The Book Of Flowers

Want Strong

-- 7 Days before, Off the east coast of Orion ---

"So, we're gathering in Orion first?" Veskal asked

Julius just nodded in response

He turned to Cyth, who was standing on the opposite side

"I intend to give you the ship. So that you can freely move there without the interference of my soldiers"

"Come on, your highness. We're not the ones who bother you so you want to separate us from your crew? No need to use such words"

"... Why do you think so?"

Julius is amazed by Cyth's attitude. He could not respond at all to why Cyth looked riled up

"I'm sorry if I'm being too outrageous. My mood is ugly"

Veskal could only look at the two of them. Cyth looks very stressed out by stress. Veskal wanted to help him, but he knew that he would only add to that pressure

So he was silent too

"Son. You need anything? I will provide it immediately if you need it" Julius told Veskal

"... Maybe a pair of sharp knives, and a glass of warm milk"

"... Alright. I'll ask them to do it. I also have to go to make sure everything's okay as long as we get closer to the mainland"

"Thank you"

Julius went out from before them while calling a soldier

...

"Captain. You all right?" Veskal asked Cyth

Cyth who only covered his face while leaning to the end of the ship just silently did not answer

"... It's okay captain. We all have lost something we love and care about. It's called life"

"... You're correct. But, I was more worried about how I could deal with Alice when I met her later? This crew is gonna be over, and I don't know why I can feel it"

...

"You mean, you'll never sail again after this?"

"It is not so, is it? It's the ship that unites fools like us. When it's time for this to be over, we'll start to split up. They'll all find their own new lives"

...

"Then why not create something new and bring you together?"

"Huh?"

Cyth raised his face to face Veskal. He was confused by the words that had just entered his ear

"That's impossible. Although we do have a new ship, those people will be reminded of the Black Hunt"

"... I didn't say it had to be a ship, did I?"

"..!?"

"That's it. Just think about it later. This ship will be here soon"

Veskal went to check on something else while leaving behind Cyth who was just staring at him from behind

"... Since when did that kid get big, huh...?" Cyth mutters

......................

-- Port of Hydra City, Orion --

It was a cold night. Summer is about to pass, and these cooling temperatures are beginning to show the arrival of autumn

Some leaves had even begun to scatter near the port of this city. Veskal who take a walk to enjoy the air on land can already signal the arrival of the next season

"Autumn is it...?"

...

The continent of Sto Astra including Orion Country itself is located in the southern hemisphere. Autumn has begun to come here, it means that spring will soon come to visit Hortensia in the Northern Hemisphere

"It looks like they'll start the Flower Festival without me..." Veskal muttered sadly

Flower festival. Not much is done there other than handing flowers to someone you think is important. Flowers have many meanings, and that is what you want to convey by giving the flower to others at the festival

Veskal actually planned to bring us 2 bouquets of yellow roses for each, but he was on a mission at the moment. He's the one who filed it, so he can't back down

After all, a new flower festival will be held in mid-April. So he still had plenty of time to complete this mission and immediately returned home to Hortensia

"Consider something?"

Veskal looked back and found Cyth walking towards him

"I've been looking for you on the boat since, but I didn't think you'd even come down and take a walk"

"sorry. I'm just looking for some fresh air"

"Then, these people in Orion are completely incomprehensible to me. Their language is very complicated, you know?"

"I'm surprised that a captain who has traveled the world like you still doesn't speak all languages..."

"I don't usually take care of everything. Lookit. That nerd who used to take care of all this stuff, you know?"

Veskal glanced at the ship and saw Erin was overwhelmed to take care of every worker there. Apparently, he was the only person in the Black Hunt crew who mastered language

"Pity him"

"Ah, let it go. He's my right hand, so he's got to have a part"

"Captain is amazing..."

"All right now so that he's not busy shutting himself up while reading the book in his room"

Cyth giggled small looking at Erin who was overwhelmed. Erin who noticed that instantly scrunched her face towards Cyth

"Ooh! We better get away~"

Cyth immediately turned Veskal's body in the opposite direction of the ship while holding his shoulder, then began to walk with him

"Where are we going, captain?"

"Searching for stores for them. My people must have missed the taste of wine. The taste most loved by all the sailors in this world"

Cyth suddenly pressed Veskal's neck down so that he could whisper in secret

"So, Vainzel and Verdea are not here, how about you try a glass?" Cyth whispers

"Huh? Nope, no. I don't know if I'm going to be strong captain"

"It's okay! I'll get in your way if you start acting like crazy"

"That's what I don't want!"

But...

I don't know why Veskal was curious...

"... Maybe a glass of it can be..."

"Oh! Just incredible! That's your first step into being a real man, Veskal!"

Cyth then laughed loosely while patting Veskal's shoulder many times

He then distanced the faces of the two of them, but still continued to laugh

'Eleven may not be bad', Vainzel thought

He also always wanted to try drinking a glass of Dwarven wine when he was in the city of Bargalos

But Verdea and Frank always forbid it while saying that it would not be good for him

He really wants to try it. Just a glass

......................

-- An hour later ----

"ARGH!! *HIK-!*"

...

"Ah shit! Why do I have to*Hik-!* -become weak try...!? I just want to*Hik-!* Protect those two fools!!"

"Well, he's drunk" a crew member said

"He had drunk 3 glasses. We'd better have his servant hide until he's asleep. She was afraid she would ask for more" Cyth whispered to Erin

Erin immediately went to give the info to the waiters of the tavern that night

Cyth sits right across from Veskal. He had also drunk 3 glasses, but he was still not drunk for some reason, even though his head had started to feel a little heavy

"How was your first drinking experience?" Cyth asked her after drinking a sip from her beer glass

Veskal immediately raised his head limply. His face was completely messy as if he was very sleepy and had never slept for a few days

Veskal's face then fell back and was hit hard on the table

He's really very drunk. Refreshment drinks alone may not be effective anymore to help him wake up

"Hey Erin's. Is there an inn near here?"

"There was. Right across from this shop"

"Take him there later and rent a room"

"Huh? Aren't we all going to stay in a soldier's camp outside the city?"

"Are you going to take him there? Let him sleep all night alone in the city"

Erin silently did not answer. He seemed to have imagined how troublesome it would be for them to lift Veskal later

"Just calm. The city was also filled with many royal soldiers because it had to increase security. Separating from him last night doesn't matter, does it?"

"... Alright. If that's the captain's order, I'll carry it out"

Erin went to prepare a room for Veskal at the inn

"... Capitan..."

Veskal showed his face a little while still stuck on the table. Now, he looks like a depressed kid

"Why, Veskal?"

"... I want to be strong... *Hik-!*"

"Drink that water first. We just talked"

Veskal immediately pouted because he felt neglected. He immediately picked up a glass of water that was not far from his drinking glass, then finished it all in one gulp

"It has. So now listen to me..."

"alright. My ears are open"

Veskal then lowered his head while playing his ponytail. He was quiet for a long time, but Cyth kept waiting for him to speak

He even to the point of not touching his glass for a while so that he could pay attention to Veskal who was about to speak

"... I want to be strong..." Veskal finally said

"Hmphc... You've said it many times" Cyth replied after sighing

"But you understand why...!?"

"Because you have something to protect, right?"

"...

Captain knows..."

Veskal then rested his head on the table while contemplating

"I'm also curious, how can you do that?"

"You mean?"

"Protect someone you care about"

...

"If you mean Captain Alice, you're wrong. I did tell you a little bit about him, but I could never protect him"

Cyth twirled his finger around his drinking glass

The beer inside the glass briefly reflected a shadow of the past on his face, but Cyth alone could see it. The shadow where he's the same age as Veskal, where he is...

... Failed to protect the one he loved

"... Ah, goddamn. I miss him so much..."

But she always missed Alice. Veskal only knew, because it was clearly implied by what Cyth was doing

"... Captain"

"Yes?"

"Can you tell me what you've been through with Captain Alice?"

"..."

Cyth looks doubtful. He wanted to forget about it for at least a moment, but now he had to tell it

Veskal himself remains waiting for a response from Cyth. He was indeed drunk right now, and would even forget everything when he regained consciousness later. But, he still wanted to know

Cyth also has to prepare. Veskal won't remember either. And if he doesn't do it, the kid will make a fuss

"She's a beautiful woman. Her hair was as red as an apple, but her skin was as sweet as brown. He's very handsome to someone wild

All of my memories only began when he saved me in the enslavement of the Cassiopeia kingdom. But one thing I learned from slavery is that you can't trust anyone to control yourself. So, I tried to beat him up when he took me out of there

Of course I was immediately beaten back easily by him. I was also very young then, probably about 12 years old. But, he knows my talent in fighting. Rather than abandoning me for trying to attack him, he gave me a choice, join his crew, or leave aimlessly despite his freedom

The next thing I knew, I ended up on that ship. In the past, there were 27 Black Hunt members including the two of us. Even women can count fingers. But...

Everything changed when I took Captain Alice's right-hand position. L'm... Replaced Walter's position at the time

Walter certainly didn't accept. He ran from in front of us all out of nowhere. When he came back, I just remembered there was chaos. And I saw Captain Alice's back after she threw me off the ship. Then..."

...

"There was an explosion on board. Not because of gunpowder, but because of magic. I was saved by a crew of 11 who either did not betray or turned to Walter for forgiveness. They took me away to the city of Orion to seek refuge, but we still ended up not being accepted because of our identity as pirates

Then I planned something crazy. I want to steal back Captain Alice's ship from Walter. And of course, it was very stupid.3 more lives were lost because of it, even though we got the ship. What's left of Black Hunt's crew, is all in this room"

...

"But, we still won't leave captain Cyth. It's been Captain Alice's will, and it's final"

"What destroyed this crew was not Captain Cyth, but Walter's selfishness"

"Isn't this a good chance for revenge on that son of a bitch?"

The crew began to reply to each other, then began to turn into an excited voice

"But..."

All eyes then glanced at Cyth who looked like he wanted to capture attention. Cyth's face was very lethargic at the time, and...

"While I do want us to finish him off personally, I don't want to lose any of you anymore"

...

"Captain..."

Erin's eyes began to glaze over, as did the rest of the crew

"It's okay captain--We-Rela does anything for you-" one of them said

The room was filled with crying sounds

Cyth was dizzy with this atmosphere. It all felt bad because of what he just said

"Hehe..."

But, hearing the sound of a small laugh from Veskal, Cyth was shocked. He looked at the almost asleep Veskal

"You look like Vainzel... I want to beat you up too, just like when I was with him... Your brain needs to be turned once in a while in order to use logic..."

Veskal then snores, fully asleep

Cyth nodded silently hearing what had just entered his ear

"Like Oberon?" Erin asked confused

"I mean how" One of his crew asked

...

Cyth was silent amid the whispers of his friends. He then remembered the one thing that stood out from me the most

I always put everything on me, without considering what other people think

...

"I can't believe it. Why do I realize it now...?" Cyth mutters

"Captain?"

"I'm fine Erin. Just need a little rest because my head's getting heavy"

Cyth got up from his seat

All his friends looked him in the eyes. The eyes that were already filled with spirit returned

"So, what should we do later huh...?" She said

Everyone got confused when he started smiling for some reason, even Erin. But whatever their captain thinks, Black Hunt will always support him