The False servant

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

I snapped out of my thoughts, shifting my gaze away from the map and navigation tools scattered across the wooden table. The knocking sound came from the captain's door—the room where I now stood as the commander of this ship.

Slowly, a soft yet firm female voice came from behind the door.

"Captain, may I come in?"

I placed a hand on my chin, thinking for a moment. This request was quite sudden. Did something happen out there? However, I still had to maintain my dignity as captain.

"Come in."

The door opened slowly, and the figure of the girl stepped inside, finally revealing herself clearly.

I raised an eyebrow slightly as I looked at her—she looked quite similar to me. The only difference was that she had short, slightly messy hair and wore a simple sailor's outfit. Unlike me, who was dressed in a Naval commander's uniform. Her sharp eyes were filled with dedication, as if ready to follow any order given at any moment.

Leaning back in my sturdy wooden chair, I observed her with curiosity.

"What is it?" I asked in a relaxed tone. "Have you found an island?"

However, the girl simply shook her head, dashing my hopes. But if it wasn't an island, then there must be something even more interesting that made her come to me directly.

"Actually..." she hesitated before continuing, "the crew and I have captured two suspicious individuals."

I frowned. "Suspicious people?"

She nodded and then began explaining what had happened outside the captain's quarters.

According to her, while the crew was navigating as usual, a blinding blue light suddenly appeared in the middle of the deck. When the light faded, two unfamiliar figures stood there, as if they had just been transported from somewhere else.

The crew, though not exactly fierce warriors, quickly moved to handle the situation. And although one of the two carried a large round shield, they did not resist.

The crew easily captured them and tied them to the main mast, awaiting further orders.

I listened carefully to her explanation before standing up from my chair, firmly adjusting my long coat.

"So," I looked at the girl, still filled with curiosity, "what do they look like?"

The girl immediately answered without hesitation.

"The one carrying the large shield is a girl with short pink hair, while the other is a young man with short black hair."

I fell silent for a moment, letting those descriptions settle in my mind. Something about them felt familiar...

As if sensing that I had made my decision, the girl promptly opened the door to the captain's quarters. I stepped out with firm strides, my coat billowing behind me.

Outside, the sea breeze greeted my face, the salty scent of the ocean mixing with the sound of waves crashing against the ship's hull.

The crew, busy handling the sails and ropes, quickly turned their attention when they saw me emerge. However, what captured my attention the most were the two figures tied to the main mast.

Sure enough.

They were Mash Kyrielight and Fujimaru Ritsuka.

I narrowed my eyes, a strange feeling stirring within me.

How could they be here?

And more importantly...

What should I do with them?

Ah—wait a moment. Perhaps you're wondering how I managed to acquire this crew. How could I, who had been alone in the middle of the ocean just days ago, now have a group of people ready to follow my orders?

Alright, I'll explain a little.

At that time, I was standing alone on this ship's deck, accompanied only by the sound of waves crashing against the hull and the ocean breeze brushing against my face.

I felt… empty.

Truly, sailing freely across the open seas sounded like a dream. No chains to bind me, no fate to follow, no orders to obey.

But absolute freedom also came with something else—loneliness.

I sighed and, almost instinctively, opened my Character Profile. I thought, maybe there was something there that could help me handle this Singularity better.

And that's when I found them.

Two new Noble Phantasms I had gained after imitating Captain Nemo.

The first:

"Nautilus" (Rank B+) – A Noble Phantasm that allows me to summon the Nautilus submarine, which will remain in existence as long as I have enough mana to sustain it.

The second:

"Crew of Nautilus" (Rank C+) – A Noble Phantasm that summons the crew of the Nautilus submarine, who are responsible for operating the vessel.

I tilted my head. Interesting.

These two Noble Phantasms were clearly interconnected. What use is a ship without a crew to operate it? Likewise, what use is a captain without a ship or subordinates to command?

However, one thing made me hesitate.

The crew I summoned belonged to the Nautilus submarine.

Not a pirate ship.

I was skeptical at first. Could they really operate a sailing ship like this? What if they could only control submarines?

But, it turned out my worries were unnecessary.

"We are true sailors, Captain," one of them declared with unwavering confidence. "As long as it's a ship, we can operate it!"

I was silent.

Then let out a small laugh.

How incredible.

I couldn't deny that their presence was a great help. They handled everything I once had to do alone—navigating the ship, managing the sails, adjusting to the wind, even keeping track of supplies.

And me?

I simply relaxed in the captain's quarters.

Truly, like a king upon the sea.

Oh, right—you might be wondering, "If you can summon the Nautilus, why are you still using this pirate ship?"

The answer is simple: mana efficiency.

When I first saw the Noble Phantasm, I did consider summoning the Nautilus right away. But after some calculations, I realized one thing:

Maintaining the crew alone already consumed a significant amount of mana.

The more crew members I summoned, the greater the mana consumption.

And what about Nautilus?

Nautilus also drained mana constantly. If I used both Noble Phantasms at once, within a single day, my mana would be completely depleted.

If that happened, not only would I be in danger—the entire crew would vanish along with me.

That's why I chose to continue using this pirate ship.

Not only is it more efficient, but this ship doesn't require mana to exist. That means I can keep sailing without worrying about exhausting my energy along the way.

Of course, if I had a Master, this problem wouldn't exist. With a steady mana supply from a Master, I could use Nautilus whenever I wanted without concern.

But for now… I have to be smart with the resources I have.

And so, I continued sailing the seas with this pirate ship, supported by a loyal crew…

Until today, when I encountered Mash Kyrielight and Fujimaru Ritsuka.

I looked at them, still tied to the ship's central mast.

The sea breeze blew strong, causing my tied-back hair to sway.

Mash and Fujimaru stared at me with mixed expressions—confusion, wariness, and perhaps a hint of hope.

Beside me, the short-haired girl who had reported earlier stood firm, awaiting my orders.

What should I do with them?

I let out a small smile.

Well… maybe this would be the start of a more exciting adventure.

~~~

One Hour Ago

Ritsuka Fujimaru's POV

I walked alone through Chaldea's cold hallways, the sound of my footsteps echoing softly along the white corridors.

Da Vinci had called me to the command room.

I wasn't exactly sure what was going on, but if I was being summoned specifically, then it had to be important.

A new Singularity, perhaps?

I sighed and kept walking, trying to push aside the sudden anxiety creeping into my mind. No matter how many times I had gone through this, every time I faced a new Singularity, I always felt the same tension.

Finally, I arrived in front of the command room's door.

Ding.

Without needing to knock, the automatic door slid open to the left, allowing me to step inside.

As soon as I entered, I saw three familiar figures waiting for me.

Da Vinci, Mash, and Dr. Roman.

I looked at each of them in turn, trying to read their expressions.

Mash seemed a bit tense, Da Vinci—ever confident—wore her usual cheerful smile, while Dr. Roman… looked exhausted, probably from another late-night shift.

Before I could ask anything, Da Vinci spoke first.

In short, a new Singularity had been detected.

"And this time, the location is at sea," Da Vinci added in a bright tone.

The sea?

I frowned. That was unusual. Normally, the Singularities we encountered were on land, in ancient cities or battlefields.

"Prepare yourself, Fujimaru," Dr. Roman said, his voice more serious than usual. "As always, your task is to enter this Singularity with Mash, gather information, and stabilize the anomaly."

I swallowed hard.

"Understood..."

Then, Mash and I stepped into the Rayshift chamber, just as we had done countless times before.

The countdown began.

3...

2...

1...

…

When I opened my eyes, an unfamiliar sight greeted me.

A vast blue sky stretched overhead, sunlight gleamed brightly, and the salty ocean breeze brushed against my face.

I blinked a few times, trying to grasp the situation.

We were—

—on a ship?

I quickly looked down. Solid wooden planks beneath my feet, the sound of waves crashing against the hull, and the unmistakable scent of seawater filling the air.

No doubt about it.

We had been Rayshifted onto a pirate ship.

Mash, standing beside me, instinctively raised her shield, ready for a sudden attack. But no attack came.

Instead, what I saw was far more confusing.

Surrounding us was a group of... children.

I blinked again, making sure I wasn't seeing things.

They all wore sailor uniforms—not the rugged pirate attire I had imagined. No eye patches, no oversized captain hats, and most importantly… no weapons in their hands.

They all watched us warily, but none of them seemed outright hostile.

"Senpai..." Mash whispered softly, tightening her grip on her shield.

I looked at her, then back at the children.

They... didn't seem dangerous.

I raised my hands slightly in a calming gesture.

"Mash, lower your shield. I don't think they're a threat."

Mash glanced at me, hesitant, but eventually obeyed. She lowered her shield, though she remained on guard.

Seeing that, the small crew seemed to relax a little.

However, before we could say anything, they began whispering among themselves.

"The Captain has to know about this..."

"Yeah, we should take them to the Captain."

"The Captain will know what to do."

I exchanged glances with Mash.

So they had a Captain?

I took a deep breath, trying to formulate a plan.

We didn't know who they were, where we were, or who their Captain was. If we fought now, we could probably escape—especially with Mash's strength.

But that would be reckless.

This ship was our only lead in this Singularity. If we wanted to understand the situation, it was best to go along with them for now.

"Mash, how about we surrender for now?" I asked in a light tone.

Mash looked at me, then lowered her head slightly in thought.

Finally, she nodded.

"Alright... If that's Master's decision."

And so, without resistance, we allowed ourselves to be tied to the ship's main mast.

Of course, we weren't actually trapped.

With her strength, Mash could break these ropes anytime. But for now, it was best to pretend to be cooperative and wait for their Captain to arrive.

I glanced at Mash's massive shield, placed carefully on the deck.

A perfect position.

If anything suspicious happened, in a matter of seconds, Mash could reclaim her shield and turn the situation around.

Now, there was only one thing left.

Who was the Captain of this ship?

The ship's deck remained quiet.

The ocean breeze continued to blow gently, making the ship's flag flutter atop the mast. The small crew whispered among themselves, their gazes shifting between me and Mash as if waiting for something.

Then, from the back of the ship, the sound of a door creaking open echoed.

I turned, holding my breath as two figures stepped out from what was likely the Captain's cabin.

The first was a young girl wearing the same sailor uniform as the rest of the crew. She was small in stature, her expression mildly curious as she looked at us.

But my attention was immediately drawn to the one standing in front of her.

Their Captain.

A boy with an outfit clearly distinct from the rest.

he wore a neatly-pressed naval commander's uniform, with a long officer's coat draped over her shoulders. On his head rested a commander's hat, bearing an emblem I couldn't quite make out from this distance.

His hair was tied back into twin tails, appearing well-maintained and tidy. His face was surprisingly youthful, his eyes sharp yet brimming with confidence.

he stood there, calm, without the slightest hint of concern or surprise despite suddenly finding two strangers aboard his ship.

In fact... he was smiling.

A smile I couldn't quite decipher—not a smirk, not entirely friendly either.

As if our presence wasn't an issue at all to her.

Mash, standing beside me, observed him cautiously.

I swallowed hard.

So this is their Captain…

I didn't know who he was, what he wanted, or whether he would be an ally or an enemy in this Singularity.

But one thing was certain.

This ship wasn't commanded by an ordinary pirate.

***

Author note:

Um well I'm just wanted to make other POV so tell me if it's was good or not.

Oh btw about mc Crew I think that's they're

Genderless because they're a homunculus that's the mc created (summon) but still I'll pronounce them as "she".

And about the mc I think that's actually the gender is actually well since she's can shifting into other servant form by imitating the way they're look.

So I'll pronounce the mc to "he" rather than "she" when I write Fujimaru POV because in this singularity she's imitating captain Nemo that's was a man.

Besides when imitating other servant she's basically imitating their gender.

So the mc original gender was female but this can change when she's imitating.