Shrouded Seascape

"Look, this is an eyeliner. You draw it like this, then like this, and like this. Now, take a look. Don't you look prettier than before?" Nico asked with a smile.

Holding the eyeliner between his index and middle fingers, he positioned the mirror in his other hand in front of the teenage girl, letting her inspect her newly applied makeup.

They were currently in Second Mate Nico's cabin. Though the room wasn't that spacious, it was tastefully decorated. The walls were even painted with a refreshing shade of apple green.

"Wow! I really do look much prettier!" Grace exclaimed.

"Right? Every woman needs to learn how to apply makeup. It's not just about the pursuit of beauty; it's about confidence. Wearing makeup and stepping out of your room instill a positive mindset. This is also my secret to maintaining a youthful appearance even at forty-nine," Nico remarked.

Retracting the mirror, he checked his own reflection. He then straightened his posture, puckered his vividly colored lips, and admired the pearl ear studs on his ears.

"Then why didn't Madam Linda take me to buy makeup when she took me shopping for essentials on the ship?" Grace asked in puzzlement.

Nico cast a sideways glance at Grace, a hint of disdain flickering across his eyes. "What does she know? On this ship, aside from Chief Engineer Audric, who else sees her as a woman? If you want to become a charming and alluring woman, you need to learn from me."

"By the way," Nico said, "Burn that oversized robe you're wearing. Is that even meant for human wear? I'll find you some clothes that actually fit."

Grace looked downward to assess her gray robe. Hesitation suffused her face as she said, "But my mentor gave this to me."

"Hohoho. Let me guess. Is your mentor an old man with no sense of style? How could he let a girl wear that? Quick, take it off. Trust me."

Soon, Grace's old-fashioned mage robes were replaced with a rose-colored satin dress. The top was short, but the hem was long and wide. Coupled with Grace's light makeup, her entire outfit highlighted her youthful charm.

"Hmm… not bad at all. Though my clothes are still a little too big for you, nothing a slight alteration can't do," Nico commented with satisfaction.

Nearby, Lily was perched on the table with two big spots of rouge on her cheeks and bright red lipstick. Her head hung in dejection. "It doesn't work on me… I look like a clown… I was so pretty when I became a human."

"Oh~ Lily, my dear little Lily, what am I going to do with you?" Nico sighed as he extended a manicured finger with red nail polish to gently circle around Lily's fluffy head.

Grace reached out and cradled Lilly in her palm. Stroking her soft fur gently, she said, "Lily, you don't need makeup. You are adorable just the way you are."

"Sigh… I don't want to be adorable. But thank you for trying to cheer me up. I feel a bit better now," Lily said as she nuzzled Grace's palm with her furry cheek.

Cuckoo! Cuckoo!

The doors on the mechanical wall clock suddenly flung open, and a brass bird emerged from within. It flapped its wings and opened its beak, chirping rhythmically.

Nico placed the lipstick in his hand back onto his vanity table and aligned it meticulously to line up with the other cosmetics.

He then stood up leisurely and announced, "Alright, it's time for my shift now. Feel free to stay here and have fun. From now on, this will be the place where the ladies of the Narwhale can have their afternoon tea."

Grace flashed a smile at Nico, saying, "Thank you, Mr. Second Mate. You're so kind to me."

"Oh~ My sweetie." Nico bent down, his eyes filled with affection as he gently pinched Grace's cheek. "You're welcome. Who could resist wanting to help such an adorable girl like you?"

As Nico caressed Grace's silky, smooth, and fair cheek, a hint of envy crossed his eyes.

"Ah, how great it is to be young. I can't even feel a single pore. Unlike me, everything's starting to sag. Anyway, I must be off, or the first mate is going to scold me for being late again. See you girls again in six hours."

The cabin door swung open and closed behind Nico. Looking at the guns on the wall swaying with the waves, Grace looked at Lily and said with joy in her voice, "Mr. Nico is such a nice person! I love being on the Narwhale. It feels better than being in my mentor's magic tower!"

Lily tilted her head up to look at Grace. Hesitation painted her face as she pondered whether she should voice out her thoughts or not.

Grace noticed Lily's hesitation and asked in puzzlement, "Is there something you want to say? Go ahead; we're all friends now."

Lily ultimately decided to keep her thoughts to herself. Putting on a smile, she shook her head and replied, "It's nothing… I just wanted to say that actually, Mr. Nico isn't as nice as you describe him to be. I've heard that he likes to sneak into the crew's quarters at night."

Meanwhile, on the other side, Nico had pushed open the door to the bridge. A few specks of dust fluttered to the ground as he entered the room.

Leaning against the door frame, Nico struck a sultry pose. He then held his right hand against the door and did a sexy body wave, with emphasis on his hips. "Boys~ I'm here~ Miss me?"

Bandages and Dipp exchanged gazes. Their expressions remained stoic, and they didn't speak a single word.

"You're… late… again…" Bandages eventually broke the silence as he walked over and handed Nico the navigation documents and a pen before heading down the stairs.

"Hmph, this guy's so boring. Dipp, didn't you say he was quite lively when he was younger? Were you just lying to me?" Nico asked as he grabbed the navigational logbook and approached the map on the wall, ready to get to work.

"Uh… never mind. It's better to not say anything. Anyway, his past is quite mysterious and bizarre," Dipp replied.

"I wasn't that interested in the first place. That dude's not handsome, and I'm not the least bit interested in him," Nico said dismissively. "Alright, let's get to work. Report the ascent speed."

"Ascending at an average of 6 knots."

"Current coordinates?"

"48.5, 73.7."

"Temperature?"

"21 degrees."

As Nico continued to be updated on their current nautical situation, he diligently recorded the information with his pen.

"How much longer before we get there? I'm getting annoyed," Dipp complained as he rubbed his sore neck.

"Another six days, at most. Luckily, the Foundation had cleared this route before. Otherwise, we could have been shot down before we could even get close. We still need to upgrade those gas bags. Their resistance to attacks is too weak," Nico answered.

Dipp nodded in agreement. "I'll bring it up to the captain when he starts his daily patrol. By the way, are the items for the ritual prepared? We seem to be lacking in supplies on the ship; I'm worried we won't have enough."

"Linda is gathering everything. There shouldn't be any issues. After all, we have two ships worth of people."

Silence ensued in the cockpit once again. After a few minutes, Nico looked up at Dipp with a smile. "Come on, tell me already. What exactly did Bandages go through? You've really piqued my curiosity."

"Bandages, huh? It's a long story. We have to start from the captain's first exploration mission."