It had been a few minutes since Orin finished the application, and he and Tenulan had returned to the deck of the ship. The sun had passed its peak, though the ocean winds kept the applicants quite cool. The two stayed near the edges of the crowd of applicants, which in all numbered about 30. The deck was entirely quiet besides the creaking of wood and the deckhands managing the ship, leaving Orin to his thoughts.

All these people look really strong… and scary. Orin thought as he gave some of the applicants a once over. When one noticed Orin's gaze, turning to look at the boy, he in turn quickly looked away. Everyone's so tense, too. There must be something that's got them all on edge. Orin looked at the rest of the ship. Maybe there's more testing? But what could we do on this boat?

"Attention, applicants!" The captain's voice called out from a raised section of the deck, standing above the applicants. "I seem to have misplaced my compass! Could you boys give an old man like me a hand?"

That caused a few applicants to murmur to each other. One from within the crowd called out, "Are you gonna make us miss the Hunter Exam because of this? Jeez, why'd they let an old man captain this ship, anyway?"

"Yeah, and why should we help you, anyway?" A second applicant asked snidely.

"Now, now boys. We're not going to miss the Hunter Exam," The captain replied with a laugh. "And you really want a reason to give help out an man? How's this sound, then: I'll disqualify anyone who doesn't find my compass!"

Oh. So that's how it is. Orin watched as the other applicants made various sounds of surprise as they started turning the deck upside down to find the captain's compass. In seconds, an applicant yelled, "Ha! Found it!"

Oh.

"Found your compass, old man!" a different applicant called from the other side of the ship.

Oh?

The two applicants that claimed to have found the compass met in the center of the deck. Sure enough, both held a compass in their hands. The first applicant's compass was gold, with small engravings around the edges. The second applicant's compass was wood, varnished black, with silver ornamentation on all sides. The two applicants looked at the compasses in their hands, then the other. The other applicants circled around them, trying to see what the deal was. The first two applicants then began arguing with each other, each claiming that their compass was the captain's, while the empty-handed applicants fanned out across the deck.

Orin watched the captain on the upper deck as the old man smiled, watching the chaos. So there's more than one compass on this ship… Some of them must not be the captain's. Tenulan set his chin in his hand. "What is going on? Does the captain have many a 'compass?'" He asked.

"Maybe? I'm not sure either. But I think some of the compasses are not the captain's, at least."

"Then we must find one ourselves," Tenulan concluded as he began searching the immediate area. Orin remained standing, though. Everyone's searching the deck…

"I think we'd better check in other places," Orin said as he began to walk towards a door leading to the lower levels of the ship. "I think we should try to retrace the captain's steps through the ship."

Tenulan simply nodded as he followed the boy under.

The lower levels would be completely dark, were it not for the lanterns hanging intermittently along the walls. The hallway Orin and Tenulan found themselves in was quite narrow, with doors lining both sides. At the far end, one door was blocked by a crew member. Alright. If I was a captain, where would I go? Orin thought as he peeked through various doors. Most were either storage or rooms for what must have been the crew members to sleep in. None were places a captain would bother strolling through. The two reached the end of the hallway where the crew member was stationed. As they grew close, the man finally acknowledged their presence and said, "Captain's quarters. No one can enter without his express permission."

"Well, could we just take a quick look inside? We're trying to help the captain find his compass," Orin asked hesitantly. Like everyone else on this ship, the crew member was taller than the boy, and it wouldn't take a large leap in judgement to say the man was stronger too.

"Nope. Can't let you two in. Captain's orders," The man replied, casually but firmly. "It's not in his room. Trust me."

"O-okay, then," Orin said as he scanned the hallway for any nooks that the compass could be hiding in. Should've figured that was the captain's room.

"Are you sure this compass is not inside the room?" Tenulan suddenly asked.

The crew member sighed. "Yes, I'm sure."

"Did you check yourself?"

A short pause. "No."

"Then, how are you sure? You have not seen yourse—"

"Tenulan, quit it!" Orin said through gritted teeth as he tugged his companion's shirt.

"Why? This man must be trying to hide the compass from us," Tenulan said as he began to reach toward his thighs.

"No, that's not it! This is another test!" Orin half-yelled, hoping the words got through Tenulan's skull, which turned out to be quite thick. Come on, the compass will be somewhere else…!

"Ah. A test?" Tenulan stopped. "Yes, this all makes sense, then."

Orin let out an exasperated sigh. Thank you! Now, let's just get going…. Orin thought as he tried to drag Tenulan away with little success. Tenulan finally got the message and began following the boy as they walked back the way they came, but not before he turned one last time to the crew member. "I apologize," he said with a bow.

The two explored the ship further, but to Orin's dismay, there was not a single compass to be found. Really? If most aren't "real," then we should've at least found one compass by now… Room after room turned nearly inside out with no compasses in sight. A few times, the two passed other applicants in the middle of searching, but it seemed to Orin that most were still on the main deck. Did the rest of the applicants find all the compasses? Shit… The pair of Orin and Tenulan nonetheless continued their search, reaching a set of double doors on a lower level of the ship.

The room behind these doors was relatively well lit, with a few tables scattered across it. Some deck hands were seated around most of the tables, engrossed in conversation. "The mess hall?" Orin thought out loud, and it appeared he was right. The crew was eating, at the very least. The room did smell quite nice (likely due to the food as opposed to the crew members), compared to the rest of the ship. Orin's stomach rumbled. So hungry… Wish I didn't forget to take a bit more from those two guys back at that town. Hearing the noise, Tenulan walked over to the closest table, and asked the members of the crew sat around it, "Excuse me, are applicants allowed to eat here as well?"

The other men looked at one another, shrugging. One said, "Well, I don't really see why not. Food's at the counter over there, help yourselves."

"Thank you," Tenulan replied with a short bow before turning to gesture to Orin to follow. Did he hear my stomach? Wow, kinda embarrassing, but getting food out of it isn't so bad. The two walked over to the food and took what looked the most appetizing. Judging by the looks of each one's plate, Tenulan either had lower standards or was more accustomed to the type of food on offer. Orin, on the other hand, stuck to the hardtack and dried meats, though he wasn't foolish enough to not get water as well. The two found an empty table in the room and sat down.

/\/\/\

Tenulan was thankful that the crew members of the ship were kind enough to offer food to himself and Orin. Truth be told, he himself had mostly survived on the bare essentials up to that point, and even the slightest bit of variety was a welcome change. As he ate, crew members cycled in and out of the mess hall. Interestingly, no applicants seemed to enter the room. Surely the other applicants must also need to eat. Tenulan decided that mystery was best left alone and switched over to more pressing matters. We have yet to find a compass. I believe that we have seen nearly every room of this ship except for the captain's quarters. Of course, I must believe Orin when he said this is a test, so the captain must have made his own room off limits. That does not solve this problem, though. I fear that of the limited number of compasses on this ship, most have been found. We must find at least one soon, and then we must hope it is the captain's.

Meanwhile, Orin noticed a strange shape nestled under the counter of the mess hall. A short, wooden cylinder, much wider than tall, that seemed to be cut in half. He slid off his chair to pick it up. Bringing it over to the table, he wondered aloud, "Is this… a compass?"

"Does it open? Perhaps the compass is hiding within?" Tenulan offered. Sure enough, the object was cut in half, but also hinged on one side to keep the two halves together. A simple latch was fixed to the opposite side. Flipping it off, Orin opened the object. Inside, the top half was hollowed out, but empty. The bottom half was covered by a glass lens of sorts, underneath which a needle, one half red, the other white, was swinging back and forth. Closer inspection revealed that the outermost ring of the bottom half could be rotated, twisting the letters carved on it around the needle. "It's a compass, alright," Orin proclaimed, though there was some hesitation in his voice. "But would a ship captain use a compass like this? It seems too… simple."

Tenulan was stumped. That is a good point. The captain of this ship is the highest ranked person. Why would he then use a plain compass…? "Well, it is a compass. It is also the only compass we have found. I believe any others on this ship have also been found by other applicants. Perhaps we have no other option."

"Maybe, but I don't know. I really don't think this is the captain's compass," Orin said as he closed the compass, rubbing a thumb over the smooth wood, which seemed to be polished. Tenulan watched the boy. He focused on the compass in Orin's hand. That compass… Perhaps…

"Orin, may I hold the compass?" Tenulan asked.

"Sure. Why, though?" Orin replied as he handed the small item over.

"Ah, I simply want to feel the compass myself," Tenulan replied as he inspected the outside of the compass more closely. Yes, it must be. The wood was smooth, but not actually polished at all, and along the edges were small dents and flat sections. "Orin, I think this is in fact the captain's compass."

"Are you sure?"

"Perhaps. See, the wood of the compass is smooth," Tenulan demonstrated by rubbing his own thumb over it, "but it is not polished. The compass must have been smoothed down by some other means. And see here," he pointed out some of the small cuts along the compass, "these marks are a sign that this compass has been used for a long time."

"Oh, you're right. And now that you mention it, the rest of this ship's decoration is pretty simple, too. The captain must not care much for extravagant stuff," Orin concluded. Tenulan could nearly see the gears turning in the boy's head. Ah, he has much in common with… that person. Orin smiled. "Wow, we might be really lucky. If this is the captain's compass, of course."

"Well, yes. Shall we return it?" Tenulan proposed as he stood from the table, compass in hand. "Ah, but perhaps you should be the one to do so. You found it here, after all."

"I guess." Orin took the compass back from his companion and stood. "Do you think the captain is still up on the deck?"

"Let us see for ourselves."

The two left the mess hall, but not before quickly returning to their table to take their dishes to where the other crew members had set their own dirty dishes. Making their way back through the halls of the lower levels, Tenulan smiled. It is good that Orin is here to help me. Without his help, I surely would not have gotten on this boat, and he found the compass. I am glad that he has the courage to share his thoughts with me, too. He chuckled to himself. Perhaps the Hunter Exam will be easy with Orin's help.

/\/\/\

Orin had reached the upper deck, squinting his eyes against the daylight. After his eyes adjusted, he scanned the deck to find the captain. After failing to find the old man, he looked up to the windows of what should have been the helm of the ship. Sure enough, there was a figure on the other side of the glass manning the wheel. He retraced his steps from when he and Tenulan first met the captain and found himself before the door to where the captain was. Knocking on the closed door, Orin entered after hearing the voice on the other side say, "Come in."

Orin began to pull the compass from his pocket. Here it is… Orin looked around the room. Besides himself and Tenulan, the only other person was at the wheel of the ship. That guy doesn't look like the captain? Indeed, this man was missing the hat, gray hair, and wider physique that Orin was expecting. Where else could he be? "Excuse me, sir, but I'm looking for the captain. Do you know where he is right now?"

The man glanced at his visitors. "What for? Got his compass?"

"Yeah," Orin replied. "Well, I think so."

"Well, the captain just so happened to tell me to tell you applicants to hold on to it until we reach Dolle Harbor."

Okay. Probably so applicants can't try to pass with multiple compasses. "Can you tell us when the ship will reach Dolle Harbor, then?"

"Eh, shouldn't be more than an hour." The crew member turned his attention away from the wheel and towards the two applicants. "Yeesh. You guys got any better clothes? Uh, that came out harsh. Sorry about that."

Tenulan spoke up. "That is alright. I do have other clothes, but they are much too warm for this weather."

Orin looked at his shoes and grew silent. Yep. These are the only clothes I have. What did you expect? Kid like me, from the streets, in a suit? I get this guy didn't mean it, but… still hurts.

"Hmm, that's no good. You two'll regret wearing only that pretty quick in the Exam, at least from what I've heard." The man walked over to a closet against the far wall, opening it to reveal spare uniforms. "Now. Let's see if any of this'll fit you two." He looked over his shoulder at the applicants again. "We'll be lucky if there is, though."

A quick search revealed that none of the shirts fit Tenulan, as they were all too small. The opposite problem arose for Orin, with all the shirts being too large. Further searching resulted in Orin receiving a pair of pants, and both having a pair of boots. "Are you sure we can have this? We're not crew members," Orin asked. The man chuckled.

"Yeah, it's alright. Know why?" He paused for a moment. "It's 'cause I'm Darik, the first mate of this fine ship."

"First mate? What is that?" Tenulan asked as he traded his worn-out shoes for the new boots.

Darik laughed again. "Captain was right about you two. Quite the characters, indeed. The first mate is the second in command of a ship, behind the captain, of course. He asked me to man the wheel for the rest of the voyage, figuring that at least the two of you'd swing by here." He returned to his station. "Alright, two of you'd better get out. I've got a ship to steer."

With that, Orin and Tenulan thanked Darik for the help and left the helm. Orin, holding the new pants, turned to Tenulan. "Hey, I'm gonna find an empty room to change into these. Wait on the deck for me?"

"Very well. I will wait, but you must be quick. I do not want you to be vulnerable for too long," Tenulan replied. Orin nodded and checked the nearest door. By chance, it was just a storage room, and thus seemed to be devoid of other people. The boy slipped through and closed the door. At least he knows how to give me privacy. I'll be fine for a minute by myself, thank you very much.

In the dim light of the storage room, Orin quickly changed into the new pants. They were a little stiff and maybe a touch too long, but Orin could fix the second problem by rolling the legs up, and the first would go away on its own with time. Oh, almost forgot the compass. Better keep that in one of these pockets. He reached down to pick up the compass, only to find a foot swinging into his side.

Orin stumbled before falling to the floor, trying to make out his attacker in the shadows. They stood, a tall, wiry frame blocking the lantern. And the door. Shit.

"What's a kid doing in here?" The unknown person asked in a somewhat nasally voice. They didn't wait for an answer, kicking Orin again. Pain blossomed through his side. "I was trying to get a clean shot at that damned captain, but then a kid shows up?" Another kick. "Where the hell is the old man, anyway? Fucker must be hiding. Knows I'll kill him for disqualifying me. Who cares if I kind find some stupid compass? Don't need one to pass the Hunter Exam."

Make it stop. Orin curled into a ball on the floor, trying to protect his torso from the attacker. Ow, ow ow! What the hell? What'd I do? Another kick caused Orin to cry out, and the compass slipped out of his hand. The attacks stopped. Orin shut his eyes tight. Please, just stop…

"Huh?" Orin's attacker stooped down to pick up the compass, opening it in his hand. "A compass! I'll be damned! Guess the old man can live after all." He turned away from Orin to inspect it in the light.

No, no, no, no! Shit! Shit! I need that! Tenulan needs that! Orin tilted his head up to look at his attacker. Think, Orin! Think, damnit! An idea jumped into his head. With a cough, he managed to croak, "It's probably a fake."

"What?" The attacker turned back to Orin. "Say that again."

"The compass isn't the captain's. There's multiple compasses on this ship, so some won't be his."

"So? How come this one ain't his?" The man retorted with yet another kick. "A compass is a compass. Who gives a shit?"

"Why would—" Orin coughed. "Why would the captain of a ship have a plain compass? Why not get a nicer one?"

The attacker paused in thought. "Shit." He dropped the compass, but not before kicking Orin one last time. "And here I thought you were gonna be useful, you little shit. Course the compass some kid found wouldn't be the right one." He paused again. "Shit, I'll have to take it off some other guy's hands. Ugh. Everyone else looks so scary, though. Shit. Fine. Back to killing the captain. Why couldn't you have been at least a little useful, kid?"

Orin slumped against the floor as his unknown attacker left the storage room, leaving Orin alone. Ow. Ow. He lightly pressed the spots he had been kicked: Six in total, three in his side, once in a leg, once in each arm. I don't think anything's broken, somehow. He slowly switched to a sitting position. Ow. I wish I got a good look at that guy's face. He grabbed the compass off the floor. Okay, the compass isn't damaged. Orin gradually worked his way to his feet. Ow. He took a tentative step towards his new boots, pushed haphazardly to the side by the attacker. Ow. Orin managed to put the boots on and looked at the door. I hope the bruises won't be too noticeable. He slowly opened the door, expecting the attacker to unleash another kick. Thankfully, the hallway was empty. At last, Orin made his way back to the deck to meet up with Tenulan.

/\/\/\

Captain Batenga sat in his quarters silently, reading a book. He looked at the door when he heard a slip of paper being slid through the gap under it. He got out of his chair as quietly as he could before grabbing the note. He muttered to himself, "Alright, let's see what we've got here."

The note was written by Darik, reporting the meeting he had just had with two applicants. "A boy with a large man… Oh, those two." He allowed himself to softly chuckle. "Tried to return a compass… I wonder if they managed to find the right one. Gave the applicants clothing from the spares… Ah, Darik. Of course you would."

The captain had known Darik for many years on the sea, during many of which they had been employed by the Hunter Association to act as preliminary examiners. Every year, the captain liked to create a small game for the applicants to play, intended to get their minds in shape for the Exam. Of course, in years like this, some applicants were less inclined to humor the old man. Only then would he threaten disqualification. On the other hand, Darik had no authority to disqualify any applicants, and it was probably for the best. He heavily played favorites, and would aid the less fortunate applicants, though he often struggled to convey his intentions properly.

"Who am I kidding? I might've just done the same for those two boys." He set the note on a small table as he sat once again in the chair, retrieving the book he had been reading.

"Maybe I'm finally starting to grow soft."

/\/\/\

Tenulan had begun to worry. I would think that it would take less time than this to change clothes. He had been sitting at the spot he first took upon "boarding" the ship but was starting to stand up when Orin finally stepped onto the deck. "Orin, what happened?" I knew I should not have gone far from him.

"Does it look that bad?" Orin replied, inspecting himself. Truth be told, and considering the circumstances, he looked quite well. The applicant that attacked the boy must not have been very strong. Still, there were bruises starting to form on his arms and the leg that was kicked, and his hair had flecks of dust in much of it, on top of being even messier than when Tenulan first met him. "I'm okay, Tenulan. I still have the compass."

"You were attacked?" Tenulan concluded. I hope the rest of the applicants are not the type to attack children.

Orin looked away. Tenulan repeated himself. Orin said softly, "Yeah. A guy almost took the compass, too."

"Who was it? I will deal with this 'guy.'"

"I couldn't tell. And please, Tenulan, don't."

Tenulan blinked. What? "Please tell me why," he pleaded. Has he been blackmailed? Great Sky above, why does Orin wish for me to not help him?

"He won't be bothering me anymore. And…" Orin trailed off. He sat next to Tenulan before continuing. "And I don't want you to have to do everything for me. If we're gonna pass the Hunter Exam, you can't just do the work for the both of us. I have to be able to take care of things myself."

Tenulan leaned back. Ah. I was once this way. Very well, Orin. We shall pass this Hunter Exam together, as equals. He looked over the railing of the ship and watched the waves pass as the vessel cut through the water. "I understand, Orin. Thank you for telling me your reason."

If the boy had anything left to say, Tenulan didn't hear it. A gruff voice that he recognized as that of the first mate, Darik, if he remembered correctly, crackled through the air. "Attention applicants! We'll be arriving at Dolle Harbor in about thirty minutes. Please be ready to disembark the ship." Tenulan looked around him in confusion. Where did his voice come from? I do not see him.

Orin noticed his companion's confusion and laughed a little. When Tenulan turned to look at the boy, Orin pointed above them to a gray cone-like shape attached to the ship above them. "It's called a loudspeaker. Darik used it to make his voice louder without having to yell."

"But where is he? I cannot see him on the deck."

"Probably still in the helm. You can talk into a receiver for the loudspeaker, and it transfers your voice to the loudspeaker."

"Ah. This world is full of wondrous things."

/\/\/\

The thirty minutes passed quickly to Orin as he watched the other applicants from a distance with Tenulan. A few times, small scuffles broke out as the men tried to wrestle their compasses from each other's grip, all the while insisting that theirs was truly the captain's compass. Orin didn't see anyone who matched the silhouette of the lanky applicant that attacked him, which worried him a little. I hope the captain is still okay.

Once the boat reached Dolle Harbor and was properly secured, Captain Batenga at last returned to the deck. Behind him, two crew members followed him out, carrying something long and skinny. And heavy, by the looks of it. And moving. Is that…? The applicant that had attacked Orin finally found the captain, but not before being subdued by two crew members, it seemed. Oh, that's good. That guy couldn't hurt the captain. The old man called out to the applicants, "Alright, everybody. If you found my compass, please return it to me. If you do, I'll give you a hint to get to the exam site."

"What if we don't have it?" A presumably empty-handed applicant asked.

"Oh, that's alright. I won't disqualify you. You just won't get the hint." The other applicants made a wide variety of sounds, from sighs to cheers to cries of frustration and anger. The captain laughed. "Alright. One at a time."

The late afternoon sun shone brightly on Orin and Tenulan as they approached the captain. They had been at the end of the line of applicants, and as such the rest had already left the boat and were on their way to the exam site. Orin held out the compass in his hand. "This one's really yours, right?"

"Hm? What makes you say that?"

"It's plain, but sturdy. It also looks like it's been used for a long time."

The captain let out another laugh. "You know, I figured out of all the applicants, it'd be someone like you to find it. Yes, this is my compass. All those other ones are too gaudy for me." Orin pumped his fist. "Now. You two boys listen up. Here's your hint: You see that hill over there?" He pointed out across the harbor. "On top of that hill, see that big ol' pine tree? Head there. There's a shortcut to the exam site that heads that way."

The captain looked the two over one last time. "I've taken a liking to you two boys, so I ask you to trust what I told you. It'll take most of a day to walk that far, but you can stay the night here in Dolle Harbor if you want. Oh, and don't worry. I always make sure to get the applicants to their destinations as early as possible, so you won't miss the exam if you do."

"Thanks a lot, sir," Orin said as he held out the compass in an open hand. "But you almost forgot your compass."

"Hm? Oh, the compass," the captain laughed again. He's in a good mood, at least. "You know what? You can keep it."

"Huh? Really?"

"Yes, sonny. After all," the captain said as he pulled a few of the other compasses from his pockets, "I've got plenty now. Take the compass. Think of it as a memento, to remember your past by."

"Wow, thanks!" Orin slipped the compass, his compass, into his pocket. "Alright, Tenulan. We'd better get going, then."

"Right. Thank you, sir," Tenulan said as the two began to disembark.

"One last thing, Orin," The captain called out to the two. The boy turned around towards the captain. "Do you know what a compass does?"

"It points north, right?"

"Almost. A compass always points north, no matter what. With a compass in hand, you'll never be lost. Remember that as you take the Hunter Exam. And, good luck."

"Right. I will. Thanks again!"

Orin and Tenulan began the trek towards the pine tree on the hill, the setting sun casting long shadows across Dolle Harbor. I hope there's someplace for us to stop on the way. I don't want to walk a lot in the dark.

/\/\/\

Captain Batenga watched the two applicants grow smaller and smaller as they began the hike to the pine tree. Behind him, Darik approached. "You were right, captain. They're something, alright."

"You know, Darik, when you get to be my age, you'll have met all kinds of people."

"Yeah? And?"

"And in our line of work, you get an idea for the type of person who can pass the Hunter Exam."

"Do you think those two can do it?"

The captain paused. "Positive. As long those two work as one, they can pass." Darik laughed as he disembarked. The rest of the crew followed behind. The ship would be staying in Dolle Harbor for the night, so the crew was given permission to hit the town, so to speak. Alone, Captain Batenga stood on the deck. "Become great Hunters, Orin and Tenulan. Make this old man proud."


Hi, it's Glaive, the author! Thanks for reading!

It's always fun to start new projects. I'm still in the "honeymoon phase" of this one, so I'm working on it pretty much whenever life isn't in the way (of course, this won't last forever. Updates for now might be relatively frequent but will space out sooner rather than later, just a heads up).

Unrelated, but are these author's notes still a thing? I mean, it doesn't matter much to me. I'll probably still have these little messages here at the end of every chapter.

Unrelated again. In the future, though, if there's some more explicit stuff (like, over a T rating) I'll have a content warning at the top of the chapter. I don't know if that'll happen for sure, and I'd rather keep this as a T rating since M doesn't show up without using filters and I can't find those settings on my phone! (I can find them on a computer though)

Anyways, that's all I have this time, I think.

"See you next time!" - Dolce Kamiya, Yakuza 0