The two of them didn’t dare to delay and hurriedly headed upstairs, where Sorcerer Ungar stood waiting for them behind the railing.
“A good day to you, Sorcerer Ungar.”
Ungar nodded slightly, “This voyage will last half a month. Since both of you are 2nd Class apprentices, I’m entrusting you with maintaining order in Dormitory 1. Are you willing?”
“We will follow your command.”
The two nodded in unison. There was no way they were going to offend a sorcerer over such a trivial matter.
Sorcerer Ungar continued, “I won’t make you work for nothing. Here’s your reward, a one-time use of runes that can temporarily enchant a weapon once. The downside is that it will cause some damage to the weapon.”
He held two pieces of beast hide in his hand, each intricately etched with rune patterns, and handed one to each of them.
Both received Slicing Wind Runes. To use them, they only needed to activate them with mental power and then press the runes onto the surface of the longsword to enchant it once, lasting for five minutes.
This was undoubtedly a valuable item for combat.
After listening to Sorcerer Ungar’s instructions, the two happily returned downstairs.
“How much are they worth?”
“How should I know? But it should be no less than five low-grade magic stones.”
In response to Ivan’s question, Pearney gave a rough price estimate.
The two of them found Captain Caleb, the ship’s guard captain, to ask him in detail about the things to be mindful of on board, so they could set rules for the newcomers.
“If you have any problems, feel free to come to me, Caleb, and I’ll do my best to assist,” said Captain Caleb, a burly middle-aged man with a meaty face that looked intimidating, yet he was surprisingly cheerful and amiable while talking to them.
“Then we will be sure to seek out Captain Caleb for help in the future,” Ivan could tell that the captain possessed considerable strength within him, most likely a Great Knight. This was the first Great Knight he had encountered.
Following that, they went to the dormitory area and gathered the newcomers who lived there.
Unlike their single occupancy rooms, the newcomers were crammed into triple occupancy rooms. Upon hearing the summons, they all stood by the door to listen to what they had to say.
Pearney stepped forward to lay out a few rules, and Ivan added a few words—all of which meant to remind the newcomers to keep to themselves, not stir up conflicts on board, and avoid disturbing the sorcerers above.
“I know you, Ivan Marichardon, you got yourself a baronial position by clinging to Earl Hobson, with a fief in some backwater place called ‘Mulberry Valley,’ correct? You haven’t received the Grand Duke’s scroll yet, right?”
Thinking it was just a routine announcement of the ship’s rules and a friendly exchange, no one expected someone to jump out at this moment—wasn’t this a chance to establish some authority?
Ivan glanced at Pearney. Seeing her indifferent, it was unlikely that she had arranged for a shill.
“I am indeed Ivan Marichardon. May I ask who you are?”
Ed straightened up and said, “Ed Cassia, my elder is the Giant Waves Marquis.”
Ivan understood that he was from a marquis family, no wonder he liked to look down on others: “I’ve heard the Giant Waves Marquis has 24 sons. How many grandchildren does he have, and which number are you?”
At these words, many couldn’t help but smile. With so many sons, the Giant Waves Marquis likely had even more grandchildren. With such a large number of descendants, Ed’s status was hardly worth mentioning.
“I’m the fiftieth—you, a country baron, should mind your own business.” Ed’s face turned sour. He understood the insinuations and sneered, “Hmph! Allow me to introduce Prince Conley Raglan, the son of the Aromatic Wheat Grand Duke. You should come over and pay your respects.”
Conley was his roommate.
The attention of everyone couldn’t help but turn to Conley. It was unexpected that among them there was a prince from the Aromatic Wheat Dukedom, a status quite distinct from the grandchild of a mere marquis.
Conley’s face twitched slightly as he quickly stood up. “Ladies and gentlemen, once we board this ship, we should forget our past noble statuses and start anew. At this moment, we are all but sorcerer apprentices, and perhaps we’ll have the chance to enter the same Sorcerers Academy. From here on, we’ll be as brothers and sisters, not bound by past formalities.
Please, just call me ‘Conley’ from now on.”
“Ivan, Pearney, it’s a pleasure to meet you both.”
His words instantly bridged the distance between everyone, earning silent praise for the prince’s humility.
Ivan and Pearney responded in kind.
“Mr. Ed, do you have any other questions?” Ivan waved his hand casually, and a green vine emerged, then floated to Ed’s side.
“No, that’ll be all, Mr. Ivan.” Seeing the vine poised to ensnare him at a single wrong word, Ed felt a chill in his heart and dared not prattle any further.
This scene led many to entertain different thoughts. It seemed that the rumors from Flying Fish Port were true; this Lord of Mulberry Valley really did capture a sea beast that was causing chaos at the docks using spells.
The thought that this Lord had only been practicing for two months gave an almost unreal sensation.
Perhaps he had some exceptional talent, Prince Conley contemplated thoughtfully.
“That’s fine then, everyone return and rest easy.”
Ivan dispelled the vine, marking the end of the conversation.
The newcomers returned to their quarters.
Pearney said, “If he dared to talk to me like that, I’d freeze him solid with Frosty Air and let him truly appreciate the might of a sorcerer apprentice.”
Ivan couldn’t be bothered to engage with that comment, wondering who had just been enjoying the spectacle.
Their rooms were both on the outside, with doors facing each other across a corridor.
This sorcerer’s ship was more than twice as fast as the Dark Lahr, sailing the seas felt like flying; it quickly left Flying Fish Port behind. The sorcerer’s ship didn’t stray from land and, after sailing a distance, arrived at another port.
Flying Fish Port is located on the Blourard Continent, also known as ‘Tidal Island.’ As the birthplace of humankind, there are four countries on this land: Aromatic Wheat Dukedom, Fluttering Wind Kingdom, Rock Wolf Dukedom, and Waves Dukedom.
It is said that before the sorcerers reigned over the human realms, the land was home to a mighty Knight nation—the Tidal Empire. The four current countries emerged from the division of the Tidal Empire.
“So many people.”
At the fourth stop of the sorcerer’s ship, a port in the southern region of Fluttering Wind Kingdom, Ivan and Pearney watched from the deck as nearly sixty new apprentices prepared to board.
Pearney understood this well. “Just look at Giant Waves Marquis, and you’ll understand. It’s a noble’s way of survival.”
The rights of the nobility are intimately connected to sorcerers. The probability of noble offspring with suitable sorcerous aptitude is still not very high. When probability falls short, you make up with quantity. Thus, most nobility have as many children as possible, sending those with good aptitude to the Sorcerers Academy. The Giant Waves Marquis is just one of the more prominent among them.
Except for Flying Fish Port, every stop was scouted out by a sorcerer academy’s apprentices, and the port in Fluttering Wind Kingdom was no different. An apprentice from the Mongna Ant Land Cottage was there, identified by the markings on the apprentice robe.
Before long, they met Cody, the apprentice from the Mongna Ant Land Cottage.
With so many people coming aboard, there wasn’t enough housing. Aromatic Wheat Dukedom, in total, only had nineteen people. Cody sought out the two to discuss the dormitory arrangements.
Quickly, the three-person rooms turned into five-person ones, with the extra beds and originally vacant rooms given to the new apprentices from Fluttering Wind Kingdom.
Conley and the others weren’t happy, but there was nothing they could do. Unless someone was willing to go below deck to the hold, as he had said before, their noble status was worthless here. Whether it’s a prince or a marquis’ grandson, they were all just prospective apprentices.
Leaving the southern port, the sorcerer’s ship sailed away from Tidal Island and towards the distant, unknown lands.