[Current Balance: 11,890,536,222 R]
---September 2, 1714---
Reuben's eyes fluttered open to the gentle, rhythmic creak of La Providencia's timbers and the soft, even breathing beside him.
Sunlight, still pale and new, filtered through the small, salt-stained window of their cabin, painting a muted stripe across the wooden floor.
Flavia lay curled against his side, her dark hair fanned out across the pillow, her face was serene in deep sleep. A small, contented smile touched Reuben's lips. He watched her for a moment, the fierce Auditore Assassin looking almost like a child in her slumber.
Carefully, so as not to wake her, he leaned down and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. She let out a tiny, contented groan, snuggling deeper into the blankets, but her eyes remained closed.
He chuckled quietly to himself. Slipping out of bed stealthily, he padded silently across the cool wooden floor. He yawned, stretching his arms high above his head, the muscles in his back and shoulders pleasantly sore from the previous day's sparring with Thulani and… other activities.
Glancing out the window, he saw the ocean stretching endlessly, the sky just beginning to lighten from inky black to a bruised purple. Morning was here, another day at sea.
He walked over to the small, sturdy desk bolted to the cabin wall. His new hobby, one he'd picked up during the long, often monotonous, days aboard La Providencia, lay there… a neat stack of compiled parchments, his diary.
He'd found that reading, while still a passion that had helped him learn Italian and Spanish remarkably quickly thanks to Flavia's patient tutoring and the books Alaric had acquired for him, wasn't always enough to quiet his thoughts. Writing them down, however, seemed to help.
He sat down, dipped a quill into the inkpot, and began to write, the scratching of the nib a small, private sound in the quiet cabin.
'September 2nd, 1714. Another dawn at sea. Flavia sleeps beside me, and for that, I am more grateful than words can say. To wake each day to her presence, to share this journey, this life… it is a happiness I never thought to find, especially not after… well, after everything. The Kenways, the Auditores, even that old sea dog Oldgate and his crew… they have become a strange, extended family. We are safe, for now, heading towards a new continent, a new beginning. And yet…'
Reuben paused, his brow furrowing slightly. He stared at the last words, a familiar restlessness stirring within him.
'And yet… there is a part of me that feels… adrift. Content, yes, but also… waiting. For what, I do not always know. This peace, this relative calm… it is what I once craved, what any sane man would desire after a life like mine. But there is a fire in my blood, a sense that I am meant for more than just… peace. A calling, perhaps, to protect, to fight for something. We are running, yes, from the Crown, from the dangers in England. But running feels… incomplete. I know Alaric has his plans, his grand designs. That bastard always does. He'll find some way to drag us all into another impossible situation, some new adventure, some new fight. And as much as I might curse his recklessness… a part of me eagerly awaits it. He always makes things… interesting.'
He looked at the last lines dryly, a small sigh escaping him. He neatly placed the parchment on top of the others in the stack, then carefully positioned a small, heavy lead paperweight on top to keep the sea breeze from scattering his thoughts.
He yawned again, stretching his arms. His gaze fell upon a familiar black pack resting beside the inkpot. A pack of premium cigars, one of the many Alaric had stocked in his room before they left Bristol, claiming Reuben might 'develop a taste for the finer things in life.'
'Ironic,' Reuben thought, a faint smirk touching his lips. 'How I used to despise the smell of Alaric's cigarettes, and now…'
He picked up the pack, sliding one of the dark, rolled cigars free. He found the flint and steel Oldgate had gifted him after seeing him awkwardly try to light one with damp kindling. He walked towards the cabin door.
As he quietly closed the door behind him, careful not to wake Flavia, he turned his head and saw Alaric doing the exact same thing, emerging from the great cabin he shared with Kassandra further down the narrow companionway. Alaric, however, already had a lit cigar perched jauntily between his lips, a plume of fragrant smoke curling around his head.
"Good mornin'," Alaric smirked, taking a slow drag from his cigar.
"'Laric?" Reuben's eyes widened slightly in surprise. He walked towards the blonde. "When did you arrive back on board? I didn't even sense you."
"Last night," Alaric replied easily, his grin widening as he saw the unlit cigar in Reuben's hand. "Decided to pop over from Port Royal. Long swim." They both started walking towards the hatch leading up to the main deck, the familiar scent of Alaric's premium smoke now mingling with the anticipation of Reuben's own.
As they emerged onto the deck, the cool morning air hit them, carrying the salty tang of the Atlantic. The sky was a canvas of soft pinks and oranges as the sun began its ascent. They were greeted by a chorus of, "Good mornin', boys!"
Knowing the voices, they both turned their heads towards the helm. Captain Oldgate stood there, a wide grin splitting his white-bearded face, a lit cigar already in his mouth. Beside him, Thulani and Jonathan Hugh stood, each also enjoying a morning smoke. And leaning against the railing nearby, looking surprisingly comfortable with a cigar of his own, were Leonard and Bernard Kenway. The "Smokers' Club," as Alaric had jokingly dubbed them, was in full session.
Alaric could only chuckle, shaking his head as he and Reuben walked up the short stairs to the quarterdeck.
'Damn…' Alaric thought, a flicker of amusement in his eyes as he surveyed the scene. 'Am I a bad influence?'
"I see we're in a river, captain," Alaric said, stopping near them before staring at the surroundings. The wide expanse of the Atlantic had given way to calmer, muddier waters, flanked by dense, unfamiliar forests on either side. "Delaware River?"
Oldgate nodded his head, taking a drag from his cigar. "Aye, we'll reach Philadelphia in an hour."
"Then you better ready the people, Jonathan," Alaric smiled as Jonathan turned, offering his own polite smile and a nod.
"I already did, Master Alaric," Jonathan replied before taking a drag from his cigar. "Everyone is aware we are approaching our destination. Do you want me to prepare you some tea?"
"Nah, I'm alright," Alaric shook his head before his gaze drifted towards his father and uncle, who were engaged in a quiet conversation near the railing, their cigars sending thin trails of smoke into the morning air.
Alaric then walked up to them, taking a drag from his own cigar before joining in their conversation. "Good morning, father, unc!"
Both Leonard and Bernard turned their heads towards Alaric and smiled. Leonard nodded his head in greeting, and Bernard replied, "Ah, 'Laric, lad... you as well. Slept soundly, I trust?"
Looking at both of them in the clearer light of day, this was the first time Alaric truly noticed the lines etched around their eyes, the slight sag in their posture that hadn't been there years ago. Despite being only in their early forties, they carried the weariness of men who looked closer to fifty.
'It's understandable...' Alaric thought, a pang of something akin to guilt touching him. 'They grew up dirt poor, struggling for every scrap, until I got us out of it. The stress of those early years… it takes a toll.'
'I should probably give them Asura's Crest,' Alaric decided internally, offering them a warm smile. He nodded, then walked back towards the helm, his gaze fixed on the approaching shoreline. 'Mother and aunt as well... they deserve to enjoy their lives without the shadow of premature aging.'
'I should also…' Alaric's thought trailed off as he mentally brought up the System interface.
[Buy][Sell]
Mentally pressing the [Buy] button, the endless list popped up before he focused his intent. 'Mind's Eye…'
[Mind's Eye of the Kagura (Karin Uzumaki) - Grants Chakra Sense of 20km (Stacked with current), distinguish chakra types and track specific individuals, detect lies, analyze one's mental state, hide one's own chakra, instant battlefield awareness. - 400,000 R]
'Yeah, that's the one I want,' Alaric thought, a smirk touching his lips before he confirmed the purchase.
[Mind's Eye of the Kagura (Karin Uzumaki) - 400,000 R]
[Total Deduction: 400,000 R]
[Current Balance: 11,890,136,222 R]
After purchasing the item, Alaric felt a subtle flicker within his chakra core, a brief sensation of expansion, then everything returned to normal. He smirked.
His passive sensing range, already considerable thanks to his base abilities and Foresight Pulse, now felt… sharper, more defined, extending easily for fifteen kilometers around him without conscious effort.
He found out that activating the Mind's Eye of the Kagura was similar to focusing his Foresight Pulse, but instead of a single outward pulse, it was a constant, active awareness of chakra signatures, movements, and even the subtle emotional states of those around him.
Focusing on the emotions, Alaric closed his eyes for a moment, letting the new sense wash over him.
He felt the general calmness of the crew, the quiet anticipation of his family, Oldgate's gruff satisfaction, Jonathan's composed professionalism, Thulani's steady watchfulness… and then, a faint undercurrent of something else from Reuben's direction… conflicted. A mix of happiness, anxiety, and a strange sort of longing.
Alaric opened his eyes, glancing briefly towards where Reuben stood talking quietly with Flavia near the main mast. 'I wonder why…'
He wasn't one to pry into his friend's private thoughts, so Alaric just let it be. 'Well... this ability is fucking useful to know who's telling the truth or not.'
'I already have ways to know if someone's being truthful or not, through their body language, the rhythm of their breathing, slight twitches, and many more,' Alaric thought, a small chuckle escaping him. 'However, Mind's Eye of the Kagura just made it super simple. No more guesswork.'
An hour passed, the banks of the Delaware River growing closer, more defined. The dense forests began to give way to cleared land, small farmsteads, and then, finally, the unmistakable signs of a burgeoning colonial port. They could now see the busy Port of Philadelphia.
Old wooden docks stuck out into the river, lined with merchant ships of varying sizes, their masts where a tangled forest against the sky.
The sounds of the city drifted across the water… the clang of hammers from shipyards, the shouts of dockworkers, the rumble of carts over unpaved streets, the distant cries of vendors.
Warehouses, taverns, and sturdy brick and timber houses clustered along the waterfront, smoke rising from numerous chimneys.
Even from this distance, the port pulsed with a raw, energetic life, a testament to the growing importance of this colonial hub.
Just as Oldgate was about to bellow orders to prepare for docking, a figure emerged from the hatch leading downstairs. It was William Penn.
The man who stood on deck now looked… revitalized. The lines of stress and age that had been so deeply etched on his face just weeks ago were significantly softened. His posture was straighter, his eyes clearer, holding a spark of vigor that had been absent for years. He looked, for all intents and purposes, like a man in his robust fifties again, the weariness of his seventy years seemingly washed away.
No one really knew what had happened in the privacy of his cabin during the voyage, but Oldgate, Reuben, Thulani, Flavia, Leonard, Bernard, Matteo, Eleanor, Linette, and Kassandra all shot knowing glances towards Alaric, who simply offered an innocent, enigmatic smile.
They knew, somehow, Alaric was involved.
And a silent, unspoken question formed in the minds of the Kenway elders, Matteo Auditore, and Edward Oldgate, a question that was reflected in the sudden, hopeful glint in their eyes as they looked from the rejuvenated Penn to the calmly smoking Alaric:
'Can he do that for us too?'
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