*Duty*

"That was fun." A well-armored man says grinning to his partners with a streak of blood across his face.

"Oy, it's not supposed to be fun, but well… I agree. It wasn't a bad fight. Although I wish they'd have been stronger."

"Right?"

"Hey, the new guys are kinda…" A man within a small group of veterans whispers.

"They're ex-ETC guys after all. Of course, they'd be strong."

"If they weren't here we'd probably be…"

"I know. We'll buy them a round later."

*Mist*

"Is this where it came from?" A villager asks walking along the beach to the north of town.

"Hey. Hey. Look over here. It's all…"

"What the hell is this?" The first asks, running over to the torch light of his brother.

"…"

"So it wasn't a thunder stone then? But what's with all the red. Is it something better?"

"Brother, you were young, but do you remember the smell after the village was attacked?"

"It was like…" He breathes in once thinking about it before gagging suddenly at the realization. "Then this is all…"

"Yeah. Look, it's not just here. It's all along the beach but this… this is the point of impact."

"But what could…"

"I don't want to know… But from the old stories, I'd guess demons."

"No… No way."

"I'm sure it's nothing though, probably just something that washed ashore or something."

"Ye… yeah."

*Drinks with dad.*

-A little before five bells, festival day.-

"This stuff is amazing!" Theo says flipping his cup over

"Right? Although Rou hates it."

"Dad? Why are on his side? And of course, I hate it. It's too strong, it ruins the point of drinking!"

"Hmmm, how about this." Cole retrieves a coconut from storage and punctures it with a pinky finger. Nodding to himself casually he pours a glass inside before shaking it carefully with a practiced motion. "Oh! and then if I do this…"

The coconut turns a cool blue for a moment before the aura quickly disappears.

"What are you doing?"

"Coconut daiquiri. Try it, try it." Cole says with an excited expression.

Rou takes the chilled coconut from Cole chopping it with her hand carefully to break the top off. She pours it into her glass and carefully sips.

"Oh, that's…" She says interrupting herself and sipping it more heartily. She tips the cup completely and then gasps happily.

"That might have been a bad ide…"

"AHHHHHHHH! What is happening to me?!" Rou cries gripping at her head in agony.

"First brain freeze?"

~

"Ah that's right, where are the other wives? And Aqua?"

"None of them are wives yet. But they are all hanging out with the ETC people. Probably at Mirna's inn. I know Alice wanted to spend time with Karlie, and Karlie hadn't met Mirna's brother yet. El is either climbing trees or with them."

"El is here," El says popping up behind Cole and embracing his body from behind.

"Ah. I see. Well, am I right about the others?"

"Yes. I hear Alice making baby talk with Mirna's brother as we speak. Ah, hmm that is strange…"

"What?" Cole asks rotating in his chair to face the elf.

"Captain it seems a small argument has broken out."

"Oh? Over what?"

"Something Alice said…" El says narrowing her eyes and inspecting Cole carefully. She gets closer and smells around him carefully. "Hmm I can't smell anything past the alcohol. Although I know for sure she is not."

"Wait, what'd she say?"

*Baby talk*

"So cute!"

"Right!? And if you poke here, it's all squishy."

"Mirna don't do that." Lynn's voice says from a dozen feet away.

"Mhmm fine," Mirna says stamping her feet. She then leans towards the three with her. "But it really is."

"Well, I will take your word for it. But it's kinda incredible, right? Two people can make something this amazing. I bet a…" Aqua says before trailing off.

"Mirna and Captain's baby would look really cute!" Mirna says spinning in a circle with a giggle. "Oh! And maybe El and Captain's too! I wonder what they would look like?"

"I wonder who's ears they would get?" Karlie says with a laugh. "What about you Alice?"

Alice, who was preoccupied with the babbling child suddenly broke from her fantasy after having her name called.

"Ah, a baby with Master? I can't imagine I would get one just from doing that…" She says grasping at her stomach with a look of concern.

"What? Doing what?" Karlie asks cutting the distance and grasping at Alice's hands.

"Yeah. What were those sounds the other night anyway? Captain wouldn't say and you didn't come back till after I fell asleep."

"Ah, no we only… It was nothing really. It was the least a slave could do after such exemplary treatment…"

"Then he ordered you to…"

"No! No. It wasn't exactly an order." Alice says blushing and glancing around the table.

"Well I guess for Alice and Cole we will just need to wait a few years to see," Karlie says with a smirk.

"Then you really…" Aqua says in shock.

"No, we really didn't… It didn't go that far. Captain was… hesitant about taking that step."

Aqua takes a careful step backward glancing around the table at two of her opponents. "Then are the others are moving this quickly as well? I can't be hesitant either. I will find captain after this, it's surely my turn."

*Chowder stand*

"Just one?" A friendly voice behind the counter asks.

"Yes, although I'm not sure what it is. But it smells good." A boy says looking over the large pot with watering mouth.

"Ah, it's a dish made with shellfish. It sounds weird but it is delicious."

"Wait you mean this is the dish made with those shells?" The boy says looking at the precious coins in his hands. The very source of his money was now being served to him. And it looks and smells like something expensive. "How much is it?"

"The first bowl is 3 silver 50 copper. If you come back with the bowl you can get another for 1 silver. And were also buying the bowls back for 2 silver."

"What that's…" The boy begins counting on his fingers. "Here."

"Alrighty, and here is the 50 copper change. Have a nice meal."

"Thank you!"

~

"Another?"

"Yes, please! How is this so cheap? It's delicious!"

"Well it will likely become more expensive but for now it is an unknown food so its best to offer it cheaply."

"I see, so I should cherish this while I have the chance."

"Well as price increases the price of the ingredient itself will likely rise. I have heard there is plenty of work collecting them, it would be good to learn whil…"

"I already know how! I was taught by that guy."

"'That guy?' You mean the hero?" The cashier asks with arched brows.

"He… hero? He was… Then this all…?"

"That's right. He's very kind isn't he?"

"Mhm, so that is what a hero is like, huh? I always thought they would be self-centered. But he was funny, I even saw him walking all weird a few minutes ago." The boy grins remembering the hunched over man who nodded to him in the middle of his second bowl of chowder. "Hero, huh? That's amazing. That's someone I'd follow anywhere."

"Right? I don't even know what it is exactly, but he gives me that feeling too." The cashier says looking off into the distance dreamily.

"Dianna, are you working or talking?" Autumn says from inside the cooking area.

"W…Working!" Dianna says quickly picking up a rag and wiping out a nearby bowl.

*Rumor mill #4*

"Did you hear about the boat old man Yansee saw?"

"Hmm?"

"It had no sail, no mast and was going as fast as a magic creature."

"That's…?!"

"I know, impossible right?"

~ ~

"Hear about the boat Loggins saw near yellow sands?"

"Hmm?"

"It had no sail, and no mast."

"That's...? Was it moving?"

"What? No of course, not idiot. That'd be impossible. It was some old idiot, they towed him to Marrow and then had to rush back to finish a shipment to Ikin. Apparently, it was a few weeks back now."

"Oh. That's boring."

"What? You kidding? It was the funniest damn thing I'd ever heard."

~ ~

"Someone tried to rob the bank during the festival?" Calis asks shaking his head at the words in confusion.

"That's right." The king says holding back a smile.

"But that's just…"

"I know."

"How dumb do they have to be?" Calis says still shaking his head with scrunched brow.

"Moderately?"

*New.*

"This place is nice. Right dear?

Mhm, it is, plenty of room to grow the family too. How much did you say it is to rent?"

"Ah well, that is where it gets strange. It's a foreign concept to me but this is how the owners want to do it."

"Hmm?"

"Well, you must have noticed this place is furnished already."

"Yes?"

"Well, this is what the owner calls a model home. This is a sample of what the house will look like. The house itself is being built in a new neighborhood in the northwestern part of town. When finished, furnishings can either be provided or you can get it at a lower price bare."

"I see. A lower price you say? Cheaper rent?"

"Well, it is actually a rent to own system. It's called mortgage. The construction company will be paying for the house in full, and you will pay a stipend each month until it's paid off."

"Is it expensive?"

"As a whole, but it's no more expensive than typical rent in town. between 75 silver and 1 gold a month."

"That's…"

"And wages in town are a bit higher than normal cities. Two gold a month is a low wage at this point. Everyone has to compete with EC's wages."

"EC?"

"Excalibur Conglomerate, or Company. Either works really. They own the Trade company, Construction company, and two restaurants. I also hear the completely finance the Inn."

"Are they hiring?"

"Yeah but… it's strict." The realtor says with a sigh.

"Ah. I see."

*Theseus*

"Excalibur?"

"No, two Excalibur's?" Rou asks from beside.

"That's right. It's honestly kind of pointless. I have just always wanted to try it, and Triff's construction crew needed practice."

"But how are there two?" Aqua asks tilting her head in confusion.

"It's a paradox from a long time ago. The theory is if you replace all the parts of a ship and rebuild it using the old components…"

"I don't get it…"

"Well think about it this way. Which ship is Excalibur?"

"Hmm? Well it's the newer looking one, right?"

"No, no. The one on the right with the broken deck looks more like the Excalibur I remember."

"And now you understand the paradox. Technically they are both the same ship. Although my menu doesn't seem to see it that way."