Chapter 11 "Operation Heaven's Chosen"

After the awarding, a meeting was held to discuss which island we should liberate next. You see, my dear Langas, the 4 winds are an archipelago, meaning a nation made up of mostly islands, and the mainland was surrounded by 3 pirate-occupied islands. After we claimed Tinwati, that number became 2. Now, we're deciding which of the 2 would provide greater opportunities to all the people involved. After a long deliberation, it was decided that the Island of Yenchei would be reclaimed for the empire. It would let us surround the final island in the middle, and the island is known to have great business, according to royal scouts. Joy confirmed their claims by flying over the island as well. So, the emperor asked if there was anything he could give us to ease the burden of reclaiming Yenchei. I gave it a thought, a fake one, since I already knew what I wanted.

After a brief moment, I made my demands, "Takeshi, do you remember the orb you talked to me about in secret when we were on Tinwati, telling sleepover stories like a pair of little girls?" The emperor's face flushed, then turned red, stuttering he replied, "Y-you didn't have to mention the last part, captain, you dumbass, but yeah, I remember that conversation. The orb that grants its user contact with a god or goddess and blesses them with a holy seal and a holy relic." I nodded in affirmation and replied, slightly teasing him, "Oh, but you were so cute. You were swinging your legs back and forth while eating the chips I bought. Hehe, anyway, yeah, that's the orb I need. We're eventually going to hire more crew members. You did give us a 150-room apartment complex, and our current strength is not ideal, so it would be nice if they had their own deities backing them so that as a crew, our power levels are evenly matched."

The emperor threw a pen at me for my first remark before replying, "You really are a prick, ya know that, and that's why we get along. And yes, I agree, it would be bad if your crew members lag behind you in combat power, and so I'll allow you guys to take the orb of heavenly connections. And as a cherry on top for being the only one ballsy enough to embarrass me, I'll let you guys take a weapon and a set of armor from the royal armory. You don't have to use it; you can use it as a cosmetic for your homes, but I do insist you take something. My dearest guard, Rex, will take you there. Did I mention he's a fan of yours?"

I walked up to the emperor and gave him a pat on his back. "I could always count on you, Taka. You haven't changed at all since that day, you prick, when we were in the royal academy as dorm mates. I'll spare ya the details since you probably already know what I'm talking about. Thanks for the aid." I used my magic to run a light, tickling feeling down his neck before signing my crew to leave with me. The whole way back, Hana just gave me a look like she had just discovered something but couldn't pinpoint it. I shrugged it off as nothing.

And so, when we made it to the royal armory with Rex's help, absolutely champion, I urged him to get something for himself. I'm sure Taka wouldn't mind. News flash: I was right, he didn't. He gave me a mouthful, but I was used to it from our days in the academy. I did have to live with him, but yeah, Rex accepted my offer and took a very nice-looking black armor with a red lining. For his weapon, he took a beautiful black onyx sword and shield. The shield also had a red lining, and in the center, there was a skull with a rune. Seems like Rex has an eye for gear.

As for me, I took a set of Black and Purple armor that resembled an eastern country's armor. I assume this was acquired after capturing an Eastern general in battle, and now it was mine. Using an appraisal skill I picked up during our final battle in Tinwati, I found out the name of this armor set was "The Commander's Final Declaration." I grabbed the sword beside it, unsheathing it. The blade was revealed to be a beautiful purple color that had a black metallic finish.

As for the rest of the crew, your uncle got a full set of light blade-proof armor: helmet, knee, and shoulder pads included, as well as glasses that made it easier to see in the dark. He grabbed 2 pistols that had a beautifully carved wood finish. Jey got a velvet red mage's robe with a matching hat with a yellow ribbon around it. Your auntie Max got herself a box of knuckles with different designs and finishes; she's gonna use it for display, apparently. As for the best sister in the world, Zeth, she got herself the twin armor set to mine, which had its colors inverted. Gold was the armor's base color with a black lining, and the sword was gold with a black metallic finish. The only thing that was different would be the masks the sets came with.

Hana just got a collection of knives since her job classification thrives off their light bodies, wearing armor would be slightly disadvantageous. Jiro got tamer's armor and a slime summoning staff, which summons wild slime if we ever want to capture one as a pet. Joy got her horse some armor since she already had a good set of armor on her back. Instead, she got herself a royal bow and a few blessed arrows to come with it. Finally, Kinny, I've never seen him smile so big until he walked into that gun aisle. He walks out with 4 pistols that had the lining colors: Red, Blue, Pink, and Orange; the base color was black, of course.

I may have taken something as well, and that's something I'm going to be passing down to you once I pass on from this world. It's a set of 3 rings: Navi's Queen Ring, Sinclair's Ring of Perseverance, and Leo's Ring of Agility. I didn't take those for any particular reason, but they sure came in handy a few times.

(Reference to Arcade Spirits: The rings that Captain Rei Ishikawa took are named after the three main patrons of the Funplex in the game.)

(Reference to Pac-Man: The color of Kinny's guns is in reference to Inky, Blinky, Pinky, and Clyde, who can also be found in Arcade Spirits.)