64 Reading Between the Bottles #64

"Don't you think you've had enough...?" Ain asked with a frown as she watched Cedric down the tenth rum bottle in a row. "I'm not sure how you're still alive after drinking so much..." She asked, her expression a mixture of confusion and concern.

"Mind over body..." Cedric replied, gesturing toward his head as he put down the bottle. "I only get drunk if I want to get drunk..." He added, and as if to demonstrate, his eyes turned glassy and bloodshot, his cheeks flushed red, and his shoulder slumped as soon as he finished speaking.

Stunned to silence, Ain could only watch in confusion as Cedric shook his head and any signs of drunkness alongside it. "I just need the people here to think I'm drunk... that's all," He added with a shrug.

"And to what end...?" Ain asked as she gathered her bearings. "We've been sitting here for an hour now without doing anything..." She went on, shaking her head in disapproval.

"Wrong again..." Cedric replied with a grin. "We're drinking, observing, and waiting, well I am, anyway..." He went on as he reached for the last unopened rum bottle.

"Those fellas over there are smugglers. They're keeping to themselves and trying to lay low..." Cedric said, subtly gesturing toward the table to their left. "The ones over there are just a bunch of clueless gamblers here for a good time..." He added as he pointed toward another table ahead of it.

"The ones over there are pirates, and rowdy ones at that..." Cedric said as he took a sip from the bottle in his hand. "I just need an opening to walk up to them and start a conversation..." He concluded, shrugging his shoulders.

"You sure know what you're doing..." Ain blankly said with a sigh. "I don't know if I should be impressed or concerned..." She added, at a loss for what to feel as she messaged her forehead in exasperation.

"Either is fine..." Cedric said with a shrug as he emptied the last rum bottle and put it on the table. "Think on it while I work my magic..." He added as he noticed someone leave the pirates' table, prompting him to stand up and prepare to make a move.

However, Cedric only took two steps before stopping as a boy wearing dirty, patched-up overalls and a large white cap approached him with his hands behind his back and a nervous expression on his face, causing the young marine to halt.

"Are you lost or something, kiddo?" Cedric asked as he looked down at the child, but the latter didn't reply. "Do you need--" He went on, pausing halfway through his sentence as the boy suddenly raised the hand behind his back, revealing the knife in his grip.

Before Cedric could do or say anything, the boy lunged at him, aiming the knife straight at the young marine's heart. Surprised by the rash attack as he was, Cedric still quickly caught the child's wrist and stopped him.

"Didn't your mom teach you that it's bad manners to stab at people out of nowhere?" Cedric said, still holding on to the boy's wrist as he raised him to eye level, despite the latter's struggles.

"My mom's dead, asshole," The boy said with a scowl as he suddenly punched Cedric's nose with his free hand, causing the young marine to drop him. "Listen! Everyone! This guy is talking shit about General Gasparde!" He said as he landed on his feet before promptly sprinting away.

Cedric wanted to follow him, but he looked around and noticed several pirates get off their tables and turn their attention to him. "Bastard! How dare you badmouth our captain! Get him, boys!" Said one of the pirates as he drew his sword.

"The situation just got more complicated than it needed to be," The young marine said with a sigh as he turned to Ain. "But this is fine too... go after the kid, and meet me in the town. I'll handle these guys..." He concluded as he turned away from the blue-haired woman, and she could only oblige, albeit reluctantly.

Cedric watched Ain leave as he stood his ground and waited for the angry mob to arrive. "What I can I do for you, fellas?" He asked, putting on a friendly smile as the pirates stopped some distance away from him.

"We heard what the brat said... you're talking shit about our captain, aren't you?!" Said one of the pirates, a man with purple hair with a mohawk cut, scowling as he accusingly pointed his sword at the young marine.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, friend..." Cedric replied with a shrug. "This is clearly a misunderstanding... how about working it out over some drinks, my treat..." He added, raising his hands as if to surrender.

"There's nothing to work out, punk..." Another pirate said as he drew a flintlock pistol from his side. "Only death awaits idiots who badmouth our captain!" He added as he raised the weapon and fired.

Cedric internally sighed as he stepped back and intentionally tripped on the empty table behind him, flipping and using it for cover as the other pirates began firing. "I guess we'll have to do this the hard way..." He mused, smiling as he picked up two empty rum bottles from the ground.

Still smiling, the young marine waited for the pirates to run out of bullets before emerging from behind the table, only to pause as he found two men already charging him.

He quickly gathered his bearings and didn't falter as he sidestepped to dodge the blade of the first man, only to smash one of the empty rum bottles on his head, instantly knocking him out cold.

The other pirate scowled as he lunged at Cedric and suffered the same fate, but it didn't stop the angry mob of pirates from swarming the young marine.

"I keep telling you, people..." Cedric said, maintaining a calm tone as he gripped the wrist of a pirate swinging at his neck. "This is just a simple misunderstanding..." He added as he caught his other hand when the pirate tried to punch him.

"Let's just sit down..." The young marine said with a beaming smile as he cocked his head back and buried it into the pirate's nose, causing it to break with a sickening crunch of bones. "And talk it over..." He concluded, smiling as he watched the man fall flat on his back.

"Bastard! You've got some balls saying that while beating up our friend!" Said one of the pirates surrounding Cedric, his tone a mixture of anger and confusion. "Get him!" He exclaimed as he charged the young marine, prompting the others to do the same.

Sighing in exasperation, Cedric jumped high, avoiding the pirate's attacks and landing on an empty table some distance away. "Well, if you insist... I suppose I could play with you, fellas..." He said as he brandished the cutlass sword hanging off his hip.

"Cut him to pieces!" Exclaimed one of the pirates, threateningly waving his sword as the angry mob charged the young marine, each shouting unspeakable threats and obscenities.

Much to the pirates' surprise, Cedric sprinted toward them instead of away, meeting halfway. "That's fucking rude!" He said as he raised his sword and buried its pommel in the head of the nearest pirate.

The pirate instantly fell unconscious with upturned eyes, but two more bounced on the young marine in his stead from two directions. Cedric raised his sword and blocked their attacks with one hand before kicking the pirate on the left in the crotch, bringing him to his knees and taking him out of the fight.

The young marine turned to the pirate on the right with a grin, and the latter immediately let go of his sword and protectively covered his family jewels with both hands, only for Cedric to punch him in the face.

He jumped back as several more pirates lunged at him and prepared to counter-attack but stopped as he heard a loud whistle. He looked around and saw Ain walking toward the cave's exit with a boy over his shoulders, causing him to smile.

"It's been fun playing with you, friends..." Cedric said, dodging another slew of sword swings, jumping high, and landing next to an unconscious pirate. "I gotta run now..." He added, picking up the pirate and putting a revolver to the side of his head as he walked backward toward the floor's railing.

"Gentlemen..." The young marine said, grinning and holding on to the rope of a pulley attached to the ship hanging under the chasm's mouth. "You will always remember this as the day you almost caught--" He added, his sentence cut short as he sliced the rope beneath his grip and flew into the air, much to the pirates' confusion.

...

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