The Price of Freedom and the Echoes of the Past

As Ming Yu stepped out of her bedroom, her gaze fell upon a small, pristine flower. It was still a bud, poised to bloom.

Nightingale, clad in a pure white dress, was curled up on the sofa. Her knees were drawn to her chest, and her delicate face was tucked into the crook of her arm. She appeared to be fast asleep.

A sudden recollection surfaced in Ming Yu’s mind. She remembered her younger days and how Viktor and his companions had somehow persuaded her to become a sea beast hunter.

****

According to Pharosian law, minors under fifteen without guardians would be adopted by the Church. They would then be entitled to a range of rights, including education and healthcare.

However, on the day these orphans reached adulthood, they were obligated to either contribute to societal development, fulfill marital and reproductive duties, or choose to become the sharp edge of the Pharos Fortress.

Every year on this day, the Eternal Church held a coming-of-age ceremony. It celebrated the orphans reaching adulthood and also dictated their future destinies.

Outside the central plaza, Ming Yu noticed a crowd gradually gathering around him. He subtly frowned, then retreated to the back of the throng.

Before the statue of the Eternal Lord, an old bishop in purple robes concluded his prayers. He then announced the official commencement of the coming-of-age ceremony.

There was a tedious opening speech, a dull ritual, and uninspired representative addresses.

After the bishop retired backstage, a priest ascended the stage. He scanned the boys and girls who had reached their fifteenth birthday, a smile gracing his lips.

“Children, I have returned.”

“I am delighted and honored to witness you all contributing to the construction of Pharos. Let us welcome our first graduate!”

“Lin Ye, are you willing to become a sailor, braving the winds and waves, to escort and protect Pharos?”

“I am willing.”

“Excellent!”

The priest nodded with satisfaction.

“Next, Charles. With your outstanding comprehensive science scores, are you willing to pursue advanced studies in a higher academy, choose civil engineering, and become a glorious architectural engineer?”

“I… I am willing.”

“Excellent!”

The priest nodded with satisfaction.

“Next, Hojo Orihime, are you willing to marry Mr. Yoshida, to marry this hero who sacrificed both his legs for the benefit of Pharos?”

“I… I…” The girl bit her lip tightly, hesitating for a moment. Ultimately, she compromised. “I am willing.”

“Excellent!”

“Next…”

“…”

‘Excellent,’ Ming Yu thought. ‘Everyone has a bright future.’

Ming Yu remained an outsider, taking in the absurd spectacle before him. He watched as young lives were nailed to predetermined futures, becoming mere consumables and fuel for the continued voyage of the Pharos Fortress.

****

“Teacher Teresa, did you call us here to announce something?”

A tall girl with a high ponytail stepped forward first. She subtly glanced at Ming Yu, who stood behind Teresa, then turned to Teresa with a questioning look.

“An Ran, don’t be so hasty.”

Teresa moved past the children who had gathered around her and took her seat behind the office desk. She casually picked up a document from the table, scanned it, then refocused her gaze on the group of teenagers who were about to come of age.

“Since everyone is here, I won’t keep you in suspense any longer.”

“You are all children adopted by the Church. This time next year, you might represent our class on stage, completing your coming-of-age ceremony under the watchful eyes of your juniors.”

“Obeying Pharos’s work allocation is a responsibility and duty you must bear. Of course, I believe you are somewhat aware that besides complying with these adjustments, there is another path you can choose.”

“That is, to accept three months of hunter training and become the sharp edge of the Pharos Fortress—a sea beast hunter.”

“Will you quietly accept your assignments and strive to contribute to Pharos’s development, or will you stake everything and become a sea beast hunter?”

“I will not interfere with your choices, but I want to remind you to make your decisions as soon as possible and plan your futures well.”

Teresa paused, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

“Speaking of which, An Ran, I have some good news to tell you.”

“At next year’s coming-of-age ceremony, you will marry Fujiwara Yūkawa, the son of Councilor Fujiwara Tachima.”

“Congratulations.”

Teresa’s smile grew wider, as if she were genuinely happy for her student.

This time, however, she received no response from An Ran.

Silence. A dreadful silence filled the air.

****

The last time Ming Yu saw An Ran was in a hospital bed.

The once vibrant and beautiful classmate, having chosen the path of a sea beast hunter, lay dying and emaciated from the ravages of gene injections.

“An Ran, why did you decide to become a sea beast hunter?” Ming Yu asked calmly, peeling an apple. “Was it because of Fujiwara Yūkawa?”

Upon hearing this, An Ran struggled to roll her eyes.

“You’re overthinking it.”

Beside the bed, the ECG’s jagged lines gradually weakened and slowed.

She closed her eyes, speaking feebly. “Eight years ago, the sea beast tide destroyed a third of District 8. My parents were both devoured by them.”

“So, it was for revenge?”

“No, let me finish.” An Ran exhaled softly, then continued, “I was sent to an orphanage in District 16. Many shared similar experiences, but there weren’t enough beds.”

“The dorm matron forcibly squeezed me into a room, making an older student share half her bed with me. The senior agreed and cared for me until she graduated and left.”

“Later, that senior also perished in the belly of a sea beast.”

“So, it’s still for revenge?”

“Shut up.”

An Ran lifted her eyelids, glared at the young man, then closed her eyes again.

Ming Yu nodded, no longer speaking.

An Ran gasped for breath. “I often wondered why I survived the hell of eight years ago. Why me, of all people?”

“Later, I understood. There was only one reason I survived.”

On the hospital bed, An Ran suddenly opened her eyes, letting out a raw scream. “I want to drive them all out! Every single one, expelled from this world!”

****

“Beep, beep, beep—”

The wavy lines on the electrocardiogram had been replaced by a single, flat line.

An Ran’s eyes were open, but devoid of any light.

Silence permeated the entire hospital room.

After a long while.

“I see. I understand.”

Ming Yu put down the fruit knife and took a bite of the apple he had just peeled.

Amidst the chewing, a mumbled farewell escaped his lips. “An Ran, goodbye.”

****

In truth, even to this day, Ming Yu still didn’t quite grasp her classmate’s intentions. Looking back, she only felt that An Ran’s words held a certain adolescent fervor.

She had always believed that hatred was what pushed An Ran into the abyss. She didn’t want Nightingale to repeat the same mistake, to walk down that irreversible path.

Ming Yu returned to the bedroom, gently closing the door, and dialed the communication number left by the repair shop.

“Hello, customer! This is Defender Weapon Repair Shop!”

“Please wait a moment, let me check. Customer 63… Your standard thermal cutting knife, deposited yesterday, has been repaired, and your grappling gun has been serviced.”

“Will you pick them up in person, or should we mail them to you?” a vibrant female voice came from the other end.

Ming Yu hesitated for a moment.

“Please mail them. To the address I left yesterday.”

“Understood.”

“…”

Hanging up the call, Ming Yu allowed her body to fall backward onto the soft, large bed. She closed her eyes wearily and pinched the bridge of her nose.

Should she go?

Could her body even handle it?

If something happened to her, what would become of little Nightingale?

Ming Yu repeatedly told herself in her heart, ‘I cannot go.’

Not even if this time didn’t involve going out to sea, not even if this time she had Pharos’s backing.

She silently tugged at the corners of her lips, her gaze drifting aimlessly towards the window, staring out at the dark, low sky.

A rumble echoed.

The inky clouds suddenly unleashed a silver streak, followed by a tremendous clap of thunder.

In an instant, a dazzling flash of light illuminated the entire harbor.

The sea breeze howled, weaving through streets and alleys. Scattered raindrops quickly transformed into dense, slanting lines of rain.

It was raining.

Ming Yu withdrew her gaze, her expression wistful.

When did she become so sentimental, so timid?

Compared to her colleagues who had lost their lives… Never mind, she wasn’t worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as them.

Then again, she wondered what was happening outside right now.

As an S-class hunter, throughout all of Pharos, only the Association Headquarters had the authority to issue her commands.

To go, or not to go, that was the question.

Ming Yu could accept the recent plea for help, or she could ignore it entirely. Yet, after much internal struggle, she chose a middle-ground approach.

She would go out for a stroll, buy some gifts for little Nightingale, and casually glance at the port when passing by. She would then decide after understanding the situation.

As the old saying goes, when the city gate catches fire, the fish in the moat suffer.

If the city defenses truly failed, the residential areas behind would undoubtedly be threatened by the sea beast tide. It could lead to massive civilian casualties, just like in District 8 all those years ago.

She simply couldn’t allow the past disaster to repeat itself, couldn’t let the living once again taste the pain endured by those who had already departed.