Pirate: Crew of Desire and Bonds

Chapter 87: Chapter 87: Suspicious

Jake’s entire body tensed as the sharp warning from his Instinct skill stabbed through his mind like a blade.

This wasn’t just unease.

It was a clear, urgent warning.

Something about this Patrick guy was wrong.

But Jake kept his expression neutral, though his grip on Grace’s shoulder tightened protectively.

She glanced at him, sensing the sudden change in his mood.

Her golden eyes narrowed slightly.

Patrick, seemingly oblivious, continued smiling warmly.

"So, what do you say? The voyage is still long. We could start with some basic aura circulation exercises tomorrow morning on the deck. Nothing too advanced, just enough to get you started properly."

Jake studied the man carefully.

Patrick looked every bit the seasoned adventurer... calloused hands, a weathered face, and a sturdy build beneath practical leather armor.

But there was something off about his eyes.

Jake noticed a flicker of calculation hid behind that friendly facade.

And the way his gaze had lingered on Grace earlier... it wasn’t mere admiration.

It carried a hunger that made Jake’s blood simmer.

"Thanks for the offer," Jake said slowly, his tone polite but guarded.

"But we’re still recovering from some... trouble at sea. I’m not sure we’re ready for training just yet."

Patrick chuckled, waving a hand dismissively.

"No rush, no rush. I just thought I’d offer."

His smile didn’t waver as he continued.

"Of course. If you change your mind, just find me. I’m usually near the stern with the other adventurers."

Jake calmly nodded, keeping his expression relaxed.

"We’ll think about it. Thanks again."

Without another word, he guided Grace away from the railing, his hand resting firmly on her shoulder.

The two of them disappeared into the flow of passengers heading toward the lower decks.

Meanwhile, Patrick remained motionless by the railing, his warm smile slowly fading.

His eyes followed Jake and Grace until they disappeared below deck, narrowing with cold calculation.

"...Did that guy recognize me?" he muttered under his breath, rubbing his messy beard.

"And that girl... what a prize."

Patrick smiled, greed and anticipation filling his eyes.

"Such a petite yet voluptuous body... those full curves packed into such a delicate frame. And that beauty, paired with such noble, graceful bearing..."

His experienced eyes had already noticed the countless subtle habits Grace displayed without realizing it... her elegant posture, refined manners, and composed movements.

Those weren’t traits of an ordinary commoner.

"Could she be from a noble household?"

He slowly licked his lips, his thought lingering on the gentle sway of Grace’s hips before they vanished below deck.

’No hurry,’ he thought, letting out a quiet chuckle.

’The sea is vast... And accidents happen all the time out here.’

_

_

_

Back inside their cabin, Jake closed the door and leaned against it for a moment, letting out a slow breath.

Grace turned toward him, concern evident in her golden eyes.

"What’s wrong? Is there something wrong with that man?"

"Yeah," Jake admitted.

"Something about that Patrick guy doesn’t add up. My Instinct rarely reacts that strongly to a complete stranger."

With a sigh, he walked over to the small bed and sat down, frowning as he replayed the encounter in his mind.

Grace watched him quietly, before moving to the small table in the corner.

She poured fresh water into a simple wooden cup and brought it over.

Her movements were gentle and caring as she sat beside him, and offered the cup with both hands.

"Here, drink this first," she said softly, her voice warm and soothing. "You look tense. It might help."

Jake accepted the cup, their fingers brushing lightly.

The cool water felt refreshing as it slid down his throat.

After taking a few sips, he let out another slow breath and set the cup aside.

Feeling Grace’s gentle care, combined with the warning from his Instinct, Jake realized it was far too soon to let his guard down.

Turning toward her, he took both of her hands in his.

"Grace, listen to me carefully."

His expression became serious.

"Stay away from that Patrick. Don’t talk to him alone, don’t accept any offers from him, and don’t let him get close to you. There’s something very wrong about that man."

Grace’s golden eyes widened slightly, but she nodded without hesitation.

Jake gently squeezed her hands.

"If he approaches you, or if you feel that something is off... come straight to me immediately. Don’t try to handle it yourself, okay?"

"Mhmm, I will."

Grace smiled softly, her expression filled with complete trust.

Then, as though remembering something, her eyes brightened.

She slipped off the bed and knelt down before reaching underneath it.

A moment later, she pulled out a small leather pouch neatly tied with string.

A faint clinking of coins sounded as she placed it into Jake’s hands.

"This is the fifty gold coins Captain Garrick paid us upfront for the escort mission," Grace said.

"I kept them safe while you were resting. I thought now would be a good time to give them to you."

Jake felt the reassuring weight of the pouch in his palm.

"Thanks, Grace. You’re the best."

"Hehe~"

After thanking Grace, Jake began thinking about what to upgrade next as he opened his status.

[Name: Jake Bond]

[Class: Aura Warrior (Rare)]

[Unique Class: Bonds Captain (???)]

[Strength: Trained]

[Intelligence: Trained]

[Vitality: Trained]

[Agility: Trained]

[Endurance: Trained]

[Luck: Legendary]

Skills:

Basic Combat Mastery (Passive – Lv.1)

Light Manifestation (Lv.1)

Slash (Lv.1)

Charisma (Passive – Lv.1)

Battle Adept (Passive – Lv.1)

Instinct (Passive – Lv.2)

Bonds (Passive – ???)

State Allocation (???)

Class Appraisal (Lv.1)

Sex Fiend (Passive)

[Upgrade Points: 150]

[Crew (Pirate): Grace Lightborn]

’Hmm... There’s nothing I can upgrade right now.’

Jake stared at his remaining Upgrade Points.

He had already spent most of them raising both his and Grace’s stats to their current caps before their battle with Julian.

The remaining hundred or so points had only come from the intimate time he had shared with Grace earlier today.

’The real problem now is gold.’

Upgrade Points could be earned over time through intimacy with Grace.

Gold, however, was another matter.

His current stats had already reached their cap, and the next major step was upgrading their classes.

But...

[Ding!]

[Upgrading Aura Warrior (Rare) failed!]

[Requirement: 1000 Upgrade Points, 200 Gold Coins, At least three Trained stats.]

[Ding!]

[Upgrading Grace Lightborn’s Class: Apprentice Lightmarksman (Common) failed!]

[Requirement: 400 Upgrade Points, 100 Gold Coins, At least three Above Average stats.]

Jake sighed inwardly.

’Still too far away...’

Grace noticed his thoughtful expression and tilted her head.

"Is something wrong?"

Jake smiled wryly and decided not to hide it from her.

"Yeah... we’re too poor right now."

"Most class upgrades require gold coins on top of Upgrade Points."

He lightly shook the pouch of coins as the coins clinked softly inside.

"This is a good start thanks to Captain Garrick, but it’s nowhere near enough. My Aura Warrior upgrade alone needs two hundred gold, while yours needs one hundred."

He sighed.

"It looks like we’ll have to find more ways to earn money during this voyage."

Grace listened quietly before her expression became determined.

"Then we’ll work hard together," she said softly, her golden eyes shining with unwavering support.

"I don’t mind. As long as I’m with you, we can overcome anything."

She paused thoughtfully.

"Maybe we can ask Captain Garrick if there are more jobs on the ship?"

At those words, Jake laughed.

"Haha... it looks like I’ll have to go back to my old job."

"Old job?"

Grace tilted her head adorably.

Jake smiled and leaned comfortably against the cabin wall, gently pulling her onto his lap until she rested against his chest.

He began telling her the story in a relaxed, amused tone.

"Actually before I met you, I was on Henry’s ship. The very first job they gave me was basically being the ship’s janitor."

Grace’s eyes widened with surprise as she listened intently.

Soon, the two of them began chatting casually about their pasts, with Jake sharing stories from his time aboard Henry’s ship.

Grace listened with quiet fascination, occasionally asking gentle questions or squeezing his hand in support.

Laughter filled the small cabin from time to time.

Grace’s soft giggles were especially sweet, and Jake found himself smiling more and more as he held her close.

The earlier tension surrounding Patrick, money, and class upgrades gradually faded into the background.

_

_

_

As the golden light of the setting sun streamed through the small porthole, Grace lazily traced circles across Jake’s chest with her finger.

"I like this," she murmured contentedly.

"Just talking with you like this... it feels safe and warm."

Jake kissed the top of her head, one arm wrapped securely around her petite yet voluptuous frame.

"Me too."

He smiled gently.

"We’ll have plenty more days like this. No matter what comes next... we’ll face it together."

The peaceful atmosphere lingered as the ship gently rocked beneath them, the two of them quietly enjoying this precious moment of closeness amid the uncertainty of the voyage ahead.

After a comfortable silence, Grace looked up at him, curiosity shining in her golden eyes.

"Jake..."

"Hm?"

She hesitated for a brief moment before asking softly,

"What about your hometown? Where are you from?"

At her question, Jake paused for a moment.

And his smile gradually faded as a complicated look flashed across his face.