Ethan had considered demonstrating his abilities in a different way, but in terms of magic he could use on his own, there wasn't much. So far, his most practiced spells were simple, a water creation spell and Mage Hand.
Using Mage Hand to prove his confidence?
Ethan thought about it and decided that conjuring a floating water sphere would have a far greater impact.
And as it turned out, it didn't matter whether the trick was simple, what mattered was that it worked.
Jack stared at the spinning water sphere in Ethan's hand, momentarily stunned. Then, he reached out to touch it, testing to confirm that it was real.
"Are you a wizard?"
"Ahem, magician."
Although the Caribbean world was rooted in reality, it had no shortage of mysterious forces. Jack himself had encountered plenty of supernatural phenomena. He even knew several people with extraordinary abilities, including the sea goddess Calypso, who was currently sealed in human form as the witch Tia Dalma.
"Is there a difference?"
"Not exactly well-defined."
They exchanged a few meaningless words.
Jack was clearly intrigued by Ethan's abilities, perhaps even trying to gauge his true strength but Ethan offered no further demonstrations.
"You'll see when it matters."
In short, their little negotiation in a secluded corner ended with a result that satisfied Ethan.
Jack had agreed to the deal, and the two had now formed a tenuous alliance.
The next step was handling everything that needed to be resolved before setting sail in search of the Black Pearl.
Locating the Black Pearl would mainly rely on the compass in Jack's possession. However, since Jack was the type to have sudden complications and in case the compass somehow failed, it was necessary to secure the last gold coin.
Jack said as much, though Ethan knew the real reason, Jack didn't fully trust that Ethan could handle Barbossa and his crew. So, he was still hedging his bets on the gold coin being the key to victory.
"So, how are you planning to get that gold coin?"
Ethan was still thinking about that himself.
Steal it? He wasn't a thief.
Snatch it? That would completely ruin his relationship with Governor Swann, not to mention, the man had treated him warmly. Ethan wasn't about to repay that kindness by robbing his daughter.
"I'm just going to ask Elizabeth for it directly."
Jack gave him a look that said, Seriously?
But he didn't argue and simply left the matter to Ethan.
"The gold coin is your responsibility. Aside from that, we also need to solve the issue of a ship."
Searching the vast sea for a pirate ship renowned for its speed would be impossible without a good vessel of their own.
Jack had been eyeing the Interceptor earlier, clearly waiting for an opportunity to steal it.
"Don't worry about that. As long as we find the Black Pearl, there's no way they'll escape."
Ethan's Flame Wings granted him a decent flying speed. Once the target was located, no sailing ship could outrun him.
Because of that, he didn't necessarily need a fast warship like the Interceptor, any ordinary ship would do, as long as it wasn't falling apart and on the verge of sinking.
"Magic?"
"Yes, magic."
Jack nodded, signaling that he understood.
He still didn't know exactly what Ethan's abilities were, but Ethan's confidence was clear. Even if Jack didn't fully believe in his capabilities, he saw no harm in considering him an asset. It also meant they had more options when choosing a ship.
"Also, we need sailors."
This wasn't Ethan's world, controlling a large ship alone was out of the question.
In the original plot, Jack and Will had used their wits (and the Royal Navy's own crew) to steal the Interceptor. Later, they had gone to Tortuga to recruit a proper crew before heading after the Black Pearl.
The film had also explicitly mentioned that a ship like the Black Pearl required at least six crew members to sail.
Even if they did find a ship, the two of them wouldn't be enough to operate it.
For that reason, Jack proposed the same solution as before, heading to Tortuga to recruit men.
"Then there's only one problem left."
After a long discussion, most of the details had been sorted out. The only remaining issue was securing a ship.
Jack's plan was simple—steal one.
There were plenty of choices at the docks.
Since Ethan was confident in stopping the Black Pearl and since Jack believed that Barbossa wouldn't flee as long as he had the last gold coin, he didn't necessarily need to steal a Royal Navy vessel. That meant more ships to choose from.
"…Buy one?"
Jack stared at Ethan, completely speechless.
Once again, he suspected this guy was definitely a noble.
"Well, if you can handle that, I'll leave it to you. I'll go find a place to stay for the night."
Jack didn't suggest having Ethan arrange accommodations for him.
They had only just established their partnership there was no trust yet.
Following Ethan blindly would be reckless, so Jack opted to find his own lodgings.
Ethan didn't stop him.
He wasn't worried about Jack running away. If anything, Jack cared about reclaiming the Black Pearl even more than he did. Once everything was in place, Jack would definitely come find him.
Returning to the guest quarters Governor Swann had arranged for him, Ethan packed up briefly and rested.
Tomorrow, he would pay Elizabeth a visit to discuss the gold coin.
…Though visiting a young woman alone so abruptly was bound to cause some misunderstandings.
"Doesn't matter. If all goes well, I'll be leaving soon anyway."
Once he left, Port Royal would return to its usual rhythm.
Even if he returned to this world in the future, it was unlikely he would have any further interactions with this place.
After a restful night, Ethan woke up, waited for an appropriate time, and then headed to the Governor's mansion.
The governor's steward and servants all recognized him. Perhaps they had received prior instructions, as they treated him with great respect.
They didn't refuse his request to meet with Elizabeth and led him directly to the parlor, where they even prepared tea and refreshments.
"This is… an odd feeling."
Ethan sipped his tea, aware that the servants were sneaking glances at him.
This continued until Elizabeth arrived.
"Good morning, Ethan."
Elizabeth seemed puzzled and perhaps a little flustered by his unexpected morning visit.
She tried to maintain a calm demeanor, but her wandering eyes betrayed her.
"Another one misunderstanding the situation…"
It was easy to misinterpret his actions.
Better to clear things up quickly and get straight to the point.
"Miss Swann, I actually came to ask for an item from you."
Ethan paused, realizing that might not have sounded right.
"Of course, I'm willing to offer something in return."
Buying it would be the more appropriate approach.
"What?"
Elizabeth seemed to let out a small breath of relief but was there a hint of disappointment mixed in? She had been curious about what had brought Ethan here so early, so much so that she had almost forgotten about herself in the process.
"If you're looking to buy something in Port Royal, shouldn't you be speaking with my father?"
"No, I'm not looking for a commodity, I want something that you personally own."
Ethan glanced at Elizabeth's slender, bare neck. There was no necklace or pendant in sight, which meant she wasn't currently carrying the gold coin.
"My personal belongings?"
Ethan didn't hide his gaze, and Elizabeth suddenly felt uncomfortable sitting still. She quickly continued the conversation to avoid the awkwardness.
"What exactly are you looking for?"
"A gold coin with a rather unique design."
At his words, Elizabeth's expression shifted slightly.
And when Ethan added, "The one you wore yesterday," she instinctively reached for her chest, only to realize the gold coin wasn't there.
She had left it in her room.
"I don't have any gold coins. You must be mistaken."
"How could I mistake a coin with such a distinctive shape?"
Ethan gave her a reassuring smile, making it clear he meant no harm.
"That thing will only bring you trouble. You'd be better off getting rid of it sooner rather than later."
"Trouble?"
Elizabeth was an adventurous and curious young woman. Instead of being alarmed by Ethan's words, her first thought was—What kind of trouble?
Rather than fear, she was intrigued.
"What sort of trouble?"
"It'll attract a rather... unique group of individuals."
Elizabeth rolled her eyes.
That vague answer was far from satisfying, but Ethan didn't seem inclined to elaborate.
After a moment of thought, she made a decision.
"Wait here."
She left quickly—and returned just as swiftly.
After dismissing the servants so only the two of them remained in the sitting room, Elizabeth took her seat again.
She extended her hand, revealing the gold coin in her palm.
"I might consider selling this to you. But first, you'll need to explain what it is and why you want it."
A smug smile appeared on her face.
"If your answer satisfies me, I might accept your offer."
Ethan looked at the proud expression on Elizabeth's face but didn't follow her rhythm.
Instead, he calmly sipped his black tea.
"As far as I know, this item doesn't actually belong to you."
He set his cup down and met her gaze.
"Perhaps I should be speaking with its real owner instead."
***
Bonus for 100 PS