After a successful commerce raid, we set sail back to the pirate base. We now had a full crew worth of sailors, and a bulk-carrier worth of goods.

I was subconsciously guiding the ship, while I myself indulged in fishing.

‘Chirping’

My seagull friends were right here, waiting for their share.

Nothing could concern me. Things were going so smoothly that I even started wondering if I am missing something. For example, the sailors were quietly sitting in the crew cabins, or on the deck. They were fishing, playing cards, and telling tales to each other. Almost as if they were heading back home, and not to the lair of brutal pirates, who previously killed their comrades.

While I was engulfed in the thoughts, another fish bit the bait. I lifted it out of the water, and it fell right to the seagulls’ table…

[Good for you, you squeaking bastards…]

I sighed, and continued waiting for a fish.

When I caught another one, I heard a louder call from the seagulls. I looked there, and barely held back a scream.

There were not three, not ten, not even twenty seagulls.

“Hey! When did you guys come here?!”

‘Chirping’

“Don’t…! Don’t look at me fish…! Hey! I am really out of fish in here! I spend a lot of time to catch one of them! I don’t have a way to catch an entire…”

[Or do I?]

---

I turned the steering wheel.

“What are you doing now? We are supposed to return.” Patricia was fuming.

“I have a bunch of people to feed.” And a flock of seagulls.

“And how do you plan to…?” (P)

‘Splash’

One depth charge rolled off the stern, right on top of a school.

BOOM

“WHAT HAPPENED?!” Everyone was startled when the charge exploded.

Patricia followed me outside the ship. As we walked to the stern, she saw the feeding of the seagulls.

“AAAA!!!” She started screaming.

“What?!”

“DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA WHAT IS GOING ON?!” She was shouting at me.

“Indeed I have no idea why are you screaming at me.”

“LOOK THERE!” She pointed at the seagulls.

“And? I am feeding a flock of seagulls.” Then, Patricia started shaking me.

“ARE YOU CRAZY?!” (P)

“Can you PLEASE stop your hysterics?”

“Ha-ha-ha… Stop my hysterics… Yes, right… Let me stop… Let me stop worrying that you are trying to kill us all… Yeah, right, why would I even be concerned that we are going to die…” Now it was my turn to be asking if she’s crazy.

“Those are just…”

“Seagulls?” I nodded.

“Yeah, right, they ‘are’.” She was showing quote marks with her fingers.

“What are they then?” I looked at the flock that was done eating the fish, and sat at the ship. The seagulls were sitting everywhere: on the gun barrels, on the masts and rails, on the cables, and one smart bastard was even sitting at the frontmost point of the ship and spread out its wings.

“Those are the stormwings. They bring storms wherever they fly… The poor sailors who meet them, they always end up in a storm. And few survive to tell the tale of the stormwings…” Patricia shivered and then curled on the deck.

I approached one of the birds, and without meeting any resistance picked it up. I was holding it with my two hands on its sides. Still, the bird was only looking at me with its yellow eyes.

“So, little bastard, are you bringing us storm?” Of course, the bird was just looking at me with its stupid eyes.

“Not going to talk, are we?” I petted its belly, and after I was satisfied, I put the bird back on its original seat, the 76mm gun barrel.

I ignored Patricia’s nonsense and returned to fishing.

Even though I blown them an entire school of fish, there were a few seagulls waiting for my catch.

---

We returned to the pirate lair by the night. The port was barely lit by a couple of lamps. If I had no night vision, I wouldn’t be even able to maneuver here.

After the ship docked, the pirates escorted the sailors away, and received the goods.

Patricia and I headed to report back to Alba.

---

The door opened and a blonde girl entered the office.

“What took you so long?” The Doge barked.

“I had to take another route.” Veronica bowed to the Doge.

“Hm. Where is the cat-beast?” (D)

“She was intercepted by the pirates. Their main base was not where we expected it to be.” (V)

“Hm. Will she be able to handle everything?” (D)

“Of course. I trust her abilities.” (V)

“Then what about your mission?” (D)

“I saw the ‘Black Demon’ from a distance.” (V)

“Are you going to vouch that she will return to us?” (D)

“She will. And with an even better offer she will consider helping us. I witnessed her might firsthand. She is a great asset to the Republic. We must bring her to our side.” With this, Veronica finished her report and exited the office.

As the doors closed, she sighed.

‘I am waiting for you, don’t keep me waiting…

For it is our destiny.’