Thankfully, Arthur’s overnight guest had vacated his room by the time he returned from washing up. He quickly dressed before heading to the dining room.

Unlike earlier in the year, the expansive room was packed. The end of the initiate year meant no more structured lessons. The lack of scheduling left the younger members of the initiates at a loss for what to do. Some had taken it upon themselves to explore the Hall and Quest, mostly those who needed to find work if they hoped to continue their studies. The vast majority lingered in the dorm, the ambitious choosing to continue their studies alone while the privileged spent the time indulging.

Arthur could care less about the lack of ambition from the kingdom’s future leaders and defenders. He was just annoyed that it had become harder and harder to find a decent table to sit at. After grabbing his breakfast, he pushed through the crowded room, navigating outstretched legs and moving obstacles in the form of other diners.

He usually liked to scope the room for tables with beauties. The crowd made a good excuse for snatching seats at tables he’d normally never be welcomed at, the stuffy manners of the kingdom proving good for something. With his “date” later, he didn’t feel the need. He picked a secluded table in the corner of the room with only two seats and stomped over.

The boy already seated with his back to the wall jumped as Arthur dropped his tray. They stared at each other, the young pirate never dropping eye contact as he raised a sausage to his mouth and bit off a piece savagely, spraying bits of meat as he chewed noisily.

Looking a little green, the boy hurriedly scarfed down the rest of his breakfast before standing, muttering a goodbye as he scurried away. “Wimp,” Arthur huffed, continuing to stuff his face.

“Didn’t your ma teach you manners, shrimp?”

Arthur looked up from his food as a shadow fell over his table. Standing beside him was a man dressed in too much leather. Dark leather boots, dark leather pants, and a dark leather jacket over his loose white shirt.

A sailor’s hat, with a round crown and thick, wide bill to ward against the sun and rain, also made of leather, covered most of his dark hair, only a few wisps escaping. It threw a shadow over his face, making his narrow eyes that seemed to be permanently glaring even more intimidating.

“The Red Water Witch don’t got manners.” Arthur nodded his head to the other seat. His visitor would never ask for permission to sit, that would imply Arthur had power over him, but he had also decided to show respect by waiting to be invited.

Not even Graywatch was exempt from the subtle games that went on within human interaction but it was at least more straightforward. They had already established their positions, which also determined what kind of meeting this was going to be. Cordial, if not friendly. “Besides, who are you calling shrimp? My dick is taller than you, Fuzzy.”

Belphezoth “Fuzzy” Carmichael, son of Belphezor the Brutal, dropped into the empty chair with a scoff, taking off his hat and dropping it onto the table. “Ain’t what Marie says. Heard you a sea monkey between your legs, not a sea horse.”

“Marie? Which fucking Marie?”

“One-eyed Brown’s niece.”

“That shrew? By the deep, you know what she’s like. Latches onto men like a dropstone squid.” Nasty creatures half the size of a man with tentacles twice the length of an arm. Once they bound their prey with the deceptively powerful limbs, they suddenly became incredibly heavily, falling to the ocean’s depths with the speed of a dropped stone. “And when they finally dump her crazy ass, she gets nastier than a four-fin shark. Can’t believe a word out of her mouth.”

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Fuzzy pulled out a small wooden pipe from his jacket pocket, along with a small pouch. “Can’t believe you got anywhere near her in the first place,” he said distractedly as he stuffed the end of his pipe.

“Ay, she’s, you know.” Arthur held his hands out in front of his chest and grinned.

“Not worth it. One of the reasons I came to the Hall. Gonna find me a nice summer girl who’ll cook me a warm meal, warm my bed, and won’t fucking stab me because I had a drunken night with her sister.”

“Ha! You were nuts to even think about getting involved with Whale Killer Rey.”

“You make it sound like I wanted to touch that Abyss-spawned lunatic. My father tried to engage us, like we’re two noble brats. Thought I should have some fun before I got saddled with a literal demon.” A bright red flame appeared at the end of his raised finger and he carefully used it to light his pipe.

“…did you sleep with her?”

“Hah? No way. She said there was no way she was sleeping with a man who doesn’t own a ship. So, just cause I was curious what the maniac would be like, I got my father to give me a ship. She looked at me like a bird had just shat me out and dropped me in front of her. Fuck does it matter if someone gave me the ship? It’s mine, isn’t it?”

Fuzzy breathed in deeply before blowing out a large smoke ring. “’Tween you and me, I don’t think it was about the ship. I’ve heard some rumors about her.”

“We’ve all heard rumors.”

“Not like those. Some of the boys were saying that she prefers clams over eels, if you get my meaning.”

Arthur chuckled. “Really? I know somebody she’d love to meet.”

“Hah? You playing matchmaker like some washed-up old woman?”

Arthur flicked a bit of egg at him. “Not like that. Just think it’d be interesting.” And perhaps a way to get in Lou’s good graces. She had a weakness for women. “Rey was good-looking, right? Been a few years since I’ve seen her.”

“Sure, long as you don’t mind the fin.”

“…the what?”

“The fucking fin. Abyssal horror shit. Fought one, didn’t get shredded, came back with a fin, some other odd bits and pieces, and a penchant for eating meat. Raw.”

“By the deep…”

“And people who piss her off. Seriously. She’s insane but at least she can say the ocean fucked up her mind. Her parents are just straight up lunatics. They fucking feed people to her.”

“My father hasn’t stepped in?”

“Ah. She only eats assholes so he’s fine with it.”

“Graywatch is filled with assholes.”

“Yeah, plenty of people your pa don’t like so she hasn’t crossed his bottom line yet. Besides, she spends most her time on the water anyway. Not worth starting a feud with her parents over it.” Fuzzy took another long draw on his pipe. “Anyway, that’s enough chattering away like two birds. Your pa sent a message. Wants you, me, and a few others to head for Summer Spire.”

“The capital? What for? He’s not planning on pillaging it, is he?”

“Course not. It’s a contract. We’re meeting the man with the money before marching south with a bunch of soldiers. We’re gonna be heroes, serving the crown and protecting the land.”

“And making gold.”

“Damn right! Think a bunch of graymen would be fighting on soil if we weren’t being showered in pay?” He huffed. “Anyways, we’re having a meeting later to discuss the details. Round dinner.”

“Ah, can’t do it.”

“Why the hell not, shrimp? You better not be blowing me off for something stupid—"

“You remember Lord Teppen’s victory feast after the city killed that leviathan?”

“Who doesn’t remember the best grub in the world? Ah, what I wouldn’t give for some grilled levi.”

“Yeah, well, I’m getting a meal better than that tonight so there’s no way I’m missing it.”

“Little shit. You think you can just say something like that without sharing? I’ll drown you.”

“Eh, I would but it’s not my place. You’ll be putting your life on the line.”

“How bad can it be? This place is—"

“You’d be boarding a captain’s ship without permission.”

Fuzzy paused, staring at him. Arthur held the stare nonchalantly. He couldn’t stop the man from tagging along if he really wanted and didn’t particularly care enough to save his life if he wanted to be an idiot. If someone reached for the tail of a diamond-fin razorfish thinking it was treasure, you didn’t follow them, you swam away.

“You’re serious, huh.”

“She’s a monster. I wouldn’t question her if she said she had grown up in Graywatch. Girl’s brutal.”

“Ah, alright. But I’m not going over everything twice. Find someone else to give you the details.” Fuzzy grabbed his hat as he stood. “See you round, shrimp.”