Arthur had an afternoon to fill before dinner and he did so with errands that he’d put off during the week.

The first thing he did after returning to his room was clean. Not an activity he enjoyed in the least and a skill he didn’t advertise, as it wouldn’t do much for his reputation. Anybody who advertised their skill with a rag and mop usually ended up using them all over the ship by order of the captain.

He had spent most of his life on a ship, where space was limited. Combined with the constant rocking of the sea that would send anything not packed away tightly or bolted down careening across the floor, keeping a tidy room was a necessity. Eventually, it became a habit.

After that came his daily practice, starting with building his mana core. The largest contributor to a caster’s strength was knowledge but second was their coefficient. Some considered it first. An imbecile could defeat a master if they could fling an endless number of spells.

Graywatch had no fancy schools or knight orders with regimented teachings. If someone wanted to learn to use mana, they joined a crew and worked their fingers to the bone until the captain noticed them. Then, they had a chance of being mentored by one of the senior crewmates who shared their affinities, learning that person’s spells and fighting style.

Graywatch had a smaller percentage of casters than any other city of its size, the opposite of Quest that had an abundance of casters. Pirates hoarded knowledge like any other treasure, especially spells. Their strongest fighters could rival royal knights but their magical knowledge was heavily skewed toward combat, the men and women who made their fortunes through raiding having little need for crafting techniques.

Arthur’s family had an abundance of water and wind affinities, perfect for the sea. He was the only one born with an earth affinity in three generations. His father’s troves of treasure held few spells he could use. He had learned his earth constructs from one of his father’s men but that was far as the crew could take him.

There were notable men in Graywatch that could have taught him but that would require a hefty exchange of gold and/or favors.

It also put Arthur at risk. Being the son of an infamous pirate garnered admiration from his peers, the occasional advance from beautiful women, and the odd free drink, but it also came with too many people willing to take his head off or capture him for ransom.

Better to send him to the Grand Hall. He could grow in relative safety, bring back new techniques, and scout talent. The sea thirsted for the blood of men. Crews always had room for fresh meat.

The quiet meditation needed to circulate his mana was boring but nothing new. He’d been doing it since he barely reached his father’s knees. He’d wager he had one of the highest coefficients amongst the initiates, if not the highest.

Arthur was consistent but far from dedicated. After five minutes, he itched to move. He lasted for half an hour before he called it quits, moving on to his physical training, which he tackled with far more enthusiasm.

He wiped himself down before tracking down a servant to handle his laundry. The dorm mother, a gorilla of a woman who reminded him of the grandma back home who ran the local gambling den, had made it clear on his first day that the servants worked for the Hall. The initiates, acolytes, and even the instructors had no right to order them about. However, they could be enticed to do a few extra chores through coin.

Arthur handed over the heavy basket to the teenage girl dressed in a simple dress and brown apron along with twenty coppers. She sniffed, grimaced, and demanded another five. For another ten, she promised to return the clothes the next day, folded and mended of any holes or tears.

The rest of the afternoon was spent at the small table in his room pouring over a book on metals. The true terror of earth casters lied in the advanced art of metal manipulation. Throwing a rock at someone was dangerous. Adjusting the terrain could change the course of a battle. However, a powerful metal manipulator could decimate an army alone.

Ripping a sword out of the hands of knights, piercing them with spikes formed from their own armor, and strangling people with their own jewelry. They were menaces to any armed force.

More importantly for the young pirate, there was a lot more metal on the sea than earth. He could storm a beach with the best of them but was useless, magically, when it came to boarding enemy ships.

Luckily, there were plenty of free classes on the subject. Despite his team’s overwhelming success in the qualifiers, he hadn’t received a single offer from an instructor. Leaving him stuck in general classes run by advanced acolytes, as the masters didn’t waste their time on beginners.

Hope wasn’t lost. He’d heard from Fuzzy, three years his senior at the Hall, that the acolytes who taught such classes usually had connections to those elusive masters. If he impressed his teachers, he had a chance of being noticed by someone with real skill.

For that, he wanted to familiarize himself with the basics and try his hand at a spell, but it was difficult. Metal spells used many of the same variables as earth spells but were far more intricate. Also, the mana cost was much more intensive. His spells had to be as efficient as possible or he’d burn through his coefficient in minutes.

Efficiency took knowledge and knowledge required boring, tedious study. He never read books before he came to the Hall and couldn’t stand the self-congratulatory monologues of dead casters for more than a few minutes at a time.

Thinking of the impending dinner as a reward for his efforts kept Arthur motivated until the sun began its descent. He tossed aside his book and hurried to borrow one of the dorm’s carriages. It was a bit early for dinner but late enough he figured Lou wouldn’t kick him off the property. There was still a decent chance he was made to wait outside like a disobedient pet but he didn’t mind as long as she tossed a few snacks his way.

It seemed William shared his thoughts as he passed the other man on the road to Lou’s house. He waited for him at the end of the estate’s drive. “Yo! Thought you were bringing someone with you.”

“Good evening, Arthur.” William pushed up his glasses with a sigh. Arthur eyed his high-collared white shirt, black vest, and polished shoes with an inward sneer. His proper dress wouldn’t impress anyone at dinner tonight. “I meant to bring a guest but Lou decided against it. A shame. The dining is sure to be impressive.”

“Who’re you trying to impress, huh? Didn’t think you had friends besides me. I think I’m hurt.”

“My prospective fiancé, actually.”

Arthur froze. Then he wrapped an arm around the other’s man neck and squeezed. “Little bastard!” The last thing he wanted was to be shackled to a woman in the prime of his life but the thought of the wimp getting married before him somehow pissed him off. “Since when are you so popular? Have you been flirting instead of studying? Why didn’t you bring me?”

William tapped the arm around his throat until Arthur let him go. “Prospective fiancé,” he sighed, straightening his appearance. “Our fathers are considering joining our houses through marriage. At the moment, there is still debate as to who will be her husband.

“Whoever marries her is guaranteed to not be named heir, as there is no way my father will give everything he’s worked for to another family. It’s a surefire way to be done with this ridiculous inheritance battle. Her word carries weight with her father. I was hoping to impress her.”

“…are you an idiot?”

“I don’t believe so.”

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“No, you’re definitely an idiot. You were going to bring a woman you want to impress in front of Lou.”

“Showing I have a connection to—”

“Ah, you don’t get it.” Arthur stuck a finger his face. “Listen up. You ever want to impress a girl, the last thing you do is bring her around your captain. Having a captain behind you makes you look tall. Having a captain beside you makes you look small. Get it?”

“Ah…”

“Do you have water between your ears? Let me put it like this. Imagine you visited this girl’s house and she introduces you to her single, stacked, funny friend with a much more powerful daddy or whatever it is that gets you summer boys hot. You’re not gonna want to marry her anymore if you think you’ve got a chance with the friend, are you?”

William grimaced. “You’re saying if I’d brought her, she could be too impressed with Lou.”

“Obviously.”

“Don’t you think that’s a bit outrageous? Lou has opened my mind to the, ah, diversity of relationships but women of her persuasion aren’t exactly common. Even if the lady I brought showed interest, Lou already has a wife, a thrall, and is courting Alana. I don’t think she has the capacity to accept the advances of someone promised to another.”

“Bah!” His friend wouldn’t last a day as a pirate. It was why Arthur made no efforts to entice him back to Graywatch. “Third rule of the sea, captains can never have enough. Just thank the sea and stars your girl’s not here.”

Arthur dragged him to the door, admiring the strange garden and the large house. The buildings back home were stout and drab, cobbled together stones as the wood was strictly reserved for shipbuilding. Even to someone with a diminished sense of aesthetics like him, they were ugly compared to the elegant manor he approached.

Lou had it all; wealth, beauties, and power. It was enough to make Arthur envious but envy was an old friend. The gap between the successful and the unfortunate in Graywatch was the same as heaven and earth. It was a pirate’s nature to rob those more fortunate than them but they learned to curb their desires, else they didn’t live long. All the gold in the world was useless if a man wasn’t alive to spend it.

Before they could knock on the front door, it was opened by the young steward that made Arthur’s skin crawl. “Arthur, William.” He opened the door wide and stepped aside, dipping his head shallowly. “Drinks are being served in the dining room.”

“Thanks,” Arthur muttered, wiping the bottom of his boots on the doorway before stepping inside. A rare consideration but he didn’t want Lou angry with him for tracking dirt through her house today of all days.

He'd visited enough times to know how to find his way but if he hadn’t, the low hum of conversation would have guided him. Lou was seated at the head of the table, dressed in expensive clothes designed to look casual, hands moving energetically as she told a story to her small audience.

Alana sat on her right, the future knight without her armor or sword, wearing a faint smile with softly blushing cheeks as she looked at the night’s hostess. On her left was Kierra, chin resting in her palm as she watched Alana with a hooded gaze and a wide grin.

Arthur shook his head. He couldn’t imagine having a wife who helped him seduce other women. Pirate madams who weren’t the captains of their ships almost unilaterally hated other women. Especially women more attractive than them. Charming maidens found themselves mysteriously disappearing into the ocean before they could tempt away the madams’ lustful husbands. Or the husband if he didn’t watch his hands.

He wondered if he could get him a ticket to the elven continent. If they all looked like Kierra, he wouldn’t mind getting anchored. He liked the way the long-eared woman did things.

Seated next to Alana was Marthe, quietly nursing a drink. She didn’t seem excited to be at the table but she wasn’t scowling, a vast improvement from the past. It used to be she showed active distaste around everyone but now, her placid expression remained in place even after she noticed them. For the redhead, that was as close as she got to friendly.

The same couldn’t be said for Lou. When she spotted the two men, her lips curled in a sneer before she sighed. It was a bit amusing to Arthur. She clearly detested him but kept him around anyway when it’d be easier than snapping her fingers to get rid of him.

He wondered if it was because, deep down, she realized how similar they were. If she wasn’t so damn strong, he’d have invited her back to Graywatch in a heartbeat. As it was, his father didn’t need the competition.

“Oh, the boys.” Arthur didn’t fight the leer summoned by the elf’s seductive voice as she smiled at them. A hand beckoned him to take the seat beside her. Lou’s glare warned him off but he ignored it.

He wouldn’t go so far as to call the noblewoman soft but she was far from unreasonable, unlike some of the captains he knew. At the very least, it would take more than proximity for her to raise her hand, else he’d be dead a hundred times over.

“Evening, Miss Kierra,” the young pirate said cordially, adopting the polite tone partially out of fear for her and partially out of fear for Lou. One of the few things Lou would kill him over was her women and he had a feeling the elf was the most likely to take his head off on a whim. It was best to play it safe.

“Arthur,” the elf purred. When she looked at him, he was uncomfortably reminded of the way cats stalked mice. He couldn’t help his sigh of relief as she looked past him, snickering as William similarly stiffened under her eyes. “And Willie. I was surprised you wanted to bring a friend. You’ll have to forgive my Lou for spoiling the fun.”

“Ha!” The noblewoman scoffed. “No. No more strangers in this house until I leave. I swear, anytime strangers visit unexpectedly, it doesn’t end good.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Alana said. “What’s the worst that could happen?”

“Oh? Last time a stranger showed up on our doorstep, it almost started a war.”

The blond scoffed but her disbelieving expression collapsed into shock under Lou’s hard stare. “You’re not serious.”

“Very. Ask her.”

Kierra, put under the spotlight, shook her head. “Your leaders and warriors are rather unimpressive. Perhaps a war is just what this kingdom needs.”

“That’s not funny,” Alana hissed.

To Arthur’s surprise, the elf immediately backed down, her smile and gaze softening. “I know. Lou has taken great pains to remind me that humans are different from my people. Put under pressure, you’re more likely to break as opposed to hardening. Given your nature, I suppose it’s impressive you’ve survived this long.”

“…I don’t know if you’re complimenting or insulting us.”

“Humanity as a whole is a disappointment but I have nothing but high hopes for you, little star.”

Arthur narrowed his eyes. There was something off about the elf’s tone and the way the blond swiftly averted her gaze. It was subtle but his gut told them they were different. Closer? Maybe, but there was definitely another layer to their interaction.

“Hey, why are you all here so early?” Lou grumbled, placing her palms together and putting her chin in them. “Did you bastards show up to take advantage of my hospitality? Aren’t you people getting too comfortable around me?”

“Isn’t that a part of being friends?” Arthur said distractedly as the thrall entered the room. The pink eyes met his own and the creature smiled at him sweetly as she sat down a tray with a bottle of Herbanacle and two glasses between him and William.

When he looked up, Lou was staring at him with an intensity that said she wanted him to drop dead. “Who’s friends, fishy bastard? I’ll kill you.”

The elf laughed at the blatant and very serious death threat. “My Lou is very shy but don’t hold it against her. She cares about her friends. There is even a chance of taking the place of best friend, as the position has recently become vacant.”

“Hah? Best friend?” Arthur looked across the table. At the mention of him being her best friend, Lou looked stuck between vomiting and tossing him out. Alana reached out to rub her shoulders.

The noblewoman relaxed under the touch, her expression easing into a dopey smile reserved for lovesick fools. Arthur watched them with narrowed eyes. There was something different about them as well. Another layer, just like with the elf. Having seen it twice, he recognized what it meant and swore.

“Ah, damn it. Captain’s already got you.”

“What?! N-no, we…” Alana pulled her hand back, cheeks flushed as her mouth worked uselessly.

“It’s not really convincing with you stuttering like that,” Lou said with a chuckle. “Oi, dog. It’s obvious so don’t make a scene about it.” Despite her words, the degenerate noble was clearly as pleased as a leviathan swallowing a ship as she publicly staked her claim.

“Right you are, captain.”

“Dare I ask?” William asked.

In an act of deference unusual for her, Lou turned to Alana, letting her decide whether to respond. The blond sighed. Her face was still red but she straightened her shoulders and faced the table with a hard gaze. “W-w-we get along, okay? And, uh, eh-hem.”

“And she wants me~” Lou said teasingly.

“Lou!”

“Don’t worry, Alana. No one can blame you. I’m designed to attract a certain kind of attention.” She wiggled her brows. “If I didn’t make you tingle with all the effort I’ve put in, I’d be embarrassed.”

The future knight gaped at her unrepentant smile. Then she hid her face with both hands and groaned. “What have I done?”

Marthe scoffed. “It’s about time. You’ve been eying her so hard, I was embarrassed for you.” Her eyes moved to Kierra. “As long as it isn’t going to be a problem.”

“Are you worried about my reaction? No need. I wouldn’t dare to mistreat our star.” Kierra leaned forward and licked her lips as she stared at Alana. “Mm. She has the right attitude and that wonderful affinity. With a little polishing…” She let out a pleased hum. “I can’t wait to see that burning justice unleashed.”

Lou straightened in her chair like a dog perking up when a stranger stepped into its yard. “Kii, my love, you wouldn’t be thinking of snatching my dessert from underneath my nose, would you? Cause if you were, we’d have to have a talk.”

“Oh, you know much I love talking with you, dedia. We can talk all night long but there’s no need to be stingy. We could always share.”

“Haha, you’ve gotten funnier since I married you. The first slice is mine. I’m not sharing a bite.”

“Surely you wouldn’t deny me if the cake was to grow legs and walk into my mouth?”

“What have I done?” Alana whined again.