," he muttered to himself, rising from his seat and making his way towards the deck.
---
Back in Cedar Island
Mana stood quietly by the riverside, her gaze fixed on the three moons that now dominated the sky—one red, one white, and one purple. Their light reflected off the water, casting an otherworldly glow across the landscape. The air felt thick with tension.
"Mana," Tyler called out, his voice carrying across the cool night breeze.
She turned around, revealing her true form—no longer the small, mischievous devil-child but a tall, graceful figure. Tears welled up in her eyes as she ran toward Tyler, throwing her arms around him in a tight embrace. For a mont, Tyler felt awkward, realizing that in her true form, Mana was now taller than him. But despite the oddness of the hug, he gently patted her back, his concern overriding everything else.
"What happened?" Tyler asked softly, feeling the weight of her distress.
Mana pulled back slightly, her eyes still glistening with unshed tears. "Sothing happened to my uncle’s family," she whispered, her voice shaking.
This was the first ti Tyler had ever heard young Mana speak in her original form, and it struck him how different she sounded—more mature, more vulnerable. His expression hardened as he realized the gravity of the situation.
Tyler held Mana tighter, sensing her trembling. "We’ll figure this out," he assured her, glancing at Lily, Astrid, and Silvia. "No matter what happens, you’re not alone."
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