Pirate: Crew of Desire and Bonds

Soon, they found Barbara near one of the side corridors on the middle deck.

The moment she noticed them approaching, a clear look of surprise flashed across her old face.

”Oh? Good timing,” she said lightly. ”Madam Vivian is looking for you, Jake. She said—”

But then her words suddenly trailed off.

Barbara’s smile froze slightly as she properly took in the heavy expressions on both Garrick and Jake’s faces.

Grace standing quietly beside them only made the atmosphere feel even more serious.

”...What?” she asked, tilting her head in confusion.

”Why are you all looking at me like that?”

Then Barbara’s expression twisted into something between amusement and disbelief, as a mischievous glint appeared in her eyes.

”Don’t tell me... you actually fell in love with this old bone?”

She pointed at herself with a playful smirk, clearly trying to lighten the strange tension.

But Garrick let out a sigh.

”This isn’t the time for jokes, Barbara.”

Barbara’s playful expression slowly faded as she realized something was truly wrong.

”...Alright,” she said more carefully, straightening up. ”So what happened?”

Garrick didn’t waste time with unnecessary details and went straight to the point.

”Last night, something came to their room.” He gestured toward Jake and Grace.

”It knocked on the door and spoke using your voice, asking them to open it. Jake checked beneath the door... but there were no legs or body. Just empty space. And it didn’t try to force its way in. It only left after they refused to open the door.”

He paused for a moment before continuing in a heavier tone.

”And this morning, one of the adventurers on night watch disappeared without a trace. There were no signs of a struggle. Even though four men were nearby, none of them saw a thing.”

Barbara’s playful expression had completely vanished by the time he finished speaking.

She slowly raised a hand and rubbed her chin, her eyes narrowing as she fell into deep thought.

”...No legs... copying a familiar voice... and it only knocked on the door, wanting someone on the other side to open it...”

Barbara muttered under her breath, repeating the key details as if trying to dig something out from the depths of her memory.

Her brows furrowed tighter.

For someone who had lived through many strange voyages, the fact that she didn’t immediately have an answer already spoke volumes.

After several long seconds, she finally spoke again, her voice lower than before.

She lifted her gaze toward them, her expression unusually serious.

”...I feel like I’ve heard about this kind of story before. Let me have a smoke and see if the memory comes back.”

Without waiting for a reply, Barbara reached into her coat and pulled out a thick cigar.

She bit off the end with practiced ease, lit it, and took a slow, deep draw.

Then a rich, heavy stream of smoke curled upward as she exhaled toward the ceiling.

The strong scent of tobacco filled the quiet corridor.

Garrick didn’t rush her.

He simply folded his arms and waited, while Jake and Grace stood nearby in silence.

But after a moment, Jake suddenly remembered something from before and spoke up.

”Barbara. Did you just say Madam Vivian is looking for me?”

Barbara paused mid-draw.

She puffed out a thick cloud of smoke, blinked once, then seemed to recall the earlier matter.

”Oh. Yes.”

She tapped the ash from her cigar.

”She’s looking for you. Apparently your cube toy prototype is already done.”

Jake’s eyes widened slightly in genuine surprise.

’That fast...?’

He had only handed over the basic design not long ago.

For the prototype to already be completed was unexpectedly quick.

’Is there a workshop on this ship as well...?’

The thought crossed his mind as he glanced around the corridor.

A vessel sailing the Dead Sea Line having skilled craftsmen and a proper workshop wasn’t impossible... but the efficiency still caught him off guard.

Barbara took another slow draw from her cigar, her expression returning to a more thoughtful one as the smoke curled around her face.

”...For now let’s go meet Madam Vivian,” she said after a moment. ”You can check the cube toy prototype while we’re there. At the same time, we’ll report this incident to her as well.”

At those words, Garrick gave a short nod of agreement.

”That’s fine. Better to let her hear it directly.”

Jake also didn’t object.

Having Madam Vivian informed about the strange occurrence was clearly necessary, especially if the situation on the ship was more serious than it appeared.

Grace quietly stepped closer to Jake’s side, still remaining silent but clearly staying alert.

Barbara tapped the ash from her cigar and turned around.

”Come on then.”

With that, the four of them began walking together through the ship’s corridors, heading toward Madam Vivian’s location.

_

_

_

They soon arrived in front of the upper cabin door, where a few guards could be seen.

Garrick stepped forward and knocked firmly twice.

”Come in,” a calm, refined voice answered from inside.

Jake pushed the door open and stepped in first, followed closely by Grace, Barbara, and Garrick.

Inside the well-furnished cabin, Madam Vivian remained seated behind her desk.

The soft light from the window fell across her elegant figure, highlighting her mature beauty and composed presence.

And in her hand was a familiar object.

The cube toy prototype.

Click...

Click...

She was slowly rotating it between her slender fingers, examining it from different angles with clear intrigue in her eyes.

The way she handled it showed both curiosity and careful observation, as if she was already analyzing its structure and potential.

Hearing them enter, Vivian lifted her gaze from the cube and offered a slight smile.

”You’re here.”

Her eyes briefly paused on Jake before glancing at the others.

”Perfect timing. I was just looking over this little creation of yours.”

She lightly tapped the cube with one finger, still holding it with interest.

”It turned out better than I expected.”

Vivian’s gaze lingered on the cube for a moment longer before she looked up at Jake.

”But are you sure it’s possible to return all the colors to the same side?” she asked, her tone calm but clearly curious.

She gave the cube another slow turn between her fingers, then set it lightly on the desk.

”I tried it myself. Even with my intelligence, it felt impossible... unless one completely memorized the entire pattern beforehand. But that wouldn’t be fun at all.”

A faint, thoughtful smile touched her lips.

”And more importantly, that wouldn’t make it a proper children’s toy.”

Her eyes narrowed slightly with interest as she looked at Jake again.

”So tell me. Is there truly a method that allows it to be solved properly... without relying on pure memorization?”

Jake met her gaze steadily, already understanding what she was really asking.

She wasn’t just testing the toy.

She was testing the idea behind it.

But Jake smiled with a hint of quiet pride and stepped forward.

”Yes. It’s possible. Let me show you.”

He reached out and gently took the cube from the desk.

Turning it over a few times in his hands, he quickly assessed the current scrambled state.

Even though he didn’t hold any earth-shattering records... he did know a complete set of steps that could solve it.

Without further explanation, Jake began moving the cube with steady, practiced motions.

Click.

Click.

Click.

His fingers worked smoothly, layer by layer.

First the white cross, then the corners, followed by the middle layer.

Each turn was deliberate and clean, without any unnecessary movements.

Vivian’s eyes gradually sharpened with interest as she watched.

Soon, in less than two minutes, the final face aligned.

Jake placed the fully solved cube back on the desk with a soft *clack*.

All six sides were perfectly restored, each face a solid, uniform color.

He looked up at Vivian with a calm smile.

”As long as you follow the correct sequence, it can always be solved. No need to memorize the entire pattern.”

The cabin fell into a brief silence.

Vivian stared at the completed cube, her elegant fingers lightly brushing against its surface as a deeper look of intrigue appeared in her eyes.

”...Interesting.”

For the first time since they entered the cabin, a clear and intense curiosity shone in Vivian’s eyes as she stared at the solved cube.

It was a rare expression, one that revealed genuine interest beyond her usual calm and composed demeanor.

However, she quickly restrained it.

Taking a soft breath, Vivian set the cube aside on the desk and shifted her gaze toward Garrick and Barbara.

Her expression returned to its usual elegant seriousness.

”...What is it?” she asked quietly. ”You all came here together with such heavy faces. You must have something important to tell me.”

Garrick exchanged a brief glance with Barbara before stepping forward slightly.

”There is,” he said in a low voice. ”Something abnormal happened on the ship last night... and this morning.”

Vivian’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

”Explain.”