Pillar of Yita

Because his team members surely should not have to endure anyone’s humiliation without cause.

Fang Hong turned back to look at Pasha, who was standing silently to the side, and asked, ”Pasha, are you okay?”

Pasha shook his head lightly, ”In fact, Princess wasn’t entirely wrong...”

Upon hearing this, Fang Hong felt as if darkness descended before his eyes.

”This isn’t about right or wrong,” he sighed longingly, ”Pasha, no matter your past experiences or who you are, on my ship, you are the same as us, without any difference, not inferior to anyone.”

He couldn’t help but glance at his boots, ”Such things, don’t do them anymore in the future.”

Pasha looked at him, and asked, ”Is this a ’decree’ too?”

Fang Hong rolled his eyes.

Exhausted, he replied, ”Consider it a decree.”

”But, I can’t do anything else. I shouldn’t be freeloading meals, right?” Pasha said worriedly, ”If I’m not allowed to do this, does Mr. Ade mean he wants to kick me off the ship?”

”Wait, how did you get that impression?”

”But—”

”No buts, Pasha. Do you want to be a cobbler? We don’t need cobblers on our ship,” Fang Hong replied irritably, ”If you have nothing to do, go learn something from others. The Catfolk and Luo Yu are willing to teach you; if you’re interested in Alchemy, you can come find me.”

”I can learn Alchemy?” Pasha’s eyes lit up, ”Mr. Ade?”

”Of course, why not,” Fang Hong answered seriously, ”An Alchemist is not defined by gender, origin, status; you are equal before Ether, whether a King or beggar.”

”Remember these words,” he said, ”Anyone studying Alchemy will first understand these words. They’ve been passed down since the Numelin Elves era. Do you know why Colin Ishurian has no slaves today? Because Alchemists don’t believe in that.”

Pasha listened silently and nodded vigorously.

He suddenly turned and looked down the atrium, then turned back and quietly said, ”I’ll go help Miss Atira, Mr. Ade.”

”Go ahead.”

Fang Hong watched the thin-backed figure, feeling somehow touched.

He kept Pasha because Pasha had nowhere else to go. When Bunigu and the young scholar left, they took the one-armed girl with them, promising to take good care of her. Though they offered to take Pasha too, Fang Hong, moved by empathy, decided to let the boy stay.

Moreover, he realized that compared to Pasha, he was actually luckier. At least he still had his uncle’s family, while Pasha had lost everything.

He didn’t know how much of his words Pasha truly took to heart—

But as he said, his ship required no senseless servants; he needed teammates, those who can count on one another and trust each other with their backs. Thankfully, Pasha seemed interested in Alchemy, and Fang Hong could only hope that knowledge indeed might change a person.

But then he saw Pasha hesitating halfway, turning back uneasily and quietly saying, ”Lord Captain, you looked quite imposing when you spoke to Princess Affia.”

Fang Hong paused, ”What do you mean?”

”The Matriarch said that if you’re used to ordering servants, you naturally exude authority over others. I, I think maybe she has a point, Lord Captain? Lord Captain?”

”Get out!”

Fang Hong irritably smacked the guy’s head.

In that moment, he suddenly related to Miss Sicape’s experience.

...

Lunch was prepared by Elf Miss from a bunch of dry rations, coming up with something just barely edible for everyone. But it was imaginable, having been in the desert for about a week and a half now, in addition to the previous experience in Idus, the fresh food on the platform had long been consumed.

At present, they actually had trouble even finding clean water to drink, with the only fresh thing left consisting of just a dwindling barrel of shriveled lemons in the bottom cabin. But according to Tianlan, they would run out of water in at most two days.

Fortunately, the nearest oasis wasn’t too far away.

A certain Princess was needless to mention, sulking with a bitter face, only maintaining a tiny bit of etiquette in front of Luo Yu, not daring to spit out the dry biscuit crumbs directly. Tianlan glanced sideways at her, seemingly on purpose, stuffing big bites of food into her cheeks like she was mad.

Feigning dramatic chewing, as if eating some great delicacy.

But things went terribly wrong, as the little girl managed to choke herself, her face turning from red to white, then to green, looking like she was about to faint. Atira couldn’t help but shake her head upon seeing this, gently patting her back, until Tianlan spat the lot onto the deck.

Fang Hong wasn’t sure whether it was an illusion, but he felt lately Miss Atira seemed much gentler. If Tianlan wasted food like this before, she’d certainly get a good scolding.

Meanwhile, Luo Hao watched this unfold with a long face.

”What’s wrong?” Elisa asked the chubby man curiously.

”I’m on duty this afternoon.”

Luo Hao was about to cry: ”It’s my turn to scrub the deck.”

Elisa instantly bent over with laughter.

But come the afternoon, the Nightingale Miss couldn’t maintain her smile.

Because Fang Hong suddenly received a message from Stargate Port, precisely from a certain Princess of Silver Weslan, naturally Sophie—somehow Su Changfeng thought of this idea, unexpectedly having his daughter serve as his liaison with the military.

Under the guise of avoiding outsider suspicion, since he was already acquainted with Sophie, as known since the events at Fanric.

But any scheming from the other end certainly couldn’t escape Sophie’s eyes.

She was happy enough to have a free shield.

However, Fang Hong understood this wasn’t personal for this Princess, as the email included an official letter from Stargate Port. He roughly understood what was happening, having reported the incidents related to Idus a week ago.

This must have been Stargate Port verifying the situation, looking to him for follow-up.

So this meeting was essentially between the military and him. Naturally, he was to bring Luo Hao—the so-called ’liaison’ of the military in their team.

And once Luo Hao left, the duty roster rotated—

Which turned it over onto our dear Nightingale Miss.

...