The journey to Alaska was anything but short—especially with the storm raging across the ocean, delaying their arrival by several days. Still, life on the aircraft carrier went on: some spent time with family, others goofed off with friends, and some leisurely sipped alcohol on the deck, admiring the sunset. Alex barely paid attention to the minor arguments that occasionally flared up among the crew. Nothing could be perfect, and as long as no one was killing each other—things were under control.

The martial arts masters had come up with a rather original way to relieve tension: whenever a disagreement arose that couldn’t be settled with words, the participants simply headed to the training room to “calmly beat the crap out of each other.” This came in especially handy after the storm, when everyone had been cooped up in their cabins and nerves were fraying. But once the first pair of daredevils stepped into the ring and threw down, most of the others immediately lost the urge to argue.

To Alex, the journey to Alaska felt insanely boring. So boring, in fact, that he started annoying the girls with his constant presence. Each had their own duties, and Alex popping in right in the middle of their work only slowed them down and distracted them. As a result, he got shooed away more than once—even the kind and always-patient Shizuka asked him not to get in the way in the medical bay.

The only ones who could keep him company were the similarly idle girls who had nothing else to do. But once they were free, they happily spent time with Alex—going on little improvised dates right on the carrier. Even the stern Revy, who always tried to look tough, didn’t mind spending a quiet evening with him.

Meanwhile, Lucy, Zero Two, and Anya were going through what they called their “daily torture”—also known as lessons. Anya, being the classic “daddy’s girl,” diligently attended every class. She was joined by Alice, Honoka, and Malka. But only Alex knew that his sweet little daughter had a cheat: Anya could read the thoughts of those around her. She used this ability both in class and during board games, expertly misleading everyone.

Zero Two and Lucy, seeing Anya praised, were initially fired up to surpass her. But within an hour, their enthusiasm fizzled out, and both quietly gave up. Alex understood that this education wasn’t just for fun. He was preparing the girls for life in another world—one he would one day take them to. That meant they needed to learn patience, discernment, and most importantly—not to kill everyone who tried to deceive them.

Alex stood at the bow of the carrier, staring into the distance. Alaska was close now, and soon it would be time to get to work. His top priority was to build a home for his family—only then would he focus on everything else. He sighed—there was so much ahead of him. And at that very moment, someone tugged at his cheeks. He looked down to see Anya sitting in his lap, having apparently noticed his sigh and deciding to “fix” his mood.

Alex smiled at her and gently patted her head. He just shook his head—Anya had once again copied her homework by skillfully reading everyone else’s thoughts. Meanwhile, Lucy and Zero Two were still locked in the study room with the other girls. His adopted daughter was receiving endless praise, and no one but Alex knew what a clever little fox hid behind that sweet face.

When he first caught on to her trick, Anya just flashed him a smug grin, as if to say, “You’ll never prove it, daddy.”

“Well, well, my little con artist,” Alex said, pinching her nose. “How long do you plan on fooling everyone?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Anya replied innocently, puffing out her lips.

“If you say so, sweetheart… But remember—when Mama Brunhilda finds out about this, and she will, you’re in for a couple of well-deserved spankings,” Alex said, squishing her cheeks and smirking.

Anya froze for a second. She knew perfectly well just how special the bond between her mom Brunhilda and her dad Alex was. Thanks to that bond, Brunhilda could read Alex’s thoughts and always knew what he was planning. Anya had already learned that her mother, while strict, was a fair woman. And if she found out her daughter had been cheating — spankings were inevitable.

Alex watched with amusement as his daughter slipped into a daze from the realization. Of course, he slyly omitted the fact that, despite her strictness, Brunhilda loved children deeply and most likely wouldn’t actually punish her. More likely, she’d have a heart-to-heart talk. A long one. A very long one.

Anya turned her head toward her father, her eyes welling with tears as she silently pleaded for protection. With a gentle smile, Alex ruffled her hair, noticing how worried she was about her possible fate.

“Don’t worry,” he said softly. “Your mom Brunhilda won’t spank you. She’ll just… talk. In detail.”

Anya gave in. She could only hope her cheating would go unnoticed. Alex, for his part, had no intention of giving her away — he understood that Anya’s abilities were part of who she was. And the way she used them only confirmed that she was doing just fine. After all, if a shortcut exists, why not use it?

Anya tugged on Alex’s sleeve and pointed to the water. He followed her gaze and spotted a school of large fish slowly swimming beside the ship. Holding his daughter close, he stepped up to the railing to get a better look.

“Dad, is that fish tasty?” Anya asked, nearly drooling at the sight of the massive creature.

“You’re craving fish?” Alex asked with a smile.

Anya nodded enthusiastically, giving him a classic puppy-dog look. Alex sighed — there it was, the universal feminine technique that worked since childhood. Even Alice, his younger sister, used to give him that exact same look. And him being soft-hearted, he rarely said no to anyone.

If Anya wanted to try fish — who was he to refuse her? But first, he needed someone to watch her while he handled the catching part. After all, fishing with a rod was definitely not Alex’s style. He had his own, far more… dynamic method.

“Hey, Alex! We came to visit you!” came a familiar voice behind him.

Alex turned and saw Nobuna, Katsuie, and Nagahide walking toward him. Over the past few days, he’d grown much closer to Nobuna — she used every excuse she could to spend time with him. Even her friends sometimes “just happened” to join them.

Alex grinned. There it was — the solution. A person, no, a whole team, to keep an eye on Anya.

“Perfect timing,” he said, hugging his daughter close.

“What are you up to this time?” Nobuna asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Anya wants to try some fish. And as the most devoted father in the world, I simply must make her happy. Only thing is, I need someone to watch her while I go chasing it in the ocean. And lo and behold — here you three come,” Alex said with a smile.

The three girls simultaneously looked at Anya, who nodded rapidly, confirming that she really did want the fish. Without hesitation, Alex gently handed his daughter over to Nobuna. She looked slightly startled to suddenly find herself holding a child, but before she could say a word, Alex had already turned and was briskly heading toward the command bridge.

He stormed into the room like a hurricane, grabbed Poseidon’s trident, and vanished just as quickly, without explaining a single thing. The girls on the bridge exchanged confused glances. They knew Alex had been spending time with Anya, but they couldn’t understand why he returned without her — and why he took such a formidable weapon.

He had no time for explanations. Returning to the deck, Alex saw that Anya was now in Nagahide’s arms. She was smiling gently, holding the girl close, while Nobuna and Katsuie stood nearby, clearly waiting for his return.

“And how exactly are you planning to catch fish?” Nobuna squinted, noticing the trident in his hands. “Planning to throw that thing at them?”

“You’ll see soon enough. But for now… hold this,” Alex said, taking off his T-shirt, remaining in just his shorts.

Nobuna didn’t miss the chance to admire his bare torso, nodding with a satisfied smile. Nagahide also gave his sculpted body an appreciative look, blushing slightly but not averting her gaze. Katsuie covered her eyes with her hands — though, of course, peeked between her fingers, cheeks burning red. Anya noticed their reactions and snuggled proudly into Nagahide’s shoulder — after all, that was her dad.

On Alex’s back was a tattoo — strange symbols intertwined with flames.

“You’re seriously going to jump after the fish?” Nagahide asked, still staring at him.

“Exactly. And don’t go far — we’re having fresh fish for dinner,” Alex said with a smile and a thumbs-up.

“So… we’re invited too?” Katsuie asked timidly, eyes cast downward in slight embarrassment.

“Of course. I’m thinking grilled fish over a campfire,” he said, already turning away.

With that, Alex made a swift leap overboard, disappearing into the water. Beneath the surface, he already knew how this would end — what started as simple fishing would quickly turn into a lively party. He even regretted not bringing a large net, knowing that once the smell of grilled fish spread across the deck, freeloaders would swarm.

But Alex was good at improvising — using magic, he instantly conjured a net and swam deeper to catch as many fish as possible. After all, he knew perfectly well: when it comes to food — especially delicious food — people gather fast.

Meanwhile, Anya was still nestled in Nagahide’s arms, who gently rocked her with a warm smile. The girls stood nearby, chatting, still not fully understanding how exactly Alex planned to catch fish using a trident — and from an aircraft carrier, no less.

But Alex’s actions hadn’t gone unnoticed — his dramatic jump with the trident drew plenty of curious onlookers on deck. Back on the bridge, the crew was still trying to figure out why he even took that legendary weapon with him.

While everyone discussed the scene, two girls — Zero Two and Lucy — decided to ditch their boring lessons. Sneaking out onto the deck, they began tracking Alex by his scent. But he was nowhere to be seen — instead, they spotted Anya in the company of three familiar women.

Approaching, Lucy asked:

“Anya, where’s Alex? We’ve been looking for him.”

“He went to catch fish,” Nobuna replied, still holding Alex’s shirt.

“Mmm! Daddy promised me delicious fish!” Anya beamed, nodding eagerly with a wide smile.

Lucy and Zero Two nodded as well — now they wanted to try some too. A little while later, more girls began to arrive, curious about where Alex had gone and why he needed a trident. When they found out he went fishing simply because Anya wanted it, they just smirked — Alex, as always, was willing to do anything for his daughter.

Some of the girls started joking, recalling how Alex used to make grand “Napoleonic” plans to scare off any future suitors for his daughters. While waiting for his return, they stayed to chat with Nobuna, Nagahide, and Katsuie. By now, Nobuna could already be considered part of their strange family — all that remained was to settle the last formalities in her relationship with Alex and tell her the whole truth so she could truly become one of them.

Meanwhile, Alex was already on his way back, dragging behind him a net filled to the brim with all sorts of seafood delicacies. He wanted Anya to try as many new sea treats as possible — and at the same time, be prepared for the inevitable arrival of freeloaders. The catch was enormous — so much so that he slowed down for a moment, glancing at the net full of wriggling sea creatures.

He didn’t catch dolphins — they were far too cute to kill. Sharks, too, were ignored, as he knew well their meat reeked of ammonia.

“I may have overdone it a little,” he muttered, eyeing the size of his haul.

“You think so, doting daddy?” Geirölul said sarcastically, appearing beside him in her spiritual form.

“Hey, don’t judge me. Anya’s never had anything like this, and it’s my duty to spoil my daughter,” Alex replied with a righteous tone.

“Darling, are you sure she can handle all this? She’s still so little,” Göndul asked gently, wrapping her arms around his neck.

“She’s growing, and she needs to eat a lot. Alex is doing the right thing,” Thrúd chimed in, crossing her arms.

“Exactly, Anya’s still growing,” Alex confirmed with a confident nod.

“If you say so, daddy dearest,” Geirölul huffed and disappeared back into his spiritual space.

The other Valkyries also shared their thoughts, one by one, before returning to Alex’s spiritual space. Göndul was the last to leave, but not before giving him a long, passionate kiss.

Once the Valkyries fell silent, Alex thought for a moment — would the catch be enough for everyone? Judging by the size, it should be. And if not — he’d tap into his reserves.

Spotting the aircraft carrier, Alex confidently swam toward it, still dragging the net behind him. Upon reaching the ship, he created a sturdy rope so he wouldn’t have to haul the entire catch at once. Clutching the rope in his hand, Alex surfaced and, with a powerful leap, landed on the deck.

No sooner had he landed than the girls approached him.

“And where’s your legendary catch? Don’t tell me you didn’t catch anything,” Revy said, crossing her arms and eyeing his empty hands.

“Yep, I left it all underwater. It’s easier that way,” Alex replied with a smile, waving the rope in his hand.

“How much did you catch?” Valmet asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

“Um… let’s not talk about that,” Alex coughed, clearly trying to dodge the question.

“Oh no, you’re not getting away with it. Spill it — how much?” Koko poked him in the chest with her finger.

“Well… Anya wanted fish, and I thought — there’s a lot of us. Plus, I wanted Anya, Zero Two, and Lucy to try things they’ve never eaten before. Maybe I went a little overboard,” he said seriously, though without a hint of regret.

“How ‘overboard’ are we talking?” Brunhilde asked calmly but firmly, staring straight into his eyes.

Alex let out a heavy sigh and began pulling the rope. The girls watched him with interest, and some already had the suspicion that, once again, he had overdone it. Their suspicions were confirmed when a massive net emerged from the ocean, packed to the brim with all kinds of sea life.

Brunhilde let out a weary sigh. Namie began to wonder how long it would take to prepare all that food, and Kiriko was mentally calculating the same. Meanwhile, Anya’s eyes were practically glowing — to her, the whole catch looked like an underwater zoo.

“Damn, you practically emptied the whole ocean! And you call this slightly overdoing it? Alex, for heaven’s sake!” Revy scolded, giving him a piercing glare.

“No, no, girls, you’re missing the point!” Rebecca cut in with a wide grin. “This is the perfect excuse!”

“An excuse? An excuse to reek of fish for a month?” Saya raised a skeptical eyebrow.

“No. An excuse for a party,” Rika laughed, catching on to Rebecca’s idea.

“Now that’s a plan! Our husband caught enough to feed us for a week. The weather’s great, and we’re already going stir-crazy on this carrier. I’m in,” Chun-Li agreed enthusiastically.

The others paused to consider, then one by one nodded in agreement. While they started discussing plans for the upcoming party, Alex was busy trying to wrestle Zero Two and Lucy away from the fish. Both were acting like excited kids, trying to eat the catch raw.

Zero Two struggled, attempting to drag away a fish, while Lucy used her translucent and dangerous vector “arms.” Scientists might’ve thought it was telekinesis — but Alex knew better. It was something else entirely.

Trying to hold them both back at once proved more difficult than expected. The moment he turned his attention to one, the other snatched another fish… or even a crab.

Finally fed up, Alex picked them up like sacks of potatoes and hoisted them onto his shoulders. But before he could take more than a few steps, he heard a distinct crunch. Turning his head, he saw Zero Two casually chewing a live crab — shell and all.

“Oh gods…” Alex groaned. “I don’t even know whether to laugh or cry…”

“So, what did you decide?” he asked, still holding his “hunters” in place.

“We’re good with the party, but we’ll need to haul everything up and get started,” Rory replied, amused by his exhausted face.

“Then one sec… GIIIIIR!!!” Alex shouted, calling for his assistant.

The girls winced at the sudden yell and began swatting him in protest. Within a minute, GIR, MIMI, and Stitch came racing onto the deck at full speed. They saluted sharply upon reaching Alex.

He smirked.

“We’re throwing a party. So get ready — everything needs to be unloaded and cooked!”

At the word party, the trio turned their eyes toward the massive net behind Alex, and their eyes lit up with excitement. Sharing a round of high-fives, they dashed off to begin preparations.

Alex joined the discussion with the girls about what should be cooked. Everyone got to work, and he — still not releasing Zero Two and Lucy — went off to fetch more ingredients.

“Darling, how long are you going to carry me like this?” Zero Two drawled lazily from his shoulder.

“Until everything’s ready. You two are a walking threat to culinary order. You even ate a crab — shell and all!”

“So what? It wasn’t that hard to bite through,” she replied smugly, flashing her teeth.

“I promise not to eat anything until it’s cooked! I’m not like her!” Lucy tried to defend herself.

“Lucy, sweetheart, if I believed you, I’d have let you go. That innocent look won’t save you. So just hang in there,” Alex said with a grin.

Zero Two started teasing Lucy, accusing her of always pretending to be a delicate flower in need of care, even though she was no different. Lucy responded with a sarcastic glare, but quickly reverted to her usual sweet and innocent face.

Upon reaching the supply storage on the aircraft carrier, Alex and his assistants — including Zero Two and Lucy, whom he had forced to help — began gathering everything they needed to grill the fish.

“Hey, Alex, what are you guys doing, having a picnic on the deck?” came R’s voice as he spotted them near the storage area.

“Something like that. I caught way too many seafood critters, and the girls decided to throw a party,” Alex replied with a slight smile.

“Did someone say ‘party’? Count me in, I’m down!” Nathan Drake suddenly popped out from around the corner, having overheard the conversation.

“Me too!” Casper showed up right after him.

Alex just rolled his eyes at the two troublemakers. He wasn’t even surprised — the moment free food was involved, those two were always the first to show up. Seeing his nod, Nathan and Casper took off with big grins on their faces.

“Bring your crew too, there’s more than enough food for everyone,” Alex said, turning to R.

“Haha! We’d show up either way! Where else would we get free, delicious food?” R laughed, slapping Alex on the shoulder.

Smiling, Alex caught up with the rest — GIR, MIMI, Stitch, Lucy, and Zero Two — who had gone ahead, not interested in waiting for him to finish chatting. The rumor about a deck party spread across the aircraft carrier in minutes — thanks to Casper and Nathan, who wasted no time firing up the grapevine for the sake of fun and good food.

People quickly jumped on the idea — there wasn’t much to do anyway, and now they had a reason to celebrate. Alex didn’t yet realize that what was supposed to be a simple barbecue party would soon grow into a full-scale event for the entire crew.

When he returned to the main deck, the girls were already getting ready for the celebration. His attention was drawn to Alcina’s figure — to his surprise, she had left the command bridge.

“Now that’s unexpected,” Alex said, raising a brow. “I thought you wouldn’t come out.”

“The girls insisted,” Alcina sighed tiredly. “They said I was turning into Dracula again, locking myself up in my ‘castle’.”

“Well, they’re not entirely wrong. You’ve barely left the bridge since we got here. Honestly, no one cares anymore about who you are or how, uhh… statuesque you are. We’ve seen weirder,” Alex smirked as he unpacked a grill.

“Was that supposed to be an insult or a compliment?” Alcina narrowed her eyes, one of her claws extending into a sharp blade.

“A compliment, of course,” Alex replied innocently. “I said ‘statuesque.’ That’s a good thing, right?”

“You’re too weird to be a demon,” Alcina shook her head.

“Don’t forget — I’m not just a demon. I’m the first. The rest are cheap imitations,” he said with a grin, setting up a second grill.

“And how does that even work?” she asked curiously, watching him.

“Well, let me put it simply: my brother Adam was the first human, my other brother Lucifer — the first angel. And me? I’m the first demon. Fun little family, huh?” Alex replied with a smirk as he continued working.

Alcina tiredly placed her palm on her forehead. The more she learned about the man in front of her, the more she questioned the reality of what was happening. But the facts stubbornly proved — everything she had heard and seen was real. Alex noticed with a faint smile how her expression grew pensive again — once more, she was trying to process what she’d just heard.

While Alex continued fiddling with the grill and chatting with her, Anya came over to help. Alex smiled warmly and didn’t refuse his little daughter. Alcina had already noticed more than once how gently he treated the child, and it never failed to genuinely surprise her.

“Aren’t people like you supposed to be evil?” she asked with doubt.

“Hmm… When it comes to good and evil — it’s all pretty relative,” Alex replied, stroking his chin.

“Why?” Anya asked, looking up at him.

“It’s quite simple, my little hobbit. Everyone has their own understanding of good and evil. One person might see an action as evil, another might see it as the right thing to do. It all depends on perspective. Most of the time, our ideas about good and evil are shaped by upbringing — by what our parents and society teach us. Some think killing animals for food is evil, some see it as normal, and others say it’s just part of the natural life cycle. As many living beings as there are, that’s how many opinions exist. Don’t get too caught up in what others say. Follow your heart and your own beliefs,” he finished, raising a finger like he was offering some deep life advice.

“Oh my God, Alex, are you working or philosophizing?” came Coco’s voice from behind him.

“Heh, a bit of both. Just answering Anya’s question,” Alex replied, gently stroking his daughter’s hair.

“If you say so…” Coco huffed, rolling her eyes.

Alex chuckled and got back to setting up tables for the party. Chatting with Anya and Alcina helped pass the time while the other girls were busy preparing the huge pile of seafood he’d caught. Everyone was working: some were prepping ingredients, others passing things along, and someone had gone to fetch what Alex forgot to bring — including alcohol. Lucy and Zero Two were getting in the way, trying to snatch raw fish until they were finally chased away from the table.

Noticing that Anya looked tired, Alex asked her to take a little break. She looked around, unsure where to sit, then walked up to Alcina.

“What is it, child?” Alcina asked gently, looking at the girl.

Anya smiled and quietly settled on her lap. Alcina was a bit taken aback — that hardly ever happened to her. Her own daughters had never truly been children — they were adopted after Miranda’s experiment. She had taken in the three girls as her own daughters after that. Back then, there was no room for affection, especially under Miranda’s influence. Anya, sensing a trace of sadness in Alcina’s thoughts, instinctively tried to comfort her. The woman couldn’t help but stroke the child’s head.

“Didn’t expect to see such a soft side of you, Lady Dimitrescu,” Alex remarked with a faint smirk.

“And what exactly do you think I am?” Alcina narrowed her eyes.

“You already know the answer. But fine, I’ll say it again. You’re the female version of Dracula: you’ve got a castle, you drink blood… The only thing missing is phasing through walls like Nosferatu. But hey, you can’t have everything,” Alex said, gesturing dramatically.

“What makes you think vampires can walk through walls? Although… what am I saying, you supposedly know everything,” she muttered sarcastically.

“Wrong. I only know what I know,” Alex grinned.

Alcina rolled her eyes and decided to ignore him for now. Meanwhile, Alex had finished most of the preparations when people began to gather on the main deck. From their conversations, he immediately realized — this was once again the work of Nathan and Kasper. They couldn’t resist and had spread the word about the upcoming party. Alex didn’t mind. The more people, the more fun.

Seeing that there might not be enough seats, he quickly asked a few guys to bring additional tables and benches. While Alex and the others moved the furniture, the deck gradually filled with people ready to relax and forget all the bad things for a while.

Alcina felt a little out of place — she was sure her appearance would make her stand out too much. But her worries turned out to be unfounded. Everyone already knew about the tall woman rescued from the lab, so her appearance didn’t particularly surprise anyone. Well, except for a few guys who were immediately scolded by their girlfriends for staring a little too obviously in her direction.

Once everything was ready, Alex loudly announced the start of the party. Everyone cheered in response. People laughed, chatted, and enjoyed the moment — if only for the evening, they managed to forget that a nightmare still raged outside the aircraft carrier.

To be continued…

+3 Chapters on my Patreon: p*treon.com/GreedHunter

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep