After Karsa got onto the boat with Bolkan and his two friends, the sea they were passing through was like a clear sky; you couldn't see anything in front of you except complete blueness.
Bolkan said,"After realizing it, I don't think we introduced ourselves correctly. My name is Bolkan Martoni, and I am an A-rank Hunter. My annoying friend here is Meson, a B-rank Hunter, and lastly, my calm friend there is Roval, also a B-rank Hunter."
(Hunters are people who provide protection or fight for money. Their rights are protected by the Hunters Guild, and they are ranked by power from F to S).
Karsa replied,"My name is Karsa, son of Noman, and I am a soldier."
Bolkan asked,"Oh? A soldier? From what nation exactly?"
Karsa replied,"The Great Sun Empire."
Everyone froze in shock, their faces filled with expressions of fear and confusion.
Bolkan thought to himself:"Great Sun?! What is a soldier from the Great Sun Empire doing near the Central Continent?"
Meson and Roval were confused but tried to remain calm. Meson said,"Ah, the Great Sun... it's rare to see someone from there, especially a soldier."
Karsa replied calmly,"I'm on a long vacation, I guess."
Suddenly, a large ship appeared, flying a flag with a red star, heading straight toward their boat.
Karsa asked,"Do you know those guys?"
Bolkan stood up, gripping his sword with a serious expression."Yes. Those are the Red Star Pirates, and they are not very friendly."
When the pirate ship drew close enough, a short man wearing a vest that exposed his chest, with a scar over his eye and a red hat, shouted loudly,"Hellooo, my very good friends! Where are you heading? Are you not aware that this path belongs to the Red Star Pirates? You have to pay 500 sil to me, Konson the Bad Boy!"
Konson stood proudly as his crew laughed loudly.
Bolkan stepped forward into a fighting stance. The air around him vibrated, and a green light surged from his sword."I'm sorry, my friend Karsa, to let you see these pathetic evils."
Konson and his crew froze in shock."Light is coming out of his sword… that means he's a Sword Master!"
Konson growled angrily at his crew,"Shut up, you stupid monkeys! What does it matter if he's a Sword Master? We have one too!"
A woman with purple hair, wearing black and white clothes and carrying a short white sword, stepped forward.
"Long time no see, Bolkan. How is your wife doing?"She smiled maliciously."Oh, I'm sorry… I forgot that she's dead."
Bolkan's anger exploded. The boat and the surrounding water began to shake as a powerful green aura engulfed him."Malisa! You… how dare you mention my wife!"
As Bolkan prepared to strike, a white aura erupted from Malisa while she continued smiling.
Suddenly, Meson grabbed Bolkan and shouted,"Stop! Bolkan! She is one of the Seven Masters of the Black Fingers organization! We can't start a fight with them yet!"
Bolkan roared,"Don't you dare stop me! I'm going to rip her mouth open!"
Meson replied firmly,"You have to stop! We can't win against a whole organization. Don't you want your revenge for your wife?"
Bolkan froze… then slowly sat down, his fists trembling.
Meson turned toward the pirates and said,"You need to leave, Malisa. We don't want any trouble here."
Malisa smiled faintly."Hehe… you made the right choice. Let's go, Konson the Bad Boy."
Konson ran back to the ship like a frightened child."Yes, ma'am!"
Karsa, who had been watching everything silently, finally spoke in a calm voice:"I think you have a story to tell, Bolkan…"
To be continued…
"If you enjoyed the story so far, please add it to your collection! It helps me a lot to keep writing. What do you think of Karsa's identity? Let me know in the comments!"