After evading that huge wave, the sea quickly returned to calm.
Still, every sailor aboard remained tense and alert, waiting for something to happen.
But after a long wait, the ocean remained utterly peaceful.
"Damn it," Beidou cursed softly under her breath, then shouted to her crew, "The sea beast has left. Stand down and disarm."
Everyone fully trusted Beidou's judgment and relaxed, setting down their weapons.
Although the immediate danger was gone, no one was in the mood to resume partying. The celebration ended prematurely, and the crew dispersed quietly.
Seeing the party end so abruptly and crew members leaving one after another, Kael found himself bored and told the system, "Switch back to text mode."
[Confirmed. Switched to text mode. Host has used sensory mode for 6 hours. Deducting 30 attribute points.]
[Several days pass uneventfully after the banquet.]
[Suddenly, you recall the words spoken to you by the merchants back at Liyue Harbor.]
[Their words have come true—you really have brought disaster to the Alcor.]
[Why else would a sea monster attack exactly on the day you officially joined the Crux Fleet?]
[Filled with guilt, you approach Beidou, telling her you wish to leave the Alcor.]
[You're a walking disaster, and you don't want to cause trouble for everyone else.]
[After hearing your words, Beidou laughs.]
[She tells you that she too was once called a "disaster," and she was even driven away because of it.]
[At one point, she had believed what others said about her.]
["Kael, do you know why I brought you aboard in the first place?" Beidou gently pats your head. "Because in your eyes, I saw my younger self. Your confusion, your pain, your frustration—I experienced them all once. But the sea gave me a second chance. Here, I discovered my purpose and met companions whom I could trust with my life."]
["I hope you'll find your own value here, just like I did."]
["Besides," Beidou gives you a confident, carefree smile, "don't underestimate the Alcor. She's the toughest ship on these seas. If she can protect a big disaster like me, she can surely protect a little disaster like you."]
[Moved by Beidou's words, you decide to remain aboard the Alcor and continue sailing alongside everyone.]
[Age 12: Determined to become someone valuable to the Crux Fleet, you eagerly absorb knowledge.]
[Beidou quickly notices your exceptional talent for business.]
[For some inexplicable reason, you possess an almost supernatural intuition when it comes to trade and commerce. (Talent "Born Rich" passively activated.)]
[During negotiations, you always make the most advantageous decisions for the fleet.]
[Thanks to your efforts, several recent trades have been extremely profitable.]
[Soon, you graduate from apprentice sailor status.]
[You become the youngest official sailor in the Crux Fleet.]
[Age 13: You've now become a core member of the Spear of the Crux.]
[All significant trade deals are brought to you for your input.]
[Your decisions bring enormous profits to the fleet.]
[Age 14: Recently, Beidou plans to conduct a major trade negotiation with merchants in Mondstadt.]
[Due to the large sums involved, she asks you to accompany her during the negotiations.]
[You decline her request.]
[As you grow older, your self-consciousness about your appearance deepens.]
[If you negotiate alongside Beidou, you'd represent the face of the Alcor.]
[But your face is horribly disfigured, and you don't want outsiders to look down upon the Alcor because of you.]
[The night after you refuse her request, Beidou knocks on your cabin door, bearing a gift.]
[She hands you a beautifully crafted black mask.]
[It turns out she's long seen through your insecurities.]
["Kael, you have a heart more sincere than anyone else. You have absolutely no reason to feel inferior. But if your appearance becomes an obstacle to your journey, then let's find a solution together."]
["I hope this mask will give you the courage you need. But I believe that someday, you'll remove it, and everyone will see the shining heart you've hidden beneath."]
[You accept the mask, reflecting deeply all night before finally making your decision.]
[For the first time in years, you step off the Alcor to accompany Beidou into the city.]
[The trade negotiation is a tremendous success.]
[Beidou watches crate after crate of Mora being loaded onto the ship, delighted. She wraps an arm around your neck and affectionately ruffles your hair.]
["Kael, disaster my foot! You're the lucky star—the God of Wealth—for our Crux Fleet!"]
[At your current age, you've started developing a vague awareness of relationships between men and women.]
[Beidou's casual gesture unintentionally presses you against her chest.]
[Feeling the gentle sensation against your cheek, your face instantly turns bright red, and your whole body freezes.]
[You feel awkward and embarrassed, wanting to push her away but reluctant to lose that softness.]
[While you're still hesitating, Beidou releases you.]
[For some reason, you feel a pang of disappointment.]
[Beidou has a carefree, open personality and doesn't notice your strange expression. She simply assumes you're embarrassed by her praise.]
[Laughing heartily, she goes off to count Mora with the crew.]
[That night, you have a vivid dream.]
Hmm... Beidou's figure really was something else.
For a hot-blooded teenager, that kind of stimulation was definitely a bit too much.
[Age 15: Without realizing when it began, your eyes always unconsciously follow Beidou.]
[But whenever she turns toward you, you quickly avert your gaze.]
[When you see her, your chest feels tight and uncomfortable.]
[When she's out of sight, you feel strangely empty.]
[You can't even explain clearly what these feelings mean.]
[Age 16: Meals aboard the Alcor are excellent, and after several years here, your nutrition has finally caught up.]
[You're no longer that skinny kid who first boarded the ship.]
[Now you're tall and strong, your skin tanned to a healthy bronze from constant sailing under the sun.]
[Your muscular build gives you a distinctly masculine charm.]
[You now always wear the mask Beidou gave you, leaving only your deep, captivating eyes exposed, adding an air of mystery.]
[As you travel with Beidou through various nations, you attract the attention of many admirers.]
[Plenty of women openly show interest in you, but you remain unmoved.]
[Because you know very well that it's all fake.]
[The moment they see your face beneath the mask, they'd surely run away in horror.]
[Only Beidou... Only she has never once shown disgust at your appearance...]
[Only she... would genuinely accept you for who you truly are...]
[Age 17: Your repeated successes have greatly boosted the Crux Fleet's prestige.]
[Beidou appoints you as the leader of the Spear of the Crux. Whenever she is absent, you have full authority over fleet operations.]
[Recently, a trade deal in Liyue overseen by your subordinates encounters a problem. The documentation is sent directly to you.]
[When you see the name on the documents, you're stunned.]
[It's a name you've long since forgotten—your father's name.]
[It turns out the Crux Fleet has recently had business dealings in Liyue with your former family.]
[Because the trade was relatively small, it was handled by regular crew members, so you hadn't been aware.]
[You remember your family as one of Liyue's prestigious clans. How did they end up involved in these minor deals?]
[Reading carefully, you discover your former family has fallen from grace.]
[Over the past several years, mismanagement caused their fortune to shrink drastically. Now, they've become little more than ordinary merchants.]
[In this particular transaction, they commissioned the Crux Fleet to deliver a shipment of Dendrobiums from Inazuma.]
[However, upon receiving the goods, they claim the quality of the Dendrobiums doesn't match the contract, harming their business.]
[Now they're demanding compensation from the Crux Fleet.]
[After years sailing the vast ocean, your horizons have broadened. You've long since put your past behind you.]
[Compared to the endless, boundless sea, these so-called relatives now seem as insignificant as grains of sand.]
[Initially, you plan to let your subordinates handle this matter themselves.]
["But they've hired Liyue's renowned legal advisor, Yanfei. We're worried we won't be able to handle her arguments..."]
[During your years in the Spear of the Crux, you've encountered Yanfei several times.]
[Yanfei is highly knowledgeable about the law, quick-witted, and eloquent. Even you find her tricky to deal with.]
[Hearing your subordinate's concerns, you decide to handle this matter personally.]
[Once in Liyue, you navigate by memory, arriving at the front gates of a familiar estate.]
[This centuries-old mansion no longer possesses its former splendor.]
[The worn-down gates and cracked stone lions clearly reveal how far this family has fallen.]
[You knock on the door.]
[A young man who closely resembles you opens it, eyeing you warily.]
["Hello. I'm the leader of the Spear of the Crux. I'm here to settle the trade dispute."]