The night ocean was beautiful.
Dark waves stretched endlessly beneath a sky overflowing with stars.
Moonlight danced across the sea like scattered silver coins.
The ship Sea Wanderer continued its voyage through the northern waters.
Most passengers had already returned to their cabins.
The excitement from earlier had finally begun settling down.
Finally.
Peace.
Or so Kel hoped.
The silver-haired traveler stood alone near the railing.
His cloak fluttered softly in the cold wind.
Silver eyes reflected the moonlit ocean.
The endless sea fascinated him.
Unknown islands.
Unknown civilizations.
Unknown ruins.
Unknown dangers.
The ocean represented possibility.
Something civilization rarely allowed.
Then.
Footsteps approached again.
Kel sighed.
Without turning around.
He already knew who it was.
Raven.
The explorer woman walked beside him.
Dark hair danced in the wind.
Arms folded.
Expression thoughtful.
Unlike before.
She wasn't smiling.
She looked serious.
Which somehow worried Kel more.
Serious people asked serious questions.
And serious questions usually required effort.
Raven rested her elbows against the railing.
For several moments she remained silent.
Watching the ocean.
Then she spoke.
"Can you teach me?"
Kel immediately knew what she meant.
"No."
The answer arrived instantly.
Without hesitation.
Without consideration.
Without mercy.
Raven blinked.
"...You didn't even let me finish."
Kel looked toward her.
"You want to learn the technique."
The woman froze.
"How did you know?"
Kel stared.
"Because you've been staring at my hands for the last twenty minutes."
Silence.
Raven looked away.
Caught.
Completely caught.
The explorer woman coughed awkwardly.
Then tried again.
"Fine."
Another.
"Can you teach me how you killed that shark?"
Kel turned toward her completely.
Silver eyes calm.
Expression neutral.
Then he asked a question.
A very simple question.
"Who are you?"
Raven blinked.
"What?"
Kel repeated.
"Who are you?"
Another.
"I don't know you."
Another.
"We met an hour ago."
Another.
"You don't know me."
Another.
"I don't know you."
Another.
"And you expect me to teach you one of my techniques?"
Silence.
The ocean waves crashed softly.
Raven opened her mouth.
Closed it.
Opened it again.
Because unfortunately.
His logic made sense.
Again.
She hated when that happened.
The explorer woman pointed accusingly.
"I told you I'd buy you a drink."
Kel nodded.
"You did."
Another.
"And?"
Kel waited.
Raven puffed her cheeks slightly.
"Doesn't that mean we're friends now?"
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Kel stared.
The wind blew.
The ship creaked.
A nearby sailor sensed danger and quietly walked away.
Then Kel slowly asked.
"When did we become friends?"
Raven froze.
The question struck directly.
Kel continued.
"When did I acknowledge you as my friend?"
Critical damage.
Direct hit.
The explorer woman looked genuinely hurt.
Her cheeks puffed further.
Her eyebrows lowered.
She crossed her arms.
Then looked away dramatically.
Pouting.
A full adult woman.
Pouting.
Kel observed this.
Then looked toward the ocean.
Then back toward her.
Then toward the ocean again.
He had no idea how to respond.
Several moments passed.
Finally Raven spoke again.
Still pouting.
"Are you really going to explore alone?"
Kel answered honestly.
"Probably."
The explorer woman immediately turned toward him.
"That's stupid."
Kel blinked.
"Why?"
Raven pointed toward the horizon.
"Unknown lands."
Another.
"Unknown monsters."
Another.
"Unknown dangers."
Another.
"Unknown weather."
Another.
"Unknown diseases."
Another.
"Unknown people."
Another.
"Unknown everything."
Then she pointed at him.
"And you want to explore alone?"
Kel considered.
Then nodded.
"Yes."
Raven nearly groaned.
Talking with this man felt impossible.
Every answer sounded reasonable.
Yet somehow completely unreasonable.
Eventually.
She decided on another approach.
Negotiation.
People liked negotiations.
Especially explorers.
The woman smiled.
Confidently.
"I am the leader of one of the strongest exploration groups aboard this ship."
Kel nodded.
"I noticed."
That surprised her.
"You noticed?"
Kel pointed casually.
"You have the most organized equipment."
Another.
"The most disciplined members."
Another.
"The highest quality weapons."
Another.
"People naturally move aside when your group walks."
Another.
"And you possess leadership habits."
Another.
"So yes."
Another.
"I noticed."
Silence.
Raven stared.
Again.
This man noticed too much.
Way too much.
Still.
She continued.
"If you teach me that technique."
Another.
"I'll make you vice-captain of my team."
Several nearby sailors nearly choked.
Vice-captain?
After one day?
That position normally required years of trust.
Yet Raven offered it immediately.
Clearly.
She wanted that technique badly.
Kel looked at her.
She looked at him.
The two stared silently.
Moonlight illuminated both figures.
The ocean roared below.
Then Kel answered.
"I decline."
Critical damage.
Direct hit.
Maximum emotional destruction.
Raven froze.
"What?"
Kel nodded politely.
"I decline."
Another.
"Thank you for the offer."
Another.
"But I decline."
The explorer woman looked betrayed.
Personally betrayed.
Spiritually betrayed.
Professionally betrayed.
Emotionally betrayed.
Then she pointed at him again.
"Why?!"
Kel answered honestly.
"I don't want responsibility."
Silence.
The woman stared.
Then laughed.
Because that answer somehow made sense.
A terrifyingly strong traveler.
Avoiding leadership.
Because leadership created paperwork.
The logic felt painfully believable.
Then Raven took a deep breath.
And attacked again.
"Fine."
Another.
"Forget vice-captain."
Another.
"Forget joining my team."
Another.
"Just teach me."
Another.
"Please."
Kel blinked.
That last word surprised him.
Because she sounded sincere.
Not ambitious.
Not greedy.
Not manipulative.
Simply curious.
Genuinely curious.
The Count looked toward the ocean.
Thinking.
Then sighed.
"Fine."
Raven froze.
Then immediately became excited.
"Really?"
Kel nodded.
"I'll show you."
Another.
"Whether you learn it or not depends on you."
The explorer woman smiled brightly.
Victory.
Complete victory.
Or so she thought.
Ten minutes later.
She learned otherwise.
The Lesson Begins
Kel stood near the railing.
Several curious spectators gathered nearby.
Not because they wanted to spy.
They absolutely wanted to spy.
The distinction was important.
Kel ignored them.
Instead.
He held one of Raven's silver hairpins.
The same type used earlier.
Moonlight reflected along its surface.
Then Kel began explaining.
Slowly.
Very slowly.
Far slower than normal.
Because this technique was extremely fast when used properly.
First.
"Energy."
He imbued a tiny amount.
Raven watched carefully.
Then copied.
Successfully.
Good.
Second.
"Compression."
The energy compressed.
Condensed.
Contained.
Raven attempted the same.
Immediately.
The hairpin exploded from her fingers.
Flying into the ocean.
Splash.
Silence.
Raven stared.
The ocean stared back.
Kel nodded.
"Too much."
The explorer woman looked wounded.
Physically.
Emotionally.
Spiritually.
A sailor handed her another hairpin.
Attempt two.
Failure.
Splash.
Attempt three.
Failure.
Splash.
Attempt four.
Failure.
Splash.
Attempt five.
Failure.
Splash.
By this point.
The fish beneath the ship had started gathering.
Because shiny metal objects kept falling into the water.
One fish became unusually wealthy.
Hours Later
The lesson continued.
Hairpins disappeared.
One after another.
Splash.
Splash.
Splash.
Splash.
Splash.
The sailors started taking bets.
"Ten more."
"No."
"Twenty."
"Thirty."
"She's determined."
Raven ignored them.
Refusing defeat.
Meanwhile Kel continued teaching.
Patiently.
Surprisingly patiently.
For someone who normally disliked teaching.
Eventually.
She succeeded.
Partially.
A hairpin shot forward.
Flying nearly thirty meters.
Before embedding itself into a wooden barrel.
The entire deck froze.
Raven stared.
The barrel stared.
Kel nodded.
"Good."
The woman blinked.
Then smiled.
For the first time.
She had done it.
Not perfectly.
Not remotely close.
But she had done it.
The excitement shining in her eyes was genuine.
The kind of excitement explorers lived for.
Discovery.
Growth.
Progress.
A new possibility.
The same reason people crossed oceans.
The same reason civilizations advanced.
The same reason Kel continued moving forward.
The desire to see what existed beyond the horizon.
Telepathically.
Seiren's voice appeared.
"You taught her."
Kel remained calm.
"Partially."
"You like teaching more than you admit."
"Incorrect."
"Then why spend three hours helping her?"
Kel thought.
Then answered honestly.
"She kept trying."
Silence followed.
Then Seiren laughed softly.
Not mockingly.
Gently.
Because she understood.
Kel respected effort.
More than talent.
More than status.
More than titles.
Anyone could possess talent.
Few possessed persistence.
Back on deck.
Raven held the hairpin.
Looking at it differently now.
Not as an ornament.
But as a weapon.
A possibility.
Then she looked toward Kel.
Moonlight illuminated his silver hair.
The ocean reflected in his eyes.
A mysterious traveler.
A strange teacher.
An irritating conversational partner.
And somehow.
Someone she wanted to know better.
The explorer woman smiled.
Then extended her hand.
"Let's try becoming friends again."
Kel looked at her hand.
Then at her.
Then at her hand again.
Several seconds passed.
Finally.
He shook it.
"Acceptable."
Raven immediately laughed.
Because somehow.
That was the closest thing to friendship she expected from a man called Nameless.