[5 Days Ago]
Aiden stood at the eastern port of Alcos City, gazing up at Aeliana, the ship that Charles had gifted him. The ship had just been completely repaired and refurbished, and Aiden was preparing to board it.
On the deck, Hu Zhao, Dian Long, and Edvard were inspecting the ship, making sure everything was in perfect order. Edvard, holding a bottle of whiskey, wandered across the deck with a practiced eye, taking in the ship's grandeur.
"I must say, this ship is truly remarkable," Edvard remarked, his voice carrying a note of admiration. "I haven't seen a vessel built from the wood of the Tree of Life in many years."
Dian Long nodded in agreement. "Yes, that's why it's in a good condition even after all this time. Seventy percent of this ship's body is made from Tree of Life wood. I didn't expect anyone to still know about it."
Edvard took a swig from his bottle, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Let's just say I've seen a lot of things in my time."
Dian Long tilted his head, curiosity piqued. "What do you mean?"
Edvard shrugged, a sly smile playing on his lips. "Nothing worth mentioning."
After Seath had left the mansion, Aiden, Dian Long, and Edvard had traveled to the south side of the island to retrieve the ship. Thanks to Dian Long's guidance, they found the ship quickly and brought it back for repairs.
Aeliana was unique in that it could both sail the seas and soar through the skies. With Edvard's help, who was not only an experienced sailor but also an excellent helmsman, it was easy to bring the ship back to port. They spent an entire day at the shipyard, fixing the ship and adding new features, including a magic platform that allowed communication with other ships and harbors.
Eldric also added a transportation magic circle that could teleport the ship instantly, though it consumed a significant amount of magic stones, making it a resource-intensive option. Aiden also used the funds he had acquired from the gangs and companies he had dismantled to purchase new weapons, provisions, and supplies for the ship. Aeliana now looked even more majestic, exuding an air of power and elegance.
As Aiden prepared to board the ship, he heard the sound of hurried footsteps approaching from behind.
"Aiden!" a familiar voice called out.
Turning, Aiden saw Saya, Emelia, and their friends from the Adventurer's Guild hurrying toward him.
"Oh, you came?" Aiden greeted them with a smile. "I thought you'd be leaving for the empire today."
Emelia grinned. "We decided to say goodbye before we left. After all, aren't we friends?"
Lyssia added with a teasing tone, "Yeah, and we know you were trying to act cool by not saying goodbye yourself, making us come and do it instead."
Aiden rolled his eyes. "I'm not a child, Lyssia. Only you and kids would do that."
Wanda, always cheerful, added. "Don't mind her, Aiden. She's always like this. By the way, your ship looks incredible!"
"Of course it does," Aiden replied, his pride evident. "I wouldn't expect anything less from a ship I've acknowledged."
Up on the deck, Hu Zhao and Dian Long exchanged a glance. Dian Long sighed, choosing not to comment, while Hu Zhao turned to him with a puzzled expression.
"Hey, can ships be acknowledged?" Hu Zhao asked, genuinely curious.
Dian Long remained silent, shaking his head slightly.
Konstantin, who had been quietly observing the ship, smiled and approached Aiden. "It's a fine ship," he remarked.
Aiden nodded, "Yeah, it's a gift from a friend."
tap tap
Konstantin walked closer, extending his right hand. Aiden met him halfway, grasping his hand firmly as they shook hands, a silent understanding passing between them.
"I hope we can meet again and have a real fight," Konstantin said with a grin. "Last time, I wasn't at my best. Next time, I'll give it everything I've got."
"Of course," Aiden replied, matching his grin. "I'll try not to go too easy on you."
Konstantin chuckled, "Hahaha, sure. And I'll try not to hurt you too much with my sword."
grip
Aiden smirked, tightening his grip. "No need to worry about that. I'm sure your sword will only leave a few light scratches."
"Oh really?" Konstantin challenged. "Then how about we—"
Olenna interrupted them, her tone firm. "That's enough, both of you. Konstantin, we have a ship to board and a schedule to keep. Grandma Kathy is waiting for us. We need to take her to the capital so that she can get a better treatment there. The boss won't be pleased if we miss the airship he sent personally."
Konstantin sighed but relented. "Alright, see you next time, Aiden."
Abrat, standing silently nearby, nodded in agreement.
Today was the day Lyssia, Wanda, Konstantin, Olenna, and Abrat would return to the empire together with Katherine and Gwendoline. Kathy might have got a little better but she needed the best facilities to make a full recovery. They Also needed to go back and make a full report to the Guild master of the Adratram branch about the situation with the alliance.
Emelia and Saya had also decided to accompany them, as Emelia had an aunt who worked as an adventurer in the capital. Before leaving, Emelia hesitated, then approached Aiden with a determined look. "Aiden," she began.
"Yeah? What's up?" Aiden asked.
"I've decided to go with Saya to train in the empire," Emelia explained, her voice steady. "I don't want to stay weak my whole life, so I'm going to ask my aunt to train me."
Aiden nodded approvingly. "That's a good decision."
Emelia smiled. "Thank you. I'm also planning to apply to the Madoken Magic Academy next year."
"Good plan," Aiden replied. "You and Saya should get stronger".
Emelia's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Do you think we'll meet again after I get stronger?"
"Of course," Aiden said with a a haughty smile as if he was stating an obvious fact.
Saya, who had been quiet until now, watched the exchange with a thoughtful expression. Aiden noticed her unusual quietness but didn't press her as he figured that she might just be a little overwhelmed by the new adventure.
After some time, Olenna group started heading toward their ship. However, Saya hesitated, hanging back. Aiden noticed her lingering and asked her, "What is it, Saya?"
Saya looked at him for a moment then turned to Emelia, Miss, can you give me a few minutes with Aiden. It won't take long".
Emelia's looked at her friend for a moment, but Saya remained silent, her gaze fixed on her, "Okay. We'll be back at the ship waiting for you".
Hu Zhao and Dian Long looked at each other and grinned, showing both a sly smile. Dian Long suddenly suggested, "Hey, how about we go and search for our rooms?"
Hu Zhao, nodding in agreement, added, "Yeah. I don't wanna be here right now."
With that, Dian Long, Hu Zhao, headed off to explore the ship, leaving Aiden and Saya alone on the sidewalk.
Aiden rolled his annoyed with their behavior but decided to just ignore it. He turned at Saya who was looking down at her feet, fidgeting slightly as she struggled to find the right words. Aiden watched her, finally he sighed and asked her her.
"Saya, is something bothering you?".
Saya hesitated, then took a deep breath and met his eyes. "Aiden, the thing is... I don't want to go to the empire."
Her voice was soft, almost hesitant, but there was a determination behind it that hadn't been there before. Aiden's smile faded slightly as he listened intently.
"I'm not really interested in going," she continued, her eyes reflecting the inner struggle she was facing. "It's Miss Emelia who wants to go, and as her friend and guard, I feel like I need to follow her."
Aiden studied her for a moment, his expression thoughtful. "Hmmm, you said it yourself—you're her friend first, right? And as her friend, I'm sure she would understand if you didn't want to go with her."
Saya looked away, her brow furrowing. "But…"
"But what? Just talk to her. You have your own dreams to follow, don't you?"
Saya's eyes widened slightly, as if the idea had only just occurred to her. "Dreams… Yes, you're right! I do have dreams." Her voice grew stronger, more confident. "I'm going to talk to her right now."
Aiden smiled, relieved to see the spark of resolve returning to her eyes. "Good. Just be honest with her—and with yourself."
Saya's face lit up and nodded firmly, then turned and started running toward their ship. But just as she ran a few meters, she suddenly stopped. She turned back to Aiden, a bright smile on her face.
Saya ran back to him, her heart racing with a mix of emotions. She hesitated for only a second before leaping up, placing a quick, light kiss on Aiden's cheek. "Thank you, Aiden," she called out, her voice filled with gratitude.
Aiden couldn't respond, he stood frozen, his eyes wide in shock. Saya pulled back, her cheeks flushed, but her smile was radiant. She didn't wait for Aiden's reaction. Instead, she turned and dashed back to the ship, leaving Aiden standing there, stunned and speechless.
He watched her until she was out of sight, shaking his head with a faint smile. "What just happened?" he said to himself, still in disbelief.
Before he could think any further, he heard the sound of muffled laughter coming from behind him. Aiden's eyes narrowed suspiciously as he turned toward the noise.
From behind, Hu Zhao and Dian Long emerged, grinning from ear to ear. They had clearly been hiding the entire time, and the look on their faces told Aiden that they had seen everything.
Aiden shot them a half-amused, half-exasperated look. "What's funny?"
Hu Zhao said, grinning. "Nothing. Just the mighty Aiden getting himself a girlfriend"
Aiden just rolled his eyes and didn't bother to answer. He just walked away as the two kept talking and laughing.
Dian Long nodded sagely, clearly enjoying this. "Did you see see that smile on his face, and hers too. He enjoyed it too".
Hu Zhao agreed and said, "The Lion Sin of pride, the might Aiden has got his heart stolen. Truly a magnificent sight to witness".
Aiden started getting annoyed at them but he refused to entertain them with an answer as he knew that's what they were searching for.
______________________
[Present day]
And so, it came to be that the twelve people now sat together, enjoying their meal aboard the Aeliana. Among those present was the second prince, William, who had requested to join them on their journey. His destination was Baycoast Island, one of the larger islands in the Lefia Kingdom archipelago, where his royal fleet awaited him. Due to the Moxi Treaty, no kingdom fleet could enter the sea borders of Moxi Island without the Adventurer's Guild's permission. As a result, William had left his royal fleet in Baycoast Island's port city when he last visited Moxi Island, traveling the rest of the way on a commercial ship.
Aiden had agreed to let William join them, mainly to allow Saifon, who always traveled with William, to accompany them as well. The second prince appreciated the relaxed atmosphere on the ship, where no one seemed to care about his royal status, much like Saifon.
AN: [By the way, the 12 people are Aiden, Saya, Alex, Eldric, Edvard, Lora, Dian Long, Hu Zhao, George (William's head guard), Saifon, William, and Diss].
Suddenly, the second prince felt a familiar sensation and reached into his pouch, pulling out a glowing yellow object. He exchanged a glance with George and Saifon, who both nodded in understanding.
William cleared his throat, catching everyone's attention. The chatter died down as all eyes turned to him.
"Ahem," William began, smiling warmly. "I want to thank you all for letting us join you on this incredible ship. I've just received a signal from the royal fleet. I'd like to invite all of you to spend some time with me on Baycoast Island before you continue your journey to the Kederawen Kingdom."