Chapter 10: To Hololive We Sail!
Marine had known something like this could happen. She'd tried her hardest to forget about it during their journey, and her new traveling companions were amusing enough that she almost did. Once the port town's gates came into view though, all the guilt and anxiety had creeped back into her, worse than ever.
She sighed. Hiding her feelings was not something she was particularly good at, so she hadn't been surprised when Noel figured out something was up.
She didn't need to be that rude though…
Marine brought her legs to her chest and hugged them. Noel's remarks, harsh as they were, nevertheless had truth in them. She knew the ship was in bad shape. It had shocked her, too. It was unmistakably the same one that her grandpa had taken her aboard countless times when she was only a child, much to the dismay of her parents, but it had clearly been abandoned since he had passed. Left moored in the docks for over a decade with no one to look after it, the wood had rotted and the sails, packed in some storeroom, had probably been eaten by moths by now. It was still there though, and that at least was a relief.
Not sure what I'd do if it was gone…
She looked at the pirate hat sitting by her desk. It was a bit tight now, but she still wore it with pride. It had been a gift from her "Pa", after all, much like the ship.
By the time she'd been born, her grandfather was no longer a pirate captain or a pirate at all. He'd done a couple of favors for the king, and gotten himself an official pardon. Still, his love for the sea never dwindled, and he took the same boat that he'd used for piracy all those years, had the cannons removed, and kept sailing as much as he could, even long after his red hair and beard had turned completely white.
He took Marine on a few of those expeditions. She had fond memories of sleeping in bunk beds, eating freshly caught fish, going up to the crow's nest, and seeing the infinite sea surrounding her. She'd learned how to steer a ship, how to read a map, how to use the stars to know where she was. Still, there was nothing she used to like doing more than hearing her grandfather's stories. He'd tell her of his old crew, a group of tough guys and gals who were tired of barely scraping by in dry land. He never judged them by their past, he'd say, only by what they did aboard. He'd recount stories of their adventures on the high seas, looting rich merchant's ships, fleeing from government fleets, scrimmaging against fellow pirates, finding deserted islands, and traveling the world. She could spend hours drunk on his words, beaming whenever the crew found treasure and worrying whether they'd make it out of another thunderstorm, each one seeming more savage than the last.
Marine sighed and let herself fall on the inn's bed. It was no wonder she'd always wanted to be a pirate.
But it wasn't easy. When her grandfather passed away and left the ship in her name, her parents hid it from her, fearful of what she'd do at such a young age. She didn't resent them for it, not anymore— who knows what sorts of trouble she'd have gotten into if they'd told her the truth before she was old enough to earn her own money. Still, she wished they had said something sooner.
She'd studied, even worked as a secretary for some time. When that wasn't enough, she used her art skills to paint and sell portraits of passersby on the street. It wasn't easy work, and her drinking and lusting habits started then as a way to enjoy the precious little free time she had. But years passed, and she eventually amassed a small fortune, enough to make her parents proud— until she told them she intended to use it to buy a boat, and to become a pirate captain like her grandpa had been. There was a discussion, and her mother eventually slipped that the Houshou's Pirate Ship had been left in her name. It was then that she decided to travel to the port town, to see it for herself and follow her long-held dreams.
No matter how much money she had though, hiring people seemed wrong to her. Grandpa's crew hadn't followed him out of obligation, and she wanted someone who'd go with her because of how charming she was, not because they were being paid to do so. She'd still been pondering what to do when she'd overheard Noel and Flare, back in that old store.
Her interest in the Hololive kingdom was almost none, to start with. It was too recent and too distant of a nation to have featured in her grandfather's stories, and she was just glad to have found someone who would follow her. After spending some weeks with her newfound crew though, she'd started to think it would make a good destination. It was far enough to test her skills, and if its welcoming reputation wasn't a lie, then perhaps they'd have space for a pirate captain.
I can even have my base of operations there. She had thought.
That looked to be difficult now, however. Flare wouldn't depart without Noel, the lovebirds they were, and Pekora didn't appear to care too much either way. That left Rushia, but one person was hardly a crew. And if she wanted to be a real pirate captain, she'd need a crew. Preferably one that wouldn't abandon her when things got tough.
Marine rubbed her eyes. It had been a lot of fun to travel with those four.
I'll go back to the docks and take notes of what I'll need to buy. Maybe there'll be someone else who wants to join me…
She glanced to her right. A tradition of this opulent inn, they'd left a small sample of wine on the desk. Marine had placed her skull-shaped cup, another present from her grandfather, right next to it when they'd arrived.
Maybe I'll have a drink first.
Flare kissed Noel on the cheek.
She knew she wasn't truly angry at Marine. Knowing that the news of her supposed passing must have already arrived at the capital by now had made her nervous, and she wanted nothing more than to leave for Hololive as soon as possible. So when she saw the ship in that state…
Even Flare had to admit it looked pretty bad, but it wasn't unfixable. If they all pooled their money together, they should be able to buy the materials needed and still have enough left over to prepare for the journey.
She stared at the sulking Noel in their bed.
"You know you'll have to apologize."
Noel turned her head away, though not before Flare saw a frown forming on her face.
"She should have told us."
"Of course." The half-elf sighed. "But she didn't. What's done is done."
"Then-" complained Noel.
"But," interrupted Flare. "You shouldn't have acted like that either. Even you said it- we don't have enough to board someone else's ship. What if she doesn't welcome us anymore?"
"Her ship is falling apart! You saw it too."
"We can help her fix it. It'll still be cheaper than finding another sailor. Besides, I trust Marine."
When she isn't drunk, at least, she thought, but managed to not let that part out.
"Hmm." she pouted. "I'm not sure I do anymore."
Flare pet her partner's head.
"Let's just sleep now. We can figure out what to do tomorrow."
"Fine…"
The next morning, Flare sat down at one of the inn's communal tables and ordered breakfast to one of the maids. It was not too long past sunrise, but there were already half a dozen girls busy serving patrons, cups and bowls full of food and drink rattling in trays. Flare looked at them with sleepy eyes.
Noel would look good in one of these… She couldn't help the thought.
She averted her eyes to the stairs that led to the bedrooms, just in time to spot a dozy Rushia. Their eyes met, and Flare motioned her to approach, which she did with a shy smile on her face.
"Good morning."
"G'morning…"
A maid arrived to take Rushia's order. This was a strange place, the half-elf thought. None of the other inns they'd stayed at had treated them like this, gleefully attending to their every whim. It was like being in a king's palace. Rushia looked almost uncomfortable as the maid waitress bowed and shuffled to another table.
"Sorry about yesterday. I should have stopped them earlier." Flare started.
"Ah… It's not like it was your fault."
"I tried to tell Noel we could just fix the ship, but she's not happy about it." she sighed. "She wanted to leave within a couple of days. Not to mention we'll need to pay for both materials and workers…"
"Workers?"
"I guess we could try repairing it ourselves, but only Marine knows anything about ships, and it'll take much longer that way."
"Mmm. It didn't look good…" admitted Rushia as the maid placed a plate of steaming eggs in front of her.
"Still, I don't think she wanted to trick us or anything… She looked guilty." The half-elf sighed.
"I think so too." Rushia hesitated for a moment. "I don't know if I could board with anyone else."
"Right? She might not be the most… well-adjusted person, but I know her better than any of the other sailors here."
They sat in silence for a moment.
"I'll talk to Noel again. We—"
"Oh, what are you two planning?"
Flare turned around. It was Pekora, standing next to them with a wide grin.
"We were just talking about Noel and Marine."
"Pretty awful discussion yesterday-peko." The rabbit's face morphed into a frown.
"I was just telling Rushia that I'll try talking to Noel again."
"Hmm…" Pekora sat down at the table and ordered her own breakfast from a maid. "Do you think she'll listen?"
"I think so. She's just frustrated, that's all. The faster we can get them both to apologize, the faster we can start fixing the ship."
"Oh? So you want to fix it…" Pekora looked thoughtful.
"Well, yes. We don't really have any other acquaintances here, and I feel bad for Marine." Flare confessed.
"If that's the case, then I have a plan." Pekora clasped her hands together, looking more like a criminal mastermind who had just come up with an idea that would plunge the world into darkness than someone trying to help two friends make up.
"A plan?" Rushia asked.
"Me and you will convince Marine to show us her boat again. Flare, you'll have to get Noel to the docks somehow. Then…" Pekora paused in what looked like an attempt to create suspense.
"Then?"
"We don't let them leave until they apologize to each other-peko!" The rabbit crossed her arms with a look of self-satisfaction.
Flare couldn't help but chuckle.
"What! Do you have a better idea?" Pekora grumbled.
"No, no. I just thought it was surprisingly simple."
"That means it can't fail!" the moon rabbit let out a smug smile.
Flare thought about it for a moment. It was simple, yes, but perhaps it was enough. They had to be on good terms with each other before anything else could be discussed.
"Alright then. I'll go wake up Noel. You two get Marine to the docks."
She felt a bit guilty at telling Noel she'd found a beef bowl place for breakfast, but she was sure that would get her moving if nothing else. And sure enough, she was following Flare, a huge smile plastered on her face.
"I can't believe there's one here! I haven't eaten a beef bowl since I've left the capital!" She grinned. "Well, not a professionally made one, anyway."
Flare still remembered how Noel had tried to make her own with the ingredients she could get a hold of at the village. It'd tasted pretty good to her, but the knight had insisted it was bland compared to a "true" beef bowl.
"You have to try it as well, Flare!" She hummed as they made their way to the docks.
Flare cringed at her happy tone. She didn't like lying, especially to someone she loved so much.
I'm sorry Noel. I promise I'll find an actual restaurant afterward.
"Are they that good?" She managed to ask, hoping to distract her enough that she didn't notice they were taking the same road as the previous day.
The knight's eyes practically shone at her question.
"Of course they are! First of all…"
She started a speech on the merits of beef bowls, and Flare couldn't help but feel worse with every word. There was a sinking feeling in her chest, which only grew larger as they approached their destination and Noel blabbered on and on about how much she was looking forward to it.
When she finally spotted Marine and the others in the distance, she turned sharply to Noel, blocking her view.
"Noel!
"Hmm? What is it?" Noel blinked.
"Well, umm…" Flare bit her tongue. Why had she chosen this lie? She hated to disappoint her. "I'm really sorry. There's no beef bowls."
"There's not?" She tilted her head in confusion. "Then…"
She looked around, seeming to finally notice where they were. Flare could tell from her face she recognized the wooden houses.
"Why are we here?" She frowned.
Nothing to do now except explain things.
"Well… I took you here so you and Marine could apologize to each other. She's over there, with Pekora and Rushia."
Noel didn't reply.
"I'm sorry, I really am. I shouldn't have lied, but I wasn't sure how to get you here when you were so against talking to her again yesterday. I just want us to get along so we can sail to Hololive and live together there." Flare explained, her voice feeling small and shrill.
What if she hates me now… She closed her eyes before the tears could drop from them.
Then she felt Noel's embrace.
"It's okay. I'm not mad at you." She sighed, and Flare felt her breath next to her pointy ear. "You're right, of course. I probably wouldn't have come if you'd told me the truth."
"Will you apologize to her?" Flare mumbled, her face flushing as she felt Noel's body pressed against her. Strange how even after they'd been so intimate, she still felt bashful with such small gestures.
"I will, I will. She was dishonest with us, but I was also pretty rude myself. And… I've been thinking, and even if we had the money, I'd still rather sail with Marine than with some random old man. But Flare…"
"Hm?"
"Please pick a different lie next time. I'm so hungry now…"
Noel approached the trio, with Flare beside her. She glanced at the half-elf. How could she possibly be mad at her when she was this cute?!
"Ah, there she is." she heard Pekora say as they got closer. "C'mon, you know what to do."
The rabbit pushed Marine, and she stumbled in front of Noel. The two stared at each other for a long moment.
I guess I'll have to apologize first. Not sure what I expected from—
"I'm sorry!" Marine bowed.
"Huh?" The knight blinked.
"It was wrong of me to not say anything about the boat. I thought… I thought you might not come with me if I told you it had been sitting abandoned for this long. But I swear, I honestly didn't know it was like this."
"Ah… It's okay. What's done is done. I also have to apologize. I lost my temper, and…" Noel trailed off, unsure of what to say.
"No, you were right." Marine sighed. "I'm not a sailor. I've been in ships before, when I was young, and I learned a lot from my grandfather, but I have no real experience with being a captain."
She stared at the tall, run-down boat, and Noel followed her gaze.
"When I heard you and Flare talking about going to Hololive, I thought it was fate. I'd been wanting to be a pirate captain for all these years, and suddenly two young women who both need a ship and look strong enough to be part of my crew appear in front of me. I thought, surely with these two, I could become more than a wannabe. And the more I traveled with you, and Rushia, and Pekora too, the more I came to like you all. But also the more afraid I became. Afraid that you'd leave me once you figured out that I was a fraud. I… I'd like to have you all as part of my crew, at least until we reach Hololive." Marine licked her lips nervously. "But I understand if you don't trust me anymore. I'm not sure if I would trust myself."
A stunned silence fell onto the group. Noel hadn't been expecting Marine to apologize before her, much less to be this honest about her feelings.
"Marine, I…
"I trust you!"
Everyone's heads turned. It was Rushia who had spoken.
"Maybe you should have told us that you didn't know how the boat was. But I don't blame you for not doing it. It's hard to trust others when you're worried if knowing the truth may cause them to leave you, or worse." She held her head up, her tiny frame tensed up as she spoke. "I thought you all would leave me when you found out I was a necromancer. I thought the same thing again when I summoned that undead back in the forest, but you didn't. You trusted me, so I'll trust you. I'll be part of your crew."
She finished her speech and looked down at the ground, her face red as a tomato. Noel was pretty sure it was the first time since they'd met that she had spoken this much at once and with this much passion.
Rushia… First I misjudged you, and now I did the same to Marine. I thought I'd learned to trust others more when I met Flare, but it seems I still have a long way to go.
Another long silence. This time, it was Noel who broke it.
"Rushia is right. Again, I'm sorry. I can see this ship is precious to you." The knight took a long breath. "We'll fix it, and we'll go to Hololive together."
"Really?" Marine stared at her, mouth open.
"I promise. Now cheer up! It's weird to see you so down." Noel smiled.
"Thank you. And thank you, Rushia. I knew I was right in taking you all here." Marine sniffed and wiped her face on her long coat's sleeve, took a handkerchief, and blew her nose into it.
"Well, what do we need to do, captain?" Noel smiled.
"Hmm…" Marine took a pensive hand to her chin. "We'll have to divide tasks. Me and Rushia can stay here and check inside the ship to see how bad the damage is there. Probably clean it a bit, too. Noel, Flare, Pekora, you'll need to go find a store that sells wood, cloth, tools, and all those kinds of things. I have a list of what we need." She paused. "And bring drinks, too."
There's the Marine I know.
Noel yawned as she made her way down the rugged streets. She was surprised she hadn't met any of the others at breakfast. Already working, maybe. She sighed depressingly. Repairing the ship was looking to be a month-long endeavor, even if they managed to find any craftsman that didn't cost a fortune to hire. She'd committed to it now though. No turning back on promises.
She spotted Flare first, her golden hair flowing in the morning wind, then Marine and Pekora. They weren't working, she noticed. Instead, they were talking to each other, pointing at something in the docks. Noel frowned and upped her pace.
"What's wrong?" She asked as soon as she was close enough they'd hear her. The three faces turned back at her, an expression of incredulity in each of their faces.
"Noel! The ship!"
"The ship?" She followed Flare's finger. She knew what it looked like. It was a decaying, old thing, with a heap of construction materials and tools in its deck, all waiting for them to start the repairs.
There was no ship like that in the docks.
In front of them was Houshou's Pirate Ship, swaying gently as the waves lapped at its keel. The changes were immediately obvious. The masts were no longer decrepit towers of old rotten wood but stood tall and polished, triangular sails hanging from them. Noel's eyes trailed downwards. The pile of materials had disappeared, the hull was polished to the point of shining, and there were no signs of any of the holes she'd seen just yesterday.
"But… how?" Noel stammered.
"We don't know. When me and Marine got here, it was already like this. I thought maybe Pekora'd done it, but she knows nothing about it either."
The knight looked at the rabbit. Her eyes were wide open in shock.
So moon rabbits can get surprised too, huh…
"It's like magic," she murmured.
Magic?
The three of them turned to Flare, but she only shook her head.
"I couldn't do all of this in one night, magic or not. I don't think anyone could. Not without someone noticing, at least."
Without anyone noticing…
"Have you checked inside?" Noel asked, once enough time had passed and her brain started working again.
"Hm? No, not yet."
"Maybe there's some clue there?" She suggested.
The inside of the boat was somehow even more impressive than its exterior. The wood almost shone from how clean and new it was. No matter where she looked, she could not spot any traces of the old, decaying ship that had been there the previous day. The knight shook her head. She'd seen a lot of strange things in this journey, but this took the cake.
They descended into the belly of the ship, which was just as spotless as if it had been built the previous day. No holes, no insects nor rats running around. There was barely a speck of dust on the ground.
"Where are the bedrooms?"
"Umm… They should be to the left." Marine mumbled, looking around with a strange expression, somewhere between wonder and utter shock.
"Let's check them, then. Flare and Pekora, you can check the rooms on the right."
"Roger." replied Pekora.
They walked in silence, their footsteps leaving echoes in the air. Noel tried the closest door. It slid open, revealing a nearly empty storage room, a few lonely barrels sitting by the corner. She tried another. There was a hammock, suspended in the air by cords that ran from one wall to another, but little else besides. She went to open a third door, bigger than the others.
"Ah, that's—" Marine started.
This room was much bigger than the other two, and better decorated. There was a large desk on the left side, with a neat bundle of paper and dried-out ink resting on top of it. Above that, a painting of some bearded figure with a black eyepatch stared at them with fierce eyes. A round window provided light and a view of the blue sea, a nearly spent candle sitting on its sill.
On a wide bed at the center of the room lay down Rushia, fast asleep. Her hair and clothes were covered in sawdust, and some had fallen on the ground, too. A single white blanket covered her body, her chest slowly rising and falling, her mouth slightly open.
Noel stared at the room, which was obviously the captain's quarters, then at her. Clearly, it had been Rushia who had repaired the ship. She wanted to know how, but…
Well… I suppose we should let her sleep.
She opened her mouth to say so to Marine, but she had already grabbed the necromancer and was shaking her by the shoulders.
"Rushia! Did you do this?"
"Huh?" Rushia's eyes were beady with sleep.
"The ship? Did you fix the ship?" Marine exclaimed.
Rushia blinked a few times, looking like she was trying to remember where she was.
"Oh. Right. Yeah." Her low voice surprised Noel. It was quite different from the usual high-pitch she was accustomed to from her.
She must have been sleeping soundly.
"Rushiaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Marine's eyes watered as she jumped in and grabbed the necromancer in a tight hug. "Thank you…"
Marine wailed, her arms wrapped around Rushia,
"Um… No problem…you're hurting me…"
Marine immediately let go, taking a few steps back.
"But how?" Noel asked. "You couldn't have done this by yourself."
Rushia rubbed her face, trying to ward off the drowsiness.
"I asked the undead for help. There are many spirits from former sailors here, and they were generous enough to help me. We worked through the entire night." She yawned.
Noel stared at her, mouth agape. She tried to imagine a host of skeletons, spirits, and half-rotting corpses hammering down nails, carrying wood, and climbing up and down the boat. It sent shivers down her spine.
"But… That must have made a lot of noise! Did no one spot you?"
Rushia shrugged.
"I hid the noise with magic. Some people walked by, but…"
Noel felt movement down by her legs. She looked down and saw a black cat, who jumped on the bed without a sound and cuddled near Rushia. The knight noticed with revulsion that the creature had an open wound where its left ear should have been. Oddly enough, it didn't look like it bothered or hurt it at all.
"I had some help." Rushia smiled. "Some tiny ones were kind enough to keep anyone from coming too close."
She could scarcely believe it. A month's work, done in a single night. She looked sideways at Marine, whose tears had not stopped running down her damp face.
"Thank you." She said again, almost in a whisper. "Thank you so much."
Rushia opened her mouth, but a yawn escaped from it before she could get out any words.
"Do you mind if I sleep a bit more? I've been casting spells all night…" She asked, already laying her head down on the pillow.
"Of course! Let's go, Noel." Marine grabbed her by the arm and pulled her from the cabin, shutting the door silently.
They rendezvoused with Flare and Pekora on the deck.
"It was Rushia," said Noel.
"By herself? How?" Flare asked with a confused expression.
"With the help of the undead. She was here all night long, working with them to fix the boat. She's in the captain's bedroom now, sleeping." The knight pointed back with her thumb.
"That's our Rushi!" Pekora gleamed. "Does that mean we're ready to leave?" She stared at Marine expectantly.
"Well… If everything is done, then all we need to do is buy the supplies. We can sail by… by tomorrow evening." the words came out of Marine's mouth slowly, as if she herself had a hard time believing them.
The four stood in silence for a moment. It hardly seemed possible that all of a sudden, they were nearly ready to leave for Hololive.
Noel couldn't stop a large grin from forming on her face.
"Well, let's get to it then. We still have a long trip after this."
The sky shone in a marine blue as the group of five stood on the docks.
The metal plaque, now no longer covered in dust but shining brightly in the sunlight, still read "Houshou's Pirate Ship." Marine stared at it for a moment. This was it. She had a crew, and she had a destination. All she needed now was to climb up the ladder, and she'd become a real captain, just like her grandfather had been. His smirking face flashed through her mind, and she smiled to herself.
I suppose we'd need to launch an assault on someone else's ship to be proper pirates… But well, everything at its own pace. Right, Pa?
Pekora watched Marine climb up. She wondered how much she was leaving behind by getting on this ship. She was already far from Pekoland, and Hololive was farther still. It would take years if she ever wanted to go back. She thought of her dad, mom, siblings, and the subjects she had left behind. She shuddered as she remembered their horrified faces when she announced she wanted to see the outside world. A member of the royal family couldn't just put herself at risk like that, they'd protested.
The rabbit shook her head. No point dwelling on those memories now. Better look to the future. Flare, Rushia, Noel, and even Marine seemed like good people from the short time she'd spent with them. She had been ready to abandon them when they'd started fighting, truth be told. Humans are fickle, after all, and she'd seen apparently tight-knit groups break off more than once. But, to her surprise, they'd come together again, and thanks to Rushia, even finished repairing that old relic of a boat. They were an odd bunch, made even odder by the inclusion of a moon rabbit in its midst. But that was fine, Pekora told herself. She'd always liked things a bit chaotic.
As Rushia put her hands on the ladder, she thought back on her life. It hadn't been an easy one, she knew that much.
She thought of her parents, who'd left her alone and abandoned.
She thought of the mage's house, warm and comfortable and full of interesting books.
She thought of the mage himself, how he had saved her from dying in the cold. She felt her backpack pressed against her shoulders, knowing that the same warm blanket that had prevented her from dying in the cold was in there.
She thought of all the spirits she'd met, all the undead she'd summoned, all the little critters that had followed her in this city and the previous ones.
She thought of her teacher, the undead lich who had taught her so much, and who had sent her off on this journey. She wondered if he was still somewhere out there, floating through forests, doing… Whatever it was liches did on their own.
What had been his words? "Mastering the underworld will mean nothing if you cannot enjoy the plane of the living."
She thought of her new companions.
She wondered if the lich would have been proud of her.
It had been a long journey, especially for someone who had never left the same place in all her life.
I suppose we're still only halfway there… Flare reflected.
They'd spend months at sea together, inching towards the land of Hololive.
This entire trip, everything had been new. New cities, new forests, new people, things she would have never dreamed of, much less seen with her own eyes, had she stayed in the village.
The village…
It had been a while since she'd thought of it. She could still remember every single person. The blacksmith, the tailor, all of the farmers. The elder and his wife, too. She was nothing but grateful for every single one of them, for sheltering a half-elf like her for so long, and for convincing her to go when it was time.
She took a deep breath, inhaling the salty air of the port town. Certainly, ever since she left the village, the world had been full of things she'd never encountered before. But there had been a constant in that sea of new happenings, someone she could hold on to and whose presence allowed her to wake up in this unfamiliar world every day without fear.
She glanced back at her as she climbed up. Noel was standing there, a large smile on her face. A knight from the capital. The very kind Flare used to hate the most. And now… Well, she didn't know what to call their relationship quite yet, but they were happy together, and that was what mattered the most.
Though, she thought, I guess we'll have plenty of time to figure it out. Flare placed her feet on the deck.
Noel glanced up at the large ship. She still could barely believe it was the same one she had seen only a couple of days ago. It looked grandiose now, the kind of ship that one would read about in legends as having taken the hero to their final destination. There was no hero on this boat, though. Just five girls, five people with their own stories, doubts, worries, and achievements, five who could not be more different from each other, come together by pure chance with one goal in mind: To make it to the land of Hololive and start their lives anew there.
When I get to Hololive, I'm remaking the Shirogane Knights.
Her own thoughts surprised her. She'd been so focused on what they needed to do to get to Hololive, she hadn't actually pondered what she would do when she got there. Still, she mulled as she licked her lips, that wasn't a bad plan. Such a recently established country would surely be in need of some guards, at least.
Noel thought of her Shirogane Knights, left behind in the village. She looked back from where they came. She could barely see the town's walls from here. Somewhere, far away in that direction, were her soldiers, probably still clad in their shiny white armor, working in the village. She wondered if they had managed to get closer to the villagers. Or perhaps they'd already been ordered to return to the capital, now that they no longer had a commandant to attend to.
Do I really deserve to keep being a knight after abandoning them though? After abandoning my own country…
"Noel? C'mon, hurry up!" Flare yelled at her from the top of the deck, a hand outstretched.
The sight instantly vanished the pessimism from her.
Well, I'll figure that out later. As long as I'm with Flare, it'll be alright.
"Coming!"
Marine stared at the colorful group. They stared back at her.
Right, I'm the captain. What are you supposed to do at times like these…
She'd practiced what to say in this moment dozens of times before a mirror, but now that it was actually happening, her head was blank. She felt a small rush of panic. Surely there were certain words a ship's captain had to say before a trip started. What would her grandfather do at a time like this?
Suddenly, it occurred to her. It wasn't much of a speech, but she'd already expressed her feelings the previous day. This would have to do.
"Everyone, welcome aboard the Houshou's Pirate Ship. I'm glad you're all part of my very first crew. It's time." She inhaled until her lungs were full. "Let's set sail!" Marine whooped.
"Set sail!" They replied, and the anchor was lifted, the boat rocked, the sails filled with wind, and the Houshou's Pirate Ship was on its way.
The day where the knight, the half-elf, the necromancer, the pirate captain, and the moon rabbit were to be called the Third Generation of Hololive was still far to come. Still, as they stood on the newly repaired deck and faced the seemingly endless blue sea, they knew they were traveling somewhere fantastical.
Thank you so much for reading such a long chapter. This story has finally reached its end. It has been a few long years, and I want to thank everyone who so much as tried reading it. I've hopefully improved somewhat since the first chapters. In any case, the story of Hololive Fantasy isn't over. Perhaps there will be a sequel? Hopefully before there's a 15th Hololive generation. :p
Small self-promo, if you want to find me on social media i only really have twitter ConspoLopes or bluesky .social
