The tedium of the sea voyage compelled Alka to dedicate most of his ti and energy to his studies, which he found, at least, less monotonous than the endless sea. Compared to the vast, unchanging blue ocean around him, perhaps books filled with all sorts of characters were more interesting. Compared to the constant sound of crashing waves, perhaps Lucilia’s sweet teaching voice was more pleasant to the ear.
"No, that word ans ’fantasy,’ not ’dream.’ morize it again! morize it again!" Lucilia sat on a nearby stool, teaching Alka languages he didn’t know.
Alka’s current daily routine, besides the essential Magic Control and spell practice, involved acquiring various types of knowledge and learning strange, unknown languages. He had requested all of this himself.
"Let rest a bit, let rest a bit," Alka said, rubbing his temples. Although the Ring enhanced his mory and he knew so quick morization thods from Magic Techniques, absorbing so much new information daily was still taxing.
"Shall we go out and get so fresh air?" Alka suggested.
Lucilia extended her pale fingers, touched her cheek, and pondered for a mont. Then, she transford into mist, reappearing behind Alka and draping herself around his neck.
The implication was clear.
Alka pushed open the wooden door and walked outside. Looking at the vast sea, he took a deep breath and stretched. After enjoying the sea breeze for a while, Andre erged from below deck and waved at Alka upon seeing him.
"We’re about to reach our destination. Co inside for a eting." As he finished speaking, he rubbed his fingers and mouthed sothing silently. One blue line after another flew from his hand. This was the manifestation of the Sound Bird spell.
Alka nodded and followed him into the captain’s room. Soon, the ship’s core crew mbers had gathered inside.
"Let’s first clarify our objectives and the plan of action for this mission," Andre began. "First, we need to go to that valley and open Treasure Vault 5, primarily to search for the Round Disc Key inside. After acquiring the key, we’ll head to the large Treasure Vault 3 to open it."
After speaking, Andre gently tapped the table. "The issue here is that Grizzly Shark and his crew have gained the support of the Governor of ister Island. This makes it almost impossible for us to make any headway on that island."
"Does anyone have anything to add?" Andre asked the group.
Alka thought for a mont, then looked at everyone and said, "When I was on the island, I didn’t deliberately hide my tracks. Since they already know I’m a mber of the Blue Fist, my whereabouts there were certainly exposed. And the only place I went outside the town was Praying Insect Valley."
His implication was that it was highly likely the enemy had set an ambush or stationed personnel in the valley to search and wait.
Since Andre and his team could discover the hidden location beneath the valley, it stood to reason that Grizzly Shark and his crew—mbers of a Treasure Hunting Team themselves—weren’t fools either. They had very likely discovered the space below too, but just didn’t know how to enter it safely.
"Thinking about it this way..." Jason pondered aloud. "It’s very likely Grizzly Shark’s crew will deduce the conditions to open the valley by working backward from Praying Insect Valley. That wouldn’t be too difficult."
Grizzly Shark, being more knowledgeable about Sad’s twelve Treasure Vaults, could certainly figure out the conditions to open the main one. They were very likely lying in wait at Praying Insect Valley for Andre and his team to arrive.
"So, we’re definitely going to have to face off against them?" Chadite asked from the side.
Andre nodded; it was almost unavoidable.
Seeing his response, Chadite frowned and couldn’t help but remind him, "The guards on the island are very likely to beco their helpers. They’re all mbers of official forces, so we can’t rashly harm them."
That was the hardest part.
If they truly clashed with ister Island’s Governor and engaged in bloody conflict with those soldiers, they could end up wanted by the Blood Gold Alliance. Being hunted by such a large organization ant they wouldn’t earn a good reputation among other factions, and they’d face resistance wherever they went.
It was a losing proposition.
After all, they had no plans to retire after pulling off this one job. Everyone understood this.
The captain’s room fell silent. Only the soft sound of Andre tapping on the table broke the quiet, until it stopped abruptly.
"It seems we’ll need to use so... less conventional thods," Andre said with a chuckle. He then stood and spoke to Sang Kaka, who was in the corner, "Sang Kaka, you steer us to Black Water Bay." This signaled the end of the eting.
After stepping outside, Alka asked Chadite, who was beside him, "What is Black Water Bay?"
"A gathering place for scum and a haven for worthless pirates."
So that’s what it is, Alka thought. Upon hearing this, he already understood what Andre intended to do. It was glaringly obvious.
To avoid a head-on clash with ister Island’s guards, the best thod was to draw them away. What would attract them the most? A pirate attack on the city, of course. For a tourist island like ister, safety was paramount. If pirates were discovered, the authorities would have to spare no expense to eliminate them. Otherwise, the island’s reputation would suffer, thereby affecting its tourism industry. By then, they would, at most, be fighting Grizzly Shark’s crew. Even if so guards remained, there wouldn’t be many left, allowing them to be dealt with safely.
But is this really okay? Alka wondered.
While he was contemplating, the ship’s course had already changed substantially, and its speed had noticeably increased. Alka looked down from the ship’s side. The water’s flow seed intentional, as if it were pushing the ship along.
"When Sang Kaka steers, it has this effect. The ocean is their ho turf, after all, and the sea aids them," Chadite explained simply from beside him.
Thinking of Sang Kaka’s tall, fish-man-like appearance, Alka couldn’t help but nod. That makes sense, he thought.
"However, on an island, it’s hard to see him exhibit these skills, so it has its pros and cons."
No wonder, Alka mused. It was rare to see Sang Kaka on an island; he generally stayed to guard the ship or perform ocean reconnaissance.
Speaking of which, Alka suddenly recalled that Sang Kaka’s quarters weren’t in the sterncastle but rather in the lowest part of the ship, way at the stern. There was a specially partitioned room there, which could even be accessed from the seabed. Inside, compartnts built from special materials connected directly to the seawater outside. It must be a room specifically prepared for Sang Kaka.
Quite interesting indeed, Alka thought.
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