The East Sea Ruler

Chapter 5

"Is this the right time?" Grace said showing an expression that they were in the middle of a battle and a turbulent storm. "There's something more important to talk about, you're coming with me." Grace took Marine to the room.

The Marine looks back to see Bronn, but Bronn is gone, disappearing among the people.

Marine walking his gaze was instead fixated on the corpse of a sailor who was not one of Snake's members. Laying with his head facing up, his clothes were exposed, and Marine was sure to see the corpse wearing the coat of arms of the royal fleet.

It doesn't make sense. They are allies, not enemies, although the relationship is not always smooth, Marine grumbled in his heart.

It had been a long time since the last time a Felon had led the royal fleet. Now Felon is working with them to guard the islands. They uphold royal honor whereas Felon overcame a less worthy task said in public.

Many times the Felons did not interfere in each other's affairs and Felon's missions never overlapped with them. When the King gives the order, Felon spares the child, and instead Felon and the snake members are allowed to do whatever Felon wants to achieve and what Marine's father wants is to be feared.

Those from the main fleet of the kingdom were more pleased that the Snake Felon troops were absent.

Even so, the King felt he had to have an army that at any time was ready to carry out his dirty commands. Felon may not have used the same tactics and strategies, but Felon and they had one goal in order to protect the King and keep the peace.

How could one of them lie lifeless on the deck of the Maiden?

When Grace and Marine are in Marine cabin security, Grace starts talking. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing, I'm fine." Marine took a handkerchief and pressed it hard against his nose.

"Let me see it." Grace advances the agency to look at the Marine's condition.

Grace sighed "well, it's obvious your nose is broken, but at least it's not the worst. If only Bronn hadn't seen you..." Grace's voice is getting quieter.

"What's going on out there?" Marine asked, still hoping to get an explanation for what he saw earlier, and hoping Grace would tell him.

"Ruler from the King" said Grace. "The Prince delivered it when he was here. Some thieves that need to be taught a lesson, we managed to catch up to them much faster than expected and I haven't had time to tell you."

Marine could hear the lie even though it came out so smoothly from Grace's mouth. Since it was impossible for the Prince to ask Felon to attack his own father's ship, the King and Marine could not think of a reason why Grace did it.

With a gulp, Marine lowers his intentions, preferably not finding out Grace's intentions and stupidity and what her father is planning. On the other hand, it was painful to see Grace lying to him like this.

"Would we go back there?" Quietly Merine said. Marine is very smart to hide his emotions.

"I did. But you, stay here. What should I tell Prince Torin if you get killed on your engagement day?"

The Marine simply turned his eyes away, and did not deny. They both knew that the Marine shouldn't be up there from the start.

As Grace leaves, Marine climbs onto her suspended mattress. But with the storm still shaking Maiden, accompanied by dying cries of men and women above, sleep was the last thing he could do.

Actually Marine hates when he can't do anything. Although dangerous, he was at least capable of controlling the situation when fighting. His father's orders did not keep him safe at all, leaving him lonely and helpless.

Every time the Marine closed his eyes, he always saw the dead man, who was clearly a royal crewman. Even though the Marine tried it, he could not find a convincing reason why the crew of the royal ship could be here.

Marine continued to clasp the knife tightly at his side. He's trapped. Stuck between a war he doesn't know is going on. There was nothing he could believe, he felt he was alone.

..........

As the morning approached, all calmed down and as the crew was busy showing off their booty, in the morning the Marine made his way to Milligan's room, the surgeon on board.

Marine's nose grew swollen and hoped the surgeon could make it, although he could say the woman was more skilled at breaking bones than repairing them. His understanding of human anatomy as well as his skill in using sharp objects helped him become a great doctor, as well as an interrogator. Not many can endure the torment.

It's been a long time since Marine visited her, when there were countless times Marine spent in her room. The aroma of the medicine being cooked along with the rotting flesh smelled long before the Marine got there.

When Marine emerges from behind his door, Milligan grumbles no matter what, his head focused on what he's working on. It wasn't just the Marine who came here to get treatment, many of the crew were injured after the battle last night and Milligan was overwhelmed.

"Oh, are you?" Milligan was obviously very happy to see Marine. "Don't just stay there, let's help me." Milligan called the Marine.

Shamefully the Marine entered the room. The strange taste that the Marine felt came back here again, having avoided it for a long time. Even so, the instant the feeling disappeared as the boiling pot in the fireplace caught the Marine's attention.

"It's a painkiller, it's obviously not been given to the patient."Marine inhales its scent and speaks as softly as possible.

"Don't wander, son." Bail Milligan.

Be aware that he must help before he is given the drug. Marine approached Amos, one of the patients who had an injury to the little finger on his left hand. His bones are sticking out of his finger skin and will cause infection if not treated as soon as possible.

By tearing off a piece of cloth and picking up a number of wooden planks, Marine made a bidai. If Marine bis presses the bone back, gives it an ointment, then straightens it out, Marine is sure Amos will recover quickly.

Marine tried not to ask the origin of the wound. He thinks the less he knows about last night the better.

However, as Marine cleans the skin surface around Amos' wounds with salt water, before he repairs his bones, Miligan approaches and pushes Marine away.

"What are you doing?"

Once again Marine explains his treatment plan and Milligan simply narrows his eyes.

"Have you forgotten the teaching I gave you?" with a look of disdain at the Marine's treatment.

And without a word Milligan grabbed Amos by the hand, took him to his dirty workbench, put him down roughly, spread it out before taking the scalpel and slashing it.

Marine's body couldn't move in shock, seeing the way Milligan treated his patients. There's nothing better than this to remind Marine why he stopped here.

"Strong!" Milligan kicked Amos out of his room.

Marine guesses Amos will pass out when he gets to the deck. That's also if he can get there.

"What do you need to do here?" Ask nonchalantly.

"I need something for my nose."

Milligan held Marine's chin, then turned Marine's head to the right and to the left before grumbling. "It looks broken."

"Yes, I know."

Milligan spits on the floor. "Don't worry, just wait for it to heal on its own."

"I won't leave this room until you give me something to deal with the pain."

Milligan forgets that Marine knows what kind of person he is. Milligan's desire is for Marine to quickly get out of here, defeating his unwillingness to help Marine.

"You know where I put the cure." Milligan finally said. "Get it and get out quick."

Marine did as Milligan said, taking a bottle of ointment from one of his mess shelves and leaving before Milligan changed her mind.

Not wanting to be the center of attention, but fed up with the four sides of the room, Marine heads to his favorite hideout under the ship's shed, where sails and spare leaves are kept. There was a small gap between the wooden planks that was enough to enter without being seen from the outside.

This ointment is made from black bush extract that only grows on the Second Island.

And when Marine rubs it into her nose, a chill instantly pierces her face leaving her numb. He also rubbed it into his burns. After feeling relieved, Marine retrieves the sewing needle and thread from the pouch, rushing to fix her dress before the tear gets stuck again on another object.

"You know there's still a more comfortable place than here, right."

Marine was surprised to not realize the arrival of the owner of the voice, to accidentally stab his finger with a needle.

Full of dirt and sweat, Bronn is clearly busy repairing the damaged part of the ship since the storm last night.

his sideways t-shirt showed a scar that stained his perfect body, making Marine self-conscious.

Marine's hair was so messy that his face almost turned red, if he didn't realize Bronn's hair was wilder than his. The desire to ruffle with his finger shocked him. He shook his head, feeling disgusted and nauseous about the desire that emerged from his mind.

Marine stares at Bronn's face, figuring out if Bronn has the same feelings as him. However, Bronn's stiff eyes only stared straight at him like an emotionless rock. Suddenly Marine wants Bronn gone, Marine hates him for disturbing his feelings, hates him for knowing his secret shelter. But at least he owes Bronn a favor after last night's incident.

"Listen, I thank you..." Marine had just started talking when Bronn cut his words.

"Captain's looking for you."

Sure oes. Why else would Bronn come looking for the Marine?

Her father was the last person Marine wanted to meet this morning, but not with swelling in his nose that had not healed, a proof of Marine's disobedience to his father. And Marine could only think of one reason why his father called him.

"He knew about last night?" Marine asked, even though he knew the answer.

Bronn. "We better not keep her waiting."

"No need to say I already know." The Marine moved from his hiding place.