Life at sea is not easy.
Apart from the initial novelty, it soon becomes a torment.
Looking around, all you see is water and sky. After a while, it's hard to tell where the sea ends and the sky begins.
Although the surroundings are vast, sometimes it feels like the ship isn't moving at all, which is very oppressive.
After staring for a long time, it feels hard to breathe, with a suffocating pressure on the chest, making one extremely irritable.
The best solution is probably to go inside the cabin and sleep, right?
Apart from that, there are only simple entertainments, such as...
"Checkmate."
"..."
Looking at the chessboard, Bai Luo's hand holding the piece trembled slightly.
He had never played Inazuman chess before, and even though Kaedehara Kazuha had explained the rules to him, he still couldn't win.
Not even after taking back over twenty moves.
Cut him some slack...
Even in regular chess, he only knows that the knight moves in an "L" shape, and the bishop moves diagonally... wait, was it the other way around? Whatever.
He knows nothing about this shogi game.
"Shogi takes time to master, Mr. Himura. There's no need to rush."
After refilling Bai Luo's teacup, Kaedehara Kazuha explained.
He wasn't surprised that Bai Luo didn't understand shogi.
Shogi is a game typically played among noble families, and commoners rarely have the chance to learn it.
Even if they do, they don't have the luxury of time to waste like the children of noble families, as they are busy making a living.
Judging from some of Himura Kenshin's habits, he doesn't seem to be from a noble family but rather a wandering commoner.
So it's understandable that he doesn't know shogi.
In fact, the fact that he knows the term "taking back a move" and can play somewhat decently in a short time is already quite impressive.
"How about we try a different game?"
Propping his chin on his hand, Bai Luo sighed.
He wanted to find some other way to pass the time, but what else is there to do on this vast ocean?
Fishing?
But what if he catches something strange?
If it weren't for Kaedehara Kazuha insisting on coming along, he would have probably slept for days on end, just like he did when he traveled by ship from Snezhnaya to Inazuma.
"What would you like to play, Mr. Himura? I'll keep you company."
Shogi is pretty much the same everywhere, with only minor differences in how pieces are named.
What else could they change?
"How about... seeing who can stack the pieces higher?"
Bai Luo suggested tentatively.
Honestly, on this rocking ship, trying to stack shogi pieces without them falling over is incredibly difficult.
"...That's quite an interesting idea."
Should he say Bai Luo is creative or just bored out of his mind?
Or maybe he's just really, really bored.
Thinking this, Kazuha began to console Bai Luo: "Mr. Himura, life at sea is inherently monotonous. But once you get used to it, it's not so bad."
Kazuha had been through this before, so he understood how Bai Luo felt.
It was hard to imagine how he had managed to travel to Mondstadt on a Fatui ship before.
That must have been an extremely dangerous journey, so perilous that he didn't even have time to think about anything else.
"Sigh, maybe you guys are just born for the sea. Personally, I prefer life in the mountains. Catching small animals, roasting them over a fire, sprinkling some cumin... the aroma alone could make even an immortal drool."
Of course, the happiest times were when he feasted in Liyue Harbor under the name of "Childe." Spending money that wasn't his own felt incredibly satisfying.
Not just immortals, even archons would be tempted.
"It's best not to eat wild things carelessly."
Upon hearing Bai Luo's words, Kaedehara Kazuha's expression turned strange, as if he was remembering something.
"Don't worry, I know what's edible and what's not."
Bai Luo waved his hand dismissively.
Although he rarely used poison in his killings, he still had some knowledge of toxic substances.
He also knew which wild plants were harmful and which were safe.
There was no way he'd eat something dangerous.
"Don't blindly trust your knowledge. This morning, something shocking happened on the ship. Captain Beidou's carefully selected batch of fruits turned out to be spoiled. The sour taste reportedly made even the toughest old sailors cry their eyes out. Now, no one dares to eat the fruits, and the captain had to hire a food taster at a high salary."
As Kaedehara Kazuha recounted this, his face showed a lingering fear.
He had been holding a fruit from the same batch at the time, but luckily it turned out to be fine. Otherwise, he couldn't imagine how embarrassing it would have been.
However, he didn't notice that Bai Luo, who had been fiddling with the chess pieces, suddenly froze.
Wait...
When he boarded the ship, he did help carry a box because of Ningguang's spy. Could it be...?
Never mind, he was used to it by now.
"Huh?"
Just as Bai Luo was about to brush it off, a sudden notification made him pause.
"Did something happen?"
Although Bai Luo's voice was soft, Kaedehara Kazuha caught it.
The tone of someone who had discovered something piqued his interest.
He was certain that this seemingly unreliable wanderer was one of the strongest people on the ship.
So whatever he noticed must be important.
"Nothing, probably just my imagination."
Bai Luo acted indifferent, but inside he was cursing.
The system's sudden notification was just too unreliable.
[Third Profession: ??? (To be activated)]
[Activation Requirement: ???]
Are you kidding me? At least the last time, with the Himura Kenshin mission, there was a specific profession. This time, it's all question marks?
What kind of nonsense is this?
Instinctively, he glanced at Kaedehara Kazuha's head, relieved to see no [Target] above it.
Otherwise...
His subtle movement didn't escape Kazuha's notice.
When he saw Bai Luo looking at his head, he instinctively looked up too.
But there was nothing there except the ceiling.
Unless...
"Excuse me!"
Realizing something, Kaedehara Kazuha quickly excused himself and left the cabin, heading to the deck.
The deck was as usual, with everyone going about their business. A few people greeted him as he passed, and the atmosphere on the Crux Fleet's ship was harmonious.
A gust of wind swept by, and Kazuha used it to leap up to the crow's nest.
"What's wrong, Kazuha?"
In the crow's nest, a sailor named Xu Lushi was on watch.
Since Kazuha often came up to predict the weather, he didn't find it strange.
But seeing Kazuha's increasingly serious expression, he realized something was wrong.
"Inform Captain Beidou. We need to change our course."