Life at sea was not easy.
Beyond the initial novelty, it was simply torture.
As far as the eye could see, there was only sea and sky. After a while, one couldn't even distinguish between them.
Although the surroundings were vast, it sometimes created the oppressive illusion that the ship wasn't moving at all.
Staring for too long made it feel difficult to breathe, a stifling discomfort tightening in your chest, leaving you extremely restless.
Perhaps the best solution was to go into the cabin and sleep?
Other than that, there was some simple entertainment, such as...
"Check."
"..."
Looking at the game board, Bai Luo's hand, holding a piece, trembled slightly.
He had, after all, never played Inazuman shogi before. Even though Kaedehara Kazuha had explained the rules to him, he still couldn't win against him.
This was even after taking back his moves more than twenty times.
He had to be forgiven...
Even with Xiangqi, he only vaguely knew the rules. This shogi, he was utterly clueless about.
"Shogi requires time and experience to master. There is no need to rush, Mr. Himura."
After refilling Bai Luo's teacup, Kaedehara Kazuha explained.
He wasn't surprised that Bai Luo didn't know how to play shogi.
Shogi was a game passed down among noble families; commoners rarely had the chance to encounter it.
Even if they did, they didn't have the vast amounts of time to squander like the children of great clans; they had to work to make a living.
From some of Himura Kenshin's habits, he didn't seem to be connected to any so-called noble families. He was likely a ronin of common birth.
In that case, it was understandable that he wouldn't know shogi.
In fact, the fact that he could even say the term for taking back a move and play a decent-looking game in a short time was already quite impressive.
"How about we try a different way to play?"
Resting his chin on his hand, Bai Luo sighed and said.
He wanted to find some other form of entertainment, but what else was there to pass the time on this vast sea?
Fishing?
He was afraid he might catch something strange.
If Kaedehara Kazuha hadn't insisted on coming over, he would have definitely slept for several days and nights, just like when he had traveled by ship from Snezhnaya to Inazuma.
"What would you like to play, Mr. Himura? I will certainly accompany you."
Apart from slight differences in the names of the pieces in certain regions, the rules of shogi were more or less fixed.
What difference would changing it make?
"For example... how about we see who can stack the pieces the highest?"
Bai Luo said tentatively.
Honestly, on this swaying ship, stacking the shogi pieces and ensuring they didn't fall was incredibly difficult.
"...That is an interesting way to play, indeed."
Should he say his mind was active? Or that his thinking was unconventional?
Or was he just bored out of his skull?
Thinking this, he began to console Bai Luo: "Mr. Himura, voyages at sea are inherently dull and tedious. In truth, once you get used to this life, it's quite nice."
Kaedehara Kazuha had been through this before, so he understood how Bai Luo felt.
It was hard to imagine how he had previously traveled to Mondstadt on a Fatui ship.
That must have been an extremely perilous journey, so dangerous that he had no time to worry about other things.
"Sigh, perhaps you were all born to belong to the sea? Compared to the sea... I actually prefer life in the mountains and forests. Occasionally catching some small beasts, roasting them over a fire, and sprinkling on some cumin... the smell could make an adeptus weep with craving."
Of course, the happiest days were when he was eating and drinking extravagantly in Liyue Harbor under Tartaglia's name. The feeling of spending money that wasn't his was simply too exhilarating.
Never mind an adeptus, even an archon would find it irresistible.
"It is best not to eat things from the wild recklessly."
Unexpectedly, upon hearing Bai Luo's words, Kaedehara Kazuha's face took on an extremely strange expression.
He seemed to have remembered something.
"It's fine. I'm quite clear on what can be eaten and what cannot."
Bai Luo waved his hand dismissively.
Although he rarely used poison to kill, he still had a certain understanding of poisons.
At the same time, he was also quite knowledgeable about harmful and harmless plants in the wild.
He definitely wouldn't eat anything that would harm him.
"Do not blindly trust your own knowledge. A shocking incident occurred on the fleet this morning. A batch of the fruit that Captain Beidou carefully purchased turned out to have a problem. The sour and astringent taste was said to have made many steadfast old sailors cry their eyes out. Now, no one dares to eat fruit, and the Captain has even hired a food taster at a high salary."
As Kaedehara Kazuha spoke of this, a look of lingering fear was still on his face.
Because at that time, he had been holding a piece of fruit from the same batch. Fortunately, it turned out to be normal; otherwise, he couldn't imagine how embarrassed he would have been.
But he didn't notice that Bai Luo, who had been fiddling with the game pieces, seemed to freeze for a moment.
Hiss...
When he boarded the ship, it seemed he had indeed touched a crate because of Ningguang's spy. Could it be...
Forget it, forget it. He was used to it by now anyway.
"Huh?"
Bai Luo was about to make a perfunctory remark, but a suddenly appearing notification made him pause for a moment.
"Did something happen?"
Although Bai Luo's voice was very soft, it was caught by Kaedehara Kazuha.
This sound, as if he had discovered something, caught his attention.
He was certain that this seemingly unreliable ronin before him was definitely one of the strongest people on the entire ship.
Therefore, his discovery was definitely important.
"It's nothing, probably my imagination."
Although he appeared unconcerned, Bai Luo was already cursing inwardly.
Because the notification that had suddenly popped up from the system was a bit too unreliable.
[Third Profession: ??? (Awaiting Activation)]
[Activation Requirement: ???]
Was it kidding? Last time, for the Battousai mission, it at least gave a specific profession. This time, it was all question marks?
What kind of useless flex is this?
He subconsciously looked towards the top of Kaedehara Kazuha's head. Fortunately, the word [Target] was not above it.
Otherwise...
And his small movement was also caught by Kaedehara Kazuha.
When he noticed Bai Luo looking at the top of his head, he subconsciously looked up as well.
But apart from the ceiling, there seemed to be nothing else there.
Unless...
"Excuse me!"
Realizing something, Kaedehara Kazuha excused himself and quickly left the cabin, heading to the deck.
The deck was no different from usual. Everyone was doing what they were supposed to do. A few people even took the time to greet him. A harmonious atmosphere filled the entire Alcor.
A gust of wind swept by. Kaedehara Kazuha used this wind to leap up, climbing to the crow's nest.
"What's wrong, Kazuha?"
In the crow's nest, a sailor named Xu Liushi was on alert duty.
Since Kaedehara Kazuha had come up more than once to predict the wind and rain, he didn't find it strange.
But seeing the other's gradually solemn expression, he also realized something was amiss.
"Inform the Captain. Prepare to change course."
_______________________________________
Hey guys, A little support will be appreciated. As you know, we don't earn on fanfiction.
Check my P@treon for advance chapters:-
Their are 10+ advance chapters available on P@treon.
[email protected]/AnimeDarcx