The others were surprised by what Tian said and after glancing at each other, they followed him inside the captain’s room.
Sylvia approached Aria and said in a calm and composed voice.
“I don’t know who you are but if you wish to help us, then let’s work together from now on. My name is Sylvia, nice to know you.” → Sylvia
Then she simply walked in front, not waiting for an answer.
Aria was surprised and her steps chased for a moment. She expected Sylvia to blame her, never had she thought she’ll simply introduce herself with such a calm expression on.
“Y-yes, the same.” → Aria
Aria said with a trembling voice then she walked behind Sylvia, while her head was lowered. After everyone entered the captain’s room, they listened to Tian’s brief explanation then Aria’s more detailed one.
“I don’t get it!” → Ashura
Ashura snapped after hearing the explanation and shot up from the chair.
“You said Shen saved her when she is one of the trios who kidnapped him in the first place? While he just remained there?! What in the world is he thinking?!” → Ashura
He simply couldn’t accept such a contradictory logic.
“…I don’t know myself…” → Aria
Aria talked in a hushed tone. She was able to see only sadness and guilt in Shen’s eyes when he made her see her own heart. She was too perturbed at that time to try and understand something. There was no answer she could think of as for why Shen saved her but left himself there.
“…Why Shen saved her was because he was able to read her soul. He found her trustworthy enough to save her, this reason seems good enough for me. As for why he remained there… I still don’t know but he must have a plan in his mind.” → Sylvia
Sylvia said while trying to read Shen’s heart. Even though the connection was locked, she was still able to feel thin threads of energy still leaking between their hearts.
This idiot… doing such unnecessary things won’t help him with his researching… Maybe he’s searching for more help for the Kingdom? Haah~ either way, this is too much… → Sylvia
Sylvia was able to read something by feeling Shen’s thin heart-waves but that only made her shake her head.
“…”
Everyone was still confused as for why he chose to do such a thing, but they didn’t ask anymore.
“Now that everyone has calmed down, let’s talk about the Ship-Battle. What is that about?” → Tian
Tian asked again, being too new in the crew to know about such a style of battling.
“A Ship-Battle is just as the name implies. Two captains will fight against each other, together with their crew and their ships. Unlike at a normal duel when it’s a one versus one, on a Ship-Battle the commanding skills, sailing skills, and the best strategy will make for the victor. The final goal is either for the ship to sink or to kill the captain. Normally, in such a fight, the craftiest crew wins while the ones who fight by the book will lose, one can use anything if he will bring the enemy’s ship to the bottom of the sea.” → Sofia
Sofia explained in a more simplified way for everyone to understand.
“Yes, but the only problems are my commanding and sailing skills. I’ve been a captain for not even half a year while that red bastard was for more than 15 years. I can’t measure up to him.” → Bururiba
“Then we only need to bring his ship down, right? No problem! I and Tian are enough to make that ship full of holes.” → Ashura
Ashura said as if they were going to make holes through the cheese and not a war-ship.
“Only the crew-members are allowed to participate.” → Sofia
“Damn it…” → Ashura
“Sigh there is nothing else we can do then. You’ll have to fight him just like this.” → Tian
“What do you mean ‘you’? There is no ‘you’ in the crew! There’s only ‘we’! So WE better do a good job, aye?!” → Bururiba
Bururiba asked out loud while his spirit was burning with a fighting spirit.
“Aye captain!” → Tyson
Tyson answered with a serious face.
“Aye.” → Tyson
Tian would not see Bururiba as his captain, but he was alright with simply giving a helping hand.
“Good! Now let’s go toward our base and find the best men for the upcoming battle! Also, we might think of a good plan if we have luck by our side.” → Bururiba
“When is the battle?” → Ashura
“After 5 days from now. We need to prepare. The fight will take place inside the Lunar Bay.” → Sofia
“Is it different from any other place?” → Tyson
“You guys are new in this sailing business so it’s normal for you to not know. The Lunar Bay is one of the most dangerous places for any ship. Lunar Bay is an island in a crescent form. Inside the crescent, there are tons of rocks and boulders which can bring any ship to the bottom and there are also water whirls created from the strong water currents.” → Sofia
Sofia explained with a serious face while drawing something similar to a crescent island on the table with her red lipstick.
“Uhm. By the way.” → Ashura
Ashura suddenly remembered something.
“Can’t we get Aria to show us the way back toward the base of that Dao-whatever and get Shen back? We can break in even if the entire crew appears before us, no?” → Ashura
“No.”
Sylvia and Sofia answered together then Sofia continued.
“The other 8 top sea-dogs agreed with Haidao’s challenge against Bururiba. They teamed up and moved the place where your friend is held to the highest point inside the peninsula, on top of the lighthouse.” → Sofia
“And what? Just some smelly pirates think they can stay in our way?” → Ashura
Ashura asked with a superior air.
“You mean to say that you’re able to fight against an entire peninsula with tens of thousands of people with the strongest at the Great Saint level?” → Sofia
Sofia laughed at Ashura’s young pride.
“Besides, these ‘smelly pirates’ are able to live here without being destroyed by some idiots for two reasons.” → Sofia
“And those are?” → Ashura
“The first one is because of the financial and military support from the kingdoms that are around this peninsula, plus some more nobles from the more far-away countries. While the second is because this place is protected by a deity beast which can be compared with a Young-God of the adept level.” → Sofia
“Wha- what?!” → Ashura
Everyone else was taken by surprise. They knew about the first reason but never heard about the other one.
“Yes. And that beast can be summoned once the top 10 sea-dogs, together with the pirate-king, form a summoning spell by using the artifacts they were gifted with, the moment they entered the rank of the top 10.” → Sofia
Sofia took out a black scale which was made into a medallion around her neck.
“Oh~. So that was the usage of this thing!” → Bururiba
Bururiba took from around his neck a red fang as big as his thumb.
“What? Weren’t you told about how this is used for?” → Sofia
Sofia was shocked by Bururiba’s ignorance.
“Eh? Ah. Uhm~ I… was in a hurry so I wasn’t really listening.” → Bururiba
Bururiba faked a cough then hastily tried to change the subject, Ashura’s and Tian’s judging eyes being too painful for him.
“A-Anyway! We don’t have all the time, right? Let’s hurry and prepare!” → Sylvia
Sylvia looked with saddened eyes then shook her head with a helpless expression.
“They said no visiting, but think we can bribe them so we can talk with Shen for at least one hour?” → Sylvia
“…No. Everyone is against us, if we do so, they might use this opportunity and try to eliminate us, saying that ‘we go against the rules’.” → Sofia
“I understand… Then, until we come up with a plan I will go and buy something for the dinner.” → Sylvia
Sylvia smiled bitterly then flew toward the city to buy the necessities for making food.
Everyone started preparations for the upcoming battle. The engines were disassembled and the pieces remodeled, the blacksmiths from Bururiba’s base were focusing on crafting more ammunition while Bururiba, Tian, Kavala, and Nicolas looked with dark faces at a blueprint which represented their strategy. Two days later, Bururiba got the money from the auction house and bought 9 flying warships as Shen wished.
“I heard there was an explosion at the auction house, what have you done?” → Tian
Tian looked at Bururiba with plain eyes.
Bururiba looked with puppy eyes and felt wronged.
“What do you mean? Why must I be the one who starts a fight every time?” → Bururiba
“…”
Tian looked at him unamused.
When he first arrived on the peninsula, there were a lot of people who tried to start a fight with him. While he ignored everyone, Bururiba would start quarrels here and there, making them beg for mercy the next second. Even though he was more than enough to kill any kind of thug and pirate on his own, he still tried to keep a low profile because of the bounty on his head. Even so, Bururiba wasn’t the same, he would blow up the first one that annoyed him even though that person did nothing with him, for reasons like;
I didn’t like how that guy looked at me. → Bururiba
“Okay, alright. You have all the reasons to doubt me. But this time I’m completely innocent! The one who blew up was a group of pirates that tried to steal Shen’s stuff. Of course, I tried to move when I saw them place their hands on the green staff, but Sofia was faster than me and with a swing of her chains, a huge shockwave appeared which blew up the roof of the auction house and sent the pirates flying.” → Sofia
Bururiba thought while feeling his back turn cold.
“… Yeah. I can imagine that.” → Tian
Tian said while massaging his temples, thinking how these two were actually matching each other.
“What about the weapons? If we lost them then Shen might break out from the prison and get them back himself.” → Tian
Tian thought with a laugh.
“If he could then he should!” → Bururiba
Bururiba said while feeling his head throb.
“Anyway, the weapons were recuperated by Sofia and the auction restarted as if nothing ever happened.” → Bururiba
“… Quite the charming woman.” → Sofia
Tian said with a forced smile.
After some more small talks, they returned to review the plans together with their best subordinates.
Everything went as planned when, on the third day, when everyone from the group reunited inside the captain’s office to report the news, a loud bang resounded from the door which was kicked open right after.
“Hah hah hah.” → Freia
Freia rushed inside while breathing roughly. She fell on her knees right in front of everyone with a pale face. Behind her, the two high elves together with Melinda helped her to get up.
“F-Freia? You’re awake! Are you okay?” → Sylvia
Sylvia rushed and helped Freia with the others. She started to look at her and saw her face pale.
“I-I’m alright-! You! Why are you here?!” → Freia
Freia opened her palm and on top of it, blue flames appeared. She looked with enmity at Bururiba who was dumbfoundedly trying to sip some more from his glass of beer.
“Wawawa! Wait for a second! We made peace! Peace!” → Bururiba
Bururiba tried to explain himself while spilling beer around from the panic.
“Ha?! Who would make peace with-… Dhavala?” → Freia
When she wanted to throw a fireball at him, Ashura rushed in front of her and grabbed her palm; the exact palm on which a blue flame was formed, burning his skin and flesh.
“What are you doing!? Quick! Let go!” → Freia
Ashura’s hand started to burn and his skin became charred.
“Freia, calm down. Bururiba and his crew are our allies now.” → Ashura
Ashura ignored her screams and held her hand, not minding the pain.
“Alright, alright! Just please let go! I can’t stop the fire if it continues to burn your hand!” → Freia
Freia was agitated. Seeing Ashura’s hand regenerating then burning over and over made her face turn pale.
It must be incredibly painful! How can he remain so composed? → Freia
In the end, Ashura let go and asked with the always serious voice.
“So? Why are you in such a hurry?” → Ashura
“Theo!” → Melinda
In the end, Melinda couldn’t hold it any longer and burst in tears.
“T-Theo! He, He!” → Melinda
She couldn’t talk normally from all the tears, so Evan had to step forward and explain.
“It seems that Theo sneaked inside the treasure room, stole one of the wands her highness offered Shen as gifts and left the ship.” → Evan
Evan said with a serious face while narrating everything he heard as briefly as possible.
“What?!”
Everyone shouted in agitation then Tian got up and asked.
“At such moments we can’t make any mistakes. Do any of you know where he went?” → Tian
“I don’t know, we heard everything from little Miss and young Miss.” → Oliver
Oliver said while looking at Freia and Melinda.
“When I just woke up, I heard a knock at the door. It seems Theo continued to knock until I got up from the bed. He said his master told him to get his wand from the treasury. I didn’t suspect anything at first after I woke up completely I wanted to ask him why he had to knock and not simply ask Sylvia to open the seal. I searched for him only to find Melinda looking around. She said that Theo has left for the bathroom but never came back. I started to worry so I searched some more only to see him through a window, flying toward the city in the distance.” → Freia
“Why?! For what reason is he doing such a foolish thing?” → Ashura
Ashura asked while scratching his head in agitation.
“I don’t get it either. Is he thinking of saving Shen on his own?” → Sofia
“No way… We need to bring him back! Captain Haidao is stronger than he seems! He can take on a Saint with ease!” → Aria
Aria said with anxiety.
“Everyone, wait a second.” → Tian
Tian tried to calm everyone down. He looked then at Freia and asked.
“Can you still remember in which direction he was flying to?” → Tian
“Yes! It was toward a huge tower which shone light from the top.” → Freia
“!!!”
The lighthouse!
Everyone thought the same thing.
“But from where does he know that?! He wasn’t here when we talked about that, right?” → Bururiba
“No, but Theo is adept at stealth skills. He mastered shadow magic and can also use invisibility with presence-hiding. Shen was sure to teach his disciples everything he knew that can save their lives.” → Sylvia
Sylvia explained, feeling her temples throb.
“Argh! So we had a little ninja between us and nobody noticed? Damn, he’s good.” → Bururiba
“There’s no time for this. We better go and get him back before he does something stupid.” → Tian
Tian said in a hurry. He rushed outside and jumped off the deck on top of the water.
Sylvia, Melinda, the high-elves brothers, Bururiba and Sofia followed right after. Ashura wanted to go as well but Sylvia stopped him.
“You stay here and take care of Freia. She’s still injured and she needs support right now.” → Sylvia
After saying so, she flew toward the lighthouse with everyone else.
