System in Assassin's Creed

Chapter 131: Chapter 130: Private Family Council

[Current Balance: 11,744,410,454 R]

---Previously---

”Get that body off my deck,” Blackbeard finally growled, turning away from the galleon. ”Hoist the colours! Man the sails! Let’s get the hell away from this cursed ship!” He spat into the sea.

”And somebody fetch me a bottle of rum. A large one.”

As his crew scrambled to obey, trimming the sails and turning the brig away from the stationary galleon, Blackbeard cast one last uneasy glance back at La Providencia.

He didn’t notice the faint shimmer on the deck plank where Alaric had been standing moments before, an intricate pattern of ink glowing briefly before vanishing without a trace.

A Hiraishin marker was planted.

---Now, La Providencia---

Back on the deck of the galleon, there was only a heavy silence in the air as everyone watched the Sea Dog’s Bite sail away.

Leonard, Eleanor, Bernard, and Linette looked pale and shaken. This had been their first real encounter with the infamous pirates of the Caribbean, a far cry from the minor skirmishes Bernard and Linette might have faced years ago when they were still sailing to sell their miniscule crops from Swansea. Leonard and Eleanor, in particular, looked disturbed by the casual violence and the menacing presence of Blackbeard.

But more than the pirates, it was the name... Edward Kenway... that echoed in their minds. Their son, their nephew... associated with the likes of Blackbeard? They had thought he was a privateer, sailing under the King’s commission, not running with notorious criminals.

Linette clutched Bernard’s arm as her face was etched with worry. How did Alaric know to ask that specific pirate about Edward? What had happened to him? The questions were many, they were unspoken but heavy.

Oldgate, however, had put two and two together. He remembered Alaric mentioning knowing someone in Nassau, someone connected to piracy.

’So,’ the captain thought, stroking his beard thoughtfully, ’the cousin ’Laric mentioned... Edward... he’s run off and joined the pirates, has he? Interesting... explains why the lad wasn’t keen on elaboratin’ earlier.’ He glanced at Alaric, who was calmly watching the departing brig.

As the Sea Dog’s Bite became a smaller speck on the horizon, Alaric turned away from the railing, heading towards the main hatch leading below deck. He found his path blocked by his family as their faces were a mixture of shock, confusion, and demanding curiosity.

”Alaric,” Linette said, her voice tight with emotion, stepping forward. ”I think... I think you owe us some kind of explanation.” Bernard, Leonard, and Eleanor nodded in agreement behind her, their eyes fixed on him.

Alaric met their gazes, his usual smirk softening slightly into something more understanding. ”You’re right,” he conceded easily. ”Why don’t we talk downstairs? In Oldgate’s cabin, perhaps? We could all use some tea after that excitement.”

Oldgate, who had just walked over, overheard the suggestion and let out an audible sigh, muttering under his breath just loud enough for Alaric to hear, ”My cabin again? Blimey... through all my years sailin’ La Providencia, never thought my private quarters would become a bleedin’ family meeting room... How troublesome.”

---Thirty Minutes Later, Oldgate’s Cabin---

The heavy oak door of the captain’s cabin closed as it muffled the sounds of the ship outside.

Inside, the air was quite thick with tension and the fragrant aroma of freshly brewed Celestial Tea.

Alaric sat comfortably in one of Oldgate’s worn armchairs, Kassandra perched casually on the armrest beside him. Across the map table sat Leonard, Eleanor, Bernard, and Linette Kenway, their faces were etched with worry and confusion.

Reuben and Thulani stood near the doorway, they were silent observers that were allowed into this private family council due to their long association with Edward. William Penn, sensing the deeply personal nature of the impending conversation, had politely excused himself earlier, giving the family their space.

Bernard, being the practical one, had managed to bring out several small boxes of the Kenway’s own Celestial Tea blend from their luggage, and mugs now steamed gently in front of everyone. He proudly bought them himself before they ran out.

Linette took a shaky sip of her tea before setting the mug down as her hands were trembling slightly. ”Alaric,” she began, her voice strained, ”That man... Blackbeard. And Edward... our Edward... You asked about him. As if... as if he were one of them.”

”He is,” Alaric stated simply, meeting his aunt’s distressed gaze without flinching. He took a slow sip of his own tea. ”Or at least, he’s running with them. Edward is a pirate now.”

Gasps filled the small cabin. Eleanor put a hand to her mouth, her eyes wide with disbelief. Leonard stared at his son, speechless. Bernard slammed his fist lightly on the table. ”A pirate!? But... he signed on as a privateer! For King and country! How could he...?”

”Things change, Uncle,” Alaric said calmly. ”The sea... it changes people. Especially the Caribbean.”

”But how do you know?” Leonard finally asked, finding his voice. ”How did you know to ask that specific pirate, Blackbeard?”

Alaric leaned back, swirling the tea in his mug. This was the tricky part. He couldn’t reveal his game knowledge, his meta-awareness. ”I have... contacts,” he began carefully, choosing his words. ”People in various ports, informants who keep an ear to the ground for me. It’s useful for business, and... other matters.”

He took another sip. ”A while back, I started hearing whispers from the Bahamas, from Nassau specifically. Talk of a bold newcomer making waves, a skilled sailor with blond hair answering to the name ’Kenway’. The descriptions... they matched Edward, but I couldn’t be certain. Nassau is crawling with pirates; names get changed, stories get exaggerated.”

He looked around at their anxious faces. ”When Penn recognized Blackbeard’s ship, the Sea Dog’s Bite... well, Blackbeard is infamous. He operates out of Nassau. It was a long shot, a hunch, but I figured if anyone knew about a rising star named Kenway in the pirate world, it might be him.”

”So you just... jumped onto his ship and asked?” Eleanor asked, bewildered at the recklessness, yet also seeing the undeniable result.

”Seemed the most direct approach,” Alaric shrugged. ”And as you saw, Thatch wasn’t exactly forthcoming. Claimed he didn’t know him, then said he heard Edward sailed south.” He met their eyes again. ”He was lying, of course. But the fact that he lied, that he felt the need to protect the name... it confirms Edward is known in those circles. And likely associated with Thatch, or perhaps a rival he doesn’t want getting information.”

’Or maybe,’ Alaric thought privately, ’Thatch will tell Edward his strange ’cousin’ came looking for him. Let Edward know we’re out here. Let him decide if he wants to seek us out. The ball’s in his court now.’

”But... a pirate?” Linette whispered, tears welling in her eyes. ”Our Edward... stealing, killing...?”

”We don’t know the specifics, Aunt Linette,” Alaric said gently, though his own knowledge painted a more complex picture of Edward’s early pirate career. ”Life at sea is hard. Privateering commissions can be revoked, ships can be lost, captains can turn cruel. Sometimes men make desperate choices to survive.” He was careful not to excuse potential actions, but to offer context, a sliver of understanding. ”What matters is he’s alive. And he’s out there.”

Bernard sighed heavily, running a hand over his face. ”Alive, yes... but as a wanted criminal. What does this mean for him? For us?”

”It means we need to find him,” Alaric stated firmly. ”Havana is our next stop. It’s a major hub. If Edward’s made any sort of name for himself, word might have reached there. Or perhaps Thatch’s lie held a kernel of truth, and he has sailed south towards the Spanish Main.” He paused. ”Either way, finding him just became a higher priority.”

The family sat in silence, absorbing the news, the worry for Edward warring with the shock of his apparent fall from grace.

Reuben and Thulani exchanged a look... they knew Alaric likely knew more than he was letting on, but they trusted his judgment. Kassandra simply watched Alaric, her expression was unreadable, but her presence was a silent pillar of support beside him.

The conversation continued, circling the same worries and questions, but Alaric offered no more concrete details, sticking to his story of contacts and hunches, protecting Edward’s narrative while subtly guiding the family towards acceptance of the situation. The tea grew cold in their mugs as the weight of this new reality settled upon the Kenway family.

’I shouldn’t have asked Blackbeard...’

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