After the commotion, Reid realized he had underestimated just how stubborn these people were.
The sky was already growing dark, yet the arguing showed no sign of stopping. If anything, the old chief was matching the younger men in sheer determination.
In the distance, the tribe was still locked in debate over who should go out to scout.
Reid leaned lazily against a tree, the quiet little girl resting in his arms, so still she was almost easy to forget.
It was hard for him to connect this silent child with the future first mate he remembered.
So he started "chatting" with her.
Mostly, he was just talking to himself.
"Tch. They're pretty noisy… but honestly, this kind of atmosphere isn't bad, right?"
He glanced at the flushed, heated crowd, then lowered his head slightly.
"You think so too, don't you?"
The girl said nothing.
"But it's better than silence. Better than having no life at all."
This time, she gave the faintest nod.
So slight it was almost invisible.
Reid caught it anyway.
A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he continued, voice relaxed.
"You don't really have your own thoughts right now. That's fine. From now on, just listen to me."
He paused, something wild and yearning slipping into his tone.
"I'll take you with me. We'll become the freest people on this vast sea. We'll see things you've never seen, things you've never even imagined."
"Towering mountains. Endless valleys. Strange islands. All kinds of people… and all their stories."
He lowered his gaze, studying her face hidden beneath her bangs.
"Hey… kid. Forget those damn missions and that nonsense about atonement."
"What about your future? Do you have any plans at all? Even a tiny one?"
The girl in his arms stiffened slightly.
Future?
Her own?
Plans?
Those words felt distant.
Unfamiliar.
Even harder to understand than names like Piruka.
She had never been allowed to think about such things.
After a long silence…
She gently shook her head.
Reid wasn't surprised.
He chuckled softly and nudged her head with his chin.
"No plans is fine."
"Then from today onward, your future is simple. You follow me, and we'll witness everything this world has to offer."
"That'll be your new 'mission.' How about that?"
This time, she didn't nod.
Didn't shake her head either.
She simply leaned quietly against his chest, listening to his heartbeat and the distant echoes of argument.
Eventually, the noise began to fade.
The old chief, in the end, couldn't win against the tribe's stubbornness.
They were as immovable as bulls, all thinking only of his safety.
A compromise was reached.
Several young hunters would take turns scouting, while he remained behind to lead the tribe.
Once the plan was set, the old chief drew a deep breath and looked around.
"Alright! That's enough arguing! It's settled!"
"Now get moving! We're going to build our benefactor the finest ship Blueblue Island has ever seen!"
"We will not waste the lifeline he has given us!"
The tribe immediately agreed.
This was a victory for everyone.
The same people who had been shouting moments ago now sprang into action with renewed energy.
Some gathered materials.
Others sharpened tools.
The entire tribe came alive with purpose.
The chief walked over to Reid, who was still leaning under the tree watching everything like a show.
He glanced at him, then at the quiet girl in his arms.
His expression was complicated.
Then he spoke in a low voice.
"You foolish boy. Come with me."
He led them along a narrow, hidden path behind the tribe.
The trail was so well concealed that it was almost invisible.
Eventually, they arrived at the entrance of a cave, cleverly hidden behind vines and large stones.
If you looked closely, you could spot traces of human activity.
But given time, even those would be swallowed by nature.
Reid suddenly remembered something he once said.
You laugh at me for not knowing traffic signs.
I laugh at you for not knowing crops from weeds.
Clear away the cover, and inside was a spacious, dry natural cave.
There were supplies stored within.
Clean freshwater.
Simple tools.
Food wrapped carefully in dried grass.
The old chief looked at the cave, a self-mocking smile on his face.
"This place… only the chiefs know about it."
"It's the last refuge for women and children."
"I always thought one day it might be needed."
He let out a quiet breath.
"Now… it feels almost ridiculous."
Reid understood what he meant.
In the face of absolute power, such primitive hiding places meant very little.
That was the reality of seeing the world clearly.
Reid stepped inside, still holding the girl, and scanned the surroundings before giving a slight nod.
Then he gently set her down.
The moment she stood steady, the air around him shifted.
A crimson mist began to rise.
Thick.
Heavy.
Pulsing with an unsettling glow that made the heart race.
Reid raised his hand.
The blood mist surged forward, pouring into the cave walls and entrance.
It spread rapidly, solidifying into a concealed yet resilient barrier that completely isolated the cave's presence from the outside world.
Beyond the cave, the forest itself began to fill with a growing fog.
This had been discussed beforehand.
The chief had said they knew this land better than anyone.
The mist would not hinder them. It would protect them.
And so Reid acted.
When it was done, he lowered his gaze.
The girl stood nearby, silently watching everything.
He pointed toward the fading crimson energy seeping into the stone.
"Look carefully, kid."
"This kind of power isn't a curse."
"It's not some original sin you need to atone for."
"It's a gift."
"A weapon that lets you survive."
"A way to protect what matters to you."
"And more than anything…"
"A ticket to freedom."
He met her eyes directly.
For the first time, something stirred within them.
A ripple.
"From now on, you train it. You control it."
"Don't let it control you."
"Understand?"
Reid knew he had to repeat this.
Again and again.
Like calling someone a fool every day until they start answering to it.
The girl stared at the power.
She had seen it twice now.
Once when he took her away from that country.
And once just now, to protect these ordinary people.
She looked at the fading energy.
Then slowly lifted her gaze to Reid's face.
This time, she didn't look away.
Didn't lower her head.
Something deep within those long-empty eyes was beginning to ignite.
Something fragile.
Something human.
A feeling she had long forgotten.
Safety.
Reid really was meticulous.
Something buried deep inside her, suppressed for far too long, was slowly awakening.
Awkwardly.
Clumsily.
But undeniably.
Her hand lifted slightly, almost unconsciously.
A faint chill gathered above her palm.
Weak.
Unstable.
Primitive.
Nothing compared to Reid's overwhelming crimson mist.
It struggled to take shape.
Finally forming something small.
Thin.
Rough-edged.
A vague, curved shard of crystal.
Reid stared at it for a moment.
Then narrowed his eyes.
He was certain.
It was supposed to be a rose petal.
But what she created…
Looked more like a tiny fragment of chipped ice.
Abstract to the extreme.
Almost painfully so.