Aether : Calraem

Chapter 59: A Favour

Quite a lot has happened, hasn't it?

And as much as the appropriate answer seems to be that one needs to put all of this behind them - it could be argued that the best course of action would be to reflect.

Reflect on the events.

Look at it from an outside perspective, them perhaps in the grand scheme of things, everything will start coming together.

Perhaps, who can say?

The first thing would be the fact that a new Demon Lord had been elected. Draegor's first born, Lucifer Doldarix, along with his wife Silica had been made the new rulers of Graellum.

In reaction to this, Delterra contacted Thanheim for mages to summon the Cardinal Heroes. This is where we meet Luca and also where we witness his kidnapping by none other than Kaizoku Kuro, the Sea Emperor himself. It's also where Luca receives the name Hikari.

Soon we get introduced to the rest of the crew and a lot of shenanigans follow suit. The Black Pirates seem almost too talented at just messing around.

But that soon changes once Blackbeard introduces himself Hikari at Devil's Peak.

"Do you believe that meeting was planned or just sheer coincidence?"

"That would've been quite the coincidence, don't you think?"

In the Captain's Office there were currently two people present. The first is a certain elf who's always smug; the one whose age is never revealed; the one who's always insulted by the rest of his crew and the father of the ever-lovable Eva.

It was the Sea Emperor of the East and Captain of the Black Pirate Fleet, Kaizoku Kuro.

Leaning back in his chair, he could feel the fatigue slowly creeping up on him. He hadn't slept over the last three days, and the potions he used were going to wear off, whether he liked it or not. It was just a game of endurance.

No biggie; it was one of his favourite games.

Did his brain always feel like it was melting?

Anyways.

"He broke into Purgatory, retrieved his surviving crew members and just decides to make a stop at Devil's Peak?" Kaizoku asked, leaning back into his chair. "The island is too far away for that."

"You seem certain that it wasn't a coincidence, even though there could be other explanations."

Seated across from him in his own chair was none other than the Quest Giver, Kasper. With the same blank expression he always carried, he asked the captain, "Why are you so certain, Kaizoku?"

"Hmm," Kaizoku hummed, then heaved a sigh. "It's less to do with the event itself and more about what I know him to be like."

"Care to be more specific?" Kasper asked, still fully uncertain what Kaizoku was getting at.

"Firstly," Kaizoku said, "how much do you know about the battle from three days ago?"

"That's all everyone is talking about," Kasper answered matter-of-factly. "Damon Roses, member of the Blackbeard Pirates attacked Aries Island whilst both Sea Emperors were present. He was killed by first mates Calico Jack Vor'Arlet and Kiiro "Samurai Sensei" Ryoichi."

Is that correct? Kasper asked.

"More or less," Kaizoku said almost in a manner of waving it off. It was clear that it wasn't something he wanted divulge too deeply about. "Damon was such an awkward guy, but a great chef. Blackbeard can be unnecessarily sometimes..."