"So why are we walking?"
Noa offhandedly asked, carrying Lavinia while walking on top of the snow, watching Griselda struggle to move in the snow, mumbling under her breath.
"I'm never taking a mission with snow ever again..."
Griselda looked in confusion at Noa when he somehow didn't sink into the snow even when carrying Lavinia and had half a mind to ask him to carry her too.
Using a [Lightening] spell and an [Acceleration] spell simultaneously took too much mana to constantly use, and Griselda didn't know if Noa could keep up(he 100% could).
"Are we going to walk all the way to Cherkasy like this?" Noa drawled, looking back at Griselda who was wondering if she could smack him on the head.
"No, we're going to the nearest town then catching a ride to Cherkasy..."
"And how far is that?" Noa asked.
"You just have to go straight for a few kilometers from here."
Noa paused. She was going to walk that entire strip? Hell nah he wasn't. Noa put Lavinia from a princess carry(she insisted) into a piggyback ride, ignoring her cry.
Swiftly, Noa picked up Griselda into a princess carry. Griselda was too tall(to his dismay) for him to properly piggyback her.
"Hey!" Griselda tried to resist, but looked at Noa's expression of exasperation and reluctance and paused. "Why are you the one looking at me like that...?" Shouldn't she be the one to look at him like that?
It wasn't cause holding her in his arms he could really feel the height difference. Definitely not...
Fuck! Why the hell was he so short?!
Noa thought, forgetting he was 9- 'shut up author'.
...My bad, king.
"Why am I the one piggybacked?!" Lavinia whined.
"It's cause this woman's too tall, what do you want me to do?!" Noa countered, sighing.
"Damn it..." Lavinia mumbled.
"Hey who taught you how to curse!" Noa turned his neck.
"You did."
"Uh... no I didn't? Haha..." Noa looked away, ignoring Griselda's exasperated expression. She had tried to get herself out, but despite Noa's rather... petite physical features, he was physically stronger than her.
How? At this point she wasn't even going to bother to ask, just deciding that it was because he had the Blessing of God or something like that. After all, Noa had said his ability gave him items, not... whatever his abilities were.
"Are you sure that the place is straight ahead?" Noa double checked.
Griselda nodded. "If this is the path that I took, yes."
"Okay, I would say to hang on but I'm just going to walk, so..." Walking forward, Griselda looked at him, bewildered. If he was just going to walk then what was the point in picking her up...
Griselda's thoughts fell apart as she saw what could only be teleportation, but somehow not teleportation at the same time. The scenery rapidly changed, not due to speed as there wasn't any motion blur, but as if frames were skipped in a movie.
No mana used, no space distorted. It was as if Noa was one with the surroundings, not even registering as there.
"Haha, didn't know about this, did you?" Lavinia bragged.
"Why are you the one bragging about this? I should be the one to do that." Noa interrupted. "And don't think I can't tell that you're sniffing my nape on purpose."
That made Lavinia pause.
Griselda looked at her with disdain clearly written on her face.
Coughing, Lavinia looked away.
The three traveled in silence for the rest of the way, which had shortened from taking hours to only taking a matter of minutes. Arriving at the small down, instead of letting down Griselda, Noa looked down at her.
"I think this is faster than whatever method of transportation you're thinking of, so just tell me where to go."
"...I think I need a map and a compass..."
"Then go get one...?"
Griselda pointed at where Noa was holding her with an incredulous expression.
Noa let down Griselda and Lavinia, and walked up to a decently populated street, chose a kind looking middle aged woman and started a conversation.
"Excuse me, do you know where I could find a map to Cherkasy?" Noa looked at up her, exhibiting his natural shota abilities, earning a warm smile from the woman.
"Oh sweetie you're so adorable!" She reached out to pinch Noa's cheeks.
Inwardly, Noa was thinking.
'I can't punch everyone that gets on my nerves...'
'I can't punch everyone that gets on my nerves...'
'I can't punch everyone that gets on my nerves...'
He was the one who put himself into such a position in the first place, so it wouldn't be sigma of him to be angry at his own actions.
"I think you can find a map at Old Mykola's store at the end of the street down there~" She pointed out down the main street, looking back to Noa.
"Are you traveling with your sisters?"
Sisters? More like I'm their guardian... Noa nodded.
"Mhm! Thank you for your help, sister!" Middle aged woman always like to be called young, he had read it in a manga.
Disclaimer: Don't reference manga for real life situations.
It only worked because no matter what people say about the inside personality being key to good relationships, society would rather favor the prettier child regarding first impressions, and Noa was top tier even among children, possibly even having chance at winning Miss Univer- Ahem. Mister Universe.
"No problem sweetie. Here, take a treat."
The woman handed Noa 3 pampushkas from her basket.
"You can share it with your sisters," The woman whispered, winking at Noa.
"Thank you, sister!" Noa smiled brightly.
"No problem~ Bye sweetie~" She waved at Noa as he walked back to Lavinia and Griselda, and he waved back with a smile.
"...Were you a con-artist at some point in your life?" Griselda asked, watching Noa's acting from start to finish. Noa shrugged.
"I'm beautiful. Who would I be if I didn't use it?" Noa ignored her question. He was a citizen who followed all the laws thank you very much. Noa, handed Lavinia a pampushka. "Also, since you insulted me, your share is mine." Griselda's expression fell.
Smelling the tantalizing piece of bread, Griselda quickly gave in. "I want to sincerely apologize."
"It truly does feel good to be the one in charge." Noa chortled, handing her a piece of bread.
Now he had to talk to 7 more people.
"Lavinia, watch carefully. What I just showed was an example on how to take advantage of whatever you got." Finishing off his bread, Noa walked up to different people, asking the same question of where the map store was, and occasionally asked the price and gave a pitiful expression, saying that he lost his money and was lost with his sisters.
Walking back to Lavinia and Griselda, Lavinia had an expression as if she had gleaned a revelation, while Griselda had the exact opposite, looking as if she made a mistake. Someone this dirty was blessed by God?
"See? Money and snacks."
Noa held out his hands, showing his haul. He had already finished talking to 10 people, but he had somehow completed his Weekly Quest as well when a relatively wealthy woman and donated a decent amount of money, bringing up his Free Pull count up by 3.
"Here you go."
Noa handed half the sweets to Lavinia and gave the rest to Griselda, who looked at it in contemplation. Should she really take this sweet originating from sinful behavior? Glancing at Lavinia who was ravenously eating it, she gulped before ultimately relenting. It wasn't as if Noa had lied...
She popped a piece of candy in her mouth, melting in bliss. With her minimal salary and the Vatican being rather thrifty with their salaries, getting to eat sweets like this was rare.
"Teach me your ways, Noa!"
Lavinia asked, munching on her snacks.
"Heheh, of course, partner. When we get to Italy and the Vatican gives us jack shit we can just do this."
Noa started explaining. "First things first, you should prioritize women." Griselda looked at Noa in disdain.
"Wait I'm not being sexist here. It's just that the risk factor is low and the return is high when cute people ask women." Noa explained, hands raised to placate Griselda. With men there was always an underlying threat and the chances of getting nothing were much higher.
He had read a study(saw on youtube) that women were more empathetic than men or something like that. However, any video he watched while he was eating or taking a shit barely stayed in his mind so he could be mistaken.
"So it's low risk, high return. What more can I ask for?" Noa shrugged. Lavinia nodded in understanding.
Griselda listened, feeling like even she was learning something too, even if the chances of her using it was slim. With minimal experience with socializing with the general public, Noa's knowledge of general social features and their associated type might be useful in the future.
"But I have to warn you. A crucial rule for this other than that you have to be cute is that you have to be shorter by a considerable amount to the person you're scam- asking for." Noa explained. It pained him to admit the fact that he was short, but it was undeniably useful.
That made Griselda pause. Griselda had recently started growing, so Noa's advice would unfortunately- wait. Why was she feeling disappointed?!
Griselda inwardly recited Bible verses. Hanging out with Noa was somehow corrupting her... But if he was someone who could become a Saint, wouldn't it be fine to emulate him...?
As Griselda was spiraling into dangerous thoughts, Noa continued his explanation.
"Also, no matter what, you have to call the woman sister or an equivalent. Don't call her aunt or grandma unless it's extremely obvious. Calling a grandma 'sister' might result in the opposite effect and sounds like you're complimenting them with a purpose. It has to feel all natural, you feel me?"
Lavinia nodded, inwardly writing down his advice.
"Then after that..." Noa kept explaining, and finished his impromptu lecture as they arrived at the map shop, or rather a general store.
Buying a map and a compass, Noa looked at it in confusion before handing it to Griselda. As a captain with high intelligence(trust) it would be better to leave the navigation to the more experienced.
However, Griselda looked at the map, lost.
How did maps work again...?
Griselda was rather out of touch regarding anything other than fighting and eating since a young age, and she had only gotten to where Noa was because the clergy at Saint Michael's Cathedral had gave Griselda a semi-consumable magic item that pointed toward the stray devil, and pointed back to the Cathedral when she killed it and absorbed it's Mana.
Unfortunately, Noa had eviscerated it instead and turned it into a carpet of the refurbished abandoned church.
Following the church's arranged transportation, making her way there wasn't difficult, but making her way back? Hmm...
Griselda looked at the map which was written in Ukrainian. Her equipment with a built in Translation Spell allowed her to communicate with Noa and Lavinia(not that Noa needed it), but she couldn't read foreign languages with it...
A/N: (I think I remember a scene where Xenovia and Asia studied Japanese, which wouldn't be needed if the translation spell could translate written language as well)
"Why are you looking at the map like an idiot?" Noa asked. Wasn't she the one who asked for a map?
Griselda paused.
She silently handed it back to Noa.
What the fuck?
"Are you serious?"
Griselda looked away abashed, a blush creeping up her face. Noa sighed. He had wasted all that money just for this woman to not even know how to read a map.
"You know how to read a map?" Noa looked at Lavinia. She shook her head. She was 9 and barely even got an education. When would she have the opportunity to learn how to read a map?
Noa sighed once more.
Wait.
'Available Partitions.'
[The Available Partitions are [Nemo Bakery: 1], [Nemo Engine: 1], [Nemo Marines: 24], [Nemo Nurse: 1], [Nemo Professor: 1].]
If Nemo Professor had Professor in their name, they had to be smarter than him, right?
"Hey I think I know someone who can read the map."
"Huh?" Both Griselda and Lavinia looked at Noa in confusion.
"Follow me." The trio went out of the town to a place with no one around. "Don't be surprised, but I know a guy."
"How? Are you able to summon as well? Like a familiar?" Griselda asked. With Noa pulling out random abilities out of his ass, it wouldn't be surprising. Well, it should have been but Griselda was gradually getting used to it.
"Well something like that."
Obviously, while Noa could just call Nemo Professor, as a Captain, it would only be right to fit the role the best he could. "Before I show you this, you two will henceforth call me Captain for the duration of my summon."
Lavinia looked confused. Captain? Like a ship captain? Similarly, Griselda seemed puzzled. Summoning a familiar and he wants them to call him captain? Was Noa perhaps more special then she thought?
But the two agreed nonetheless, albeit with hesitation.
"All hands on deck! Nemo Professor!"
In front of Noa, a clone of Noa appeared, wearing a dark green sailor dress and a green beret with glasses.
"Nemo Professor reporting for duty..."
Unlike Marine's enthusiastic demeanor, Professor was more calm and subdued in personality.
"At ease. Professor, do you know how to read a map?"
That made Professor pause. Captain didn't know how to read a map...? Well it wasn't her issue and if it made Captain call on her all the better.
"Yeah... Rather wouldn't I be disqualified as a professor if I didn't know...?" She murmured at the end.
Noa nodded in satisfaction. He didn't really understand how his clones or crewmates were smarter and stronger than him, but as long as it was useful who cared?
"Then Professor, I have a task for you. Could you show us the direct path to Cherkasy without minding the terrain?" Noa handed Professor the map and compass.
Almost instantly, Professor nodded as she pointed in a direction.
Noa didn't know how she did that without even knowing where she even was, but who cared?
"Nice! You're dis-"
"...Wait." Professor interrupted. "Just in case you accidentally veer off course it would be good for me to stay materialized..."
Noa paused in thought before nodding. "I guess so... Good advice, Professor! How will I carry 3 people though?"
Professor realized that there were people other than Noa. She looked at them in confusion, while the two looked at Professor in surprise.
"Noa is that a clone of yourself?!" Lavinia asked, admiring Professor's cute outfit. As Professor had the same face and physique as Noa, it was basically the same as seeing Noa in girl's wear!
Griselda looked at the adorable Professor in appreciation.
"This is my crewmate, Professor."
"...Nice to meet you, Captain's friends, I'm the one designated for planning, analysis, and research. ...You can just call me Professor..."
The other two introduced themselves as well.
"...Carrying three people..." Professor mumbled. She wanted to be princess carried by her Captain, but how to convince Noa...
After all, Captain's favor was the best!
As a Memory Partition of Nemo and not Noa, Professor and the rest of the crew knew that while Noa did look like Captain Nemo, he was a different entity to Captain Nemo, along with a different personality and all.
However, despite this all 28 Nemo Partitions had a sort of affection to Noa different from Captain Nemo. Instead of seeing Noa as their Captain/Themselves, it was more of a Captain/Creator.
Furthermore, they saw Noa's POV like watching a TV screen while in Noa's Mindscape, so naturally all the Nemo Partitions knew about Noa's rather special personality but they still followed him nonetheless.
Professor and the rest were rather jealous when one of the Marines was summoned and even given a present by Noa, and she wanted something to one up Marine. A princess carry was something she could hold over the rest for ages.
"Hmm..." But how to be princess carried...
Noa himself had to walk with nothing behind him in order to use Furthest Earth, so creating a sled was off the table, and that would only result in Professor also riding the sled...
All 28 Nemo Partitions had access to Noa's Status Screen, not in the sense of being able to personally access anything, but rather just knowing Noa's abilities for better synergy.
"Captain, could you give me permission to use Merlin's Magecraft?" Professor whispered. Knowing Noa's circumstances and the high profile nature of Merlin's Illusion Magecraft, better to keep it quiet.
"...I can do that?" Noa whispered back.
"Yes, but I will get a weaker variant of the skill." Professor explained.
"Does that drain my own Mana...?"
"No."
Noa blinked. Wow, how was this skill only A Rank?
Professor inwardly smiled, reading Noa's expression.
'System why didn't you tell me?'
[Host didn't ask.]
Oh you bitch.
How do I do that?
[Think: [I give permission for [Nemo Variant] to use my skill [Insert Skill]]. Warning, when sharing skills or Noble Phantasms, host will not be able to use it during the duration of the skill or object lending. Also, the scale of the skill will be limited to 2 Letters Lower than the rank of the Skill]
...Who cared about that limitation? He probably wasn't going to use a majority of his skills anyway.
'I give permission for [Nemo Professor] to use have access to my Extra Skill [Merlin's Knowledge of Illusion Magecraft]'
Noa and Professor glowed for a second, as Noa could feel something leaving his body and Professor smiled. She could feel Captain inside her(woah pause).
She took out a piece of paper before creating a wooden box backpack big enough to fit 2 people.
"Hmm...? Isn't this too small for 3 people, Professor?"
"Sorry Captain, I have too little mana to make anything bigger..."
...Well, there was nothing he could do about that. Merlin's Magecraft was a Mana drainer no matter what he did, which was why he didn't use it. It seemed that even if the scale was lowered it took a decent amount of Mana.
"It's fine. Since you're the navigator is it fine if I carry you, Professor?"
Professor nodded. All according to plan.
--+--
A/N: The flights like 16 hours long and I still have like 2 hours before I leave for the airport, so that's like an entire day with no chapter, so I quickly wrote this one instead of working on my final project for my design class.
I'm the type who only sleeps on the plane. Also since this fic is wiki intensive not writing without a reference is just asking me to fuck myself over.
I know I said I didn't like summons, but come on. Nemo without his crew is just a shota. Make an exception here.
Also, is this selfcest? Prolly. But it's more or less wanting Noa's attention rather than loving him. Am I mentally insane from not sleeping? hell yeah.
Professor's gender isn't known, but the clothing's super feminine... Also Memory Partition is A rank because it isn't something ground breaking. It's good yeah, but without a ship, skills, or weapons, it's pretty useless. A mid/end game skill if you would.
Thanks for all the support and I would appreciate comments, power stones, and reviews.
Cya in a day and a half.