CHAPTER 409: COUNTING COINS?

As the mist continues to linger over the ship and the scattered ruin remains of the enemy’s vessel linger around them on the surface of the water...

"Have all of you mateys done counting my gold?"

Captain Righthook had everyone, apart from Lillian, count his spoils of battle, which in this case would be the chest of gold coins that Lillian had brought to him.

Lillian rested on the rough mattress of the top bunk of a bunkbed.

Currently, they were all inside the living quarters on the boat, which was oddly much larger on the inside than it appeared on the outside.

She looked down and over, scouring the room before settling her gaze on Viesta, Nearlo and his bodyguard, as well as the Captain, who huddled around a singular chest.

"Tch... Why should someone as esteemed as I be put to a work like this?" Nearlo asked with clear signs of frustration. He should be doing something better with his time rather than counting coins in some chess.

Viesta, who was without her hat, sighed as she held a gold coin between her index finger and thumb. She then muttered:

"Do you really want to argue with a guy who destroyed an entire pirate ship with one attack?"

She was beginning to feel the positive impression she had of Nearlo inside her head slowly disappear the more she interacted with him.

Nearlo clicked his tongue again before turning towards the Captain, "What was that attack you just did? Was it with the help of that cutlass of yours? How much are you willing to sell it to me?"

The Captain’s ears twitched at the sign of profit.

He then faked a sad expression as he summoned out his cutlass and held it in both hands.

"Arr... I found this very cutlass on one of my journeys... I fought tooth and nail just to get a hold of this weapon, so it is priceless, matey..."

"Just name your price and I’ll buy it!"

The Captain then stroked his beard as he heard the short man’s words. And after a moment of thought, he pointed down at the pile of gold inside the chest and stated:

"Count those first, and then I will consider! KAHAHAHA!"

"Tch, Jon! Help me out with this!"

"Yes, Master Nearlo."

After what may have been half an hour, they eventually finished counting up what was inside the chest.

Viesta, after conversing with Nearlo and his bodyguard, looked up at the Captain and stated:

"There’s about 250 gold coins in here..."

"Ohohoho! What a GLORIOUS haul! Praise the Azure Dragon!" The Captain pranced and danced around them with a joyful expression, something that an ordinary person wouldn’t expect from someone who just destroyed an entire pirate ship and its crewmates.

"YOU RISKED OUR LIVES FOR A MEASLY 250 GOLD COINS!?" Nearlo shouted as he watched the Captain continue to prance around, ignoring him.

While this was going on, Viesta held her chin as she continued to look inside the chest. She felt something was off about it, but she couldn’t help but put her finger on it...

"It doesn’t feel right that the chest was only around 25% filled, though... Surely there should’ve been something more, right...?"

Lillian, who was taking glances at Viesta, smiled wryly as she looked up at the ceiling.

Just like any sea, secret treasures fallen to the deepest depths could be found. An example would be broken pieces of armour from Zama, the first Tier 6 mage, when he was up against the Dreadlord.

Relics like those can fetch hundreds of thousands or even millions when sold to the Eastern nations’ museums or placed on auction.

Lillian pulled the curtains a little and took a glance outside. It was still foggy, but at least she was able to tell that the outside world had begun to grow just a bit darker.

It was becoming late.

’How time moves so fast...’

Lillian pulled back the curtain and felt the hairs on her body stand up straight as she noticed several gazes settling on her lying figure.

She looked back towards the group and found them giving her sceptical and suspicious gazes, especially from Righthook, who seemed to be giving her quite the deathstare.

"Oi, matey... You didn’t have to... OPEN THIS TREASURE AND THIS MY GOLD DID YOU?!"

"Argh... Why so loud?" Lillian rubbed the side of her ear before responding in a calm and casual manner as she waved her hand back and forth, "I didn’t steal your dang gold. I’m a noble. Why would I need even more money when I could just beg my family for more?"

Viesta, noticing the look she was getting from Lillian, turned to Righthook and confirmed:

"She’s right, she is a noble. And her family is part of the middle heirarchy of nobles, so that proves her wealth even more."

Righthook raised an eyebrow before clicking his tongue and pointing his metal hook at the white-haired girl, "And yet you didn’t even pay the fee to get on my ship!"

"Bah! Because your prices are outrageous!"

Viesta watched as the two bickered, then turned to Nearlo and asked with slight suspicion, "I thought you said to that crowd earlier that this is your boat and that this captain was just a repairman... You’re not telling the truth are you?"

"Huuuh...?" Nearlo looked at her with folded arms and gave her the stink-eye, "Are you doubting me yet again? Have you not seen the man you’re talking about? He looks unwell."

Shaking his head with a sigh, Nearlo added:

"And plus, this man has a hook. So, he obviously developed a Flaw. Would you really believe someone with a Flaw?"

Right before Viesta could say anything, Nearlo interrupted and said again in a mocking tone and shrugged:

"Also, this man spoke of the Azure Dragon, which only those born in the East would usually pray to. And since those in the East Nation deny the application of enhancements of any kind, this makes the captain even more shameful."

The Captain, who was still arguing with Lillian, overheard this and fell silent as he turned towards the petite man.

He stared at Nearlo silently before walking up to the chest and carrying it under his left armpit.

The Captain then walked past them and...

"I’ll be taking watch."

... Exited the room.

*Door shuts.*

Lillian glanced over to Nearlo with a smirk. She then raised her hands parallel to each other and began to slow in a slow... And mocking manner...

"Oh, wow... It seems that you have upset our dear captain~... For someone, who seemed to fight for justice, you don’t really give off the impression of a good person."

And once saying that, Lillian turned on her side and wrapped herself in the blanket she was provided.

Because of her show of indifference, Nearlo couldn’t help but turn red as he found himself humiliated by Lillian’s words.

But...

He didn’t say anything, as he felt that he had perhaps gone too far and that it didn’t seem right for him to say, given his identity.

Soon enough, everyone inside the living quarters had marched into their beds. Leaving Righthook to stand on top of the deck to admire the gold inside his chest alone, while also observing the damage done to his ship, and looking out for any other dangers.

***

Creek... Creek...

Lillian’s eyes slowly fluttered open as she felt her body rise up and down. For a moment, her vision became disoriented, which caused a sense of nausea to appear inside her stomach.

But that feeling soon disappeared once she pulled open the curtains.

What she met with was a bright sunny day with large waves crashing against the side of the window. Fortunately, there wasn’t any fog to block out the majestic view.

"Hm... Is the boat moving...?" Lillian moaned and yawned as she sat up in her bed. She then leaned over the side and looked under her.

Snore...

Viesta was still asleep.

Lillian grinned and snapped a picture of her sleeping face and made sure she could’ve gotten the silliest angle she could have gotten before getting up.

After washing her face and brushing her teeth, she spat into a floating orb of water before flashing a smirk at the mirror of highly reflective water she had made.

Sometimes, she needed to learn spells that made her life easier. And this was one of them.

Letting Viesta rest a bit more, she took a glance at Nearlo and shrugged.

After leaving the living quarters and making her way up to the deck, she tossed the orb of water over the side of the deck and looked up to the stern.

And what she found was Captain Righthook standing at the wheel, sailing the boat. For how long? Lillian remembered it was for a few hours.

Righthook, who caught Lillian making eye contact with him, smirked as he greeted her:

"Good morning, matey! How’d you sleep?"

"Good morning to you too, Captain. And... Not too bad, actually." Lillian let out another yawn as she asked, "So, what’s the agenda for today?"

"KAHAHA! How about some breakfast first? I’m sure you must be famished from not having dinner yesterday."