"PUT YOUR BACK INTO IT!"
"I AM DAMN IT!"
Lillian clenched her jaw as she carried the Captain on her back through the dense Heart of the Jungle, who continued to bark orders at her while holding a thick wooden stick in his hand.
Weaving in between the narrow gaps in the trees and avoiding the traps the Captain had sohow managed to construct in such a short span of ti, Lillian couldn’t help but feel as though all of this was unnecessary!
She wanted to learn about swordsmanship, not trying to improve her stamina or current physical prowess!
Looking back, Lillian watched as three individuals tried to follow after them.
They were Viesta, Jon, and Nearlo.
***
"Huh?"
The Captain looked down at Lillian, who had approached him with a request. He then began to slowly stroke his beard in thought.
"Yar wish to train under ? For what reason, crewmate? At the rate that yar is going, yar would still be plenty strong with or without help from ."
Lillian listened to the Captain’s response and nodded a bit. Although it may sound arrogant, he was right about her rate of progress.
No average mage of her tier would have achieved the sa feats as her, so far.
However, the only reason she was asking the Captain for training was so that she could claim the reward from Lady Luck’s quest.
If it wasn’t for that fact, she would’ve either continued looking around for more ingredients or prepared herself more for the upcoming event that’s taking place in two days’ ti.
"I wish to beco even stronger and even learn a bit of your Combat Style, if you’d let ."
Lillian decided to be honest about what she wanted.
And because of this decision, it seed to have caused quite a reaction from the Captain, whose eyes bulged when she heard that.
"MY Combat Style?!"
Hearing his yell, Lillian began to wonder if it was the wrong choice to reveal her intentions. But those thoughts within her mind were dashed away imdiately with what she heard next.
"KAHAHAHA!" The Captain cackled loudly before raising his hand and rubbing his index finger and thumb together.
Lillian watched as he did this and noticed money signs gradually appearing in place of his pupils. She grimaced...
She was feeling a bad premonition brewing inside her chest.
And unfortunately, that feeling ca to life.
"If yar wish to learn more about my prized technique, yar would need to pay a hefty price for such knowledge!"
"Ugh—..."
Lillian imdiately took a step back, hearing the combined wording of ’hefty’ and ’price’ together in the sa sentence.
"You’re charging ? Even though learning it would allow us to get out of this Trial much easier?"
The Captain wagged his finger at her while clicking his tongue consecutively.
"It’s the price for my ti, although yar don’t rember, yar was able to use my techniques on par to !"
The corners of the girl’s lips twitched a bit.
She used his technique? Against the Leviathan?
Lillian knew she did so noteworthy things, but this wasn’t one of them. She had actually assud she had used Marionette’s technique in that battle instead of his.
’I guess I needed more than speed in that battle...’
Compared to Marionette’s [Crimson Nocturne], the [Deep Sea Hunter] Combat Style focused primarily on wider and more destructive attacks.
’Well, that last part was mainly for the 4th and the 5th techniques of the Deep Sea Hunter. Besides those two, the Crimson Nocturne is far superior.’
Lillian sighed, scratching the back of her head as she thought about the price.
Staring into the man’s eyes, which were still shaped like money signs, Lillian frowned. She couldn’t let him co up with the price.
She would be ripped off!
"Best I can do is 2,000 Semis."
"What the—!?" The Captain’s eyes bulged out.
This was too little!
"This is a Combat Style, we’re talking about, matey! Such a valuable piece is worth more than that asly price you gave!"
"Alright. Did you make it?"
"Of course not!"
The Captain summoned his cutlass and swung it around in an elegant yet savage manner.
"This dear technique of mine was taught to by the most beloved pirate captain of the sea!"
"Uh, huh... And how many techniques does it have? The number of techniques is a deciding factor on your price, you know?"
The Captain stiffened as he heard this and began to scratch the spot beneath his hat, his face darkening a bit.
"Well, that’s... It only has five from what I’m aware of, but that shouldn’t matter in this case! This Combat Style is a terrifying set of destructive moves, yar saw it and used it first-hand!"
"I saw it. And I don’t rember using it, if you had just forgotten." Lillian said with a neutral yet devilish look on her face.
The Captain flinched, realising that he indeed had forgotten about such a crucial piece of information—and one he had just ntioned just a few seconds prior!
Lillian, seeing as the Captain was stuck deciding what to do, couldn’t help but grin mischievously within. If she kept this up, she might be able to scam it out of him!
That was...
If he didn’t do sothing unexpected.
"Wait, a bloody second! I don’t have to teach yar anything!"
’Ah, crap!’
Hearing these words coming out from the Captain’s mouth, Lillian imdiately threw her plans out the window and yelled, "3,000 Semis!"
"Hohoho! That’s a lot better!" The Captain cackled, watching as it was Lillian’s turn to be desperate.
"Maybe that’s even enough for 1 or 2 of my techniques!"
"T-that’s absurd!"
After a back-and-forth session, the price for the Captain’s services ca to about 12,000 Semis, in total. Lillian was lucky to be able to get it to this much, or else it would’ve been much higher!
Lillian gave an exasperated sigh, having finished promising to pay, before looking off to the side and finding the others making their way over to them.
They...
***
’They wanted to train along with as well...’
CLACK.
’But how co they got to be able to be trained for free but I’m the one needing to pay!?’
CLACK.
While Lillian was deep in her thoughts, she utilised her [Parallel Thinking] to engage with the Captain in a light spar.
Instead of real weapons, they used wooden ones that were recently carved by the man himself, which she realised was what he had been doing the entire ti he was on her back.
The Captain reeled back his arm before spinning around.
Then, with a wide swing, he yelled out:
"[1st Technique of the Deep Sea Hunter: Tidebreaker Slash]!"
Lillian, breaking out of her internal thoughts, widened her eyes as an illusory wave rushed towards her.
She raised her sword and blocked the strike, but as if the wave had ignored her defences and crashed into her directly—
CLACK!
—She was knocked back.
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