Voyage

Cold, damp and uncomfotable.

Roland's unconsciousness gradually awakened to this feeling.

He still remembered, in the life-and-death moment before being swallowed by the fiery behemoth. He had desperately struggled to survival, and finally made a resolute decision. Finally deciding to stand up for himself.

When Roland's mind moved, a familiar looking screen appeared, followed by a prompt in a familiar voice.

[Ready to start the Chaos Sysytem, it will be completed in twelve hours]

Roland looked at the text without much of a reaction. He had unknowingly given up on the system and his previous anticipation had gradually faded. 

'I still have to wait? Whatever.' He concentrated on the prompt and accepted. Soon a count down started.

'Wait a minute, I didn't die?.' Coming to these thoughts, Roland's mind moved as he opened his eyes.

Dimly-lit and sombre atmosphere.

These were there first thoughts Roland had when looking at the place.

He was in a dark space with a few oil lamps hanging on the beams, a large number of barrels and crates were steadily swaying back and forth, all the structure was made of wood except for the metal cage he was in.

'Did I get locked up again?, No it's a different case.' Roland frowned when he noticed a small detail, Motion. Most of the objects in this space were moving back and forth.

Roland's thoughts quickly moved. He seemed to be inside of a ship, and he was locked up in a cell. 

'How did I get onto this ship? Also Why do I keep waking up in cages?' Roland frowned. 

He quickly surveyed the area, the entire designed looked old and similar to the pirate movies, he watched in his previous life.

There were a dozen or so cages in the area, which was way less then his previous, 'dormitory'. The other cages were empty, except for the one besides him, which had 1 person. 

Roland could vaguely see the sillohout of a person who was lying on the ground. His life or death was unknown. He called out a few time but the other party did not flinch, let alone respond.

'How did I get here? Did I leave the island or did the old man bring me out? What about the others?' Roland was confused by this situation, he wracked his brain for a while but nothing came up.

He knew that thinking about questions he had no answers too was a waste of time. He shook his head and cleared his thoughts.

*Bam*

Just then, the ship seemed to crash into something, as it jerked forward. Sounds of shouting, running, and metal clanging onto metal came from the surface of the ship.

'Are they fighting?' Roland tried to peer through the small openings between the floor, but the 'ceiling' was quite high up.

"Hey! What's going on!" 

Just as Roland got up and wanted to climb up the cell bars, a voice came from behind him. He frantically turned around and saw a boy with dark-skin and short hair. The boy had a relatively-small snub nose, and looked to be around fifteen-years-old. 

Hearing no reply, the boy increased his voice a bit and turned his head to the side, "Can you understand me?"

Roland looked closely and realised that the boy had a white cloth covering his eyes, he seemed to be blind. Roland sighed, 'I guess even in a magical world, there are people with disabilities.'

"I know that there's someone there!"

"Yeah, I'm here!" Roland regained his sense and responded.

"What's happening above deck? Is it the pirates?" The boy held onto the bars and inquired, he had an anxious expression on his face. 

Hearing the term 'above deck' from the 'blindman', made Roland frown, it was obvious that this person had some Intel or status for that matter. Roland lowered his head and thought of something.

"I don't know, I'm locked up in here, just like you." Roland shook his head with a sigh. "Also, do you perhaps, know where we are going or who are these animals who kidnapped us are?"

Judging by the expansive-looking clothes and how the boy spoke, Roland felt like he wasn't simple. He might at the very least know a bit more then him, so he intentionally chose his words.

"Sigh... those 'animals' are people and are from a merchant family." The boy turned around and sat down by the bed. "They are decent people."

Hearing the boys words and heavy tone, Roland thought of something but ultimately shook his head, 'Then why are you locked up?'

'Merchants huh? Does that make us cargo? Did I actually get auctioned off in the end?' Roland looked at the barrels and crates, he shook his head and cleared his thoughts.

Roland could see the human boys expression changing, but he shook his head and said nothing.

At this point, the sounds of fighting started to die down, and pretty soon it stopped. A while later, the door flung open. A few muscular men, carrying unconscious pirates rushed down the stairs.

Roland was slightly shocked. The attire of these men looked simular to the ones pirates wore in his world! Coincidence?

The muscular man were wearing white t-shirt, black caps and black shorts. Their giant arms and legs were bulging outside.

The men, opened a cell at the end and stuffed in the unconscious pirates. There was a row of men carrying pirates, the others went back outside immediately, presumably to get more prisoners.

It can be seen from the tattered clothes and injuries, that a fight had broken out and it was intense. 

Pretty soon, the cells were filled, with 20 unconcious pirates in each, but it seemed like there was still quite a few prisoners that needed a 'room'.

One of the man come to the blind boy's cell and quickly unlocked it. The man's deep voice sounded, "Young master, Sir Francis is requesting an audience.

Roland was slightly surprised, he had somewhat guessed it. Although the boy was 'imprisoned', he didn't look like it. A the term 'requesting' sounded odd, when considering the other party was a 'captive'.

The boy nodded. The man quickly led him out of the cell, and the cell was filled with twenty people. Afterwards there was only a handful of pirates left.

There guards looked at each other, then at Roland's cell. One of them quickly went out. A while later he came back and opened Roland's cell, "Come with me." 

'Seems like I'm not important enough to get the 'prisoner' treatment.' 

Roland followed the man out. They went up the stairs, and outside onto the deck. 

Seeing is beliving. Roland, who had never been on a sailing ship in his previous life, fulfilled that wish in this world. His initial impression of seeing the ship, was that it was sturdy, it gave people the feeling of being magnificent. At a glance it looked like a behemoth, with 5 or at least 6 sails.

Roland turned his head and looked towards the side and the ocean came into view, thus another wish from his previous world was fulfilled.

His first impression of seeing the sea was that it was vast. The majestic visual impact of this personal experience could not be felt by just looking at the television. At first glance, it was boundless, he could only see the distant horizon and the setting sun behind it. The sun on it's last leg.

"Keep moving." It was only for a moment, and the man behind him, pushed him forward.

They moved onto the raised quarter-deck, behind the ships wheel and arrived in front of the captains cabin. After getting permission they entered through the door.

"I'll allow you to take a sit ." 

A man in his mid thirties with blond hair, was gazing out the window with his back facing Roland, slowly said. 

The man was wearing a black suite with a white shirt underneath, the black blazer extended at the black. Roland realised that it resembled a butler's attire, from the Victorian Era from a certain nation. 

"Leave us!" The man gestured for the crewmate to leave.

"Reveal to me the essence of your identity and narrative, for should lies escape your lips, you may find yourself entangled in a destiny far more grievous than death!" The man turned around, he poured himself something to drink, and stared daggers at Roland.

Roland couldn't help thinking that the man was behaving weirdly, like he was putting up an act of some sorts, nevertheless he answered, "I seem to have had an accident and I don't remember anything besides my name being Roland."

Seeing Roland expression, the man wearing a butler's attire took a hug gulp from his glass and looked outside, seemingly in thought, he stole a few glances at Roland.

In fact Roland was telling half the truth. He actually couldn't remember anything that happen to the original owner of his new body. Besides how is he gonna know if I'm lying.

"That being the case." The man took out a knife and stabbed it in the table. He sat behind the desk, "If I don't know your identity, I don't trust you. You could be a danger to us, so I have to kill you."

Looking at the man's threatening gaze, Roland frowned. For some weird reason, he wasn't scared. Also this threat seemed unwarranted. Maybe it was because he'd face much dangerous situation already but he didn't feel anything.

Instead of a fierce tiger, Roland saw a cute rabbit, when looking at the man.

Seeing Roland's deadpan expression, the butler was irritated, he grabbed Roland by the collar and placed the knife on his neck, "You don't understand the gravity of this situation or do you think I won't do It?"

Roland's frown grew deeper, unlike the time he died to the thugs, he was actually calm. Again, this person was behaving weirdly. Roland couldn't help thinking of the phrase 'all bark but no bite' when looking at the man. 

Roland quickly cleared his thoughts and frantically said, "I believe you! Please don't kill me!"

Seeing Roland frighten expression the man secretly smiled and finally let him go.

"Given your pleading tone, let's rewind a bit. I stumbled upon you adrift in the vast ocean. Without my timely intervention, you'd likely be telling a different tale right now, one that didn't end too well." The butler, Francis, sat down behind the desk. He fixed his outfit while saying, "Considering I just pulled you from the jaws of doom, here are the terms. Serve me as a servant. So take out the servant contract."

Hearing his words, Roland's face finally changed. 

Unlike, other contracts, the master-and-servant contract was much more vicious. The servant couldn't disobey the master, and the master could directly kill the servant with a thought. The contracts of this world were special because they could directly ignore space and time to kill a person.

"Sir, I'm just a weak mortal with no strength, I've had terrible spirit ever since I was a kid!" Roland quickly explained, and he didn't notice his mistake after all he didn't want to be someone's servant. 

Fifi had explained to Roland That, only people who had that mysterious power within them, could make a spiritual contract. So 'normal' people, couldn't form them but they could sign one.

"No powers!." A look of disdain flashed on Francis's face. He sat down and placed his feet on the table and said, "Once we're back, I'll use a slave brand. For now, you will join the grunts outside." 

"Barack! Get this boy something to do!" Francis increased his voice a bit and the bulky man walked inside and took Roland. Just as Roland left the room, he heard Francis's voice "And discard any thoughts of escaping, this is the best ship of the sterling family, Haha"

Followed by a deranged laughter.

'Escape huh! Oh Francis, you crack yourself up! Where can he escape to, we're in the middle of the sea.' Francise poured himself another cup of wine.