”Fuuuuuuuck.” A lone figure spoke in the darkness of one of Port Hargeon’s finest inns. It was an expression completely full of regret and almost sadness. ”Damn it, I shouldn’t have accepted that damn captain’s challenge… Today is gonna be such a rough day. Uhhg…” Kenzo stood up from his bed as he rubbed his eyes. His head feeling like it was about to explode, and his whole body was hurting all around. It had been a long time since the mercenary had felt this bad physically. However, there was no time for resting. Crushing the alarm clock that was still ringing after all this time with his right fist, the blue-haired male dragged himself off the bed. There was a job that needed to be done. After all, he had just promised the night before the captain of the warship he had just helped build.

After barely finishing the request he had taken a couple of days before for Reign Valystasia, the young noble lord of Hargeon Port, Kenzo had celebrated along the construction workers until they all passed out. Truth be told, he barely remembered how he had made it back to the inn before falling asleep. While they were partying, Reign and part of his close aides had made it to the venue of celebration. He had finally finished with all of the official ceremonies and matters regarding the anniversary of his late father’s birthday. In Regin’s words, he needed a drink and a strong drink. Kenzo and the builders were more than happy to oblige. The place instantly burst into life as booze started flowing at dangerous rate. There was a feeling of happiness and extasy the mercenary had not felt in a very long time. Sure, the parties back at Advent World were some of the best he had ever had. But they were fundamentally different from the feeling surrounding the place.

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As the celebration went on, Kenzo finally managed to pinpoint the thing that made it different. It was a feeling of true love. True, the young Advent World warrior and his guild were quite close. Heck, he’d even take a bullet for most of them. But the thing was that the feeling of close-knit familiarity was still missing. It was something he had come to experience during his years as a mercenary with his comrades in arms, but that was after almost growing with them most of his life. He had lost his home now, and he had come to Fiore looking for answers. Unconsciously, one of them was whether he’d find a new family like the one he had before. As he saw the scene unfold before his eyes, he was sure there would come a moment where his guildmates would become the only family in his heart. But for now, he wondered if the time would come soon. The workers, Reign and the rest of the townsfolk seemed to be having a great time.

”What’s up with that damn long face pal?! We’re having a party here! Don’t tell me you are one of those part poppers…” A large framed man had suddenly rescued Kenzo out of the spiral of negative thoughts he was starting to have. Truth be told, it was obvious from his physical expression that he was thinking simply too much in complicated matters. It was not really the place to do so. ”Come, here ya go! Take this one will ya? Drink it with me. After all, I still haven’t thanked you for the great ship you just built me! Zehahaha!!” Kenzo laughed at the man’s spirits. He had a loud voice with a commanding tone to it. He was not sure who the man was, but he already liked him.

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”Hah. So you’re the captain commander of the navy huh? Quite a big shot” Kenzo cheered with the man as they clashed beer pints. Without saying anything, both men had started with an innate mutual understanding to compete to see who could drink more. So far, they had finished three beers in a row, and there was no end in sight for the moment. ”Zehahah, ya flatter me brat. Nothing of the sort. I’m just way better than da bunch of useless trash working for the navy of the city. Ain’t that right boys??!” The captain let out the comment loudly enough so everyone could hear. Instead of taking offense, every man laughed and cheered to his captain’s joke. They definitely respected the guy. ”Either way! Changing topics as well… Tap out whenever you want. There’s no way a dry feet brat is ever gonna outdrink me Zehaha.” Kenzo froze for a second. Little by little, the corners of his mouth arched upward as a devilish smirk appeared in his face. ”It’s game on geezer!”

Fast forward next day, and Kenzo was now on his way to the docks. Apparently, the mercenary had fallen to the captain’s trick completely. He had him dancing on the palm on his hand from the beginning. Taking advantage of the mood and the fact that he was drunk, Kenzo had been enlisted to serve in the new flagship’s first honor guard. Apparently, the coast and port were ridden with pirates. Ever since the squabble between the royals and nobles had debilitated royal authority, scores of them had assaulted and raided coastal towns. As part of the navy, the fleet of Hargeon was in charge of pursuing and subduing pirates upon contact. The honor guard he was now part of was to be the first patrol duty that the newly build warship would see. The only thing Kenzo hoped was that the day was at the very least exciting. It would suck to lose a whole day stuck in a ship for hours if nothing happened. Much to his delight, he would get exactly what he wished for.

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The crew’s spirits were high. Everyone was in maximum state of alert. Kenzo’s heart was racing as the wind blew past him. The imposing warship was now in direct pursue. This was the first time the mercenary would experience maritime combat. The thrill of adrenaline he was experienced had been much needed.

According to an anonym tip the navy had received earlier in the morning, there had been a pirate ship sighting near the coast just some minutes before. They had plundered a trading vessel, tied up all of the merchants and crew aboard the ship and left them stranded as they set sail with all the loot. Kenzo’s blood was boiling. He would get to have some action in the seas of Hargeon soon enough. After some hours of following the trail of the pirates, the crew of the giant warship finally sighed the black flag of the pirate vessel. It was a rather unique experience. The rush of excitement for the imminent fight had lasted for almost an hour now. After all, they were chasing after the pirates at full speed, but the difference of velocity between both ships was not that big. Little by little, Kenzo and his crew inched closer towards their targets.

Just as the distance between them became close enough for Kenzo to distinguish the features of the men aboard the pirate ship, the captain issued the order. ”FIREEEEE!!!!” The thunderous roars of gun cannons firing off deafened the blue haired male for an instant. The ship rocked left and right from the knockback. Everything turned into slow motion for Kenzo in that instant. He could see the damage and destruction caused by the direct hit in the enemy’s ship. One of the cannonballs hit directly into the mast, snapping it in two. It had been a perfect hit. After maneuvering swiftly next to the deck, Kenzo and the crew boarded the pirates ship. The fight was quick, and the mercenary managed to strike down the pirate captain.

Back at the port, Kenzo thanked the captain as he received his reward. This experience had opened a new set of possibilities for the man. He would undoubtedly come by again in search for another battle.

-EXIT-
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