Chapter 30: The Pirate's Swagger and the Dragon's Roar part-2
(A Bard? A storytelling pirate? That is actually kind of charming. But he is stealing our girl with fake stories. Will, stop staring at the mansion and start moving. We are going to a tea party.)
Will Turner wiped his soot-stained hands on his apron. "I cannot go there. I am a blacksmith. I am not invited."
(Invited? We are pirates-in-training, Will! We don't wait for invitations! We crash parties! But first, you smell like a chimney. And that ponytail is... functional, but boring. System Shop: Purchase "The Rogue's Wardrobe - Captain's Edition". Cost: 250 Points. Overrides current appearance with a ruggedly handsome aesthetic.)
Will blinked. He felt a shimmer over his body. His soot-stained apron transformed into a tailored leather coat. His shirt unbuttoned itself just enough to be scandalous but fashionable. His hair fell into a perfect, wind-swept tousle.
"What... what is this?" Will gasped, looking at his reflection in a barrel of water. "I look like... a scoundrel."
(You look like a hero, Will. Now, grab that sword you made. The one with the gold inlay. We are going to deliver a gift.)
..........................
Location: The Governor's Garden.
The garden was filled with the elite of Port Royal. Men in powdered wigs sipped tea, and women fanned themselves in the heat.
At the center table sat Elizabeth Swann. She looked bored, until Captain Valerius spoke.
Valerius was a handsome man with a lute strapped to his back and a smile that shone brighter than the sun.
"...and there I was," Valerius recounted, his voice melodic and hypnotic. "Surrounded by ten krakens. Yes, ten! I didn't draw my sword. I simply played a tune so beautiful that the beasts wept tears of ink and let us pass."
Elizabeth leaned forward, entranced by the "Bardic Voice" skill. "That is amazing, Captain Valerius. You must be very brave."
Governor Swann nodded enthusiastically. "Indeed! A man of culture and action! Just the sort of suitor I had in mind for you, Elizabeth."
(Ten krakens?) Ethan scoffed in Will's mind. (That is biologically impossible. They are solitary territorial predators. This guy didn't even read the monster manual. Will, make your entrance. Walk in there. Don't bow. Stride.)
Will Turner marched into the garden. The guards at the gate were so confused by his confident aura and expensive-looking clothes that they forgot to stop him.
"Elizabeth!" Will called out.
The music stopped. The tea sipping stopped.
Valerius turned, his eyes narrowing. "And who might this be? The stable boy?"
"I am William Turner," Will said, his voice steady (thanks to Ethan holding his vocal cords still). "And I believe, Captain, that your story has a hole in it."
Elizabeth stood up. "Will? You look... different."
"Krakens don't have tear ducts," Will stated flatly, repeating the biological fact Ethan fed him. "They live underwater. They cannot cry tears. The physics doesn't work."
The crowd murmured. "He has a point," one scientist whispered.
Valerius laughed, standing up. "Ah, a skeptic! A man of iron and soot trying to understand the poetry of the sea. Tell me, boy, have you ever sailed beyond the harbor?"
"I have sailed the seas of hard work," Will retorted, which sounded better in his head than out loud.
(Okay, that was a bit cheesy, Will. Let us switch to action. He is wearing a rapier. Challenge him. He is insulting your intelligence.)
"I came to deliver this," Will said, presenting the sword he had made. He drew it from the scabbard. The steel sang as it emerged, gleaming in the sunlight. "A blade for the Commodore. But perhaps... I should test its balance first."
He pointed the blade at Valerius. "You claim to be a swordsman, Captain. Prove it."
Governor Swann gasped. "Will! Put that away! This is a tea party!"
Valerius smirked. He saw an easy win. He was a Transmigrator with a "Master Fencer" skill. Will was just a blacksmith.
"A duel?" Valerius chuckled. "Very well. I shall teach you some manners, peasant. But be warned, I do not hold back."
Valerius drew his rapier. It was a flashy thing, covered in jewels.
(He is fast, Will. But he fights like a system user—predictable. He relies on auto-assist. You fight like a man who practices three hours a day because he is lonely. You have better muscle memory. Activate Skill: "The Blacksmith's Hammer". It allows you to target weak points in enemy weapons.)
"En garde!" Valerius lunged.
Will didn't retreat. He side-stepped with a grace he didn't know he possessed.
CLANG.
Will parried the thrust, his heavy blade knocking Valerius's rapier wide.
"You overextend," Will critiqued, channeling Ethan.
Valerius frowned. "Lucky move."
He attacked again, a flurry of strikes. Will blocked them all. Clang. Clang. Clang. It sounded like music—the music of steel.
(Now, Will! He is frustrated. He is going to use his cheat. Watch his left hand. He has a hidden dagger in his sleeve. It is not a fair duel.)
Valerius feinted high, then dropped his left hand to pull a poisoned dagger.
"Die, trash!" Valerius hissed.
Elizabeth screamed. "Watch out!"
But Will was already moving. He anticipated the cheat. He spun, dodging the dagger by an inch. Then, he brought the pommel of his sword down—hard.
CRACK.
He smashed the jeweled guard of Valerius's rapier. The force shattered the weapon (which was mostly decorative, unlike Will's masterpiece).
Will followed through with a sweep of his leg, knocking Valerius into the catering table.
SPLAT.
The "Silver Tongue" Captain landed face-first in a tiered wedding cake that was being sampled for a future event.
Will stood over him, the tip of his sword hovering over Valerius's throat.
"You cheat," Will said breathlessly. "You tried to use a dagger in a gentleman's duel."
He reached down and ripped the dagger from Valerius's sleeve, showing it to the crowd. The blade dripped with green liquid.
"Poison," Will announced.
Governor Swann turned pale. "Poison? At my tea party?"
.....
You can read the advanced chapters of all my novels at patreon for only 2.99$/ month at ultimate patreon tier
https://www.patreon.com/c/Vidhifate
...