Aether : Calraem

Chapter 48: "But As a Friend..."

In a particular pub, two pirate captains were seated at the bar stools enjoying what seems to be their own blends of beer.

The first pirate captain, seated on the left with a jug of all the strongest alcohols, was the owner of Aries Island. For everyone who's been reading the story so far, it should be pretty obvious that it was our sensitive Captain Cortez Zaelivaar, with his signature scowl on his face that could scare people. A very complex man indeed.

After having drunk a few bottles, the expression on his face changed somewhat, but not enough for most people to tell the difference. For all intents and purposes, he was still mostly sober and took out a notebook to scribble down any idea that befell him every few minutes.

His handwriting had gotten visibly sloppier, so it was difficult to know whether he would be able to reread all of his notes at a later date.

But have we started this chapter with Cortez to discuss just what he was writing about? Of course not.

As Cortez downed his fifth jug, a notification popped up in front of him.

*

[ Warning:

A large number of crew members have been riled up around the island. Fights are breaking out as time passes and the lives of many of your crewmates are being lost by the second. The cause seems to be someone not of The Zaba Pirates nor The Black Pirates.

Investigate and Resolve?

Yes/No]

*

"No," he answered. His crew can resolve this themselves, so he'll only assist when it is absolutely necessary.

He sent the notification to Calico, believing that he was capable of resolving it.

That's not the whole reason, he thought. There's a rising problem on my end too.

Turning to his right, the smug face of a familiar pirate Captain came into vision. An elf that always gave half-truths and even less answers when he really needed to. In his hand, a strange blend of who-knows-what was swirling in his jug and instead of chugging it down, he was savouring the flavour between large gulps.

What the fuck?

"You seem too relaxed," Cortez said, pointing it out. "Didn't you get the same notification?"

"Yep," Kaizoku Kuro, Captain of The Black Pirates responded. "My crew is already helping out."

I can tell, he added after taking another gulp.

Cortez opened his mouth to say something, but instead, deciding against, shook his head with a "nevermind" and chugged.

Chug, chug, chug.

Gulp, gulp, gulp.

As Pirate Captains, or even more specific Sea Emperors, the weight these men bared were indescribable. Right outside of the pub, screams of horror, agony and pain seeped through at an almost disgusting intensity, but their actions remain unchanged. Not once did they even do a single action that was out of the ordinary.

On closer inspection, when one turned to look around the pub, there was no one else present. All the other pirates who had been enjoying their time fighting, arguing and drinking, had scattered to jump into a fight or hide away in their homes.

The only reason that the bartender remained was because he was a special homunculus that Cortez made to serve as their bartender. It was unaware, ignorant to everything else around it, and functioned only at serving whatever anyone ordered.