Voyage Of The Villainess

The trembling of the ship finally came to a halt. 

Rein, who was the first one to recover, immediately went to look over the sea to check what caused such trembling of the ship.

"Milady, everyone," he called out. "All of you should see this."

Everyone looked confused because of Rein's reaction but either way as the others made their way to Rein's location.

"That..." Dorris covered her mouth as she gasped in surprise.

"It must have collided with the ship," Iris exclaimed.

Malaya glanced to the front. Another smaller ship than them was scattered around. There were even some parts of it that were still burning. Indicating that the ship was not long ago had been in this state.

"What are we going to do with this?" Dorris asked as they all looked at Malaya.

"Let's look if there are some survivors from that ship." Then she turned towards Rhyme. "Rhyme, you should also check if there is damage with Bituins." 

"Yes!" 

Everyone also agreed as they started to look around.

"Hmm...it seems no one is around the..."

Iris' words were cut when...

"A man!" Rhyme suddenly yelled, startling everyone. "There's a man in the water!"

Elred without a moment of time to waste jumped out and started swimming to the man holding on to a log. He seemed unconscious and after one more moment of delay, he could completely fall towards the deep waters. He paused for a bit when he noticed something strange about the man. But in the end, he dragged him out of the debris.

Elred skillfully swam back. Rein and the others help him carry the man above the ship. 

Rein immediately check his pulse, "he is still alive."

"Here," Dorris immediately gave both dry towels to Elred and Rein.

As Elred wiped his face, he noticed that his necklace got exposed, he immediately hid it and check if anyone saw it. His gaze met with Malaya.

"Thank you for saving him," Malaya simply stated before she returned her gaze to Rein.

'Did she see it?' Elred thought as he clenched his fist.

"Let's put him to a much warmer place and get treated. Let's wait until he awakes." Malaya said. "Can you handle this Rein?"

"Yes," Rein carried the unconscious man in one full swoop before he strode to the quarters of the ship.

"Other than scratches, Bituins received no damage." Rhyme reported.

"I see, then let's continue on our way."

After their short break, the Bituins started to move once again while they avoided the debris of the ruined ship.

"What do you think caused this ship to be destroyed like this?" Iris asked as she went beside Malaya.

Malaya narrowed her eyes, thinking. "We will know once that man wakes up."

---⚓⚓⚓---

Early the next day...

*Cough! *Cough 

The unknown man they save opened his eyes. As he looked around he noticed that he was in an unfamiliar place.

"Where am I?" His voice came out hoarse. When he glanced sideways, he saw a glass of water. 

"Wa-water!"

He immediately grabbed it to drenched his dry hoarse throat.

Tears streamed down his eyes as the drop of the fresh water touched his mouth. The glass of water had a pitcher full of water on it and she hungrily drank all of it. As if it was his first time to drink water for an entire year.

"You're awake." 

Rein saw the man jump out from his bed as soon as he entered. The man's dark hair was unkempt and his beard was unshaved almost reaching his chest now. There were also some opened bruises before Rein treated him. But that was not only what noticeable to the man, he had a darker brown shade color indicating that his origin must be in the Northern continent.

'What could this man do near the Hacien empire? But there were traces of dark magic on him especially that thing...'

And the said man looked at Rein with great wariness.

Rein remained calm despite the wariness of the man. "Don't worry. I'm not going to hurt you."

The man kept looking at him with caution. "We found your ship destroyed and also happened to see you clinging to one of the debris."

The man as if understanding the situation now started to feel tense. "Ah...I'm Maru." He immediately stood up. "Thank-thank you for saving my life!"

Rein scrutinized the man for more before he spoke up once again. 

  Maru's stomach growled all of the sudden. He looked bashfully away as he hold his stomach.

"I'll go get some food. Don't force yourself to much and rest for now. I'll let my companions know that you're awake..."

"Rein! How is he?" Dorris who entered all of the sudden gasped in surprise when she saw the Maru. "Oh ! He's awake!"

"He's Maru." Rein simply stated as she walked passed her. "I'll go get some food and tell this to the others."

"Wait...Rein!"

Rein completely walked out of the room and shut it before Dorris could even finished her words.

As he walked out to the deck of the ship, he spotted Malaya and Iris talking to each other as usual. Since those two met, those two became like best buddies talking a lot of things that sometimes only they could understand.

Even when Rein heard got to listen to some of their conversations, sometimes it was all strange and incomprehensible, being author, characters, and such. But he just shrugged it off. It must be because that it seemed Lady Iris was planning to be an author of something.

And there were still people Rein needed to be cautious around as well. That suspicious blond guy who was talking to the timid Rhyme at the upper part of the deck. Plus, that another guy who became a black cat to who knows where he was now. 

But Rein was sure that he was just around on the ship since every night the plate containing the food Malaya to reserve for that cat was always found empty on the next day.

"Milady," Rein called out and the two ladies turned towards him.

"What is it, Rein?" Malaya asked.

"He is awake." 

"I see. How is he?"

"His condition is stable now. And he introduced himself as Maru."

"Maru huh..." Malaya pondered for a bit when she felt that name was kinda familiar. She gave a side glance to Iris who just gave her an expression, 'why are you looking at me?'

He seemed unfamiliar with Iris as well. Then he's not a character. But where do I hear his name...'

"Alright. Let's go and talk with our guest.." Malaya said in the end.