Chapter 46

Early morning.

After the grand banquet that had been quite the event yesterday, most of the crew were already tucked away in their beds.

Sitting alone in the room, I began to examine in detail the ‘loot’ from this escapade laid out before me.

Various jewels and artworks, along with rare and precious materials for magical research.

As I looked at the small yet pricey items, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of amazement.

“Still, seeing it like this… it’s pretty impressive… They didn’t have much time, but they managed to discreetly gather all the precious stuff of such small sizes…”

Ignoring the given order and sneaking away was certainly wrong, but I had no choice but to acknowledge the accomplishments of Ambasha and Elkana.

If only they would fix their tendency to act on their own, they could definitely be a great asset.

In that regard, I hoped that Franklin’s ‘sacrifice’ from last night would serve as good medicine, and just then, I came across a striking jewel that caught my eye.

It was a coin-sized, droplet-shaped jewel sparkling blue.

According to the auction catalog I had previously secured, it was identified as the “Sea’s Tear,” and the moment I laid eyes on it, I felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity wash over me.

It reminded me of something I had seen before, a sensation that felt oddly comforting.

However, no matter how hard I racked my brain, I couldn’t recall any item with such a name from my memory.

The catalog described it as ‘a treasure of the sea spirits, the mermaids’, but in the original work, the merfolk species didn’t even make an appearance.

Of course, ever since coming to this world and engaging in piracy, I had indeed seen the mermaids with my own eyes.

Although it was a fantastical world, full of monsters that only existed as legends in the modern era… Werewolves, Lizardmen, Sirens, the so-called demon races did exist, and among them were indeed the mermaids.

Still, up until now, I hadn’t really interacted with them.

The merfolk were a species that didn’t approach humans easily, and we viewed them merely as “Oh, look at those dolphins passing by…”

However, holding this treasure of the mermaids, the Sea’s Tear, I found myself feeling a strange, unsettling familiarity that I couldn’t quite place.

“I can’t think of it… What could this be?…”

In the end, unable to find an answer, I decided to pocket the jewel, hoping to solve this unsettled feeling later.

After all, I was the rightful owner of such loot, so it shouldn’t be a problem.

Finishing my check of the items, which was rather unremarkable outside of that, I placed the remaining auction items aside to distribute to my subordinates as always.

And then…

“Alright then…”

A large box caught my eye next.

As I gazed at it, I approached slowly, feeling a heightened level of tension, even more than before.

Just yesterday, it had been buzzing with subtle presence, but now it seemed eerily quiet, and I began to close in on the box.

Considering the shipping duration, there were still about two days left for storage.

But with most tasks sorted now, I thought there was no need to wait that long, and decided to open the box right away.

According to the original work, the method of taming what lay within was quite simple.

While it could have been a bit risky if other creatures were around, I was alone in the room at this early hour when everyone else was asleep.

With no other variables in sight, I figured it would be completely fine and applied my strength to open the box.

And right after that…

A short phrase slipped from my mouth upon inspecting inside the box.

“…Shit.”

*

“…snore…snore…”


“…snoooore…”


“…mmhh…”


“…mmm…”

The four asleep on the kitchen floor, each making differing sounds.

Ambasha curled up in a corner, Elkana and Magellan entangled on the bare floor, embracing each other, and Auriel slightly resting against the wall.

They had all collapsed exhausted, leaving no energy for a proper bed after a night that had been either a battlefield or, in many ways, worse than one.

At that moment…

-Creeeak~

“…Huh…?”

“…Cough…Cough… huh…?”

A familiar noise echoed unexpectedly, followed by a delightful aroma wafting through the air.

The first to respond and awaken was Ambasha.

“Oh… you’re awake?”

In greeting, her eyes met none other than Franklin, always donning an apron while cooking.

Ambasha rubbed her eyes, greeting her with morning cheer.

“Ah… Good morning, sister… Yawn… What time is it now?”

“It’s still 5 AM. You must have had a rough time yesterday, right? If you’re tired, you can sleep a bit longer.”

“…Yawn… No, I have to wake up soon.”

Yawning again, Ambasha blinked vacantly at Franklin’s busy figure as she skillfully stir-fried veggies in a large pot.

Yet…

As she observed what seemed to be the same as always, Ambasha felt a peculiar vibe.

“Huh? Strange… Somehow, my sister feels a bit different than usual…”

She couldn’t precisely pinpoint why.

There were no obvious changes in her looks or actions.

Still, in this moment, Franklin exuded a strangely lively aura…

Like she was overflowing with energy compared to usual…

In any case, it was an unnameable aura that was palpable.

“…Something has changed, but I can’t figure out what it is…”

As confusion filled her mind, Ambasha neatly folded up the blanket Franklin had laid out before going toward her.

In the early dawn, with the sun not yet risen, the formidable balance between light and dark reminded everyone that it was still too early for people to wake up.

Yet, this was just the general case.


For someone responsible for cooking, it was rather a natural time to rise.

And this schedule had confidently seeped into Ambasha’s body, having lived alongside Franklin since joining the pirate crew.

“Are you really alright? You look tired…”

“I’m not even fazed by this kind of fatigue. But sister, how’s your back now?”

“Yes, it’s fine now. Vice-Captain Lemain treated it last night. Right here.”

“Oh…”

As Franklin lifted her shirt slightly to show her back, Ambasha felt a little less of the guilt that had lingered in her heart upon seeing that her recovery magic had done wonders since yesterday.

“I’m glad… really… you’re not in pain anymore…”

“Hehe… Thank you for worrying about me.”

Of course, this was just a minor relief.

Ambasha still harbored guilt toward Franklin, feeling a bit uptight as she donned her own apron.

“So what should I do? Should I chop some carrots first? Or…”

“Ah… I think that’s enough veggies, how about checking if there’s still meat left in the storage? If so, bring some to prepare.”

“Sure. I’ll go right away.”

Following Franklin’s instructions, Ambasha promptly headed to the food storage located at the back of the kitchen.

A place piled high with various vegetables and spices.


Among them, the meat was stored in an area preserved by cooling magic, so Franklin passed the other groceries and headed towards that section.

The cold iron door was covered in frost due to the magic.

Suddenly, considering how empty it might be after yesterday’s extravagant banquet, Ambasha steeled herself and opened the chilling door.

But…

“…Huh?”

Ambasha’s eyes widened in surprise as she gasped.

Immediately after, her heart raced, and she hurriedly shut the door again.

And…

“Uh… hmm…”

Wondering if she might have imagined it, Ambasha reopened the door.

Then…

“…gulp…”

Without even realizing it, she swallowed dryly.

At this moment, what her eyes clearly saw was…

A being staring directly at her, perched atop half-eaten meat.

Covered in pure white fur, it had a smooth, elongated shape of about 60 cm.

It was easy for Ambasha to guess what it was.

‘…A Weasel?…’

One of the noble pets she had encountered one or two times before.

Looking at the adorably furry creature, Ambasha instinctively reached out her hand.

She wanted to touch the soft fur of that little creature that looked so fluffy.

But then…

-SQUAWK!

“!?!?”