Pirate: Crew of Desire and Bonds

Back inside the room,

Jake stood near the table, still staring at the gold coin that had decided everything.

The tension in his chest hadn’t fully faded yet.

Grace quietly stepped closer to him.

"...Jake, are you okay?" she asked softly.

Jake blinked, then let out a small breath and nodded.

"Yeah... just still processing it."

He glanced at the coin again.

"One million gold coins on a single toss... and it actually worked."

Across the room, Vivian remained seated with her usual elegant posture, chin resting lightly against the back of her hand as she watched them with a faint, satisfied smile.

"You did well as expected." she said calmly.

Jake turned toward her and let out a sigh with a slightly awkward expression.

"...You planned this from the beginning, didn’t you?"

Vivian’s smile only deepened a little.

"Of course. Why else would I call you here so urgently?"

Grace looked between them, still not fully used to how casually these large deals were being handled.

Jake let out a quiet sigh and finally allowed himself to relax a bit more.

Whatever had happened, at least the Grade-A ship quota was theirs now.

Vivian leaned back slightly in her chair, her elegant smile still present as she looked at the two of them.

"With the quota secured, we should be able to acquire the ship soon," she said calmly. "In the meantime, you two can enjoy your stay in the city."

Her gaze briefly shifted toward Jake.

"Of course... if you find yourselves bored, you can always take on some jobs from our guild."

Jake exchanged a glance with Grace.

"...Jobs, huh," Jake muttered under his breath.

Grace tilted her head slightly, her golden eyes filled with quiet curiosity.

"What kind of jobs does the guild usually have?" she asked softly.

Vivian’s smile remained composed.

"All kinds. Escort requests, material gathering, investigation work... even the occasional special commission."

"Depending on your performance, the rewards can be quite substantial."

Jake nodded slowly as he now realized that he wasn’t super rich yet and still needed gold coins to upgrade his stats from now on.

After a moment of thought, Jake looked up at Vivian.

"...Do you have a practice ground or something like that?"

Vivian raised a brow slightly, clearly a little curious about the sudden question.

"We do," she replied. "There’s a training facility in the basement, mainly used by our personnel for practice and combat drills."

She rested her chin lightly against her fingers again, her elegant eyes studying him.

"Why do you ask?"

Jake smiled faintly.

"Then... could we borrow it for a while?"

Vivian tilted her head slightly, her elegant eyes studying him with quiet interest.

After a brief moment, a soft chuckle left her lips.

"Of course. Follow me."

_

_

_

Not long after, the three of them arrived at the underground training ground.

The moment the heavy doors opened, a wide underground chamber came into view.

The space was surprisingly large and well-maintained.

Reinforced stone walls stretched high upward, with multiple glowing crystals embedded into the ceiling to provide steady lighting.

Training dummies of various sizes stood neatly arranged across one side of the room, while weapon racks filled with practice swords, spears, and other basic equipment lined the walls.

There were even a few marked sparring zones on the floor, and in the far corner, a more open area that seemed designed for freer combat practice.

Vivian stepped forward gracefully and gestured toward the chamber.

"This is our internal training facility," she said calmly. "It’s usually reserved for guild personnel, but since it’s you both, you’re free to use it."

She glanced back at Jake and Grace.

"There are reinforced training dummies that can withstand a fair amount of force, basic weapons if you need them, and enough space for actual combat practice."

Hearing that, Jake scanned the room with clear interest.

Grace’s golden eyes also widened slightly as she took in the size of the underground facility.

Compared to the cramped underground shelter they had been staying in before, this place was on a completely different level.

Vivian crossed her arms under her large bosom, causing them to lift slightly as she tilted her head and looked at Jake once more.

"So," she said with a calm but clearly curious tone, "why exactly do you want to use the training ground?"

Jake smiled casually.

"Grace’s class has risen to Elite. So I want to check out her abilities and train with her a bit."

Vivian’s eyes widened in clear shock.

"...Elite?"

She immediately turned her gaze toward Grace.

Grace, noticing the attention, puffed up her large chest with pride, her golden eyes shining with quiet confidence.

But... only she knew just how lewd and intimate the process had been to reach this point... how much of her body and devotion had been poured into those upgrades under Jake’s [Bonds Captain] class.

Vivian continued staring at her for a moment longer, still processing the unexpected news.

An Elite-class advancement was no small matter.

There were many who remained stuck with the same class for the rest of their lives, and only a few lucky people could ever advance their class.

And yet these two... Jake had clearly been a Rare Class holder before, and now they had suddenly reached Elite Class together.

’Could it really be his luck...?’

Thinking of this, Vivian couldn’t help but feel a faint hint of jealousy.

She knew very well what Elite Class status meant.

Even if it wasn’t the absolute strongest, an Elite Class individual alone could already handle a small army by themselves.

That level of power was enough to change the balance of any battle... if used carefully.

Her elegant eyes narrowed slightly as she looked between Jake and Grace once more.

These two were becoming more and more dangerous.

Jake didn’t seem to notice Vivian’s strange look at all.

He simply turned toward Grace with an interested smile.

"Come on, Grace. Let’s spar. I’m really curious about your new class."

Grace’s golden eyes lit up as she smiled and nodded.

But then she fidgeted slightly, shifting her weight from one foot to the other before asking in a soft, hopeful voice:

"...If I win, can I get another wish?"

Jake blinked, then let out a short laugh.

"Haha, of course!"

Grace’s eyes brightened instantly, filling with determination.

"Then... I won’t hold back!"

She walked past him toward the open sparring area, her steps light and confident.

Just as she passed, Jake reached out and gently touched her shoulder, leaning in close enough for only her to hear.

"But if I win..." he whispered, his voice low and teasing, "you better prepare yourself."

"~!!"

Grace’s leg twitched slightly at those words.

A soft heat rose to her cheeks.

...It felt like a win-win situation for her either way.

But at that moment, either of them seemed to notice...

...Near the heavy door they had entered through, a figure quietly peeked her head out.

She had soft, long wavy blue hair tied into a ponytail that framed a delicate face, and she was dressed in a neat maid outfit.

Her beautiful blue eyes stared intently into the training ground, fixed on the two figures preparing to spar.

For a moment, she simply watched in silence, as if carefully observing every movement.

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