章節 62: Splitting Up #62
Two days later
somewhere near Hannabal
"This place will do... drop the anchor..." Cedric instructed as he gestured toward the mountainous rock poking out of the sea. "I'll take a boat to the shore and find Gasparde..." He added as he headed for the captain's quarters to change into civilian clothing.
"With all due respect, sir... please stop acting so selfishly," The warrant officer said, her eyes twitching as she looked at Cedric. "Gasparde is a dangerous criminal, and I don't think it will be wise to confront him and his crew alone..." She added as she shook her head.
"In the first place, we don't even know what this Dead End Race is and why you're so sure it's on this island..." Isuka remarked with a frown as she looked Cedric in the eye. "Please explain the situation properly before leaving, at least, commander," She concluded.
"If you must know..." Cedric said, sighing without bothering to hide his annoyance as he looked at Isuka. "The Dead End Race is a dangerous event where pirate crews race each other via ship... the competition is done in secret, so not much people know about it..." He explained with a casual shrug.
"As for how I know about it... well, let's just say being a former thug has its advantages," The young marine concluded.
"Be that as it may, Gasparde is still a dangerous criminal, and if what you say is true, then there are other pirate crews on the island," Isuka said, her frown turning more pronounced. "You shouldn't go in there alone," She added, firmly shaking her head.
"That's why I need to go alone... I don't want to tip the pirates off about our presence," Cedric said as he rubbed his forehead in frustration. "If anything goes wrong, I'll send a signal for you and the rest to help me," He added as he reached into his pocket and retrieved a flare gun.
"Now, as your commanding officer, I order you to step aside and stay on the ship with the soldiers," The young marine concluded as he walked past Isuka, and she could do nothing but frown and watch him go into the captain's quarters.
...
Isuka couldn't help but sigh, barely resisting the urge to face-palm as she watched Cedric walk out of the captain's quarters dressed in a casual half-buttoned white shirt with black pants and a red cloak draped over his shoulder.
Cedric's spear was nowhere in sight, but he had a cutlass sword hanging off his hip and a leather belt strapped around his torso, displaying all the seven revolvers he owned.
"Well," The young marine said, grinning as he spread his arms. "How do I look?" He asked, raising an eyebrow as he looked at Warrant Officer Isuka with a questioning look.
"Do you really want me to answer that, commander?" The warrant officer blankly asked, and Cedric merely shrugged. "You look like the scum of the sea, sir," She added once she received her commanding officer's reply as she cleared her throat.
"Then I should fit in just fine on the island..." Cedric said with a chuckle, nodding at the warrant officer's reply, much to her bemusement. "Come on, boy, let's get going," He added as he turned to the sky and whistled, causing Chuchun to cry out as he flapped his wings.
"Stay out of sight and wait for my signal, Isuka..." The young marine said as he gave the warrant officer a stern glare, to which she could only sigh and nod. "Good, then I'll be going now," He added as he headed for the ship's starboard to take a boat and leave.
However, Cedric had to stop and sigh once he reached his destination as he found Ain sitting on the boat, seemingly waiting for him. "What are you doing, Ain?" He asked with a frown as he looked at the blue-haired woman.
"I'm coming with you..." Aim calmly replied and quickly went on before the young marine could object. "I'm not under your command, so you can't use your rank to make me stay," She added, shaking her head, much to the young marine's chagrin.
"Fine... but try to lay low and don't do anything that would draw unwanted attention..."
...
Walking side to side with Ain, I couldn't help but smile as I took in the bustling scene of the port town. "This is a nice place..." I muttered to no one in particular.
Hannibal Island was a large island with a mountainous terrain covered in dense jungle and forests. The island had a tropical atmosphere and was known for its vibrant greenery, rocky cliffs, and cascading waterfalls.
The island's main feature was a large bustling city on the coast, serving a vital port town. The city had tall walls surrounding it and a castle-like structure at the top of the hill overlooking it. The harbor was teeming with numerous ships, and the town was full of people, making it a hub of activity.
But despite Hannabal Island's enchanting, tropical atmosphere and the lively port town, the isle's most distinguishing was the many reverse rivers and streams flowing from the sea and climbing over the top of the mountain at the island's center.
"It is a nice place... but we're not here on vacation..." Ain said, snapping my chain of thoughts and reminding me of her existence. "We're here to find General Gasparde..." She added in a grave tone.
"Yeah, about that..." I said, barely resisting the urge to roll my eyes as I turned to Ain. "Let's split up. We'll cover more ground and gather more info that way..." I added as I put on a friendly smile, the sole purpose of which was to mask my intention of ditching the blue-haired woman.
"I suppose that makes sense..." Ain said after a momentary pause as she nodded. "Then let us meet at the port four hours from now..." She added, but I didn't bother to reply as I was already walking away before she finished speaking.
...
Six hours later
Ain barely resisted the urge to shout obscenities as she watched Cedric walk into the street, one hand holding a rum bottle and the other wrapped around the shoulders of a skimpily dressed woman.
Having waited an entire hour for the young marine to arrive at the port, she had no choice but to go into town in search of him, and the sight she found him in made her question why her teacher was so fond of him.
Cedric's groggy eyes met Ain's piercing glare, and he sighed in clear annoyance as he turned to the woman beside him. "It's been a fun night, darling, but round two will have to wait..." He said as he rubbed the woman's shoulder.
"Eh? And I was looking forward to introducing you to my girlfriends..." The woman said with a suggestive smile as she made circles on Cedric's chest with her finger. "Are you sure you wanna ditch me for her?" She added, raising an eyebrow as she looked at Ain.
"It's not like that... that one is too uptight for my taste..." Cedric said with an alcohol-induced hiccup, his face flushing red. "She's a colleague of mine and a pain in the ass to boot..." He added, regretfully shaking his head.
"Awe... well, you know where I live..." The woman said as she stepped away from Cedric. "Do pay me a visit if you plan to stay in town," She added, giving the young man a quick hug and a peck on the cheek before turning around and walking away.
Ain kept her frown and waited for the woman to leave before approaching Cedric, clearly intent on scolding him. However, the young man halted her with a raised finger as soon as she stopped before him.
He looked down as he leaned on his knees and took a deep breath before raising his head to face Ain, now looking completely sober, much to her surprise. "You damned buzz-kill..." He said in a somber tone, glaring at Ain as he spoke.
"Need I remind you, you're on duty and not here to have fun?" Ain said as she quickly gathered her bearings and overcame the surprise. "We have a job to do here..." She added, her tone displeased and reproaching.
"So you keep telling me..." Cedric muttered, sighing as he adjusted his disheveled shirt. "What do you think I've been doing for six hours?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Out whoring and drinking?" Ain asked with a frown, her words spoken more as a statement than a question.
"You're only half right... I was out whoring and drinking and gathering the info we need..." Cedric said as he grinned. "I already know everything there is to know about the Dead End Race..." He added, his tone and expression reflecting his amusement.
...
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