"It doesn’t have to come to that," she said. "Saintess Lilith will continue pursuing you, yes. She will try to take you in for whatever reason you refuse to disclose with us. However, you don’t have to fight her alone.
"You don’t have to convince all of us to help you, Melas. Because most of us already want to help you. After you left— Braz, Kai, and even Jack tried to convince Ginah to help you. You’ve aided us all when we needed your help. It only makes sense that we’d want to offer you our help back."
"It doesn’t matter," I said, drawing my lips into a thin line. "As long as Ginah doesn’t want to help me, it won’t make a difference. I still won’t get to the Taw Kingdom."
Lisa titled her head to the side, eyeing me with scrutiny. "You don’t realize it, do you?"
"What do you mean?"
"Ginah wants to help you," she said, smiling.
"What?" I narrowed my eyes, staring at the satisfied look plastered on Lisa’s face. "No she doesn’t. She turned me down."
"Well, you’re wrong about that. She didn’t turn you down. She wanted you to give her something to convince her to help you. A reason to get involved."
"I…" I trailed off. Was that really what Ginah was trying to get out of me? I was so certain she would just leave me for dead— that was the logical choice, after all.
But people were not rational creatures; I was aware that I didn’t always act in my utmost best interests, yet I did not consider others were the same as me. For one to only make the right decision, they would have to be some sort of… god.
My eyes flickered as I remembered the jerk god who killed me and put me in this world for his own reasons— who was responsible for the Abominations that had brought too many deaths to count. No, I thought. Either gods aren’t perfect either, or he was no god at all.
I looked back up at Lisa and saw her eyes were twinkling; she knew I was still keeping something from her, just like when we first met. I had secrets, and while many of them were revealed, I still held some out of stubbornness. One which I didn’t need anymore.
"So, what can you give Ginah?" she asked. "What can you give us to get us to help you?"
I closed my eyes and exhaled deeply. I knew Ginah— the pirate Captain who was in charge of the life of so many. Who held it to herself to protect those that sought her out. To save a city and possibly a country from something that could bring it to ruins. But there was a different Ginah. One that was tired. One I knew that wanted something else.
"I might just be able to do that," I said.
Lisa nodded, then offered me a hand to stand up. "Well then, what are you waiting for? Let’s go speak with Ginah."
I eyed the hand for just a second before taking it. I stood up, lowering my bag back down to the floor. I paused as she gestured for us to go. "What’s wrong?"
"Why?" I asked, looking up at Lisa. "Why would you want to help me?"
"Because," she said, snorting, "I’m not a terrible person."
"Is that really it?"
"Well, no. I also kind of like you, Melas. You’re… odd. And slightly scary at times when you threaten me." I grimaced but she just grinned.
"I’m sorry."
"Don’t be." Lisa raised her shoulders in a shrug. "I had known you were eccentric when we first met, and as I said, I was curious about you then too. But now that I’ve gotten to know you more, I can’t just let you die to some Saintess, can I?"
I hesitated, looking up at the young woman. Could I trust her? I had been torn over that for the entirety of the time I had known her. I thought money could buy her loyalty— and perhaps it did at first.
But that was not something that could be held forever. Trust was something you had to give others. No one would ever trust someone who didn’t trust them back. So I had to trust her— to trust them. That this plan I had hatched in my head would work. That they would not betray me and leave me for dead.
So I spoke slowly, mustering up a smile. "Thank you."
She just smiled back. "You know, you aren’t so intimidating when you’re not wearing that mask."
I scowled, but Lisa just started laughing. As if she told some sort of funny joke even though she didn’t. And yet, I slowly felt my face relaxing as I laughed with her too.
Then from behind her, Gennady snorted. "She really does, doesn’t she?"
The two of us paused, turning to stare at the Dwarf who had been standing at the doorway the entire time. He furrowed his brows.
"...what?"
Lisa just sighed and I pinched the bridge of my nose.
"It’s nothing," I said.
"Wait, did you two forget I was here?"
"Come on, Melas. Let’s talk to Ginah."
"C’mon, I didn’t mean to ruin your moment! It’s not my fault you lot forgot about me!"
He ran after us as we left the room and headed back to speak with Ginah. And when I spoke to her— convinced her to help me— all I could do at that point was trust that this plan of ours would work.
Chapter 36: Trust
"Thank you, Lisa," I said, tipping my pointed hat at her.
"Of course, it’s not a problem at all." The young woman smiled innocently back at me.
The two of us walked up the gangplank and onto the ship; I set foot onto the wooden deck, throwing my
