Silver Lining Yesterday - Chapter 1

The old pirate flag is torn apart by the wind.

“Save, save me…!”

The pirates were infamous as human butchers on the eastern coast, yet now begged for their lives in a pitiful state.

“I’ll do anything you want! Please, just spare my life!”

Dozens of pirates lay prostrate at a man’s feet, begging with their hands and feet.

The so-called ‘Madman of Steel,’ who was known for exterminating pirates like pests.

The man, a source of terror and envy for all, tilted his head, resting his chin on his hand, and spoke.

“Next.”

With a sharp gunshot, the leading pirate collapsed with blood spraying from his body.

As the screams of the pirates echoed around him, the man—Nix—boredly rubbed his eyebrow.

Even if they hastily repent, most of them are already booked for the train to hell. He had heard these cliche old lines so many times that they were starting to drive him mad.

“Captain?”

Unable to bear it any longer, he got up, and his adjutant, who was overseeing the executions, looked at him with a puzzled expression.

“I’ll head in first. Handle this and return to the base.”

“Ah… what should we do with the bodies, sir?”

“Sink them in the sea.”

Nix replied lazily and yawned.

He had spent three sleepless days tracking down the pirates, who had fled in their filthy little aircrafts. What he needed now was a steaming cup of tea and a comfortable bed.

Just then, a pirate who had run out, panting like a dog, grabbed onto his pant leg.

“I, I have something to tell you.”

“Hey, get this off me.”

“I know. The information you’ve gotten from us lowly pirates, has been worthless, right?”

“No, if you shoot here, my clothes will be ruined. Drag him away and shoot him there, drag him away.”

“I’m different. Even in this pathetic state, I know exactly what the Captain wants to know.”

The irritated Nix nudged his adjutant to hurry. He frowned slightly.

The pirate was unbothered and raised a trembling smile.

“Aren’t you looking for her? Jean Rohrbach.”

The atmosphere that had been once calm, shifted in an instant.

Instinctively, goosebumps rose on his skin, and a chill ran through him. The air got still and eerie, feeling thick with murderous intent.

From his silhouette that was backlit by the sun, an overwhelming pressure radiated.

The pirate, unable to raise his head, gritted his teeth while trembling. Even the surrounding naval soldiers lowered their heads in fear with pale faces.

The intense, deadly aura that had been swirling around them was suddenly cut off in an instant.

As the breeze returned, it gently lifted the flattened grasses, and the cold sweat on the pirate’s neck was swept away.

Nix’s lips curved into a smooth line.

“…Interesting.”

A glint of intrigue sparkled in his narrowed, red eyes.

* * *

Jean Rohrbach.

Even if her name is now nothing more than a target for public ridicule, there was a time when that name symbolized hope for the nation.

The era when the monarchy wielded unchecked power, oppressing the people.

Over 20 years ago, Jean Rohrbach was the first to ignite the torch against the monarchy.

The spark of her rebellion quickly spread across the country, awakening the hidden courage in the hearts of the people.

Soon, what had seemed like an impossible revolution began to surge forward, fueled by the wave of the era’s demand.

Leading the people from the front, Jean Rohrbach, who repeatedly performed unbelievable miracles, was worshipped fanatically.

It seemed she was destined to become an unchanging star in a country without a king.

[The Missing Jean Rohrbach… Escape With a Lover?]

On the eve of the final battle, she disappeared, fleeing with her beloved.

Her sudden absence caused great chaos among the revolutionary forces. The kingdom’s army, cornered and enraged, prepared for battle, while the revolutionaries wandered in confusion like lost children.

The anticipated easy victory vanished, replaced by a fierce and exhausting struggle.

The revolution was barely completed thanks to the efforts of the remaining comrades, but naturally, the promised glory of victory did not go to her.

The name that could have become legendary was instantly buried in the mud.

The people no longer worshipped her. The name was trampled and mocked, and had long since become an object of ridicule and contempt.

As the fervor of the revolution died down, all that remained were crude gossip about her disappearance and lewd comments about her once-beautiful appearance.

“To think that even the Captain would be looking for that madwoman… I dismissed it as a joke when I first heard the rumors…”

The pirate who was guiding him grinned unpleasantly while casting glances at him.

“She was certainly beautiful, though. By now, she must be aging, and nearing the point of shutting down her business… Ah! If you want revenge, I can help you, even just a little…”

“Shut up and walk.”

The pirate hurriedly closed his mouth and raised a branch that had blocked the path in front of him.

Nix, with his hands stuffed in his pockets in a casual stance, leaned slightly and walked under the branch.

Though he had dismissed off his subordinates who had been trailing him, he still didn’t trust this pirate’s words.

After all, how many times had he been led astray while chasing after rumors of Jean Rohrbach’s whereabouts?

He had spent over five years scouring the southeastern coast like a cat hunting mice. Every time a rumor surfaced, he rushed to investigate, but even the gossip had run dry by now.

The hope of finding her had long since faded, yet he continued to move like a habit.

‘This time too, it’s probably another wild goose chase…’