Pirate: Crew of Desire and Bonds

For a few long seconds, the three of them simply stared at each other in complete silence.

Then the old woman cleared her throat loudly, a mischievous smirk slowly forming on her wrinkled face as she took another puff from her cigar.

”Well... looks like the patient is very much awake... and lively at that.”

Jake and Grace stared at the old woman for a long moment, frozen in shock.

Grace’s face turned beet red as she realized her shirt was still wide open and her breasts were completely exposed.

She let out a cute, embarrassed squeak and quickly tried to pull her shirt closed with both hands, but Jake’s hands were still on her body, making it even more awkward.

Seeing the panic, the old woman chuckled, clearly amused.

”Don’t mind me, kids. I’ve seen far worse in my long years at sea. Just came to check on our injured boy here.”

She waved her cigar lazily. ”But it seems the best medicine was already being applied~”

Grace made a small, mortified sound against Jake’s shoulder.

Jake, still holding Grace on his lap, gave the old woman a wry, slightly embarrassed smile.

”...Thanks for the check-up, Madam. And you are?”

The old woman grinned as she puffed on her cigar.

”Don’t call me madam, it feels strange for this old bone. You can just call me Barbara. I’m this Vivian Caravan ship’s doctor and medic.”

Hearing this,

Jake nodded, his mind finally piecing things together.

’So this is the Vivian Caravan ship...’

It seemed that after Henry saved them, Grace must have carried him to the port and brought them aboard for their escort quest.

’They seem to be quite nice to actually take in an injured pair and even have a medic to look after me...’ Jake thought gratefully.

He was the kind that repaid favors, so this Vivian Caravan group was already on his grateful list.

He would have to find a chance to thank them properly later.

At that moment, Barbara casually walked over while carrying a small wooden medical kit under one arm.

”Alright, lovebirds, playtime’s over for now,” she said in a no-nonsense tone, though her eyes were still twinkling with amusement.

”Grace, dear, get off the boy for a bit. I need to do a proper inspection.”

”Y-Yes...”

Grace let out another embarrassed squeak and quickly scrambled off Jake’s lap, hurriedly buttoning up her shirt with shaky fingers.

Her face was bright red as she moved to the side of the bed.

Meanwhile, Jake could only give Barbara a helpless, wry smile.

After all, they were caught in the act.

Barbara looked at the two flustered young people and suddenly let out a loud, raspy laugh.

”Hahaha! There no need to be so embarrassed, you two. Especially since both of you clearly have the Sex Fiend skill running hot right now.”

Jake froze.

’How the hell does she know that?!’

His eyes widened slightly as he stared at the old woman.

Grace also looked shocked, her golden eyes blinking rapidly.

Barbara noticed their reactions and chuckled again while taking out some medical tools from her kit.

”Relax, kids. I have an Appraisal skill. It’s not as fancy as some of those noble classes, but it’s useful for my line of work. Helps me know exactly what I’m dealing with when patching people up.”

Then she gave Jake a knowing smirk.

”To be honest, I rarely meet someone with this skill, much less a pair... You both are probably having the best nightlife, haha.”

Grace turned even redder, looking like she wanted the floor to swallow her whole.

She clutched her now-buttoned shirt tightly and mumbled something incoherent.

Jake cleared his throat, trying to regain some composure.

Barbara, completely unfazed, continued her work.

She leaned over and pressed two fingers against Jake’s wrist, checking his pulse, then moved on to gently press around his bandaged ribs and abdomen.

While doing so, she spoke casually,

”Actually you both shouldn’t be ashame as Sex Fiend is a rare passive skill. Most people think it’s just about being horny all the time, but that’s only half the story.”

Barbara tilted his head back slightly, checking his eyes with a small light crystal and briefly looking into his mouth as she continued her explanation.

”But from my observation, it heightens sensitivity, boosts recovery through intimacy, and strengthens bonds between partners. The stronger the emotional connection, the more powerful the effect. Of course, the only downside is the constant desire, but who are we to judge? Humans are nothing but walking desire.”

She finished her quick check-up and stepped back, nodding in satisfaction as she added,

”But this is the first time I’ve met a pair with that skill, so it’s not that big a deal that you two are so addicted to each other all the time. In fact, it’s better to let loose and release those desires. It’ll be detrimental if you keep holding it in. Not to mention, it will help you recover even faster.”

Jake sat there silently absorbing the information, while Grace remained red-faced and quiet on the side, fiddling with the hem of her shirt.

The old medic gave them both one last amused look before packing up her tools.

”Well, that’s all for now. You’re recovering nicely, boy. Just follow my advice and you’ll be back on your feet in no time.”

Then she smirked. ”And try not to make too much noise. The walls aren’t that thick.”

Jake could only let out a helpless chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck.

”...Thanks for the medical advice, Barbara. And the... insight.”

The old medic waved her hand dismissively with a grin.

With a final chuckle, Barbara left the cabin, closing the door behind her.

Silence filled the room again.

Grace slowly looked up at Jake, her golden eyes still burning with embarrassment as the two looked at each other in silence.

But then Jake, who was silently processing that information, suddenly felt Grace slowly walking toward him and touching his hand.

”...Jake,” she whispered shyly, ”Should we... continue where we left off?”

”...”

Jake was never a man to say no!

Not to mention that the doctor had even told him to let loose.

He reached out, pulling Grace back onto his lap with a gentle but firm tug.

Their eyes met, and the hesitation in the air melted away, replaced by the familiar heat between them.

”Then let’s continue,” he murmured, voice low and full of desire.

Grace’s shy smile bloomed into something sweeter and more confident as she leaned in, pressing her soft lips against his.

_

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_

Meanwhile...

Barbara walked down the narrow wooden corridor of the ship, her steps steady despite the gentle rocking of the waves.

The easy-going, mischievous smile she had worn just moments ago had completely vanished.

Her wrinkled face now carried a serious, almost solemn expression.

The cigar between her fingers had gone out, but she still held it absentmindedly.

She stopped at the end of the hallway, leaning against the wall for a moment as she stared out one of the small portholes toward the distant horizon.

”...A pair with Sex Fiend skill..” she muttered under her breath.

Her Appraisal skill was special.

It didn’t just show basic information like most common versions.

With enough physical contact, especially during medical treatment she could glimpse deeper into a person’s status, skills, and even hidden traits.

The closer and longer the contact, the clearer the reading.

That was why she had deliberately checked Jake’s pulse, pressed on his wounds, and examined his eyes and mouth.

But it had one flaw... she couldn’t see a skill or class that she had never seen before.

What shocked her wasn’t the skill itself, but their status.

”That boy Jake... how is it possible for all his stats to be at [Trained] level already?” she whispered, eyes narrowing.

”And why is his Luck [???]?”

Barbara had lived a long life and had healed many powerful Class holders in her time.

The fact that his Luck was displayed as [???] could only mean one thing... it was at a level she had never seen before.

...Possibly beyond anything recorded in this era.

She exhaled slowly, her expression growing complicated.

After all, for that boy to have stats above the highest she had known...

A chill ran down her spine at the thought.

Even though Luck itself had always been a strange and elusive stat, any stat above [Mythic] proved that the person qualified as a rare genius and a powerhouse with a bright future ahead.

Barbara stood there for a long moment, staring out at the sea.

”...I have to inform Madam Vivian about this,” she finally muttered.

This was something Madam must know about.

And Barbara knew that only someone with a sharp and calculating mind like Madam Vivian could decide what they should do with this information.

She turned sharply and walked with renewed purpose toward the upper decks, her old bones moving with surprising speed.