Karina was overjoyed—finally, she wouldn't have to cook for five people anymore.
Every meal had to be prepared in large portions, and sometimes even more than that. Who knew how exhausting it was? She was already at her limit.
But just then...
"Judging from your excited faces, are you saying my cooking tastes awful?" Karina cracked her knuckles menacingly, her eyes glinting with a dangerous light as she glared at the four of them.
"No, not at all!"
"Don't be ridiculous!"
"Your food is great!"
"We're really satisfied!"
After hearing their frantic replies, Karina's expression softened—just a little.
"Hey, little sister, what's your name?" Theodore walked over with a bright smile, trying to be polite to the ship's potential new cook.
...
...
"Pervert!"
"Pervert?! Who even names their kid that—and with a straight face?!"
Theodore's face turned green as he walked away in embarrassment. He just wanted to find a quiet corner to be alone. If only one person called him that, maybe it was their problem. But if three people did...
Then clearly, the world was at fault!
Not him!
Seeing Theodore flustered, Jack gleefully leapt down from the lookout post. His mood was like having ice cream in the middle of a scorching summer—pure bliss.
Adjusting his clothes and clearing his throat, Jack approached the girl. "Hey, littl—"
"Closet freak!"
"Pfft—hahahahaha! I can't! Jack, you actually got a taste of your own medicine today!"
Maintaining his gentlemanly posture, Jack's toes were curling so hard they almost dug into the deck. Realizing what would happen if he continued, he forced himself to stop.
The pleasure Jack had felt a moment ago? Theodore was feeling it now.
Watching both men get humiliated, Kadun, who was just about to intervene, casually whistled and returned to the helm.
Huh, today's sailing manual suddenly seemed really interesting!
"Don't be afraid, little sister. What's your name?" Karina asked with a smile. But her eyes sparkled with something unreadable—something dangerous, like a warning.
"I'm Joanne, big sis!" Joanne seemed to catch on to the unspoken threat in Karina's eyes and wisely refrained from saying the word that had just popped into her head:
Thief.
It was a natural ability she had since birth—but one she'd never told anyone about, not even her parents.
"How old are you?"
"Sixteen! Seventeen, very soon!"
"Captain, I've asked everything we need. It's your turn now."
Having gathered the information she wanted and calmed Joanne down, Karina casually tossed the next part of the responsibility to Weiss.
Only the captain had the authority to decide who stayed aboard. And on the Chris, that meant only Weiss could decide.
Weiss slowly stood up from his chair, scratched his head, and walked over.
Joanne kept her eyes fixed on him, waiting for the usual word to flash in her mind.
But nothing came.
It was as if a red mist blocked her ability—an ability that had never failed before. And now, it didn't work on Weiss?
Frustrated, she looked over at Kadun in the helm and was even more baffled.
Creeper… Jinx… Lucky bastard?
How could one person give off so many different vibes at once?!
"You're a cook?"
"Mhm!" Joanne nodded vigorously, her head bobbing like a pecking chick. After all, she was standing in front of the infamous Sword Demon—of course she was nervous!
"So, what kinds of dishes can you make?" Weiss asked. On long sea voyages, eating the same flavors every day could become a problem.
It wasn't that Karina's cooking was bad—just too repetitive.
"I can make dishes from all four seas! If I've seen it, I can cook it!" Joanne quickly added, afraid he wouldn't believe her. "My master said I'm a once-in-a-millennium genius when it comes to cooking!"
"Who's your master?"
"Not allowed to say!"
Weiss didn't push. Words were cheap—only action could prove a chef's worth.
"Alright then. Once you've rested, prepare a lunch. Karina will show you where the ingredients are. If the food is good, we'll hire you—and count it as repayment for your stay on the ship."
With that, Weiss returned to his chair, waiting for something delicious to be served.
Joanne immediately jumped up, grabbed Karina's arm, and practically dragged her away. Since she didn't know her way around the ship, Karina ended up guiding her to the kitchen.
In the kitchen, they laid out all the ingredients. Joanne tasted each seasoning with her fingertip—salt, oil, soy sauce, vinegar, tea, mustard...
Seeing the organized rows of spices and fresh produce, she breathed a sigh of relief. Her biggest worry had been missing or poor-quality ingredients.
Thankfully...
Joanne picked up the knife with practiced ease and began prepping the food with laser focus. Her knife skills—if judged solely within the culinary world—were akin to a swordmaster among chefs.
Every move was smooth and elegant. The ingredients were sliced so thinly they were almost transparent—thin enough to see a person's face through them.
Even Karina, a beautiful woman herself, was a little awed by the display.
Fifteen minutes later, even Weiss on the deck could smell the heavenly aroma wafting from the kitchen. Kadun's mind had drifted from his book to food, Jack had stopped cleaning his gun, and Theodore twitched his nose at the scent.
Soon, Joanne emerged carrying a tray with a covered dish. She placed it in front of Weiss, glanced at the red wine on the table, picked it up and took a small sip.
Frowning slightly, she muttered, "The flavor might be slightly affected, but it's still fine."
Then she lifted the lid.
What Weiss saw left him stunned—
A plate of golden, glowing fried rice.
It looked like something straight out of an anime. Was it glowing because of fluorescent powder?
Weiss frowned suspiciously.
He sniffed the air—an explosion of fragrance hit him square in the face. He scooped a spoonful and tasted it. His eyebrows twitched. It was definitely better than Karina's usual cooking!
"Captain, how is it?" Kadun asked from nearby, drooling as he stared at the dish.
Joanne blinked her big eyes, clearly enjoying others appreciating her food—but she still took a subtle step away from Kadun.
Weiss took a few more bites. In order to maintain his dignity as captain, he resisted the urge to scarf the whole thing down immediately.
"It's alright. From now on, you're our ship's cook. Monthly salary: 200,000 Berries. But you've already stayed a full day on board, so you owe us 1.6 million. Do the math yourself to figure out how many months you'll need to work it off."
"Lies! I haven't even been here half a day!" Joanne puffed up angrily.
"The captain has the final say." Weiss closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair.
"You—!" Joanne nearly exploded, but then remembered who she was dealing with—the Sword Demon himself. Or maybe she was still curious why she couldn't read him like everyone else.
In the end, she swallowed her words and silently accepted the terms. Eight months aboard to pay off the debt.
For now, she wasn't a crew member—she was a debtor.
"What about us?!" Kadun finally couldn't hold it in. That food was way too good to pass up!
"The kitchen's right there. Go take your own."
Karina facepalmed in shame. But when she turned around—those three had already vanished.
Remembering their monstrous appetites, her face changed.
"You three better save me some!"
No way was she going hungry this afternoon!
---
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