Author's note: The appearance of "there is something not right about this guy" guy has been uploaded to my Ko-fi profile and the discord server! If you are curious, you can check it out!

PS. Yes, I am guilty of making my characters handsome and pretty. I just like it that way 😂.

Cecil carefully assessed the appearance of the man standing before her. 

He had short, orange blonde hair that was styled immaculately, along with the distinctive black piercings on his right ear. He had a lean build, and he was rather tall and fair.

Moreover, he was dressed in a tailcoat which further emphasised on his handsome mein. 

His orange eyes were bright and had a hint of mischief in them, and his thin, pink lips were curved into a tiny smirk. Somehow, Cecil could imagine a tooth peeking out from his mouth if he just smirked wider. 

“So, my lady,” the man raised his thin and straight eyebrows, straightening himself from the bow. “What is your answer?” 

“Apologies, I am still recovering from a sprained hand,” Cecil lifted her right wrist, remaining polite and cold. “And I have injured my ankle earlier as well, I will have to decline that offer to dance.” 

Both of the reasons she provided was a lie. 

Her sprained wrist was almost fully recovered. She could move it around without any difficulties now, which is why she wasn’t losing as badly in the sparring sessions with K’xug. On the other hand, she did not injure her ankle earlier. 

She did not know who this man was, and she did not want to offend anyone unnecessarily. Hence, she could only politely decline and the words that Xue said about this man made her more cautious about him. 

In addition to that, seeing that he was attending the banquet in such an elegant tailcoat, Cecil could guess that he wasn’t just a simple personnel that inspected tickets from the guest. 

“I see, that’s a shame,” the man lamented. “I thought I would be able to enjoy my evening with the presence of a wonderful lady.” 

Cecil only forced a smile on her lips. 

Is he the captain of this cruise ship? 

...or is he something more? 

He walked away, his hair highlighted under the lights of the enormous chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Just then, a group of women that he walked past followed him with their eyes, before squealing to themselves. 

“Did you see that man?”
 
“I did, he’s too handsome!” 

“With that cocky smirk on his face!” 

“I wonder if I can invite him to dance with me…?” 

“You wish!” 

Cecil overheard the ladies chatting and tittering amongst themselves.

Handsome? 

She smiled to herself. 

He’s alright. 

If I were to compare to someone who is handsome…

Her pellucid onyx eyes searched around the dining hall instinctively, her eyes landing on a certain ash blonde-haired man.
 
Xue was offered a spoonful of parfait that Hana picked out for him. He took the spoon from Hana’s hands, placing it into his mouth as he tasted the parfait.

At that moment, he sensed a pair of familiar eyes on him, and he automatically drifted over to Cecil, their eyes meeting. 

The indifferent look in his grey eyes melted away, his eyes softening. 
Cecil gasped, looking away. 

Oh my god.

Why did I...even start to compare about something like that? 

Cecil blinked rapidly, shaking her head slightly. 

***

Hana brought back many dishes, and Cecil was touched to see that the dishes Hana picked out for her leaned towards her favourites. The four of them began eating, and Hana was the only one shoving her mouth with food. 

She chewed continuously, her cheeks stuffed with food and she had a gratified look on her face. 

K’xug placed his food into his mouth with his chopsticks, turning to look at Hana. 

So cute--!

He swallowed his food down abruptly as he coughed once, reaching out for his drink as he took a few gulps. Trying to remain composed, K’xug resisted the urge to look at Hana again.

“Hana, slow down, no one is going to steal the food away from you.” Cecil spoke once her mouth was clear of food, amused.

“Mhmm! Mmmm! Mmm-mmm! Hmmmmph!” Hana spoke with her mouth food, her round, blue eyes sparkling in delight. 

“What are you trying to say?” Cecil laughed lightly. “Swallow your food down first!” 

Xue wordlessly put Hana’s drink in front of her, and Hana drank it down. 

“I...I was saying...the food is too delicious! I want to eat them all up quickly!” 

“Indeed, it is very delicious.” Cecil agreed with a nod, taking a bite from the prawn. 

Its batter was crispy and fluffy, and not too greasy. It had a light texture, and the flavour of the prawn burst into her mouth. 

It’s no wonder the ticket price is terribly expensive. 

They even have such skilled chefs on this ship, along with every kind of facility. 

Xue pointed to the parfait he tried earlier, looking at Hana. “Hana, can you make this?” 

“That? Oh, the parfait!” Hana beamed, nodding eagerly. “I can definitely make it!” 

Xue seemed happy at Hana’s answer, his impassive face cracking slightly. 
In the heavenly or demon realm, he had never come across a dessert like that before. Moreover, he was hesitant to try it until Hana insisted on asking him to taste it, just once. 

All soul fragments shared the same sentiment as him, except Isleif. 
After that, the entire time, the four of them enjoyed the delicious meal provided for them. 

***

“How are you feeling, Hana?” 

“So full…” Hana pouted, rubbing at her belly. “My tummy is going to burst!” 

“That’s why I told you not to overeat,” Cecil sighed helplessly. “Let’s walk around the cruise ship once more.” 

The two ladies excused themselves from the dining hall to walk around the cruise ship, since Hana ate too much and she wanted Cecil to accompany her to walk around the cruise ship.

Meanwhile, the two men hadn’t eaten their fill and agreed to join them later. 
The cruise ship swayed causing Hana to stumble, pulling Cecil along to stumble along with her. Cecil regained her balance, blinking in realisation. 

“That’s right, they said the sea will be choppy today.”
 
Cecil turned to Hana. “Do you want to head to the sickbay instead, Hana?” 

“No, I want to walk around more,” Hana shook her head, pointing towards the night sky that was painted with dazzling stars. “The starry sky looks so pretty! And I want to enjoy the sounds of the waves too!” 

Cecil smiled in agreement. 

The two ladies continued walking around the perimeter of the ship, chatting from time to time. The ship was definitely swaying more than usual, along with the sound of the waves becoming more chaotic as they continued walking on and on.
 
Despite the tummy in their food slowly digesting, Hana seemed more green in the face compared to before. 

“The ship is shaking too much,” Hana groaned out, her hand resting on her head. “I feel sick…”

She felt dizzy and nauseous, and the ship was only starting to sway more and more. 

“Let’s go find the healer to get something to help with your seasickness.” 

Hana nodded weakly. 

The two of them turned back, and Cecil noticed a tall figure standing ahead of them, shrouded in the dark. She paused, squinting her eyes in askance. 

“Cecil? Wh-what’s wrong?” Hana asked and she started to gag. 

Cecil panicked, not wanting Hana to vomit.

“No, nothing. Let’s hurry to the healer.” 

“Ugh…” 

She continued squinted her eyes, slowly approaching the figure along with the nauseous Hana. The tall figure started moving at the same time, and finally, the moonlight revealed his suave features.

Cecil recognised the man instantly. 

“You are the one who invited me...to dance, and the person that was in-charge of looking at the tickets.” 

The man smirked in a cocky manner. “You remember me, and just as I expected…” 

His orange eyes observed how Cecil was supporting Hana, with her supposedly “sprained” right hand and her “injured” ankle that seemed in perfect condition. 

“You were lying to me after all.” 

“Apologies, I did not want to reject you directly after you asked me to dance in such a polite manner,” Cecil forced a smile on her face, her voice indifferent. “Now, if you’ll excuse us…” 

Cecil supported Hana, the two ladies making their way past the orange blonde-haired man, and Cecil furrowed her eyebrows. 

Xue is right. 

There is something just not right about this man. 

She jerked in shock when she felt a hand grasping at her shoulder, pulling her back. Cecil stumbled back along with Hana. 

“Huh?” Hana looked up, and the ship swayed again at that moment. “Oh god, I feel like puking…” 

“Let go of me,” Cecil stated coldly, trying to shrug the man’s firm grip on her shoulder. “Right now.”  

“No way.” 

“You…” Cecil released Hana, preparing to put up a fight. “Give me just a second, Hana.” 

“You are an esteemed guest of the Han queen, you possess the badge that is given exclusively by her,” the man said, raising his eyebrows. “I heard the rumours, but to think it was actually true…” 

There was something about his tone that didn’t feel right, Cecil could tell that this man wasn’t a personnel of this ship now. His outfit was still the same as it was earlier. 

Without another word, Cecil grabbed the hand on her arm, moving swiftly to twist his arm. The man simply moved away before Cecil could twist his arm, and he reacted quickly by grabbing Hana. 

Hana suddenly found herself being held hostage with a knife around her neck. 

“Wh-what?”

Cecil gasped, astounded at his swift movements as she narrowed her eyes. “Who are you?” 

“The name’s Haru, a pirate,” the man introduced himself with a cocky grin, shrugging his shoulders. “And a thief.” 

The next moment, Haru revealed an object in his hand. 

It was a flare. 

He activated the flare quickly as it shot up into the sky, lighting it a bloody red. 

[ Mission #11: Pirates! Pirates! Pirates!
Objective: Save the “Traveller” and its guests from the incoming onslaught. 
Bonus: Prevent the pirates from stealing anything on the cruise ship
Reward: 3000 points
Bonus Reward: 2000 points
Remaining points: 1000 points ]

Cecil received the notification abruptly from the system, and she read the message with wide eyes. 

This event had never happened before in the novel, hence, unlike the invasion in the town, this was something unexpected for Cecil. 

It caught her completely off guard. 

Alas, before she had any time to respond, there was a sharp whistling sound in the air and there was a big splash beside the cruise ship as if something heavy had crashed into the water. The entire cruise ship rocked, causing Hana to feel even more ill compared to before. 

“Let go of me!” Hana cried out, shoving her elbow backwards when another whistling sound was heard, and an impact rocked the entire ship. “Wah!”
 
The three of them stumbled in an unsteady manner. 

“Damn it, they better not lay a scratch on the ship,” Haru muttered to himself, tightening his hold on Hana, the knife lingering dangerously on her neck. “If you do not want me to kill her before your eyes, follow my orders.” 

The knife glistened under light, its sharpness was not to be underestimated. 

Hana could not move freely now. 
If she moved just an inch, the knife would sink into her neck and she would bleed incessantly. 

Cecil cursed to herself. 

If it weren’t for the damn lanterns around the ship, I could use my vines to help Hana out from this in a blink of an eye!

She sighed in resignation, her voice cold. “Fine, what do you want me to do?” 

“Go back to the dining hall and round up the guests,” Haru demanded. “Get all their jewellery and belongings into one spot.” 

“I am not letting you or Hana out of my sight,” Cecil responded. “If you want me to do that, you have to come with me.”
 
“I’ll just kill your friend then.” 

“Isn’t it better to see it for yourself? I might try to plan something funny when you are not there to watch me.” 

“That’s true,” Haru nodded with a look of understanding before he shrugged with a cocky grin. “But it wouldn’t matter either way, I have others to help me with your job.” 

Cecil narrowed her eyes, and she realised the ship had come to a halt. She did not know whether it was the action made by the captain, or whether it was coerced. 

Suddenly, all around the cruise ship, the shadows of three large vessels appeared. The vessels moved closer, revealing to be ships. The ships surrounded the cruise ship on all sides, except the back and with her sharp eyes, she could spot the dozens of pirates on each ship. 

Cecil widened her eyes in horror. 

If it was one person, and one ship, I could handle it. 

But three ships, with dozens of people on it, what am I supposed to do?! 

[ All the best, Cecil Lan~ ]

“As if I could do anything at this point!” 

[ All the best, Cecil Lan~ ]

“...you are just going to tell me that again and again, aren’t you?” 

[ All the best, Cecil Lan~ ]

“...” 

She felt as if it had been a long time since she wanted to cough out actual blood. 

“Oh, what’s this?” 

“What the--where did you come from?!” Haru exclaimed, his orange eyes growing wide in disbelief. 

Cecil recognised that voice instantly, groaning internally as she glanced to her left. 

...can this situation get any more worse? Why did he come back again?

To their left, a cobalt blue-haired man stood, a lazy smile on his face. “I decided to board the ship after all since I was bored, and I came here to see this?” 

“It’s you!” Hana gasped. 

“Why are you here, Veau?” Cecil rested her forehead on her palm. 

“So, what are you doing here?” Veau disregarded Cecil and Hana, questioning Haru.
 
“To steal the treasures from the rich fellas,” Haru answered bluntly. “And the ship.” 

“That’s all?” 

“That’s all.” 

“Including stealing from these two women here, along with their partners?” 

“...yes?”

“I’ll help you out then.” Veau maintained the lazy smile.
 
Haru narrowed his eyes, looking at Veau from head to toe. “You sure? There’s a lot of strong fighters on this ship because of the upcoming tournament, I don’t want to be dragged down by a weakling.” 

“I can handle myself,” Veau stated nonchalantly. “And I do not need any share. You can take all the treasure for yourself.” 

At those words, Haru brightened up with a charming grin on his lips. 

“Really?! Good, that’s good!” Haru guffawed, smacking Veau on the back like he was his best buddy. “Welcome aboard, temporary partner!” 

Veau only stood there, accepting the smacks on his back like it was nothing.
Cecil watched the entire conversation before her, stunned speechless. 

The ship rocked once again, and Hana closed her eyes, feeling as if she was going to gag. 

The two men turned to look at Cecil, both of them having a mischievous glint in their eyes. 

“...”

“...AI500, is there any way to forfeit on the mission? I do not want penalty points from failing it.” 

[ The mission is compulsory.
You are not able to forfeit it. ]

“Are you telling me...to fight off Veau and these pirates? At the same time? And stop them from stealing anything from the ship?"

[ Yes. ]

“...” 

“I am nowhere near Veau’s level in terms of power! At least change the mission to make it fair!” 

[ Updating the mission details, please wait… ]

[ Mission #11: Pirates! Pirates! Pirates! And Veau, the big boss villain!
Objective: Save the “Traveller” and its guests from the incoming onslaught. 
Bonus: Prevent the pirates from stealing anything on the cruise ship
Reward: 3000 points
Bonus Reward: 2000 points
Remaining points: 1000 points ]

“......” 

[ All the best, Cecil Lan~ ]

Cecil wished someone would just kill her already. 

***

《 start 》

Parfait.
 
This is called a parfait. 

So fluffy. 

So sweet. 

It tastes similar...to what I feel for you.

《 stop 》