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"Huh?"
The young girl opened her mouth wide in disbelief, then folded her arms across her chest.
"You Marines are really something, asking a girl about her sex."
"Isn't it obvious?"
"Stop talking nonsense! Just answer the question you were asked!" Onigumo's face twitched as he barked, his patience wearing thin.
This girl...
Was she fearless or simply clueless?
Even among Onigumo's group, no one dared to breathe too loudly in Rowen's presence. His towering aura, born of high rank and extraordinary achievements, exuded a suffocating authority.
And yet here she was, making impertinent remarks. Did she not know who she was dealing with?
"Behave yourself!"
"All right, all right, I got it."
Strangely enough, the girl seemed to be more afraid of Onigumo, the marine with the habit of drawing his blade at a moment's notice, than of Rowen himself.
Onigumo snorted coldly and averted his eyes. Then Olga, the young girl, wiped imaginary sweat from her brow and let out a long breath of relief.
Turning to Rowen, she replied,
"My name is Myskina Olga, female!"
"As for my age... probably about 200 years old!"
"What the-!"
"Clang!
Onigumo's face turned red, and this time, his sword was fully drawn. This girl's repeated outrageous statements had finally crossed the line.
As an officer of the War Faction, Onigumo was known for his uncompromising attitude. He didn't care about age or gender - anyone who crossed the line would be dealt with accordingly.
"Whoa, take it easy, Grumpy San! Someone could get hurt!"
The girl, Olga, panicked and backed away, seemingly trying to keep her distance from Onigumo.
But as she retreated to the edge of the desk and found herself cornered, a gleam of cunning flashed in her eyes. In one swift move, she jumped onto the desk, pulled a small knife from behind her, and lunged at Rowen.
''Shing! Shing!''
"Nobody move!"
Olga grinned mischievously at the stunned Marines. The cold blade of her knife was now pressed against Rowen's neck.
"Heh heh, this guy's a big shot in the Marines, right? Hey, don't move or my knife might slip!"
She clung to Rowen's back with one arm while holding the blade against the main artery in his neck with the other.
"Admiral, this..."
One of Rowen's long-serving guards muttered in disbelief, as if recalling a similar incident from memory.
"How dare you!!"
Onigumo, however, was far too angry to ponder the familiarity of the situation. His grip on his sword tightened, his face growing darker by the second.
To be outmaneuvered by a defenseless little girl who now held their admiral hostage was an unforgivable humiliation.
"Stand down, Onigumo."
Rowen spoke calmly, extinguishing his cigar and waving his hand dismissively as Onigumo prepared to strike.
"No need to get so tense."
"Exactly! Listen to the man! Now, clear the-eh? Eh?!"
''Σ(д;)''
Before Olga could finish her gloating, she noticed something strange. The knife in her hand began to glow faintly, turning orange, then yellow, before melting into a puddle of molten metal that dripped to the ground with a hiss.
Only the hilt remained in her grasp.
Staring at the melted remains in confusion, Olga's face twisted into a mixture of awe and disbelief.
"Whoa!"
"Have you had enough fun?" Rowen turned his head slightly, his calm, penetrating gaze fixed on her.
"Heh heh... heh heh heh..."
Olga let out an awkward laugh, then quickly dropped the hilt. Under Rowen's unyielding gaze, she bowed her head.
"Sorry!"
"It's all right. Go stand over there."
"Yes, sir!"
Though Rowen was indeed an "Important Character" in the Marines, he was undeniably the most dangerous person in the room.
Realizing she'd hit a brick wall with Rowen, Olga quickly decided to play it safe. She hopped off the chair, returned to the front of the desk, and assumed a submissive kneeling position, complete with a polite smile - a picture-perfect display of obedience.
"Hmph!"
Onigumo scowled, sheathing his sword with a sharp "click" and stepping aside to stand at attention.
"Now I will ask, and you will answer. Any objections?"
"None!" Olga replied loudly.
"Good..."
Rowen nodded, his tone calm.
"We'll leave aside the question of your age for now. What I want to know is how you got to this island."
After the earlier commotion, Rowen had confirmed that the girl before him was indeed Olga from the original story - the 200-year-old possessor of Pure Gold.
Bold, cunning, and mischievous...
After all, what normal little girl carries a knife and knows how to take advantage of an adult's tendency to underestimate children to take a hostage?
According to the original events, Olga and her father were swallowed by the giant lanternfish 'Bonbori', and she was to escape only two years later when the fish spat her out. Her escape would draw the attention of the government, leading to a series of subsequent events.
Now, with the timeline advanced by two years, Rowen had to determine if outside interference was at play.
"How did I get here? By boat, of course."
Olga tilted her head with a puzzled expression.
"I snuck onto a merchant ship, fell asleep, and when I woke up I was here on this island."
"So... a stowaway, then?"
Rowen looked at Onigumo.
"Verify her story."
"Yes, sir!"
Since Olga had been discovered in the harbor, verifying her claim would be easy.
When Onigumo left, Rowen turned to the guards in the room.
"You may leave as well. Guard the door."
"Understood!"
With only Rowen and Olga left in the room, the girl looked around nervously before asking,
"What? What are you going to do?"
"Relax. I'm not going to hurt you..."
Rowen lit a cigar, took a deep drag and exhaled before continuing.
"Maybe I didn't make myself clear... What I want to know is how you escaped from 'Bonbori's' stomach. Was it really just because it vomited?"
"H-how do you know that?!"
Olga's eyes widened in shock, disbelief etched into her face.
"You're not very good at lying, Olga. 'How do I know?' That reaction just confirmed that I'm right."
"Drat!"
Olga clamped a hand over her mouth and glared at Rowen in frustration.
Letting out a slow puff of smoke, Rowen raised an eyebrow.
"Whatever you're trying to hide doesn't matter to me, Olga. Whether it's the Pure Gold created by your father, Myskina Acier, or the location of 'Alkeimi Island,' none of it matters to me."
"The only thing that interests me is how you escaped. Think carefully before you answer."
Olga stared at Rowen in utter disbelief, a shiver running down her spine.
Her secrets were things she had never told anyone, yet this man seemed to know everything!
"I have to escape!"
"This guy is way too dangerous!"
In those few minutes, Olga came to the same conclusion as countless pirates who had crossed paths with Rowen on the high seas.
But...
"I'm listening."
Rowen rolled his eyes and clicked his tongue.
"Of course you can choose to remain silent, but I promise you won't like the consequences... Besides, finding 'Alkeimi' only requires the ring on your finger, doesn't it?"
"I...!"
Feeling immense pressure from Rowen, who seemed to know everything like a god, Olga instinctively covered her hand.
After a brief pause, she looked up with a mischievous grin.
"All right, I'll tell you... but I have one condition!"
"Let's hear it."
"I want meat! Lots and lots of meat! Just meat - no fruit, no fish!"
Rowen: "..."
'(￣△￣)'
'(End of Chapter)'