The environment and villagers of Quiz Island were great, but the island was more suited to retirement and leisure than for an adventurer like Eust.
So, on the third day after arriving on Quiz Island, Eust said goodbye to Shook, Beta, and Millie and set off on a new adventure with Sunny.
Eust’s next target was Lighting Island, not far from Quiz Island. The fruit there was said to be delicious, and Sunny expressed interest in going there. Eust agreed, saying, “Let’s go together.”
Using a sail, their small boat navigated the sea. On the evening of the first day after leaving Quiz Island, Eust noticed something floating on the sea, its shape rather strange.
Looking closely, it turned out to be a little girl clinging tightly to a log. Her situation was unclear, but her hands showed no signs of letting go.
“What’s going on? Sunny, should we go check it out?”
“Meow, meow, meow!” (“Meow, she seems conscious. We should go see and help if we can. Isn’t that what you always say, Eust?”)
Eust maneuvered the small boat closer to the log and heard faint cries for help, so quiet they were almost inaudible.
Eust rescued the girl and the log she was clinging to, as she still refused to let go even after being saved.
Once on the boat, the girl finally relaxed a bit, releasing the log and lying exhausted on the deck. She seemed to be around twelve or thirteen years old, with black hair and black eyes like Eust.
Eust asked, “Little sister, are you feeling better? Why were you alone drifting at sea? Did your ship have an accident?”
“Hungry, food and water. I need to eat,” she said, her voice a bit louder.
Eust went to the cabin to get some food and water for the girl. (Even though Sunny had a mission space, Eust still kept supplies in the cabin to avoid suspicion if someone noticed they had no provisions for the trip.)
The girl took the food and water without hesitation and quickly finished a portion meant for one person. Rubbing her belly, she said, “Hello, thank you for saving me. I’m Carter-Lila. Could you give me some more food? I’m still a bit hungry.”
“Oh, hello Lila. I’m Ryder-Eust, and this cat is Sunny. Wait a moment, I’ll get more food,” Eust introduced himself and Sunny.
After Lila ate five portions, Eust couldn’t help but marvel at the girl’s appetite, realizing she was a foodie too.
“Lila, what happened? Did your ship encounter trouble?” Eust asked after Lila signaled she was full.
“Yeah, my poor little boat sank for some unknown reason, and I had to cling to that log to survive. I haven’t eaten for a day and was starving,” she explained.
“What? Lila, you were out at sea alone?” Eust was surprised.
“Uh, is it not allowed to sail alone? And by the way, I’m already 15 years old, so don’t call me a little girl,” Lila retorted, a bit agitated.
“Uh, you don’t look 15…”
“I am 15! I eat well, but I just don’t grow taller. What can I do about it?”
Seeing Lila so certain, Eust believed her. He also wondered if her desire to grow taller had made her a foodie.
“Alright, alright, even if you’re 15, you’re still a little girl,” Eust said, not knowing if he’d get scolded.
“Lucky for you, Eust, that you just saved me. Otherwise, you’d be in trouble!”
“Oh, by the way, young lady, you still haven’t explained why you were out at sea alone.”
“I couldn’t stand staying on the island anymore. There were a bunch of annoying brats with their parents backing them up. It was unbearable,” Lila said, clearly upset. “As soon as I turned 15, I set out to sea, not wanting to stay there any longer. I don’t have any family or friends on the island. I sailed for a few days without seeing any islands or ships, and my supplies were running out. This morning, while I was resting, my little boat suddenly sank. Talk about bad luck,” Lila summarized her experience.
Eust thought she was pretty brave, although he was similarly carefree, so he felt a bit embarrassed to criticize her.
“Oh, I see. My next destination is Lighting Island. How about I drop you off there? Then I’ll continue my own adventure.”
“No, I went to sea to avoid those brats and to find a treasure that can make me grow taller and lots of delicious food. Since you’re going on an adventure, why not take me along? I’m a top-notch cook,” Lila proposed.
She wasn’t lying about her reasons for going to sea but also wasn’t desperate to follow Eust. The main reason was that she had been waiting for someone who could change her fate, and her intuition told her to go to sea.
Lila’s keen intuition told her that Eust was special and could affect her destiny. Since her intuition didn’t warn of danger, she naturally wanted to follow Eust and see what was so special about him.
Lila had always trusted her intuition, which had helped her avoid many dangers. Although she didn’t sense the sinking of her boat, perhaps it was because she knew she’d be rescued and that it would change her fate.
This unique feeling made Lila take it seriously, believing this might be the opportunity she’d been waiting for. She wasn’t foolish.
“That’s not possible. I can’t take a child on an adventure. Your boat sank, and you still don’t learn your lesson. The sea is very dangerous. I’ll drop you off at Lighting Island. You should be able to survive there, and I’ll leave some Berries for you. After all, I’m a kind person.”
“What? How old are you, Eust? You can’t be much older than me, and you’re calling me a kid? I’m not letting you get away with that. Besides, hurry and find me some clothes. Do you want me to freeze to death?” Lila changed the topic.
“Clothes? How would I have girls’ clothes? But I can’t leave you like this. I’ll lend you some of mine. They’re new but might not fit well,” Eust said, clearly falling for her trick.
“No problem. Just get them for me quickly. I’m also a top-notch seamstress. And no peeking while I change!”
“Heh, who would be interested in a little girl’s body?”
“Who knows, maybe Eust is a pervert?” Lila said, seemingly with disdain.
“Lila! You can’t doubt my character or my taste. I’m not interested in washboards.”
“How dare you, Eust!” Lila gave him a light punch on the head.
Sunny, nearby, was curious. Eust seemed different today, and little girls were really cute but troublesome creatures.
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