Chapter 19: Counterattack (1)

“Mmm…”

A pleasant sound escaped Claire’s lips as he felt something warm, firm, and comfortably soft. However, the moment he opened his eyes, his face contorted in immediate distress.

The source of that comforting warmth was the broad, solid chest and arms of Elpian, right in front of him.

Though Claire had a slender build, he was of average height, yet he found himself completely buried in the other man’s embrace. He grimaced and tried to shove away the arm draped over his back, but the grip only tightened, pulling him closer.

“Ugh, hey. I can’t breathe.”

As he struggled, he felt Elpian stir. It didn’t seem like a deliberate act; rather, the man had instinctively pulled him closer in his sleep. Elpian looked down at Claire with half-open green eyes, twitched an eyebrow, and finally released his hold.

Claire sat up and scrambled to put his clothes back on, grumbling loud enough for the other to hear.

“This was seriously the worst idea. I can’t sleep properly, and my whole body aches.”

“Wipe the drool off your chin.”

At Elpian’s chilly remark, Claire sheepishly wiped his face. Embarrassing as it was, he had to admit he’d slept soundly.

Shortly after sailing from Porto, Elpian had caught a cold. The climate was much warmer than the North Sea, but perhaps due to his weakened immunity from his injuries, he had come down with a burning fever.

Though they were still in a state of psychological warfare, Claire found it awkward to stop acting as a physician once he had committed to saving him. He wished Elpian would at least stay on guard, but the man was frustratingly defenseless, showing absolutely no concern for Claire’s vengeful heart. Caught between wanting revenge and wanting to finish the job he started, Claire had ended up continuing the treatment.

After an examination, Claire concluded it wasn’t pneumonia or a severe infection; the man just needed warmth and rest to recover. The problem was that a pirate ship lacked anything resembling modern heating. There were no extra blankets, and no heaters outside of the galley stove.

After much thought, Claire had prescribed the following:

“Just fill a leather skin with hot water and hug it while you sleep.”

He thought it was a brilliant plan, but when he entered the cabin with Mary Read carrying a steaming leather skin, Elpian’s expression turned utterly sour. Even while ill, the “man of the sea” apparently found the idea of hugging a hot water bottle undignified.

Ignoring the leather skin Mary Read held out, Elpian suddenly grabbed Claire’s arm and pulled him down onto the bed.

“Ah, I see. A lover is indeed the best way to warm a bed. Claire, I’m counting on you.”

“What on earth are you talking about!”

Mary Read had simply commented airily and left the room. Claire had protested and struggled, but even with a raging fever, the man’s monstrous strength hadn’t faded an inch. He was no match for him.

Deeply displeased, Claire had shared a bed with Elpian from that day forward.

Whether this forced prescription was effective or not, Elpian’s fever gradually broke, and his cold was soon cured. Combined with his beast-like recovery rate, the wounds across his body were healing at a staggering pace.

“I think you’re fine now, so let’s stop this sleeping together business.”

“I’ll be the one to decide that.”

Claire made the suggestion as he watched Elpian sitting up normally—only two weeks after being shot—but the man cut him off without a second thought.

Claire sighed deeply, feeling his situation was pathetic. It was bad enough being held by a man—his enemy, no less—but Elpian’s sleeping habits were particularly troublesome for Claire.

He didn’t force himself on Claire or demand anything sexual, but habits formed from a lifetime of holding lovers didn’t just disappear.

In his sleep, Elpian would frequently slide a hand under Claire’s shirt to graze his skin, knead his backside, or press kisses against the nape of his neck, causing Claire to wake up in a startled panic. Furthermore, despite his cold, Elpian refused to wear clothes while sleeping. The sensation of skin-on-skin contact, even with another man, was a strange and unsettling feeling. Claire felt as if the phantom touch of the man’s hands—which had wandered over sensitive areas in the pre-dawn hours—was still lingering on his body. He shook his head vigorously to clear the thought.

While Claire was lost in his own head, Elpian was staring out the window at the sun-drenched horizon. Curious and wanting to change the subject, Claire looked where he was looking and his eyes went wide. A tiny black speck was visible at the edge of the horizon.

“Is that… land?”

He scrambled to the window, leaning out to get a better look.

“Las Palmas,” Elpian replied in a low, resonant voice. To Claire, it was just a speck, but the Admiral’s tone was one of absolute certainty. Leaving the curious Claire behind, Elpian walked to his desk and spoke casually.

“Once we arrive, you have permission to go ashore.”

“What?”

Claire couldn’t believe his ears. Elpian repeated himself in a languid tone.

“I said, once we reach Las Palmas, you may leave the ship.”

“What’s the catch? If you’re going to tell me I have to drag Miguel along everywhere…”

“Going with Mary Read will suffice.”

Stunned by the straightforward answer, Claire stood there blinking for a moment before asking, “What are you planning? Are you trying to repay a debt? That’s not like you. You were so adamant about keeping me on board before.”

“Think whatever you like.”

With that, Elpian closed his mouth, signaling the end of the conversation. Seeing no point in further talk, Claire walked out of the room feeling unsettled. The moment he stepped through the door, Mary Read rushed up to him, looking delighted.

“Wow! Are we actually going ashore this time?”

“Were you eavesdropping?”

“It’s a hobby of mine. More importantly, this is great news! We’ve been stuck on this ship for over a month.”

Claire was indeed sick of the waves and the constant swaying, so it was a relief. However, he couldn’t bring himself to feel pure joy. Beside him, Mary Read continued to chatter.

“Does the Admiral finally trust you? You saved his life, and you’ve been sharing a bed every night.”

“That’s a weird way to put it. I was just a substitute for a heater.”

“Regardless. Usually, once the Admiral takes a liking to someone, they stop resisting and give in within a week or two. It’s about time he let you off the leash.”

From Claire’s perspective, he wasn’t “giving in” at all. Ascending to the deck with Mary, he looked toward Las Palmas and muttered, “It’s not like that. I doubt he thinks so either.”

“Really? Well, whatever. You guys are getting along well enough, aren’t you?”

Claire hated the phrase “getting along well.”

Is that how it looks? He supposed it was natural. Even with the excuse of being forced, if he was saving his enemy’s life and sleeping comfortably beside him, that was the logical conclusion.

Honestly, he could feel his murderous intent fading as time passed. Perhaps it was because he hadn’t struck when his hatred was at its peak. Or perhaps it was realizing that Elpian had surprisingly little attachment to life himself. Or, most likely, he was simply becoming stained by the irrational atmosphere of the pirate ship.

“Anyway, let’s think about what to do once we land. There’s a pub I go to every time I’m in Las Palmas; it’s really good. I’ll pay since you don’t have any money. Let’s go together.”

Mary Read chattered on excitedly, but her words barely registered with Claire.

If things continued like this, everything would just fade into ambiguity. He needed to get away from the man and get his revenge as soon as possible. He narrowed his blue eyes at the black speck on the horizon, hoping that on that distant island lay the key to the path he truly desired.

“I absolutely cannot give it to you for that price, so don’t even bring it up!”

A middle-aged man of Spanish descent waved his hands dismissively and spoke coldly. Startled by the hostile atmosphere, Claire quickly turned to Mary Read. However, she only raised her voice further.

“What? I offered the market rate! Who do you think you’re fooling? If you don’t want to sell, fine! Claire, let’s go!”

Mary Read grabbed his arm and pulled him away. Claire followed reluctantly, looking back over his shoulder and whispering urgently.

“How can we just leave? That fruit merchant said this guy is the only one around here who carries these medicines.”

“Tsk, tsk. If you don’t know the first thing about haggling, stay quiet, Claire. I already know—”

“W-Wait! Miss!”

Before she could finish her sentence, the apothecary called out to them. Mary Read flashed a triumphant smile. After more intense haggling, she managed to secure her original price and even talked the man into throwing in a bottle of turmeric. Claire was astounded by her skill.

“You’re incredible.”

“Ahem. Just realizing that now? A London gentleman like you would be stripped from head to toe in this market without me. Anyway, you’ve got everything you need, right? Let’s go.”

“Are we going back to the ship already? I have more things to do on land. I want to look into a few things.”

“As if we’re going back to the ship! Didn’t I tell you we were going to a pub?”

“Uh, I’m not really one for pubs…”

“Stop complaining and follow me.”

Mary Read dragged Claire along. She pushed through the swinging doors of a pub on the corner of the wharf and market street, which bore a sign reading ‘The Bloody Horn’.

She looked at the owner behind the counter and shouted, “What? You’re still the boss here, old man?”

“Yo. Mary Read. Still alive, I see. I was sure your head would be floating in the surf by this year.”

“Listen to him, Edith! Hurry up and put a bullet in the old man’s head so we can get a fresh, young owner in here. Why waste your beauty on him?”

“Hohoho. I haven’t found where he’s hidden his fortune yet. Long time no see, Mary Read. What can I get you?”

“A bottle of rum and two servings of bouillabaisse!”

She ordered for Claire without asking, but he was too exhausted by the casual mention of murder to complain. He sat awkwardly on a stool and surveyed the room.

It was a typical low-class tavern, with a long counter and tables made of overturned barrels. The bustling market had been fascinating, but this place—crawling with pirates—did not sit well with him. It brought back the bitter memories of the night he was kidnapped.

As Mary Read engaged in cheerful, pointless banter with the owner, Claire picked at the bouillabaisse that had just been served with a look of distaste. However, the tone of the conversation soon shifted.

“Edith, let’s talk business. I heard back in Porto that quite a few warships went down in these parts.”

Mary Read tossed a silver coin across the counter. The landlady, Edith, caught it with practiced ease.

Realizing the question was about the battle between Elkain’s fleet and the Spanish Navy, Claire listened intently.

“Oh, it was something else. The ships were so far out you couldn’t even see their shadows, but the cannons boomed so loudly all day I thought I’d go deaf. You could see the water plumes even from here!”

“So, did they all sink? I didn’t see the Captain’s fleet in the harbor.”

“The Capfrancis fleet split up and retreated to Madeira,” the owner answered in a gravelly voice, stepping in for Edith.

“Retreated? You mean the Captain lost?”

“Gwahahaha! Well, relatively speaking. The Spanish warships didn’t even get the chance to retreat.”

“What? How many were there?”

“Six ships. They all went down. Now the waters off Las Palmas are swarming with idiots in rowboats dreaming of salvaging a warship.”

The owner laughed heartily and slid a grimy bottle of rum toward them. Mary Read wiped the mouth of the bottle with her sleeve, took a long swig, and continued her questioning.

“What about the Captain’s losses?”

“I heard one of the regular fleet ships sank. And several others are half-wrecked.”

“Ugh, the damage is heavy then. So, is it true that Captain Elkain was wounded?”

“The rumors are everywhere, but nobody’s actually seen him. It seems they lost a lot of men on the main fleet. They say they’re going to do a massive recruitment drive.”

“Actually, a notice was posted a little while ago. Las Palmas is full of green boys hoping to join the Capfrancis fleet right now,” Edith added.

Mary Read finished her drink, laughed, and slammed her hand on the counter. “Hah! Morons! As if it’s that easy to join. They don’t just take anyone.”

“Recruitment…” Claire muttered to himself.

“What was that, Claire?”

Claire was repeating the word quietly when Mary Read startled him by clapping him on the shoulder.

“What are you whispering about? The Captain is incredible, isn’t he? Six Spanish warships!”

“Uh, yeah. Right.”

Giving a half-hearted response, Claire subtly steered the conversation. “Did we come here just for information?”

“Of course. You get information at a pub; where else would you go?”

“The newspapers, maybe…”

He said it hoping to hear news of the British mainland, but was immediately met with a burst of mockery.

“Pwahaha! Newspapers! This guy still hasn’t shaken off his elite upbringing! A newspaper in a place like this? Even if there was one, it’d be months old.”

“Hey, don’t insult our trade network. I have a fresh one from this month!”

At the owner’s words, Claire’s large eyes sparkled. “Can I see it?”

“You can see it, but it’s expensive.”

The moment the owner spoke, Mary Read pulled out another silver coin. But this time, instead of taking it, the owner flicked it away with his finger.

“One silver coin? You’re joking. This newspaper crossed two oceans to get here.”

“What? We’re not taking it, we just want to look for a bit. What’s the harm?”

Just as Mary Read was getting worked up to argue, a bundle of paper flew through the air and landed with a thud between her and Claire.

“Oh? This is a newspaper.”

Mary Read picked it up, and Claire turned his head to see where it had come from. Instantly, his pale face went rigid.

“I’ll let you see it. Read as much as you like.”

Miguel was leaning against a table in the back, a smirk playing on his lips. He hadn’t been there a moment ago.