Chapter 79

Chapter 79 Galano’s official registration as a member of the Aquamarine happened so fast that even those from Bermuda were surprised. His skills and experience placed him at the top of the Rank B adventurers, and if his evaluation had been slightly higher, he could have been Rank A.

People started talking when they saw him join Aquamarine out of a sudden; he had also transformed his shabby appearance, adopting a clean-cut look. It was only natural. The face of the middle-aged man, now with trimmed hair and a shaved beard, bore a strong resemblance to his brother, Dentuso.

“Dentuso of the Storm! That's a name I haven't heard in a while.”

“Aquamarine was truly amazing back then. They explored all the Rifts in the Fifth Sea District and they even managed to seal Charybdis.”

“As expected of Njord’s flesh and blood. We shouldn’t underestimate Captain Frances.”

The image that had once ended Aquamarine’s golden age and turned the team into a taboo began to fade. The adventurers of Bermuda reminisced about a past not even ten years behind them, raising their glasses in reflection.

“Come to think of it, no adventurer team worked as hard as Aquamarine. Actually, even now, none of them do. Most of those who claim to be Rank A are just making money safely in small Rifts. What kind of adventure or exploration is that?”

“Hey! Watch your words. Be careful in Bermuda. You might get in trouble with those guys.”

“They’re so high and mighty that they never come down from Aiolos Hall. Do we really need to be that cautious? I'm not even saying anything wrong!”

The high officials of the Council of Atlantis and Bermuda probably didn’t know, but the long-standing anger and opinions of the adventurers that had been building up from the bottom were gathering around Aquamarine, which had once fallen into the depths.

People looked back on the legends of Aquamarine, who, even while active as the top expedition team in Atlantis, never had the stain of trampling or disregarding others. When they were active, there was no discrimination among adventurers based on rank in any hall. This was because Captain Njord believed that the essence and virtue of an adventurer was freedom.

Veterans who could look back on those times and adventurers who had grown up listening to those legendary tales all hoped for Aquamarine’s revival in unison.

***

After completing Galano’s registration, Captain Frances, having returned to Aquamarine, declared in front of everyone, “This is Galano. From today onwards, he is a comrade of Aquamarine! With fourteen years of experience, there’s a lot we can learn from him as adventurers! Everyone, give him a warm welcome!”

“Waaaah! Welcome aboard!”

“Wah.”

“Hmm...”

Only Vivian clapped enthusiastically and cheered; Ninian, her sister, merely let out a low explanation with a blank expression. Leonard also clapped a few times, just enough to not embarrass Frances.

Marianne was the only one to greet Galano, finally seeing him after a long time.

“Galano, do you remember me?”

“Of course. I never imagined that the tomboy from back then would grow into such a strong and loyal woman.”

Marianne couldn’t hide her embarrassment at the remark that brought back old memories. If Njord hadn’t persuaded her back then, she would’ve probably ended up recklessly running amok without knowing the dangers of the world, ultimately meeting a miserable end.

Mad Dog.

Anyone familiar with that moniker would distance themselves in fear, but the truly strong wouldn’t even bat an eye. Not knowing whom to bite and whom not to bite was a disgrace, not something to be proud of.

“My brother used to talk about you.”

Marianne’s ears perked up at the mention of Dentuso.

“He said you were a stubborn kid who wouldn’t compromise, but once you set your mind, you were more trustworthy than anyone else. Seeing that you protected Frances to the end, my brother was indeed correct.”

“Tha... Thank you for the high praise.”

“As an adventurer, I may be your senior, but on this ship, you are my superior. Instruct me without hesitation.”

Using his experience and connections, Galano accepted the hierarchy and acknowledged Marianne's contributions without disrupting the order. Marianne, who had been secretly apprehensive of him, felt a sense of relief at his courteous attitude.

Leonard, observing them, nodded quietly.

Even though he has no experience working in an expedition team, he conducts himself well, like a veteran. Perhaps he has respect for Marianne’s contributions in protecting Frances while he was wasting time.

Ultimately, everything turned out well.

As Leonard pondered how to teach Ninian, Marianne, and Galano, Frances approached him.

“So, this makes five of us now. I didn’t expect you to be able to motivate Uncle Galano, Leonard. You never cease to amaze me.”

“Well yeah, I’m a genius after all.”

“Hahaha! You’re really claiming that yourself?”

“It’d be more infuriating if I were modest and downplayed my abilities, right? And claiming it’s just luck would be even worse.”

“Ah, that's true.”

Leonard, with his vast experience and insight, and Frances, with her wisdom and intuition, were adept at reading people. Therefore, their aversion to insincerity was stronger than others. Genuine humbleness could be just as infuriating, as it sometimes felt like mocking others for their bad luck.

“Leonard, who do you think should be our next recruit?”

“I don’t know who, but...”

Leonard thought for a second before replying, “I do know that we need a mage.”

“Oh?”

Frances's eyes widened. “You must have learned well from Sister Esther! You’re right! A high-rank wind spiritualist is impressive, but a mage can literally handle any situation. For a Rank A expedition team, a mage that is Class 5 or higher would be essential.”

Leonard blinked slowly in agreement.

Having spent weeks at the Atlantis Magic Tower, he had experienced hundreds of spells firsthand—from elemental magic that manifested what could be considered the Five Elements, to magic that toyed with the very laws of physics. The true nature of magic was no different from the sorcery of ancient legends.

Mages who were introduced to the high-level concepts from Class 5 onwards would transcend space, accelerate time, and create phenomena that defied the laws of physics.

Even Esther, who had just reached Class 5, was like that. The spells cast by Jack Russell, a Class 7 Archmage, were so incomprehensible that Leonard struggled to understand their manifestations despite observing them with his upper dantian.

I need to study concepts that I don’t yet fully grasp, like gravity. Otherwise, people might catch me off guard.

If possible, it would be great to recruit someone like Esther or Jack Russell, with whom they could have open conversations. That was Leonard's only wish.

As if she had read his mind, Frances curved her lips into a proud smile.

“You brought in three people already, Leonard. It wouldn’t look good if the captain didn’t bring anyone in, would it? So, I tried inviting a Class 6 Mage!" seaʀᴄh thё NôᴠelFirё.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

“Oh?”

A Class 6 Mage would be treated like an elder even within the Magic Tower and would be among the top rankers in Bermuda.

Besides Esther, she also has connections with another mage?

Leonard inwardly marveled at Frances as he waited for her to continue. However...

“Hmm?”

Frances, who was mentally connected with Aquamarine, a ship built through magic engineering, tilted her head in confusion. Someone was requesting entry at the bow of the ship. Anyone who had been on Aquamarine even once could be immediately identified from their biographic data.

One person was Esther, but the other person’s identity was unknown.

If they’re with Sister Esther, they can’t be an enemy... but who could it be?

Unable to hide her puzzled expression, Frances went up to the deck with the crew.

“...”

Frances’s mouth and eyes widened as she saw Esther and Jack Russell. With her quick thinking, she immediately guessed the purpose of their visit.

Seeing her expression, Esther gave a wry smile and began, “Sorry for the sudden visit, Fran. Master suddenly suggested we visit Aquamarine together.”

Before she could finish, Jack Russell stepped forward and locked eyes with Frances. He was the Chief Elder of the Atlantis Magic Tower and a Class 7 Archmage. With his skills and position, he was someone Aquamarine couldn’t yet contend with. Despite knowing how dangerous and powerful the man before her was, Frances did not avert her gaze.

“So you’re Njord’s daughter. I believe I’ve seen your face before, but this is our first time having a conversation.”

“I’ve heard a lot about you from Sister Esther, Chief Elder Jack Russell.”

“Anything you heard from this blockhead wouldn’t amount to much. Just call me Russell. I was somewhat acquainted with your father and knew Hyne well.”

Jack Russell had assumed that all ties had been severed following Njord and Hyne’s disappearance, but the relationship Frances had with his disciple, who had left home and returned after being cursed at, had allowed them to meet like this.

Russell gave a brief nod to Leonard before continuing, “You probably have an idea why my disciple and I have come, right?”

“Yes, although I don’t know the specifics yet.”

Suppressing her excitement, Frances looked at him with bright eyes, curious about his reasons.

Jack Russell adjusted the rim of his glasses, as was his habit, and replied, “There are two main reasons.”

One was that on top of the shortage of Rift materials, the ones that were being provided were too lopsided. The rumors that most Rank A expedition teams were only targeting easy, straightforward Rifts were true. Thus, high-difficulty Rifts with byproducts of lower market value often went unexplored for months.

The Aquamarine Expedition Team wouldn’t follow those same footsteps, making it easier and faster to gather the necessary materials.

“...If it’s being talked about in the Magic Tower, the situation must be more severe than I thought.” Frances’s expression darkened.

“Indeed. If this information, which was supposed to be confidential, has leaked from Bermuda, it means the signs of Corrosion might have already appeared in Aiolos.”

After agreeing with Frances, Jack Russell mentioned the second reason, which was Leonard himself.

It’s you again this time?

Frances glanced at Leonard, who looked away.

“At first, I thought about just sending my inept disciple, but it was obvious that she would just brag endlessly about it. Since the research progress was stalling without him, I decided to join her in visiting Aquamarine. It also serves as a change of pace.”

“Oh! You want to be recognized as a guest member?” Frances asked.

“Being an official member would be a bit much for someone in my position. It would also be burdensome for you. People might say you’re too closely tied to the Magic Tower.”

Unlike official members who had to stay with the team until their contract ended, guest members had more freedom. They couldn’t be ordered around and could leave the ship and the team whenever they wished.

Therefore, accepting a guest member required caution. If the guest member was more skilled and higher-ranked, the team could end up being pushed around. They could be forced to treat the guest member like their boss with nothing to gain in return.

Despite this, Frances didn’t hesitate.

“Of course! Welcome aboard, Russell!”

“...We haven’t even discussed the terms of the contract yet.”

Even Jack Russell was taken aback by her eagerness.

“It’s an opportunity to get a Class 7 Archmage on board, so it’s worth skipping a few formalities!”

“Ho? My demands might be quite excessive though?”

“If what Sister Esther said about you is true, I doubt that.”

Seeing Frances’s immediate response, Russell turned to his disciple and growled, “Hey disciple, come see me once we’re inside the ship. I need to know what nonsense you’ve been spreading.”

“Ugh!”

Seeing the two bickering, Frances laughed. It was a wonderful miscalculation.

“U-Uhm... E-Excuse me...?” At that moment, a timid voice came from somewhere.

“Hmm?”

“Who’s that?”

“Who is it?”

When the Aquamarine members turned to look, a person who had been peeking out quickly hid behind a pillar.

Frances, recognizing her, waved and called out, “Come on up! You’re in the right place!”

Hearing her voice, the figure cautiously stepped onto the deck. Her golden hair shimmered like fine gold dust. Her eyes trembled like a deer’s, giving off a delicate and innocent appearance. The plain robe and staff she clutched with both hands indicated she was a mage.

Frances grabbed her hand, pulling her forward, and introduced her, “This is Lorelei, the Class 6 Mage I invited!”

Someone reacted to the name before anyone else.

“...Lorelei, you say?” Jack Russell, the Class 7 Archmage, quickly recalled where he had heard that name before. For the first time, his eyes widened in surprise as he asked, “Are you perhaps Hyne’s successor?”

Only then did the rest of Aquamarine’s members share Russell’s astonishment, their eyes opening wide.