Chapter 6 Will to live

" Mendes, you fucker. Do your job properly or else I won't give you a damn piece of copper coin. You stupid rant!"

The old man cursed out, gulping a mouthful of wine while leaning on the wooden chair. The sound of creak echoed in the cabin as Mendes silently wiped the floor with a mop.

His speed was neither fast nor slow as he cleaned without any blemish. This was the reason for his employment since there were a lot of hygiene problems on the ship like this.

As an experienced captain John believed having a woman on the ship was bad luck, so he desperately looked for a man who was capable of doing chores, but in this era, there were no such people, hence many died from hygiene-related diseases like stomach diseases and high fever.

Fortunately, John managed to find Mendes who was well-versed in many tasks and he was dirt cheap for such skills in his eyes. Although he wasn't a slave, he regarded him as one due to his contract of employment. Furthermore, he never talked or smiled, thus making him a living doll-like human.

" Yawn* Ah, I should have bought those fruits."

John complained, placing his legs on the table with annoyance. His mood was rather poor due to being famished. In this damned sea, there were no good foods and he constantly ate fish which was disgusting without any spice.

The ocean had very limited resources and he rarely met merchants in the ocean. Even though he often meets pirates and mercenaries, they have no exquisite cuisines or chefs on their boards.

" Cook our dinner today since you have time after this."

John ordered him to move while closing his eyes with laziness. Mendes bowed, finishing his cleaning in a flash.

His body was aching from all these works, but his mind was clear as the day. He knew he was working like a slave, however, he was preparing for his future as he relentlessly collected intelligence and books from other people. He was learning about the open water and way of fighting from the experts and it was going well in his thought.

When his mother passed away, Mendes swore that he would protect people like his mother who were abandoned by fate and the government.

" Endure for today."

He gritted his teeth, reminding himself to move more because he could see the future where he could save more.

" Oh, Mey. Looking exhausted, ain't cha?! Here drink some water."

The old crew member gave him a flask of water while looking at him with a soft look. He admired this young boy who never backed down from the hardest jobs.

" Thank you, old man, Sam."

Mendes replied, sipping the water slowly because gulping it down would hurt his body and he wasn't sure the water was pure, so he decided to take a precaution.

" You work too hard, my boy. Even if you have learned the mana method from those men, your body would be stunned by all of these labors."

Sam spoke gently, trying to warn him about the side effects of the labor since he learned it the hard way. Nevertheless, he didn't stop him either, knowing he would continue to work as usual and John would scold him if he quit his job.

" I understand."

Mendes replied lightly, going back to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

Crash*

Suddenly, they were thrown into the wall. The wood-clashing sound warned them that they hit something hard and they could hear the yells of other men.

" Mey boy, run to the kitchen and hide inside the drawer that is in the corner which is far from the storage. Don't try to be brave!"

Sam warned him, guessing something went wrong because he knew they were under attack. Outlaws often attack their ship and they fought them many times.

" What about you?"

Mendes glared at him, thinking he would die here because he was too old for combat.

" I will be fine. I have no value and our guards are tough, but you are too young for such things. Your power isn't helpful in this situation."

Sam explained, pushing him to go. Time was running out.