The turning point that changed him, who knew nothing but money, was getting to know Shioana.
The capricious kindness Raul showed brought forth a large flower, and thanks to it, he was able to learn the warmth of the world.
"Boss, I heard the news that you are setting out to wipe out the pirates. Won't it be too dangerous?"
"Was there ever a time when I wasn't in danger?"
Raul answered Thompson's worried words lightly.
It wasn't wrong.
Raul's rivals frequently sent assassins to kill him, and fights with pirate gangs were commonplace.
"They seem to be even worse villains this time. I heard they kidnap people and sell them as slaves to other empires."
“Yeah. I heard that too.”
That was also the reason Raul came in person.
Pirates who merely plundered were a problem, but the addition of murder and kidnapping was a serious matter.
In order to protect the peace of the Urcheka Empire, the pirates had to be driven out this time at all costs.
"Thompson, don't forget what I asked you to do."
Thompson wore a heavy expression at Raul's secretive voice.
“We will make sure there are no problems.”
Raul had prepared a will before coming here. It was to prepare for the possibility that he might die in an unexpected accident during the battle with the pirates.
Murphy, who had been listening to the two people's conversation, suddenly interrupted.
"Boss, how about a company dinner to pray for the eradication of pirates?"
The tension that had hung over Raul and Thompson's faces vanished at Murphy's nonsensical remark.
"Is it a ghost of someone who died from not being able to attend a company dinner?"
Murphy, undeterred by Raul's rebuke, opened his mouth triumphantly.
"Do you think I do this because I don't have money? I saved up the salary you gave me and even bought a small building!"
Raul answered while holding back his laughter, because Murphy looked exactly like a chicken puffed up its chest feathers.
"Wow, that's amazing."
Shortly after, the three people arrived at the dinner party and soon began sharing drinks. Murphy, who has a low tolerance for alcohol, got drunk and started talking loudly.
"Boss! Do you remember? Even though it was dangerous because a thief broke into the warehouse and threatened to kill me, didn't I guard the safe until the very end!"
"Wasn't it that you couldn't say it because you didn't know the safe combination?"
When Raul pretended not to remember on purpose, Murphy flared up his veins.
"Boss! Are you doubting my loyalty? It's Murphy. Murphy!"
“It’s noisy.”
As Raul gulped down the alcohol in one go, Murphy grumbled as if he were being treated unfairly. Then, Thompson, who had been quietly watching from the side, put a fried shrimp into Murphy's mouth.
"Yeah, you were really brave back then. Eat this and cheer up."
The robber, unable to open the safe, attacked Murphy out of anger, and as a result, Murphy was unable to move for about three weeks.
Then Raul opened his mouth.
"Murphy, next time that happens, hand over the safe key immediately."
"...what?"
As Thompson and Murphy looked surprised, Raul opened his mouth while filling their glasses.
"You can make money, but you can't live, can you?"
"Ah."
The boss was by no means a bad person as the rumors suggested. Thompson and Murphy had been indebted to Raul and had closely watched the secret good deeds he performed.
However, it was the first time the boss had said such kind words to them, so it felt very unfamiliar.
As the two of them could only blink their eyes in silence, Raul spoke curtly.
"Why are you so surprised? If Thompson dies, who will take care of me? Besides, I think I might get a little bored without Murphy."
Then Murphy raised his glass and shouted loudly.
"I will uphold your profound intentions, Boss, and surely live a long life!"
"Okay."
For the first time in a while, smiles bloomed on the faces of the three people.
***
Under Raul's leadership, the day of the match dawned.
The purpose of this operation, which had been prepared for over a month, was to locate the pirates' hideout and completely eradicate them.
The aide-de-camp, standing on the rocking deck, spoke with concern.
"Your Excellency, the Marquis, are you sure you intend to lure them here? It doesn't even appear on the map."
Raul proposed a plan to lure the pirates into a narrow sea and wipe them out in one fell swoop. However, since it was a place no one, including the navy, had ever been to, everyone seemed skeptical.
"Just trust me, we don't need a map."
To Raul, who was born and raised by this sea, this place was familiar even with his eyes closed.
Not long after, a notorious pirate appeared.
"There are the rats."
Raul smiled with satisfaction beneath the fluttering flag. He deliberately hung one belonging to another noble family rather than the Empire's.
'Pirates generally look down on nobles, you know."
Making the enemy let their guard down was part of the operation.
Just as Raul had expected, the pirate, realizing his opponent was a noble, quickly let his guard down and shouted words of mockery from a distance.
"Hey! Sir Noble! You need to run away now to save your life!"
Raul, hiding behind a pillar, let the pirates chatter to their heart's content. Meanwhile, he calmly succeeded in luring the enemy to the planned location.
"Marquis, there are many reefs here, and the currents are too strong."
Raul nodded after observing the soldier's bewildered face.
"It's fine. Our boat has a large surface area in contact with the water, so it's advantageous in places like this."
Although it was bumpy due to the reef, the ship was able to easily get through the tricky section, just as Raul had said.
However, the pirates in the deep, pointed boat ran aground on a reef and could not easily escape. Instead, they began to collide with each other and break apart, and Raul, who was watching this, ordered the artillery to fire the cannons.
Bang bang.
The pirate, unable to move an inch, was trapped in that spot and had no choice but to be bombed.
That afternoon, Raul chased the fleeing pirates and was able to find the hideout without much difficulty.
Raul disembarked from the ship, landed with soldiers, fought the pirates, and rescued Urcheka and other imperial citizens who were scheduled to be sold into slavery.
The Urcheka Empire achieved an overwhelming victory.
"Long live the Urcheka Empire! Long live Marquis Calix!"
The soldiers' thunderous shout shook the small island.
***
Marion, who had suffered from a high fever for three days and nights, continued to have nightmares. She would flounder in the sea or fall endlessly from a high mountain.
Even after dying and coming back to life several times, there was no one by her side.
She felt like she was suffocating from terrible loneliness.
Just then, Marion opened her eyes at a small noise and let out a groan, and someone spoke to her.
"Are you coming to your senses now, Miss?"
"Hey, where is this?"
"This is the residence of Marquis Calix. The Young Lady has woken up after three days."
Marion let out a weak sigh at the employee's explanation.
"I apologize for the inconvenience."
When Marion tried to sit up, she couldn't because her head was splitting. An employee approached and straightened Marion's bedding as he spoke.
"Miss, the doctor said that you need to rest completely right now."
"Over there, Marquis Calix..."
The employee who was preparing tea soon replied.
"The master hasn't returned home for quite some time."
And Marquis Calix came to Sector 8 to wipe out the pirates and informed us that a major battle was imminent.
Marion was only able to move a week later. She wanted to thank Raul, but he still hadn't returned.
Marion couldn't keep relying on this place forever, so she prepared to leave first.
Then the butler appeared and spoke politely.
"You haven't fully recovered yet. Why don't you rest a bit more?"
"I can't be indebted to you any longer."
"My master told me to take care of this."
In the small bag the butler handed over, there was a bankbook in Marion's name.
“What is this?”
The elderly butler replied that he knew nothing.
The money in the account was enough to buy a house in Zone 8 and still have money left over.
"I cannot accept this money."
She had already received a debt of gratitude she could never repay in a lifetime, so it would be shameless to do so any further. Now that things had turned out this way, Marion could not simply leave either.
"Excuse me, but may I stay a little longer?"
She wanted to see Raul's face and thank him in person, and there was also something she wanted to ask him.
Since she could not just stay put, Marion asked the butler to do the housework.
However, the butler jumped up, saying that was absolutely out of the question.
"There are so many employees that if the young lady does their work, someone must be fired."
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