Dreadnaught

“We swear on the god Vár that the personal effects of the captain and crew of the Frami will remain absent from our lips.” The oath was spoken in unison by the Lieutenant Commander and the rest of the boarding party before they left. Apparently an oath on a divine being of oaths means that breaking said oath tends to not work out very well, depending on the transgression. An oath like that would probably drop them a level or two, which I understand is unpleasant, and at high levels, a bitch to recover.

They had found nothing, as expected, and returned to their ship. We raised anchor, and set a course for the nearest port immediately after. Now we were having a meeting.

When I had named the ship, I wasn’t the only one who got that sense of being one with the ship. It was muted for the others, but it was there. Not only that, but they each came out of it with a new [Title], [Frami’s Crew].

The crew were all hyped when they got the [Title]. It's apparently rare to get anything that would increase free points, let alone double them every level. What this might do for Ghili and Henry got everyone even more excited. They were about to start partying when I was reminded of one of my [Titles], [Pirate Captain]. Specifically, how it allows me to apply [Naval] [Rank Titles]. This led to the current meeting.

David, Helena’s father, sighed in thought. “Back when I was a marine, the commanders would grant [Titles] to their closest subordinates. I had been told the number of [Titles] they could grant was related to their level, which was why only a select few got a [Title].”

Rita piped up at that. “Henry and Ghili should get priority. Henry especially, since he’s getting close to his coming of age. Ghili's still got a little under three years, but Henry only has half that time, and having multiple [Titles] before his first classes could be a big boon.”

I had to agree. The System seemed very merit based, and though it may seem like being given a [Title] by a mortal for no other reason than being young may not seem meritorious, being in and surviving a situation where someone with enough influence to give you a [Title] while still being bound by the natural constraints of a child’s body is likely not easy. After all, adult bodies struggle when doing things that would catch the attention of someone of influence. Adding on to that is that it’s a [Naval] [Title], meaning their a child sailor, and it's meritorious indeed.

“I agree, the first [Title] goes to Henry. So, how do I do this?”

Ford was the first to answer; “Well, with most [Titles] that aren’t from one’s natural physiology, you just will it to activate.”

I took his advice and focused on [Pirate Captain] while willing it to activate. After a moment, a System prompt popped up.

I couldn’t believe my eyes. Surnames were supposed to be something people of status had, but everyone except Henry had one! It was my understanding that they were just a pirate family. As I thought about it, they had never said as much. The crew didn’t talk much about their past at all. There were more important things right now, but I would definitely be getting answers as soon as we made port. I focused on Henry’s tab and a new window opened.

I didn’t know much about how Professions worked, or what they were really, but one being level eight before the boy was old enough for a class seemed excessive. Helena had called Henry a born pirate, but I didn’t think she was being so literal. And why was his second profession [Squire]? My questions kept adding up, but I was here for a purpose. I focused on the [Rank Title] aspect of my own [Title], and I finally got to where I wanted.

The only semblance of order in the list was that the highest position was first and the lowest was last. In between, I couldn’t see any reason the [Head Cook] would be above the [First Marine], or why the [Chief Medical Puser] would rank below the [Quartermaster], so decided that only the first and last [Titles] were put there for a reason.

Everything except for [Cadet] was grayed out. I could get a general feeling of what each would require, with [Cadet]’s requirements basically amounting to being alive and a part of the crew. I could also feel a few [Titles] locked under some of the other ones, like [Head Cook].

I mentally selected [Cadet], and a small pin appeared in my hands. The design was detailed, and looked like an otter swirling through the water. I walked in front of Henry, every step sure and smooth. I decided to say a little piece to give the process a little more fanfare.

“Crewman Henry, your dedication to this ship and this crew have not gone unnoticed. Two weeks ago, you boarded a ship as a crewmember for the first time. Through your dedication and hard work you’ve gained the skills [Helmsmanship] and [Knotsmanship] in under two weeks, making you an even greater asset to this ship and her crew. In recognition of this, I formally promote you to the rank of [Cadet].” I fastened the pin to the collar of his shirt and stepped back.

The newly promoted [Cadet] was standing stiff as a board, trying so hard not to break his serious face with a smile. I could see the pride in his eyes as they beamed. Unfortunately, he didn’t know not to lock his knees, and I had to catch him as he passed out from lack of proper blood flow. He woke up a moment later to everyone except Ghili laughing, and she even gave a little snicker before the realization that Henry was a [Cadet], and she wasn’t, set in.

I checked [Pirate Captain] and saw a new addendum.

I already knew who to promote to what now that I’ve seen the options, and the celebration lasted till we saw port.