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“As a child, I was always interested in all the different cultures and histories. The world is so big, and everything is so different! There's tons of different kinds of people, and they each have their own habits, beliefs, and so on. Isn't it just fascinating?” A black haired teenager was speaking animatedly.
”I guess so….” The listener frowned.
“Did you know that in one region alone, there could be three different tribes, and each tribe could have their own variation of the same language, the same food, and even the same clothes? Like, isn't it all so fascinating?”
“But isn't traveling really tiring?”
“Oh, of course! Different regions means different climate, different food, and so on…. It takes some getting used to. I remember going to this one area and after eating a tiny bit of their local chilli, I had a stomach ache for days…. I mean, haha, that wasn't fun.”
The speaker, Jin Cheonhee, chuckled at the memory.
“But really, the tiring part? It's all worth it once you meet new people, learn new cultures, and so on! I think traveling is just so worth it!” At this point, Cheonhee's eyes were sparkling.
“I see…. It's obvious you're passionate about traveling… What about these other three?” The listener, a white haired man named Jaegal Lin, pointed at the three other teenagers who were tied up on the ship's mast.
“Mhhmmfff! Mhhffaaafff!!!”
“My, my, how uncouth….” Jaegal Lin clicked his tongue at the three people who were trying to shout at him.
Keyword?
Trying to.
Those three were gagged.
“You're talking about my sworn brothers….” Jin Cheonhee smiled wryly, winking desparately at his companions and hoping they wouldn’t try to shout anymore.
“So…” Cheonhee cleared his throat and tried moving his wrists. Unfortunately, they were bound behind his back and he couldn’t break free.
“Since I’ve answered all your questions, can you…” Cheonhee trailed off and looked at the imposing pirate in front of him.
“Let you all go?” The pirate — Jaegal Lin, looked down at Cheonhee, who was sitting on a cushion.
“Yes,” Cheonhee nodded hopefully.
Jaegal Lin smirked.
“I’m keeping you, of course,” he stated.
“As for those three?” Jaegal Lin sneered.
“They can walk the plank.”
“What?! Nooo—”
Damn it.
Cheonhee wanted to curse.
How did things end up like this?
Obviously he and his three sworn brothers — Yeo Halyun, Jin Cheonwoo, and Sama Hyeon — were just traveling together. And then somehow, they ended up getting caught by this pirate, Jaegal Lin…. The man had captured them, brought them to his ship, and set sail…. He even told Cheonhee to start telling him about his life. Cheonhee obliged, of course, and perhaps he got a little carried away with his stories, but at the end of it, he was just hoping Jaegal Lin would spare them all—!
Now, Cheonhee was seated on a cushion with his hands tied behind his back, his three brothers were tied on the ship’s mast, gagged, and Jaegal Lin, the leader of the pirates, was walking towards them with a sword in hand—!
“Don’t hurt them, please!” Cheonhee pleaded. His previous optimism was gone. He had been talking about his traveling adventures and how fun it was, hoping that this kind-hearted pirate would spare them, but now that the man was wielding a sword….
“Don’t worry, Cheonhee,” the pirate — Jaegal Lin — spoke gently.
“I won’t let you see their filthy blood.”
“They’re not filthy—”
“You didn’t mention it in your story, but do you really think I don’t know?” Jaegal Lin sighed.
“Don’t know what…?” Cheonhee was confused.
“That guy, isn’t he the Killer Star? He’s the famous serial killer in the Dongling Region, right?” Jaegal Lin sneered.
“Wha— He’s nothing like that! Yeo Halyun is a candy seller I met by the side of the road!” Cheonhee protested.
They had met in a secluded alley, yes, and Yeo Halyun was holding a dagger the first time they met, but Yeo Halyun told him it was a kitchen knife, not a dagger!
“Candy seller?” Jaegal Lin scoffed. “That’s a stupid lie. What about this one?” He pointed at Sama Hyeon.
“Isn’t this guy the infamous thief? He steals from rich people and even stabs the ones he doesn’t like,” Jaegal Lin shrugged.
“You’re wrong,” Cheonhee shook his head. “Hyeon is just a merchant!”
“…Is that what he said…”
“I believe my brothers!”
“Ah, and this one,” Jaegal Lin clicked his tongue at Jin Cheonwoo.
“Isn’t this kid the one who sells information in the black market? I’m pretty sure I know him,” Jaegal Lin laughed when he saw Jin Cheonwoo glare at him.
“Cheonwoo runs a normal shop!” Cheonhee shook his head. “He doesn’t sell information, what kind of —”
“These people lied to you,” Jaegal Lin cut him. “They’re not as innocent as they claim to be.”
Still tied to the mast, the three brothers were growling and shouting muffled profanity at him, but Jaegal Lin ignored them, his eyes fixed on the only one he cared about.
That kid, Jin Cheonhee.
For some inexplicable reason, Jaegal Lin didn’t want to kill this kid. Instead, he wanted to take him in, care for him, and even make him his disciple of sorts.
It was a strange feeling and he had never felt this way about anyone before, but Jaegal Lin wasn’t about to stop himself from doing what he wanted, right?
“Those are my brothers,” Cheonhee said, struggling to break free from this ropes.
Jaegal Lin frowned at Cheonhee's actions and jumped down from the deck, crouching behind Cheonhee.
“Wha—”
“Does it hurt?” Jaegal Lin asked, massaging Cheonhee's hands.
Cheonhee's face was awkward. Was this really the pirate who had been pointing a sword at his sworn brothers?! Why was he being so gentle now??
“Don't struggle, okay?” Jaegal Lin coaxed. “I'll discard those insects, then we can travel the world together, okay?”
“…. What? You can't! They're my brothers, I told you,” Cheonhee struggled.
“Why do you have to travel with them?” Jaegal sounded genuinely confused. “I can assure you I'm a much better traveling companion…”
“They're like family to me,” Cheonhee stated, the panic in his heart multiplying even though Jaegal Lin spoke gently to him.
Jaegal Lin paused, noting the anxiety in Cheonhee's voice, and his resolve crumbled.
No, Jaegal Lin told himself sternly. He knew those three “sworn brothers” — none of them were good people, and they might put Cheonhee in danger…. Plus, they were an eyesore. Why should he take them traveling with him?? He wanted to travel with Cheonhee only (and his crew of subordinate pirates). If he didn't throw those three overboard, was he going to feed them with his food, wasting precious resources on them?!
“Y-you're not going to kill them are you?” Cheonhee asked, tears welling up in his eyes.
“Uhh…” Jaegal heard his resolve crumbling into pieces and flying away with the wind.
That night, as the stars twinkled over the pirate ship sailing in the midst of the ocean, a group of pirates were huddled in a circle.
Standing in the middle was the leader of the pirates, Jaegal Lin, who stood tall and imposing. He had an arm slung around a young teenager, who was smiling rather awkwardly.
“Everyone,” Jaegal Lin spoke. “This child here, Jin Cheonhee, will be my heir and disciple. From now on, you will treat him like one of us, understand?”
A series of “Yes Sirs” and “Aye aye Captain” echoed through the ship.
“As for those three,” Jaegal Lin pointed at Cheonhee's brothers.
“They're our emergency food. If we ever run out of food or whisky, we can just use them. Eat them, trade them for supplies, sell them — it doesn't matter….”
Cheonhee blinked pitifully in Jaegal's direction and Jaegal Lin winced.
“…Just don't kill them unless I say so, okay?”
Another round of “Yes Sirs” and “Aye, Captain” was heard.
Halyun, Cheonwoo, and Sama Hyeon were glaring at the people around them, but they couldn't move (they were still tied) and they couldn't scream insults either (their gag was even worse than before — Jaegal had no mind to listen to their muffled screams).
When Cheonhee met his brother's eyes, though, the three of them immediately withdrew their glares and put on the most pitiful and pained expression they could make.
Cheonhee's heart hurt at the sight of them like this, but he couldn't save them either, and at least Jaegal wouldn't kill them, right?
By his side, Jaegal Lin was talking to his crew of pirates and starting a feast, a rare occurrence but something he was willing to indulge in today — it was the day he finally got an heir, after all.
Jaegal Lin gave instructions to his first mate, an orange-haired man named Yooho, and then turned to his new protege.
“So…. What do you want to eat? Pork, lamb, beef?”
Cheonhee: ….
“Can’t you just let me and my brothers go?” Cheonhee sighed.
“Nope,” Jaegal shook his head. “You're either traveling with me only, or, with your insect— ahem, I mean, your brothers and I.”
“…Alright,” Cheonhee sighed.
Seems like there was no convincing this guy….
Three years later, people from various different countries had heard the story of the Five Travelers. Four of them were notoriously evil and were constantly bickering with each other, and the other one was a kind-hearted doctor who was caught in the midst.
Some said the doctor was just a poor passerby who was forced to travel with the other four. Others said the doctor was the real evil mastermind who managed to control the evil four. Still others declared that the doctor was simply blind and had no idea he was traveling with monsters….
In any case, those five people were still traveling to this day….