Old Pervert Ku'er Ya

"Very well. Although it is a pity, I respect your decision."

Seeing Coleman's firm attitude, Ku'er Ya stopped insisting.

However, he felt it was a bit of a waste for this child to have come all the way to this desolate island just to ask about Nen.

After all, this place was truly remote and barren.

"Hmm, would you like to go into the deep mountains of the Kurta Mountains and see those interesting treasures?"

"The deep Kurta Mountains?"

"That's right. Didn't I mention it in my letter? This island is quite special. Whenever the moon is full, a sand path appears in the southwest direction of the island, connecting to the mainland. If you follow that sand path, you can enter the Kurta Mountains directly."

"The Kurta Clan lives in a plain not far from the coast."

Compared to entering the deep Kurta Mountains directly from the mainland, entering from this desolate island was much easier.

After all, from the mainland side, the Kurta Mountains were a gathering place for ferocious beasts.

Those without real skill couldn't get in, and even if they did, they wouldn't necessarily find where the Kurta Clan lived.

This mountain range was like a dangerous and complex maze.

Unless someone was seriously ill in the head, no one wanted to crawl in there.

However, sneaking into the Kurta Mountains from the coast was also highly unrealistic.

The surrounding coastlines were hidden with exotic beasts, both large and small, and they were incredibly vicious!

If you even got slightly close, you would be bitten into shreds.

However, it was as if those exotic beasts had made an agreement: anyone walking along the sand path connecting the desolate island to the mainland would not be attacked.

This was a conclusion Ku'er Ya had reached only after observing for nearly a year.

"In other words, there are no Kurta Clan members on this island?"

Raising an eyebrow, Coleman felt that this man was truly imprecise in his letter-writing.

He had clearly told me there were such treasures on this island.

"Tsk, kid, think about the name of that race yourself. It's obviously a place name. Where else on this continent is called Kurta?"

Isn't it just the Kurta Mountains, that place where you could lose your life at any moment, known as the 'Yellow Springs Mountains'?

Seeing Coleman eyeing him with interest, Ku'er Ya shrugged. "Don't look at me like that. I came here to catch a creature called a Flying Fox Fish."

"As for why I discovered that the sand path leads to the mainland, and that the place it leads to is the hometown of that clan, it's purely because I saw the Kurta people while I was fishing."

Thinking back to the scene, Ku'er Ya smiled with emotion. "It was truly beautiful."

Scarlet, like rubies with flowing light.

"Fishing?"

Coleman frowned. Were 'artists' these days this whimsical?

Running to this godforsaken place to catch fish?

"Ah, it's mainly because the employer paid too much."

Ku'er Ya was also helpless, but some of his leverage was in that employer's hands.

What could he do?

If they asked him to catch fish, he caught fish.

He could even earn some extra money; it wasn't a loss.

"Of course, I have other reasons. A deceased piece of art asked me to protect the Kurta Clan for ten years."

As for why an 'artist' would agree to such an unreasonable request, Ku'er Ya didn't say.

He just smiled lazily.

There was an emotion in his eyes that Coleman couldn't understand.

Coleman didn't ask, either.

These were other people's affairs, unrelated to him.

"Alright, let's go take a look in a while."

He looked up at the full moon hanging high in the sky.

He knew why Ku'er Ya had asked him to come at this time.

Treasures always need people to appreciate them.

"You can chat with them, you know. A type of flatbread made by this clan is excellent!"

Listening to Ku'er Ya's suggestion, Coleman was silent for a moment.

Then, he asked inquisitively.

"Why?"

"?"

"Why do you want me to feel favorably toward this race?"

"Hm? You've misunderstood."

Ku'er Ya looked surprised. "I'm simply letting you admire the pets I've painstakingly raised."

A group of cats whose eyes could change color.

Cats were so cute!

How could anyone not like them?

As if showing off, Ku'er Ya said with great pride, "That group of cats—no, that group of children—has been raised perfectly by me! Every single one of them is blonde with brown eyes, and their bodies are super... no, they are strong and sturdy!"

Fine, understood. Coleman got it.

This guy was just a lecherous old man!

And he liked the "raising" trope, too!

After mulling over Ku'er Ya's words, Coleman figured he had the gist of it.

This guy wanted him to show mercy if he ever encountered people of this race in the future.

After all, good-looking humans were also among Coleman's prey.

Although he held no prejudice against humans, those with beautiful appearances would always receive an artist's preference.

An "artist" always wanted to possess that beauty for himself, or freeze it at its most magnificent moment.

To be fair, upon learning that their eye color changed with their emotional fluctuations, Coleman felt a fierce surge of interest.

If he could find a way to fix that gradient eye color and compose it into a painting, wouldn't it be incredibly beautiful?

Scarlet eyes, flashing with rage, yet forced to stare blankly and lifelessly at a corner of the room.

Passionate yet deathly silent.

This fit Coleman's requirements for a work of art perfectly.

But since Ku'er Ya had asked, he had to give him some face.

Who knew? One day, he might be able to use this to blackmail this Human Puppeteer.

Nodding casually, Coleman indicated that he understood.

"I'll go take a look right now, then."

"...In the middle of the night, breaking and entering?"

What are you planning to do?!

Besides, that wouldn't be appropriate.

What if you scare those sisters?

Ku'er Ya frowned, looking at Coleman with a complicated expression.

It was as if Coleman were about to commit some heinous act.

His expression also betrayed a hint of disdain.

His eyes darted around, sizing up Coleman's small frame, before finally resting on a certain spot.

He sighed and shook his head.

"It won't work. You're too small."

Coleman was shocked.

Coleman suspected this lecherous old man was implying something about him, but he had no evidence.

He widened his eyes, staring at Ku'er Ya in disbelief.

"What are you thinking?!"