Chapter 6: A Dangerous Trap

Compared to the gamey, unseasoned meat she served for breakfast, the lunch and dinner tenaciously prepared by Benienma were among the best meals Thomas ever had. She not only managed to hunt down a giant pig with bull-like horns, but she also uncovered apples, wild onions, potatoes, and even a few herbs to use as seasonings. She even started fermenting a custom blend of soy sauce but said it wouldn't be ready for six to eight months, depending on how well it was stored.

With more to work with than meat, bones, sinew, and salt, Benienma was able to prepare a veritable feast for dinner. Even Drake praised her to the high heavens, complimenting the petite bird girl until she was practically preening. Her mood diminished when Thomas refused to let her wash his back as 'consolation' for not getting to shower with Drake but immediately perked back up when the latter assigned her the cabin across from him.

Just as she was presented in Fate: Grand Order, Benienma had a doting personality and took Thomas's health and well-being very seriously. She was a quiet, reserved, and earnest girl who made sure he cleaned his plate, adequately washed his hands, and brushed his teeth before seeing him off to bed with the reminder to stay warm and ensure his belly was covered while sleeping. The next morning, she seemed to materialize in his room soundlessly, gently stirring him awake before offering him a cup of tea, fixing his hair, and making his bed.

Though he was a little unnerved by Benienma's actions, Thomas would be lying if he said he didn't appreciate them. Back in his previous world, he had lived alone for the better part of eight years. He occasionally went on dates and had the option to move in with other people a few times, but he had gradually become more introverted over time. It had been a long time since someone seemed to genuinely care for him, so, while he felt a little disconcerted by Benienma calling him Master, he offered her his gratitude whenever she did something for him...

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After a very hearty breakfast, Thomas spent much of the early morning disassembling, reassembling, and cleaning one of Drake's flintlock pistols while Benienma sat in seiza off to the side. He was half-tempted to ask the petite bird girl to teach him her Iai-style swordsmanship but wanted to wait and see who else he summoned before committing to any serious training.

While writing in his log-turned-journal the previous night, Thomas spent several hours thinking about how he would train to become stronger. He knew the basic and the advanced training methods for Observation and Armament Haki, but 'knowing' about something was drastically different from being able to apply it. Without a system to promote his growth or a teacher to watch over him, grasping even the basics was easier said than done.

Once he summoned all of his Servants, Thomas intended to discuss Haki and the matter of his training with them. The First and Second Mate Cards should afford him a fairly powerful, combat-oriented Servant, so he would hopefully be able to apprentice beneath them. Benienma could also teach him how to utilize his Mana to empower himself, but if Thomas were given the option, he would rather train under someone like Scathach than a little girl more than 50cm shorter than him...

Though he doubted he would be lucky enough to summon someone like Scathach, Thomas held out hope that at least one of his Servants would be a capable teacher. If he could summon a Caster, he may even be able to learn actual Magic, creating barriers, shooting lasers, flying through the sky, and even teleport.

While he would prefer to be a physical powerhouse that could go toe-to-toe with the likes of Luffy and Kaido, the path of a Mage had more than a few redeeming qualities. The more powerful Caster-class Servants could nuke cities or erase entire mountains from existence. Combined with Haki, specifically Observation Haki, such firepower would make him an absolute nightmare for anyone lacking the ability to fly. On the opposite side of the spectrum, he could theoretically reinforce his body to such an extent that he was functionally indestructible. Potent Reinforcement Magic combined with Armament Haki? Yes, please, and thank you...

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Following a fairly uneventful morning, Thomas made good on his promise to Drake by spending much of the afternoon pumping Mana into both the Equivalence Engine and the Navigator's Card. They lacked even a basic sea chart, so while Drake was an incredibly competent Navigator, being the second person in history to circumnavigate the globe, they needed someone with the associated 'Skills' if they wanted to sail the open seas without getting lost.

As Heroic Spirits, Drake, Benienma, and anyone else Thomas summoned had Basic Parameters and a list of Skills graded from E-EX Rank in terms of potency. Thomas presently had no way of checking these, but it didn't matter much as Drake and Benienma seemed to have an inherent grasp of their respective capabilities. Drake, in particular, possessed a Skill derived from her status as a Captain, allowing her to assess the capabilities of any member of her Crew.

Though Drake could not ascertain the grade of Benienma's additional Skills due to the latter having a 'very' high-ranking version of Presence Concealment, she could see her Cook Skill was A-Rank. She also knew what Skills the other members of her Crew would possess, which was why she suggested summoning a Navigator as quickly as possible. There was a map within the Captain's Quarters that would automatically update as the Navigator scouted the area, so their Skills would be instrumental in mapping the world of One Piece and ensuring they didn't get lost.

While the Cartography Skill of their Navigator would basically 'break' the world of One Piece, Thomas didn't mind. There were theories in his world that speculated One Piece to be as large as Jupiter in size, roughly eleven times the diameter of Earth. To support this notion, Oda, the creator of One Piece, had suggested there be around 20,000,000 islands within the world he had created. If that were true, Thomas would much rather have a hax map than force their Navigator to draw one from scratch...

"Oh...?"

Interrupting Thomas's thoughts, the Navigator Card in his hand abruptly dissolved into motes of light before another summoning circle appeared beneath him. Thomas was half-expecting another girl to pop out, so he was both surprised and horrified when a familiar figure with pale-pink hair emerged from the summoning circle. They had a long braided ponytail, black ribbons in their hair, cutesy facial features, a short-skirted black top, stockings, and a garter belt beneath white, knightly accessories, but Thomas knew 'very' well that the person he just summoned wasn't a girl...

While Thomas was staring at 'him' with a slack-jawed expression, the feminine-looking Servant promptly struck a pose, making a peace sign near their eyes as they exclaimed, "Hi, hi~! My name's Astolfo, one of the Twelve Paladins of Charlemagne! It looks like I'll be your Navigator from now on! It's nice to meetcha, Master~!"

Though he was lamenting internally, Thomas did his best to return a smile as he awkwardly replied, "It's nice to meet you...and you don't have to call me Master. Just Tom or Thomas is fine..."

Adopting a radiant smile, Astolfo unhesitantly invaded Thomas's personal space, bringing their face to within a few centimeters of the latter's as they narrowed their amethyst eyes and mused, "Let's be good friends and take care of one another from now on, okay~?"

Despite knowing what kind of 'creature' Astolfo was, a knot formed in Thomas's throat when the former brought their face so close. Back in his previous world, he had followed a V-Tuber named Taiga and even joked with a few people on his Discord about the redeeming qualities of Traps and 'bussies.' Never, even in his wildest dreams, did he imagine he would come face-to-face with one of the most 'infamous' Traps in all of anime and manga...

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Realizing they were making Thomas a very particular form of 'nervous,' an amused, snaggle-toothed smile developed across Astolfo's face. Thomas wasn't the most handsome man they had ever met, but anyone who could appreciate how cute they were deserved similar appreciation.

Drawing their face even closer, Astolfo asked, "Not going to respond~?" in a faint, playful tone.

Blinking back to awareness, Thomas pulled back and turned away from Astolfo as he asserted, "I'm not gay..." in an equally faint tone. Then, in a slightly louder voice, he added, "You should go and introduce yourself to the Captain. She should be in her room or on deck..."

Though they furrowed their brows slightly when Thomas mentioned he wasn't gay, Astolfo quickly retained their smile as they playfully replied, "Okay, then. See you later...Master."

Without waiting for Thomas to respond, Astolfo departed from the engine room like a little kid that had successfully pulled a prank. They could tell that Thomas was 'nervous' around them, so, even if he weren't 'gay,' that wouldn't stop Astolfo from teasing him. After all, they weren't gay either. They had certainly been on the receiving end more than a few times, but they appreciated the charms of men and women equally...

With Astolfo leaving him to his own devices, Thomas sat with his head in his hand for a few moments, cursing whoever designed the pink-haired Paladin. Astolfo lacked even a single masculine trait. They lacked a visible adam's apple, their waist was as thin as a woman's, and even their thighs looked soft and plump. It simply didn't make sense for them to be a man.

Shaking such thoughts from his mind, Thomas took solace in the fact that his Servant Cards could summon male Servants. He wouldn't mind being the only man among a group of cute or attractive women, but he knew it wouldn't be good for his mental health. He wasn't exactly the most social person in the world, so if he were severely outnumbered, interacting with them would become increasingly difficult.

Though he always pictured himself as suave, charismatic, and extremely capable whenever he imagined himself journeying through various anime and manga worlds, he wouldn't have 'let himself go' if he possessed such traits. He was determined to get stronger, but it would take a tremendous effort to become the person he had always imagined he could be...

Fortunately, while he had lived a fairly mundane life in his previous world, Thomas was now in a world where even a weak chore boy or a complete wastrel could become strong if they worked hard and applied themselves. Now that he had been given a chance to go from ordinary to exceptional, Thomas didn't care how much pain and suffering he had to endure. There was no way in hell he would settle for being mediocre...

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With Benienma arriving to inform him that dinner was ready, Thomas washed up before making his way to the dining room. There, he found Drake and Astolfo in the middle of chatting, but they stopped when he entered. Not because they were trying to keep things a secret from him, but to acknowledge his presence. The moment he joined them at the table, Drake revealed, "I had Astolfo fly around and map the area on her Hippogriff. Once we're finished here, you should come to my quarters to take a look. She managed to locate an island with a decently sized port, so we should consider sailing over to stock up on supplies and gather information."

As he was already aware that Astolfo could summon a Hippogriff, Thomas wasn't particularly surprised by Drake's words. He was also in desperate need of some new clothes, so he replied, "I don't mind, but we don't have a lot of Belly on hand. Even if we sell the pelts you and Benienma have collected, I can't imagine them providing the funds we need for a proper resupply..."

Snorting through her nose, Drake seemed genuinely offended as she asked, "Have you forgotten who you're dealing with? I already told you about my Luck Parameter. I also possess a Skill called Golden Rule that practically guarantees that wealth will fall into my lap, so I only had to walk around the island for a few hours before discovering the ruins of a hideout and a small cache of gold and jewels. Did you seriously think I would propose resupplying without the means to do so...?"

Though he knew about the existence of the Golden Rule Skill, Thomas found himself at a loss in the face of Drake's accusatory tone. He knew she was incredibly lucky, but discovering an abandoned treasure cache by simply wandering around aimlessly...wasn't that a little 'too' broken?

With Thomas remaining silent, Drake added, "We'll set sail shortly after sunrise. There's only 128km between us and our destination, so we can resupply and return before noon. I'll have you accompany me when we go to shore, so ensure you get plenty of rest tonight."

Adopting a wry smile, Thomas replied with a half-hearted, "Right..." before turning his attention to the meat and potato stew Benienma had prepared. He was half-tempted to tell Drake she didn't have to be so rude, but even if he was the Master in their relationship, he understood he would need to earn her respect. If he relied on his Command Seals to 'make' her respect him, neither she nor his other Servants would ever trust him...

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(A/N: It takes time to go from sad to Chad...)

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