Unmoor — Chapter 2 (Part 1)

2.

Storm

Preparing for a storm was surprisingly simple. Drop anchor and endure it in place. It was nothing complicated, but Desmond said the reason for gathering everyone and speaking with such gravity was to instill tension and, at the same time, a sense of responsibility for each person’s role.

Astric decided to prepare food for the storm together with Desmond in the kitchen.

“Anyway, Ente, storms are something sea folk are familiar with, just like sea monsters, but they’re still dangerous. You always have to be careful. Still, the Scepter is so big and heavy that it handles storms pretty well.”

“That’s a relief. Resh didn’t look good, so I thought something serious had happened.”

“Well… if you ask whether it’s serious, it kind of is.”

At Desmond’s muttering, Astric stopped peeling potatoes and looked at him.

“When a storm hits and the Scepter gets chaotic, there are always some who take that chance to act up.”

“Act up? Even after the captain gave such a vicious warning?”

“Yeah. To them, the Scepter being in danger is an opportunity. As long as they don’t catch the captain’s eye, they can make trouble and have it slide right past.”

“It seems the Disheptator crew isn’t as united as I thought.”

At Astric’s sharp assessment, Desmond burst out laughing. Looking at Astric as if he were a child who still didn’t quite understand how the world worked, he said,

“Yeah, Ente. I can see why it looks that way to you. But if you set Ivan’s group aside, this crew is actually one of the more unified pirate crews out there.”

“Then that makes it even harder to understand. If Ivan’s group undermines that unity, why keep them around?”

“That’s because Ivan himself is fairly useful muscle, and within a pirate crew, it’s sometimes better to have something that spreads just the right amount of fear. A necessary evil, you could say.”

“Hmm… I’ve seen Krok and Kinta, but I’ve never actually seen Ivan, so I don’t really know what he’s like.”

“He doesn’t usually put himself forward. He mostly just keeps a leash on Krok and Kinta, and otherwise stays quiet.”

“Then doesn’t that make Ivan better than Krok and Kinta in that sense?”

Desmond stared at Astric for a moment, then firmly shook his head.

“No, not really. He just doesn’t step out himself. When he wants something, he’ll use Krok and Kinta to get it no matter what.”

“…Ah, I see. So he’s the type who gets obsessive once he sets his sights on something.”

After Astric’s reply, a brief silence followed. Desmond silently worked on preparing the meat, then let out a deep sigh, grabbed Astric by the shoulder, and warned him,

“So please be careful, Ente. I’m worried about you.”

“I think I’m being careful in my own way. I try to avoid them as much as possible so I don’t run into them.”

“Yeah, that part you’re doing well, but…”

Desmond trailed off and suddenly fell silent, hesitation flickering across his face. Astric waited quietly for him, then asked cautiously,

“What is it?”

Desmond looked at Astric, his lips moving without sound for a moment, then, as if he had made up his mind, explained in a small but clear voice,

“The worst one is Ivan, Ente. Plenty of recruits couldn’t stand Krok and left, but there are just as many who crossed Ivan and left in a near-death state.”

“…What?”

As Astric’s eyes widened, Desmond added,

“Once you catch his eye, he’ll cling to you like a dog in heat until he’s satisfied, or swing his fists without mercy. So be careful not to run into him like you have been. And even if you do, make sure you don’t catch his attention. You understand what I’m saying, right?”

“Ah, yes….”

Astric nodded with a stiff, frozen expression. Hearing the explanation made it painfully clear what kind of person Ivan was. A cruel man who toyed with people however he pleased, regardless of whether they were male or female, young or old. Someone similar to Kenny, or perhaps even worse.

There was a reason Desmond had hesitated to talk about Ivan. Even someone like him, who seemed to hold a fair amount of influence within the Disheptator crew, had been wary of bringing Ivan up.

“That said, don’t be too scared. Who knows, Ente, you might be stronger than Ivan. Right?”

Desmond spoke with a light, joking tone, as if trying to ease the heavy mood. But Astric couldn’t bring himself to laugh along. He knew that even Desmond didn’t truly believe there was any chance Astric could win.

Astric forced a smile that barely counted as one and went back to peeling potatoes. Desmond also stopped smiling and quietly focused on preparing the meat.

For the first time since stepping into the kitchen, they worked in silence, with not a single word exchanged. When the basket filled up with peeled potatoes and carrots, Desmond finally spoke.

“That should be enough, Ente. You’re pretty quick and accurate now, you know? Ever thought about working as a cook on the Scepter? How about being an assistant?”

“Are you joking? I’m already overwhelmed just prepping ingredients. Cooking really isn’t something just anyone can do. I respect you, Desmond.”

At Astric’s words, Desmond burst out laughing.

“Hahaha! Yeah, Ente, it’s enough that at least you recognize it. Good work. Go on and get some rest.”

“Are you sure I don’t need to help more? It still looks like there’s a lot to do.”

“Once everything’s tossed in and boiling, that’s it. The rest I can handle on my own. Besides, I’ve got to add my secret sauce. Unless you’re thinking of becoming my personal apprentice, get out of the kitchen already. Shoo, shoo.”

Astric watched Desmond wave his hands dramatically, shrugged, and left the kitchen, heading for his room.

Meanwhile, at the end of the corridor, a man’s gaze deepened as he watched Astric climb the stairs. He stared intently at Astric’s face, then at his small hips swaying as he went up the steps, before asking the companion beside him,

“Kinta, is that the new recruit Krok’s been putting effort into? The one Resh said to treat as a linked asset?”

“Mm. Yeah.”

“He’s pretty. Might be the prettiest guy I’ve seen so far. What’s his name?”

“En… what was it again. Ente? Something like that….”

“Ente? Even the name’s cute. Kinta, if I get my hands on Ente first, do you think Krok would get mad?”

At the light, joking tone, Kinta laughed as he replied,

“H, hahaha… Ivan, there’s no way Krok would get mad at you. You know that.”

“I know, but still, as comrades, we should be considerate. Krok’s a pitiful guy who only knows how to run his mouth and hasn’t even gotten to use his dick properly once.”

“Th, that so…?”

Kinta’s face had gone pale as he answered.

“Haa, but on the other hand, I can’t help wondering how much longer I’m supposed to keep yielding to a guy who can’t even take what’s been handed to him after all this consideration. What do you think, Kinta?”

“Well… you don’t really have to yield, do you? Ivan, just do whatever’s comfortable for you.”

At Kinta’s reply, Ivan draped an arm over his shoulder and spoke in a gentle voice,

“Mmm, Kinta. Don’t say something so obvious like you’re doing me a favor. Comrades are supposed to respect each other, right?”

“Y, yeah… s, sorry, Ivan. I was careless… I apologize.”

“It’s fine, Kinta. As long as you understand now.”

Ivan lifted the corner of his lips in a slight smile and lightly tapped Kinta’s cheek with his index finger. The rough, dry skin that hadn’t been properly cared for felt unpleasant against his finger, but he decided to endure it since they were comrades.

“Kinta, take better care of your skin. There’s no fun in touching it like this.”

“I, I’m sorry about that too. I’ll take better care of it from now on….”

Kinta muttered his reply, cowed, but it never reached Ivan’s ears. Ivan was only thinking about how soft and sweet the skin of that new recruit named Ente must be. When he pictured that pale, clear face, a heavy heat settled in his lower abdomen.

When would be the right time to taste him? As Ivan calculated the appropriate moment in his head, he grabbed Kinta’s chin with his large hand and pressed down.

“Ugh, ngh… I, Ivan….”

“Quiet, Kinta. If you’re not going to cry prettily, shut your mouth.”

After warning Kinta in a soft voice as he made strange noises, Ivan pulled his gaze away from the stairs and dragged him toward his own room. Since he couldn’t lay a hand on Ente right away, he decided to use Kinta to work off his frustration.

“I, Ivan…!”

Kinta struggled with a deathly pale face, but Ivan ignored him and kept walking.

Back in his room, Astric was troubled. The ominous stories he had heard about Ivan felt unsettling enough, but even after several days on the pirate ship, he hadn’t obtained a single clue about the collaborator. How many more days like this, with no results, would he have to endure? The thought already felt suffocating, and all he could do was sigh.

Knock, knock.

Just then, someone knocked on Astric’s door.

‘There’s no one who’d come looking for me… who is it?’

Astric listened carefully to the presence beyond the door with a tense expression, then cautiously opened it.

“Hello!”

Standing outside was someone he had never seen before. Slightly shorter than Astric by about a knuckle’s width, with bronze-colored skin, charming freckles scattered across it, and brown hair grown out to the shoulders without much care. A man with a somewhat naive-looking face. Or maybe a boy.

In any case, it was someone Astric had never once run into while roaming the pirate ship. Astric stared blankly at the amber-eyed man who held out his hand as if asking for a handshake, then asked,

“…Who are you?”

“I guess I’m pretty late introducing myself, huh? I wanted to come see you right after you joined, but I was busy, so it got delayed. With the storm coming up and my assigned work wrapping up nicely, I figured now was the perfect time to visit you, Ente! I’m Sheniba. I’m twenty years old, but even if I’m young, I’ve spent plenty of years on the Scepter, so if there’s anything you don’t know, feel free to ask me!”

The person who looked like a boy was named Sheniba. Beaming brightly, Sheniba grabbed Astric’s hand and shook it on his own.

“Really nice to meet you. You’re happy to meet me too, right, Ente? Well then, I’ll show you around the Scepter and introduce you to the other pirates, even if it’s a bit late. That’s one of my jobs, after all.”

Astric pulled his arm free from Sheniba, who looked ready to drag him around immediately, and shook his head.

“Ah, no. It’s fine. I’ve already walked around the Scepter on my own, so I’ve seen most places.”

“Oh come on, Ente, you don’t know anything. What you see wandering alone and what you see walking around with Sheniba, who knows the Scepter’s brilliant history inside and out, are on completely different levels. You just have to trust me and follow along.”

“No, really, it’s fine…”

Before Astric could finish his sentence, Sheniba led him into the corridor. Despite his small build, he was surprisingly strong, and Astric couldn’t easily shake him off. Besides, Sheniba was the first pirate to treat him kindly since Desmond, so Astric couldn’t help but be cautious in how he handled him.

In the end, Astric had no choice but to follow Sheniba around and be introduced to pirates he had only had distant interactions with until now.

“Simon, this is Ente.”

“Oh, yeah. Nice to meet you.”

“Hello, Milo. This is Ente. Nice to meet him, right?”

“Ah… yeah. Nice to meet you, Ente.”

“Hans, this is Ente. He’s a new recruit.”

“Oh, yeah. Ente, huh? Let’s get along from now on.”

Beyond that, the number of pirates Astric was introduced to easily exceeded twenty. By the time it passed twenty, Astric had given up counting, following Sheniba with a tired face. Sheniba stopped in front of the helm room and turned around to ask,

“You haven’t been to the helm room yet, right?”

“Yes.”

“I wanted to introduce you to the helm room and Old Man Lewin today too, but he’ll be busy because of the storm, so let’s come back another time.”

When Astric nodded, Sheniba smiled brightly and started walking again. Just then, Krok happened to pass down the same corridor and glared at Sheniba with wide eyes.

“Hey, brat. I heard you’ve been hogging the pretty new recruit all to yourself and parading him around without introducing him to the others.”

“So what?”

“You’re not going to introduce him to us? We’re pirates of the Disheptator too, you know. Is that really okay? Do you think we’re a joke? I mean, me aside, even Ivan hasn’t said anything, but I bet he’s holding a serious grudge…”

Sheniba cut Krok off and asked in a low voice,

“Say that again. What exactly did you just say? Is it really okay to throw Ivan’s name around like that? If Ivan finds out you used his name to scare a fellow crewmate, he’s not going to be pleased.”

Startled, Krok flinched and opened his mouth as if to say something more, then clamped it shut.

“When did I ever talk about Ivan… Tch, just you wait. Pretty new recruit, I’ll make sure to see you alone later.”

Muttering as he glanced between Sheniba and Astric, Krok hurriedly left the corridor. Astric stared blankly at Krok’s retreating back as he scurried away, then turned his gaze to Sheniba.

“That look says you didn’t expect that. I may be young, but I’m still a pirate who’s been through all kinds of hardships and survived them. So someone like Krok doesn’t scare me. Dealing with Krok or Kinta isn’t hard. The more aggressively they come on, the quicker they get scared and back down.”

“Hmm….”

“Of course, Krok is hot-tempered, but he quiets down once Ivan’s name comes up, so it’s not a problem. You should remember this too, Astric. If Krok starts bothering you, just use Ivan as an excuse. Easy, right?”

“…I’m not so sure.”

If I tried that, wouldn’t it just provoke him even more? Unlike Astric’s uneasy reaction, Sheniba grew more animated and continued explaining.

“Kinta’s a born coward, so you don’t even need to put in much effort. Just glare a bit and talk tough. But Ivan’s different. The only thing that sometimes works is using the captain as an excuse. Still, it’s best not to deal with him at all. He’s not right in the head. You can’t reason with Ivan.”

Like Desmond, Sheniba also gave a serious warning about Ivan.

“So, as much as possible, don’t let Ivan notice you, not even by sound. Life on the Scepter will become very, very troublesome.”

With two people warning him about the same man, it really seemed best to be careful. Astric recalled the documents he had read about Ivan. Aside from noting that he had a large build, there was very little information about his appearance. And even on the Scepter, there were plenty of men with large frames.

In other words, even if Astric ran into Ivan in the corridor, unless he was with Krok and Kinta, Astric wouldn’t recognize him at all.

“So what does this pirate named Ivan look like, exactly?”

“Well, he can’t compare to the captain, but he’s fairly handsome, I guess. He’s tall and well built too. His personality’s the problem. Oh, and he has blue eyes. It’s a common color, sure, but it’s not like the Scepter is crawling with handsome pirates who have blue eyes.”

So, to sum it up, he just had to watch out for a handsome pirate with blue eyes. Astric nodded and said he understood.

“Then I’ll see you tomorrow. Sleep well, Ente!”

After escorting Astric back to his room, Sheniba waved and walked away. He was a chatterbox of a pirate, the kind who made time fly by when you were with him. At the same time, he felt almost like a younger sibling, making it hard to push him away. Whether it was because of his small build or his youthful way of speaking, Astric wasn’t sure.

Back in his room, Astric lay down on the bed and let out a sigh. Still, he had managed to get close to Sheniba, who seemed to be one of Valerius’s trusted men, so it counted as a decent result for the day.

For the time being, it seemed best to stick close to Sheniba and check the pirates one by one. There was always the possibility that the collaborator was hiding among the ordinary crew.

The next morning, Astric got up and checked outside the window first thing. Just as Resh had said, it looked like a storm really was coming today, with the sky dark and overcast. The wind was noticeably stronger than yesterday, and the rising waves were visible even at a glance.

After washing his face and brushing his teeth with the water he had prepared in advance, Astric left his room. As usual, pirates were lounging around, barrels of liquor at their sides, killing time with card games. Even with a storm coming, it seemed questionable to be this relaxed, but since neither Valerius nor Resh said anything, Astric decided not to worry about it.

Instead, he focused on his own tasks. As he was about to head down the stairs to the lower deck where the kitchen was, an unexpected figure came up the stairs.

“Good morning, Ente! Morning to you!”

“Ah… yes.”

Just like the day before, Sheniba greeted him energetically. Astric looked at him with surprise, then returned the greeting. With bright, lively eyes, Sheniba asked,

“Are you on your way to help Uncle Desmond?”

“Yes.”

“Then we can help together. I used to lend a hand whenever I had time too. If it weren’t for me, there wouldn’t have been any pirates on the Scepter helping Uncle Desmond at all.”

Sheniba turned his body and matched Astric’s pace at his side.

“But now I’m relieved that you’re filling that spot, Ente. Uncle Desmond works nonstop every single day without much rest.”

“He does seem very busy.”

Agreeing with Desmond’s hard work, Astric headed down the stairs and into the corridor, when Valerius emerged from the captain’s quarters. The moment Sheniba spotted him, his eyes sparkled.

As soon as their eyes met, Sheniba shouted at the top of his lungs,

“Good morning, Captain! A fine morning to you!”

Unlike Astric, who winced at the ear-splitting volume, Valerius simply nodded as if this were nothing unusual and continued walking. Then, all of a sudden, he stopped and looked back and forth between Sheniba and Astric.

“……”

After wearing a subtle, unreadable expression for a moment, Valerius gave a short shake of his head and walked off. Astric felt baffled by the strange look Valerius had left behind, while Sheniba…

“This is the first time he’s ever looked at me for that long when it wasn’t about work! I never thought I’d live to see a day like this…!”

He was so moved that he bordered on ecstatic. Watching Sheniba act like a child who had just received a huge gift over Valerius’s brief glance, Astric felt a twinge of pity.

“Ah, instead of this, we should go help Uncle Desmond. Come on, Ente.”

The two hurried their steps and headed for the kitchen. As Astric and Sheniba entered one after the other through the kitchen door, Desmond burst into loud laughter.

“Hahahaha! Well, look at this. Two slender little fellows coming in together makes for quite a sight. Oh man, that’s hilarious. Hahaha!”

Only then did Astric realize why Valerius had worn such a subtle expression when he saw him and Sheniba. It was ridiculous. As if his smaller build compared to others was something he could help. While he was grumbling inwardly, Sheniba snickered and chimed in.

“That’s why I’m even more attached to Ente. Until now, the Scepter only had hulking guys or bonded ones, you know. Do you have any idea how bad it is for your mental health to be surrounded by nothing but big, rough old men?”

“Bonded ones?”

Astric blinked in surprise and asked.

“Ah, you don’t know what bonded ones are? Or did it just surprise you to hear that term on a pirate ship? Right, you did say this was your first time ever boarding a ship. Then I guess it makes sense you wouldn’t know. Hmm. If I had to explain it…”

“Sheniba, don’t talk about filthy things in this sacred kitchen. Even you won’t be forgiven. If you don’t want to be thrown out of the kitchen, stop right there.”

When Desmond warned him with a serious face, Sheniba replied in a playful tone.

“Oops, right. You hated talking about bonded ones, didn’t you, Desmond? You were against bringing them in too. Totally slipped my mind.”

Desmond glared at the fidgety Sheniba with a look that wasn’t exactly displeased, then turned to Astric.

“And Ente, you shouldn’t take any interest in that sort of thing either. Bringing people in for such impure purposes is nonsense to begin with. How is it any different from the navy or vile captains who do horrible things to slaves or sailors’ families? Honestly, I don’t like that the captain just turns a blind eye to it either. I’ll have to pick a day and talk to him seriously. This won’t do.”

Desmond spoke with a deeply furrowed brow and an unhappy voice. Sheniba, who had been listening quietly, shrugged.

“It’d be nice if someone recognized Uncle Desmond’s pure heart like this. Right? I don’t know why there’s never anyone suitable.”

“Quiet, Sheniba. You’re spouting nonsense again.”

Contrary to Desmond’s intention to hide the existence of bonded ones, Astric paradoxically grasped their purpose through that exchange. They were probably people brought in to relieve the pirates’ sexual desires. Astric couldn’t help but agree with Desmond.

It was an open secret that wealthy, depraved nobles who favored men secretly kept bonded ones. A shameful secret no one dared to speak of openly. Yet to think such a senseless custom had spread even to pirate ships.

Of course, considering that a pirate ship was full of criminals, the spread of such a culture wasn’t all that surprising.

And according to what Desmond had just said, it seemed the navy and captains did similar things. Was that really true? Or was it a skewed interpretation born purely from a pirate’s perspective? There was no way to know.

One thing was certain. Even accounting for Willian’s influence, Astric had been painfully ignorant of the ways of the sea until now. Growing angry at himself, his expression gradually hardened, but Sheniba and Desmond had already moved on to another topic, chatting animatedly.

“Huh? So what about it?”

“What? You still don’t get it? Uncle Desmond, you don’t look it, but you’re pretty innocent, huh?”

“You little punk, who do you think you’re teasing right now? Fine, Sheniba. You’ve gone too long without a scolding, so you’re getting cocky, huh? Want to get chewed out for once?”

“Hey, I’m not the little kid Sheniba I used to be anymore!”

“Honestly, all talk every time. If you keep that up and fall into the sea one day, it’ll just be your mouth floating on the surface.”

“That’s such an old sea horror story. And what pirate ever falls into the sea and has only his mouth floating? A true pirate conquers the sea and sea monsters alike. If it were the captain, I bet he’d swim safely back to land even if he fell into the middle of the open sea. Or maybe he’d tame a sea monster and ride it back.”

“…Sheniba, you really idolize the captain too much. Even if he doesn’t seem human at times, he is a human, you know.”

At the mention of Valerius, Astric listened closely.

“Oh come on, Uncle Desmond. Our captain isn’t an ordinary human. No matter how you look at him, he’s practically half god. How can someone be that perfect? Well, aside from his obsession with cleanliness, there’s nothing to criticize!”

“How is there nothing to criticize? He’s obsessive, overly sensitive, and can’t even sleep properly. Maybe because he doesn’t sleep well, his personality’s a mess too.”

“Are you serious?”

“Did I say anything wrong? I was holding back, if anything. You know what the captain’s biggest problem is? He has no idea how hard the head cook who rules this kitchen works. But our cute new recruit Ente is different. This kid’s actually a very promising talent.”

Astric, who had been listening carefully to the talk about Valerius, widened his eyes in surprise at Desmond’s sudden praise. He deliberately avoided the two pairs of eyes staring at him with burdensome interest and focused on peeling onions.

That was when it happened. Someone flung the kitchen door open and barged inside.

“What the hell, who dares open the door to this sacred kitchen so carelessly? Who is it?”

Desmond slammed the knife he was holding into the thick wooden cutting board and demanded in a stern voice. The shoulders of the person who had entered so confidently hunched inward.

“Huh, Kinta? What brings you to the kitchen, Kinta?”

Sheniba, who had been removing tomato stems, looked at Kinta standing at the doorway with surprise. The corners of Kinta’s lips were split, scabbed over with dried blood, as he darted his eyes around the kitchen, gauging the mood. But only for a moment. Forcing a swagger, he asked,

“So, uh, when’s breakfast going to be ready? Isn’t it kind of late?”

Desmond crossed his arms and stared at him in disbelief.

“What? That’s a pretty damn rude attitude to take in front of the head cook. You want to starve? You want to straighten up, or should we talk with fists?”

Crushed by Desmond’s momentum, Kinta lowered his gaze and muttered hesitantly.

“N, no… that’s not it… I mean… anyway, when’s breakfast ready? Krok and Ivan say they’re hungry…”

“If you want to eat, don’t rush me. Keep your mouth shut and wait quietly. I’m busy enough as it is, so don’t be a nuisance. Keep this up and I’ll make sure the lot of you never set foot in the mess hall again.”

“I… what… did I even do… I was just asking… why is everyone always picking on me…”

Muttering faintly, Kinta fled the kitchen as if running away. As the kitchen door creaked shut, Sheniba shook his head.

“See? What I said yesterday was right. Kinta’s a coward. He’s the type who sticks close to strong people and struts around. Really pathetic. Still, it’s actually a good thing Kinta’s around.”

At Sheniba’s words, Astric tilted his head. He had just called him pathetic, yet now he was saying it was good that he existed. Did Kinta play some important role? Unable to suppress his curiosity, Astric asked,

“A good thing? Why?”

“Ah, I guess you wouldn’t know, Ente. Because Kinta’s there, at least Ivan’s…”

“Hey, Sheniba! Do you really want to be banned from this kitchen for good?”

“Geez, all right, all right. I won’t say any more. That’s enough, right?”

With a sly grin, Sheniba tilted his head so only Astric could see and winked his left eye. In the end, Astric had no choice but to continue prepping the ingredients without ever getting his question answered.

As the preparation for breakfast neared completion, the warm, savory scent began to spread from the kitchen throughout the cabins. The pirates, sensing the smell, started gathering in the mess hall one by one. As the majority of the crew filled the hall, Desmond spoke up.

“Well, it’s about time we eat. Eating my special dish is the only joy on the Scepter, don’t you think?”

“Yes. Of course. We should eat! Ente, let’s go to the mess hall.”

“Huh? Mess hall? Forget that, we’ll just eat in the kitchen. Ente likes eating in the kitchen the most anyway.”

“Really? Is that so? Then where do you want to eat, Ente? Tell me.”

Astric hesitated as he looked between Desmond and Sheniba, then finally gave his answer.

“Hmm… I think I’d prefer to eat in the kitchen.”

“See! I told you Ente likes eating in the kitchen the most. Right, Ente?”

Astric awkwardly smiled, and Sheniba shrugged his shoulders as if to say he had no choice.

“Well, I guess it can’t be helped. It would have been a good chance to get closer to the other pirates, though. Oh well, there will be other chances. By the way, when the storm is over, I’ll introduce you to Lewin, the old man at the helm. The only people on the Scepter who can be called rational are the captain, Lewin, Desmond here, and me, I suppose.”

Sheniba suddenly seemed to realize something and added with a smile.

“Oh! Wait, no. Now that Ente is here, we need to add him to the list. Right?”

Sheniba chuckled and glanced at Desmond for approval. Desmond, handing Sheniba a bowl of tomato stew, scolded him lightly.

“Let’s just say that’s true and get to eating. Why do you have to talk so much… Did that guy, Resh, rub off on you?”

“Huh? How can you compare me to Resh? Even if you’re Desmond, I can’t forgive that! Do you know how much I hate that lazy Resh? You’re the one who should know best! How can you say that? This is an insult! You’ve just insulted me!”

Astric tilted his head in confusion as he watched Sheniba genuinely get angry. Resh was probably one of the more well-regarded figures on the ship, so what could make Sheniba hate him so much? He thought Sheniba got along with most people unless they were part of Ivan’s group.

It seemed like there was something Astric didn’t know. As he continued watching Sheniba rant to Desmond, still fixated on the name “Resh,” he took a sip of the tomato stew. It was warm, savory, and refreshing, filling him with a cozy warmth from the inside.

After finishing his meal while grumbling at Desmond, Sheniba dragged Astric out of the kitchen. As the door slowly closed behind them, Desmond’s voice could be heard angrily yelling, but Sheniba didn’t seem to notice.

“Desmond sounds angry, is that okay?”

“Huh? Oh, it’s fine. No matter how much Desmond yells, it’s not scary. He’s not really angry, and he knows full well that he was the one who messed up.”

“Well, I’m glad. But you don’t really like Resh, do you?”

“Hmm, well…”

Sheniba glanced around and pulled Astric toward a quieter spot. Lowering his voice, he answered.

“Resh always acts lazy, like there’s something shady about him. And no matter how much the captain ignores it, Resh doesn’t care when things happen on the Scepter. If the captain doesn’t step in, shouldn’t Resh? And yet he keeps introducing himself as the captain’s assistant. It’s just ridiculous.”

“Ah…”

“The study, too. Have you been to Resh’s study?”

“Yes. Just for a brief moment.”

“Well, that’s all you need to know. He’s got a bunch of stuff in there just to make it look good. I don’t like it. Why does he even need a study when he’s not the captain? The Scepter doesn’t have extra cabins, and there’s no money flowing freely!”

Sheniba was spitting words with such passion that some of his spit flew out.

“That study used to be just a regular cabin. Resh remodeled it! He even called in some nobles to help! And the captain just lets it slide. I really don’t get it!”

Panting with frustration, Sheniba added in an aggrieved tone.

“The only thing Resh does is act high and mighty and take care of the captain’s menial tasks. But a study? Why would he have a study? I bet it’d be better if I took it for myself.”

It seemed Sheniba wasn’t just bothered by Resh’s laziness. He was upset that, unlike himself, Resh seemed to get special treatment from Valerius. Astric had to admit, he was surprised that Resh had a study. Based on the information he’d gathered, he knew Resh was a sort of assistant to Valerius, so he’d let it slide. But if he hadn’t known that, he might have misunderstood.