198 The Town Where Everything Began (2/2)
”The one furthest from us,” Jameson said. ”How do you f*cking plan to meet the Black Serpent, Lord Winter?”
”My mommy taught me to always stand out and make a grand entrance,” he said. ”She told me a story about a superhero found in a frozen aircraft on the ocean floor. I want to reenact that and instead of an aircraft, I will freeze myself inside a fishing boat.”
The Keeper looked surprised by that.
”That's so unnecessary,” Solenn complained. ”Why don't you just approach your father the normal way?”
”Didn't you hear what I said?” he snapped at the little brat princess. ”My mommy taught me to never undermine myself. She calls it ”being extra.””
The little brat princess just rolled her eyes at him. ”Whatever,” she said. ”Anyway, once we're sure that the Black Serpent won't hurt you, we will leave right away. The Supreme gave me a mission and I don't want to disappoint her.”
”Okay,” he said. ”But where are you going?”
”To the North,” Solenn said. ”The Supreme asked me to meet and guide her allies that are currently hiding in the North. Also, she gave me the important task of retrieving her father's remains and bringing it back to the Royal Capital.”
”Are you fine with it?” he asked the little brat princess. ”I thought you wanted to explore the Royal Capital.”
She nodded. ”Once the Supreme proves our innocence, then we'd have the right to live in the empire again. And when that happens, I can have all the time in the world to explore the Royal Capital. But for now, my duty as the Fire Archmage's daughter comes first.”
He didn't want to say it aloud but that was kind of admirable.
Her title as the ”princess” isn't for show.
”Lord Winter, are you f*cking ready?” Jameson asked him. ”I'll prepare the f*cking fishing boat that you can f*cking use. If you think you're in f*cking danger, send us a f*cking flare from your fire Mana and we'll come and f*cking save you. But if you think you're f*cking safe with the Black Serpent, use your f*cking ice to assure us that we can f*cking leave without you.”
That's a lot of ”f*ck.”
”I understand,” Winter said, then he grabbed the ice crab mallet pendant in his necklace. ”But I'm sure that my father will recognize me.”
***
KIHO was ”fishing” in the deck alone.
Amilo already locked himself up in his ”work room” in the ship. Apparently, the cultured black pearls that they had harvested had inspired him to make new designs for their next line of jewelry. He let the man retire for the night instead of asking him to join him in fishing.
Artists like him work best when they are uninterrupted during their momentum.
Anyway, he was practically alone in the sea as well.
The other ships and fishing boats around him a while ago already went back to the dock. He planned to return as well but he wanted to catch some King Crabs and lobsters first.
He raised his right hand to command the water to move according to his will. That was his way of catching seafood. But much to his surprise, the thing that he caught was far too heavy to be crabs or lobsters. He had to use both of his hands to bring ”it” up.
Lo and behold, he ”fished” a frozen boat.
He carefully laid the boat on the deck.
What is it?
He didn't know why but his heart suddenly thumped against his chest as if he was excited for some reason.
When he kneeled down beside the boat to check if something or someone was frozen inside, his eyes widened in shock when he saw a frozen little boy lying on the boat. He immediately touched the ice covering the boat to absorb it until it disappeared.
Then, he carefully carried the child in his arms. He got worried when he felt how cold his little body was so he immediately went inside the ship. To warm the kid, he went straight to the kitchen and lit up the hearth that they used for cooking.
He sat close to it while rocking the little boy in his arms.
Please be okay…
After a few moments, the little boy slowly opened his eyes.
And he got shocked by what he saw.
We have the same golden eyes…
”Dad,” the little boy said in a cracked voice. Then, he smiled at him as his little hand touched his face. ”Do you recognize me?”
Did he just call me ”dad?”
If it was another child, he would have probably thought that he was hallucinating or something.
But this boy is different.
Not only did this little boy have his eyes. He also looked like his mini version. And he wanted to believe that the warmth in his chest was his heart's way of telling him that yes, this child was really his.
The cherry on top was the necklace that the boy wore. It had an ice crab mallet pendant. He could feel that the ice used to create the pendant came from his ice Mana.
This boy was really his and every fibre of his being can tell.
”Winter,” Kiho whispered, a smile forming on his lips. ”You're our little rascal.”
He didn't know where it came from, honestly. But maybe the words ”little rascal” was embedded in the deepest part of his memories. It might have been so special to him that it wasn't entirely deleted from his mind.
”Yes, Dad,” Winter said in a cracked voice. Then, he hugged him tight. ”I missed you!”
Kiho hugged his son tight. Even though both their bodies were both cold, he still felt warm in his chest. He was happy to be reunited with his child. But of course, he had to ask: ”Winter, where is your mommy?”
***
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