System in Assassin's Creed

Chapter 9: Chapter 9: Bristol

[Current Balance: 11,634 Reales]

---

Dawn came and Alaric sighed while leaning on the poop deck’s railings.’I was hoping for more pirates to come, would’ve made so much money.’

He shook his head and continued to look forward, just feeling the wind. At this point, he didn’t feel like sleeping anymore.

[Buy][Sell]

Alaric opened the System interface and mentally clicked [Buy]. An endless list of items popped up on the screen, but one thing came to his mind.

’Soldier Pills.’

[Soldier Pills (5x) – Temporarily boost physical strength and chakra levels. Doesn’t replace sleep – 3 R]

’Oh... nevermind then.’

He sighed and switched his attention from the System to a person coming up to the poop deck.’Oh, it’s that captain... ”Van Gogh”... unbelievable.’

”Oh, aren’t you...” Captain Van Gogh stopped beside the helmsman and asked, ”You didn’t sleep?”

Alaric didn’t reply and just smiled. ’I have to make a living, y’know...’

”I get it,” Van Gogh said, placing his hand on the helmsman’s shoulder as he took over the helm, ”t’is your first time outside Swansea, ey? Ya must be excited.”

”I’m excited, yes,” Alaric replied as he walked toward the captain’s side, admiring the nautical twilight. ”But it’s alright, new place, new life... that’s completely normal.”

”Hmm... yes,” Van Gogh murmured while gripping the wheel softly, then added, ”You’re right.”

”Of course.”

Alaric smirked and raised his brows as he spotted land. ”Would that be Bristol?”

”Aye,” Alaric turned his head and saw a tall man replying to his question.

”That’s Bristol, my motherland,” the man said as he moved forward and extended his hand, ”Thomas Brown... first mate.”

”Ah...” The young Kenway shook his hand. ”Alaric Kenway.”

Thomas nodded while glancing at Van Gogh. ”We’re near Captain.”

Van Gogh nodded and continued looking forward.

---

The ship glided smoothly toward Bristol’s harbor with the wind pushing it forward, and the waves tapped rhythmically against the hull. Captain Van Gogh stood at the helm, eyes locked on the approaching dock. It was time to dock.

”Mr. Brown!” Captain Van Gogh called, his steady voice carrying across the deck. ”Get the crew ready to secure the lines!”

”Aye, Captain!” First Mate Thomas Brown responded without hesitation, turning to the waiting crew.

”Lines! Get the lines ready, all hands!” Brown shouted. The crew sprang into action, some grabbing heavy ropes while others set up the fenders.

”Mr. Brown, how’s the tide?” Captain Van Gogh asked, keeping a firm grip on the wheel.

”The tide’s flowing nicely, Captain. We’ll be able to dock without issue,” Brown called back, eyes scanning the water ahead.

”Good,” Van Gogh replied, eyes fixed on the quay. ”We don’t want any delays. The cargo’s got to be unloaded ’fore the midday bells ring.”

Brown nodded. ”Aye, Captain. We’ll have her secure in no time.”

Van Gogh turned to the crew. ”All hands on deck! Ready to drop anchor when I give the word!”

The crew moved quickly, pulling ropes and getting the anchor ready. The dock came closer, and the harbor buildings came into view.

”Mr. Brown!” Van Gogh called. ”Tell the dockmaster we’re approaching.”

”Aye, Captain!” Brown signaled a nearby crew member, who grabbed a flag and ran toward the shore.

Van Gogh looked at the dock ahead. ”Mr. Brown, I’ll handle the lines. Get the crew to lower the anchor once we’re close enough.”

”Aye, Captain!” Brown replied. ”They’ll be ready.”

”Good. Keep her steady,” Van Gogh said.

The ship moved forward slowly, the crew standing by. As they got close, Van Gogh spoke again. ”Prepare for docking! Keep the ropes tight and watch the fenders.”

”Aye, Captain!” the crew answered together.

The ship touched the dock lightly. Crew members threw the ropes to the dockworkers, who caught them and pulled the ship in.

”Easy now,” Van Gogh said, adjusting the wheel slightly. ”Keep those ropes tight.”

The crew secured the ship, making sure everything was fastened properly.

”Good work, men,” Van Gogh said. He nodded toward Brown. ”Mr. Brown, start unloading the cargo. We need to be quick.”

”Aye, Captain,” Brown replied with a small nod.

---

Alaric took a step back and checked the work. Everything was set. They had arrived in Bristol.

Alaric then went down to the lower deck and saw that all the Kenways, except Bernard and Leonard, were still asleep. He was about to approach them when he heard...

”...You don’t get it, brother...”

”Enough, Bernard, I don’t wanna hear it.”

”Your son’s clearly special! We just need to ask.”

”No.”

”But—”

”Please... I can’t bear the embarrassment.”

”What use is that if we’re all going to starve?”

”You said our lives will change in Bristol.”

”...”

’What the hell are they talking about? Special? Me?’ Alaric thought, folding his arms. ’I know that already.’

’Anyways,’ he shook his head and opened the System interface. A screen popped up, and he mentally clicked [Buy].

’Come to think of it, this is the first time I’ll buy any consumables...’

’Food.’

The screen changed, showing an endless list of meals.

’Hmm... this will do.’

[Akimichi Barbeque (6x) - 6 R]

[-6 R]

[Current Balance: 11,628 R]

Alaric opened his arm instinctively and six large barbeques materialized in his hand, still sizzling. ’I hope it’s edible.’

He then walked and approached the two brothers who had woken up. ”Oh, the two of you already woke up?”

”Hm? ’Laric?” Leonard turned his head toward his son, ”I was going to find you, but I couldn’t leave your mother. Where were you? And what’s that?”

”Haa? You should’ve looked for yer kid then, I can protect my love, Eddy and Eleanor me’self, ye bastard,” Bernard grunted, ”I’m stronger than you, twig.”

’Edward’s nickname’s hilarious...’ Alaric thought while looking at them.

Leonard didn’t even look at Bernard and just smirked.

Alaric looked at them and sighed internally. He sat beside them. ”I was at the poop deck talking to the helmsman and the captain. You needn’t worry.”

”And these are smoked meat... try them,” Alaric said, handing over the barbeques. ”The rest are for these three when they wake up.”

The Kenway brothers looked at the food... the aroma had already tempted their noses when Alaric was approaching them.

Leonard was the first to bite.”...”

”...”

”...”

”Hmm!!!”

Bernard exclaimed as he saw the sparkle in Leonard’s eyes. He then took a bite of the smoked meat. ”Blimey!”

Alaric smiled while watching them, but then a thought hit him.

They were now his family; he shouldn’t see them as just poor people.They’ve cared for him ever since he got reborn.

But it’s hard... he hadn’t experienced having a family in his first life. For the past month, Alaric had done the hard work, giving them three reales a day. ’Although it wasn’t their fault, their goods were stolen.’

’Well... it worked out for the better, we’re now in Bristol.’

---

Few minutes passed.

Eleanor, Linette, and Edward had already woken up and eaten their barbeques. Edward wanted more, but Alaric made up some bullshit reason.

They began checking their makeshift bags to see if anything had been stolen.

’I mean... are there even things to steal?’

Alaric shook his head and helped them however he could, while Edward just stared at the wall.

’Understandable, it’s only been a few minutes since he woke up.’

A crew member from the merchant ship went inside the lower deck and proclaimed loudly, ”Alright, you lot can get off the ship now.”

Bernard and Leonard nodded at each other as passengers stood up one by one.

”Let’s go,” Bernard said while holding Edward’s hand.

Leonard saw this and looked at Alaric, then forward.

Alaric noticed this and internally sighed, ’The fuck...’

But despite his thoughts, he grabbed Leonard’s hand as they started to walk, making his father’s eyes widen. Alaric looked at Leonard and smiled.

’It’s not so bad after all...’

’Heh...’

---

As soon as they got off the ship, Edward immediately exclaimed, ”Wow! This place is amazing!”

Even Leonard and Eleanor were surprised by the size of the city.

”Darling, the city has changed!” Eleanor gasped.

”R-Right...” Leonard agreed, ”It’s been eight years since we last came here... it’s certainly changed a lot.”

Alaric had seen modern architecture in his previous life and the medieval town square of Swansea, but this city was active. A true depiction of a video game world, filled with adventurers, scholars, and many more.

’If there are many types of people here, there should be ultra-rich people too, right?’

’But of course... this is Bristol after all, hehehe.’

The moment Alaric jumped from the ship onto the wooden dock, the System made a ”ding” sound.

[System Currency Updated]