I wake up in the morning to a beautiful black-haired foxkin girl stroking my chest and kissing my neck.
"Wake up, Leon. The sun's up and we have work to do."
"Good morning, Kaelin, did you sleep well?"
"The best I have ever slept, yeah. You make a great pillow. I wish we could stay like this all day."
"When we are docked in some places, we will definitely have time to do just that. But, for now, I am ready to get started."
We get out of bed, change, and make our way to the galley. After breakfast, we head straight to the cargo hold to prepare for the delivery of the goods.
The first to arrive are the crew who will be finishing up the installation of the weapons systems, and the guy I spoke to in the shop comes with them, saying he needs to show the system to my gunner.
I send Kaelin to listen to his explanation on the bridge, while I stand on deck, waiting for more deliveries.
The next to arrive is the wine. There are a large number of crates, but thanks to the workers who are delivering them, I don't need to do anything other than double-check the delivery of items, and direct them on where to store them. The whole process takes no more than 30 minutes after I enlist a few young men who hang out on the docks, hoping for exactly this kind of work.
After the wine comes the crates for delivery from the skyfarer's guild. The crates are big and made of steel. 2 heavily armed soldier-types bring the crates on board and use some kind of magical item to set a magical seal on the box. This is standard procedure for skyfarers who do delivery runs like me, to ensure we don't tamper with the cargo.
Next is the cheese, which, just like the wine, is easily organised onto the ship without issue.
Last is Pops's delivery, and to my surprise, the old dwarf himself shows up. "So, this is the ship you are whisking Kaelin away on, hey lad? It looks to be in good condition."
"Yeah, it's got some nice upgrades too. Rotating mana cannon, upgraded propulsion system, mana torpedoes, and a medium shield. For a small passenger ship, it can destroy any small pirate ship and run from anything medium or large. Would you like a tour?"
While the loot is being sorted, I give Pops a quick tour of the ship. He particularly likes the magical water system and refrigerator we have on board, and says he will try and get his hands on something similar for his home.
When I take him up to the bridge, Kaelin is just finishing her tutorial session with the guy from the team installing the mana torpedos. We watch in silence from the doorway. Kaelin is paying absolute attention, her focus unwavering.
The weapons outfitter tells me that the installation is complete and then bids me farewell. The ship is now stocked and full on ammo. Ready to set sail.
Kaelin only notices me and Pops after she finishes with the tutorial. "Pops? What are you doing on board?"
"Well. I had to deliver the stuff, and your captain decided to give me a tour of the ship. I am glad to see it it isn't like other skyfarer's ships."
"What do you mean?"
"Most skyfarers live is pretty squalid ships with all the space being taken up by some kind of loot or cargo. They cram passengers on board to maximise profits, and then their ships are dirty and not looked after. Your captain doesn't do that."
I had no idea that skayfarers have that kind of reputation, but I absolutely refuse to like that.
"Pops, I see myself as a king, and this ship is my kingdom. What king wants to live in a shitty kingdom full of junk, when he can live in a comfortable and bountiful kingdom filled with riches and beauties?"
Pops laughs at my declaration, obviously agreeing. The truth is, if I am going to live on a ship, it had better be comfortable. I want my own living space, a fully functional kitchen.
When I upgrade to a bigger ship, I want a war room next to the captain's cabin, I want a full hangar where small ships can be docked and repaired. I want aether-powered miners and salvagers so that I can collect loot from ships I wreck, and collect metal ore from rock belts. Then, I want to be able to finish my day inside a bed big enough for me and all of my girls to sleep together.
Pops stays on board with us for a couple of hours until lunchtime, after which he says his goodbyes. He leaves me with a small crystal and tells me that it is a communicator crystal. His mana signature is in it, and if I install it in a communication crystal, I will be able to write him messages, or communicate by voice if the distance in't too far.
Kaelin and I immediately go out and get one for the ship, it only costs about 500 GP. Most people could never afford it, but considering we will be using it on the ship, it's an expense worth every GP.
We have lunch at a nice eatery and then buy some things for dinner. The evening is spent double-checking the cargo and showering together to repeat last night. I think showering with Kaelin will become my new favourite pre-bed activity.
Kaelin once again sleeps in my bed, and we agree that when we do things together that are romantic, she will call me 'Leon', but when something involves the ship, I am 'Captain'.
Separating the two is very important in my opinion.
Excited to be leaving tomorrow, Kaelin takes a while to settle down and sleep, so I just embrace her and stroke her hair until she does. Tomorrow our climb to the top begins in earnest, so I am ready and excited.