After a few hours, Aurianna came out from the kitchen to the ship deck carrying a pot and hurried toward her room.

Seeing Aurianna disappear into her quarters, the entire crew rushed toward the kitchen, and their captain exclaimed.

"Hey hey! Remember to save me some grub! Don't devour it all!" The captain's voice carried a stern warning, tinged with a hint of anxiety, hoping his message was heard. ‘If I had a choice I would rush too but who would keep an eye on the damn ship to not steer away!!’ he inwardly cried as he held the wheel. ‘Why doesn't anyone appreciate me?’ he wondered as he sat there alone with his grumbling stomach.

Lilian stepped into the kitchen, surprised by its clean condition. "She really cleaned up. No dishes left, and the stove and table are spotless. I still can't get used to it, even after three days. Is she a kitchen lover or something?" Lilian mused, heading straight for the oven where a large pot awaited.

"Wow!" Lilian's eyes widened, and a drool threatened to escape as she beheld the feast within the pot. The aroma of cooked fish enveloped her senses, making her feel as if she had ascended to paradise. She quickly composed herself, climbed onto a stool, and reached for a portion of the cooked fish, only to recoil as the heat seared her hand, causing her to wince in pain.

"Don't do that, child! Do you want to burn yourself?!" A woman with a lizard-like face warned, swooping in to rescue Lilian from further harminh herself.

"It seems you already have learnt your lesson the hard way," she added with a wry grin as she watched Lilian with her reptilian eyes, who had an embarrassed face as she rubbed her hand.

"Clara, is the food ready?" A man inquired, peering into the kitchen alongside the rest of the crew.

"You lot, out!" Clara barked, causing them to scatter.

"Head to the dining room; Lilian and I will bring your meals." She said firmly.

"Fine," the male crew member grumbled, followed by the other twelve.

"Lilian, Viny, can you help me serve the food?" Clara asked her tone softening as she turned her attention to the boy near the door.

"Yes, of course," Viny replied, moving to assist.

"No need to be afraid of me, okay? We're all friends here. Remember what I told you?" Clara reassured Viny with a warm smile, her scaly hand resting on his shoulder.

"You said no one here would mistreat us!" Lilian chimed in, her face beaming.

"Exactly. So I hope you can feel more at ease around us," Clara said, patting Viny's head gently.

"You both look like you could use a bit more grub, you're so skinny. I'll give you some extra, but keep it between us, alright?" Clara winked mischievously, and Viny and Lilian nodded eagerly.

‘This feels strange, but nice,’ Viny thought to himself as he watched Lilian bring a plate to Clara, who deftly served the food. Viny then placed the plates on the kitchen table and fetched a large tray to carry them to the dining room.

The meal consisted of fish cooked to perfection, drenched in a rich, dark blue sauce that tantalized the senses with its delicious aroma.

“I have to give the captain a larger portion too,” Clara mumbled to herself as she served the food.

‘I wonder what that girl is,’ he thought, referring to Aurianna as her face appeared in his mind. ‘Everyone keeps saying she's a noble, but she doesn't act like the nobles that the adults back in that place told me about,’ Viny pondered quietly as he meticulously arranged the dishes of food on the tray. ‘What's more, she hasn't told me her name. I want to ask her, but she seems hard to get closer to.’

"Viny, would you stop daydreaming and be faster?! practically starving over here!" Lilian's voice pierced through Viny's thoughts, jolting him back to the present.

"I'm doing my best," Viny sighed.

"Well, your best is too slow! Hurry up and take these five plates from the counter!" Lilian demanded, her impatience evident as she gestured towards the kitchen counter overflowing with plates of food.

"Alright, alright." Viny conceded, hastily gathering the plates and arranging them on the tray.

_______

"This is marvelous!" exclaimed one of the crew members, his voice muffled by a mouthful of food, as he happily devoured his meal in the dining room.

In the spacious chamber, fifteen individuals were seated around a long, rectangular wooden table, their faces illuminated by smiles of contentment as they happily ate the delicious food before them.

The atmosphere was lively, and the crew members were happily eating and even taking more servings due to how delicious the food was filling the room amidst the clinking of utensils and occasional bursts of laughter.

"Indeed, this is some fine cooking. No disappointment!" declared the male lizard man from earlier, his satisfaction evident as he savored each bite of his fish.

"With food like this, I wouldn't mind working for a noble like her!" chimed in another crew member, washing down his meal with a gulp of juice.

"We shouldn't idealize her too much, Francis. She's a noble, you know? Why would she bother to feed workers like us?" Clara interjected, her tone tinged with skepticism as she slowly savored her food.

"Well, she's doing it now," remarked a female crew member with a shrug.

"I reckon the only reason she's doing this is because we all need to eat well if we're going to make it across this sea alive. We don't have our master's protective shield, ya know?" Francis explained, twirling his finger in the air, causing a sudden silence to fall over the crew. When they were sailing through the seas it was their master's shield that kept the monsters away, but now they were sailing without him meaning the risk of encountering a sea king was extremely high.

"Is the master even alive?" a male crew member ventured to ask.

"With all that battle and chaos, I doubt he would have survived. It's even a miracle that we're all here," another crew member responded somberly, his arms folded across his chest.

"Did you guys care for your master? Aren't you angry at that noble girl who forced you to sail without him?" Lilian inquired, her brow furrowing slightly with concern.

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"Not really. We were just workers, not really having much of a relationship with him. Besides, he was one cocky fellow who treated us like dirt. So honestly, I've got no regrets. At the moment, all I care about is this delicious food!" Francis declared before devouring the last morsel on his plate.

"You're funny, uncle, and your accent is pretty unique! I like it," Lilian remarked with a smile.

"Lilian!!” Viny called out as he nervously looked at his sister with an anxious gaze which prompted her to shrink back, a pang of guilt washing over her.

"Thank you, lass. Country folks like me speak this way. It's really hard to get the language right, but I'm trying my best!" Francis replied with a proud thumbs-up. "And I've been wondering for a while now, why are ya on our ship? Ya also don't seem like the child of any noble.”

"Francis, I think it's best we steer clear of that conversation," Clara cautioned, sensing the discomfort it was causing among the group and especially to the twins.

"You know, it could spell trouble fer us if they catch wind o' us harboring young'uns like them," Francis remarked, and everyone knew what he was referring to. If those children are not of noble birth, they are likely a servant or worse a slave, as only those of privileged status such as nobles had the chance to attend the slave auctions, not even commoners were allowed.

"Maybe we could get help from the noble lady," Viny interjected, his cheeks flushing crimson with embarrassment at the boldness of his suggestion.

"Well, she does seem to me as a reasonable gurl. She might be willing to help you, but let's not get our hopes too high," Clara cautioned.

"Why not?" Viny's voice was tinged with dejection, his expression prompting a frown from Lilian.

"That's because most nobles who come there are bad people. Did you forget the stories we heard from the others?" Lilian retorted, slamming her hand on the table and glaring at her brother.

"No," Viny replied, and silence fell over the room as the siblings exchanged tense glances and the adults just watched the drama seeming very interested.

"I bet she's the same..." Lilian began, but before she could finish her words, a deafening boom reverberated through the ship, causing it to lurch violently, throwing them off their chairs and into the walls.

"What is happening?" Aurianna exclaimed as she emerged from her room, her eyes widening in horror as she watched the scene before her.

Before them stretched a sea infested with monstrous creatures. Their roars echoed through the high dangerous waves as they were fighting and devouring one another, some were even larger than the ship itself.

"Have we been spotted?" Aurianna asked the captain, her voice calm but trembling a bit.

"We may be spotted very soon," the captain replied gravely.

"Captain, what's happening?" a crew member inquired, joining them on deck.

"Our normal route is now infested with Sea Kings, we may not survive this day," the captain chuckled nervously, sending a wave of fear through the crew.

"What?!" gasped one of the sailors.

"I don't know how long my invisibility magic will hold, but let me try," Aurianna said, conjuring a gray shield around the ship, rendering it invisible. Seeing her magic at work almost everyone looked at her with a look of surprise. Some even looked off the deck and the ships shadow didn't even show.

"I don't know how much longer I can maintain this. So hurry up, steer this ship away from here!" Aurianna commanded, her face pale. The captain nodded, gripping the wheel tightly as he maneuvered the ship, attempting to avoid the sea monsters.

Despite his efforts, the task proved to be extremely difficult, and the ship bumped into several creatures along the way, forcing him to proceed with caution.

‘I don't think I can hold on much longer. That fight three days ago really took a toll on me. My wound hasn't healed, and most of my mana has gone into repairing it,’ Aurianna lamented, feeling frustrated.

‘What's more, I really hate that training ground’s restriction. Like seriously Eva, why is there rule that I must remain at one position when going there? Because if I went there earlier, I would be better by now!’ Aurianna complained as she felt wronged.

"And you would be stranded at sea! We've already discussed this," Eva reminded her firmly.

"But I was feeling unwell, so I wasn't paying attention," Aurianna confessed sheepishly.

"Hah you this girl. I said that if you went to the training grounds while on this ship, when you come back you'll be stranded on the sea. You have to remain at one stable position when going there," Eva explained patiently, eliciting a frown from Aurianna.

"Aren't you a goddess? Can't you change the rules?" Aurianna raised an eyebrow, as she eyed Eva suspiciously.

"Even goddesses have rules they cannot break," Eva replied with a wry smile.

"What a pity. I can only hope that we'll be able to leave here alive," Aurianna sighed, her gaze fixed on the chaotic seas with a worried expression etched across her features.

"Just be careful, alright? With seas like this, your chances of survival are slim. But if your life is in danger, I'll protect your soul. That's what's most important," Eva reassured with a thumbs-up, eliciting a nervous chuckle from Aurianna. "Have some faith in me," Aurianna added, with a confident smile.

"I am trying, but with your injuries, it's hard too. Let's just hope for a miracle," Eva said before disappearing, leaving Aurianna alone with her thoughts.

As the hours passed and the ship sailed further into the perilous waters, the crew worked tirelessly to maintain the ship, repairing any damages that happened. Their faces were etched with nervousness as they sailed through the sea of monsters.

"We're almost through this horde of monsters!" the captain cheered, his voice ringing with hope. "Keep raising the sails and spraying the monster repellent perfumes. We can make it!" he urged, his words fueling the crew.

However, Aurianna's unease grew as the sky darkened and a foul scent filled the air. Rushing to the deck, she scanned the water, her senses on high alert as she observed the sea monsters retreating in haste. She looked around and immediately noticed sharp fangs extremely high in the sky, barely noticeable unless someone has magic eyes.

"Turn the ship around now!" Aurianna's voice carried a note of urgency, causing the crew to pause in confusion before registering the panic in her expression.

"This...this is the mouth of a Leviathan!" she yelled, her words sending a wave of fear through the crew. The captain frantically tried to change their course, but it was too late.

Leviathan, the highest ranking of sea monsters compared to Sea Kings. The most dangerous beasts in the sea which everyone wished to avoid. Because once devoured by a leviathan there was no hope to survive.

The entire place around them trembled as well as the seas and from the outside was a worm-like monster, their ship barely was barely compared to the height of one of its teeth. And it floated at the front of the ship.

The monstrous jaws of the Leviathan loomed closer to them, trying to swallow everything in its path as the ship was drawn inexorably into its gaping maw.

The monster's gaping maw created a sudden, strong whirlpool, threatening to suck them all into its dark belly.

Aurianna's heart pounded in her chest as the ship was about ensnared by the Leviathan's immense jaws, its tooth-lined maw threatening to consume them all. Even though she was confident a while ago she certainly didn't expect to end up in this kind of situation at all.

The captain struggled to steer the ship away, causing goods to tumble from the vessel due to its irregular position.

With every ounce of strength she could muster, Aurianna fought to maintain her invisibility spell, but the pain from her injuries proved too much.

Overcome by pain in her stomach, she could no longer maintain her invisibility and lost consciousness.

Seeing Aurianna teetering on the brink of falling from the ship, Viny immediately rushed to grab her hand and pulled her with all his might despite his own fear, hoping she wouldn't slip away and refused to let her fall. Aurianna, slowly regaining some of her senses, looked at him. But her injury had drained most of her strength, leaving her unable to save herself.

“Don't worry, I'll won't let you fall!!” Viny declared, clenching her hand tightly as the ship rocked and swayed.

Aurianna observed him, slightly surprised. But her head throbbed so intensely that she couldn't focus clearly.

Once Lilian finished tying the rope around her own waist, she moved toward Viny and secured the rope around him as well, ensuring that if they were to fall, the rope could save them.

As she watched her brother desperately attempt to save the noble woman's life, Lilian felt a pang of jealousy stir in her heart. ‘Why didn't he check if I was okay?’ she couldn't help but wonder, her thoughts swirling with a mixture of pain and resentment.

‘It's her. She's the one taking away all of my brother's attention!’ Lilian realized suddenly, her gaze narrowing as she stared at Aurianna who was struggling to keep her grip on Viny’s hand and Lilian smiled cruely.

"Brother!" Lilian called out.

"Lilian, you're just in time! Please help me pull her up! The other adults are occupied, and it seems some have fallen off the ship, so I need your help!" Viny pleaded, oblivious to the dark expression on his sister's face.