Among the pirates of the Seven Archipelagos, all but one were unified under the title of the Pirate King. This person was famous for sinking over fifty pirate ships single-handedly and destroying one of the strongest pirate crews of the Seven Archipelagos, known as the ‘Black Tooth,’ earning the title of Sea King. Everyone here knew of the legend of Radan.

It meant that there was no one unaware of his reputation. Radan was known for tearing apart the captains of the Seven Archipelagos with his bare hands, massacring pirates with a grin filled with madness, which earned him the nickname “The Demon.” He was a wicked man who, as the phrase “Supreme and Self-Reliant” suggested, easily killed according to his whims.

Hence…

“Big brother…?”

The words that came from Radan’s mouth were enough to draw everyone’s attention. Even the pirates who had always stood by Radan’s side, the workers of the merchant ship who knew Radan’s reputation, and even Penia, who had been wearing an anxious expression just moments ago—all eyes were on Alon.

As Alon looked back at the white-haired, white-eyed man for a moment, he spoke:

“Radan…?”

Upon hearing this, Radan’s lips curved into a smile.

“No, big brother, what are you doing here?”

The pirates, who had been dumbfounded at the sound of Radan naturally calling someone “big brother,” were stunned. Among them, Drake, who had been with Radan since he dealt with the first pirate of the Seven Archipelagos, was so shocked that his mouth fell open and his eyes seemed ready to pop out. It was because he had never seen his boss, Radan, act so familiarly with anyone before.

‘What is this?’

Before he could recover from his confusion, he saw Radan swinging his spear to cut Alon’s ropes. Penia, too, couldn’t comprehend what was happening. She knew the stories about the man well.

‘Who in the world is this person…?’

Penia realized again that Alon, who seemed to be on familiar terms with the “Walking Catastrophe of Raksas,” Radan, was not an ordinary individual.

As for Alon himself…

‘This guy is Radan?’

He was greatly surprised. Based on the information Evan had shared earlier, he had suspected that the white hair and eyes might belong to Radan, but he hadn’t truly believed it.

Unlike the other Five Sins, Radan never had any illustrations of his normal appearance. After becoming one of the Five Sins, he was only remembered through monstrous illustrations, except for the peculiar detail that “his hair and eyes were white.”

“I was just passing through on my way to handle some matters in Raksas.”

“You could have at least sent word if you were coming.”

“I did consider meeting you if possible, but I didn’t expect this encounter.”

“Let’s go together. Ah, Evan, it’s been a while.”

“…It’s been a while.”

Alon, who was exchanging light greetings with a warm smile, glanced at Radan, who raised a hand to the pale-faced Evan.

“Are these people all with you, big brother?”

“Yes.”

As soon as Alon confirmed, Radan swiftly cut Penia and Felin’s ropes with his trident.

“Let’s go.”

With a smile, he began to guide Alon but then suddenly turned his gaze toward the captain, who still seemed unable to believe the situation.

“Oh, right… What did you say again?”

Radan muttered in a low voice.

“You said you were going to betray my brother, didn’t you?”

His voice wasn’t loud, but it wasn’t soft either.

Radan’s voice rang out clearly, and it was only then that the captain realized the gravity of what he had done.

“Ah.”

He let out a faint gasp. His face quickly became consumed with fear as he tried to say something, but unfortunately, he never got the chance. Just as he opened his mouth to speak—

Thud!

Radan’s trident was already lodged in his throat.

“A-Ah…?”

The captain’s eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the trident impaling his neck, blood gushing from his mouth.

“Guh!”

The trident was drenched in blood. Trembling hands reached out to grasp Radan, but Radan maintained the same smile he had worn while looking at Alon. Then—

Swoosh!

Radan’s eyes gleamed with sinister intent as he mercilessly severed the captain’s neck.

With a dull thud, the captain’s body collapsed onto the deck.

“Shall we go, big brother?”

With blood splattered across his armor and face, Radan spoke with a smile.

Meanwhile, Alon, who had seen plenty of deaths before, felt a chill upon witnessing the ominous bloodlust in Radan’s eyes.

‘Could it be that he’s already awakened as one of the Five Sins?’

Recalling that Radan was one of the Five Sins, Alon showed a hint of caution beneath his otherwise stoic expression.

####

Alon left the merchant ship bound for Raksas and instead set his course toward the Seven Archipelagos. In just half a day, he arrived in the region ruled by Radan.

“I’m alive…”

Evan, who had been crawling across the deck as if he were about to die, grinned with relief as soon as he set foot on solid ground.

“This is the Seven Archipelagos…”

Penia muttered unconsciously upon reaching the massive island under Radan’s rule, while Felin next to her let out a quiet sigh of amazement.

Even Alon couldn’t help but gasp upon setting foot on the island. The city before him didn’t resemble a pirate’s haven; it looked more like a well-organized territory. In fact, it seemed like a meticulously planned estate.

The entire island was aligned with perfect symmetry, and while the houses varied in size and appearance, their angles were precise.

‘This island couldn’t have always been like this… Did he arrange it this way due to his obsessive nature?’

Just as Alon was recalling Radan’s severe obsessive tendencies—

“Come inside, big brother.”

They reached Radan’s mansion, which was built on the island. It was as perfectly symmetrical as the surroundings, with each side mirroring the other exactly.

While the others rested, Alon had a conversation with Radan and learned a key piece of information.

“So, that merchant ship wasn’t headed for Raksas?”

“That’s right. It was heading towards the ‘Sea Wolves.'”

“The Sea Wolves? The ones in the Seven Archipelagos?”

“Yes.”

“…So, we were deceived?”

“Correct. I originally went there to cut off that bastard’s supply line.”

Radan shrugged.

“That was their supply line?”

“Yes. Specifically, it was for human flesh.”

“…What?”

“Human flesh.”

Alon frowned at those words. Despite the dark fantasy nature of Psychedelia’s world, human flesh was a taboo even here, something Alon loathed. Hearing that word brought a certain keyword to mind.

“Are the Sea Wolves linked to the Mermen by any chance?”

Radan nodded, looking a bit surprised, and proceeded to explain. After listening for a while, Alon pieced together the situation.

“When you were in the process of conquering the Seven Archipelagos, the Sea Wolves appeared, leading the Mermen and beginning the fight. Is that correct?”

“Yes, big brother. I still don’t understand how they control those monsters, though.”

As Radan nodded, Alon couldn’t help but feel a headache coming on. While the exact connection between the Sea Wolves, the Mermen, and human flesh was unclear, one word naturally popped into his mind.

‘Outer God.’

Knowing that the Mermen’s pursuit of human flesh implied an attempt to summon an Outer God, Alon asked bluntly:

“…Are you planning to deal with the Sea Wolves?”

“Of course, big brother. This is a chance for revenge that you yourself granted me. I’ve cut off their supply line, and I plan to end it in three days.”

‘Me…? When…?’ Alon thought to himself, confused. However, he knew it wasn’t the time to press the matter, so he continued:

“…Can I come along?”

“You, big brother?”

“I have questions for the leader of that pirate crew. Is that possible?”

Despite the Mermen’s appearance, if they could still stop the delivery of human flesh, the Outer God might not be summoned. For Alon, who not only needed to awaken an artifact in Raksas but also descend to the deep sea to find the Mermaid, this was a crucial opportunity to prevent the Outer God’s arrival. If the Mermen did manage to summon the Outer God, it would spell certain doom for Raksas, and the Seven Archipelagos wouldn’t be safe either.

To move quickly and ensure Radan’s safety, Alon deemed it best to deal with the Mermen. Though Radan had become a pirate by veering off course, Alon still held some paternal affection for him.

Thus—

“As long as I’m the one to take the head, I don’t mind, big brother.”

With Radan’s agreement, they continued to talk about various things, and Alon learned a surprisingly positive fact about Radan.

“Come on, big brother, no matter how reckless I am, I don’t kill people just because they upset me.”

“…Really?”

“Of course. It’s all about the situation at the time. I wouldn’t have touched the guy I killed today if he hadn’t mentioned you.”

“…I’ve heard you’re called the Demon, though.”

“That’s true, but that’s only when I’m dealing with other pirates. Now, I finally get to take revenge.”

Radan turned out to be quite different from the infamous first impression Alon had of him. Seeing him smile cheerfully, Alon let out a sigh of relief internally. He had been worried that Radan might have become completely depraved, rendering all the support he’d given so far meaningless.

When Alon first boarded Radan’s ship, he heard additional rumors from Penia and seriously worried that Radan might have become one of the Five Sins. But the rumors seemed somewhat exaggerated.

Piracy was not exactly honorable, and Radan’s behavior today was indeed a bit psychotic, but Alon found it within reason. After all, even the other Five Sins, though seemingly normal, had at least one unusual trait.

Recalling this, Radan suddenly remarked:

“But you’re surprisingly ordinary, big brother.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, people change rapidly after meeting you. I was curious… like, if you were using hypnosis magic~”

“…Hypnosis magic?”

“I don’t mean that literally, just that people change drastically, you know.”

“Do they?”

“Yes, that’s what I’ve heard.”

After chatting for a while, Alon shifted the topic.

“Radan, is it possible to go to Raksas?”

“Are you planning to stop by Raksas?”

“Yes, I have something to take care of.”

“What sort of business, big brother?”

“I have someone to meet.”

As Alon said this, he thought of a man: ‘Appraiser Alexion.’

Unlike the artifacts found in dungeons, the ring obtained from Heinkel or the relics from the Colony’s treasury were special. Alon needed a skilled appraiser for these items, and the thought of this appraiser made him grimace.

While it was true he had come this far specifically to meet Alexion, Alon didn’t particularly want to see him. The reason was simple: Alexion was known to be extremely irritable and troublesome.

In the game, he could be found in the slums of Raksas, setting his prices arbitrarily based on his mood, earning him a notorious reputation among players. His obnoxious dialogue whenever clicked often made players want to strangle him.

Still, apart from Alexion, most artifact appraisers were rare special merchants found by luck in dungeons or labyrinths. That was why Alon had come all the way to Raksas.

‘Thinking about the game makes me angry… but I have no choice. I’ll just have to go along with it, even if I get some insults thrown my way.’

With that thought in mind—

“Who are you going to meet, big brother?”

“Appraiser Alexion.”

“Is he the only person you need to see?”

“Yes. That’s why I need to get to Raksas.”

When Alon mentioned this, Radan paused for a moment, thinking quietly before replying:

“Understood. Please rest for now, big brother.”

“?”

The response was a bit puzzling, but since Radan was urging him to rest, Alon complied and went to sleep.

The next day—

“Big brother, I’ve brought him.”

“?”

On Radan’s left side, Alon saw Appraiser Alexion trembling like a leaf, while Radan flashed a cheerful smile.

“P-please, spare me. I beg you…!”

The man, who was known for his vicious temper, was now groveling, on the verge of tears, despite being a middle-aged adult.

“Hey, did I kidnap you? I brought you here politely, didn’t I?”

“Y-yes, you brought me here very politely. Really…!”

“Then why are you trembling?”

“…Hng.”

Alexion held his breath as Radan spoke, leaving Alon momentarily speechless.

‘Five Sins… He’s not becoming one, right?’

The suspicion that had settled in his mind yesterday resurfaced again.