MD— CHAPTER 6

Title: Novice Fisherman

Getting a job on a ship known to peacefully trade against the Goblins was easier said than done. Most of the Goblins in the region, due to their origin in an island and discriminated against by other races at any given chance, turned to the profession of Piracy. Honestly, the term fisherman was coined by a human pirate who wanted to remain a pirate but still get his name praised for accommodating some sort of noble profession. In this world, all sea traders were simply pirates who wouldn't need second chances to stab a weakened ally in the back and loot the victim off of his treasures.

So, in the profession of 'fishing', alongside dangerous sea beasts that were incapable of housing familiars due to the lack of more sophisticated intelligence, the threats weren't just limited to the unknowns of the sea but also the depth of the heart of humans and other races alike.

After carefully observing most of the favored ships and then chatting up with the Captains of the said ships, Sparow came to a compromising deal with a rather popular ship. As Sparow had flaunted in front of his landlord— Benjamin— the knowledge he had acquired from the Society of Familiars, the Captain named Lucio was eager to have a qualified member like Sparow.

Not only that, his soft nature and a rudimentary check from the sailors not from his ship allowed Sparow to come to terms with that Lucio really was on good terms with the Goblins. The reason for the same still confused Lucio's crewmates but his relationship with the island dwellers was undeniable.

Since four days of the start of Sparow's ordeal, he had finally gained access to a beneficial job which was considered time well spent for he had estimated himself getting a job in seven days himself.

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Unlike the wooden ships in need of constant repairs with their visage creaming— Pirates, the ship designed to withstand the vicissitudes of the crashing sea and accompanying beasts was something little more than wood. Sitting in front of the Captain in his cabin, professional sailors manning the ship and armed summoners guarding the ship while keeping a lookout, Lucio, a pale-skinned, blonde captain with a thin stature smiled with a neutral expression, a creepy exterior, Sparow admitted but he had to start from somewhere.

Lucio was dressed in a complete beast outfit. Navy blue jacket with a pale pink t-shirt, and a pair of jeans, all stitched and weaved out of various body parts of one Typhoon Catfish which has definitely provided the man with certain abilities of the same monster, what abilities, however, eluded Sparow.

"Taking you with us is certainly a risk, not only to your life but also my crewmates," Lucio muttered without delving too deep into his thoughts. The employment contract was set and Sparow would receive 2400 credits per month until he resigns, dies, or gets fired, of course.

"Captain," Sparow retained his stoic expression, "I just wish to find a suitable familiar in the sea and successfully pass my ordeal. And I passed your questionnaire regarding variant beasts quite easily... but I am well aware of your concerns."

"Yep," Lucio shrugged, "With no possible way to accurately determine the strength of a beast, every encounter is a risk, and even if all the beasts, in some manner, fall in the power scale of seven chakra system, it will only take one beast to have strength greater than rank 4 and destroy the ship."

Sparow nodded. As an appraiser, he was to be stationed next to the captain. After all, the sole identifier of the ship should remain next to the strongest summoner on the ship. Still, Sparow kept his desire to contract a humanoid monster to himself. If he wrote his true objective on a banner, most of the monster girls themselves would aim to contract Sparow as their familiar. After all, it worked both ways and until he contracted someone to his Root Chakra.

"So, Quin City, huh? What's that place like?" Lucio inquired, "I have roamed seas and visited... well, survived many islands but I never got the time to enter a city as 'rich' as Quin."

"If it's rich cities then we should stop the inhabitant of the Royal Capital," Sparow smiled slightly but failed to notice the slight tremble of Lucio's lips as the Captain broke into an awkward smile, "I know, right?" The thin captain chuckled when his communicator buzzed. "Cap, we're in luck. A school of the fish beasts is avoiding our sweetheart and from the looks of the most recent pic, there's a variant. We need that kid, finally getting our credit's worth from the scrawny one."

'The Captain is thinner than me,' Sparow's eyelids twitched but with a nod from Lucio, he stood up and made his way out to the empty deck and then descend to the control room.

"There he is!" unlike Lucio, his navigator wasn't as polite. Tanned skin and scarred hands gave the Navigator Rambo a zing his name deserved but his smile was the most brutal of all. A chunky hand tugged on Sparow and got a grip of his neck with his body pulled into some form of a hug and made to lean forward with his face coming in front of the picture of a blurred school of salmon tendrils.

"I need more lights," Sparow stated with the control room usually dim for better navigation as Rambo gave a go to one of the men, brightening the room.

"You know these ones?" Rambo inquired in a low guttural snarl with Sparow nodding.

"I need a clearer image of that variant but other things considered, the Salmon Tendrils should be as good as captured. Any rank 1 can fight off a whole school of them so... they go rather tasty with a bottle of Wasp Wine."

"Oh?" Rambo grinned, "Wine's for cunts, you're a sailor now, eh! We'll treat you to what we call booze tonight!" A strong encouraging pat from an empowered rank 3 almost sent Sparow to the floor face first but he managed to hold his ground.

"Chief," Nimo spoke up, "We've got a better pic. Check it out!" he said while pushing the upload button and a clear image of a red-skinned salmon with green frilly tendrils for fins appeared, making Sparow sigh. "That's just an infant variant. A common one at that. Just be sure to wash your hands after coming into touch with the skin or you'll have to wash your eyes with that booze of yours."

As Sparow left for the Captain's cabin once again, Nino, Rambo, and others in the navigation room broke into a grin.

"Chief, he's got spunk, I'll give him that."

"Yeah, yeah," Rambo smacked the head of the shouter, "Get back to work dumbasses. Can't let a group of small fries get away after the squirt called 'em weak. And that red variant is supposed to be the spicy one, ain't that right? We'll treat him to that!"

The entire navigation squad broke into cheers as if they were simply unaware of the dangers slumbering in the deepest corner of the sea.