"You go prepare some food first. I'll look into this."
"If things go well, we might not need to go through all that trouble."
Lynn said.
"Alright."
Aveline naturally had no objections and turned toward the ship's kitchen.
She had already checked it earlier and was quite satisfied. The ingredients, while not particularly impressive by her standards, at least met excellent hygiene conditions.
And that was only natural—Lynn had just refreshed the entire ship. Aside from living things like ingredients, even the kitchenware had been restored to a pristine state.
Left alone, Lynn focused on refining the idea that had just formed in his mind.
There was a saying that made perfect sense—laziness was one of the driving forces behind technological progress.
The ship wasn't small. Since Aveline said she could operate it, Lynn believed her. But he also knew it wouldn't be easy work. For the rest of the journey, there would be no real rest.
So the question was—was there a more relaxed way?
Saving effort wasn't the main point. He had just gone through a series of fortunate events and was in a great mood. He didn't feel like burying himself in work.
Abandon the ship and swim? Definitely not.
Freezing a path across the sea? Same issue.
Fly over directly with Aveline?
Not relaxed enough.
Lynn didn't have the support of Celestia's divine throne system, nor the unique constitution of Natlan's people. While wielding authority made him powerful, it also placed a considerable burden on him.
More importantly, he still wasn't fully proficient with it. Fighting was one thing, but carrying someone while flying—especially a girl—required precise control.
So what was the solution?
Lynn smiled.
'Then I'll just let the ship move on its own.'
'Projection descending—World Modulation, activate!'
Aveline busied herself in the kitchen and soon prepared a hearty meal for two.
Supplies on a sea vessel were usually limited, but provisions meant for dozens of people were more than enough for just the two of them.
Even so, Aveline felt a bit regretful. The kitchen lacked the proper conditions—otherwise, she could have made something even better.
"Well, this will do."
Carrying the dishes out, she called out to Lynn.
"Lynn! Food's ready!"
"Coming."
Lynn walked over cheerfully. The moment he caught the aroma, his eyes lit up.
"Looks appetizing—and smells even better."
There was no questioning Aveline's cooking skills. She had even tailored the flavors to his preferences.
"Of course."
She accepted the praise with confidence and gestured for him to sit.
The conditions were simple. After all, this was a cargo ship, not a luxury vessel with a dining deck. They mainly wanted to eat while enjoying the view—something they hadn't had the mood for earlier.
After a few bites, Aveline paused.
"Has the wind gotten stronger?"
She frowned slightly. She hadn't paid attention before, but now that she thought about it, it did feel stronger than when she was in the kitchen.
It was quite pleasant.
Though… the direction seemed opposite to their course.
"Oh, right."
She remembered Lynn mentioning he would solve the ship issue. But after a quick glance around, she hadn't noticed any changes.
"Lynn, did you fix the ship?"
"If not, you should come help me later. At this rate, we can probably reach Romaritime Harbor by tomorrow morning."
On the surface, it sounded like she was questioning him.
But sitting across from her, Lynn could easily tell the real meaning behind her tone and expression:
I give up—I can't figure out what you did, but I know you've already solved it. Now tell me how.
And that was exactly the case.
Aveline trusted him—and was genuinely looking forward to the answer.
Just because she could steer the ship didn't mean she wanted to. Handling a vessel of this size with just two people was no easy task.
And based on what she knew of Lynn, if he hadn't solved it, he wouldn't be this relaxed.
As expected, Lynn didn't disappoint.
"Not possible? Haha, a man can't say that…"
"You haven't noticed? The wind hasn't gotten stronger—the ship has started moving."
"As for why…"
He swallowed his food, set down his utensils, and clapped his hands lightly.
"Xiao Ai."
"Hm?"
Aveline froze, her face flushing slightly.
When did Lynn start calling her that?
"Xiao Ai"… it was so embarrassing. Good thing there was no one else on board…
But before she could dwell on it, she felt a strange fluctuation in the air around her. Instinctively, she reached out with her awareness—
And heard a voice.
"I am here. What are your orders?"
The voice was soft and pleasant, yet carried a stiff, mechanical tone. Its intelligence clearly wasn't very high.
Still, Aveline was stunned. Forgetting her embarrassment entirely, she looked at Lynn in shock.
"Lynn, what is this—"
Lynn grinned, clearly pleased.
"The ship's spirit."
"Well? What do you think?"