487 Dumb, Stupid, Clever (2/2)

He was the first.

Over the past year or so, Hai had grown a little closer to Rico... For whatever reason, he no longer found her as annoying as he once did.

”We're not pirates, you brat,” He growled. ”We're pirate *hunters.* There's a difference.”

High-Captain Lang Hai was the greatest pirate-hunter amongst them... until Pale came along. Honestly, besides the kid being a terrifying monster in his own right, it felt a little out of place to have someone that was almost stronger than he was in his crew.

The field battle against the Marauding Squids was the first time he had seen Pale at full strength.

The kid held back in training, that was for sure... but no matter how much he and the other Officers tried to piss him off, he never showed just how much he was hiding.

It was funny... the first time that Pale seemed to go all out-- it was when no one else in the crew was watching. That meant, besides him, nobody actually knew how strong he was-- oh, and maybe Rico. Those two play-fought a lot.

He wasn't jealous. Not at all. Why would he be?

Anyroad, the behavior fell in line with the kid's usual, borderline-annoying humbleness.

Dumb... stupid... clever pup.

Hai wished a little bit that he could take credit for how strong Pale had become.

Honestly, he could not... but it'd have been nice to have Tycon grovel at his feet in gratitude.

Dumb, noble... somewhat-clever nerd.

After a short while, Pale approached him with his arms full of looted weapons and trinkets. The kid had good eyes, his attention to detail better than even his own. It was yet another thing the kid outshone his peers in.

”Good haul, Lieutenant,” Hai nodded.

The boy looked up with a weird, far-off look in his eyes, ”Sir, it's been... over a year.”

”Huh...” Hai pursed his lips to the side... ”Yeah. Doesn't feel like it, though.”

”I think that... that soon... Sir Tycon's gonna call for me.”

Hai furrowed his brows, taking off his majestic Captain's hat to scratch his head, ”What in the seven hells is that supposed to mean?”

The boy shrugged, ”Just had the feeling, I guess?”

Hai launched a half-hearted kick against Pale's armored side, ”Talk sense, kid!! You're not an elf, you're a person!”

”My dad's an elf?” Pale stumbled but regained his balance with an acrobatic cartwheel. ”So I guess it's okay that I make half-sense?”

”Yeah, yeah. Quay of Sol Invictus, sing his name in praise-- or whatever,” Hai grumbled.

He and Pale started arranging their plunder in a pile. It gave him time to think.

Lieutenant Eilean told him that years ago, the legendary guild, Sol Invictus, was capable of even fighting against the seven hells and eleven heavens. From what little Hai had experienced, meeting not even half of their members, he wanted to believe it.

When Pale rejoined them... maybe even the gods would have something to fear.

He just hoped that... if the world was ending anytime soon, that Tycon would have the courtesy to invite him.

”Blood and thunder, Sol Invictus,” He muttered. ”I hope you losers don't die out there...”

”You say somethin', Cap'n?” Pale turned.

”What?! NO! Get back to LOOTING, Lieutenant!!”