Josh was a native-born islander of Castel. His parents might have had another hometown, but in his heart, Castel was his only home.
Castel, the fire and light amid the storm—a beautiful name, though that did not change the fact that it was merely an inconspicuous little island in the Storm Ocean.
Ever since he was young, Josh had wanted to venture out into the world. Every child had such dreams, really. What set Josh apart from the others was—his drive to act was a little too strong.
As a child, he had once built a raft out of deadwood himself and, fueled by sheer passion, paddled it out to sea.
Fortunately, some passing fishermen rescued him, and he did not lose his life.
Later, a sudden storm left him an orphan. After settling his parents' affairs, Josh was completely free of attachments, and the fire in his heart gradually began to burn again.
If Theus had not come to Castel, Josh might already have left Castel aboard some ship.
Perhaps he would have become a merchant, perhaps a pirate; perhaps he would have made a name for himself, or perhaps he would have ended his life in obscurity and fed the Horse-faced Fish.
But Theus had come here. Castel had changed, the Storm Ocean had changed, and countless people's fates had turned in entirely different directions.
Josh sighed inwardly. He truly had never imagined that he would become the chief priest of some cult.
Yes, a cult. This so-called "Steam and Deep Sea Esoteric Order" was a cult. Josh knew that beyond all doubt.
This had not been his intention, but fate toyed with people, and in the end, he could only walk this path.
It all had to start from the beginning.
Josh disembarked with goods bought on