Author Notes:
Aiya~! I am back at last for the next chapter of OBOM!
But first, salutation to Private eevin1~! Congrats on being yet another proud supporter of our glorious Omniversal regime, Private!
And his support, along many others' and hopefully the future you as well, will further aid my Mom and I in setting off to our new home soon! In fact, Mom and I will go seal the contract of our new place on August 2nd, paying the two months deposit then! The advance one month rent will then be paid after August 4th. This will total three months of rent, gone in flash. Suffice to say, without your help, this little family of mine would have been sitting ducks, dead in the water since who-knows-when!
That said, I need to announce this in advance that during my moving period, I am unlikely to keep up the usual upload schedule as I won't have the time and strength to handle the moving and writing at the same time. I plead for your forgiveness and understanding during this rough period of mine.
Moving on, I will like to clarify that the place where Mom and I are going doesn't have all the necessary amenties. Especially, it doesn't have any bed whatsoever. Mom does not have the best health possible, so I am not keen on her sleeping on the floor. It's my immediate wish to get Mom a suitable bed, or at least a foldable mattress since it's cheaper than a bed. Because of this, I beseech both future and old Patrons alike to continue to sponsor us, if only so that my Mom can have a better goodnight sleep.
Continuing on that front, the coming Patreon Discount will feature a 35% discount on all tiers, and it will run from the August 1st to August 25th. I hope to see you all later, dear readers!
Thanks for reading this long, long PSA of mine. Now, please enjoy the chapter!
https://www.patreon.com/Heartbreak117
https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/Heartbreak117
https://discord.gg/cVZxJ29ruh
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"And there they go, off onto a little mini-arc of an adventure themselves..." Waving goodbye to the two girls she's been lucky to call friends, now riding on the White Pearl in the distance, Sapientia sighs longingly with a smile. "Ah, I miss them already. Who would have thought I would get to experience harmless youth one day?"
Once she is sure that the White Pearl is gone well beyond the visible horizon, Sapientia turns to look at the Horned Wolf pack that, just a moment ago, had been howling into the sky as a send-off to the two human girls. Leading the pack is none other than Alpha, and next to it is the adorable Husky with its usual goofy look. Alpha ultimately chooses on its own to remain on Eden Island, owing to its critical position in the pack. Bringing its whole pack to bid goodbye to the girls who have been both good neighbors and partners has been the Alpha's initiative and a show of wishing good luck.
Sapientia, looking at the Alpha that exudes an air of calm acceptance, mutters aloud. "They really were right, you are something different, Alpha." The words are said with a degree of appreciation and fascination."
"Truly a rare variable that only Mother Arcadia can introduce."
Giving the Ember Goddess a meaningful side-glance after her comments, the Alpha seems to have things it wants to say, but in the end, it chooses to let out a dismissive huff before growling at its pack. It's time for the Horned Wolves to return to their daily life without Umbra. Fortunately, the pack remains healthy and even stronger than ever due to the food supplies Umbra gave them in the past. And with explicit permission from the supervisor of Eden, Sapientia, the Horned Wolves will be able to break into a new hunting ground. There are only so many mountain goats near the den to go around for the pack of Horned Wolves. The Alpha had made it a point never to hunt the goats to extinction back then, or the wolves would risk starvation in the near future due to overeating. Fortunately, that won't be as big a concern soon.
Sapientia, being dismissed by the Alpha, chuckles casually. "Well, that's what I get for scaring it out of its fur a few times..."
With the Horned Wolves departing, the Ember Goddess spares one last look at the Southern stretch of ocean.
"Bon voyage, girl~! I will be seeing you soon!" Sapientia lets out a hopeful smile before her expression turns into one of annoyance. "Right after I deal with some nosy, uninvited guests and, by Mother Arcadia, the piles of paperwork being stacked in my Divine office!"
"For crying out loud, can't someone invent a computer already! An analog is fine enough!"
The Ember Goddess' complaints disappear among the sound of rustling sand and waves. Eventually, the shore of Eden Island returns to the same quiteness of old as Sapientia's figure disappears. Only the footprints on the sand serve as a reminder that someone was here, but even those are being subsumed by the shifting tide.
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"I caught something!"
I turn behind, moving a few steps away from the control console of the White Pearl. When I reach the railing, I lean against it, looking down to see Reizen hefting something with one hand that should make any sushi master salivate. Reizen, with but a durable fishing rod and some bait, has fished up something reminiscent of a Bluefin Tuna with the matching heft. However, the fin I see is reddish instead of blue, so... Redfin Tuna?
Naming convention aside, that thing that Reizen is easily holding up with one hand looks to be upward of 400 kilos of fish. A part of me is impressed by how much of a feat that is, but my inner cooking spirit prompts me to file the thought away and call upon Aurea.
[Talk to me, Aurea. Is that fish safe to be put on a plate? Given how Reizen has been fighting the fish for the better part of an hour, I would hate for her catch to go to waste.]
[E-Ehm... The species isn't what you would call Tuna? B-But they do share a surprising number of similarities. The species name is Maguro, a type of fish that migrates constantly from one patch of ocean to the next. They're very common, and although they're safe to consume, no one really takes the effort to catch them, as they're too fast and powerful. S-Subsequently, not many people know how to process and cook a Maguro as well.]
[Well, I can kinda see why the fishermen of this world look down on this fish. Even Reizen, with her immense strength, has to wrestle that Maguro for a while. Who knows what magical properties the Maguro has in its body to go on a tug of war with Reizen and nearly win? But where they see a fish that is more trouble than it's worth, I see it as an absolute win. Thanks for the info, Aurea~!]
[J-Just sharing what I know, that's all... I-I am looking forward to what you will make, Umbra.]
[Un.] I end our conversation with a nod before speaking down to Reizen from my place on the tower. "Great catch, Reizen! We'll be having some sushi later!"
Coincidentally, the tower is what we call the raised platform above the pilot house. It's also where the secondary control console is placed, and I use the tower to pilot the White Pearl whenever it's safe and I need some fresh air.
"I know how to process the fish." Reizen says as she looks down on the Maguro that is scraping the floor with its hefty body. "Want me to do it now?"
"Sure." I nod with a grateful smile. "Spare me the trouble that way. Just holler for me if you need me for something. I will have the White Pearl resume its journey now."
"Understood." Reizen nods before laying her prize on the floor and bending over to examine it more closely before getting to work to remove the unnecessary parts of the fish.
I take a moment to glance at the body hidden beneath a white one-piece bikini and a sun hat, marvelling at how the water droplets enhance the lethality that is Reizen's trained physique. She isn't muscular, just beautifully sculpted, a perfect blend of beauty and martial prowess.
[... Bad Umbra.] Aurea chides me for the untempt time, though I have a feeling that she herself is also starting to feel the effect of Reizen's charm, unknowingly exuded by her in each action she takes.
I give her a wry mental chuckle before moving back to the console. [I shouldn't have suggested bikini day had I known how lethal Reizen's beauty is. The age-old adage about a castle-toppling beauty isn't without an example, and I think we just found one.]
[Y-Yes.]
Manning the console, I get the White Pearl moving, setting the throttle level to cruising speed. While not the fastest way to get to point B, it's the most economical option. It will also be a smoother ride for Reizen to work on the caught Maguro.
Currently, we have been out at sea for a week straight with no land mass in sight. If not for the fact that our position has moved on the Map Module, we would have thought we were stuck in a limbo somewhere. Given the speed of the White Pearl, even at a slower speed than flank, you would have thought we would get to our desired stop in no time. But no, Arcadia as a planet is unfathomably vast when you truly live and breathe on it.
A lesson I learned midway through the journey is that future vessels must be made with endurance and long operation in mind. Preferably, there must be a few replenishment vessels to accompany a fleet if I can afford the cost. Otherwise, I can kiss goodbye to Sapientia's request. But well, that's a concern for the future.
While Reizen busies herself with the fish, I review the Map Module for our approaching destination. It's not particularly noteworthy, but according to what Sapientia noted, it should be a good place to schedule some R&R after a long period at sea before heading elsewhere. Fresh water and food can be sourced there to restock our Inventory, if needed. Still, Sapientia does note that the coming stretch of ocean is infested with some dangerous aquatic life. Nothing too serious, but best not to go for a dive, is what the Ember Goddess warned.
I intend to take the warning seriously. It's why more than just piloting the White Pearl, I have been constantly paying attention to search radar and sonar. They may not be as accurate as I wanted, but at least they can still offer me some forewarning if any of that nasty stuff appears. Additionally, Reizen and I set up a shift system during the night. We have never once slept together in the last week for fear that an uninvited guest will intrude upon a defenseless White Pearl. When I sleep, Reizen pilots the Pearl and maintains a guard stance, and vice versa.
Although I may have Aurea to accompany me during the time of all-consuming darkness, Reizen has no one else sharing her mental space. As such, whenever I am off the clock and need to sleep, I have taken upon myself the important duty of sleeping on the chair next to Reizen. At the very least, Reizen won't lack the necessary warmth and eye candy from me. Of course, this doesn't work all the time, as more often than not, I wake up with my back resting on the bed and my eyes gazing at the ceiling. It's even more hilarious when Reizen tears a page off my book and does the same when I'm on the watch. However, lacking Reizen's physical strength, I never dare to carry her from the chair to the bed for fear of accidentally waking her up if my hands give out.
Fortunately, Aurea and I make it a point that, other than the obvious safety features, the chairs on the White Pearl are designed with human comfort in mind. So our sleep quality doesn't get affected much, if at all.
Halfway sunken in my thoughts, I am pulled back to reality when Reizen's voice comes from below the tower.
"Umbra, the fish is ready, and I've taken the time to clean the place the best I can!"
I shout back from above.
"Ok! Go wash yourself up before taking over the control, please~!"
"Got it! See you in a bit!"
[I can't wait to see what the finished product looks like...] Aurea gulps in anticipation.
I giggle.
[Don't worry. I didn't live a long lifetime for nothing. I may not beat those truly dedicated genius chefs, but I can still guarantee the taste and texture.]