Note: changed "Ain" to "Aine".
When Wood opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was the familiar ceiling. As he tried to get up, a sharp pain shot through the left side of his body.
The room was still his own, and the bed was the one he had always slept in, but now his left arm and leg were bandaged so heavily that they looked like giant radishes.
It seemed that the movement on the side of the bed was noticed, as Aine, who had been sleeping there, groggily opened her eyes. Seeing that Wood had woken up, her face immediately lit up with joy, and she shouted excitedly.
"Thank goodness, Wood , you finally woke up! You've been sleeping for a whole day and night. Don't get up just yet. I'll go tell Mom and bring some food for you."
Wood wanted to ask the little girl what had happened after he lost consciousness, but before he could say anything, Aine had already run out of the room with a happy expression on her face.
"Well, judging by Aine's expression, it seems like everything is fine now. After lying down for a whole day, I'm really hungry. I'll ask for the details after I've eaten."
Not long after Aine left, her mother, Astia, entered the room with a tray of steaming food, her face filled with joy.
But this time, besides the familiar Aine and Astia, there was also a tall, sturdy man with purple hair and a resolute expression.
He was dressed in a purple suit and wore a white cape with the word "Justice" on the back.
Judging by his attire, it was easy to tell that he was a Navy officer, and not just any officer, but one of significant rank.
The Navy's "Justice" cape is only granted to those of a certain rank; ordinary soldiers, sergeants, and even some junior officers do not have one.
There were too many characters in the Navy, and the timeline was more than ten years away from what Wood knew, so he didn't recognize the purple-haired man before him.
However, he could be sure that the man wasn't one of those peculiar, colorful animals.
"Wood brother, did you know? After you defeated that big guy, the Navy arrived. This Navy uncle here knocked out all those bad guys with one punch each.
And this Navy uncle also said that the Navy would establish a branch on our Red Leaf Island. With the Navy's protection, those bad guys won't dare to come back."
Having a strong brother naturally made Aine very proud, but after seeing Wood severely injured this time, she was also scared.
She was afraid that, just like her father, the brother who doted on her and protected her might also die.
But when she heard from the Navy uncle that they would establish a branch here, Aine was happy again.
Because with the Navy's protection, her Wood brother wouldn't have to get hurt protecting everyone on the island.
Wood patted Aine on the head and then turned his gaze to the purple-haired man in front of him, recalling the results of his previous life simulation.
During the life simulation, the system had indeed mentioned that right after he left Red Leaf Island, the Navy, valuing the island's resources, sent a warship there.
But this time, Wood hadn't passed by the Navy ship as he had in the first life simulation. Instead, he had encountered them here.
"Kid, according to the people on the island, you've been protecting everyone here before the Navy arrived?
With the strength to take down a pirate with a bounty of 20 million berries, you clearly had the ability to leave this dangerous place. So why didn't you?"
Zephyr looked at the young man in front of him and seriously asked the question that had been on his mind. Although Wood's actions had already earned his approval, he still wanted to hear the answer from the boy himself.
Seeing the sincerity in the Navy man's eyes, Wood wanted to brag and say that he had always dreamed of being a hero of justice.
But the words wouldn't come out. Not to mention that the Zephyr before him didn't seem simple at all; his poor lies might be easily seen through.
Even in front of the villagers who risked their lives to help him in the end, Wood couldn't bring himself to tell such a lie.
"Mr. Zephyr, though you're a Navy admiral, the question you just asked is quite rude.
Wood is just a child. He stayed on the island to protect his home and the people in it. If you still think that Wood had ulterior motives, then don't blame us if Red Leaf Island no longer welcomes you."
Wood had been about to answer Zephyr's question when Astia, who had been standing quietly by the side, suddenly spoke up, unusually angry. Normally gentle in nature, it was rare to see her so furious.
Although little Aine didn't fully understand what Zephyr's words meant, seeing her mother's expression, she immediately puffed up her cheeks and stood protectively in front of Wood, shouting at Zephyr, "Hmph, if you bully Wood brother, Aine and everyone on the island won't welcome you anymore."
"My apologies, my apologies. It was indeed rude of me. It's just that this child is so exceptional. The determination and resolve he showed in the final moment even moved me, so I sometimes forget that he's still just a kid."
Faced with the hostile stares of Astia and her daughter, Zephyr quickly raised his hands in surrender.
However, what Zephyr didn't know was that when Wood heard Astia call Zephyr's name, he was stunned.
A Navy admiral, Zephyr... could this be the Black Arm Zephyr?
"Well, let me change the subject then, kid. Would you like to join us and become an outstanding Navy officer?
I see great potential in you. In terms of both strength and character, you're one of the most exceptional young people I've ever seen.
And what's even rarer is that besides strength and character, you also have a strong determination to uphold justice!
With your talent and potential, under my training, it wouldn't take many years for you to become a pillar of the Navy."
Zephyr spoke highly of the injured black-haired boy lying in bed.
Strength and talent were one thing, but Zephyr, who had been teaching for many years, had seen plenty of outstanding Navy recruits. What he valued more was that he believed Wood had a heart of absolute justice!
Words can lie, but eyes and actions cannot. Even when on the brink of death, Wood had not forgotten to help the other residents of Red Leaf Island.
This alone made Zephyr believe that Wood's sense of justice was stronger than that of most current Navy officers!
And in Wood, Zephyr saw a reflection of his younger self.
Note: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 27 at patreon.com/Betek.
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