Chapter 276: Prince Aesril: Journey, II

A day after their travel on the high seas, Prince Aesril, guises as a human named Ely, caught the Captain's attention. But not because he was too handsome as a sailor, but because of his talent in navigation.

Just after three hours upon boarding the merchant ship Dacota, Prince Aesril predicted a storm. Thus making the ship changes its path, escaping the incoming storm. Saving the sailors and their products.

But, having realized that their coins were not enough for their travels, Prince Aesril decided to work as a sailor scrubbing the deck and any other work the captain asked him. In return for their food and accommodation.

"You've called for us, Captain Creft?" Prince Aesril said after arriving at the captain's cabin with Gelethorn following him.

"Sit," Captain Creft said, blowing a smoke.

Prince Aesril and Gelethorn wore the sailor's clothing Captain Creft gave them: Baggy clothing with lines of blue and white edges. A necktie was added to lock the clothing in case of heavy wind. Sitting in the nearest stool, Prince Aesril and Gelethorn took a pair of orange tea the lady sailor gave them.

Most of the items the Dacota was carrying were old garments used by elite nobles, some silverware, and spices. But what caught Prince Aesril attention was a locked cabin leaking with red dust. This cabin was locked that event the other sailors couldn't enter except for Captain Creft and the contracted merchant who owns whatever was inside the locked room.

And across the wooden table was the merchant: Locked grey hair, although he wasn't that old and scars running down from his forehead down to his right side jaw.

"Captain Creft," Prince Aesril said after finishing the tea.

Gele nodded from the sweetness of the tea.

"Wow!" Gele applauded with his eyes fixed on the tea. He shook his head left and right as though a kid enjoying his favorite drink.

Prince Aesril knew that Gelethorn was acting the part of a farmer boy, but it seemed that his characterization seemed to be real.

"Ah!" Gele said. "This tea is very delicious. We don't have this back in our town."

Prince Aesril nodded with approval from Gele's actions.

"Of course," said the grey-haired merchant, "that's from a Yellow Bell Tree."

"Yellow Bell Tree?" Asked Gelethorn after handing the silver cup back to the lady sailor.

The grey-haired merchant cocked an eyebrow. Although minuscule, this gesture was caught by Prince Aesril.

"You're saying you didn't know the Yellow Bell Tree?" said the grey-haired merchant, his voice hinted of wariness. "You're from Millbeech, right?"

Gele nodded as his shoulders shuddered. Sensing that his guise was about to be made. His eyes darted Prince Aesril to his right.

Even though Prince Aesril couldn't see Gelethorn, he knew, in his mind, that Gele was asking for his help.

"Then you should know better what the Yellow Bell Tree is?" Continued the grey-haired merchant.

Even back at the Tree of Pin'tu, Prince Aesril always took a careful approach to everyone he just met. He became wary of other Elves, that this kind of trait became his hobby.

Even though the Elves were living in a giant tree, it would take years for Prince Aesril to meet all of them. There was a time that Prince Aesril let his guard down after meeting one of the elf his father, King Ascathan, introduced to him. Only to realize, that later on, this female elf was actually a Dark elf trying to guise herself as a High elf and took advantage of Prince Aesril while they were out for Hunting. This lady elf tried to seduce him, luckily, Gelethorn was there to stop this elf. That day, Prince Aesril became a man of analyzing.

Gele nodded but unable to answer the grey-haired merchant. His eyes gazing the back of Prince Aesril's head. Gele coughed.

"Forgive my brother," Prince Aesril said, caught up with Gele's cue. "He wasn't much of a plant guy."

Although Gelethorn was a Wood elf, most of what was thought to him was lost during his training. To survive the wilderness, Gelethorn only took basic herbalism to be able to recognize herbal plants in the wild. But Gele never heard of Yellow Bell Tree. His eyes frowned, trying to remember the name of the plant. His head shook as if it exploded of too much thinking.

"Well," Prince Aesril continued. "Yellow Bell Trees were not trees, but vines that produce a red flower. This red flower was then crashed and turned to paste. Then it was dried under the heat of the sun. Normally, it would take 12 days for it to turn yellow and ready for another process to make it into a tea. But the Yellow Bell Tree to be called a high-quality tea, it needed an exact temperature and time under the sun to dry."

Gelethorn nodded and let out a long breath hearing Prince Aesril's explanation about the tea.

The grey-haired merchant looked at Captain Creft and nodded.

"Is something wrong, Captain Creft?" Asked Prince Aesril.

Captain Creft wore a brown thin leather, highlighting the physique from his old time. According to other sailors, Captain Creft was once a warrior of a forgotten noble. After the nobles were executed and Captain Creft escapes, he used all his remaining money to venture the seas.

Prince Aesril was convinced of Captain Creft's stories. But he felt overly suspicious about the grey-haired merchant. He was hiding something, and Aesril doesn't want any of it.

"I want you of something," the grey-haired merchant said. From suspicious, his eyes turned hunter. The merchant leaned forward and towered his fingers under his chin. "Let's all be honest here. The tea I served wasn't the Yellow Bell Tree. It was something I made during my travels."

Prince Aesril narrowed his eyes while Gelethorn stood and walked before him to use his body as a shield.

"Back off, old human," Gele said while his hands tightened in a fist.

"Enrol," Prince Aesril said. "It's fine. Please move aside."

"But, my P—"

"That's enough, Enrol," Prince Aesril said. His eyes narrowing looking at Gelethorn.

Gelethorn looked over his shoulder, confused and startled. This was the second time his prince had that threatening look in his eyes. The first time was when he almost killed the female elf who tried to seduce him.

Gelethorn didn't bow his usual. He just walked past the female sailor standing behind them and stood near the door. As though ready for anything.

"Forgive my brother," the prince said, "he's just overly caring."

"I heard your mother is sick, and you wanted to go to an island where your uncle was," Captain Creft said, popping a smoke.

"It seemed that we were at a wrong ship." Prince Aesril leaned forward.

"And it seemed that we boarded wrong passengers." Captain Creft added.

"Cut the crap," the merchant said. "You're not here for your sick mother."

"The feelings mutual," Prince Aesril said. "You're not here for your old garments."

"If only you didn't predict the storm. You wouldn't be here." The merchant said. "Do you know how much gold we lost because of the storm? too much that it could buy a couple of ships."

"It seemed that selling garments weren't enough to buy a couple of ships." The prince plastered a fake smile under the Mask of Careé. "Just tell me what do you want. We might be able to talk it out—peacefully."

"Oh-ho," snarled the merchant. "Now I'm more curious. It seemed that you have boarded a fighter, Captain Creft."

"It seemed so, Jack." Captain Creft sipped in his smoke and spoke. He's got a broad shoulder, but the prince was pretty sure Gelethorn could take the two of them even if there were a dozen of them.

Except for the prince and Gelethorn. There were six people inside the cabin: Two sitting in front of Prince Aesril, Captain Creft and the merchant whom they called Jack, the lady sailor behind him, and two more near the window closer to Gele, and the last one outside standing as a guard.

Their positions, their movements, and even their breathing, Prince Aesril knew all these. Nothing could escape his acute senses, a trait he honed that even High elves were not able to do so. Even he who was not a fighter type elf could take them all with only his raw strength. So, if it came down to fighting, Prince Aesril would have to choose to eliminate them and, perhaps, forcefully take Dacota from Captain Creft.

"We don't have gold here if that's what you want." Prince Aesril continued. He was trying to be diplomatic. Or was trying to prolong the talk since Gelethorn was all ready to move. "We even decided to join your cleaning crew."

"Now, that is something I believe," Jack said and threw his back to the chair and folded his arms. "But that is something we can talk over. We're going to hire you. Show us more of your storming prediction and you be paid. You don't need to clean the deck, and you will have good food. Plus, a good room to rest."

Gelethorn walked over to Prince Aesril and whispered: "My Prince, this is something we do not want with humans. Give the order I'll execute them all. Let's not lower ourselves to these greedy humans. "

Of course, even if Gelethorn shouted, the real meaning of his voice won't leave the barrier the prince had conjured before Gele started to whisper. He did it with a flick of his finger. It was a barrier of magic composed of complex spells that produce different sounds after the voice left the barrier.

With countless spells on his possession, prince Aesril could conjure different spells depending on circumstances. But this spell was a low tier that if someone has a counter to it, they would still hear the real intent even with the invisible barrier on.

Outside, Gele's voice was distorted. This made the listeners frowned since they were too close yet unable to fully comprehend the words the farmer uttered.

After thinking for a moment, and coming to realization prince Aesril spoke, "You've got a deal."

"But—"

Prince Aesril raised a hand to stop Gelethorn.

After realizing how hard it was to earn and manage money, Prince Aesril agreed without hesitation.

"But I want you to bring us to O'rriadt Island."