"Pirates? Are you sure we can trust them?" I asked him,
Ellisa then joined the conversation and said, "Eugh... Pirates? They're just a dirty scumbag that wanted no more than money. I'm sure if things get bad, they'll abandon us straight away,"
"That's is our best option right now. If we were to stay and look for other potential sailors, that would take us days if not weeks," Ichijou replied to us,
"He's right," Nyoko responded, "Although I'm not fond of asking for help from a criminal, waiting here will get us nowhere. Besides, if somehow they betray us, you guys are a Sinner. So you can easily handle them with no problem. Because most of the time, these people are nothing more than an average Ender Human. No power, no abilities."
"Yeah, say that when we have Devil's sea creature on our back," I replied sarcastically, "I don't know, man. I'm still against asking for help from them. We can always use Orchard Passage like Ellisa told us to since we have no sailors,"
Ichijou quickly interrupted me and said, "No. If I have to choose between some stupid pirates that can betray us and some mysterious passage that will definitely swallow us alive, I rather take the first option,"
"Very well, then. The choice is all yours, leader." I answered plainly,
Ellisa then pulled onto the back of my clothes and said, "Hey, can we go back to the Inn now? I'm kind of tired. I want to enjoy a goodnight rest and a warm bath,"
Nyoko then followed, "Yeah, me too. The sun is about to set. We can start with the plan tomorrow morning. My tummy is full of snacks, and it requires some comfy bed to satisfy itself,"
"Sigh, okay. As soon as the sun rises tomorrow, we will meet the pirate and make an offer with them," said Ichijou,
We eventually left the square and went straight back to the Inn. The stars eventually clouded the night sky, and Avonline Port's streets are slowly shined by the light from candle lampost in every corner. Seems like this Port isn't as active compared to how it is during the day. The old lady Innkeeper welcomed us politely and handed our key while guiding us to our room,
"Here it is, room 201 and 202. I'm generous enough to let you have these rooms since there are not many visitors late,"
Huh, then why did she keep pushing away our offer back before if she doesn't really have many customers. Is it to annoy us or something?- Or she just got nothing else to do.
The moment we opened the door, I couldn't believe how massive the room was. It sure is extravagant on the inside. The decoration from top to bottom resembles a king's chamber, with a chandelier on the ceiling and some carved pillars made out of marble situated in every corner. No wonder it cost four hundred Coins for such a room. Ellisa really sure knows how to waste money,
Before we all entered our room, the Innkeeper then reminded us, "The bathing area is on the first floor. If you like it to be a warm bath, remember to get yourself there an hour before midnight. Dinner is not provided unless you're okay with extra fees. All and all, hope you enjoy your stay here," and she bowed to us,
"Uwahh! We should quickly unpack our stuff and go there, Nyoko! I can help you scrub your back if you like, hehe!" Ellisa shouted excitedly,
Nyoko smiled and swayed her tails around as she replied, "Mhm! I can't wait to take a dip and relief some sore muscle from my body,"
I know this is very unethical of me, but right now, my mind is diluted by the scene of what Nyoko and Ellisa might be doing in the bathroom. When I looked at Ichijou, he didn't seems to care. I should really be more like him. All cool and no goofing around.
Soon, thirty minutes after Ichijou and I went to the room, we finally finished unpacking our stuff. We hang our clothes out on the balcony while neatly placing the supplies Nyoko bought for us at the corner. I was just lying on the bed when suddenly Ichijou said to me,
"Kiseki, do you know what's on my mind right now?"
I turned my head and looked at him confusedly as I replied, "Was it about tomorrow's event? The one that we will talk with the pirate and stuff?"
He shook his head while staring out of the window and replied, "No, Kiseki. It's far more crucial than that. It's our one and only opportunity in a lifetime,"
"Come on, Ichijou. You know I'm not the kind of guy who likes waiting for an answer. Tell me, what is it?" I swiftly responded to him,
He then looked me dead serious in the eye and said, "I want to peek them bathing, Kiseki. Nyoko, Ellisa. Naked!"
For the love of God, I spoke too soon about Ichijou's personality. I thought he was the type that doesn't even care about these kinds of things. I guess I've entirely misinterpreted him.
"Come on, Kiseki. We need to go now. Ellisa and Nyoko might already head towards the bathroom. If we make our move now, we can definitely see something that came out of heaven," continued Ichijou as he walked straight to the door,
"Wait- wait! How can you be so sure that it's even possible to do that?! This is a closed bathing area. We can't aimlessly sneak in there without anyone noticing!" I said as I blocked him away from going out of the room,
"Relax, man. Who said we need to walk right into the dent? In Ruina, every public bathroom has an open gap on the top corner of the wall that separate men's and women's area. So, all we need to do is pretending that we were just going for a bath, and then we strike our eyes with this golden scene!" He replied in excitement,
H- He's a bigger pervert than I anticipated?! Have Ichijou did all of this before for the past two years?! Why did he sound like he's a professional?! Anyways, I don't know why but I'm intrigued! I can't deny it! I want to see Ellisa and Nyoko in their threadless form!
"I- Okay... We should commence our plans right away. But first and foremost, we need to make sure that there are no other people in the bathroom other than us!" I responded passionately,
"Very well, good mate! Let us begin this virgin journey of us!" Ichijou cheered,
"O- Oh!" I complied,
And just like that, we made our move. This Inn seems to be empty. No one is lingering around the hallway as of now. Besides, the Innkeeper appears to be sitting at her desk in the front entrance while taking a nap. We have our greenlight.
We both acted casually and walked right into the men's bathroom. Ellisa's and Nyoko's voices can be heard faintly echoing out of the other side. We're in luck! They are really in there right now! I can't get myself to calm down. My mind is blurted with all kinds of images that we might possibly witness really soon!
Ichijou and I swiftly took our clothes off and put on the tongs that were provided in there. Ichijou had this fiery eyes on him, and he said,
"This is our time, Kiseki!"
I nodded viciously and replied, "Yes, master of peeking, Ichijou!"
Ellisa's and Nyoko voices became much and much clearer as we went into the water,
[Third POV] Ellisa and Nyoko
"Woah- Nyoko, you really have some silky smooth skin despite being a military officer! What's your secret behind it?!-" asked Ellisa,
Nyoko stood up from the bathwater and smirked proudly, "Hehehe! It's all in the way we wash our bodies, Ellisa. I will only tell you a few of my secrets; of course, with good soap and consistency to put on skincare potion, you can also get this godly skin like I do. But that's not the only thing you have to do, hehe!"
"Ohh! You need to teach me your method, Nyoko! I would love to get my skin on par with yours as soon as possible!" replied Ellisa,
Nyoko then laughed maniacally and said, "Muahahaha! It will be a treacherous journey for you to get to where I am right now, Ellisa! But, worry not! I will help you out in the sense of pity!"
Thank you so much, kyaaa!"
Ellisa quickly jumped on Nyoko and snuggled within her arms delightedly. Nyoko was overwhelmed by Ellisa's chest that was burying her face and said, "Aaaah! Stop it, Ellisa. I can't breathe with your melon hitting against my face! Are you trying to make me jealous with it?!-"
"No, no! I have no such intention to do so!" Ellisa responded,
Afterwards, Nyoko was able to move Ellisa away and get herself on top instead, "Hehehe! It didn't seem that way! I will get you back!"
"Noo! AHH!- Nyoko, stop! I beg you!"
[Back to Kiseki's POV]
"Did you hear that, Kiseki? That's the voice of an angel when they enjoying themselves innocently during bath time," said Ichijou as he rubbed his chin,
I shook my head vigorously and replied, "O- Oh! Yes, leader!"
"We shall not waste our time much longer! The time has finally come! We will bask our eyes with this glorious scene, NOW!"
"I hear you loud and clear!" I yelled quietly while giving him a salute,
Ichijou smirked and chuckled pervertedly to me. He then closed his eyes and crossed his arm together, "Hmhmhm! That's the spirit, soldier! Anyways, because this is your first time ever doing this, I will give you the opportunity to enjoy it first. Now come forward and get on my shoulder!"
"I am really grateful for your generosity!" I said as I teared up happily,
I swiftly move towards Ichijou and get to his back. He was ready for me to get on top of him so that he could push me up to the same level of the gap right at the corner of the wall. Slowly but surely, he manages to hold my weight firmly. He secured my legs with his hand and instantly stood up from the water.
This is the time I've been waiting for! Just a little bit more! Not even an inch further to reach the gap! I desperately reached my hand up in the air to grab onto the slit. Finally, it was a success! Now I can easily pull myself up even higher to get a better angle!
"Hahahaha! Kiseki! Today marked the day of you turning into a man! So enjoy this moment to the fullest! Have no regrets and reach out the for the sky!" Ichijou murmured,
"Indeed, Ichijou! There is no turning back from this! I will go all out!" I screamed,
When I get a grip on both of my hands onto the slit, I forcefully pull myself upward almost instantaneously. Bit by bit, almost there! Just a little bit more! Let's go!
"Uhumm..." a familiar voice suddenly called out to us,
We both stutteringly turn our heads towards the source of that voice, and to our surprise, it was no other than the old lady Innkeeper. She innocently gazed at both of us and smiled,
"Boy will always be boys. I brought you some towel so you can dry yourself," she spoke to us,
Our face at that moment was filled with embarrassment and shock. I whispered to Ichijou, "Abort mission! Abort mission! We were caught up by the enemy!"
Ichijou deliberately dropped me down into the water and acted like nothing was happening. I got my head submerged first; he really just wanted to save himself from this and didn't care about my safety when he did that!
The old lady finally turned around and walked away from us. But before she left the bathroom, she whispered, "You can't even impress an old lady like me with that elephant trunk of yours. What makes you think you deserve to peek at those girls when they bathing,"
That word instantly crushed us. Not only our soul but also our pride. She can't be serious about that?!- I ended up keeping my head submerged while blushing red like a tomato. Ichijou then looked at me soullessly and said,
"Wanna go back to our room and forget all of this ever happened?"
I blatantly replied, "You read my mind; let's go."
Just like that, we went out of the bathroom with only towels wrapped around our waist. We didn't feel like putting on our shirt was an option at that time. As we walked out the doorway,
"Eeek! Why are you both walking out naked?! Put your clothes on, for god sake!" shouted Nyoko as she covered her face,
Ellisa didn't act like she was embarrassed, though. Instead, she just smiled at us and said, "Well, well! Seems like not only us who enjoyed our time just now! Glad you guys can relax and let your steam off!"
It's not surprising she's acting like this. She has basically seen our whole body when healing us up back in Fairdrift. Eventually, we walked past them and didn't respond to anything that they said. This failure is too immense for Ichijou and me to handle. It's okay if young girls said those words back then to us, but an old lady? That's just horrible.
By the end of the night, we all went to sleep soundly without even mentioning this event ever again.
[The next day]
We left the Inn early in the dawn. The faster we deal with those pirates, the quicker we can get to the Dwarven state. When we walked into the ship, all of their crews had their eyes preying on us. They saw us like nothing more than just a target for them to mug. I hate these vibes. I kept my hands ready at all times to pull out my artefact if things took a wrong turn. Luckily, we managed to meet with the Captain without getting stab in the back,
The Captain looked almost identical to how we refer to our pirates on earth. Eye patch on one of his eyes while a single hook for his arm. The smile that he showed to us revealed his line of golden coated teeth to indicate how wealthy he is from doing this kind of job,
"Well, well, well. Looks who's here. The rats of Croterin Empire," said the Captain,
Wait- how did he know where we were from? I understand that Nyoko might look and act like one of the commanders, but she's not wearing her uniform right now.
"Let me take a guess. You all need brave sailors like my people to get you to the Dwarven State, right?" the Captain continued,
I swiftly budged into his sentence and said, "How did you know all this?"
He let an eerie smirk and replied, "Let just say I have myself some connection with big people,"
"Uhuh," I don't think so-
All of a sudden, the Captain burst into laughter when he saw me doubting him, "HAHAHA! I'm just joking, boy. Everybody knows who you are. The news spread like wildfire across Ruina. In a matter of days, King Edwin's words have already got itself towards the Dwarven border too. They all must be waiting for your arrival eagerly,"
"If that's the case since you already know about our mission, there's no need for talking anymore. Name your price, and we will pay it in one go," Ichijou responded to him earnestly,
The Captain scratched his cheeks with his hook arm and said tauntingly, "Oi, oi, oi, show some respect to us, will ya? You're the one looking for our help right now. No matter how much you all have to pay, I still deemed some politeness from all of you scumbags."
I quickly poked Ichijou's back and whispered, "Let's play along with them for now, Ichijou. We don't want to get ourselves in some unwanted trouble,"
He swiftly nodded and looked back at the Captain and returned, "My sincere apology. Yes, we are looking for your help at the moment. Seems like there are no sailors out there daring enough to bring us to the other side. If you up for the task, I will pay you handsomely."
"Now that's more I like it! Look at them, boys. Finally, some Croterin citizen knows how to beg for aids when they are in a dire situation, hahaha!" He laughed while knocking his hand onto the table while the crewmember shared their laughter with him. The Captain then continued,
"So, now we can talk about the prices, ey? Don't worry, I'm not that greedy of a person. I won't ask for much. Just enough to feed all fifty of my crewmen is fair, don't you think?"
"Very well, how much is it?" Ichijou responded monotonously,
The Captain quickly let out a creepy smile and replied, "two hundred thousand Prisma Coins per person,"
What a load of shit! Saying he's not being greedy and asked us for that sum?! Is he for real?!
"Hey! That's too much for just a ride!-" I yelled at him abruptly,
He then smashed the glass of water that sat on his table against the ship deck and countered, "Oi, matey! I think your brain is not working well right now. Do you know how risky this business is? Do you have any idea what danger you're putting us in without a proper sum of compensation?!"
Ichijou swiftly stopped his word and replied, "We have our deal. Two hundred thousand Prisma Coin per person. Arriving there safely. With not a single hiccup along the way," the Captain had his eyes at Ichijou for a moment before proceeding,
"Buahahaha! Look, kid! Your buddy here understands quite well about pricing and the worthiness of some business! You better learn from him if you wanna survive in this cruel world," he spouted his nonsense at me,
This asshole, he's really getting into my nerve right now! But I have to chill out. If we bust this offer right now, there's no telling that we can get a better deal with other pirates or not.
"I will pay you only after we arrive at our destination. No upfront fees, no middle payment. Get us there, and you can leave with your money." Ichijou stated himself to the Captain,
"I'm all good with that, lad. Hahaha! Boys! Clean up the deck and show these passengers their room to lay down! Our next destination, Dwarven State," said the Captain to his crewmember while walking towards the upper deck,
As he strolled up the stairs, he turned towards us and continued, "Welcome aboard! You can call me Captain Willis, Willis the Yellow Teeth,"