“A one-handed sword or a two-handed sword? My primary class is set as a Swordsman, and that won’t change. As for my sub-class… a Thrower?” Baiya talked to herself as she reached out to touch a blade. There were so many sword styles to choose from that she was absolutely delighted.
After checking the attributes of every blade and making several comparisons, Baiya reached for the finest one. Her favorite exclusive weapon was finally within reach. At that moment, joy clouded her mind, and she clearly forgot a very important detail.
“I… I can’t lift it! I was too careless! I forgot! I’m going to die, die, die! My STR is only 4!”
Jia Yi stood by the door with his arms crossed, tapping his toes against the floorboards to pass the time. Suddenly, he heard a dull thud. Curious, he poked his head inside and was met with a speechless sight.
Baiya was pinned to the floorboards, unable to move. A slender sword with a silver hilt was pressing down on her frail back. Baiya tilted her head and gave a helpless smile to break the awkward silence.
“Save me.” Baiya buried her face against the wood and pressed her hands together in a silent plea for help.
She looked far too pathetic in that position.
Jia Yi rubbed his chin, thinking as he walked over to Baiya. He leaned down, picked up the long sword, and performed a few flourishes. He couldn’t see how the sword was heavy at all.
“I’m saved. Thanks. The equipment’s STR requirement is 100. Oh boy, this is going to be a problem.” Baiya rubbed her aching back and stood up with her feet turned inward. She closed one eye and took several sharp breaths from the pain.
‘Remember this lesson; I need to have some self-awareness next time,’ Baiya thought. She let out a sigh. She realized that without the help of the “Choral Theater: Saint of Salvation,” she couldn’t lift a single piece of Scrap-iron-tier equipment in this armory. The lowest STR requirement was 10, and that was for a heavy axe.
Having no other choice, Baiya took a flintlock pistol and a bag of gunpowder before following Jia Yi out of the armory.
“You are very weak.” Jia Yi couldn’t help but speak up as he led Baiya toward the third-tier area. “I only just realized it. Every rookie who has joined our Sea Dragon Pirate Group has had an average Power Level of 50. I treated you the same way, and that was my mistake.”
Jia Yi raised a hand to cover his face, his serious gaze piercing through the gaps between his fingers. He spoke as he walked, “Rookie, your Power Level is only 4!”
“…” Baiya turned her head away. This was too miserable. It really was far too miserable when the truth was exposed!
“Rookie! You have no talent for combat! Every enemy the Sea Dragon Pirate Group faces is incredibly vicious. It’s no exaggeration to say we’re heading toward our deaths. You’ll die easily like this!” Jia Yi closed his eyes and sighed in pity. He truly felt sorry for Baiya.
“Well, you’re not wrong. Power Level? If we’re talking about strength, then I’m just a piece of trash with a Power Level of less than five. A soft target like me would be crushed by enemies the moment a fight breaks out.”
“Rookie, at least you have self-awareness.”
“But taking my life won’t be that easy — ” Baiya slowly opened her crimson right eye, her lips curling into an excited arc. Seeing this, Jia Yi’s impression of her shifted.
“There are many ways to defeat an enemy, aren’t there? Many of which I can pull off. I am someone who can find those possibilities. So, give up on trying to convince me to leave the ship.”
“…….. I understand.” Jia Yi began to look at Baiya with more respect. He stopped wasting words and began explaining other matters.
“The cabin at the very end of the third-tier area is the prison. It holds those who betrayed their comrades, captives, and those who might become comrades. No one is allowed near it without Leader Molly’s permission. If you’re caught violating this rule, you’ll be sentenced to exposure under the sun.”
Jia Yi made Baiya stand at a distance to see the prison’s location. He signaled the guarding pirates that he was only taking a rookie on a tour and that there was no need to report this to Leader Molly.
‘Well… try your best to stay alive. You’re already quite lucky.’ Baiya sighed helplessly with her hands on her hips. She had been in this prison before, so she wasn’t entirely unfamiliar with it. Her former cellmate, Yacang, was currently suffering inside.
‘Still, it’s better to be alive. In the original plot, Yacang would have been killed before he could even be taken prisoner.’ Baiya used this excuse to push aside her guilt for using Yacang.
“Let’s go. Next, we’ll arrange your position.”
“Okay!”
Baiya waved toward the prison and followed Jia Yi away without looking back.
“Kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill…”
Inside the prison, Yacang, whose body was covered in bandages, kept biting his nails while muttering like a curse.
***
“Rookie, what are you good at? I know everyone else outclasses you in strength, but do you have any other talents?” Jia Yi asked curiously as he led Baiya to the second-tier area.
“Uh…” Baiya fell into deep thought.
“Let’s think together. There really aren’t many positions suited for you.” Jia Yi rubbed his forehead and sighed.
“How about being a gunner? I saw you take a firearm from the armory. Your aim must be pretty good, right? Even if you’ve never operated a Magic Cannon, you should be able to learn quickly under a professional’s training.” Jia Yi thought this was a position that could keep Baiya from direct combat, increasing her chances of survival.
To his surprise, Baiya shook her head without hesitation and spread her hands helplessly.
“No, no, no! I couldn’t hit anything unless it was right in front of me! I know nothing about firearms, and my aim is atrocious. Nine shots out of ten will miss, and the last one will probably hit me. That’s the situation I’m in. I’m pretty desperate too!”
“Then… Then why did you pick a firearm as your weapon?!” Jia Yi shouted in disbelief.
“Because it’s a weapon that can cause massive damage no matter how weak the person is. Cool, right?”
“Are you an idiot?!”
For the first time, Jia Yi felt that guiding a rookie was an incredibly exhausting task.
He only realized later that this was just the beginning. The headache Baiya caused him exceeded his imagination.
Jia Yi obtained a list of roles from a high-ranking pirate. Holding a quill, he looked at Baiya expressionlessly and went down the list of vacant positions.
“Any talent for financial management?”
“None!”
Jia Yi drew a black “X” over financial management.
“Observation and focus?”
“None either!”
The scout sailor role was crossed out.
“Food preparation? Cooking skills?”
“Eh — if it comes to that, do you really want me to do it? The only person who can stomach my cooking is me. I once got overconfident in Home Economics and shared my cooking. Everyone ended up with food poisoning. I was the only person left standing.”
Baiya spread her hands, indicating she had a terrifying stomach.
Beads of sweat formed on Jia Yi’s forehead. He didn’t know what “Home Economics” was, but he knew Baiya was an “enemy” that couldn’t be underestimated.
He wondered if he would survive the battle against her…
“Are you just useless?”
Jia Yi showed Baiya the list covered in black marks. In the end, he had lost. There wasn’t a single position suitable for Baiya.
“Eh — this is tricky.” Baiya studied the list for a moment, her expression turning slightly awkward. She was starting to feel embarrassed by her own incompetence.
A competitive spark ignited within her. Between the lives of “Baiya” and “Baiya Ifiel Clorom,” she had lived for a total of thirty-one years. She had to have some shining quality!
Baiya, a 17-year-old shut-in and hardcore gamer.
Baiya Ifiel Clorom, a 14-year-old former Imperial Princess, trained in court etiquette, singing, and dancing.
‘It’s over! In a sense, all thirty-one years of my life have been wasted!’
After summarizing her life, Baiya wore a look of utter despair. Jia Yi looked even more broken than she did.
“I guess this is the only way… Rookie! Fine! The ship’s sanitation! I’m leaving it to you!” Jia Yi grabbed Baiya’s shoulders and gave her a thumbs-up. His smile looked like it was on the verge of a breakdown.
Jia Yi took Baiya to the relevant room in the second-tier area to collect cleaning tools.
“Usually, each of us is responsible for the cleaning of one area. Today, I’ll have to make an exception. I’ll set up a new position and report this to Leader Molly. Just do your best, rookie!”
With a forced smile, Jia Yi led the dejected Baiya onto the deck.
‘One last thing,’ Jia Yi reminded himself. He was finally almost free!
Jia Yi pointed out the locations of the combat facilities on the ship and explained which areas would likely become the center of a battle and where the best cover was. He told her to stay alert.
“One of the most important rules of the Sea Dragon Pirate Group: except for the ship’s doctor, everyone must fight when an unavoidable battle occurs!” Jia Yi’s expression turned incredibly serious as he clenched his fist.
“Oh? Everyone?” Baiya couldn’t help but ask. “Does that mean even the chefs have to fight?”
Jia Yi nodded. “We must give our all in every battle the Sea Dragon Pirate Group faces! Because we don’t want everything taken from us, we must do our best to crush the enemy! Our lives aren’t important, but we won’t let them be taken so easily!”
“Just like you, rookie, I won’t die that easily.” Jia Yi grinned at Baiya, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth.
“Oh boy, I truly hope it’s as you say.” Baiya lowered her lashes and whispered words only she could hear.
Three months from now, an unavoidable calamity would strike. The enemy would be stronger than ever, leaving even Molly helpless. Baiya had no idea how many survivors the Sea Dragon Pirate Group would have then.
“You must remember the Sea Dragon Pirate Group’s combat code. During a battle, both sides will inevitably see red. To identify our own and minimize friendly fire, the code is used.” Jia Yi raised a finger in warning. “As you know, even a small fry like you in charge of cleaning has to fight when a battle breaks out. If you want to keep your life, you must remember the code!”
“The code only works when you’re being attacked by our own. In those moments, remember this phrase. To a comrade whose reason has been clouded by bloodlust, say: ‘The sea is our grave.'”
“‘The sea is our grave’?” Baiya chewed on the phrase and asked curiously, “Is there a deeper meaning to it?”
“None of us who joined the Sea Dragon Pirate Group expect to be buried in the earth. Sooner or later, we will find our end in the ocean. Leader Molly already asked you if you had that resolve, didn’t she?” Jia Yi said with emotion as he looked warmly at the sun over the sea.
“The sea is great… just like Leader Molly.”
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