Chapter 10: A Little More Time

Julian’s sword stroke had no flourishes, no distinctive technique to give it away. There was only the simplest quality, carried to its utmost limit: speed.

That was the whole secret. Be fast.

In this life, he had practiced swordsmanship through every season since he was old enough to lift a blade. His training ranged from basic [Military Swordsmanship] to the Church’s closely guarded [Silver Cross Swordsmanship], the [Fisher Cutting Method] so widespread among pirates, and finally the [Tempest Swordsmanship] unique to the Kingdom of Hastings.

He had yet to step onto the [Ladder of Glory] and formally enter a profession, so he was not a true supernatural practitioner. But his solid foundations and the instruction of numerous court swordmasters placed him among the very best of those who had not.

“The new man’s fast!”

“With all the upheaval in Hastings lately, plenty of skilled fighters seem to have fled overseas. The seas have been noticeably more chaotic. But even this newcomer’s that good?”

“I’ve heard the cook’s the most dangerous man in an army. Is that what we’ve got here? He did serve a great noble.”

The pirates watched in amazement. A first mate chiefly handled quartermaster duties and assisted the captain; he was not necessarily the best fighter among the ordinary pirates aboard. Still, few of them were sure they could have stopped Julian’s stroke in Bram’s place.

Before signing the [Ten Pirate Commandments], Julian had been a captive. After signing, he was a pirate recognized by the [Pirate Code], one of their own who played by the rules.

His brazen display of strength earned him no general hostility.

Humility and good manners were the least useful qualities aboard a pirate vessel. Without a ruthless streak, a man could never establish himself. He could not afford to seem weak or easily bullied. He had to be harder than the others, more merciless, an unpredictable mystery no one could read. Anyone who showed him ill will had to face a devastating reprisal.

That was how pirates survived. It was also an instinct bred into the bones of the Northern Bayfolk.

Julian’s performance impressed more than Young Peter, the ship’s carpenter who already liked him. Pirates who had never exchanged a word with him offered smiles.

The exceptions were the grim-faced first mate, Bram “Marrowcrack,” and his supporters.

“Enough. This is no time for infighting,” Oswald “Redgaze” declared at last, settling the matter. “From this moment on, our cook, Julian Valemont, will also serve as storekeeper. Wartime regulations are now in effect. Victory comes before everything else. Cooks, carpenters, everyone joins the fighting ranks. Unless you want Maneater Shark sunk beneath you, leaving you to jump overboard and gamble on the miserable odds of surviving, find the courage to take the enemy down with you!”