Chapter 461: Haggling with a Pirate?
"PUT YOUR BACK INTO IT!"
"I AM DAMN IT!"
Lillian clenched her jaw as she carried the Captain on her back through the dense Heart of the Jungle, who continued to bark orders at her while holding a thick wooden stick in his hand.
Weaving in between the narrow gaps in the trees and avoiding the traps the Captain had somehow managed to construct in such a short span of time, Lillian couldn’t help but feel as though all of this was unnecessary!
She wanted to learn about swordsmanship, not trying to improve her stamina or current physical prowess!
Looking back, Lillian watched as three individuals tried to follow after them.
They were Viesta, Jon, and Nearlo.
***
"Huh?"
The Captain looked down at Lillian, who had approached him with a request. He then began to slowly stroke his beard in thought.
"Yar wish to train under me? For what reason, crewmate? At the rate that yar is going, yar would still be plenty strong with or without help from me."
Lillian listened to the Captain’s response and nodded a bit. Although it may sound arrogant, he was right about her rate of progress.
No average mage of her tier would have achieved the same feats as her, so far.
However, the only reason she was asking the Captain for training was so that she could claim the reward from Lady Luck’s quest.
If it wasn’t for that fact, she would’ve either continued looking around for more ingredients or prepared herself more for the upcoming event that’s taking place in two days’ time.
"I wish to become even stronger and even learn a bit of your Combat Style, if you’d let me."
Lillian decided to be honest about what she wanted.
And because of this decision, it seemed to have caused quite a reaction from the Captain, whose eyes bulged when she heard that.
"MY Combat Style?!"
Hearing his yell, Lillian began to wonder if it was the wrong choice to reveal her intentions. But those thoughts within her mind were dashed away immediately with what she heard next.
"KAHAHAHA!" The Captain cackled loudly before raising his hand and rubbing his index finger and thumb together.
Lillian watched as he did this and noticed money signs gradually appearing in place of his pupils. She grimaced...
She was feeling a bad premonition brewing inside her chest.
And unfortunately, that feeling came to life.
"If yar wish to learn more about my prized technique, yar would need to pay a hefty price for such knowledge!"
"Ugh—..."
Lillian immediately took a step back, hearing the combined wording of ’hefty’ and ’price’ together in the same sentence.
"You’re charging me? Even though me learning it would allow us to get out of this Trial much easier?"
The Captain wagged his finger at her while clicking his tongue consecutively.
"It’s the price for my time, although yar don’t remember, yar was able to use my techniques on par to me!"
The corners of the girl’s lips twitched a bit.
She used his technique? Against the Leviathan?
Lillian knew she did some noteworthy things, but this wasn’t one of them. She had actually assumed she had used Marionette’s technique in that battle instead of his.
’I guess I needed more than speed in that battle...’
Compared to Marionette’s [Crimson Nocturne], the [Deep Sea Hunter] Combat Style focused primarily on wider and more destructive attacks.
’Well, that last part was mainly for the 4th and the 5th techniques of the Deep Sea Hunter. Besides those two, the Crimson Nocturne is far superior.’
Lillian sighed, scratching the back of her head as she thought about the price.
Staring into the man’s eyes, which were still shaped like money signs, Lillian frowned. She couldn’t let him come up with the price.
She would be ripped off!
"Best I can do is 2,000 Semis."
"What the—!?" The Captain’s eyes bulged out.
This was too little!
"This is a Combat Style, we’re talking about, matey! Such a valuable piece is worth more than that measly price you gave!"
"Alright. Did you make it?"
"Of course not!"
The Captain summoned his cutlass and swung it around in an elegant yet savage manner.
"This dear technique of mine was taught to me by the most beloved pirate captain of the sea!"
"Uh, huh... And how many techniques does it have? The number of techniques is a deciding factor on your price, you know?"
The Captain stiffened as he heard this and began to scratch the spot beneath his hat, his face darkening a bit.
"Well, that’s... It only has five from what I’m aware of, but that shouldn’t matter in this case! This Combat Style is a terrifying set of destructive moves, yar saw it and used it first-hand!"
"I saw it. And I don’t remember using it, if you had just forgotten." Lillian said with a neutral yet devilish look on her face.
The Captain flinched, realising that he indeed had forgotten about such a crucial piece of information—and one he had just mentioned just a few seconds prior!
Lillian, seeing as the Captain was stuck deciding what to do, couldn’t help but grin mischievously within. If she kept this up, she might be able to scam it out of him!
That was...
If he didn’t do something unexpected.
"Wait, a bloody second! I don’t have to teach yar anything!"
’Ah, crap!’
Hearing these words coming out from the Captain’s mouth, Lillian immediately threw her plans out the window and yelled, "3,000 Semis!"
"Hohoho! That’s a lot better!" The Captain cackled, watching as it was Lillian’s turn to be desperate.
"Maybe that’s even enough for 1 or 2 of my techniques!"
"T-that’s absurd!"
After a back-and-forth session, the price for the Captain’s services came to about 12,000 Semis, in total. Lillian was lucky to be able to get it to this much, or else it would’ve been much higher!
Lillian gave an exasperated sigh, having finished promising to pay, before looking off to the side and finding the others making their way over to them.
They...
***
’They wanted to train along with me as well...’
CLACK.
’But how come they got to be able to be trained for free but I’m the one needing to pay!?’
CLACK.
While Lillian was deep in her thoughts, she utilised her [Parallel Thinking] to engage with the Captain in a light spar.
Instead of real weapons, they used wooden ones that were recently carved by the man himself, which she realised was what he had been doing the entire time he was on her back.
The Captain reeled back his arm before spinning around.
Then, with a wide swing, he yelled out:
"[1st Technique of the Deep Sea Hunter: Tidebreaker Slash]!"
Lillian, breaking out of her internal thoughts, widened her eyes as an illusory wave rushed towards her.
She raised her sword and blocked the strike, but as if the wave had ignored her defences and crashed into her directly—
CLACK!
—She was knocked back.