Pirate: Crew of Desire and Bonds

The room went silent.

Sir James blinked dumbfoundedly.

His secretary’s pen froze mid-sentence, and a... terrifying expression flashed across her face as she stared at Jake.

And Vivian’s elegant smile... twitched.

Jake’s sharp eyes locked onto the middle-aged man sitting across from Vivian.

He took one aggressive step forward, sword still raised.

”You...! Are you the bastard causing—”

”Ehem, Jake.”

Vivian’s voice was calm and soft as she smiled at him.

Jake froze mid-threat.

Grace’s gun, which had been aimed squarely at Sir James’s forehead, slowly lowered a bit as she began to sense that the situation... didn’t seem like what they had thought.

Vivian rested her chin on the back of her hand again, looking at the two of them with that same gentle expression.

”I am currently in the middle of a business discussion,” she said pleasantly. ”Not being held hostage.”

Jake’s mouth opened.

Then closed.

Then opened again.

”...But you... sent for us?”

Grace’s eyes darted between Vivian and Sir James before settling on Vivian.

”...The messenger said you were in urgent trouble,” she muttered.

Hearing this, Vivian let out a quiet sigh and touched her temple.

”I see. I did tell him to say it was urgent and important. But it seems ’important’ and ’we are all about to die’ sound exactly the same to that boy.”

Vivian’s gaze softened a little as she looked between the two of them.

”It seems there has been a misunderstanding,” she said calmly.

”I’ll be sure to properly... educate that messenger later.”

Her tone remained elegant, but the way she emphasized the word ”educate” made it clear the boy would not enjoy the conversation.

Jake cleared his throat and awkwardly sheathed his sword, the blade sliding back into its scabbard with a soft click.

He forced an awkward smile onto his face, rubbing the back of his neck as he tried to look less like someone who had just threatened a major merchant guild leader.

Grace quietly holstered her gun as well.

Then Sir James’s voice rose.

A faint smile curved his lips as if he wasn’t offended by the action.

”These two are...”

Vivian’s lips curved into an elegant smile as she gestured lightly toward the pair.

”Allow me to introduce them. This is Jake, and beside him is Grace. They are both important guests of mine and also my benefactors.”

Her gaze settled on Jake for a brief moment before she continued,

”And he is the one who possesses a genuine Light skill... who saved me during our encounter with the Deep Aberration beast in the Dead Sea Line.”

Hearing this, Sir James’s eyes filled with clear interest.

Without warning, he stood up from his seat.

Jake’s eyes widened slightly.

He had expected a well-maintained middle-aged merchant, but the man before him was unexpectedly tall and solidly built.

Even through the expensive dark coat, the quiet strength in his frame was obvious.

For a moment, Jake found himself looking up at someone who looked more like a retired warrior than a typical merchant leader.

Sir James stepped forward and firmly grasped Jake’s hand in a solid handshake.

”Greetings. I am James Rosenberg, Leader of the Rosen Merchant Guild,” he introduced himself with a composed smile.

With his free hand, he reached into his coat and pulled out an elegantly crafted business card, offering it to Jake.

Jake blinked, still a bit confused by the sudden formality, but accepted the card nonetheless.

The moment the card left Sir James’s hand, Vivian’s elegant smile stiffened ever so slightly.

One of her eyes twitched.

”...Sir James, you’re not trying to rope him in, are you?”

Even as she spoke, a quiet thought passed through Vivian’s mind.

She had already noticed Jake’s potential early on... with his high Luck, the rare Light skill, the combat sense, the unexpected ability to survive and even kill a Deep Aberration.

But this old man... he was even sharper than her.

With just one introduction and a single look, he had already moved in for the kill, going full assault the moment he confirmed the truth.

Sir James let out a low, genuine laugh, clearly unbothered by Vivian’s pointed remark.

”Haha, of course not. I simply admire talent... especially the young ones.”

His gaze then shifted toward Vivian, the amusement in his eyes deepening slightly.

”So this is the one you chose... and the one you’ve been waiting for?”

Vivian let out a quiet sigh and gave a small nod.

”Yes. With him here, we can finally start the coin toss.”

Jake and Grace both blinked at the exact same time.

The two of them exchanged a quick glance, the same thought flashing through their minds... they were clearly not on the same page as whatever was happening in this room.

Jake furrowed his brows slightly and asked,

”...Coin toss? What coin toss?”

Vivian’s lips curved into a calm, elegant smile as she looked at Jake.

”Do you remember what you told me before?” she asked lightly. ”About wanting a Grade-A ship.”

Jake nodded.

Vivian continued,

”Unfortunately, the current quota for Grade-A ships in this region is completely full. The shipyards won’t open new slots for at least another year, possibly longer. Under normal circumstances, it would be nearly impossible for us to get one anytime soon.”

She glanced briefly toward Sir James before looking back at Jake.

”However... Sir James happens to hold one of the remaining quotas. And rather than selling it through the usual channels, he has agreed to settle the matter through a simple coin toss.”

Jake stared at her.

”...A coin toss,” he repeated slowly as he beginning to understand the situation.

Then Jake’s expression shifted as something clicked in his mind.

His brows furrowed.

”...And what if we lose?”

Vivian gave a light shrug, as if the answer was nothing particularly serious.

”Then I will pay one million gold coins.”

Jake almost jumped.

”O-One million?!”

Grace’s eyes widened as she turned to stare at Vivian.

A million gold coins.

That wasn’t some casual sum.

That kind of money could buy an entire mid-sized merchant fleet, fund a small private army, or keep a crew living in luxury for years.

Jake looked at Vivian as if she had just casually offered to throw a mountain into the sea.

Then his earlier shock slowly faded into a nervous smile as the weight of the situation fully settled on him.

”...This...” he began, rubbing the back of his neck. ”Madam Vivian, that’s such a big responsibility for me to decide—”

But then he paused.

A certain thought crossed his mind... his Luck status.

Jake’s eyes slowly shifted toward Vivian.

She was still smiling.

Not just with her lips, but with her eyes as well.

That calm, elegant, knowing smile that somehow made the entire ridiculous situation feel completely intentional.

Jake’s face stiffened slightly as he realized the ploy and couldn’t help but think,

’Damn... what a shrewd woman!’