Chapter 18 – A Supper And The Ring

Darya fully expected the ship to be anchored in the lagoon after that storm, but she was pleasantly surprised to see they were in the open ocean with no landmass nearby.

I don’t know how Fominel got this thing out of the lagoon by himself. Can someone sail a ship alone?

Her obsession was cool-looking ships. She didn’t know enough about sailing to answer this question.

Fominel wasn’t at the helm. He was in the kitchen cleaning an arm-length fish that he’d caught.

“Princess!” he said, beaming at her as she entered.

“You’re unbelievable, Fominel!” Darya said. “You did everything by yourself again?”

“Oh, that’s not the end of it,” Seris said. “He sneaked into the island while you and I were asleep to find his sword! I already yelled at him for that. Feel free to yell at him again!”

“You went before the storm ended?!” Darya didn’t know if she was angry or impressed. Perhaps both. “You’re a hard man to keep in one place, I see!”

“Apologies, princess!” Fominel said with a sheepish grin. “A warrior must treat his weapons as his children! I didn’t want to leave mine out in the storm.”

Darya rolled her eyes. This was his doctrine of sands or whatever again. Perhaps it was the reason he was assigned to the princess of Karossa. A man like this belonged in a war zone, not babysitting a six-year-old.

Maybe my dear father spent a lot of money to convince him, or he’s bound to me by something else?

She noticed his left arm was covered with bandages when she got closer to him.

“When did you get wounded this bad, Fom?” she asked. She felt uneasy about him working this hard while injured.

“Oh, it’s nothing. Happened last night when I got hit with Sarka’s lightning! That was a surprise!” Fominel laughed, going back to filleting the fish.

Darya stared at him in disbelief. “What?! When did you get hit?!”

Seris groaned. “He’s always like this. He didn’t tell us he got hit with that lightning bolt that wrecked half the weather deck.”

“Huh?!” Darya exclaimed.

“I saw it coming, and I tried to fend it with my manablades. That didn’t work well,” Fominel laughed again.

Darya remembered him carrying her after the fight without a single complaint. He had been injured all that time. “You’re unbelievable!” she said.

“Seriously, Fom, you have to tell me when you get wounded, not hide it like a little kid!” Seris slapped Fominel on the shoulder. “I caught him trying to pour healing potion on the burns,” she added, turning to Darya.

This is a super independent lunatic, trained for war from a very young age.

She had been naturally independent herself for thirty years. She found him somewhat relatable, but her reclusive brand of independence was nothing compared to a man living a warrior doctrine.

“Be careful, Fom!” she warned. “You rushed to meet Sarka on your own as well, and I ended up having to get there before you did!”

Fominel looked at her guiltily.

She didn’t mention how she lost her way trying to get to him because she was busy testing things mid-flight, which was the immediate reason she decided to go for Sarka. She wanted to take the opportunity to make Fominel behave.

There wasn’t a good threat that she could make. She had only gotten to know him recently.

“I’ll fire you if you keep risking your life.”

“F-fire me?!” Fominel lost the grip of his knife. “I raised you, princess!”

Hit a spot, huh. Let me try poking more.

“Well, guess who lost all those memories recently?” Darya asked smugly.

“Oh! This must be the first time Fom was ever threatened with firing! Seris laughed, slamming her fist on a table.

“Th-this is a problem!” Fominel said, clearly shaken.

“That’s right! It’s my ship! I’ll fire anyone as I please! except this cute wisp baby, of course!” Darya said, pointing at her shoulder where Enta was curled up in a ball.

Can’t fire the hot elf either. Actually, the only one on this ship that I can fire is poor Fominel, and we’ll all be doomed!

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Seris and Fominel began fixing a quick supper with lunch dishes for Darya. Her help in the kitchen was limited to cutting or cleaning things. Vainfall’s ingredients were far different from anything she knew.

She noticed a lot of spice being used regardless of what the dish was. They had a large drawer of spice bottles.

The VRMMO was set in an age of exploration and colonization. Spice was a big topic, but it was only part of the lore as a resource to be exploited by various kingdoms. RLP had made them real.

Darya didn’t know much about spices, but a golden powder called ‘Agarmo Dust’ wasn’t one that she had ever seen on Earth. It tasted like MSG on steroids.

They had a bucket full of red jellyfish that were supposed to be deadly. She was curious why they were keeping neurotoxin in the kitchen.

Fominel told her about a recipe for turning jellyfish into glass noodles, and Seris told her about a complex potion that needed the toxin extract.

They took everything to the living room once the dishes were ready.